• Contractor engaged to build Indian F1 circuit
• New F1 team owner to address business forum
• Careers advice on offer at London Motorsport Show
• NASCAR manufacturers welcome alternative fuel move
• Surtees joins Racing Steps Foundation
• IMechE racing tyres lecture
• Ken Livingstone announces Europe's largest fleet of hydrogen buses for London
• T&E study reveals increasing C02 emissions divide between Europe's carmakers
• JAMA publishes 2007 environmental report

Construction company Jaiprakash Associates Ltd based in Lucknow, India has signed a contract with Formula One Management to build a new race circuit on which it is planned to hold a Formula One Indian Grand Prix starting in 2010.

Under the terms of its 10 year contract JP Associates will build the circuit on a site at Greater Noida to the east of the Indian capital, New Delhi.

Indian businessman Vijay Mallya who recently bought the Silverstone, UK based Spyker MF1 Formula One team, renaming it Force India, has been invited to speak at the 2007 Motor Sport Business Forum which takes place in Monaco in December.

Mallya said, "A great many top executives from the world of global motorsport will be in Monaco and, from a business point of view, the Forum is the ideal place and time to introduce the Force India F1 concept to the great and good of the industry."

The 2007 London Motorsport Show will include a Future of Motorsport Zone in which leading organisations will be offering careers advice to wannabe drivers, car designers and race team organisers.

Supported by Learning Grid and the Motorsport Academy as well as F1 in Schools, Formula Student, UK Youth and Formula Schools, the FMZ will identify where people of all ages wanting a career in motorsport should start in terms of information, training courses, and work experience.

The zone will also involve Energy Efficient Motorsport (EEMS), Green Power and Oxin Design Challenge who will question and aim to educate people and companies already in the industry on how motorsport can become more environmentally sympathetic and create a better solution rather than be a part of the problem when it comes to the industry’s carbon footprint. Demonstrations, displays and seminars will highlight the opportunities available to individuals, teams and companies.

The London Motorsport Show takes place at ExCeL exhibition centre in London on December 8-9. For information and to book tickets, visit www.londonmotorsport.co.uk

Senior executives of Chevrolet Racing and Ford Racing Technology have welcomed the recent revelation by NASCAR CEO Brian France that the US stock car racing sanctioning body was considering the adoption of alternative fuels for its racing series.

Speaking to the Arizona Republic newspaper Terry Dolan, Chevy Racing manager, said, "We would be in full support of NASCAR's efforts to explore and develop a green series. We welcome the opportunity to share our technological expertise in alternative fuel powertrains currently developed for our production vehicles.

"There's no better way to raise the awareness of the energy and environmental benefits of E85 than through the excitement of NASCAR."

Dan Davis, director, Ford Racing Technology, said, "We're all for helping racing become greener. We've been looking at some green options in other forms of racing. We just have to understand what that means in terms of NASCAR. Is it using current automotive technology that will help the engines be more efficient, or is it experimenting with bio-fuels down the road?

"The key thing we believe is that if there is movement toward making the sport greener, then it needs to be done with the long-term future of the automotive industry and the racing industry in mind. We also need to do it in a measured way that won't be a major financial burden on the teams or the manufacturers. And, lastly we need to do it in a way that will work with NASCAR's fuel partner and fits into their long-term strategy. We'd like to be part of the process, that's for sure."

Former Formula One World Drivers Champion John Surtees has agreed to take on the role of ambassador for the Racing Steps Foundation which is a new initiative has set up to help young drivers realise their dreams.

RSF will help a small number of young drivers whose talent may not be realised due to lack of funds and will will see them through three levels; karting, Formula Renault and Formula 3. The RSF believes that this way they can help up to four talented drivers progress through the junior formulae without having to worry about costs.

RSF founder, Graham Sharp said, "I have always been a dedicated car racing fan and I recognise the struggles many young British hopefuls have in terms of advancing their craft all the way to Formula 1. With the RSF, we intend to find the most talented drivers at an early stage and if they're ambitious and focused but are being frustrated by a shortage of funds, we will help them."

In 2008 Carlin Motorsport will be the Formula 3 entrant and Fortec Motorsport for Formula Renault, the karting beneficiary has yet to be named.

The Midlands Automotive Division of the UK’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers has organised a lecture on the subject of racing tyres.

Titled ‘Racing Tyres - Fundamental Characteristics and Practical Testing Methods’, the lecture will be delivered by Ben Michell, Senior Analyst - Advanced Engineering at Dunlop Motorsport and takes place at Coventry University on December 4.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has announced that ten new hydrogen powered buses will join London's bus fleet by 2010. Transport for London has signed a contract with the American company ISE for five hydrogen fuel cell buses and five hydrogen internal combustion engine buses which will be operated by First on behalf of Transport for London.

The contract signed with ISE is for £9.65 million. This covers the initial cost of the vehicles themselves and maintenance and replacement parts for five years from delivery. ISE will be working with sub-contractors including The Wright Group, a bus manufacturer based in Northern Ireland, and Ballard Power Systems. The Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform has provided a grant of £2.6 million towards Transport for London's hydrogen bus programme.

The 'well to wheel' CO2 emissions for both types of bus will be calculated after delivery, when the volume of hydrogen required to power the buses in operation has been confirmed. 'Well to wheel' emissions levels take into consideration the production or extraction processes used in procuring the fuel, as well as the emissions produced by vehicles in operation. The reductions in carbon dioxide emissions compared to a diesel bus are expected to be 50% for the fuel cell buses and 20% for the i.c.e. buses.

TfL expects to have chosen a hydrogen refuelling supplier on board early in 2008.

This project compliments the activities of the Hydrogen Bus Alliance (www.hydrogenbusalliance.org), which TfL was integral in setting up. The Alliance comprises representatives from the public transport authorities of international cities and regions that have demonstrated a clear commitment to hydrogen technology. Each member of the Alliance has made a commitment to buy at least five new hydrogen buses to begin operating between 2008 and 2012.

French, Italian and Japanese car manufacturers extended their lead over their German counterparts last year in terms of fuel efficiency and low emissions, according to sales-weighted CO2 figures published on 14 November by Transport and Environment (T&E), the European sustainable transport campaign group. German groups actually increased emissions of CO2 from new cars sold in 2006 by 0.6% on average, while French and Italian groups cut emissions by an average of 1.6%.

French, Italian and Japanese car manufacturers extended their lead over their German counterparts last year in terms of fuel efficiency and low emissions, according to sales-weighted CO2 figures published on 14 November by Transport and Environment (T&E), the European sustainable transport campaign group. German groups actually increased emissions of CO2 from new cars sold in 2006 by 0.6% on average. In contrast, French and Italian groups cut emissions by an average of 1.6%.

Despite the overall increase in emissions from German producers, BMW reduced average emissions by 2.5% but that was more than offset by Daimler and Volkswagen, which saw increases of 2.8% and 0.9% respectively. Only groups that sold over 200,000 vehicles in Europe in 2006 were included in the study.

The figures, based on sales in Europe in 2006, are derived from official EU monitoring data obtained by T&E under laws granting access to official documents. T&E commissioned the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) in London to analyse the data.

Japanese manufacturers made significant progress in 2006, achieving 2.8% cuts on average. According to the EU data, Toyota made the biggest improvement of any major car manufacturing group in 2006 with the average vehicle sold in 2006 emitting 153 g/km, 5% less CO2 than the previous year.

PSA Peugeot Citroën (142 g/km), Fiat SpA (144 g/km) and Renault SA (147 g/km) sold Europe's lowest emitting cars in 2006 on average. Toyota (153 g/km) and Honda (154 g/km) took fourth and fifth places. DaimlerChrysler came bottom of the list of major carmakers with average emissions of 188 g/km.

Jos Dings, director of T&E, said: “Europe needs CO2 standards that mean fuel efficiency comes built in, not as an optional extra. Launching one or two 'eco' models is not enough to meet the challenges of climate change, rising fuel prices and Europe's increasing dependence on imported oil."

T&E notes that for three reasons this latest report/ranking is not comparable with a similar study published by T&E in October 2006, “How clean is your car brand?'. That was based on EU15 sales data, while this study is based on EU25 data minus Latvia, Malta and Poland (which together account for less than 2% of the EU market). Further, the 2006 study ranked car brands, while this study ranks car manufacturer groups (companies), and is based on a different data source.

(www.transportenvironment.org/docs/Publications/2007/2007-11_car_company_co2_report.pdf)

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. has just published the Japanese edition of its 2007 Report on Environmental Protection Efforts, an overview of the environmental protection measures adopted by the Japanese automobile industry. An English edition is currently in preparation.

The Japanese vehicle manufacturers’ most significant advances in environmental performance in fiscal 2006 included:

- The early achievement of vehicle fuel-economy targets; the average fuel-efficiency performance of new petrol cars reached 16.0 km/l, exceeding the target of 15.1 km/l established for 2010.

- The expanded introduction of low-emission cars; cars certified in Japan as low-emission vehicles now constitute 95% of all new cars in the market. Of that share, 90% comprises models whose emissions are down either by 75% (a 4-star rating) or by 50% (a 3-star rating) from 2005 emission standards.

- Advances in end-of-life vehicle recycling; the recycling rate of vehicle shredder residue (ASR) now stands between 63.7% and 75.0%, surpassing the 50% target rate set for fiscal 2010.

- Manufacturers have met the latest targets for the reduction of CO2 and VOC emissions and waste matter in plant operations.

JAMA’s Japanese-language 2007 environmental report is available at www.jama.or.jp/eco/wrestle/eco_report/