February 8, 2010
With the widely expected recall of Toyota's Prius hybrid car this week, the Irish bookmaking firm Paddy Power is offering odds on the next international car brand - after Toyota - to issue a recall in excess of 100,000 vehicles.
And in even more bad news for the Japanese car giant, Paddy Power make Toyota their odds-on 1/3 favorite to be first to announce another recall after the Prius. The luxury vehicle division of Toyota, Lexus, is the 2/1 second favorite followed by Volvo and Audi and longer odds of 12/1 and 14/1, respectively.
Remarkably, Paddy Power's oddsmakers believe that Czech car manufacturer Skoda is the least likely to be forced to recall their cars and is the 66/1 outsider in the betting.
"Ninety percent of bets placed so far predict that Toyota will come a cropper again but with rumors circulating about a similar braking fault on the new Lexus hybrid, I think the 2/1 about Lexus could be the value bet," Paddy Power said in a statement issued today.
The next car brand to recall a model after Toyota Prius recall, according to Paddy Power:
- 1/3 Toyota
- 2/1 Lexus
- 12/1 Volvo
- 14/1 Audi
- 14/1 Dodge
- 16/1 Honda
- 18/1 Hyundai
- 18/1 Ford
- 20/1 Volkswagon
- 20/1 Nissan
- 25/1 BMW
- 25/1 Chrysler
- 25/1 Mercedes-Benz
- 33/1 Vauxhall
- 33/1 Fiat
- 40/1 Hummer
- 40/1 Daewoo
- 40/1 Alfa Romeo
- 50/1 Ferrari
- 66/1 Skoda
Paddy Power is Ireland's largest bookmaker and a leading provider of gaming services in the U.K., Australia and Ireland. The company is listed on both the Irish and London Stock Exchanges.
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- Scott Doggett February 8, 2010, 4:21 PM
- Categories:
- Lexus, Toyota
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- Lexus, Paddy Power, Recall, Toyota Prius
February 8, 2010
Toyota will announce a global recall of its 2010 Prius hybrid vehicles, a source with knowledge of the plans told CNN, the network reported this evening.
The auto manufacturer will file recall papers with the Japanese government Tuesday and follow with announcements in other countries where the car is sold as the day goes on, the source said.
Calls by Green Car Advisor to various Toyota spokesmen seeking comment shortly after CNN aired its report were not immediately returned.
Last week, the company admitted a problem with the software that controls the anti-lock braking system of the 2010 model of the car and said it had found a solution for cars that started to roll off of the assembly line in Japan last month.
It has yet to find a solution for the estimated 37,000 cars already on U.S. roads or the more than 200,000 of the 2010 model year vehicles that have been sold worldwide, but the company said Friday that a solution was "near."
Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales in the United States, during an online video interview this evening, declined to say when - or if - Toyota would recall the car.
"We're going to do whatever it takes to make sure our customers feel secure and safe with our products," Lentz said of the Prius issue.
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- Scott Doggett February 8, 2010, 3:46 PM
- Categories:
- Emissions, Hybrid, Toyota
- Technorati Tags:
- Brakes, CNN, Hybrid, Recall, Toyota Prius
February 8, 2010
General Motors announced today that its new lineup of heavy-duty diesel pickups will have B20 biodiesel capability, meaning that they will be able to run on a fuel blend that's 80 percent conventional hydrocarbon-based diesel and 20 percent vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel.
GM made the announcement at the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo taking place in Grapevine, Texas.
To make the Duramax 6.6-liter engine and its fuel system compatible with B20, GM upgraded some seals and gasket materials to withstand the ester content of biodiesel and added an upgraded fuel filter that includes a coalescing element.
The coalescing element improves the separation of water that may be present in the fuel, because biodiesel can absorb water. Also, additional heating of the fuel circuit was added to reduce the chance of fuel gelling that could plug filters.
The new Duramax will power the redesigned 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups, as well as the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans. Chevy will unveil the 2011 Silverado heavy-duty trucks at the Chicago Auto Show on Wednesday.
"B20 capability in our new heavy-duty trucks is the latest addition to a growing number of alternate-fuel options offered by General Motors," said GM VP Mike Robinson.
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- Scott Doggett February 8, 2010, 2:54 PM
- Categories:
- Auto Shows, Emissions, Fuel Economy, GMC, Legislation
- Technorati Tags:
- 2007 Energy Bill, 2011 Chevy Express, 2011 Chevy Silverado, 2011 GMC Savana, 2011 GMC Sierra, Biodiesel, Biofuel, Chicago Auto Show, Duramax 6.6-Liter, Emissions
February 8, 2010
- Calif. startup's facility has EV test track for visitors.
- Company expects tens of thousands of visitors this year.
- The modern facility is located inside a former oil tank.
By Danny King, Contributor
Better Place, the California startup that last month obtained $350 million in funding to help launch a network of battery-switching stations for electric vehicles in Israel and Denmark starting next year, will open a demonstration center in Israel this week that gives visitors a chance to see how battery-switching stations work and to test drive electric cars around a one-mile track.
Better Place, which promotes the idea battery swapping as a solution to EV-range issues, also said Motorola and Computer Associates are among a group of 92 companies that will exchange a portion of their Israeli gas-powered corporate fleets for Renault EVs starting next year.
Better Place also plans to deploy switching stations at Dor Alon gas stations in Israel, the company said in a statement late last week.
Better Place, founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Shai Agassi, promotes the idea that owners of plug-in electric vehicles should be able to lease charged batteries so they don't have to purchase the costly battery packs that propel their vehicles. Such packs can cost tens of thousands of dollars apiece.
Like cell-phone buyers who buy minutes of air time in prepaid monthly or annual packages tailored to fit their individual needs, Better Place customers would buy an electric-drive car and then purchase miles, in the form of kilowatt-hours of energy stored in battery packs that Better Place would supply.
The company got a big boost last month when it raised $350 million in a funding round that was led by London-based investment banker HSBC and included Lazard Asset Management and Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
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- Scott Doggett February 8, 2010, 1:43 PM
- Categories:
- Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Emissions, Legislation, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
- Technorati Tags:
- Better Place, Israel, Israeli EV Program, Plug-in Electric Vehicle, Renault Fluence ZE, Shai Agassi
February 8, 2010
General Motors Co.'s Two Mode Hybrid powertrain, used only in trucks, will migrate to rear-drive cars in the next generation, Tom Stephens, GM's vice chairman of global product operations, told Automotive News.
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GM's 2010 Two Mode Hybrid drivetrain.
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Two Cadillac models - ATS and CTS - are likely candidate to get the system, consultant Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics in suburban Detroit, told the subscription trade publication.
The Two Mode Hybrid system combines a gas engine with electric battery power
Last month GM said it was developing an electric motor that is 25 percent smaller and 20 percent more powerful than the motor used in GM's current Two Mode Hybrid full-sized trucks.
The new motor will debut in 2013 in GM's next-generation, full-sized trucks, Stephens said.
"The new motor will be lighter. It will be more affordable," he said. Because of the smaller size, he said, GM also will use those motors in cars. Hall expects the next-generation Two Mode Hybrid system to be offered eventually on the Cadillac ATS, a rear-drive Cadillac smaller than the CTS.
The ATS is expected to go on sale in the U.S. next year. Hall expects that the next-generation CTS, scheduled for 2012, eventually will offer the next-generation hybrid system.
Today, the full-sized Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade SUVs and the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups are the only GM nameplates available with the Two Mode. Their electric motor is assembled by Remy International.
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- Scott Doggett February 8, 2010, 11:45 AM
- Categories:
- General Motors, Hybrid
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- Cadillac ATS, Cadillac CTS, Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Tahoe, Drivetrain, Emissions, General Motors, GM, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon, Powertrain, Two-Mode Hybrid
February 8, 2010
Toyota Motor Corp., battling new complaints about braking problems in its Prius hybrid, is evaluating whether similar glitches also need fixing in the Lexus HS hybrid (pictured).
The Japanese automaker aims to announce a remedy for the Prius early this week, both in the United States and overseas, an official close to the matter said.
It is still unclear whether the measure will entail a recall or voluntary safety campaign. But Japanese press reports say Toyota will recall the Prius in some 60 countries.
The subscription trade publication Automotive News reported today that a large Toyota and Lexus dealer in Japan said dealers there were advised that the Prius would be recalled, but they are not allowed to notify customers until the recall has been announced by the Ministry of Transportation.
Some dealers are already receiving software updates with which to tweak the car's antilock braking system, he said.
Engineers were still testing the Prius over the weekend at the company's Higashifuji proving grounds to get a better handle on the braking issue, another official said.
The company is also looking into whether other hybrids, including the Lexus HS and the upcoming Toyota Sai, must also be remedied, Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said.
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- Scott Doggett February 8, 2010, 8:37 AM
- Categories:
- Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Japan, Lexus, Toyota
- Technorati Tags:
- Brake, Hybrid, Japan, Lexus HS Hybrid, Recall, Toyota Prius, Toyota Sai
February 8, 2010
Stating the obvious, environmentalist told European industry ministers Monday that electric cars must be backed by "smart" power networks if they are to help the world's climate problems.
The comments came as the ministers prepared to discuss how to realign power infrastructure, equipment standards and the marketplace so that European carmakers can race ahead of rivals in Japan, China and the United States. The meeting is scheduled to start Tuesday in San Sebastian, Spain.
The European Union has succeeded in cutting the link between economic growth and rising carbon emissions, but has failed to control the transport sector, where output of carbon dioxide has soared by 38 percent over the last 20 years, European Union data has shown.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has pledged to reverse that situation by trying to "decarbonize" transport, and new rules for cars, vans, trucks and motorcycles are being considered.
The sources of power for electric vehicles will top the agenda in San Sebastian, documents show, amid warnings some can can do more harm than good.
"The provision of electricity may need to be adapted to drivers' charging patterns, causing new electricity demand peaks," says a discussion paper for the talks, according to Reuters news service.
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- Scott Doggett February 8, 2010, 8:16 AM
- Categories:
- Batteries, China, Emissions, Energy Companies, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
- Technorati Tags:
- Carbon Dioxide, China, Electric Cars, Electric Vehicles, EU, EV, Japan, Smart Grid, Smart Power Networks, United States
February 8, 2010
Above, the proposed Velozzi Supercar and, below, the Velozzi Solo crossover. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicles - if they do come to market - will employ range-extending Capstone microturbine generators that can run on various fuels.
By John O'Dell and Scott Doggett
Capstone Turbine, a developer and manufacturer of microturbines for industrial purposes, has announced that boutique Los Angeles car maker Velozzi plans to begin selling a pair of extended-range hybrids using a Capstone microturbine to generate electricity.
The first of the cars is to be a lightweight, plug-in sports car built from composites and other renewable components.
It is slated to go on sale late this year and with it, the companies say, Velozzi will become the first automaker to integrate Capstone's ultra-clean, multi-fuel, range-extending microturbines into a passenger car.
Velozzi, which has worked with Bayer MaterialScience on the cars' reinforced plastic body panels, says they will also represent the first automotive use of material that incorporates super-light carbon fiber nano tubes.
So far, all we've seen are renderings, so we can only offer what Velozzi and Capstone are saying.
Velozzi says its first car, the plug-in hybrid Velozzi "Supercar," is an exotic 200-mph sports car using a 550-kilowatt, 770-horsepower induction motor that will be charged by a 65-kilowatt Capstone microturbine-generator.
The Velozzi electric powertrain also incorporates ultracapacitors, which store and release relatively small amounts of energy far more quickly than batteries can and are used to augment the car's main battery pack by providing quick bursts of power on demand.
The Supercar can accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in just three seconds, according to Velozzi.
A second model, called the Velozzi Solo, is a crossover with design cues that appear to have been borrowed from the Infiniti FX. It is slated to go into production and hit the market next year. It will use a 30-kilowatt Capstone microturbine.
Capstone microturbines can run on diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, methanol, jet fuel, propane or compressed natural gas, which makes them, in industry parlance,"omnivorous."
While we haven't seen Velozzi's cars, we have seen Capstone's microturbines.
A diesel-burning 30-kilowatt microturbine generator from the 22-year-old Chatsworth, Calif., company was integrated into the drive system of another prototype hybrid-electric sports car, the CMT-380, that drew a lot of interest at the Los Angeles Auto Show back in December.
And Capstone tested its first microturbine hybrid-electric drive back in 1997 - a converted GM Saturn you can see in this video.
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- Scott Doggett February 8, 2010, 1:06 AM
- Categories:
- Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Biofuels, Butanol, Diesel, Emissions, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Methanol, Natural Gas, Plug-ins and Electric, Velozzi
- Technorati Tags:
- batteries, battery, biodiesel, Capstone Microturbine, Capstone Turbine Corp., diesel, ethanol, hydrogen, jet fuel, methanol, PHEV, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, propane and compressed natural gas, syngas, Velozzi SOLO Crossover, Velozzi Supercar
February 6, 2010
Toyota Motor Corp., hustling to contain the additional damage its recently disclosed 2010 Prius brake problem is doing to a reliability reputation already battered by two recalls related to unintended acceleration in other models, has told its dealers that it will announce details of a fix for the popular hybrids' braking system next week.
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Bob Carter, group VP of Toyota. introduces the 2010 Prius at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2009.
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No other details were available.
The company said earlier this week that there is a short "lag" in braking force when the 2010 Prius' electronic controls shift from regenerative braking - which slows the car by using the electric motor as a generator to recharge the batteries - and normal hydraulic braking when the car is being driven on bumpy or slick roads.
Government safety agencies in the U.S. and Japan have received nearly 200 complaints about the system, most originating in the U.S. - where four accidents have been attributed to a loss of brake power in 2010 Priuses.
Toyota said it had identified a software flaw as the cause of the problem with Prius brakes and had revised software for models built since late January but had not yet figured out how to apply it to the approximately 270,000 third-generation - or 2010 model year - Priuses sold before then.
In an e-mail to Toyota dealers late Friday, Toyota group vice president Bob Carter said that news of the problem "has prompted considerable customer concern, speculation, and media attention due to the significance of the Prius image." The automaker, he wrote, is "moving rapidly to provide a solution for your existing customers."
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- John O'Dell February 6, 2010, 2:34 PM
- Categories:
- Toyota
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- 2010 Prius Brake Problem, Prius Brakes, Toyota Prius
February 5, 2010
You'd think that all the negative publicity about problems with the brake system on Toyota's 2010 Prius would cool hybrid shoppers' ardor, but consumers using our parent, Edmunds.com, seem to be of a different mindset.
Both consideration and purchase intent for the Prius have risen about 10 percent among car shoppers doing research on Edmunds.com since the Prius brake story became news earlier this week.
It looks as though there are a number of people out there looking for bargains, said Jeremy Anwyl, Edmuds.com's CEO.
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- John O'Dell February 5, 2010, 1:57 PM
- Categories:
- Hybrid, Toyota
- Technorati Tags:
- 2010 Toyota Prius, Hybrids, Prius Brake Problems, Prius Shopper Consideration
February 5, 2010
The government of Taiwan, in an effort to help the country's developing electric car industry, said it will institute a nearly $100 million (U.S.) multi-year subsidy progam initially aimed at supporting nascent EV makers.
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Taiwan's Yulon Motor is working with China's Geely automobile to develop an EV based on the Geely Panda.
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Funds for the first three years - the amounts haven't been specified - will go to subsidize purchase of 3,000 EV by 10 city governments on the island, creating a market for EV makers.
The principal beneficiary, according to analysts at IHS Global Strategies, will be Taiwan's largest automaker, Yulon Motor, which already is developing EVs in partnership with China's Geely Automobile.
The second phase of the Taiwan EV subsidy program announced today will begin in 2013 and will provide consumer incentives to promote EV purchasing.
China and Taiwan have a cooperative economic development agreement that calls for automakers in the two countries to jointly build up to 45,000 EVs a year in Taiwan by 2015.
Taiwan also wants to be a major devloper and exporter of various electric vehicle components including batteries and electric motors. The government program is seen as a way to help Taiwanese companies get started in those markets.
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- John O'Dell February 5, 2010, 12:57 PM
- Categories:
- Plug-ins and Electric, Tax Incentives
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- Taiwan EV Development
February 5, 2010
Smart ForTwo CDI Reduces CO2 Output by Lowering Its Stance
Daimler, whose Smart ForTwo diesel version has the lowest emissions of any production combustion engine car sold in Europe, said it has reduced the tiny car's greenhouse gas output by another two percent.
The improvement didn't come from fancy engine or emissions technology tweaks, though. Daimler made the gain by slightly increasing the Smart diesel's fuel economy through an aerodynamics improvement achieved by lowering the car's overall height seven millimeters - a little more than a quarter of an inch.
The lower stance resulted in a slight fuel economy boost - to 3.3 liters per 100 kilometers from 3.4 liters/100 km (that's .87 gallon per 62 miles versus .89 gallon per 632 miles, an improvement of .0003 gallon per mile).
The Smart ForTwo CDI, whose 0.8-liter diesel engine is available for European models but not in the U.S., now emits 86 grams of CO2 per kilometer, down from 88 grams, Daimler said.
Every little bit helps.
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- John O'Dell February 5, 2010, 12:12 PM
- Categories:
- Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Smith
- Technorati Tags:
- CO2, Greenhouse Gas, Smart ForTwo CDI, Smart ForTwo Diesel
February 5, 2010
South Korean battery developer LG Chem, seeking to become a world leader in energy storage for electric-drive cars and trucks, said it has signed a deal to begin supplying advanced lithium-ion batteries to China's Changan Automobile later this year.
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LG Chem supplies the lithium-ion cells that make up the Chevrolet Volt's battery pack.
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Neither the value of the contract nor the number of batteries to be sold were disclosed.
Analysts at IHS Global Insight suggested that the deal might cover batteries for the Zhixiang EV that Changan - one of China's largest home-grown automakers - is expected to begin selling in China by the end of the year.
A report in the Korea Times, however, says Changan - which already sells one hybrid and is expected to introduce a second model in March - is moving away from nickle-metal hydride batteries in the gas-electric cars and that it wants LG Chem's lithium batteries for those and future hybrids as well.
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- John O'Dell February 5, 2010, 9:30 AM
- Categories:
- Batteries
- Technorati Tags:
- Chinese EVs, LG Chem, Lithium Ion Batteries
February 5, 2010
All Agree Battery EVs Gaining, Hydrogen Fading for Now; Little Else Garners Unanimity
In brief:
- Experts divided on whether we need more electric vehicle development, or should refocus emphasis on boosting electricity production, transmission and storage capacity.
- Opinion also divided on best for of EV - battery or fuel cell, with battery electric technology seemingly winning the race for now.
- Utility companies are playing an increasing role in personal transportation technology.
- EV charging station technology, locations and revenue models still under study.
By Terril Yue Jones, Contributor
WASHINGTON - Powering vehicles with electricity receives near-universal support as a means to shift private transportation from fossil fuels to cleaner, renewable energy.
But vigorous debates remain as to what kind of electric drive systems are best and whether there is a need now to increase emphasis on improving electric fueling infrastructure, even if that means reducing private and public investment in vehicle technology.
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Many believe battery electric vehicles will need a public network of chargers like this one form Coulomb Technologies to gain widespread acceptance.
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The chief competitors are battery-electric systems powered from the commercial electricity grid and hydrogen fuel cells, which make electricity on-board a vehicle but need ready supplies of fuel grade hydrogen to do so.
Some believe there already is sufficient electrical supply in the national power grid to handle a huge number of battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, if most drivers were content to recharge their vehicles' batteries at home overnight.
Others insist that a national network of public charging stations will be needed to help consumers overcome "range anxiety" and make battery-electric vehicles - most in the works now limited to less than 200 miles of travel on a fully charged battery pack - widely accepted.
And all agree that for hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles, or FCEVs, to become successful, an extensive hydrogen production and fueling network will be needed - particularly one in which the hydrogen is produced from renewable resources.
More Questions Than Answers
For both electricity and hydrogen production (a process that itself consumes large amounts of electricity) there also are serious questions about environmental impact - coal and natural gas versus renewable resources such as solar, hydro and nuclear power for generating electricity.
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Most hydrogen today is made from natural gas in an energy-intensive process. Supports believe hydrogen produced with electricity from solar or hydro power stations will be clean alternative to electricity for battery chargers.
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What, where, when - and for how much - are the big question marks and were much discussed topics at the annual meeting of the Electric Drive Transportation Association, held in conjunction with the Washington Auto Show earlier this month.
With a battery-electric vehicle "you could plug it in at night and enjoy off-peak (electricity) rates," said Thomas Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute, an association of publicly held U.S. power companies that provide electricity to three-fourths of the country. "Maybe the new dynamic won't be miles per gallon, but cents per mile."
Whatever the dynamic, there are concerns over how best to achieve the federal government's interim goal of reducing the country's CO2 emissions to 80 percent below 1990's level by the year 2050.
One big question: whether to continue pouring investment into vehicle development, or whether it's time to refocus on building a national infrastructure for electrical charging, hydrogen fueling or both.
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- John O'Dell February 5, 2010, 3:00 AM
- Categories:
- Energy Companies, Plug-ins and Electric
- Technorati Tags:
- Battery Charging, BEVs, EDTA, Electric Vehicles, EVs, FCEVs, Fuel Cells, Hydrogen
February 4, 2010
Automaker Will 'Dramatically' Boost Hiring at Southern California Headquarters
By John O'Dell, Senior Editor
Fisker Automotive has begun relocating its year-old Michigan engineering center and the two dozen jobs there to its Southern California headquarters and says it will "dramatically" boost hiring at its headquarters as it ramps up development of its next extended-range plug-in hybrid program.
The nascent automaker, which has yet to begin selling its first vehicle - the $88,000 Fisker Karma extended-range plug-in hybrid is slated to go on sale later this year after several delays - says it will begin production of a new family of more-affordable plug-ins in 2012.
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- John O'Dell February 4, 2010, 6:00 PM
- Categories:
- Fisker, Plug-ins and Electric
- Technorati Tags:
- Fisker Automotive Hiring, Fisker Closing Michigan Office, Fisker Hiring, Fisker Karma, Fisker Project Nina
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