JANUARY 18, 2017

The Hydrogen Future. In the first global initiative of its kind, the "Hydrogen Council," meeting in Davos for the first time on Tuesday, is determined to position hydrogen among the key solutions of the energy transition. The 'Hydrogen Council' is currently made up of 13 CEOs and Chairpersons from various industries and energy companies committed to help achieve the ambitious goal of reaching the 2 degrees Celsius target as agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The international companies currently involved are: Air Liquide, Alstom, Anglo American, BMW GROUP, Daimler, ENGIE, Honda, Hyundai, Kawasaki, Royal Dutch Shell, The Linde Group, Total and Toyota. The Council is led by two Co-Chairs from different geographies and sectors, currently represented by Air Liquide and Toyota. During the launch, members of the 'Hydrogen Council' confirmed their ambition to accelerate their significant investment in the development and commercialization of the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors. These investments currently amount to an estimated total value of €1.4 Bn/year. This acceleration will be possible if the key stakeholders increase their backing of hydrogen as part of the future energy mix with appropriate policies and supporting schemes. Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier with favorable characteristics since it does not release any CO2 at the point of use as a clean fuel or energy source, and can play an important role in the transition to a clean, low-carbon, energy system. Hydrogen technologies and products have significantly progressed over past years and are now being introduced to the market. The Council will work with, and provide recommendations to, a number of key stakeholders such as policy makers, business and hydrogen players, international agencies and civil society to achieve these goals. Editor's Note: Peter's idea for The Future of Racing, in a presentation he made to industry and racing leaders a decade ago, is proving to be more visionary by the day. Read about the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation here. -WG

(Ford Images)
A sleeker new Mustang is on its way for 2018. New from the windshield forward and with tweaks to the rear taillights, the new Mustang features "a more athletic look," according to the Ford PR minions. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine continues on, as does the 5.0-liter V8 engine, which has been thoroughly reworked to be higher-revving and to offer more power thanks to the first application of Ford’s new dual-fuel, high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure port fuel injection. The 3.7-liter V6 has been dropped. The manual transmission for both engine options has been upgraded for optimal torque. For the V8, the manual transmission has been totally redesigned to include a twin-disc clutch and dual-mass flywheel to increase torque capability and deliver more efficient clutch modulation. A new 10-speed automatic transmission, with a wide-ratio span and optimized gear spacing, is available with both EcoBoost and V8 engines. The new 10-speed has quicker shift times, better low-speed tip-in response and significantly reduced friction losses. The all-new electronic control system includes unique tunes for different drive modes and features real-time adaptive shift scheduling to ensure the right gear at the right time. Steering wheel-mounted shift paddles are included. MagneRide™ suspension technology is a new option with the Mustang Performance Package to optimize ride and handling in all situations. And customers will have more ways to personalize their Mustang with three new paint colors, twelve distinct wheel choices and a customizable, 12-inch all-digital LCD instrument cluster. The new Mustang hits in the fall.

The 2018 Ford Mustang convertible gets the updates too. The 2018 Mustang GT convertible (above) in Ingot Silver.

(Land Rover)
From the "Bring Money" File, Land Rover has launched its newest model, the 550HP, standard wheelbase, Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic. This comes 30 years after the launch of the original Range Rover in North America. Land Rover is also showcasing the evolution of its SUV through four generations with a unique video that marks key dates in the brand's history, showing how today’s Range Rover retains many of the design hallmarks established by the 1970 Classic. The SVAutobiography Dynamic begins sales in North America and around the world this month. Watch the video here.