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Most people who buy foreign cars don’t think about how their cars get to their local dealership. They also probably don’t consider that the average cargo ship burns 120 gallons per mile as it carries hybrids and other eco-friendly cars across oceans. Toyota is at the head of the pack, developing a cargo ship that will utilize solar photovoltaic cells to help lessen its fuel load.
Nippon Yusen, Japan's largest shipping line, says the solar assist will cut CO2 emissions by 1 to 2 percent per year, or about 20 tons... Beyond seagull-proofing the system, the engineers must figure out how to make it tough enough to withstand salt and vibration. Ikutoshi Matsumura, executive vice president of Nippon Oil, says the first solar ship will be ready to sail by December with "full commercialization of the system in three to five years."
(blog.wired)
References: reuters, blog.wired
Filed In:
autos,
eco,
tech
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