According to Mazda Motor Corp, the new Mazda2 subcompact will have a fuel economy of 30 km/litre (70 mpg) and as the company said, it will become the world’s most fuel-efficient vehicle. Mazda2 is scheduled to be launched in Japan in the first half of 2011, being the first car fitted with SKYACTIV, a technology produced only by Mazda based on next-generation gasoline and diesel engines.

SunHydro, a hydrogen refueling company is launching their first hydrogen station that will be open to the public. The refueling point will be made available starting Friday in Connecticut, USA, in an attempt of the firm to create a chain of hydrogen refueling stations from Maine to Florida.

One of the first 100 percent electric mass-production cars in US is to be launched this year and will be for sale starting 2011. The CODA Sedan will be manufactured by a private American firm that sells battery systems and all-electric vehicles.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) joined China, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the United States in launching the Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI) on October 1 at the Paris Motor Show in France. The new initiative will provide a platform for global cooperation on the development and deployment of electric vehicles.

Energy supplier EDF have unveiled a new gadget that allows consumers to turn off their appliances from anywhere in the home. The wireless EcoManager enables householders to control and switch off their microwave ovens, TVs and stereos from any location, allowing them to cut needless energy use and save money on their bills in the process.

Siemens has launched its renewable energy business arm in India to get a sizable share in one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The German engineering giant has opened its business in India at just the right time given the abundant economic and policy incentives offered by the government to the project developers as well as manufactures in the renewable energy sector.

Struggling Japanese Automaker Suzuki hopes it will fare better in India than it has in the US. To help make sure it does, Suzuki introduced Indian press to a full line-up of clean-burning CNG vehicles earlier this week.

The project “Building Energy Efficient Biogas Cellars for Families in Phu Tho Province” was very successful. It was launched by the Phu Tho Center for Industry Promotion, Consultation and Energy Conservation, within the framework of the National Targeted Program on Energy Efficiency and Conservation.

Mercedes-Benz has already started the production of a small series of 100 Vito E-CELL electric vans and according to the company, another 2,000 units are planned for 2011.The van, targeted for particularly environmentally sensitive areas and for inner-city operations, is based on the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz Vito with a typical roof.

Dubbed Plugless Power, the device makes use of proximity charging technology to power the vehicle. Evatran’s system works by using a shoebox-sized device mounted to the undercarriage of the vehicle and a parking block which also contains a transmitter that can move within the box and thus get as close as possible to the receiver on the vehicle.

During the recent heat wave, electricity consumption has increased sharply: on 19th June, 37 million KWh was used, on 20th June, almost 40 million kWh, increasing by nearly 40% over the same period in 2009. According to EVN Hanoi, the sudden growth mainly gathered in daily life consumption. Meanwhile, in other provinces electricity consumption were deeply reduced - 30% over the same period in 2009 because every week, these provinces have electricity outage in 2-3 days.

The Japanese giant said it would invest seven billion yen (76 million dollars) by March 2012 in facilities in its domestic production centres to test how to maintain stable power from fluctuating renewable energies.

The renewable energy power producers would earn renewable energy certificates for every megawatt hour of electricity generated. A central authority would be established which would be responsible for distribution of these certificates. Any entity which has the obligation to purchase power generated from renewable energy sources can buy renewable energy certificates from these power producers to meet their targets.

A wave energy generator which was launched off the New South Wales south coast in March, has sunk in rough seas. The 170-tonne structure had been providing electricity to the grid from 150 metres offshore at Port Kembla. But it broke free from its pylons on Friday afternoon and sank on Saturday.

In addition to the new SunPower E19 Series product line, the company is also offering its current 18 percent efficiency or greater solar panels in the SunPower E18 Series product line. This family of panels includes 96-cell and 72-cell configurations, ranging from 305-watts to 225-watts.

In response to the government’s policy and the national program for energy efficiency, the An Giang Province Department of Industry and Trade together with the Philips Vietnam Company sent a team to rural areas in the province to launch the “The Path for the Goal of Power Saving” program for impoverished residents in the area.