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Rolls-Royce signs deal to trial hybrid-electric train conversions

LONDON — Rolls-Royce has signed an agreement to conduct a trial conversion of diesel trains to hybrid-electric engines in Britain, in a deal which could be rolled out to hundreds of trains across the country starting in the 2020s. The British company, which is best known for making aircraft engines, said on Wednesday that its German Power Systems business had signed an agreement with Porterbrook, the UK's largest owner of passenger rolling stock. Rolls-Royce's Power Systems unit, which sells engines used on ships, yachts, trains, trucks, mining and nuclear power stations, is one of the fastest growing parts of the company, and its boss said hybrid technology is behind that. "We expect hybrid technology to grow at above the current growth rates of diesel," the CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, Andreas Schell, told Reuters. The Power Systems business is expected to post low double-digit revenue growth this year and is a bright spot in a company grappling with the negative headlines and cost of fixing a problem with its Trent 1000 aero-engines. Diesel trains can be fitted with Rolls-Royce Hybrid PowerPacks to turn them into hybrid trains that can also run on battery power, reducing carbon emissions and making them cheaper to run for operators while also making them much quieter when, for example, they approach stations. From RR's press release: The MTU Hybrid PowerPack is an environmentally friendly drive system which combines the advantages of diesel and battery-powered rail traction. The version for Porterbrook incorporates an MTU diesel engine which fulfils future EU Stage V emissions regulations; plus an electric machine, which can be used either as an electric motor or generator; and an MTU EnergyPack battery system, which stores the energy recovered during braking. This enables very low-noise, emissions-free battery-only electric operation in urban areas and around stations. The hybrid initiative comes as Britain seeks to phase out diesel-only trains by 2040. Adding the powerpacks to trains allows railway networks to be partially electrified without the need for expensive overhead infrastructure. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers says that 42 percent of Britain's rail network is currently electrified, which means that the country lags behind electrification rates in other European nations. Last year the British government scrapped electrification projects in some parts of the country, saying it would look to hybrid technology trains instead.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV reveals its rear to the cameras

Last week, Rolls-Royce released some official photos of its upcoming SUV, code-named Project Cullinan. The SUV was still wearing full camouflage, and we could only see the front half, but it was our first peak at the new vehicle. Now, thanks to one of our spy photographers, we can see the rest. Immediately noticeable are the rear-hinged, suicide-style rear doors. There appears to be a dummy handle at the trailing edge of the door, but there's no hiding the real thing, which match up nicely with the front handles. Also evident is the plain and simple roof line. No flashy curves here, just simple lines and angles. In fact, the profile of the rear hatch is a bit reminiscent of the Land Rover Range Rover. The hatch drops down to a low-profile rear bumper that features squared-off cutouts for the exhaust. There are couple more details we spot in these photos as well. The unmistakable Rolls-Royce grille looks a bit more rounded than what we saw in the official photos. The result is a more familial look to the Ghost-based Rolls-Royce models. Also noticeable is the strong shoulder line found on every Rolls that runs just below the windows from the headlights to the tail. We can't quite see the tail end of the feature line because of some false body work, but it certainly appears to run the length of the car. See for yourself in the gallery above. Related Video:

Rolls-Royce's design team renders kids' drawings from worldwide design contest

Back in April, Rolls-Royce put out a call to action to kids around the world. The British luxury carmaker wanted to see children design their dream Rolls-Royce of the future. The motivation for doing so? Winners get to enjoy a chauffeur-driven ride to school in a Rolls-Royce with a friend of their choice. Not a bad prize for a kid who is obsessed with cars. It’s been a few months now, and Rolls-Royce has selected a number of winners. Rolls-Royce ended up slotting all the entries into four categories: Technology, Environment, Fantasy and Fun. That means there are four winners, but three other ideas were so good that Rolls gave them “Highly Commended” awards. Rolls-Royce said it received submissions that were inspired by unicorns, space travel, bumblebees, Pablo Picasso and the Egyption pyramids. After selecting all the winners and “highly commended” entries, Rolls-Royce had its design team transform the drawings into digitally-rendered illustrations. They used the same software and processes that theyÂ’d use when working on an actual Rolls-Royce design. You can click through the winners in the gallery at the top, or scroll down below to see them all, along with their corresponding descriptions. Winners: Technology: Bluebird II Rolls-Royce is back to breaking world speed records! Environment: The Capsule For Earth lovers and those that have peoplesÂ’ health at heart. Fantasy: Turtle Car Inspired by sea and land turtles, the Turtle Car can transport patrons not only by sea and land but by air too. Fun: Glow A dream for the future. This timeless Rolls-Royce demonstrates the full spectrum of creative vision. Highly Commended: Bolt The Pinnacle of Intergalactic Space Travel Prosperity The Rolls-Royce Prosperity is only for the most exacting patrons, who believe ease of travel should never be compromised. House of Esperanto This ultimate flying machine can communicate with every creature and combines all the convenience of a house with the mobility of a car. The ground-breaking technology that allows this development is brought to humanity by a mysterious bird that has been living in outer space for a million years.