The U.S. Department of Energy plans to unlock $3.3 billion in federal stimulus grants, as much as $200 million apiece, to companies and utilities to help develop a smarter, faster power grid. The first round of applications is due July 29, with future rounds in December and March 2010 if money remains. The department’s plans for this stimulus money raises the maximum amount of individual grants from the previously proposed $20 million.

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Bryan Smart is expecting a big run from the unbeaten Ceedwell in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot tomorrow. The Thirsk trainer has a tremendous record in two-year-old races at the big meeting having sent out winners of the Coventry, Windsor Castle and Chesham Stakes. Now he has his sights on this Group Two contest for fillies with the daughter of Exceed And Excel, who has won at Carlisle and Catterick.

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Quick! What's the hottest electric car currently on the market? Did you say the Tesla Roadster? You may in fact be right, but there's another contender that you should consider before making up your mind so quickly.

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The smart fortwo is a rear engined two seater. Owned by Mercedes the Smart was made top make city driving a wee bit easier. This particular Smart is for sale for Rs. 20 lacs. Yes, 20 lacs for a car that has done 40,000 kms.

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When it comes to increasing fuel economy, turbochargers are the replacement for displacement. The combination of highly efficient snails and smaller engines provides the power people expect, while reducing the overall weight of the vehicle. Like other automakers that have realized that forced induction is a suitable stop-gap for improving fuel economy, Mercedes-Benz is in the process of developing turbo'd engines that will proliferate throughout its lineup in the next two and a half years.

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"Wide-body" is a relative term. An SUV or a supercar decked out with a wide-body kit? Pimpin'. But a smart ForTwo? Well, it's wider, sure. Koenigseder is known for modifying big SUVs, but with this kit it's gone decidedly smaller. The Austrian tuning house's package for the diminutive Smart car widens the body by over an inch, which we're not sure is so Smart for a vehicle designed to park sideways in tight spots.

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Last week we reported that Daimler has stopped a Chinese minicar that resembles the Smart ForTwo from being shown this year Bologna auto show. Martin Motors, a European distributor Chinese Smart clone presented the minicar in a parking lot outside the Bologna auto show today.

Martin Motors was under court orders not to display the vehicle, which resembles the Smart ForTwo, at the show.

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