1000 Meilen unter Strom, Rekordfahrt des in Offenburg entwickelten eFahrzeugs "Schluckspecht"

Nach der Entwicklung eines sparsamen Demonstrationsfahrzeugs mit Dieselmotor und Brennstoffzellenfahrzeuge wurde ein Batteriefahrzeug entwickelt, das in Südafrika unter der Aufsicht von FIA-Ingenieuren 626,6 km fuhr, ohne dass die Batterie aufgeladen werden musste. Ein Demonstrationsfahrzeug des Japan Electrical Vehicle Club hielt den damaligen Weltrekordmit 555,6 km.In 2010 the Japan Electric Vehicle Club set the world record for the longest distance covered by an electrically powered vehicle without recharging its battery: 1003 km. This record was the challenge for the Schluckspecht-Team whose main aim has been to whittle down the energy consumption of vehicles. A new type of hub motors was developed, reducing the losses in the motor and enabeling new vehicle designs with improved aerodynamics. A new chassis structure was designed and developed, reducing the weight of the vehicle, as this structure is well adopted to the demand of an electric vehicle (relatively heigh battery mass compared to the overall mass of the vehicle). A test on the Bosch test circuit showed that this vehicle can even drive 1631,5 km (more than 1000 miles). The test was withnessed by the TÜV Süd

Functional changes in field L complex during song development of juvenile male zebra finches

The field L complex is the highest station of the ascending auditory pathway and is thought to be the input stage of auditory information into the song system in birds. Multi-unit recordings were performed in awake, socially reared zebra finches, 30 and 60 days of age. The responses of the field L complex to synthetic and natural stimuli during important periods of song learning were investigated. According to neural responses in field L, three different functional areas could be distinguished, NA-L(30), NA2b(30) and NA2c(30,) in 30 days old birds. In 60 days old birds five different functional areas, NA-L(60), NA2a(60), NA2b(60), NA2c(60) and NA3(60), were recognised. Especially, NA-L increases its functional volume between the developmental stages. The different areas showed already mature neuronal response behaviours. No preference for a certain song type could be found at all ages. The incomplete functional organisation of the field L complex in young birds (30 days) is a possible reason for the nonselectivity in the song system at this age