Hybrid Green Car Advisor Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line

November 20, 2009

Another High-Priced Hybrid Won't Do Much to Hybridize the Automotive Market

BMW's announcement this week that its ActiveHybrid X6 crossover utility vehicle will carry a U.S. sticker price of nearly $90,000 was disappointing, but even more disappointing is the fact that the model isn't alone among hybrids priced well out of reach of most people.

Toyota offers a Lexus LS 600h L for $107,300. The 7-Series Hybrid from BMW will surely be a six-figure car when it becomes available this spring. The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid starts at $73,425. The list is frustratingly long.

Our hawk-eyed colleagues at Edmunds' AutoObserver.com picked up on the trend and wrote about it in a piece that's as well written as it is informative. We encourage you to use your turn signal, pull to the side of the road and give it a read.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett November 20, 2009, 9:04 AM
Categories:: BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Lexus, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: BMW ActiveHybrid X6

California Launches Online Buying Guide That Rates Vehicles by Greenness

The California agency that sets the American standard for automotive emissions today unveiled a much-improved Website that helps consumers choose the least polluting cars on the market.

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Click on art to enlarge.
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The California Air Resources Board Website, using information collected for vehicle certification in the golden state, offers a practical and easy to use system that ranks vehicles according to their emission characteristics and provides tools to compare models.

The site allows visitors to view models by technology/fuel type, smog score, global-warming score and engine family. And there's a very smart tool that, with a click of your mouse, allows you to view all the tax incentives available for a particular model.

Last year, the agency adopted a state regulation requiring automakers to affix the Environmental Performance Label to California showroom models that convey the vehicle's smog and greenhouse-gas emissions. The simply illustrated graphic has two rankings, from one to 10, that depict vehicle emissions. The higher the score, the less polluting it is.

Driveclean.ca.gov puts these same rankings in an online format, making them practical for web research. The Website also provides information about clean-car technology and guides users to consider the emissions of the models they are evaluating.

We salute CARB, once again, for taking another significant step to make the world we live in a healthier place.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 20, 2009, 8:15 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Butanol, Coal, Compressed Air, Diesel, Emissions, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hydrogen, LPG, Legislation, Manufacturers, Methanol, Motorcycles, Natural Gas, Oil, Plug-ins and Electric, Solar, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuels and Vehicles

China On the March With Multitude of Electric Vehicle, Hybrid Projects

Several Plans Involve Greater Cooperation With Taiwan in EV Development

Here's a roundup of news out of China as that country tries to outplay the competition in the electric vehicles game:

Next at Bat
Mainland automaker Chery Automobile is expected to announce soon its plan to establish a global electric vehicle R&D center across the straight in Taiwan.

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Electric version of Panda sedan from China's Geely Automobile reportedly is being built in Taiwan.

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The China Economic News service says sources in Taiwan told it the Chery R&D facility would be built at the Green Energy Intelligent Vehicle Innovation Park in Taiwan's Changhua Coastal Industrial Area.

You're forgiven if you didn't know Taiwan had an EV development complex. We didn't either.

Turns out that the Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs is extending incentives for manufacturers of EVs and related components to establish their operations in and around the innovation center.

Not only that, analysts at IHS Global Insight say Taiwanese automaker Yulon Motor has already unveiled an EV of its own - the Luxgen EV Plus - and is set to work with China's Geely Auto on an electric version of the Geely Panda subcompact.

Chery has its own alliance with a Taiwanese contract car builder - Prince Motors - that assembles Chery autos in Taiwan and is likely to be involved in the new electric vehicle research center.

Heading for First

Automakers in Taiwan and China are expected to announced at a joint conference next week plans to team up to build 45,000 electric cars a year on the island by 2015, with about 30 percent slated for export.

The announcement, according to the Chinese auto parts industry news service gasgoo.com, is expected to come during a Nov. 24-25 "Bridge-Building" conference designed ot help bolster business ties between China and Taiwan.

On Second

A group of ten Chinese automakers have formed an alliance to jointly develop electric vehicles and related components, according to a report in Automotive News China.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 20, 2009, 6:00 AM
Categories:: BAIC, BYD, Chery, China, Dongfeng, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chinese EV Developments

November 19, 2009

BMW Prices 18-MPG, 5,688-Pound ActiveHybrid X6 Crossover Starting at $89,725

BMW announced today that its U.S.-bound 2010 ActiveHybrid X6 crossover utility vehicle will carry a base price of $89,725 and reach American showrooms early next month on the heels of its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The maker-described "one-of-a-kind Sports Active Coupe" (yes, BMW calls its X6 hybrid a SAC) features two-model hybrid technology mated to a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8.

The price includes a number of standard features that are optional on the X6 xDrive50i, among them a 7-speed automatic transmission, leather interior, 20-inch Aero Wheels with mixed-sized performance tires and a rearview camera.

And, BMW reps pridefully point out that the ActiveHybrid X6 is the world's most powerful hybrid vehicle and that it's roughly 20 percent more fuel efficient than the standard X6, and that it's just one of many hybrid vehicles the automaker has planned.

While we applaud BMW for coming out with a hybrid version of the X6, its fuel economy leaves a lot to be desired. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates it at 17 miles per gallon in the city and 19 mpg on the highway, for 18 mpg combined.

While that is impressive for a 5,688-pound vehicle with sub-6-second zero-to-60 quickness, we would have preferred to see the German carmaker come out with a lighter X6 hybrid - the ActiveHybrid actually weighs 400 more than the standard X6 - and one priced closer to $70,000 than $100,000.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 19, 2009, 10:26 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, BMW, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: 2010 BWM ActiveHybrid X6

November 18, 2009

EVs Not Required of Chrysler or GM as Part of Bailout, White House Says

Chrysler ecoVoyager.jpg Concern among some taxpayer and environmental groups that Chrysler's recent decision to downplay development of fuel-efficient electric vehicles violated a pledge used to gain federal bailout funds are unfounded, an administration official says.

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Chrysler, which based part of its federal bailout on promised development of electric vehicles such as this "EcoVoyager" concept, has pulled way back on electrification plans since emerging from bankruptcy.

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"We obviously would be very happy if Chrysler and GM were making lots and lots of high mileage cars [but] it's not a prerequisite. It's not an obligation" of the bankruptcy bailout funding, auto industry restructuring task force chief Ron Bloom said in an interview with Reuters news service.

"We're completely separating policy from ownership," Bloom said of Chrysler's decision. "We trust that the [Chrysler] board has carefully thought out the various options ... and made judgments on the electric program based on that."

The federal government has extended $30 billion in capital to General Motors and $8.5 billion to Chrysler, representing a 60 percent share of GM and a 10 percent stake in Chrysler.

GM is pushing ahead with its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid program as well as with a number of conventional hybrid models, and is expected to expand the Volt's extended-range, gas-electric system to other models as well.

Chrysler, now controlled by Italy's Fiat, has slowed its previosuly announced vehicle electrification plans and now intends to meet federal fuel-efficiency standards by utilizing Fiat-develped gasoline engine efficiency technologies and adding more small cars to its lineup.

Chrysler and GM both have applied for federal guaranteed loans under the $25-billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loans Program, but their applications have not been approved to date.

Bloom said that the federal autos task force doesn't intend to dip into matters involving the automakers and the Energy Department-managed loan program.

We think Chrysler is financially constrained right now from aggressively pushing an expensive electrification program and can probably do what it needs on the fuel efficiency front under its new product plan - which includes introducing the dual mode hybrid Ram pickup next year, an all-electric commercial van early in 2012 and a pair of plug-in hybrids for limited test fleet use in 2011.

But we also think the company is playing the expediency game and could wind up surviving for the short term under the Fiat-designed plan only to fall into a deep hole in later years as more and more of its competitors bring well-develped electric vehicle programs into play.

The game, after all,isn't just about improving fuel economy.

Perhaps more important in the long run is reducing dependency on petroleum fuels and slashing emissions - things electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles can do far better than the best gas and diesel internal combustion engines the industry can develop.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 18, 2009, 1:42 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Fiat, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Bailout

November 17, 2009

Tickets, Tickets, Get Your Red Hot Tickets to the Bloomberg Cars & Fuels Briefing!

Are you in the LA area with the desire and ability to spend Tuesday, December 1 becoming more enlightened about the automotive and energy industries?

The first five people to send an e-mail to pr@edmunds.com noting the make and model of their vehicle and their age (or age range if preferred) will receive a free ticket to attend the Bloomberg Cars & Fuels Briefing - a day of business and information where a small group of advanced auto and fuels technology industry leaders will gather to strategize on the latest ideas and deals.

Award-winning Bloomberg journalists will lead discussions with pioneers including advanced auto technologies investor Vinod Khosla, Honda energy and environmental stragegy director Robert Bienenfeld, Tesla Motors business development chief Diarmuid O'Connell, plug-in hybrid builder and designer Henrik Fisker and oil expert David Sandalow, the federal Energy Department's assistant secretary for policy and international affairs.

Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl and GreenCarAdvisor Senior Editor John O'Dell will also take the stage.

Don't miss a chance to be one 100 guests to hear about the latest in biofuel technology, advanced autos, research on the new automotive customer, and the roles India, China and Korea will play in this rapidly evolving market.

For more information visit the event Website.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 17, 2009, 3:25 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Hybrid, Oil, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Bloomberg Cars Fuels Briefing

GM To Annnounce Initial Volt Markets, Show Production Cruze at LA Auto Show

Volt plug-in hybrid (right) and Cruze compact sedan will be featured at Chevrolet's 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show display.

Got a Chevrolet Volt on your car-shopping list but don't know where to get one once they become available?

General Motors Corp. says it will announce in two weeks - at the upcoming 2009 Los Angeles International Auto Show on Dec. 2 - the first markets in which it will be selling the extended-range rechargeable hybrid starting very late in 2011 or early in 2012.

The automaker also will unveil the U.S. production version of the fuel-efficient Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan, for which it is claiming highway fuel economy of close to 40 miles a gallon.

Already on sale in Europe and Asia, the Cruze will hit dealer showrooms in the U.S. in the third quarter next year.

GM, which for decades ceded the small car market to Japanese automakers, is aiming squarely at Toyota and Honda with the Cruze, claiming in its early marketing materials that the sedan will have more passenger and cargo space than either the the Honda Civic or Toyota's Corolla.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell November 17, 2009, 3:22 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show

Mercedes-Benz Launches ML450 Hybrid in Lease-Only U.S. Program

The 335-horsepower, dual-motor Mercedes-Benz ML 450 Hybrid has landed on our shores, but the German luxury vehicle maker says we can't buy 'em.

The new hybrid is only being offered on a factory lease: $659 a month for 36 months, or $549 a month for 60 months.

The hybrid package - using the dual-mode transmission system jointly developed with BMW, General Motors and Chrysler - marries a 3.5-liter, 275-horsepower V6 to a pair of electric motors for a combined 335 ponies and a diesel-like 381 lb.-ft. of torque.

Mercedes says the lease-only decision was made because of concerns about limited future battery supplies and the company's desire to keep a tighter rein on customer satisfaction - in the event, for instance, that appropriate replacement batteries weren't available a decade from now - than outright sales would allow.

The ML450 Hybrid is capable of traveling for short distances - under two miles - at speeds of up to 34 miles an hour in all-electric drive with juice from its 2.4 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack, which is recharged with power generated by the the engine and the regenerative braking system.

The electric moors provide engine assist at high speeds and also enable the engine to shut down at idle and instantaneously restart when the brake pedal is released - a so called stop-start feature.

Mercedes says its new hybrid SUV will deliver fuel economy of 21 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway, for a combined 22 mpg.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 17, 2009, 1:13 PM
Categories:: Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Mercedes Benz ML450 Hybrid

November 16, 2009

Coalition Outlines Plan for 120 Million Plug-in Vehicles on U.S. Roads by 2030

(Updated at 7 p.m. Pacific time, 11/16/09, to add details throughout.)

By Robert E. Calem, Contributor

Top executives from more than a dozen companies announced today that they had formed a coalition supporting plug-in electric vehicles, and they unveiled a plan calling for 120 million EVs on U.S. roads by 2030 - an ambitious proposal bearing a federal price tag of more than $120 billion over the next eight years.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., members of the newly formed Electricifcation Coalition said plug-in electric vehicles hold the key to solving America's dependence on oil and its associated "economic, environmental and national security vulnerabilities."

High penetration rates of grid-enabled vehicles, or GEVs - vehicles propelled in whole or in part by electricity drawn from the grid and stored onboard in a battery - could radically minimize the importance of oil to the U.S., strengthening the country's economy, improving its national security, and providing much-needed flexibility to American foreign policy, the business leaders said.

Simultaneously, such a system would clear a path to dramatically reduced economy-wide emissions of greenhouse gases, they said.

The conference showcased 13 business leaders and several influential politicians, including Carlos Ghosn, CEO of the Nissan Motor Co.; David W. Crane, CEO of electric utility NRG Energy; David P. Vieau, CEO of battery maker A123 Systems; Frederick W. Smith, CEO of Federal Express; Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota; and Nancy Sutley, chairperson of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Their presentations at the event were optimistic and filled with statistics about the prevalence of cheap electric energy and the benefits of proliferating GEVs.

Among their arguments: that electricity prices are stable and the supply of electricity is abundant, with lots of spare capacity; that electricity is a domestic resource; and, that the infrastructure is already in place to generate, transmit and distribute the electrical supply to homes - with their GEV-filled garages - nationwide.

But the coalition's vision and its goals - spelled out in a 170-page document released today titled the Electrification Roadmap - are a complex assortment of policy recommendations and business initiatives that will face a lot of challenges, even its backers concede.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett November 16, 2009, 2:23 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Nissan, Oil, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: A123Systems.

Name of Chevrolet Volt's Exterior Paint Has Been Narrowed to Three Contenders

A few weeks ago, the marketing reps behind the Chevrolet Volt asked the public to submit names for the exterior paint color of the hybrid. Some 13,000 names were submitted.

We think "greenish silver" pretty much describes the paint job you see here, but the Volt folks wanted - and got - more thoughtful entries. Among them: Joule of the Nile, High Ohm Silver!, Kermit the Fog and Bye Bye Foreign Oil Blue!

Well, today the list was narrowed down to three. Yes, one of the following three names will be the name General Motors gives the original Volt exterior paint:

Viridian Joule, submitted by David Thomas of Sanford, Florida.

environMINT, submitted by Matthew Valbuena of Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

EV-ergreen, submitted by Devin McQuarrie of San Jose, California.

If you feel strongly (or even if you don't) about this, you can vote on one of these names. GM promises that the name that receives the most votes will be the name assigned to the paint. The deadline to vote is 8 a.m. Eastern time, Dec. 1.

And what, ask you, will David, Matthew or Devin receive? GM will be sending all three to the Los Angeles Auto Show, where the winner will be announced on Dec. 1. And "the winner will have the chance to drive a pre-production Volt."

Yeah, we think the winner deserves more than that, but hey, GM just posted a $1.2-billion loss. At least the winner will have a chance to turn the motor over. Electricity isn't free, you know.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 16, 2009, 1:11 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

Daimler Debuts Third-Generation Mercedes-Benz Fuel-Cell-Hybrid Bus for Testing

Daimler today debuted its third-generation Mercedes-Benz Citaro fuel-cell-hybrid bus at the site in Hamburg, Germany, where 10 of the buses enter service next year.

In addition, the Hamburger Hochbahn public-transport company will take delivery of 20 Mercedes-Benz B-class fuel-cell cars starting next year.

The buses will take part in large-scale fleet trials scheduled to take place in Hamburg and other European cities as part of a follow-up to real-world hydrogen-vehicle testing in the the European Union from 2003 to the present.

Vehicles participation in the testing "performed outstandingly," Daimler said in a press release distributed Monday, adding that their total operating time exceeded 140,000 hours and the buses covered a total of more than 1.35 million miles.

Daimler said that due to improved fuel-cell components and hybridization with lithium-ion batteries, the latest version of the Citaro fuel-cell-hybrid bus consumes almost 50 percent less hydrogen than the preceding generation.

The operating range of the fuel-cell bus is 155 miles and the fuel-cell drive system is also practically maintenance-free and has a long operating life.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 16, 2009, 11:23 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Daimler, Emissions, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Mercedes-Benz
Technorati Tags:: Alternate Fuel

November 13, 2009

Toyota Reportedly Planning Prius Wagon or SUV With Lithium Battery Pack

Toyota Motor Corp.'s made no secret of it desire to leverage its successful Prius into an entire line of cars - why not make good use of a name that's synonymous with 'hybrid' to so many people?

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Toyota's been toying with the idea of a Prius wagon for years, as shown by the Hybrid X Concept it debuted at the 2007 Geneva auto show.
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So its no surprise that a Japanese newspaper - the widely circulated Yomiuri - is reporting that the automaker plans to launch a Prius sport wagon or sport utility vehicle around the end of next year.

The timing seems spot-on. After all, the industry journal Automotive News reported way back in October of 2007 that Toyota planners had said the 2010 Prius sedan would be followed in a year or so by a wagon version.

That's the year Toyota actually showed us what a Prius wagon might look like with the unveiling of the Hybrid X Concept at the Geneva auto show.

Production would certainly be no stretch.

2009.toyota.venza.20249362-300x189.jpg It doesn't sell any wagons in the U.S., but Toyota builds several for the home market that could provide underpinnings for a Prius hybrid version. A good argument can be built for considering the U.S.-market Venza (right) introduced this year to be a sporty wagon.

As for a Prius SUV - well, what's the Lexus RX 400h except a Prius SUV wrapped in a luxury body?

A little odd-sounding is the reported choice of a lithium-ion chemistry for the vehicle's batteries - top Toyota officials have been publicly proclaiming for months now that they don't believe lithium-ion batteries are sufficiently cheap or reliable yet for retail use.

But as we've come to see in the past two years, anything's possible and very little is improbable in the brave new automotive world. Prius does have a lithium-ion battery program with Panasonic and could be sitting on a reliability breakthrough it just doesn't want to acknowledge right now.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 13, 2009, 8:09 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Japan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: New Prius SUV

Chrysler Stil Has Electric Plans, but Fiat's Turned the Voltage Way Down Low

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

It's not only Chrysler's battery-electric and plug-in electric hybrid vehicle programs that have been pared back - way back - under the post-bankruptcy plan devised for the company by its new management.

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Fiat Doblo small van is now being considered as platform for "new" Chrysler's fit electric vehicle...

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The once-vigorous Chrysler hydrogen fuel cell program - aimed at bringing fuel-cell electric vehicles, commercial and private, to market some day - is pretty much a memory as well. It was absorbed into Daimler's program when the German automaker acquired Chrysler back in 1999 and though it survived the 2007 divorce, it was phased out two months ago.

We're told by knowledgeable people who for various reasons didn't want to be identified that there are no plans right now to actively pursue further development of fuel cells but, of course, that "options are being kept open."

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It would be replacing a Dodge-based electric sports car such as this Zeo concept first shown in January 2008.

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We don't think - as some do - that Chrysler's entire alternative fuels and powertrains effort has been killed by Italy's Fiat, which took control of the country's smallest and weakest automaker as it came out of bankruptcy earlier this year.

Although Chrysler's two-year-old environmental vehicle group, ENVI, has been disbanded under Fiat, we believe the company will keep doing some development work and will follow though on its previous promises to put the hybrid Ram truck into the market next year followed by a pair of experimental plug-in hybrids - for test fleet use only - in 2011.

Not only did those few vehicles remain in the just-announced five-year plan, but the members of the ENVI team, as far as we know, all are still working at Chrysler - they've just been mainstreamed into the regular product development program. And Fiat appointed former ENVI boss Lou Rhodes to be head of vehicle electrification programs for both Fiat and Chrysler - a post that probably wouldn't exist if there wasn't at least some work going on.

There are changes, though, and not for the good.

The Dodge EV once thought to be a sure thing for 2010 is no more, and except for a battery-electric commercial van based on the Fiat Doblo minivan that is under "strongest consideration" for production by late 2011 or early 2012, the chances for other Chrysler hybrids, plug-in hybrids or EVs to make it into the retail market before the next 5-year plan is unveiled in 2015 are pretty slim.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 13, 2009, 2:33 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Fiat, Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler electric vehicle Plans

November 12, 2009

Edmunds.com: EPA's Fuel Economy Guide Should Be Based on Cost, Not Mileage

By John O'Dell and Scott Doggett

(Updated 11/13/09 to correct Chevy Aveo monthly fuel figure.)

"Miles per gallon" made sense when all cars drank gas, or diesel, and that was that.

But with the advent of rechargeable electric vehicles, whether all-electric or plug-in hybrid, the fuel-use scene gets quickly blurred.

How many miles per gallon do you assign to a Nissan Leaf, with a lithium-ion battery and no fuel tank or internal combustion engine?

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Edmunds.com proposes the EPA scrap its mileage-based fuel-economy guide, right, for one built on fuel costs.
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And how does a car shopper compare the Leaf, or any of the other all-electric cars heading our way in the next decade, to a gasoline-burning Honda Fit or a Ford Fusion hybrid or, to complicate things even more, compare any of those cars to a Chevrolet Volt or other extended-range plug-in hybrid that uses gasoline and electricity from the commercial power grid.?

Can't be done - unless the consumer's an electrical engineer with a minor in math.

To make it easier and more accurate for consumers to get honest comparative information, Edmunds.com is proposing to the EPA that it replace the mileage-based fuel-economy stickers it's been putting on new cars since 1975 with stickers that display monthly fuel costs.

That's right, replace MPG with MFC.

Then consumers could see that at 1,250 miles a month, a 2010 Toyota Prius would cost, on a national average, $67 a month at the pump, while an electric Mini E would cost $49 a month to "fill" from a 220-volt charger in the consumer's garage; the monthly gasoline bill for a four-cylinder Chevrolet Aveo would be ~~$11~~ $111, and a 2011 Chevrolet Volt - running on gas and electricity - would cost $54.

That's information people can use to make informed decisions.

Edmunds.com - our parent - is submitting its recommendation and rationale in a letter being sent Friday morning to the agency and to the Department of Transportation.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (4); Scott Doggett November 12, 2009, 4:44 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Legislation, Manufacturers, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Department of Transportation

Study Finds Hybrid EVs More Likely to Hit Pedestrians, Cyclists Than Non-HEVs

A study by the U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that hybrid electric vehicles have a higher rate of driving into bicyclists and pedestrians than automobiles packing conventional internal combustion engines.

The study, which was conducted by DOT's National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, found that pedestrian and bicyclist crashes involving both HEVs and ICE vehicles commonly occurred on roadways, in zones with low speed limits, during daytime and in clear weather, with higher incidence rates across the board for HEVs.

The study said a variety of crash factors were examined to determine the relative incidence rates of HEVs versus ICE vehicles in a range of crash scenarios. For one group of scenarios -- those in which a vehicle was slowing or stopping, backing up, or entering or leaving a parking space -- the HEV was twice as likely to strike a pedestrian or bicyclist than a convention vehicle.

The study concluded that the different incident rates could be attributed to the different sound levels produced by the vehicle types. In other words, the lack of noise produced by the near-silent electric motor of an HEV accounted for higher collision rate; the biped or cyclist didn't hear what was coming.

Given that more people are killed in car-versus-pedestrian collisions than car-versus-car collisions, you might think the study would result in legislation requiring HEVs to be louder. But that's not going to happen -- not now, anyway.

Instead, the NHTSA "will continue monitoring the incidence of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes involving HEVs. In future, a larger sample size would allow us to perform a more detailed analysis such as limiting the entire analysis to low-speed crashes, analyzing different vehicle maneuvers individually, etc."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 12, 2009, 1:48 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Bicycle

VW Names Former Continental AG Chief to Helm New 'Electric Traction' Unit

Volkswagen underscored its commitment to electric vehicles today by announcing creation of a new "electric traction" unit and naming Karl-Thomas Neumann, former head of the giant parts supplier Continental AG, as chief of the new operating group.

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VW says it will launch retail version of E-Up! small EV in 2013.
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Neumann, who served as head of electronics for VW before leaving for a post at Continental in 2004 will report directly to Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn, who said of the new VW electric traction group that electric drive systems are "crucial technology for the Volkswagen Group and offers enormous potential" for growth and profit.

The company is part of a growing movement by French and German automakers to embrace electric vehicles in the face of growing political concerns about oil dependency and the climate impact of carbon dioxide emissions. Fossil fuel burned in cars and trucks contributes an estimated 12-14 percent of global CO2 and other so-called greenhouse gases.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 12, 2009, 12:08 PM
Categories:: Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: EV

November 11, 2009

Opportunity Green 2009: Event's Transportation Panel Sounds Somber Notes

Panelists Say Earth-Friendly Future Won't Come Easy For Private Transportation

Although predominately a business-oriented exploration of environmental practices and processes the Opportunity Green 2009 conference at UCLA this weekend promised transportation geeks a look at ideas of personal mobility in a green future.

We're not sure it followed through, as the program became in part a promotion of the Mini E electric vehicle program - thanks to the event's sponsorship by Mini USA - and in part an examination of the obstacles still in the way of truly green mobility.

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Passer-by eyes Mini E parked on UCLA campus during Opportunity Green conference.
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Thus the opening of the panel entitled "The Next Generation of Transportation," consisted of a somber warning from moderator Dan Neil, the L.A. Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning auto critic.

"I'm sorry," he opined, "but I fear that society cannot magically make the wide, sweeping changes needed in transportation without suffering" the same far-reaching government and corporate grab for control "that we see coming in health care."

Event sponsor Mini, of course, disagreed - the company was there to persuade eco-friendly professionals that parent BMW, a fossil fuel-burning company of global proportions, is finding its inner green machine and that the right answers to our transportation needs are on the way.

Spotlighting the Mini E and offering test drives to the participants of the event, Mini collected input from drivers about their experiences to add to the data its in-house green team will use as it plans the BMW's eco-friendly future.

Neil pointed out in the transportation session that the Mini E is a not-ready-for-prime-time electric car - not with that "beautifully upholstered lithium battery pack in the back seat," taking up room most drivers would want for passengers and cargo.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 11, 2009, 5:00 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, BMW, Biofuels, Diesel, Ethanol, Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Hydrogen, MINI, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Opportuity Green 2009 Future Transportation Panel

November 7, 2009

Chrysler Disbands ENVI Group, Scuttles Broad Electrification Plan

(Updated 11/8/09 to add confirmation and remarks from a Chrysler spokesman.)

Chrysler's ENVI Group, formed in 2007 to develop a line of electrified vehicles for the company's three brands, has been disbanded and the company's January pledge to have 500,000 conventional and plug-in hybrid-electric and all-electric vehicles on the road by 2013 has been junked under its new, Fiat-controlled leadership.

In an interview with Reuters news service Friday, Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa - who only a few days before had assured us that the ENVI team was still "quietly" moving along - said the special group has been disbanded and its work "absorbed into the normal vehicle development program."

Cappa since has confirmed to Green Car Advisor that the formal group no longer exists. He bridled, though, at use of the term "disbanded," saying that the group's members all are still working and that former ENVI chief Lou Rhodes is still in charge of vehicle electrification programs - for both Chrysler and Fiat.

He confirmed, however, that the pre-bankruptcy timetable for putting hybrids and EVs into the Chrysler lineup has been replaced. By one that takes a much slower approach, it appears.

Prior to its bankruptcy and takeover by Fiat, Chrysler had showed a suite of five electric and PHEV vehicles and promised to have at least one in production by next year.

But last week, in delivering a day-long look at Chrysler's post-bankruptcy 5-year product and business plan, executives including Sergio Marchionne - CEO of both Fiat and Chrysler - made no mention of electric vehicles.

And Marchionne later told some reporters, according to Reuters, that electric cars would represent less than 2 percent of Chrysler's anticipated sales in 2015. That would be fewer than 60,000 - far from the 500,000 promised at the Detroit Auto Show in January, a few months before the car maker filed for bankruptcy.

Marchionne does plan to bring the Dodge Ram dual-mode hybrid to market next year and to introduce the fuel-efficient Fiat 500 and a lot of Fiat's fuel-efficient engine technology to the U.S. through Chrysler. He told reporters last week, Reuters reports, that he believes electric vehicles will struggle until battery reliability and range issues are resolved.

Chrysler reportedly still is talking about an all-electric commercial van to the market.

But Fiat got its 20 percent stake - and effective control - of Chrysler in a deal with the Obama Administration in which Chrysler promised to bring more fuel-efficient vehicles to market.

It's disappointing to see the company back-peddling on the electric front and will be interesting to see if Marchionne can do it without electrification.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 7, 2009, 11:26 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Fiat, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Disbands EV Program

November 6, 2009

Green Cars Get Green Light, Hybrid Sales Outperform Overall October Market

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Spurred by factory incentives, replenished stocks and the relative freshness of several models, sales of hybrid-electric cars and SUVs soared in October, easily outperforming the market as a whole.

Compared to October '08 - a month with six fewer hybrid models available - sales of Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota hybrids were up 12.1 percent, while sales of conventionally powered cars and trucks were flat.

The one-month picture was even rosier, as October hybrid sales jumped 22.5 percent from September's, versus a 12.1 percent hike in sales of conventional models.

Nissan, which has only one model - the Altima hybrid, - and sells it in just the nine states with the toughest emissions standards, was the only hybrid maker to record a sales decline for both periods, dropping 46 percent from a year earlier and 13 percent from September.

As with most hybrids - Toyota's Prius excepted - Nissan's actual numbers are quite small because of low sales volumes. October's sales drop represented just 46 fewer Altima hybrid sales than in September.

Toyota's redesigned 2010 Prius, sweetened by a small factory incentive, remained by far the segment leader, accounting for 55 percent of all hybrid sales for the month.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 6, 2009, 1:18 PM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

November 4, 2009

Chrysler Plans, Part II: EVs, Hybrids Apparently Holding 'til Next 5-Year Plan

DodgeEV?.jpg While it was heartening to hear Chrysler's new powertrain chief talk about small and efficient gas and diesel engines this morning, it was far less so to listen and not hear anything about that long-rumored Dodge EV or a line of plug-in hybrids in the 2009-2014 Chrysler product plan that was unwound for us during the day.

Under the old, pre-bankruptcy plan, there was to be a Dodge EV in 2010 and a Chrysler extended-range plug-n hybrid in 2011, with more to follow. Maybe even a Chrysler 300 with all-electric drive.

Chrysler's new corporate website has a nice feature and Q&A about electrification and the work of the 2-year-old ENVI (stands for ENVIronmental) group that's developing EV and PHEV concepts and prototypes for Chrysler.

We did hear that Chrysler will bring the popular Fiat 500 subcompact (right) to the U.S. late next year as a 2011 model, to be sold in major metropolitan areas - hooray!

But discussion of its activities and plans for its future and for future electrified vehicles was glaringly absent from today's product plan session under Chrysler's post-bankruptcy bosses from Fiat.

But we're optimists at heart, and keep hearing our Chrysler friends telling us not to worry, that ENVI's still part of the company plan and still working on vehicles and systems that eventually will see the light of day.

So we cross our fingers and wait for Sig. Marchionne and crew to honor us with that information. Sooner, please, than later.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell November 4, 2009, 6:20 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Product Plan

Chrysler Plans Part 1: More Diesels and 4-Cylinder Gas Engines

Video explains Fiat Multiair system that will be used in many of Chrysler's new models to improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and boost power.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Chrysler's new powertrain chief, Paolo Ferrero, says the company will begin widespread adoption of gas and diesel engine technologies from its new owner, Fiat Group, with the first of a family of more fuel-efficient engines due next summer.

The company believes that hybrids and electric vehicles are a longer-term strategy and will concentrate in the "short-to-medium" term on internal combustion engine improvements and downsizing, and introduction of fuel-efficient clean diesels and engines using alternative low carbon fuels such as compressed natural gas.

Chrysler also will be adopting the start-stop system, also called a micro-hybrid system, that is used in some Fiat models to shut down the engine at stop signs and when idling. It can reduce emissions and improve fuel economy by as much as 5 percent, Ferrero said.

The first model in the Chrysler lineup to use it will be the the 2011 Jeep Wrangler.

By 2014, Ferrero said during a morning presentation at the day-long Chrysler product plan meeting, 38 percent of Chrysler vehicles will use small, four-cylinder engines, up from 19 percent today, and 14 percent will use diesel engines, up from 9 percent now.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell November 4, 2009, 10:30 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Diesel, Dodge, Hybrid, Jeep, Natural Gas, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Product Plans

Fisker Signs 100-Outlet Emil Frey Group as Major European Distributor of its PHEVs

Fisker Automotive hasn't started building cars yet, but is well on the way to ensuring a healthy launch platform when its first - the $88,000 Karma extended-range plug-in hybrid - starts rolling out of the assembly plant next summer.

The company, which so far has announced 45 U.S. dealership agreements and two smaller European distributorships, said this morning that it has now signed the 100-plus dealership Emil Frey Group to handle much of its European sales and service.

The Swiss company has outlets in six countries - Switzerland, Germany, France, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic - and handles premium brands.

Fisker previously signed GP Supercars in Italy and the Nellerman Group in Denmark as distributors and is working on a deal in China.

While the Karma initially is to be built in Finland by Valmet Automotive, Fisker last week agreed to acquire and outfit an idled GM plant in Delaware to build a second line of less-expensive plug-in hybrids and said that Karma production eventually would be moved to the U.S.

The company is financing its U.S. production and R&D in large part with proceeds of a $528 million federal loan.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 4, 2009, 8:55 AM
Categories:: Fisker, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Emil Frey Group

November 3, 2009

Denso Wants To Grow Hybrid Electronics Business Beyond Toyota

No. 2 Global Auto Parts Supplier Also Sees Future in Lithium-ion Battery Manufacturing

Japanese auto parts giant Denso Cop. says it sees a hybrid wave coming and intends to catch a long and profitable ride.

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Denso's booth at 2009 Tokyo auto Show.
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The company, the world's No. 2 parts supplier, now counts Toyota Motor Corp. - Denso's major shareholder - as its principal hybrid systems customer. It wants to standardize its hybrid battery and engine control units, power inverters and compressors so they can be sold to other automakers as well.

Denso also might start making lithium-ion batteries to keep pace with rival Robert Bosch. The German auto parts company - the worlds largest - has a battery-building partnership with Samsung that is expected to start producing lithium-ion batteries for BMW in 2011.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 3, 2009, 12:26 PM
Categories:: Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: Denso

November 2, 2009

Hyundai Mobis, LG Chem Finalize Lithium-Ion Battery Joint Venture

Batteries, batteries, batteries. That's looking like the name of the game these days.

Automakers have shown they can build decent conventional hybrids, and are about to show how well they can do on all-electric and extended-range, gas-electric hybrids - but the wall they all run into is how far their cars and trucks can go before the electrons run out.

That's in the batteries, and with few exceptions (Nissan and Hyundai come to mind) automakers don't make batteries. They may assemble the individual cells into battery packs designed for their specific vehicles, but it is at the level of the cell - and the chemistry incorporated into that cell - that the ability of a battery to store and release energy is controlled.

So its good to see so much activity in the battery development world.

Latest is in South Korea, where Hyundai Mobis and LG Chem have announced a joint venture agreement to produce lithium-ion batteries for hybrids. The $34-million venture is scheduled to start producing in the second half next year, with a goal of building batteries for as any as 200,000 vehicles a year.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 2, 2009, 1:41 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: EVs

Toyota Dusts Off Camry CNG Hybrid For SEMA Show...Hmmmm

Just wondering here, but Toyota rarely doesn't do much anything unless it has a meaningful money-making or image-enhancing possibility attached.

The company showed a neat compressed natural gas hybrid Camry last year at the 2008 LA Auto show, and said it was just a study.

It sort of disappeared, but it now being resurrected- and redesigned as a cool, green surf buggy - as the Surfrider Foundation Camry CNG Hybrid concept for an environmental lifestyles display at Toyota's stand at the 2009 SEMA show in Las Vegas this week.

With all the talk about vast new natural gas resources (albeit obtainable through the controversial hydro-cracking method of fracturing gas-bearing shale with high-pressure injections of water in a process that can release toxic chemicals that affect drinking water in areas that don't pre-treat it ), we can't help but think Toyota might be a little more devoted to the idea of a CNG-electric hybrid than it has been letting on.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 2, 2009, 12:20 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Hybrid, Natural Gas, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2009 SEMA Show

Live Web Chat With Departing Chevy Volt Program Leader Frank Weber

General Motors, concerned that the departure of Volt development leader Frank Weber will worry the faithful - and mindful of its long-ago and well-kept promise to open the doors on the program - is hosting a live Web chat at 4 p.m. Eastern time this afternoon (1 p.m. Pacific) to answer questions and explain how the change in Volt leadership will, or won't, affect things.

Weber himself, along with Doug Parks, who will be replacing him in the Chevrolet Volt program, are hosting the chat.

We're providing a platform, so sign up below for a reminder and come back at the appointed time to follow along and ask questions of your own.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 2, 2009, 10:15 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

Volt Chief Frank Weber To Depart GM for Senior Post at Opel

Automaker Says Departure Part of Long-Planned Shift of Duties; Volt Still on Schedule

GM is losing the longtime head of it's Chevrolet Volt extended-range, plug-in hybrid development team but says the departure of Frank Weber (left) to its German subsidiary, Opel, is part of a long-planned leadership shuffle.

Weber, 43, is returning to Opel, where he previously was a top product developer, after heading the Volt project since March 2007.

He is the second top member of GM's vehicle electrification team to depart in recent months.

Bob Kruse, executive director of vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries, left in September to start a consulting firm and was replaced by GM engineering veteran Micky Bly.

Doug Parks, chief engineer for GM's compact car programs in Europe, will replace Weber, who is returning to Opel Dec. 1 in a still undefined "senior leadership" post.

Weber's shift comes just as a post-bankruptcy GM, looking for cash and ways to refocus itself on its core products, is scheduled to close its deal to sell majority interest in Opel to a group headed by Canadian tier-one components manufacturer Magna International and backed by Russia's Sherbank.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 2, 2009, 8:29 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hybrid, Opel, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

October 29, 2009

Plugs Everywhere: Hybrid, EV Sales to Triple Globally by 2013, Report Predicts

By Danny King, Contributor

Gas-electric hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles may account for as much as 8 percent of new vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2013, up from about 2 percent last year, as the combination of rising oil prices, falling prices relative to hybrids' conventional counterparts and a broader network of plug-in charging sites pull more people away from gasoline-burning cars, according to a recent report on the next generation of autos.

Worldwide, hybrid-vehicle sales will surge to about 2 million units in 2013 from about 550,000 units last year, while rechargeable - or plug-in - battery-electric cars will account for about 350,000 sales, compared with less than 10,000 plug-in sales last year, according to the NextGen research unit of technology industry specialist ABI Research.

With domestic new vehicle sales slumping to about 13 million units last year and the U.S. accounting for about half of the hybrid vehicles sold worldwide, less than one in 40 new U.S. cars were hybrids or plug-ins last year.

"As the economy improves, the price of oil is going to go up, so it will be much more sensible to go battery-electric or hybrid," said Larry Fisher, research director for Oyster Bay, New York-based NextGen and project manager of the report.

"As hybrids and electric vehicles come into production in greater numbers, the cost premium will come down."

Whether the surge is already taking place is a question whose answer was blurred as new car sales to surged across the board in July and August, driven by the federal cash for clunker program, only to plunge last month when the incentives stopped.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell October 29, 2009, 6:00 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: EV

October 28, 2009

Dodge Still Planning to Launch Two-Mode Ram Hybrid Pickup in 2010

Chrysler's new bosses unveil the company's new 5-year product plan next week and word already is leaking out that with Fiat in the driver's seat there will be a pared-down list of Dodge and Chrysler vehicles in the market.

One model that has survived the cut is the long-awaited two-mode hybrid version of the Dodge Ram pickup.

In an interview with the Detroit News, Scott Kunselman, Chrysler's senior vice president fopr engineering, said there have been no changes of plan for the Dodge Ram hybrid, due to be launched next year.

A diesel version of the truck, however, seems to be out - Kunselman said he doesn't see much recrerational buyer demand for an oil burner.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 28, 2009, 3:32 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Dodge, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: Dodge Dual Mode Hybrid

October 27, 2009

Hybrid Models Dominate Consumer Reports Annual Reliability List for Family Cars

Consumer Reports readers have spoken - as the do this time every year -and come down hard in favor of hybrids as family cars.

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Toyota Prius rates tops among family cars for reliability in annual consumer survey.
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In the widely read magazine's annual rating of auto reliability, five of the eight most reliable 2009 model year family cars in the CR report use gas-electric powertrains.

In the order CR lists them, they are:

Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion hybrid, Mercury Milan hybrid, Nissan Altima hybrid, and Toyota Camry hybrid.

All five also are rated as CR recommended, meaning they scored well in the magazine's internal testing and driveability ratings as well as in the consumer-driven reliability survey.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); John O'Dell October 27, 2009, 12:18 PM
Categories:: Ford, Hybrid, Mercury, Nissan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Consumer Reports

Honda CEO Ito on Hydrogen, Hybrids and BEVS - Green is the Theme

Honda Motor Co. pulled the plug on Formula 1 racing to divert the money being spent there to green technologies and the company that's been playing second fiddle to Toyota in the green cars sweepstakes says it wants to hybridize larger vehicles again.

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Honda's top executive prefers hydrogen fuel cell FCX Clarity but says battery-electric cars will come first.
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That's the word from Honda President and CEO Takanobu Ito, speaking with a select group of automotive writers - including Edmunds' Inside Line News Editor Kelly Toepke - at the 2009 Tokyo auto show last week.

Toepke tells us that Ito is committed to the further greening of Honda, even to the extent of developing an environmentally friendly sports car that - his words - is truly green, "not like the car Lexus announced" at the show. He was referring to the limited production, V10-powered, $375,000 Lexus LFA supercar, which he apparently doesn't believe is green enough.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 27, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Fuel Cell, Honda, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Cars

October 26, 2009

Bright Has Another Idea - eSolutions Consulting to Leverage Development Expertise

It hasn't started building its own yet, but start-up electric delivery van maker Bright Automotive has started a consulting business offering services to other automakers interested in electric powertrains, lightweight materials techniques and general manufacturing efficiency.

Those things are specialties of Bright, formed at the beginning of 2008 by battery specialist John Waters - he designed the battery pack for GM's renowned/notorious (take your pick) EV1.

The company's IDEA commercial van prototype features a plug-in hybrid powertrain that mates a gas engine and an electric drive system and is hundreds of pounds lighter and far more aerodynamic - thus four or five times more fuel efficient - than competing vans of the same load capacity.

The new offshoot, called Bright eSolutions, is an in-house consulting and engineering operation offering to apply Bright's staff and their learnings from the IDEA development process to customers' projects.

The group launched the new business unit today in conjunction with the announcement of its first contract- with the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM) for a $1.4 million project to demonstrate Bright's parallel hybrid technology for no-combat use in military vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 26, 2009, 3:53 PM
Categories:: Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Bright eSolutions Consulting

October 23, 2009

'Weird Silver?' 'Quantum Leap?' GM Seeking Name for Volt's Silvery Color

We're sure they've got an in-house name for it, but GM says it will give consumers a chance to come up with the official name for the Chevrolet Volt's initial exterior color - a silvery hue that has a slight color-shift toward emerald when the light hits it just right.

Killerwatt?

The automaker will fly three finalists in the Volt color naming contest to Los Angeles for the 2009 LA Auto Show in December (there are worse places to be that time of year) - they will also get a $400 gift card, two nights at an LA hotel and admission to the show's initial media preview day on Dec. 2.

ElectroLicious?

The finalists will be announced Nov. 16 and the public will be asked to vote on the best name from then until Dec. 1 on a special GM website.

Names can be submitted on the contest site until the evening of Dec. 1, when the winner will be announced.

Shockingly Silver?

In addition to the trip and show, the winning contestant will get the opportunity to test drive a pre-production Volt.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 23, 2009, 2:31 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

October 22, 2009

2009 Tokyo Auto Show: Subaru Has Hybrid Plans Beyond Tourer Concept

Subaru, which is displayed a concept hybrid touring car at the Tokyo Auto Show this week, plans to have several hybrids in the market in the next few years, Fuji Heavy industries President Ikuo Mori told reporters at the show.

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Hybrid Tourer concept is Subaru's interpretation of a gas-electric car. The grille, at least, is likely to see production - on other Subaru models if not on this gull-winged four-seater.
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Fuji is Subaru's parent company.

Mori declined to say whether the hybrid would be based on the "Subaru Hybrid Tourer" concept at the show and wouldn't say whether it would be a model developed with technology partner Toyota, or would use a design and a hybrid system of Fuji's own making.

The Tourer concept uses a Fuji-developed system that mates Subaru's 2.0-liter horizontally opposed "Boxer" engine with a pair of electric motors.

But Subaru is expected to launch a hybrid version of its redesigned Legacy in Japan in 2011, using technology licensed from Toyota - Fuji's largest shareholder.

A Legacy hybrid could easily make its way to the U.S.

Ignored in all the hybrid talk was the fact that Subaru also has recently unleashed a battery-electric version of its boxy Stella subcompact. Although mainly used for testing purposes, the Stella EV is likely to lead to a retail model and that could lead to an EV for at least limited sales over here in the states that have adopted California's zero emissions vehicle mandate.

The more, the merrier, we say.

How 'bout a hybrid WRX? Better yet, why not an all-electric WRX featuring independently driven electric wheel-motors in each hub?

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 22, 2009, 8:11 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Hybrid, Japan, Subaru, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Tokyo Auto Show

Advanced Battery Cost Info Elusive as Auto and Battery Makers Jockey For Position

Many Cost Reductions Due to Subsidies, Not Manufacturing Efficiencies; Goals Uncertain

By Bill Visnic, Contributor

DETROIT - A shocking fact from the Business of Plugging In conference here: At today' s prices, the raw materials needed to produce the advanced lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrids or extended-range electric vehicles with energy capacity similar to General Motors' Chevrolet Volt will cost at least $8,000 per vehicle.

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GM engineers work on T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack for Chevrolet Volt.
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It gets deeper when the experts here start talking about the manufacturing investment required for all manner of electrified-vehicle components that at this moment don't exist. A plant to manufacture enough batteries for 10,000 large-battery-capacity electric vehicles will cost $60 million to $80 million.

Participants in the conference point to these figures as evidence that the Obama administration's goal of one million plug-in electric vehicles on the road by 2015 probably isn't going to happen - despite word from many with battery interests that costs are dropping.

J.E. Robertson, chief technical officer and executive vice president of new-product creation for Canada's Magna International Inc. (the same Magna that's buying GM's Adam Opel car-making operations in Europe), did say that plants designed to make the batteries in high volume could reduce costs.

But for now, somebody's got to build a plant to address even 10,000 vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 22, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Advanced Batteries

October 21, 2009

Heavy Incentives Land Escalade, Insight Hybrids on Edmunds' Best Deals List

Incentive spending by automakers is soaring as a continued weak buyer market has inventories, which shrunk during the Cash for Clunkers program, piling up again.

It's unusual to see hybrids on the list of heavily incentivized cars, but this week two gas-electric models, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade hybrid SUV and the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid sedan, have both landed on Edmunds.com's "Deals of the Month" list.

"There are finance and cash deals on several of GM's hybrids, largely because sales have been slow all year and the automaker is hoping to move the 2009 models off the lots before the 2010s start piling up," said Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell.

"And the Insight just hasn't been moving very well, so the reduced lease they're offering is a good hook to pull people into Honda dealerships to look at them," she said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 21, 2009, 10:57 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Honda, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: Auto Incentives

2009 Tokyo Auto Show: Honda CR-Z Hybrid Concept is Close to Reality

Honda Motor Co. offered a glimpse of the very near future in Tokyo late Tuesday as it unwrapped a sporty four-seat version of the CR-Z hybrid that will hit the market late next year as a 2-seat coupe.

Although they're calling it a concept, the "CR-Z Concept 2009" is pretty much what we'll see - sans the tiny rear jump seats - when the real thing hits U.S. showrooms in the second half of next year.

Actually, we'll see the real thing a little sooner, the production version of the CR-Z hybrid sport coupe will debut as a production car in January at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 21, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Honda, Hybrid, Japan
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Tokyo AutoShow

October 20, 2009

Toyota To Begin Selling New Sai Hybrid December 7 - in Japan Only

Toyota made it official today - the new Japan-only Sai hybrid goes on sale Dec. 7.

The gas-electric sedan, based on the Lexus HS 250h, will be priced at 3.38 million yen ($37,500), well above the Prius' starting price in Japan of just over 2 million yen ($22,000).

Toyota, which has benefited from Japanese government incentives aimed at increasing the number of fuel-efficient vehicles on the road, said it's goal is to sell 36,000 Sai sedans a year.

The new hybrid is rated at 54 miles per gallon in the Japanese combined city-highway test cycle, well below the new Prius' 90 mpg rating. (The U.S. rating for the near-identical Lexus HS 250h is 35 mpg while the 2010 Prius gets a 50 mpg EPA rating.)

The company hasn't said whether it intends to broaden Sai sales beyond Japan, but if there are U.S. plans it would have to come in at a much lower price as the Lexus version starts here at $35,075 and hasn't been a particularly hot seller.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 20, 2009, 11:47 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Japan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

Field Narrows to Final 43 in $10 Million Progressive Automotive X Prize Contest

From Gas to Electric, 3-Wheelers to Exotics, Contestants Vie to Build 100 MPG Vehicles

Students from West Philadelphia High School are youngest competitors, but no slouches when it comes to design or performance, as shown by their Alternative category entry, the biodiesel-electric EVX-GT hybrid sports car. The school also has a diesel-electric hybrid Ford Focus in the Conventional class.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Judges for the Progressive Automotive X Prize contest have winnowed the field in the race for $10 million in prize money for building the best 100 MPG ~~MPH~~ car to the final 43 teams.

The teams will enter a total of 53 vehicles (there are different categories, so multiple entries are possible) in a competition pitting them against one another in a variety of road and safety tests.

All the finalists already have survived two design judging rounds that pared the number of entries from the original 111 teams with 135 vehicles.

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The Progressive Automotive X Prize was launched at last year's New York Auto Show.

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The contest, aimed at inspiring green-car development, was announced more than 18 months ago. It challenges contestants to design, build and operate a commercially viable vehicles that can deliver fuel economy of at least 100 miles per gallon - or the equivalent.

Part of the competition involves presenting a marketing plan to the judges, who will decide if the vehicle has real-world possibilities.

Among them, the final entrants use 14 different fuels including gasoline and electricity, with battery-electric and hybrid-electric the most popular types of powertrains.

In the hybrid-electric category, teams are entering vehicles whose internal combustion engines run on gasoline, diesel biodiesel, ethanol, butanol and compressed natural gas.

There are even three entries that use plain old gasoline as their sole fuel.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); John O'Dell October 20, 2009, 3:20 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Butanol, Diesel, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Hybrid, Natural Gas, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: 100 MPG Car

October 14, 2009

Chevy Volt Engineers Yak Live From Open Road Development Drive

Volt test car passes UPS truck on Interstate 80 near Toledo, Ohio, during 2-day engineering development drive.

An engineering team for the Chevrolet Volt - the highly-touted plug-in hybrid General Motors Co. plans to launch around this time next year - is on the road for a 1,200-mile test in a fleet of eight pre-production Volts and pulled off to the side of the road today for a brief chat with journalists.

The big story for Volt skeptics may be the report from engineers that they don't see any problem achieving the car's targeted 40 miles of all-electric driving range.

The Volt's lithium-ion batteries are performing well and chief engineer Andrew Farah said he has "no concerns about being able to get up to 40 miles" with production Volts.

The team (left) departed the the Detroit area Tuesday and was in West Virginia this afternoon, about halfway through the Volt test drive.

Overnight, half of the test fleet got battery charges and half didn't, the better to replicate real-world driving in which some drivers may not have access to the overnight recharging that would allow resumption of battery-only operation.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (6); John O'Dell October 14, 2009, 4:00 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt Test Drive

Ford Hybrids Soared in First 9 Months, Helped Company Weather Sales Drought

But Sales Swollen by Cash for Clunkers Program Have Dropped Since it Ended

Ford Motor Co. says that despite the overall weak new-car market, sales of its gas-electric hybrid models for the first nine months of the year jumped 73% from a year earlier.

The automaker cited this year's introduction of the Ford Fusion (left) and Mercury Milan hybrid sedans as well as increased demand from the fedral government for fuel-efficient hybrids for its various fleets.

The company didn't mention the big bump the recent federal Cash for Clunkers program gave to Ford's newest hybrids. Dealers sold 2,353 Fusion hybrids in August, the last month of the program, but only managed to move 1,116 in September.

Ford, the only of the three major U.S. carmakers not to declare bankruptcy this year, sold about 26,000 hybrid vehicles through September, the company said in a statement today. The U.S. government has acquired about 3,000 hybrid vehicles from Ford so far this year, while the Fusion hybrid has attracted many non-Ford owners to the brand, the company said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell October 14, 2009, 2:32 PM
Categories:: Ford, Hybrid, Mercury
Technorati Tags:: Ford Fusion Hybrid

October 13, 2009

Volvo Will Bring PHEV and Diesels to U.S., Still No Word on a Volvo EV for Us

Volvo officials didn't have much to say about U.S. plans when they showed off their new C30-based electric car concept and a prototype plug-in, diesel-electric hybrid (right) in Sweden last month.

But the head of the automaker's U.S. operation confirmed in a recent interview what we've long suspected, that Volvo does plan to bring plug-in hybrids and diesels to this market at some point.

The big questions are when, and what about that EV? Both went unanswered in Volvo Cars North America CEO Doug Speck's interview with Automotive News.

Fuel prices, consumer interest and government support of the various advanced automotive technologies will drive Volvo's efforts, Speck said.

He repeated what Volvo told us last month - that the company's first pug-in hybrid would hit the market in Europe in 2012. He added that it will come to the U.S. sometime after that, and that Volvo diesels also would be sold here at some point.

It all makes sense - as does our suspicion that a Volvo EV won't be withheld from this market for too long once the company gives the go-ahead to a production project.

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Volvo showed off this C30 hatchback-based battery-electric prototype in Sweden last month.

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The U.S., after all, accounts for nearly a quarter of Volvo's sales and the company can't afford to withhold its newest and most advanced vehicles for very long.

Add to that the demands of the new U.S. CAFE rules which require average fleet fuel efficiency to hit 35 mph by 2020 and you can build a pretty good case for Volvo hybrids, diesels and EVs being sold here.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 13, 2009, 11:30 AM
Categories:: Diesel, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Surveys, Volvo
Technorati Tags:: Diesel

Michelin Awards Environmental Performance in American Le Mans Series

Lowe's Fernandez Acura driven by Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz took top green honors in the American Le Mans Series prototype class as winner of the annual Michelin Green X Challenge for finishing highest with the lowest environmental impact.

Gil de Ferran, Simon Pagenaud and their LMP Acura took the checkered flag in the prototype class at this past weekend's American Le Mans Series final at Laguna Seca, but the increasingly important 'green' flag was captured by another team of prototype Acura drivers.

Edmunds.com photo editor Kurt Niebhur was there to take in the race and filed this report for Green Car Advisor on the environmental aspect of the competition.
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Race for the Green

Racing and environmentalism might seem to run on different sides of the track, but the Michelin Green X Challenge just might have something to say about that.

Started in 2008, the Michelin Green X Challenge was formed by the tire maker in conjunction with a major racing series, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the Society of Automotive Engineers International.

As a race within a race, the Green X Challenge awards points to cars - and drivers - based on four different criteria; releasing the least amount of CO2, displacing the least amount of petroleum, excelling in energy efficiency during a race weekend, and last, but by no means least, finishing position.

As testament to the fairness of the rules in both the ALMS and the Green X Challenge, the 2009 Season saw nine different cars from eight different teams representing five different manufacturers. All teams involved ran on E10 ethanol blended gasoline, E85R gasoline blended ethanol, GTL biodiesel or E10 with electric hybrid power.

For the 2009 season, the winners of the Michelin Green X Challenge were the #15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura, driven by Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz, in the Prototype category, and the #44 Flying Lizard Porsche, driven by Seth Neiman and Johannes Van Overbeek, in the GT category.

With the success of the Green X Challenge, as well as the focus these days on environmental responsibility, it came as no surprise that Michelin announced it would continue the challenge through the 2010 American Le Mans Series..

Kurt Niebuhr, Photo Editor

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Photo courtesy of ALMS

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 13, 2009, 5:15 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Diesel, Ethanol, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: American Le Mans Series

October 8, 2009

Wanna Cut CO2, Dump Oil Habit? Switch Company Fleets to Hybrids, CNG

Study Says Fleet Conversions Quickest Way for U.S. to Make Dent in Carbon Footprint

By Danny King, Contributor

Corporations could be significant players in improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions by converting their fleets of gasoline and diesel vehicles to hybrids and compressed natural gas-powered cars and trucks, according to a study by the nonprofit Center for Automotive Research.

If just one-fourth of all major corporations were to convert their vehicle fleets, a new CAR study found, the resulting reduction of CO2 emissions would be the equivalent of removing 600,000 vehicles from the streets.

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AT&T is converting 8,000 trucks and vans, such as this, to compressed natural gas.
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The move would cut U.S. gasoline use by 750 million gallons a year and be the fastest way the nation could achieve significantly improved fuel efficiency, the Ann Arbor, Mich., think-tank said in its report.

Replacing 25 percent of all corporate vehicles with hybrid or CNG vehicles also would support 10,000 vehicle-assembly jobs, the report said.

CAR used AT&T's vehicle fleet for its case study, extrapolating the findings to other corporate fleets.

"If the country is serious about increasing the number of fuel-efficient vehicles on the road in the near future, the fleets of America, with their rapid turnover of vehicles, represent the best opportunity in the shortest time frame," said Kim Hill, director of CAR's sustainable transportation and communities group.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 8, 2009, 5:15 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Natural Gas
Technorati Tags:: CAR

October 7, 2009

It's Diesel Vs. Hybrid in Annual Green Car of the Year Nominations

Audi's A3 TDI diesel and Mercury's Milan Hybrid are two of the contenders in LA Auto Show's green car face-off.

It will be diesel vs. hybrid and luxe models vs.standards in Green Car of the Year judging for December's 2009 Los Angeles International Auto Show. The five finalists in the annual competition, announced today, are the Toyota Prius (left), Honda Insight (below, right) and Mercury Milan hybrids on the gas-electric side and the Audi A3 TDI and Volkswagen Golf TDI (below, left) on the diesel side.

Judges picked the VW Jetta TDI last year, so if either the Golf or A3 win it will be two-in a-row for the fuel that most Americans still equate with big-rigs and giant bulldozers. There could be sentiment of the small luxury-performance car, which would help the Audi, but the engine in both the A3 and the Golf is the same that won it for the Jetta TDI in 2008.

Our handicapper at Inside Line's Straightline blog seems to be betting on the redesigned 2010 Prius, reasoning that the Milan Hybrid doesn't stand much of a chance because its twin, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, was nominated but didn't win last year, and that the judges will be loathe to salute diesel for a second consecutive year.

That leaves the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius, and the Pruis is the greener of the two by dint of its greater fuel economy.

How would you handicap the contest?

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell October 7, 2009, 3:32 PM
Categories:: Audi, Auto Shows, Diesel, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Mercury, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Diesel

Infiniti Says Its First Hybrid - Based on Redesigned M35 - Will Launch in 2011

Nissan's first self-developed hybrid system will make its debut in 2011 in the company's luxury line, under the hood of the 2012 Infiniti M35 sedan, the automaker said this morning.

The hybrid version of the car will hit the streets a year after the redesigned, conventionally powered M35 is launched next spring as a 2011 model.

Infiniti describes its first-ever hybrid system, developed entirely within Nissan (the system in the Nissan Altima hybrid was licensed from Toyota), as a single electric motor-dual clutch arrangement with the first clutch installed between the electric motor and gas engine.

The company is withholding information about range, power, battery size and capacity, transmission design and performance - likely so it can get a second splash in the automotive media when the numbers are released.

But Green Car Advisior was in Japan on a Nissan-sponsored trip last year when the company first showed off its new hybrid system, in a G35 (back then it was slated to appear in the Infiniti lineup in a 2010 model, so it is coming two years later than initially expected). Here's what we reported about the system back then:

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 7, 2009, 1:11 PM
Categories:: Hybrid, Infiniti, Nissan
Technorati Tags:: 2012 Infiniti M35 Hybrid

October 6, 2009

Green Car Entrepreneur Says He's Got a Hybrid-Car Plant Deal For Mississippi

Press Conference Follows Ex-Partner's Announcement of Similar Plan for Alabama

The other shoe drops.

A week after his former associate announced plans for a multi-billion-dollar hybrid car plant in Alabama, entrepreneur Xiaolin "Charles" Wang says his GreenTech Automotive will build a billion-dollar hybrid car plant in neighboring Mississippi.

Wang (right) and Yung Yeung, who operates Hybrid Kinetic Motors, split up last year in an acrimonious fight over allegations by Yeung - also known as Yang Rong and Benjamin Yeung - that Wang was trying to steal his company and investors.

As partners - although Yeung alleged in a federal suit last year that Wang was only an employee -the two had previously pitched a $6.5 billion hybrid car plant for Mississippi.

In settling the suit, the two agreed to go their separate ways, Yeung keeping the Hybrid Kenitcs name and Wang operating as GreenTech. Wang also agreed to pay Yeung $1.5 million.

It now appears that each as also kept the same basic operating plan and are engaged in a bit of one-upmanship.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 6, 2009, 4:05 PM
Categories:: Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

Company Says Off-the-Shelf Electric Motors Can Help Cut Hybrid Costs

Remy International has unveiled its first "off-the-shelf" motor (right) designed for hybrid vehicles, the first of a series of new motors as the company - the largest U.S.-based supplier of electric motors for hybrids - boosts production capacity with a recent $60 million grant from the U.S. government.

Remy said it expects to be able to manufacture 100,000 of its new HVH250 electric motors at factories in North American and Europe and is designing others to broaden its reach into the car, truck and heavy-equipment hybrid markets.

The company believes standardized hybrid motors will be welcomed by auto makers because they will help lower the cost of hybrid vehicles.

"The premium cost associated with hybrid vehicles is a major factor affecting hybrid adoption in the U.S. The highly engineered components have been produced in low volumes, resulting in a higher per unit cost," said John Weber, chief executive officer of the Pendleton, Indiana-based company.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 6, 2009, 11:54 AM
Categories:: Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: Electric Motors

October 5, 2009

Toyota Faces International Trade Hearing over Hybrid Patent Infringement Claims

A Florida company that already has won a judgment against Toyota in a hybrid technology patent infringement case, will get a hearing before the U.S. International Trade Commission on its claim that the company's newer hybrids continue to infringe on the same patent.

And whereas the federal court that found for Paice LLC in the earlier Toyota patent infringement case refused to grant the company's request to bar Toyota from selling its Prius, Highlander and Lexus RX 400 hybrids in the U.S., the trade commission's only power, should it also find for Paice, is to block Toyota's imports.

Paice requested the hearing last month.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 5, 2009, 5:17 PM
Categories:: Courts, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Paice

Daimler's Zetsche Betting on Fuel Cells, With Battery-Electrics, Hybrids For Interim

Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche says he's still is betting on a hydrogen future for the automobile.

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Mercedes B-Class fuel cell cars are being used in long-term road tests in Europe and U.S.

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But in a round-table interview with reporters form a variety of media including (subscription only) Automotive News during the recent Frankfurt Auto Show, Zetsche said that hybrids and battery-electric cars will be long-term interim technologies until hydrogen fuel cell cars and hydrogen fueling technology are ready for market.

Daimler is investing heavily in both electric and fuel cell technologies, he said, and has banded together with other German automakers to boost hydrogen fueling technology.

Asked if Daimler would consider four-cylinder engines for its Mercedes-Benz cars as U.S. fuel economy regulations tighten, Zetsche said that he wouldn't rule out the option .

He also said, according to an interview transcript posted today by Automotive News, that he sees a continued weak U.S. market for luxury cars for several years and that the Chinese market is likely to step in to gill the void.

Fuel efficiency for luxury cars is becoming a necessity rather than an afterthought, Zetsche said, adding that he is convinced that many customers continue to want a comfortable and spacious car but "would not like to be called callous by their neighbor because the fuel consumption is astronomic."

Daimler - indeed, the entire auto industry,- is at the "tipping point now" for electric cars, he said, pointing out that hydrogen fuel cell cars use all-electric drivetrains.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 5, 2009, 2:55 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Daimler, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Mercedes-Benz, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Daimler

Mazda Seeking Billion-Dollar Capital Boost To Help Fund Green Initiatives

In a bid to catch-up to other major players in the auto industry's green sweepstakes, Mazda "Zoom-Zoom" Motor Corp. say is is planning to raise as much as $1.1 billion in new capital with much of it earmarked for development of hybrids and other fuel-efficient technologies.

The Japanese automaker does have a hybrid in the market, the slow-selling Tribute hybrid SUV, but it is simply a re-badged version of Ford's escape hybrid.

Now that Ford no longer owns controlling interest in Mazda, that kind of cross-corporate product and technology sharing is likely to stop.

So Mazda needs its own fuel efficiency lineup, and fast.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell October 5, 2009, 11:16 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Mazda
Technorati Tags:: Mazda Hybrids

October 2, 2009

Congress Considering Allocating Energy Department Funds for Green 3-Wheelers

Aptera Motors, Elio Motors and other companies developing fuel-efficient three-wheeled vehicles got a boost from Congress this week in their quest for federal funding.

Legislation to make three-wheeled vehicles eligible for Energy Department loans passed a conference committee of House and Senate leaders Wednesday and then got approval from the full House on Thursday.

It is part of an energy spending bill likely to go before the Senate by next week for final congressional passage, a Senate aide said.

"Obsolete bureaucratic definitions should not create roadblocks and stifle innovation," said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who co-sponsored the legislation.

If the Senate passes the bill, it would have to be signed by President Barack Obama to become law.

General Motors Co. has been critical of the bill.

The Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program is intended for large automakers that make many cars and that have the potential for large gasoline savings, the company has said.

GM spokesman Greg Martin declined comment on the latest development.

GM has applied for three department loans totaling more than $10 billion.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (5); Scott Doggett October 2, 2009, 1:47 PM
Categories:: Aptera, Elio, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: 3-Wheel

Nissan Prices 2010 Altima Hybrid at $26,780; U.S. Sales Still Limited to 9 States

Nissan North America has announced that the 2010 Altima Hybrid, which goes on sale in nine U.S. states on Monday, will have an MSRP of $26,780.

A statement distributed by Nissan on Wednesday and posted verbatim on many blogs and Websites erroneously reported that the model will be available nationwide.

In fact, it will only be available in the same nine states that the 2009 Altima Hybrid was sold in (California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont).

The Altima Hybrid powertrain mates a specialized version of Nissan's QR25 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and standard electronically controlled CVT with an advanced electric drive motor/generator. The 198-horsepower hybrid has been EPA rated at 35 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg highway.

Combined with Altima's standard 20-gallon fuel tank, the model has a projected driving range of more than 600 miles between fill-ups.

Among the many changes for the 2010 Altima Hybrid is a restyled hood, grille and front bumper, new wheel designs, standard Vehicle Dynamic Control on all models, revised interior fabric and finishers, new exterior colors and revised option package content.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (4); Scott Doggett October 2, 2009, 10:38 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Nissan
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Hybrids Down, But Not Out In September as Clunker Cash Flees Market.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

The cash for clunkers frenzy that pulled many hybrid shoppers into the market earlier than they'd intended in July and August caused a big letdown in September as sales of gas-electric cars and trucks, which had been rising steadily all year, plunged 48.4 percent.

Only 19,977 hybrids were sold in September, down from 38,701 in August. The sales slide was the first in several months and was worse that that of the far larger conventional vehicle segment, which dropped by 40.9 percent from August.

Falling sales of the Toyota Prius - they were down 42 percent for the month - contributed heavily to the numeric decline although almost every hybrid model lost ground.

On a month over month basis there were no corporate winners in the hybrid segment as even Toyota - the industry leader with three out of every four hybrid sales - saw a 39.7 percent decline in its Toyota and Lexus hybrids.

And that was the segment's best performance.

Lots of Losers

Nissan, which has been on a tear with its single offering, the Altima hybrid sedan (helped by generous incentives in recent moths), saw its hybrid sales plunge 89.1 percent in September; Honda, the number two hybrid company, saw sales fall 61.6 percent; Ford, which had been rising since the March introduction of its Fusion hybrid sedan, was off 54.5 percent, and GM's hybrid sales fell by 40.8 percent.

Compared to sales at the end of the third-quarter last year- when the financial industry collapse began and the bottom fell out of the auto market, the picture was a little better as hybrid sales last month were down just 4.1 percent from September '08.

In contrast, conventional car sales fell 22.5 percent in the September-September comparison.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell October 2, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: September 2009 Hybrid Sales

October 1, 2009

Honda Says Nano Tech Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Electronics

Research Could Lead to Better Electrical Storage for Hybrids, EVs, and Much More

Microscopic carbon nanotubes may have the potential to transport electricity faster and over greater distances with minimal loss of energy, according to Honda Research Institute USA. In this image, the 10 tubes grown on red. pink or peach-colored substrata have metallic conductive properties while the one growing on a blue substrate has semiconducting properties and could not be used to replace metallic conductors such as copper. The empty substrata on either side of the center section are particles too small or too large to grow usable nanotubes.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

By themselves, carbon nanotubes don't do much - don't look like much, either (in fact, you need a pretty powerful electron microscope to see 'em).

But shoot a jolt of electricity into them and it's a new ball game.

They conduct electricity faster, over greater distances and with less energy loss than just about anything else, and they are so small that you can pack an enormous number of them - and an enormous amount of high-efficiency conductivity - into a fairly small package.

Huge application possibilities exist, especially in the search for lighter, cooler-running and more powerful electronics and electrical storage devices for hybrid and electric vehicles.

That's why America Honda Motors is so excited about the announcement today from its R&D unit that researchers there have devised a way to grow carbon nanotubes so that 91 percent of the tubes gown have the necessary metallic properties, nearly double the best efforts of of other research efforts, the company says.

Commercial in Five Years?

A Honda spokesman told Green Car Advisor the research could result in commercial applications for carbon nanotubes in five years or less.

The project was led by Honda Research Institute USA, in Columbus, Ohio, in conjunction with researchers at Purdue University, in Indiana, and the University of Louisville, in Kentucky.

The research, to be published in Friday's edition of Science magazine, opens "new possibilities for miniaturization and energy efficiency, including much more powerful and compact computers, electrodes for supercapacitors, electric cables, batteries, solar cells, fuel cells, artificial muscles, composite material for automobiles and plane, energy storage material and electronics for hybrid vehicles," Honda said in its announcement.

Makes you dizzy just thinking about it.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 1, 2009, 1:34 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Honda, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

2009 Tokyo Auto Show: Toyota's Newest Hybrid, the SAI Sedan, to Bow This Month

Despite reports that Toyota intends to spread its Prius nameplate across multiple models, including a Subaru, the Japanese automaker announced today that its only other dedicated hybrid will debut at the Tokyo Auto Show later this month without the P word anywhere on it.

As we reported previously, the SAI (an artist's rendition of which is shown here) is a medium-size sedan based on the Lexus HS250h hybrid.

The SAI's starting price will likely fall between the HS250h's $41,751 and the new Prius hatchback's $21,668. The sedan will reportedly go on sale in Japan later this month.

The Lexus has a 2.4-liter gasoline engine, more powerful than the Prius's 1.8-liter power plant. It is less efficient, too. The EPA rates the HS250h's fuel economy at 35 mpg in combined city-highway driving, compared with 50 mpg for the new 2010 Prius.

There's no word yet on the SIA's fuel efficiency, nor is Toyota saying where it intends to offer the vehicle, although we assume it will be available in the U.S., which is the world's largest automotive market behind China.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 1, 2009, 10:45 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Economy

September 30, 2009

Honda to Debut MPV Hybrid and Near-Production-Ready CR-Z at Tokyo Auto Show

Honda announced today that it will display at the Tokyo Motor Show next month a near-production version of the CR-Z (right), which will likely be the world's first hybrid sports car to employ a six-speed transmission when it goes on sale next year.

Alongside the CR-Z Concept 2009 will be the EV-N (below left), a small, four-seat battery-electric vehicle inspired by the N360, the twin-cylinder, air-cooled 360cc micro car launched with a plastic trunk lid in the 1960s. The revival vehicle has solar panels on the roof that could be used to charge the battery. Honda said the EV-N is "purely a design study and there are no plans for production."

The show will also see the debut of the Skydeck Concept (below right), a six-seat hybrid MPV/minivan, similar to the Ford S-Max. Honda said this design study is a great example of how hybrid technology can be placed in a range of different cars for different needs.

"To give the Skydeck the practicality of a conventional MPV, many of the hybrid system components, including the high-power battery, are housed in the car's center tunnel (rather than behind the rear seats or under the floor, as with previous production hybrids). This allows for greater cabin space, and the room for three rows of two seats. It also gives a lower center of gravity."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 30, 2009, 3:44 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle

Top Electric Vehicle Executive at General Motors Leaves to Start EV Consulting Firm

Bob Kruse, who recently led a team that played a key role in the development of the Chevrolet Volt and who crafted the automaker's long-term electric-vehicle strategy, has resigned effective today.

Kruse, executive director of global vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries since early last year, left to focus on an EV consulting company he founded last month.

He will provide automotive and vehicle electrification expertise for companies looking to seize a piece of more than $1.3 billion in federal grants available to Michigan and Detroit's major automakers.

"My departure from General Motors has nothing to do with my view of the future success for the Volt," Kruse said. "I've left on very good terms. I have a lot of respect for the leadership of General Motors."

GM spokesman Rob Peterson told Green Car Advisor that Kruse's resignation, coming only 13 months before the Volt's scheduled production launch, "won't have any impact" on the gasoline-electric hybrid sedan.

"There's never a good time to lose good people, but there's a deep bench with the Volt and that team was working together before Bob joined and they will continue to march on," he said.

Kruse's resignation comes at a crucial time for GM, which is banking on the Volt extended-range electric vehicle to help it meet stringent new government fuel-economy rules and to change the public's perception of the company as being an electric-car killer and a proponent of gas-guzzlers.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 30, 2009, 11:48 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Bob Kruse

September 29, 2009

2009 Tokyo Auto Show: Subaru 'Hybrid Tourer Concept' Keeps AWD, Boxer Engine

Subaru is set to unveil a new hybrid concept at the upcoming 2009 Tokyo Auto Show - a gull-wing touring car with technology features that presage the real thing the automaker is slated to put into production as early as 2011.

The Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept - catchy name! - will combine Subaru's famed symmetrical all-wheel drive and horizontally opposed "boxer" engine with a next-generation automatic transmission and two-motor hybrid system.

The automaker, owned by Fuji Heavy industries with Toyota Motor Corp. as a sizable minority stakeholder, isn't offering much detail about its hybrid system this early in the game, but has said in the past that it intends to license technology from Toyota.

What info Fuji Heavy has provided includes the tidbit that the system will include a company-developed lithium-on battery derived from the li-ion pack used in the recently launched, Japanese-market Subaru Stella EV.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 29, 2009, 9:00 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Hybrid, Japan, Subaru
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Tokyo Auto Show

September 28, 2009

No Truth In Rumor of 'Prius' Nameplate on Subaru Hybrid, Toyota Spokesman Says

It's no secret that Subaru is working on a hybrid, using technology licensed from Toyota Motor Corp., which has acquired a 16 percent stake in Subaru over the past year largely to tap into the lithium-ion battery development work being done by the all-wheel-drive specialist's parent, Fuji Heavy industries.

But now there's rumor circulating that the new Subaru hybrid, when it gets here, will be called the Subaru Prius as part of an effort by Toyota to broaden use of the Prius name and further ensure that it is synonymous with "hybrid" the world over.

Discussion with a posting yesterday evening on PriusChat.com by someone claiming to be a Subaru salesman who said he recently attended a corporate briefing on the new hybrid at which the "Subaru Prius" name was used.

It might have been used as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Subaru's intent to license Toyota hybrid technology for its upcoming hybrid vehicle, but we though it highly unusual that Toyota would let such a valuable brand name out of the Toyota fold.

Our own Subaru sources say they hadn't heard of a Subaru Prius, and now John Hanson, head of Toyota's U.S. environmental products communications team, tells us that there's no way anyone but Toyota will be able to use the Prius name.

"Absolutely not. That's a model reserved exclusively for Toyota," Hanson said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 28, 2009, 1:30 PM
Categories:: Hybrid, Subaru, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Subaru Hybrid

Alabama Has Hopes For Hybrid Autos Plant, But Foundation Seems Shaky

Hybrid Kinetics Motors, a start-up that wants to build hybrid cars in the U.S., has announced its intent to build a new green-car manufacturing plant in Alabama for assembly of bi-fuel hybrids that can use either gasoline or compressed natural gas in their internal combustion engines.

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Photographer for newspaper Website Al.com caught this image of Yung Yeung showing off rendering of proposed Hybrid Kinetics Motors plant at Alabama press conference last week.
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The company, which has a Pasadena, Calif, address, was formed several years ago by the former chairman of China's Brilliance Automotive, Yung "Benjamin" Yeung (also known as Yang Rong) who fled his native China in 2002 after being charged with unspecified "economic crimes."

In its Alabama announcement, HKM says it could build as many as 300,000 vehicles a year - a goal, we think, that's based on equal parts hope and hype.

Among other things, HKM claims its car will have a 1.5-liter engine and an electric motor that combined will pump out as much as 400 horsepower and deliver at least 45 miles per gallon fuel economy.

We don't see any way - including giving them away- that an unproven manufacturer could unload 300,000 cars a year - hybrid or not - in North America; nor do we see much hope of a 1.5 liter gas or CNG engine tied to a reasonably sized electric motor putting out anything near 400 ponies.

Besides the questionable claims, the company's plan, announced with fanfare in Birmingham late last week at a press conference attended by state officials including by Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, comes with a big "IF."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 28, 2009, 1:24 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Natural Gas
Technorati Tags:: Alabama Hybrid Factory

September 25, 2009

2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid: Great Ride, Difficult Brakes, Good Big-Car Fuel Economy

S400 HYBRID (27).jpg

By Robert E. Calem, Contributor

With its 2010 S400 Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz has taken some significant steps to redefine the premium hybrid sedan market - in part by minimizing the premium.

The price premium, that is.

Despite cutting-edge technology that includes what the automaker says is the world's first lithium-ion battery designed specifically for automotive use, Mercedes-Benz new entry-level U.S. is priced staring at $88,825, nearly $4,000 less than the S550 that previously was the entry-level S-Class in the U.S.

Of course, being an S-Class model, the S400 Hybrid still offers a high level of luxury and a cavernous interior, along with the same refreshed body styling as the rest of the 2010 model line. Passengers and passersby would be hard-pressed to distinguish it if there weren't Hybrid badges on the trunk lid and the center stack, and BlueEfficiency badges on the front quarter panels.

But the S400 Hybrid's difference is unmistakable from the driver's seat - where we logged hundreds of miles over two days last weekend, with decidedly mixed emotions.

Innovative Battery
The leading innovation in the S400 Hybrid is the aforementioned 120-volt, 0.9 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that's small enough to fit into the engine compartment - like an ordinary car battery - rather than beneath or behind the seats, as in other hybrid vehicles.

There's no compromise in terms of people room or trunk space. And even with a high-strength steel housing, its own separate cooling circuit and cells that sit in a vibration- and jolt-dampening gel, the battery still weighs less than most others, and also has a higher energy density, according to Mercedes-Benz.

It's a so-called mild hybrid because the system doesn't propel the S400 on electricity alone, but there's still plenty of power and a decent fuel economy bump other gasoline-fueled S-Class models, including the the European market S350 on which it is based.

A 20-horsepower magneto-electric motor mounted in the torque converter housing between the engine and the transmission produces 118 pound-feet of torque, and kicks in during acceleration, to assist the 275 horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine (which generates 258 lb.-ft. of torque) in driving the rear wheels. The usual stop-start scheme turns the engine off when the car isn't moving.

The result is a fuel economy rating of 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, a 30 percent improvement over the S550's mileage rating.

Compared with the V6-powered S350 sold in Europe, Mercedes-Benz says the S400 Hybrid also produces 21 percent less CO2 emissions.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell September 25, 2009, 4:00 PM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Mercedes Benz S400 Hybrid Driving Impression; Mercedes Benz Hybrid

September 24, 2009

EV Battery Maker A123 Systems Raises $380 Million from Initial Stock Offering

Lithium-ion car battery maker A123 Systems Inc. increased the number of shares in its initial public offering and priced them for $13.50 apiece, above the estimate range.

The upsized deal helped the Watertown, Massachusetts, company raise $380.4 million, far above what it had expected. On Tuesday, facing strong demand, A123 had raised the price estimate range of the IPO to between $10 and $11.50 apiece, up from the original range of $8 to $9.50.

A123 sold 28.1 million shares, 9.3 percent more than expected.

A123, which was founded by scientists linked to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, develops batteries and battery systems for hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and all-electric vehicles and works with such carmakers as BMW, Chrysler and General Motors.

"The fact that they have received several hundred million dollars from the government and have strong venture backers and corporate partners like Motorola and Qualcomm clearly reveals the confidence in this intriguing cleantech story," said Scott Sweet, senior managing partner with advisory firm IPO Boutique.

A123 won a $249.1 million grant in August from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a competition for $1.5 billion in federal stimulus funds for companies that make advanced automotive batteries.

The IPO's underwriters, led by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, have the option to buy another 4.2 million shares, which could bring the deal's total proceeds to $437.5 million.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 24, 2009, 3:23 PM
Categories:: BMW, Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: A123Systems

Electric Vehicle Makers Try to Temper Expectations Ahead of California Rule

California took the pulse of the zero-emissions vehicle industry this week and found plug-in electric vehicle manufacturers worried about charging infrastructure and public expectations.

The California Air Resources Board is hearing from fuel cell and EV manufacturers in preparation for releasing regulations for its Zero-Emissions Vehicle Program. Targets for 2015 and thereafter are due out by Nov. 10, with final targets due by early next year.

In its fifth major revision of the program since 1990, it voted last year to reduce the 2014 sales target from 25,000 to 7,500 vehicles.

A philosophical difference emerged between conventional car manufacturers and electric-only car companies.

Nissan, which is shooting for a 100-mile range for its Leaf EV, is playing down its perks. When asked to compare gasoline-powered and EV batteries, a company executive said not to expect comparable performance.

"Since the battery's not part of the emissions, it's not required to last 10 years and 150,000 miles," said Brian Verprauskus, senior manager of corporate planning for Nissan North America. "The issue's going to be the degradation. If the customer is OK with reduced range after 10 years, it'll definitely last that long, but after 10 years, we think there'll be more advanced batteries and the customer's going to want to swap it out with a next-generation battery."

Tesla Motors, on the other hand, is emphasizing the ways EVs differ from conventional cars. "We're trying to market cars based on the new attributes of EVs themselves," said J.B. Straubel, Tesla's chief technical officer. "It's an offensive technology shift. We can offer some new competitive advantages to customers."

EV manufacturers said the installation of charging infrastructure remained the biggest bottleneck to widespread implementation. BMW, which ran into charging issues with its MINI E pilot program, said the industry needed to agree on a standard for in-home charging infrastructure.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 24, 2009, 10:39 AM
Categories:: BMW, Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Legislation, MINI, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: BMW

Land Rover Says Smallest, Most Fuel-Efficient Range Rover Will Enter Production

Land Rover announced today that a production version of its Range Rover LRX Concept SUV (pictured) will be built, with sales to begin in 2011.

Designed and engineered at Land Rover's Gaydon facility, the new Range Rover will be the smallest, lightest and most fuel-efficient vehicle the company has ever produced.

The three-door SUV will be built in Halewood, near Liverpool, England, subject to quality and productivity agreements, and will be sold in more than 100 countries around the world, the company said in a statement.

In an interview with Edmunds.com's Michelle Krebs this morning, Jaguar Land Rover spokesman Stuart Schorr said the LRX will be the first of four new segment offerings from the company, with Jaguar and Land Rover to receive two each.

He stressed the four will be premium brands, meaning they won't come cheap. Schorr also said that Jaguar Land Rover is committed to hybrids and electrics, but he refused to provide further details.

The LRX Concept debuted at the Detroit Auto Show last year and featured a 2.0-liter diesel-hybrid powertrain, which when running on biodiesel achieved a claimed fuel economy of 60 miles per gallon.

Jaguar or Land Rover Plant to Close

In a related development, India's Tata Motors Ltd. said today it will close one of the three Jaguar Land Rover assembly plants in England by 2014 in a bid to move its money-losing British unit into profitability.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 24, 2009, 9:27 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Biofuels, Diesel, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Jaguar, Land Rover, Plug-ins and Electric, Range Rover
Technorati Tags:: Detroit Auto Show

September 23, 2009

British Publication Says Rolls Royce Is Considering a Battery-Powered Phantom

A British publication reported today that luxury-car crafter Rolls Royce is thinking about producing an all-electric Phantom similar in appearance to the gasoline-powered Phantom pictured here.

Auto Express News, citing an unidentified RR spokesman, said that of the brand's entire lineup a battery-powered Phantom made the most sense because, at more than 5,600 pounds with a heavy 6.75-liter V12 under the hood, replacing the engine with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery shouldn't create a major weight issue.

The greatest problem RR engineers anticipate is coming up with an electric Phantom that gives the vehicle a respectable travel range between charges. But then, there'd be nothing preventing the engineers from adding a small range-extending gasoline- and diesel-powered engine to serve as a generator to keep the juice flowing.

With the base price of the 2009 Phantom set at $350,000, an additional EV or plug-in hybrid EV premium wouldn't likely be an issue for prospective customers. And there's something awfully cool about being able to prowl the nights in a silent Phantom.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 23, 2009, 2:49 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Manufacturers, Plug-ins and Electric, Rolls Royce
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle

Got Questions? Electric Drive Group Promises Answers During Live Chat Thursday

The Electric Drive Transportation Assn., the national advocacy group for electric cars, trucks, buses, and all other electrically powered conveyances, is hosting a live chat Thursday with its executive director, Brian Wynne, from 2-3 pm - Eastern Time (11 am-noon Pacific Time).

It's the association's first try at an on-line chat and spokeswoman Jennifer Watts says it will be wide open, with Wynne fielding questions about everything from the availability of vehicles to how the smart grid works.

"We hope to talk about everything from hybrids to fuel cells," Watts said.

You can join in by logging onto the EDTA Web site, or by clicking here.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 23, 2009, 2:05 PM
Categories:: Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Cars

Continental to Buy U.S. Firm's Ultracapacitors for Auto Engine Stop-Start Systems

Maxwell Technologies Says It Also Is Working on Ultracapacitors for Hybrids, EVs

Much of the EV discussion these days - when not focused on which companies are building what cars - is about batteries, but there's another electrical energy storage device out there that's making inroads.

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Maxwell Technologies' "Boostcap" ultracapacitors will be used in Continental stop-start system component.
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It's the ultracapacitor, a device that is quickly charged from an engine generator or regenerative braking system and has a very high energy density that is rapidly discharged.

That makes them less than optimal as the main energy source for an electric vehicle, but ideal as a sort of supercharger good for quick bursts of energy. And that makes them ideal for engine start-stop systems - also called micro hybrid systems - that shut down an internal combustion engine instead of letting it waste fuel and pump out emissions while idling.

Start-stops require a big energy boost to instantaneously restart the engine when its time to go again, and that's prime territory for ultracapacitors.

That's been the belief of Maxwell Technologies, a San Diego-based energy storage systems developer that has just announced a deal to supply its proprietary "Boostcap" ultracapacitors for a critical piece of stop-start system componentry manufactured by global auto supply giant Continental AG.

Maxwell said its ultracapacitors are to be used starting next year as the energy storage element of a Continental voltage stabilization system (VSS) for start-stop systems in new cars.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 23, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: EVs

September 22, 2009

Fisker Scores $528-Million Loan From Feds For Next-Generation Plug-in Hybrid

Its first car hasn't gone into production yet, but already Fisker Automotive is well on the way to introducing a second plug-in hybrid, thanks to a $528-million federal loan.

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Fisker Automotive specializes in plug-in hybrid cars.

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The infant automaker said today that it has reached agreement with the federal Energy Department on terms of the low-interest loan, funded through the $25-billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program.

The company said in May that it was seeking the loan to spur production of the new car.

Fisker, based in Irvine, Calif., said today that the bulk of the money will be used to develop its next-generation plug-in hybrid with some being used to complete development of the company's first car, the Fisker Karma PHEV (left) slated to go into production later this year.

While the Karma is an $87,900, 408-horsepower exotic built under contract in Finland, Fisker's next cars will be more modestly priced and powered, will be built in the U.S., and will start at around $47,400 before the $7,500 federal tax credit.

The new plug-in is being developed under the code-name Project NINA - named, the company says, for one of the three ships in explorer Christopher Columbus' tiny fleet, and symbolizing the auto industry's "transition from old world to new."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 22, 2009, 2:05 PM
Categories:: Fisker, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Fisker Karma

$100 Million In Green Transportation Grants Awarded by Transportation Department

The federal government has awarded $100 million in grants to 43 metropolitan transit agencies that had submitted plans to cut emissions and create so-called "green" jobs.

The grants mark the Obama Administration's continued investment in reducing the environmental impact of transportation vehicles by using technologies that boost fuel efficiency and cut pollution.

Many of the green grants are for agencies to replace diesel transit buses with diesel-electric hybrid and battery-electric buses, but a number also involve increased use of solar energy.

California-based transportation agencies such as the Bay Area's AC Transit and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be given more than $17 million for projects such as boosting solar energy capacity to make hydrogen with clean electricity, installing photovoltaic panels to offset electricity use at maintenance yards, and installing a flywheel energy storage system, the U.S. Transportation Department said in a statement announcing the grants.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 22, 2009, 12:12 AM
Categories:: Diesel, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Mass Transit, Plug-ins and Electric, Solar
Technorati Tags:: Federal Transit Authority

September 18, 2009

Nissan, Other Automakers Working On Sounds to Make Silent Electric Cars Safe

Toshiyuki Tabata spent 30 years as a Nissan Motor Co. engineer trying to make gasoline-powered cars quieter. Now he's consulting music composers to make electric cars noisier -- and safer.

An article published by Bloomberg news service today addresses the efforts Tabata in particular and automakers in general are making to make electric and hybrid cars, with little or no engine noise, safer for pedestrians.

Some of the automakers are simply seeking sounds that resemble conventional engine noises. But as we learn from Tabata, Nissan is doing something completely different.

The company consulted Japanese composers of film scores. What Tabata and his six-member team came up with is a high- pitched sound reminiscent of the flying cars in "Blade Runner" (pictured), the 1982 film directed by Ridley Scott portraying his dystopian vision of 2019.

"We wanted something a bit different, something closer to the world of art," Tabata said.

The article is well worth the time it takes to read it.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett September 18, 2009, 12:23 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: General Motors

September 17, 2009

Toyota Tells Dealers It Will Use Prius Name on 'a Family of Models' to Drive Sales

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose."

Shakespeare wrote that for Juliet in his lyrical tale of star-crossed lovers, but Toyota dealers are -- in their own words -- saying the very same today.

That's because the Prius name possesses magical sales powers for the Japanese automaker. As a result, it has decided to sprinkle the name across more hybrid models in its U.S. lineup to boost their sales.

At a meeting in Las Vegas earlier this week of the 60 largest Toyota dealers in the U.S., Toyota executives announced the name Prius would be attached to "a family of models" using similar hybrid powertrains, veteran Toyota dealer Earl Stewart said.

"The Highlander hybrid and Camry hybrid do OK, but calling it 'Synergy Drive' never resonated with consumers," Stewart sad. "But they can make hay on the Prius name. It's a magic name. If somebody says 'I drive a Prius,' everybody knows what he means."

Romeo couldn't have said it better.

Toyota will have a range of Prius hybrid models "but Prius won't be a separate sub-brand like Scion," Stewart said.

A Thorny Issue

Separately, Toyota is launching a $1 billion fourth-quarter marketing campaign, its biggest ever for that period, to boost weak U.S. sales.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett September 17, 2009, 2:39 PM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Japan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Efficient Cars

House Passes $2.90 Billion Bill for Advanced Technology Vehicle Research

Targeting more federal money to support the auto industry, the House on Wednesday approved an expansion of government-led research into making cars and trucks more fuel-efficient.

The House plan would allow the Energy Department to spend up to $200 million more each year on research and development for advanced-technology vehicles and auto parts.

Lawmakers' aides said the additional $200 million would boost government-supported research in this area to around $550 million if Congress, as expected, funds the request later this year.

The measure passed on a 312-114 vote, attracting dozens of Republican votes, even though some GOP lawmakers questioned its cost.

Wednesday's House action represented the latest move by Congress and the Obama administration to aid the auto industry. The White House stepped in with billions of dollars to rescue General Motors and Chrysler and led the companies through bankruptcy, and Congress approved $25 billion last year to help the industry retool assembly plants to meet tougher fuel economy standards.

Congress also created a $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program of incentives that successfully spurred new car sales over the summer.

Fuel-efficient technology is in great demand because of higher gasoline prices and the expectation of tightening auto regulations. Administration officials on Tuesday released plans to raise the gas mileage standards to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 and link greenhouse-gas emissions and fuel-economy requirements.

Democratic Representative Gary Peters of Michigan, who sponsored the green vehicle technology bill, said "there is no doubt that in the years ahead more Americans will be driving hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric vehicles, and cars and trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells."

"The only question is whether these new technologies will be researched, developed and manufactured here in the United States, creating American jobs, or whether this technology will be built overseas," Peters said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 17, 2009, 1:37 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing

2009 Frankfurt Motor Show: Toyota Unwraps Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept

Toyota today continued to release a slow trickle of information concerning its all-new Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept, which debuted this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

In addition to details about the car that we've previously reported, now know this concept vehicle with an absurdly long name uses the same Hybrid Synergy Drive technology that can be found in the new Prius.

In other words, it's also equipped with a 1.8-liter gasoline engine working with an electric motor and an engine stop-start system to help cut emissions and improve fuel economy.

The Auris HSD produces 97 horsepower, accelerates from 0-62 miles per hour in about 10 seconds, and has carbon dioxide emissions of less than 100 grams per kilometer.

The Auris HSD differentiate itself from the standard Auris in many ways. Its front end styling is entirely fresh, headlights, hood, bumper and grille. Various aerodynamic tweaks and special badging also set it apart from the regular Auris.

Although Toyota has included "Concept" in the car's name, a new Auris hybrid looking identical or nearly identical to the one shown here is scheduled to enter production next summer and begin shipping toward the end of the year.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 17, 2009, 10:26 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept

September 15, 2009

Fisker Reportedly to Announce Planned $39,000 Plug-In Hybrid This Week or Next

Kleiner Perkins investor, and former president of Oracle, Ray Lane, said that electric vehicle maker startup Fisker is gearing up to make a major announcement about a $39,000 plug-in hybrid vehicle later this week or next week.

That tidbit from earth2tech.com, which reported today that the venture capitalist, whose firm funded Fisker, let the news slip at the AlwaysOn Going Green conference in Sausalito, California, earlier in the day.

Fisker has already developed its inaugural plug-in car the Karma (pictured), which will be sold for $87,900, but as Lane put it on the panel "who would not want to buy a Fisker Karma if you could afford it."

Does that mean that Fisker has received a Department of Energy loan?

In March, Henrik Fisker, founder and CEO of the Irvine, California-based company, said that Fisker plans to refurbish a factory in the U.S. and develop a lower-cost plug-in hybrid car than its $87,900 Fisker Karma if DOE loans come through.

Back then Fisker did not specify how much money the company requested, but said, "If we get the DOE loan we will start the project this year... It could be in the market in as little as 26 months from when we start."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 15, 2009, 11:37 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fisker, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Fisker's New Plug-In; Fisker Plug-In Hybrid; Fisker Karma; Pontiac

September 14, 2009

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: VW's L1 Diesel Hybrid Concept Gets a Claimed 170 MPG

With the premature appearance of some photos of the current L1 Concept in the German media over the weekend, Volkswagen today distributed information and multiple images of the ultra-high-mileage carbon-fiber two-seat diesel runabout ahead of its scheduled debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

The German automaker announced that the L1 Concept is powered by a new two-cylinder 0.8-liter turbocharged direct-injection engine -- the smallest diesel engine intended for production applications ever built by Volkswagen.

That engine is mated to a 10-kilowatt/14 horsepower electric motor and a 7-speed direct-shift gearbox (or DSG, an electronically controlled multiple-shaft dual-clutch manual gearbox without a conventional clutch pedal) -- all situated at the back of the car. Together, the three components create the "most fuel-efficient road-legal car hybrid drive in the world," according to Volkswagen.

The L1 -- which takes its name from 1 liter of diesel will provide 100 kilometers of driving, although in reality 1.38 liters are required to go that distance -- is operated in two different modes depending on the load conditions.

In the standard "ECO mode," the TDI engine develops a power of 20 kilowatts/27 horsepower at 4,000 revolutions per minute. In sport mode, the car's power rises to 29 kilowatts/39 hp at 4,000 rpm. The TDI's maximum torque is 73.7 pound-feet at 1,900 rpm. A stop-start system automatically shuts down the engine when vehicle has stopped and restarts when the accelerator or "E-pedal" is pressed.

A Little History

This isn't the first L1 VW has come up with. Seven years ago, Dr. Ferdinand Piech, at that time chairman of the board of management at VW Group, drove a prototype L1 from Wolfsburg to Hamburg "that was unlike any other car before it: the Volkswagen 1-Litre car -- the world's first car with fuel consumption of one litre fuel per 100 kilometers," as VW tells it.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett September 14, 2009, 3:37 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Diesel-Electric Hybrid

Toyota Reportedly Sticking With Nickel Battery After Testing Lithium-Ion in Priuses

Toyota Motor Corp. is sticking with nickel as the preferred battery material for most of its hybrid vehicles after three years of secretly testing Prius hatchbacks with lithium-ion packs, Bloomberg reported today.

Toyota last month ended road tests of 126 Priuses in the U.S., Japan and Europe that began in 2006, Jana Hartline, a company spokeswoman said in an interview with the news service. Details of the program, in which the cars' nickel metal hydride batteries were replaced with more expensive lithium models, weren't released.

Automakers are introducing models all or partly powered by lithium-ion batteries holding twice the energy of nickel packs. While Toyota's lithium version performed well and gave "small" fuel-economy gains because of lighter weight, nickel is favored for conventional, mass-market hybrids for its cost, said Kazuo Tojima, the carmaker's senior staff engineer for batteries.

Lithium's "durability, stability and safety are assured," the company's tests showed, Tojima told Bloomberg.

The tests appear to be among the most thorough done by companies planning to introduce the batteries, said Menahem Anderman, president of consulting firm Advanced Automotive Batteries in Oregon House, California.

"We now know that a lithium-ion battery can work; that's not really the question," he said. "Cost is critical, and we still don't know enough about long-term durability."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 14, 2009, 12:31 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Frankfurt Motor Show

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Greenest Car Show Begins Previews Tuesday

Hyundai Motors' ix-Metro Hybrid city car is one of several dozen 'green' cars and concepts debuting at Frankfurt show.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

This week's Frankfurt Auto Show promises to be the greenest major auto show to date - a showcase for fuel efficiency improvements and alternative powertrains that are coming to the forefront as the mainstream auto industry finally begins coming to grips with the need to begin weaning itself - and us - from petroleum.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 14, 2009, 1:49 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Audi, Auto Shows, BMW, Citroen, Diesel, Fiat, Ford, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show

September 11, 2009

Toyota Provides More Details Regarding Auris Hybrid Concept to Debut at Frankfurt

Toyota today provided more details regarding the Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept it will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week, including word that the vehicle marks a milestone in Toyota's plan to deploy full hybrid technology across the automaker's entire European model line-up.

"Full hybrid" means the car can be propelled by gasoline engine alone, electric motor alone or a combination of both. Most hybrids cannot do this.

Earlier this month we reported that, according to Toyota, the Auris hybrid uses 19 percent less fuel and emits 17 percent less climate-changing carbon dioxide than the standard Auris. We can now report that the five-door hatchback is slated to go on sale in Europe starting the second half of 2010, but there's no word on plans to send the car to North America.

In a statement, Toyota reported that the hybrid "marks a significant milestone in Toyota's plan to equip its mainstream European models with full hybrid technology. Toyota is committed to making the environmental benefits of its Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) accessible to a wider customer base and it is on track to offer a hybrid version of every model in its range by the early 2020s."

A five-door hatchback is the best selling type of car in Europe and consequently the installation of HSD in Auris is the logical first step in deploying full hybrid technology across Toyota's entire European model line-up.

By introducing the Auris concept, Toyota also aims to shift customer perceptions of hybrid technology. The obvious advantages are improved fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions, but the automaker said customers will also experience smooth and sophisticated driving unlike any other family hatchback, thanks to the everyday usability, comfort and quietness of the Toyota full hybrid powertrain.

The Auris concept will be built by Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK at the Burnaston factory, near Derby. The manufacturer's suggested price for the vehicle has not been revealed.

In addition to changes to the Auris's powertrain for the concept car, Toyota says subtle changes have been made to Auris's styling to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The front end is designed to optimize airflow and so help maximize fuel efficiency. The front and rear bumper corners have flat surfaces, a feature that not only accentuates the car's wide and solid stance, but also smooths the flow of air over the vehicle's flanks, minimizing turbulence and drag.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 11, 2009, 11:53 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: C02

September 9, 2009

Mercedes-Benz to Unveil Vision S 500 Plug-in Hybrid Concept Next Week

Mercedes-Benz is expected to debut a Vision S 500 plug-in hybrid concept at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show, looking much like the one pictured here.

Although company spokesmen won't discuss it publicly yet, we've been told the concept will feature a V6 gasoline engine connected to a lithium-ion battery that has a storage capacity of more than 10 kilowatt hours.

That's enough to enable the car to go about 19 miles on electricity only before an onboard gas-powered engine-generator kicks in to feed juice to the lithium battery.

Acceleration is said to be 5 and half seconds from a standstill to 60 miles an hour. Mileage is said to be 73.5 mph, but it wasn't at all clear how that number was reached.

We expect to learn a lot more about this concept next week.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 9, 2009, 5:15 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Daimler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Frankfurt Motor Show

September 8, 2009

Survey Finds 48% of Americans Would Be Interested in PHEV With 40-Mile Range

Pike Research.jpg Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are one of the most highly anticipated new product categories of recent years, a research firm reported today, with 48 percent of the American consumers surveyed stating that they would be "extremely" or "very" interested in purchasing a PHEV with a 40-mile range on a single charge.

"Plug-in hybrids match the driving requirements of most consumers we surveyed," said Clint Wheelock, managing director of Pike Research, which conducted the Web-based survey of 1,041 U.S. consumers. "82 percent of respondents drive 40 miles or less per day, with an average daily driving distance of 27 miles."

The upcoming Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle and other EREVs under development promise the ability to travel 40 miles on electricity only. Thereafter, a small onboard internal combustion engine-generator, likely fueled by gasoline, would come on and supply electricity to the vehicle's battery, electric motor or both.

Other findings of the survey:

85 percent of consumers stated that improved fuel efficiency would be an important factor when choosing their next vehicle.
65 percent of survey respondents interested in PHEVs expressed a willingness to pay a premium price, over and above the price of a standard gasoline vehicle, with an average premium of 12 percent.
Consumers indicated that the availability of workplace, private, and public vehicle charging stations in their local area would be very important.
79 percent of consumers would be interested in investing in a fast-charging outlet for their home; however, willingness to pay is out of line with industry expectations.

More information about the survey can be found at Pike Research's Website.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett September 8, 2009, 4:45 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Economy

Fisker Says Karma Gets 67.2 MPG, CO2 Emissions of Just 83 Grams Per Kilometer

The Fisker Karma will get 67.2 miles per gallon and emit just 83 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer using a respected methodology for measuring the emissions of plug-in extended-range electric vehicles, the automaker announced today.

Calculations developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers estimate the carbon-dioxide output of the four-door hybrid will be less than that of today's cleanest production cars and 75 percent less than that of competing vehicles, on average.

The society is an internationally recognized organization of experts that help drive government automotive policy.

That said, the fuel economy label the U.S Environmental Protection Agency ultimately slaps on the Karma might bear a different estimate than 67.2 MPG, because the EPA is still determining how it will label plug-in hybrids.

Fisker Automotive said the sale of 15,000 Karmas could save some 248 million gallons of gasoline and 2.5 million tons of CO2 per year compared to a convention car of comparable size and horsepower.

And, as Fisker wants everyone to know, the Karma can save all that gas and air pollution while achieving supercar-like torque and six-second 0-60 mile-per-hour acceleration.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 8, 2009, 1:19 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fisker, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Carbon Dioxide

Lotus to Unveil Range-Extending Engine-Generator for Hybrids at Frankfurt Show

Lotus Engineering announced today that it will unveil a range-extending engine-generator for series hybrid vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show, held later this month.

Attached to the hybrid's electric motor via the crankshaft, the Lotus Range Extender sustains vehicle operation beyond the range provided by the vehicle's batteries.

Lotus said in a statement that the 1.2-liter, three-cylinder engine-generator can use gasoline or alcohol-based fuels, was designed for maximum fuel efficiency and can recharge the batteries of a series hybrid as well as provide direct power to the electric motor that propels the vehicle.

The Range Extender features an innovative architecture comprising aluminium monoblock construction, integrating the cylinder block, cylinder head and exhaust manifold in one casting. Lotus said this results in reduced engine mass, assembly costs, package size and improved emissions and engine durability.

The engine-generator is optimized between two power generation points, giving 15 kilowatts of electrical power at 1,500 revolutions per minute and 35 kilowatts at 3,500 rpm via the integrated electrical generator.

Lotus said the Range Extender's low weight (123 pounds) makes it ideal for the series hybrid drivetrain configurations for which it is designed. The engine uses an optimized two-valve port-fuel injection combustion system to reduce cost and mass.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 8, 2009, 12:25 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Emissions, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Lotus
Technorati Tags:: Battery Electric

USPS Finds Electrification of Its Delivery Fleet Operationally Feasible

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Much fuss has been made this year about General Motors' claim that the Chevy Volt extended-range electric vehicle due out next year will be able to travel 40 miles on electricity only, and the fact (often heralded by GM) that most American motorists drive fewer than 40 miles a day.

The General hopes you'll connect the dots, but he's been saying it loud and clear for more than a year anyway: Unless you drive more than 40 miles between charges, you probably won't need to put any gasoline in the plug-in automobile.

But if you should happen to go as far as the Volt can take you on a single charge, the General says, don't fret. As an extended-range EV, the Volt is packing a small gasoline-powered engine-generator that can keep juice flowing to the electric motor that propels the vehicle.

Now imagine this: You open a report from the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service on the feasibility of electric vehicles in the USPS and you read that (1) only about 3 percent of the service's 146,000 delivery vehicles travel more than 40 miles a day, and (2) those vehicles average a lousy 10 miles per gallon.

No doubt your heart would race if you read those factoids, just as ours did when we read the 23-page report, released last week with little fanfare.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett September 8, 2009, 12:37 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

September 4, 2009

Toyota Passes 2 Million Total Hybrid Sales Worldwide; Most Were Sold in America

Toyota Motor Europe announced today that cumulative hybrid sales in Europe have topped the 200,000 mark, with 50 percent of the sales recorded in the last 24 months.

TME has sold a total of 202,126 Toyota and Lexus hybrids since introducing Europe's first commercial hybrid in 2000, the company said in a statement.

"The breakthrough result coincides with news that Toyota has sold over 2 million hybrids globally since launching the world's first mass-produced hybrid, Prius, in 1997 to critical acclaim," the company said.

Moveoever, Edmunds.com data put Toyota hybrid sales in the U.S. through August of this year at 1,106,203 vehicles sold, accounting for a 73 percent share of the U.S. hybrid market and a 0.6 percent share of the overall U.S. passenger vehicle market (cars and trucks combined).

Prius accounted for 768,638 sales, or 69.5 percent, of Toyota's total U.S. hybrid sales. The popular model accounted for 50.8 percent of the overall U.S. hybrid market and 0.45 percent of the overall U.S. passenger car market.

Toyota has a global target of 1 million hybrid sales per year by the early 2010s, with European sales representing up to 10 percent of this target.

In July, TME announced that it would manufacture a hybrid version of its C-segment hatchback, Auris, in the United Kingdom from mid-2010. That would mark what Toyota referred to today as "a critical first step" in the company's plans to offer a hybrid version of every model in the early 2020s.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 4, 2009, 12:30 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Edmunds.com

Hyundai to Debut ix-Metro Hybrid CUV Concept and i10 EV at Frankfurt Motor Show

With the recent launches of the Tucson ix compact SUV and the Elanta LPI hybrid-electric vehicle, this period was already rather verdant on the green front for Hyundai.

Now comes word from the South Korean automaker that it will be debuting two advanced fuel-efficient vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show - the ix Metro gasoline-electric concept CUV (right) and the i10 Electric (below).

The ix Metro smallish hybrid crossover is designed for the European sub-B segment and, according to Hyundai, achieves carbon-dioxide emissions of only 80 grams per kilometer.

The vehicle is powered by an inline three-cylinder, 1.0-liter gasoline engine cranking out an impressive 125 horsepower. It's mated to some kind of hybrid drive system Hyundai is unwilling to discuss publicly now.

The other Hyundai vehicle to make its world debut at Frankfurt is the i10 Electric, a plug-in all-electric urban commuter that, the automaker says, will see limited series production beginning in 2010 with the South Korean market.

The i10 Electric is powered by a 49 kilowatt motor and a 16 kilowatt per hour battery. Hyundai says the vehicle achieves a top speed of 81 miles an hour and a driving range of 99 miles.

The i10 Electric will be sold to government ministries, state corporations and utilities in the first stage. The retail sales date is not decided

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 4, 2009, 11:46 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hyundai, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle

September 3, 2009

Toyota Faces Patent-Violation Claims That Could Ban Import of Its Hybrids Into U.S.

Toyota Motor Corp. faces a patent-infringement claim that may result in a U.S. import ban on its Prius and other hybrid models, the Bloomberg news service reported today.

Closely held Paice LLC filed a complaint today with the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, claiming Toyota is infringing its patents. It seeks an order to ban imports of products using its inventions.

Even if Paice were to prevail, Toyota would likely be able to keep selling its hybrids while it mounted a lengthy and vigorous challenge to the decision.

Paice won a jury verdict in 2005 that the Prius, Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX400h hybrid vehicles used Paice inventions related to drivetrains, Bloomberg reported. The new ITC complaint claims the hybrid Camry, third-generation Prius, Lexus HS250h and Lexus RX450h infringe the same patent.

In the complaint, Paice said Toyota is precluded from arguing that the additional vehicles don't infringe the patent or challenging its validity because of the 2005 verdict, which was upheld on appeal. The drivetrains of the vehicles in the ITC case "are materially the same" as those in the Lexus and Highlander vehicles in the civil case, Paice said in the complaint.

That same patent will be at the center of another trial set to begin Oct. 1 in federal court in Marshall, Texas, involving the Toyota Camry. Paice claims the Camry also infringes two other patents. A second case, also pending in Marshall, involves claims of infringement of another patent by the Highlander and Lexus models.

The commission in Washington is set up to protect U.S. market from unfair trade practices, including patent infringement. If it agrees to investigate Paice's claims, the investigation could be completed in about 15 months. It has the power to order U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to block infringing products from entering the country.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett September 3, 2009, 3:46 PM
Categories:: Courts, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Court

Audi Exec Says Only Idiots Would Buy Volts; Chevy Says That's a Dumb Remark

johan-de-nysschen.jpg (JPEG Image, 360x279 pixels).jpg In an interview earlier this week, Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen (right) dismissed the upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid as "a car for idiots."

He said that few consumers will be willing to pay $40,000 -- the Volt's estimated base price -- for a car that competes against $25,000 sedans and conventional hybrids. Nor, he noted, is the Volt a luxury car whose green-technology costs will be excused because it also delivers prestige or performance.

"No one is going to pay a $15,000 premium for a car that competes with a (Toyota) Corolla" in terms of prestige and performance, he said. "So there are not enough idiots who will buy it."

More than a few people at Chevrolet took offense. In an interview with Green Car Advisor, Volt spokesman Rob Peterson said:

"I'm pretty surprised somebody would make such a bold statement that challenges the intelligence of anybody in the EV movement, and especially those people who are anxiously awaiting the Volt. It just doesn't seem like a real bright statement."

It'll be interesting to see how well the Volt sells. The vehicle is slated to start appearing in showrooms in very limited numbers at the end of next year.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett September 3, 2009, 2:05 PM
Categories:: Audi, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Audi

Tokyo Denies Chrysler Claim, Says Toyota Received No Aid in Development of Prius

Back in March, Jim Press, vice chairman and president of Chrysler, was quoted in a Business Week report as saying, "The Japanese government paid for 100 percent of the development of the battery and hybrid system that went into the Toyota Prius."

Toyota quickly denied the allegation, stating that it got no such help in developing the gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle.

Well, it took the Japanese government more than five months to respond, but today it announced that Press (pictured) was wrong.

Sosuke Tanaka, an official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, said today that Toyota had not received financial aid from the government in developing the Prius, according to ministry records.

"Toyota developed its own technology," Tanaka said in an interview with The New York Times. "So please talk to Toyota about research and development."

Chrysler defended Press, who worked at Toyota for 37 years before joining Chrysler in September 2007.

On its media blog, Chrysler said Press "was not speaking negatively of Toyota" but "referenced the close cooperation between the Japanese government and Japanese industry."

Chrysler said Press would like to see similar cooperation between government and industry in the U.S.

Didn't the U.S. government just save Chrysler's trunk, so to speak? For a second time? Jim Press, this would be a good time to reflect on the proverb, Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (4); Scott Doggett September 3, 2009, 1:03 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

BorgWarner, UQM Team Up On Turn-Key Electric Powertrain For Automakers

Colorado's UQM Technologies and Michigan's BorgWarner have tied the knot in an agreement to integrate UQM's proprietary electric propulsion system with BW's electric drive single-speed transmission for use in gas-electric hybrid and all-electric passenger vehicles.

First up on the customer list is Southern California-based Coda Automotive, which has announced plans to introduce a battery-electric, five-occupant passenger sedan next summer.

The Coda, to be built in China and based on a heavily reengineered Chinese sedan, will use the QQM-BorgWarner electric powertrain, which mates UQM's 134 peak horsepower electric motor with Borg Warner's 31-03 eGearDrive tranmsission.

The 102-pound, 125 kilowatt motor delivers peak torque of 221 ft-lbs, magnified by the transmission's 6:5:1 gear ratio to 1,440 ft-lb at peak output.

That's sufficient, says Coda CEO Kevin Czinger, to give the $45,000 (estimated) car a 0-60 launch time of under 11 seconds - on par with the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 3, 2009, 12:33 PM
Categories:: Coda, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: BorgWarner

China Denies Hoarding Metals, Says It Just Wants to Create Jobs in Inner Mongolia

China's moves to tighten control on the mining and export of a class of metal ores called rare earth are aimed at attracting high-tech manufacturing to Inner Mongolia, and not at dominating the market, The Wall Street Journal reported today, citing a senior Chinese official.

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The rare-earth element lanthanum, right, is used in the manufacture of hybrid-car batteries.
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As we reported earlier this week, a number of those rare metals are used to make the high-power, lightweight magnets for electric motors of hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Ford Fusion. Others are major ingredients for batteries used in hybrid cars.

Wednesday's comments by Zhao Shuanglin, vice chairman of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, appear aimed at quelling concerns that China is trying to dominate the global market for rare-earth resources.

China produces more than 90 percent of the world's output of the metals. Recent steps by Beijing toward tightening export restrictions have sparked concern in other countries.

There also appear to be concerns about China's investment in rare-earth producers in other countries.

In Australia, the government has delayed yet again consideration of a $210 million investment by China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Co. in Lynas Corp., an investment that would give the Chinese company a majority stake in the biggest new rare-earth mine currently under development.

Lynas, which unveiled the planned investment in early May, said Wednesday a 30-day review period by the Australian government's foreign investment review board had again been reset so that the board has until early October to consider the deal.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 3, 2009, 1:01 AM
Categories:: Batteries, China, Ford, Honda, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Battery Manufacturing

September 2, 2009

Mercedes Adds 'Extended-Range' Plug In to its Family of BlueZero EV Concepts

Mercedes-Benz has added a small gas engine to its BlueZero E-Cell electric car concept to turn the limited range battery-electric hatchback into an extended-range hybrid in the manner of the upcoming Chevrolet Volt.

The battery-extended Benz, called the E-Cell Plus, utilizes a turbocharged, 1-liter, three-cylinder engine mounted over the rear axle to serve as a generator feeding juice to the lithium-ion battery pack once the initial charge is depleted.

Mercedes says the E-Cell Plus has a range of up to 600 kilometers - 375 miles - including 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, of all-electric drive from its grid-charged battery before the engine-generator kicks in and starts burning gasoline. The original BlueZero concepts were unveiled at the Deptroir Auto Show in January.

The compact concept car uses the same electric drive system as the non-augmented E-Cell, with an 18 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack feeding a 70-kilowatt sustained output (100 kilowatt maximum) compact electric motor capable of 320 Newton meters of torque (236 lb-ft).

It is capable of pushing the car from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (60 mph) in "less than 11 seconds" - nothing to write home about unless its way, way less than 11 - and is electronically limited to a top speed of 150 kph (93 mph).

The gas engine in the E-Cell Plus wouldn't improve performance figures as it would be used only to continue generating electricity to extend the vehicle's range to three times the pure-electric model's 200 kilometers, or 125 miles.

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Concept shows 1-liter gas engine-generator through cutout in cargo bay floor.

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Mercedes says that with a special rapid charger the E-Cell Plus' battery can be brought up to half-full n just 30 minutes and to full charge in just under an hour. Charging could take 6 hours or so with standard household current. On-board electronics would support the billing and information systems used by the electric charging stations that are slowly being installed in cities around the globe to accommodate increased use of plug-in electric vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 2, 2009, 4:15 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: EVS

Hybrid Sales Up Again in August, Carried By Clunker Cash and Slow-Growing Acceptance

Nissan Altima hybrid was one of the stars of August, more than tripling sales for the month despite limited availability.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

The federal Cash for Clunkers program may have been good for conventional cars in August, but monthly sales performance was a letdown for hybrids after an explosive July.

Oh, sales of gas-electric cars and SUVs were up last month - a 9.2 percent gain from July, but that pales by comparison to the 35 percent gain the segment recorded in July over June and doesn't stand up well, either, against the 26.6% August increase posted by conventionally powered vehicles (cars and trucks except hybrids).

Overall, however, August 2009 hybrid sales of 38,701 gas-electric cars, SUVS and pickups were up 48.6 percent from 26,044 in August '08 - a significant gain explained in large part by the addition of half a dozen new hybrid models, including the Honda Insight, Ford Fusion and Lexus HS250, that weren't available a year earlier.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 2, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: August 2009 Hybrid Sales

September 1, 2009

Tesla's Elon Musk Brings The Valley Girl Up to Speed on Electric Vehicles

We're not sure which bothered us more: Watching Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk eat escargot, or watching someone in Northern California's Silicon Valley talk like a true "valley girl," which as we all know is a shallow creature that resides amid shopping mall and freeways in Southern California's San Fernando Valley.

The interviewer, Jesse Draper -- who attended UCLA, just down the freeway from San Fernando Valley -- does a decent job of getting Musk to explain what makes his all-electric cars special, during the Internet show's second episode of the season. There were several mildly interesting exchanges. Here's one:

Draper: "I have a hybrid. Why is (Tesla's all-electric Roadster and Model S cars) better than a hybrid?"

Musk: "When you say you have a hybrid, you have something that's really maybe 2 percent electric and 98 percent gasoline. And you need to say, OK, if all the world had your car, well, we'd still be 100 percent dependent on gasoline. The advantage to all-electric is that you can then generate your electricity from renewable means like solar, wind, geothermal, and that's a sustainable future."

We encourage you to chew bubble gum and watch the episode.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 1, 2009, 2:45 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle

Toyota to Unveil Auris Hybrid and Prius Plug-In Hybrid Concept at Frankfurt Show

Toyota will unveil a gasoline-electric hybrid concept of it Auris compact car as well as a Prius Plug-In Hybrid Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the automaker announced today.

Toyota said the Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept (right) is a step forward in the company's plan to expand its hybrid lineup. The world's largest automaker will begin production of the Auris hybrid at its factory near Derby, about 120 miles north of London, starting mid-2010.

Toyota said the Auris hybrid uses 19 percent less fuel and emits 17 percent less climate-changing carbon dioxide than the standard version.

The company builds most of its hybrid vehicles in Japan, but also produces a small number of Prius hybrids in China and the Camry hybrid in the United States.

In July, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said the carmaker would shift its focus in the diesel-heavy European market to hybrid vehicles as part of a new effort to use its resources more selectively.

Toyota Europe CEO Tadashi Arashima said making hybrids in Europe would help ensure that full hybrids "become more accessible to a wider range of customers."

Toyota has a goal of selling at least 1 million hybrid vehicles a year within the next few years.

Toyota also will give its Prius Plug-In Hybrid Concept a world debut in Frankfurt. The low-emissions car is based on the new, third-generation Prius.

An artist's rendering of the Prius Plug-In Hybrid Concept appears at left. A photo of the vehicle has yet to be released.

The carmaker said it will offer 150 of the fuel-efficient Prius Plug-In Hybrid Concepts to fleet customers to test next year.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 1, 2009, 9:28 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Carbon Dioxide

Clean Cities Initiative Parcels Out $300 Million for Alt Fuel Vehicles, Stations

The federal-private Clean Cities progam is responsible for promoting a lot of alternatively fueled vehicles over the years and this month added to the tally by handing out $300 million in federal grants that will help various government agencies and commercial fleet operators deploy and fuel 9,000 more - mainly commercial trucks and taxis using compressed andliquid natural gas, propane and E85.

The list is long -agencies in 22 states and muillti-state regions received funding, and a little disheartening - it provides for 542 new alt-fuel stations, but that includes only 1 hydrogen fueling station and 210 electric vehicle chargers -most of them in three locales, Chicago and North and South Carolina.

Only about100 of the 9,000-plus alt-fuel vehicles to be subsidized with the grants will be all-elelctric, including at east 56 neighborhood electrics, or NEVs. But more than 1,000 will be trucks and buses (and a few cars) using propane.

Gas-electric hybrids will account for at leat 738 of the vehicles (the totals aren't exact because the grant descriptions don't always specify how many of which type of vehicle will be purchased with the funds.

Still, the main purpose of the program is to clear up the diesel emissions and other exhaust fumes choking many cities, and that's a goal we applaud, long and loudly.

A rundown of grants, provided by the federal Energy Department, shows that more than 1,400 diesel trucks and buses and several hundred gasoline-burning taxis will be replaced by alt-fuel vehicles. Almost half - 651 - will be LNG trucks replacing diesel trucks in several Southern California locations.

Most will use natural gas, but150 gas and diesel trucks in Maryland and 190 diesel school buses in Kentucky will be replaced with hybrid-electric models.

Teh feds say the programs will help displace 38 million gallons of petrolleum annually.

The entire list of grants, and their descriptions,is available here.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell September 1, 2009, 5:25 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Ethanol, Hybrid, Hydrogen, LPG, Natural Gas, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Clean CIties Initiative

August 31, 2009

As Hybrid Cars and Electric Vehicles Gobble Rare Metals, Global Shortage Looms

The Toyota Prius hybrid automobile is popular for its fuel efficiency, but its electric motor and battery guzzle rare earth metals, a little-known class of elements found in a wide range of gadgets and consumer goods.

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Neodymium: A key component of EV motors.
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That makes Toyota's market-leading gasoline-electric hybrid car and other similar vehicles vulnerable to a supply crunch predicted by experts as China, the world's dominant rare earths producer, limits exports while global demand swells, Reuters news agency reported today.

Worldwide demand for rare earths, covering 15 entries on the periodic table of elements, is expected to exceed supply by some 40,000 tons annually in several years unless major new production sources are developed. One promising U.S. source is a rare earths mine slated to reopen in California by 2012.

Among the rare metals that would be most affected in a shortage is neodymium, the key component of an alloy used to make the high-power, lightweight magnets for electric motors of hybrid cars, such as the Prius, Honda Insight and Ford Fusion ~~Focus~~, as well as in generators for wind turbines.

Close cousins terbium and dysprosium are added in smaller amounts to the alloy to preserve neodymium's magnetic properties at high temperatures, Reuters reported. Yet another rare earth metal, lanthanum, is a major ingredient for hybrid car batteries.

Toyota has 70 percent of the U.S. market for vehicles powered by a combination of an internal-combustion engine and electric motor. The Prius is its No. 1 hybrid seller.

Reuters reported that Jack Lifton, an independent commodities consultant and strategic metals expert, calls the Prius "the biggest user of rare earths of any object in the world."

Each electric Prius motor requires 2.2 pounds of neodymium, and each battery uses 22 to 33 pounds of lanthanum. That number will nearly double under Toyota's plans to boost the car's fuel economy, he said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett August 31, 2009, 3:40 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: China

Speculation: Porsche Cayenne, Green and Not-So, May Be Axed When Cycle Ends

The End Would Come Around 2016 If VW Decided To Limit Porsche to Sports Cars

No sooner do we write up a piece on the hybrid and diesel Porshe Cayenne models than our colleagues at AutoObserver post a piece speculating that the Cayenne is likely to bite the dust as Volkswagen completes its takeover of Porsche and begins implementing its own product planning ideas.

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Aufedersein?

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Bill Visnic's musings make sense, and if the Cayenne - in all versions, green and black - does fade away at the end of the present model cycle in 2016 or so, we won't shed tears.

It's a nice SUV, with tons of power and loads of style and accoutrements, but it's not exactly a vehiclel that the world needs. Porsche sells a lot of them, but we can see that with VW holding the purse strings, a Cayenne would offer unnecessary competition to the VW version - the Touareg - and the to Audi Q& from that rmember of the VW stable.

Still, we stand by our positions that:

the Cayenne hybrid, which goes on sale here next spring, is a very nicely done hybrid with impressive fuel economy for such a large vehicle; and
the Cayenne diesel, on sale in Europe and under study for the North American, ought to be sold here - it would be a lower-priced alternative that's almost as fuel-efficient and as fun to drive.

And wouldn't it be interesting if this early word of the potential demise of the Cayenne caused sales to rise, thus prompting VW to rethink the money-making potential of the line and evenutally deciding to keep on trucking with Porsche?

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 31, 2009, 1:31 PM
Categories:: Audi, Diesel, Hybrid, Porsche, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Cayenne Diesel

BMW to Unveil Diesel-Electric Hybrid Sport Car Concept at Frankfurt Motor Show

BMW, which is repositioning itself as a green-car company after years of branding itself as a maker of high-performance cars, announced today that it will unveil its ''Vision EfficientDynamics'' diesel-electric hybrid sport car concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

The 3-series-size concept is a showcase for BMW's lightweight body construction, hybrid-drive technology, and new packaging and aerodynamic ideas. It features gullwing doors and is powered by a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged engine that's slated for production in 2011.

That engine works with two electric motors, mounted front and rear. The rear motor is said to generate 34 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque, although BMW says it can achieve 51 hp for short bursts.

The motor acting on the front wheels delivers a claimed 80 hp and 162 pound-feet of torque, but can supply up to 139 hp momentarily. Altogether, BMW's new diesel-electric hybrid system is rated at 356 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque.

The high-profile debut of the vehicle is significant in that it is clearly represents BMW's shift toward low-emission vehicles and technology as part of its wider EfficientDynamics strategy.

As you'll recall, BMW pulled out of Formula One as part of this repositioning of the brand. The company has done a splendid job of selling itself as the maker of the "ultimate driving machine" as defined by high performance.

That said, its marketing department believes that BMW will not be regarded as a premium brand in the future if it does not become overtly environmentally friendly. Hence the release of photos, including the one shown here, showing the car in a verdant setting.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 31, 2009, 10:45 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, BMW, Diesel, Emissions, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: BMW

August 28, 2009

Porsche's Green Peppers: Diesel and Hybrid Cayenne Models Spice Things Up

Porsche promises V8 performance and 4-cylinder fuel economy with 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Hmm. A Porsche Cayenne hybrid, or the diesel?

Spend $70,000 or so for a superpowerful, hybrid gas-sipper (27 mpg versus 18 mpg for the V6-equipped standard Cayenne), or around $52,000 for a powerful diesel that delivers about 24 mpg? (The price tags are our best guesses. Porsche hasn't said anything official.)

Diesel? Or Hybrid?

Oops, the diesel isn't a choice, yet. You can only get it in Europe, South Africa and Australia right now - although Porsche is trying to find out if enough U.S. buyers would want one to make a business case for jacking up the emissions treatment system to meet U.S. standards and sending a few over.

The hybrid, however, goes on sale here in the spring, just in time to satisfy the green fancies of those who (a) have the bucks and (b) want to one-up the other Cayenne owners at the country club.

We got a chance this afternoon to take both new SUVs - a preproduction prototype Cayenne S hybrid and a European-spec Cayenne diesel - for a short spin in the hills of Beverly and were mightily impressed by both.

Diesel? Hybrid?

It wasn't that long ago that most everyone in the automotive media was raising eyebrows and questions about Porsche's decision to build an SUV.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); John O'Dell August 28, 2009, 7:43 PM
Categories:: Diesel, Hybrid, Porsche
Technorati Tags:: Cayenne Diesel

South Korea Becoming Hotbed of Lithium Battery Production for Hybrids, EVs

South Korea is rapidly becoming lithium-ion central.

In support of the national government's encouragement of alternative green-vehicle production there, South Korean component giant Hyundai Mobis and battery maker LG Chem are discussing a joint venture to build batteries for hybrids and electric vehicles and, according to a report in AsiaPulse, could announce a deal early next month.

Additionally, Samsung SDI and German parts and components giant Robert Bosch have inked an agreement to build a joint-venture lithium-ion battery plant in Ulsan, South Korea's industrial center.

The country's Ministry of Knowledge Economy said the joint venture, called SB LiMotive, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ulsan city government earlier this week and that construction of the battery plant should begin in September with the plant slated to begin operation in 2011.

The race among South Korea, China, Japan and late-starting U.S.A. to become leading suppliers of advanced batteries should help lower battery costs as volume increases.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 28, 2009, 8:49 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

August 27, 2009

Detroit's Azure Dynamics Delivers Hybrid 2-Ton Step Van to Postal Service

Detroit-based Azure Dynamics says it has delivered a hybrid-electric step van to the U.S. Postal Service, opening the door to potential additional sales.

The two-ton van, to be used in Long Island, N.Y. in a 12-month test, is based on the Ford F450 commercial truck chassis.

It mates a Ford 5.4-liter V8 engine with an electric drive system that pulls its power from a 60 kilowatt nickel-metal hydride battery.

The company's proprietary "Balance" hybrid system allows for all-electric dive for short distances at low speeds, shuts down the gas engine at idle, provides electric assist for acceleration and uses regenerative braking to recharge the batteries.

Azure has been selling the vans with the new hybrid system since last summer.

There's a pretty good business case for hybrid delivery trucks, which see a lot of low-speed, stop-and-go driving that enables regenerative braking systems to keep batteries charged, maximizing the amount of time a hybrid truck can operate in all-electric mode.

Curt Huston, Azure Dynamics' chief operating officer, said in a statement released this morning that the company's system for commercial delivery vans can "improve fuel economy by up to 40 percent, save 30 percent on maintenance costs and reduce greenhouse emissions by 30 percent."

Azure also makes hybrid buses and earlier this week announced the sale of five 14-passenger "Balance" hybrid buses to the Volusia County, fla., transit agency.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 27, 2009, 11:12 AM
Categories:: Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: Azure Dynamics

August 26, 2009

Land Rover Reportedly to Launch Range Rover LRX With Hybrid Drivetrain for 2011

The final production version of the Range Rover LRX could be unveiled June 17, and will likely be offered with a hybrid drivetrain, the British magazine Autocar reported today, citing unnamed Land Rover sources.

"The premium compact SUV will finally be given the go-ahead for production by the end of the year, insiders have told Autocar. Production would probably begin in early 2011," the magazine reported.

The June date is being considered because it will mark exactly 40 years since the original Range Rover was first revealed to the public.

The LRX would be positioned as the new, more environmentally friendly face of Range Rover as part of the brand's 40th anniversary.

It is expected that the styling of the final version of the LRX will differ from the concept, the magazine reported. The car will also have the option of a hybrid drivetrain, which could be standard on more expensive versions.

The LRX is based on the same basic transverse engine platform as the Freelander and will be built at that model's home, the Halewood factory on Merseyside.

The hybrid version of the LRX will probably use an electrically driven rear axle, which will work in combination with the engine-driven front wheels, Autocar reported.

The LRX will arrive at a time when most industry analysts expect new car buyers in western Europe to embrace the concept of downsizing, with upmarket vehicles in the Golf class (B segment) becoming particularly popular.

As part of this, sales of the largest SUVs are expected to be hit hard in the EU, although they will remain popular in the Middle East and other developing markets.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 26, 2009, 4:56 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Land Rover
Technorati Tags:: Hybrid

Air Line Pilots Association Seeks Ban on Lithium-ion Battery Shipments on Jetliners

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

An airline pilots union is calling for a government ban on shipments of lithium batteries aboard passenger and all-cargo planes after a series of fires in recent years involving aircraft.

This development might have an adverse affect on electric vehicles and most hybrid vehicles because lithium batteries are widely regarded as the best type to propel the vehicles.

At the very least, reports of a link between lithium batteries and fires aboard aircraft won't help public perception that such batteries are safe.

In statement released Tuesday, the Air Line Pilots Association said that federal regulators have been slow to act on the issue and that "the evidence of a clear and present danger is mounting."

The ban would not apply to devices containing batteries brought aboard by passengers, but as you can read in the adjacent boxed text, there has been at least one instance of a passenger reporting that his laptop computer was emitting smoke.

Since March of last year, six fires have been reported on board passenger and cargo jets linked to lithium-based batteries, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. None of the incidents resulted in deaths or serious injuries.

In a recent letter sent to Cynthia Douglass, acting deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Captain John Prater, head of the pilots' union, pointed to three recent incidents as proof positive of the urgent need to prohibit lithium-battery shipments.

During just the past two months, fire, smoke, or evidence of fire associated with battery shipments has occurred aboard three separate U.S. airliners, he wrote in the letter.

The incidents, which took place in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Honolulu, Hawaii, were similar to a 2006 battery fire aboard a DC-8 in Philadelphia, he wrote.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett August 26, 2009, 11:53 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Air Line Pilots Association

China to Begin Hoarding Precious Metals Used in Hybrids and All-Electric Vehicles

Beijing is drawing up plans to prohibit or restrict exports of rare earth metals that are produced only in China and play a vital role in cutting edge technology, from hybrid cars and catalytic converters, to superconductors, and precision-guided weapons, according to a reputable British newspaper.

A draft report by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has called for a total ban on foreign shipments of terbium, dysprosium, yttrium, thulium, and lutetium. Other metals such as neodymium, europium, cerium and lanthanum will be restricted to a combined export quota of 35,000 tons a year, far below global needs, The Telegraph reported.

China mines over 95 percent of the world's rare earth minerals, mostly in Inner Mongolia. The move to hoard reserves is the clearest sign to date that the global struggle for diminishing resources is shifting into a new phase. Countries may find it hard to obtain key materials at any price.

Alistair Stephens, from Australia's rare metals group Arafura, told The Telegraph his contacts in China had been shown a copy of the draft -- "Rare Earths Industry Devlopment Plan 2009-2015." Any decision will be made by China's State Council.

"This isn't about the China holding the world to ransom. They are saying we need these resources to develop our own economy and achieve energy efficiency, so go find your own supplies," he said.

Stephens said China had put global competitors out of business in the early 1990s by flooding the market, leading to the closure of the biggest U.S. rare earth mine at Mountain Pass in California -- now being revived by Molycorp Minerals.

New technologies have since increased the value and strategic importance of these metals, but it will take years for fresh supply to come on stream from deposits in Australia, North America, and South Africa. The rare earth family are hard to find, and harder to extract.

Stephens told The Telegraph that Arafura's project in Western Australia produces terbium, which sells for $800,000 a ton. It is a key ingredient in low-energy lightbulbs. China needs all the terbium it produces as the country switches wholesale from tungsten bulbs to the latest low-wattage bulbs that cut power costs by 40 percent.

No replacement has been found for neodymium that enhances the power of magnets at high heat and is crucial for hard-disk drives, wind turbines, and the electric motors of hybrid cars. Each Toyota Prius uses 25 pounds of rare earth elements. Cerium and lanthanum are used in catalytic converters for diesel engines. Europium is used in lasers.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 26, 2009, 10:09 AM
Categories:: Batteries, China, China, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Arafura

August 25, 2009

Smart Offers ForTwo With Lots of Classy Touches - and 'Micro Hybrid Drive'

Perhaps building upon the popularity of the top-end BRABUS versions of the ForTwo, Smart announced today that is welcoming autumn with a decidedly upscale ForTwo characterised by high quality equipment, fine materials and a rich appearance.

The new Smart ForTwo Edition Highstyle features exclusive paintwork in trendy chocolate brown metallic and elegant 12-spoke, 15-inch alloy wheels. The exclusive interior of the special model boasts an especially tasteful mix of fabric and leather.

Or perhaps Smart just wants to communicate that the smallest and shortest car available for the mass market in North America doesn't have to look like a toy - or at least like a cheap toy. We can see it appealing to older people whose tastes are more refined than those of the teens and twentysomethings buying ForTwos.

The Edition Highstyle is available with 71- or 84-horsepower gasoline engines. The former is fitted with an automatic start/stop system as standard equipment - what Smart calls "micro hybrid drive" - which we all know shuts down the engine when the driver applies the brakes and the vehicle is moving slowly.

Smart reports that exclusive, gleaming metallic leather on the seats and in the doors contrasts with the light and dark fabric ensemble reserved for this special edition.

Decorative brown seams are a subtle reference to the exterior. The kneepad and instrument panel have a leather look. The 3-spoke sports steering wheel with gearshift is covered with leather, as is the gear knob. Trim parts that shimmer in matt silver round off the high quality yet dynamic impression of the interior.

This ForTwo starts at $23,000 for the 71-hp version and $800 more for the peppier version.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 25, 2009, 2:09 PM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Smart
Technorati Tags:: Daimler

Opel to Debut New Astra at Frankfurt, Offer It With Choice of 8 Fuel-Effcient Engines

Opel announced today that it will debut at next month's Frankfurt auto show the completely updated Astra small family car that will launch later this year.

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Right, the Astra in red and Ampera.
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The model, which the European subsidiary of General Motors has produced since 1991, will be offered with a choice of eight engines, ranging from 95 horsepower to 180 horsepower, that are 12 percent lower in fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions that the current line-up of Astra engines.

The new Astra has grown slightly to provide a roomier interior and, at the same time, it has benefited from engineering enhancements that allow it to improve fuel efficiency and performance.

Also sharing the stage in Frankfurt with the new Astra will be the Ampera, the European version of its Chevrolet Volt, which Opel unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March of this year.

The two extended-range, plug-in hybrids are the same under the skin. The Ampera will be sold in most of Europe starting in 2011 while Vauxhall, GM's British unit, will build and market a right-hand-drive version for the U.K. starting in 2012 (providing GM and its European marques are still a team then).

The Volt is slated to launch at the end of 2010.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 25, 2009, 9:32 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Opel, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Auto show

August 21, 2009

Toyota Medium-Sized Hybrid Sedan Reportedly Coming to Japan Later This Year

Toyota Motor Corp plans to release within this year a new medium-sized hybrid sedan, the SAI, that is bigger than the current best-selling Prius as it seeks to expand its lineup of electric-gas hybrids, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.

The SAI will be positioned as a Toyota brand-version of the luxury Lexus HS250h hybrid sedan released in mid-July. It will have the same basic structure but different exterior and interior designs, the sources said, according to a report in tomorrow's Japan Today.

The SAI's starting price is expected to fall between the HS250h's $41,751 and the new Prius' $21,668, the sources said.

Toyota also plans to release a cheaper compact hybrid based on its Vitz model with better fuel efficiency than the new Prius and a minivan-type hybrid as early as in 2011.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 21, 2009, 2:32 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Hybrid

August 20, 2009

ABC Newscast Captures a Day in the Life of a Top Automotive Spy Photographer

Automakers the world over routinely send their camouflaged prototypes to California's Death Valley to see how the vehicles perform in temperatures that often exceed 120 degrees in the shade.

These vehicles - among them a slew of hybrid, alternative-fuel and plug-in electric vehicles - are typically two to three years from reaching showrooms, hence the practice of automakers to conceal the prototypes' appearance from competing automakers.

It's also in this unforgiving environment, particularly during the hottest summer days, that Brenda Priddy can be found standing or crouching at roadside, snapping pictures of the pre-production models.

The unassuming mom is one of the greatest automotive spy photographers of our time - a member of a legion of specialists whose pics frequently appear here and other Edmunds.com sites and blogs, and in magazines worldwide.

A recent newscast by ABC's "Nightline" did a good job of documenting Priddy hard at work. We encourage you to watch the videotaped report.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 20, 2009, 4:54 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

NYT Says Toyota Losing EV Race, but Fails to Mention Automaker's Battery Deals

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

The New York Times is reporting today something we've been saying for months: That Toyota, maker of the mighty Prius hybrid and the No. 1 automaker worldwide by volume of units sold, is falling behind in the race to bring all-electric vehicles to market.

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Right, Toyota sold the RAV4 EV sport ute from 1997-2203.
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The article notes that Mitsubishi Motors has begun leasing its i-MiEV and that Nissan is set to leave its EV next year. But when oh when is Toyota's? 2012 is the answer the automaker gives.

The article quotes Masatami Takimoto, Toyota's executive vice president, as saying earlier this year that the electric car's "time is not here."

Electric cars "face many challenges," he said, adding that "to commercialize pure EV's, we need a battery that far exceeds the current technology."

Predictably, the Times reporter turned to EV proponents and analysts who have no experience running an automaker, let alone one that manufactured and sold an all-electric SUV from 1997-2003; that would be Toyota's RAV4 EV, many of which are still going strong and enjoy great popularity with their owners.

Which isn't to say the analysts weren't good for some interesting speculation.

"In a world where vehicles run on electrons rather than hydrocarbons, the automakers will have to reinvent their businesses," Russell Hensley, an analyst at the consulting company McKinsey, told clients in a recent report, the Times reported.

The newspaper also quoted analysts as saying that Toyota would like to profit all it can from the current technology before shifting to a new one - which makes sense, doesn't it? - especially because the company is facing a second down year after a loss last year of about $4.4 billion.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 20, 2009, 1:29 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Electric Cars

Upstart Carmakers Face Long Odds in Wresting Energy-Efficient Niche From Giants

The Washington Post published an interesting electric-vehicle story on August 8 that nearly escaped our radar detection. Nearly but not quite. Here's how it starts:

Coda Automotive employs 41 people. It has a headquarters in Santa Monica, California, but it doesn't have its own factory. It doesn't have its own dealer network. It doesn't have a coterie of designers. Its chief executive, Kevin Czinger, a one-time college football star and former assistant U.S. attorney, has spent most of his career working in finance.

Yet Coda claims it will beat General Motors and other companies to market with an affordable, all-electric automobile built for the average American. This may not be a completely wild-eyed idea. Czinger was recently driving one of the prototypes - a plain-looking but smooth-running sedan [pictured] - around the streets of Washington.

Inspired by the prospect of a new market for electric cars, Coda and other small entrepreneurial companies are tapping into the expertise of others in bids to launch new vehicle brands featuring technology they say will leapfrog the major manufacturers.

The end-around premise of the story isn't something all of us haven't thought of on our own. But if that lead doesn't inspire you to click on the link above, we encourage you to check your pulse, place a 911 call if necessary, and then click on the link to read the rest of the story.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 20, 2009, 1:19 AM
Categories:: China, Coda, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: China. Electric Vehicle

August 19, 2009

General Motors Scraps Plan for Buick Plug-In Hybrid After Focus Group Disses It

General Motors announced today that the all-new Buick plug-in gasoline-electric compact crossover it was going to bring to market in 2011 won't be entering the marketplace after all.

The most any of us will likely see of that vehicle is the teaser photo (above) that it supplied with a statement announcing development of the plug-in electric hybrid on Aug. 6.

If you read that statement, you read this:

"Buick has always been at the forefront of new technology, so it is only fitting that the brand should debut our new plug-in hybrid technology in a beautiful new crossover," said Stephens. "This will firmly put Buick, and GM, front and center in the advanced technology game."

That would be Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman of product development.

Well, a funny thing happened to the Buick on the way to market: A bunch of people saw it, said it stunk, and GM killed it before too many more people saw it. Or as Stephens put it in the statement GM issued today:

"We were all struck by the consistency of the criticism of the compact crossover. And what we decided to do in response is a good example of the essence of the new General Motors...acting quickly, and boldly, and listening to feedback from customers, employees, dealers, media and just about anyone else with an opinion."

That's 100 percent quality spin. But wait. There's more:

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett August 19, 2009, 3:01 PM
Categories:: Buick, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Buick

Toyota Reportedly to Buy Lithium-Ion Batteries for Hybrid Vehicles From Sanyo

Toyota Motor Corp. will buy hybrid-car batteries from Sanyo Electric Co. as the automaker struggles to meet growing demand for the fuel-sipping vehicles due to a shortage of battery supply, Reuters news service reported today, citing an unidentified source familiar with the matter.

Toyota now procures its batteries from Panasonic EV Energy Co, a joint venture with Panasonic Corp. Panasonic plans to take control of Sanyo and is awaiting regulatory approval.

Demand for gasoline-electric vehicles has surged in Japan, helped by tax breaks and subsidies under a government initiative to promote fuel-efficient automobiles, but Toyota has said production of its hybrids is being held back by a supply bottleneck for batteries.

Its Prius hybrid was Japan's best-selling car in July for a second straight month, but customers placing orders have to wait about eight months before delivery.

Toyota also said this week that it had received about 10,000 orders for the Lexus HS250h sedan, the premium brand's first dedicated hybrid car, in its first month of sale in Japan. It aims to sell an average 500 units a month.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, will first use Sanyo's lithium-ion batteries from around 2011, said the source, who confirmed a report in the Nikkei business daily and spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is not yet public.

Toyota will first procure about 10,000 battery units per year from Sanyo, the world's biggest rechargeable battery maker, the source said. Toyota aims to sell at least 1 million hybrid vehicles a year in the early 2010s.

A Toyota spokeswoman said nothing had been decided about procuring lithium-ion batteries from Sanyo. A Sanyo spokesman declined comment, citing company policy on deals with potential and existing customers.

Toyota Improves Batteries

In a related development, Toyota announced that has developed a new technology that may dramatically boost the storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries and thus open the door to more practical electric vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 19, 2009, 11:10 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Lexus, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Batteries

August 18, 2009

Bill Ford Criticizes Volt, Leaf MPG Figures, and Says Automaker to Buy EV Batteries

Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford (pictured), in an interview with Edmunds.com reporter Bill Visnic earlier today, suggested the EPA's methodology for electric-vehicle fuel economy figures was meaningless.

"This question devolves into madness," he said in response to a question regarding General Motors' and Nissan's recent claims that their Chevrolet Volt and Leaf plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will have government fuel economy ratings of 230 and 360 miles per gallon, respectively.

"The government will have to come up with a meaningful number for customers - a user-friendly label. And I think they will. I can't dispute that number, but I'm not sure it's relevant to the customer either," he said.

GM announced last week that it is investing $43 million in a Detroit-area factory that will make lithium-ion battery packs for the Volt. Asked if Ford intends to make batteries for its EVs, the grandson of the company's founder said, "Initially, we should just buy batteries. We don't have any particular expertise in batteries. We'll probably stick to the vehicle-integration part of the puzzle."

On GM and Nissan huge claims for mpg for Volt and Leaf: "This question devolves into madness. The government will have to come up with a meaningful number for customers - a user-friendly label. And I think they will. I can't dispute that number but I'm not sure it's relevant to the customer either."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett August 18, 2009, 3:34 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Bill Ford

Fisker Says Karma PHEV Reached 100 mph at Laguna Seca Using No Gas

Fisker Automotive said today that its Karma plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, or PHEV, reached 100 miles an hour without consuming a single drop of gas during the car's public driving debut at Laguna Seca Raceway on Saturday.

The low-emissions, fuel-efficient four-door sedan made only one lap on the famous track Saturday, but CEO Henrik Fisker said today that the lap showed a lot of promise.

"This demonstration represents a significant milestone for Fisker Automotive and PHEV technology. The future of clean cars is bright," he said.

According to him, the Karma will be able to travel up to 50 emission-free miles on electricity from a single battery charge (or 10 miles more than the Chevrolet Volt) and extend its overall range to more than 300 miles with aid from an on-board gasoline-powered internal combustion engine-generator (same as the Volt).

The Karma is scheduled to go on sale in May 2010, with a base price of $87,900.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 18, 2009, 10:58 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Emissions, Fisker, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

August 17, 2009

Suzuki May Unveil Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Sedan in U.S. in 2011, Nikkei Says

Suzuki, which said last month that it would start selling its all-wheel-drive sports sedan in the U.S. by the end of the year, may unveil a gas-electric hybrid version in the country as soon as 2011, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported Sunday.

The carmaker, which would follow fellow Japanese carmakers Toyota and Honda into the hybrid vehicle market, will use a powertrain it's developing with General Motors for the hybrid version of its Kizashi, Suzuki's first mid-sized sedan, Nikkei reported.

The hybrid will get about 20 percent better gas mileage than its gas-powered equivalent, which will be powered by a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine, according to Nikkei.

Suzuki, which announced late last month that it would begin selling the gasoline-powered version of the Kizashi in North America this winter, also said it would make a hybrid version of the sedan, although it declined at the time to estimate when the hybrid would be available.

American Suzuki Motors Corp. spokesman Jeff Holland declined to comment on the Nikkei report.

GM, which first invested in Suzuki in 1981 and owned as much as 20 percent of the company in 2001, sold its remaining 3 percent of the company last year. Suzuki sold about 26,000 vehicles in the U.S. from the start of this year through July, down 60 percent from a year earlier.

Danny King, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 17, 2009, 5:35 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Suzuki, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Honda

Peugeot to Unveil Two Hybrids at Frankfurt; One Is Planned for Production

Peugeot can expect lots of slack-jawed gawkers at it exhibit area at the Frankfurt show next month after the French automaker rolls out the first two in a series of vehicles it has planned that sport the company's Hybrid4 two-powered, 4-wheel-engaged drivetrain.

The first of the two vehicles to go to market will be 3008 Hybrid4 crossover, shown above.

Like the RCZ Hybrid4 concept sports car (right), it will feature a parallel hybrid system consisting of an electric motor spinning the rear wheels and an internal combustion engine spinning the front wheels.

The hybrid system allows the vehicles to have 4-wheel drive on demand, and it allows the vehicles to operate in internal combustion, EV or blended modes.

By splitting the powertrains, Peugeot engineers vastly reduced the mechanical complexity of the vehicles compared to, say, the power-split systems developed by Toyota and Ford.

The 3008 Hybrid4 is set to go on sale in Europe in 2011. If Peugeot hasn't said if the hybrid is U.S.-bound.

As for the RCZ Hybrid4, there are no plans to take to market at all, although that could change and we certainly hope it does.

The conventional gas-powered RCZ coupe is scheduled to debut next spring with a 200- horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine.

Peugeot is not releasing pricing or fuel-economy information for the 3008 Hybrid4 at this time.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 17, 2009, 3:54 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Peugeot
Technorati Tags:: Ford

Lexus to Reveal Premium Compact Concept at Frankfurt Motor Show Next Month

In an uncharacteristically succinct statement issued today, Lexus announced that it will introduce a premium compact concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 15th and it unveiled an official sketch of the car.

"The concept will demonstrate a mix of technical innovation and ground-breaking design that promises to raise the bar in the premium compact segment," the statement said, adding that further information about the unnamed vehicle won't be available until the show.

That said, we have to assume that by "technical innovation and ground-breaking design" the new model will feature some of green innovations found in Lexus's low-emissions, fuel-efficient hybrid models.

Among those innovations: A rear-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain featuring a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline-fuel internal combustion engine mated to a high-output electric motor.

The vehicle, which will likely represent Toyota's effort to compete with Audi's A3 and BMW's 1 series cars in Europe, might be destined for U.S. showrooms.

Unfortunately, that bit of wishful thinking won't likely be confirmed or denied before the Frankfurt show.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 17, 2009, 10:47 AM
Categories:: Audi, Auto Shows, BMW, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Lexus, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Audi

August 15, 2009

Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid Makes Public Driving Debut at Laguna Seca Raceway

Only 19 months after being unveiled as a concept car, a prototype of the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid electric vehicle made its public driving debut today (pictured above and below), silently rolling out of a staging tent and onto the track at the legendary Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California.

Under partly cloudy skies, the swoopy luxury-sports sedan accelerated quickly up hill and into Laguna Seca's famous Corkscrew - a plunging left-right corner - en route to making one lap on the 11-turn course before a large crowd that had gathered primarily to watch the annual Historic Automobile Races, held this weekend.

Like the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt, the Karma will be able to travel up to 50 emission-free miles on electricity from a single battery charge (or 10 miles more than the Volt) and extend its overall range to more than 300 miles with aid from an on-board gasoline-powered internal combustion engine-generator (same as the Volt).

Two 201.5-horsepower electric motors send enough traction through a single-speed differential to reach 60 miles per hour in about six seconds and a top speed of 125 mph. Together, these components make up a powertrain exclusive to both Fisker automobiles (the other being the Karma Sunset hardtop convertible).

In press releases, Fisker Automotive has said the powertrain can deliver fuel economy of 100 miles per gallon. Company founder Henrik Fisker told journalists covering today's event that he believed the powertrain would be capable of achieving 140 mpg.

EPA fuel-economy figures for the Karma are likely to be weeks if not months away.

Henrik Fisker said the Karma is still on track for a May 2010 showroom launch. Initial production is anticipated to be 15,000 vehicles annually, with pricing to start at $87,900.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 15, 2009, 12:45 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fisker, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

August 14, 2009

Toyota Plans 'Ultra Fuel Efficient' Hybrid Based on the Yaris, Newspaper Reports

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to launch a hybrid vehicle that is cheaper and more fuel efficient than the Toyota Prius as early as 2011, a Japanese newspaper reported today.

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Right, the 2010 Toyota Yaris.
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The car will share key parts with the Toyota's Yaris and will get double the fuel economy of the Yaris, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported. It will be sold in the United States, Japan and Europe.

The vehicle would be priced around 1.5 million yen ($15,650) and deliver 94 miles per gallon, the newspaper said, without revealing how it got the information.

"The 'ultra-fuel-efficient' car will surpass in terms of fuel efficiency the latest model of Toyota's top hybrid car, the Prius," the newspaper reported. "The envisaged model will be the world's most fuel-efficient mass-produced hybrid car, whose main power source is gasoline."

Toyota spokeswoman Yoshie Matsuura said she could not discuss future product plans. But Toyota is known to be planning a small, inexpensive Yaris-based hybrid to compete with Honda Motor Co.'s plans for a hybrid version of the Fit/Jazz

The current Prius gets about 89 miles per gallon under a Japanese mileage test that is not comparable to U.S. or European tests.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett August 14, 2009, 10:12 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Japan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Emissions

August 13, 2009

Honda Insight, Toyota Prius Hybrids Named 'Top Safety Picks' by Insurance Group

The Honda Insight and Toyota Prius hybrids received "top safety pick" labels from the non-profit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, bolstering sales prospects for two of the industry's most fuel-efficient vehicles.

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Right, the Honda Insight dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that his survival space was maintained well.
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Today's designations for the 2010 Insight and Prius along with the non-hybrid Kia Soul mean about a third of the small cars tested by the non-profit insurance group carry its highest rating.

Vehicles with that label have posted "good" scores in front, side and rear crash tests. Top safety picks also must have electronic stability control.

"The latest results show that consumers who want good fuel economy can also get a high level of safety," said institute spokesman Russ Rader. "Because there are so many small cars that test well, there's no reason to settle for a small car with less-than-stellar safety ratings."

The insurance group's side test simulates a collision with an SUV or pickup truck moving at 31 mph. The frontal trials mimic 40 mph offset crashes with vehicles of the same weight as the test car. The institute also simulates a stationary vehicle's being rear-ended by a vehicle going 20 mph.

Today's top-safety-pick designations for the Prius, Insight and Soul put the number of top-rated small cars at 10, out of the 27 the group has tested. Other small cars with the rating are the 2009 Subaru Impreza, 2009 Scion xB, four-door 2009 Honda Civic, 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer, 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit, 2010 Toyota Corolla and two-door 2009 Ford Focus.

In April, the insurance group said the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Smart ForTwo minicars performed poorly in frontal crash tests with mid-sized vehicles. Upon impact, the three cars all collapsed into the space around the driver dummy.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett August 13, 2009, 5:10 PM
Categories:: Honda, Hybrid, Kia, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer

GM to Invest $43 Million in Michigan Factory to Make Li-ion Batteries for Hybrids

General Motors Corp. announced today that is investing $43 million in a Detroit-area factory that will make lithium-ion battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt and other extended-range electric vehicles.

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Right, GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson announcing the new GM Subsystem Manufacturing facility, south of Detroit, earlier today.
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It will be the first lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in the U.S. operated by a major automaker and it demonstrates GM's commitment to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The automaker said the plant, which will be located in Brownstown Township, Michigan, will provide more than 100 advanced technology jobs and will be part of a wholly owned subsidiary called GM Subsystem Manufacturing LLC.

Local and state incentives, along with Recovery Act funding announced last week by the U.S. Department of Energy, are helping to make the facility possible.

The investment includes renovation and lease costs for the 160,000-square-foot landfill-free facility, new machinery and equipment, and special tooling.

With the exception of specialized battery machinery and equipment, GM will be reusing equipment from other GM facilities. Equipment installation is under way and production will start in the fourth quarter of 2010 to support the launch of the Volt, GM said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 13, 2009, 1:44 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Batteries

2009 Edmunds Fuel Sipper Smackdown: Hybrids Versus Diesel and Mini

The fuel economy rule of thumb used to be that a full hybrid like the Toyota Prius was great for city driving but not so much better than other cars on the highway; that smaller cars were more fuel efficient than larger cars, and that diesels kicked butt in mileage contests.

Edmunds.com's crack(ed) team of testers set out last month to see if that's all still true with the new crop of cars and came to some surprising conclusions in what is becoming our annual Fuel Sipper Smackdown.

Over two days and 700-plus miles of driving, from Southern California to and around Las Vegas and then back, the team put the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid, 2010 Honda Insight, 2009 Mini, 2010 Toyota Prius and 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI through a series of driving conditions, tracked fuel costs and computer CO2 output.

You can read the results here, and watch the video, above, for a 5-minute summary, but we'll give you the boil-down now:

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell August 13, 2009, 12:03 PM
Categories:: Diesel, Ford, Honda, Hybrid, MINI, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Diesel

General Motors to Develop Electric Motors to Further Its Expertise in the EV Realm

General Motors is planning on adding electric motor development and manufacturing to its list of electric-vehicle specialities that it hopes to bring in-house, in order to further its expertise in the field as the electrification of the automobile continues.

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Right, a pre-production Chevrolet Volt is loaded with a lithium-ion battery.
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GM reps attending the Plug-In 2009 conference in Long Beach, California, this week said the automaker wants to begin making its own electric motors in-house in order to use its own technology to try and save money, weight, and power consumption, while boosting performance.

The first application of the GM-designed and -built motors is likely to be in the Two-Mode hybrid powertrain system for the upcoming front-wheel-drive Buick CUV that was originally slated to be a Saturn.

Breaking With Tradition

Traditionally, automakers have relied on their varying expertise in powertrains to differentiate themselves from one to the other. GM's expertise in automatic transmissions, for instance, or BMW's in straight-six engines has provided notable selling point discriminators between vehicles that companies can point to as sources of excellence when selling a vehicle.

But with powertrains changing so dramatically with the onset of electrification, a whole new skill set must be learned to the point of expertise - and in some ways, GM is behind.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 13, 2009, 10:59 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Battery

August 11, 2009

GM's 230 MPG Estimate For Volt Works, Or Not, Depending on the Drive.

We Deconstruct the Claim; Remember - Your Mileage May Vary

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

I've figured out how to get 230 miles per gallon driving a Chevy Volt around the city.

I've also figured how to go the same distance and get only about 40 mpg, with the same car on the same route.

If that sounds confusing, just wait 'til I try to explain to you how GM came up with its 230 miles per gallon city driving figure for the Chevrolet Volt - apparently with the tacit agreement of the EPA, despite the agency's stated inability to confirm GM's news-making fuel economy claim for its four-place, extended-range hybrid.

First off, though, let's get something straight: That the Volt might or might not get the equivalent of 230 miles per gallon doesn't mean it actually would go 230 miles if you put a single gallon of gas in its tank and sent it out to find its way in the world.

That's preposterous.

Despite what GM calls it, we're talking about a gas mileage equivalency, not real miles per gallon.

Infinity MPG?

Under the rational that GM says the EPA applied to the Volt, an ell-electric car such as the upcoming Nissan Leaf or existing Tesla Roadster would have an official rating of "infinity miles per gallon."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (6); John O'Dell August 11, 2009, 5:33 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: 230 Miles Per Gallon

EPA Applauds GM Effort, but Says It Cannot Confirm Volt's Claimed 230 MPG

americanflag.jpg-(JPEG-Image,-540x360-pixels).jpg

In response to a request from Green Car Advisor seeking clarification and confirmation of General Motors' claim that the Chevrolet Volt extended-range hybrid achieves 230 miles per gallon in city driving using tentative EPA test technology, the agency issued the following statement:

"EPA has not tested a Chevy Volt and therefore cannot confirm the fuel economy values claimed by GM. EPA does applaud GM's commitment to designing and building the car of the future - an American-made car that will save families money, significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create good-paying American jobs. We're proud to see American companies and American workers leading the world in the clean energy innovations that will shape the 21st century economy."

We at Green Car Advisor cannot be certain, but we strongly suspect that the person who wrote that statement was waving an American flag with one hand and holding a humongous slice of apple pie in the other. If the writer had used American in the statement just one more time, he or she surely would have qualified for some type of prize.

But seriously, we're still trying to figure out exactly how GM came to conclude that the Volt will get 230 mpg in city driving. And we're wondering what the automaker will say or do when initial Volt buyers discover - probably, but we're hoping we're wrong - that they aren't achieving anywhere near 230 mpg in city.

Details, details.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 11, 2009, 1:22 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: 230 MPG

GM Shows Off 'The Rest of It,' Unveils Volt Charging Systems at Plug-In Confab

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

It's not as exciting as General Motors Corp.'s announcement this morning that its Chevrolet Volt is likely to win a 230-mpg fuel economy rating from the EPA for city driving, but the automaker's plan for charging the extended-range hybrid may be more meaningful.

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Engineer Gery Kissel explains GM's dual charging options to journalists at Plug-In 2009 conference.
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GM isn't planning on any sort of widespread public charging infrastructure being ready for the Volt, so it is equipping the four-seat car to be charged "at home" with either 100-volt or 240-volt systems.

The latter, GM executives said at a dinner last night held in conjunction with the Plug-In 2009 conference in Long Beach, Calif., is likely to be offered as an option, to be permanently installed in an owner's garage, carport or even an outdoor location.

GM's spent a lot of time talking about the car, its features and its design, "now here's the rest of it," Volt vehicle line director Tony Posawatz said as he pointed to the display stand on which the two systems were mounted.

A Homebody

"We've geared the Volt to be charged at home...if the infrastructure [for public charging] catches up with it, fine, but it won't be a necessity," he told Green Car Advisor.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 11, 2009, 6:00 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

August 10, 2009

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (?) Spied in Death Valley During Hot Weather Testing

The question mark is because here was no distinctive "hybrid" logo on the black-clad car, but a spy shooter for KGP Photography caught what sure looks like Hyundai's upcoming Sonata Hybrid undergoing hot weather testing in California's Death Valley.

The giveaway is the thick orange cable at the back of the engine bay - the orange plastic casing is an international signal for "hey, there;'s high-voltage wiring under here, don't mess with it."

The fact that the tiny four-cylinder engine occupies only half the engine compartment with a bunch of other stuff clad in black plastic (power electronics? electronic controllers?) is also a pretty good clue that the camera caught a Hyundai hybrid.

And then there's the fact that the Hyundai was being tested (comparison tested?) in the company of competing mid-sized hybrids from Ford, Nissan and Toyota
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We borrowed this under-thehood shot from our sibling news blog, Straightline, over at Edmunds InsideLine, and you can head over there to catch an exterior shot and a bit more detail and speculation.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 10, 2009, 11:25 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Hyundai
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

Ilmore Says 5-stroke Gas Engine Provides Diesel-like Power and Low Emissions

Ilmor 5 stroke.jpg High-performance engine design is all about extracting as much power as possible within rigid confines.

So we weren't shocked to learn today that Ilmore Engineering, a British company that has designed and made racing engines for General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Honda for Formula 1 and IndyCar competitions, had developed a 5-stroke concept engine (pictured) that it says has the power of a diesel engine and the fuel efficiency and low emissions of a stingy gas sipper.

The engine, which displaces only 700cc and yet puts out 130 horsepower and 122 pound-feet of torque, is turbocharged and equipped with a fifth stroke. Yes, a fifth stroke.

Two of the engine's cylinders, running with a conventional four-stroke design, fire and expend their exhaust gases into a third low-pressure expansion cylinder. A fifth stroke then allows those gases to expand, boosting thermodynamic efficiency.

The result: Ilmore estimates a 5 percent improvement in overall efficiency versus a conventional direct-injected engine of similar displacement.

Ilmore is seeking support for a next generation of the concept offering up 150 horsepower and weiging 20-percent less than current engine.

Specifically, Ilmore engineering manager Steve O'Connor says the company is "looking for a manufacturer to back the idea, and the interest centers on its use in a hybrid application, as they tend to need sudden bursts of energy, and that is what this engine does well."

True. We wish O'Connor and the rest of the Ilmore Engineering gang the best of luck in their five-stroke endeavors.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett August 10, 2009, 9:55 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz
Technorati Tags:: Diesel Cars

Enova Supplies First Hybrid Systems to Chinese Bus Maker, Says More to Follow

China's First Auto Works, which builds trucks and buses as well as cars, has taken delivery of the first 70 of an order of 220 "pre-transmission" hybrid drive systems ordered from Enova Systems, the California-based electric and hybrid drive-systems developer said this morning.

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FAW hybrid buses in China will be using U.S. hybrid drive systems.
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Enova , making the announcement on the eve of the Plug-In 2009 electric and plug-in hybrids conference that begins tomorrow in Long Beach, Ca., said it also has signed an agreement to supply 800 more of its parallel hybrid drive systems to FAW in 2010.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 10, 2009, 6:15 AM
Categories:: China, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: Enova Systems

August 7, 2009

Fisker Hires Former Maserati North America CEO for Top Global Marketing Post

The former head of Maserati North America has signed on with plug-in hybrid developer Fisker Automotive .

Marti Eulberg, a former Volvo, Jaguar and BMW executive who took over as CEO of Maserati NA last year and resigned in April after less than a year on the job, will be Fisker's vice president for global sales and marketing.

Her hiring underscores Fisker's marketing message for its Karma extended-range hybrid sedan and convertible models: The Fisker Karma is a car for the well-to-do, and the European., Asian and Middle Eastern markets will be as important - possibly more so - than the U.S.

Eulberg's "experience as an international leader is why she will add tremendous value to our operation," said Henrik Fisker, co-founder and chief executive of the eponymous Fisker Automotive.

Fisker plans to begin building the $87,900 (base) plug-in Karma this winter, with deliveries to customers scheduled for the spring of 2010.

The company plans a second, more-accessible plug-in hybrid model, in the $45,000-$60,000 range, to follow the Karma.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 7, 2009, 4:31 PM
Categories:: Fisker, Hybrid, Maserati, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Fisker

Hybrid Bus-Builder Daimler Says Orders Strong for its Diesel-Electric Model

Daimler Buses North America says it has received the initial order in an agreement to supply up to 500 diesel-electric hybrid transit buses to the Seattle, Wash., area's public transportation agency.

The first year order is for 93 of the Orion VII buses, with deliveries to begin in mid-2010.

Daimler Buses, located in Greensboro, N.C., said it also has received an order for 80 of the hybrid buses from the city of Ottawa, Canada's transit agency.

The buses are 40 feet long and seat up to 44 passengers. They use a series hybrid system in which a 5.9-liter Cummins V6 clean diesel engine generates power for an electric motor that propels the bus.

The orders bring to 2,900 the number of hybrid transit buses Daimler Buses North America has supplied or is building for customers, a volume that, the company, says makes it the world's largest provider of hybrid buses.

Now, if they could just get rid of the diesels, clean as they are, and go all electric.

(Click on illustration to enlarge.)

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell August 7, 2009, 3:54 PM
Categories:: Daimler, Diesel, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: Daimler Bus

August 6, 2009

GM Confirms Buick Crossover With Plug-In Dual-Mode Hybrid System for 2011

Confirming a report we brought you last month, General Motors Corp. says that its Buick lineup will, indeed, get a new plug-in hybrid crossover in 2011.

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"Teaser" photo from GM provides a taste of Buick Plug-In's styling. (Clck to enlarge.)
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Speaking at a gathering this morning of auto industry executives, suppliers, analysts andï¿½ and media in upstate Michigan, GM product development chief Tom Stephans said the crossover will follow the Chevrolet Volt extended range plug-in due out at the end of 2010 and will use a modified version of the dial-mode hybrid system in us on the Silverado and Sierra hybrid pickups.

The yet-to-be-named 5-seat crossover will be smaller than the present Buick Enclave SUV, Stephans said, and will have a regular gasoline model, powered by a 2,.4-liter, four-cylinder Ecotec engine with a 3.0-liter V6 as an option.

The plug-in model will be positioned a top-of-the-line with a 3.6-liter V6 mated to the hybrid electric drive.

The hybrid will get gets the same lithium-ion battery cells as the Volt but in a package with only have as much energy storage - 8 kilowatt-hours vs. the Volt's 16 kwh battery pack.

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GM technician works on Buick plug-in battery.
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Becauseï¿½ it has a standard gas-electric hybrid system rather than the Volt's all-electric drive, the Buick plug-in will have only about 10 miles of all-electric range before its gas engine kicks in.

Power stored in the battery pack will be used to augment the gas engine when accelerating, towing or otherwise placing heavy demands on the gas engine.

Although Toyota Motor Corp.. will have a plug-in hybrid in test fleets next year and Ford Motor Co. is presently testing plug-in version of its Escape hybrid, GM said the Buick would be "the first commercially available plug-in hybrid" by a major automaker.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 6, 2009, 10:55 AM
Categories:: Buick, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Buick Crossover Hybrid

You're Invited! Two California Events Offer Public Up-Close Views of Plug-In EVs

The public is invited to attend two major plug-in electric vehicle events in California in coming days.

The more newsworthy of the two will likely be the Plug-In 2009 Exposition held at the Long Beach Convention Center. It's there that green-car reporters from around the world will descend for more than three days of speeches, discussions and demonstrations revolving around plug-in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

The public is invited to attend a slice of the event - from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The public portion will consist of vehicle displays (Chevy Volt, Ford 550 plug-in hybrid truck, Ford Escape plug-in hybrid, and a plug-in Toyota Prius to name a few), followed by a panel discussion.

Panelists will include: Peter Horton, writer/director, "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Philanthropist"; Bill Nye, "The Science Guy"; Chris Paine, director, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" and "Revenge of the Electric Car"; Chelsea Sexton, founder, The Lightning Rod Foundation and a former General Motors EV1 specialist.

Cost is $10 and tickets can be purchased at the door. Visit the Plug In 2009 Website for additional information.

The lovelier of the two events will be the 2nd Annual Benefit Party for Plug In America, a respected nonprofit organization that promotes PEVs and PHEVs, held this coming Sunday from 4 p.m. till 8 p.m. at the Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside.

Among the vehicles on hand will be the pre-production Aptera 2e, a Tesla Roadster, a BMW Mini E, a Tango, a Tzero, an A123 Hymotion Prius conversion, electric motorcycles from Mission Motors and Zero Motorcycles, plus some one-off conversions and plenty of RAV4 EVs.

The event, titled "Plug-Ins, Pinots and Progress," will make for an excellent and informative afternoon-evening and, as benefits often do, will contain a spectacular auctions portion. Among the items that will be going to the block: a week's stay at a Hawaiian resort for 2-3 people, a Zero X electric motorcycle, and an A123/Hymotion L5 Plug-in Conversion Module (a $10,000 value) for all you Prius owners.

Bids can be submitted online. Tickets to the event start at $120. Visit the Plug In America Website for more information.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 6, 2009, 1:01 AM
Categories:: Aptera, BMW, Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Ford, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2nd Annual Benefit Party for Plug In America

August 5, 2009

Toyota Reports Battery Bottleneck Is Preventing Desired Production Prius Hybrid

A battery bottleneck is hurting efforts to boost output of the Prius to meet booming demand for the hybrid, and the problem will likely persist into next year, according to a senior Toyota official.

"The new Prius model has been excessively popular, inconveniencing some of our customers, and the factories are working overtime at full capacity," Takahiko Ijichi, Toyota senior managing director, said Tuesday at the company's quarterly earnings announcement.

"Unfortunately, the batteries are not catching up with demand. Production of the batteries needs to be increased in order for our production to go up."

Toyota has an annual Prius capacity of 500,000 cars. Panasonic EV Energy Co., which makes the nickel-metal hydride batteries for the gasoline-electric hybrid car, can't churn out more than that right now, Ijichi said.

The third-generation Prius hybrid is a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy year for the world's biggest automaker. The car is facing months-long waiting lists at dealerships and is easily outselling Honda's rival Insight hybrid in Europe and the United States.

The success of the Prius in Japan is one reason Toyota says it will post its first domestic sales increase in five years.

"The new Prius model is selling quite well," Ijichi said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 5, 2009, 6:32 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Battery

Detroit 3, Battery Makers Get Largest Cut of $2.4 Billion in EV Development Grants

Recovery.gov.jpg

President Obama announced the winners today of $2.4 billion in stimulus grants aimed at spurring the development of electric vehicles and the advanced batteries they need - with Detroit's Big Three securing more than $400 million for plug-in projects.

The cash was divvied up among 48 projects in 25 states, with General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC together grabbing some of the biggest grants. Still, the Big Three's tally was less than the combined haul of battery makers Johnson Controls Inc. and A123 Systems Inc., who together took home nearly $550 million.

"If we want to reduce our dependence on oil, put Americans back to work and reassert our manufacturing sector as one of the greatest in the world, we must produce the advanced, efficient vehicles of the future," Obama said at an event in Elkhart, Indiana, the hard-hit town he visited six months ago to drum up support for the $787 billion economic stimulus package.

The announcement comes as the administration continues its push to convince the public that the stimulus package has been a success, despite poor employment figures and other economic data showing a less than robust economic revival. As part of the grant rollout, Vice President Joe Biden was scheduled to speak in Michigan and Energy Secretary Steven Chu in Charlotte, N.C., later today.

The $2.4 billion is divided into three separate programs aimed at enticing U.S. manufacturers to produce more plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and the components and infrastructure that will support them. The first $1.5 billion is to help companies produce highly efficient batteries for plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars and trucks; $500 million is for the production of other necessary components, such as electric motors; and the final $400 million is for demonstration projects that evaluate electric infrastructure concepts.

Unlike the separate $25 billion Energy Department loan program aimed at helping retool U.S. manufacturing plants to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles, the stimulus grants do not need to be repaid. The winners do, however, have to match the federal cash with their own investments, mostly on a one-to-one basis.

GM received the largest haul of the major carmakers, receiving three separate grants totaling $241.4 million, most of which was earmarked for the high-volume production of battery packs for the company's plug-in Chevy Volt and for the deployment of a 600 strong demonstration fleet.

Ford received two separate grants, totaling $92.7 million, a third of which will go toward a commercialization project with 15 electric utility companies. Chrysler received one grant for $70 million to develop and deploy 220 advanced plug-in pickups and minivans.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 5, 2009, 10:12 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: A123 Systems

August 4, 2009

DOE to Award More Than $41 Million to Biofuel, Fusion and Smart Grid R&D

Energy Secretary Steven Chu (pictured) announced today that more than $327 million in new funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will go toward scientific research, including more than $41 million to biofuel, fusion and smart-grid research and development.

The biofuels research could directly influence America's dependence on oil by shifting motorists' need for a petroleum-based fuel to a fuel that doesn't produce greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change.

The smart-grid and fusion research could indirect benefit "green" cars by providing a clean source of electricity for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles (most electricity produced in America today is generated by burning coal).

The complete list of award recipients includes:

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in Berkeley, California: $11 million for fusion energy research; $4 million for new instrumentation at the DOE Joint BioEnergy Institute; and $875,000 for mathematical analysis related to the development of smart-grid technology.

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, in Princeton, New Jersey: $8.8 million for a variety of initiatives in fusion energy research and $5 million for infrastructure improvements at the laboratory.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee: $5.4 million for equipment at the DOE BioEnergy Science Center; and, $180,000 for fusion energy research.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, in Richland, Washington: $867,000 for mathematical analysis related to the development of a smart grid.

Argonne National Laboratory, in Argonne, Illinois: $5.6 million for improvements at the Advanced Photon Source.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in Livermore, California: $810,000 for fusion energy research.

Sandia National Laboratories, in Sandia, New Mexico, and Sandia, California: $688,000 for mathematical analysis related to the development of a smart grid; and $75,000 for fusion energy research.

In March, Chu announced $1.2 billion in DOE Office of Science Recovery Act projects. In July, he announced a new Office of Science Early Career Research Program to be funded with $85 million in Recovery Act funds.

With this third and final round of projects, the Obama administration has now approved projects covering the full $1.6 billion that the DOE Office of Science received from Congress under the Recovery Act.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 4, 2009, 1:39 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Biofuels Research

July Hybrid Sales Explode With Clunker Cash and New Prius Excitement

Toyota's Perennial Best-Seller Records 48% Sales Jump For Month; Honda Hybrids Flat

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

If Cash for Clunkers lit a fire under July's auto dales in the general market, it apparently set off a rocket booster under the hybrid market.

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It was blue skies for Toyota as its 2010 Prius rebounded in July.
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Sales of gas-electric cars, SUVs and trucks were up an impressive 35 percent in July - for the month and from a year earlier. Almost all hybrid cars best the 22 mph minimum combined EPA mileage that qualifies a vehicle to be purchased using a cash for clunkers voucher. By comparison, sales of conventional new vehicles rose 15.4 percent for the month and were down 13 percent from July '08.

The explosive performance was led almost single-handedly by Toyota's 2010 Prius, which saw its first full month of sales with an adequate supply on hand at dealerships.

"I think hybrids are benefiting from the buzz of new models such as the 2010 Prius and Honda Insight and fresh models in segments other than compact car, as well as from Cash for Clunkers," said Edmunds.com industry analyst Jessica Caldwell.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 4, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: CarSales

August 3, 2009

Cooling Specialist Behr Forms Group To Work on Battery Heat Management

Well-designed thermal management systems are needed for the safe and optimal performance of battery packs for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.

It doesn't matter if the batteries are valve regulated lead acid, nickel-metal hydride or lithium-ion; for them to function at their best, their ideal temperatures must be maintained.

That's a fact all automakers that are developing EVs and HEVs have come to realize. And it is with this realization that cooling specialist Behr America has formed a "battery cooling group" at its headquarters in Troy, Michigan.

According to a statement the company released today, the group will focus on meeting the thermal management needs of EV and HEV makers as well as makers of battery packs and cells.

Behr America has nearly 2,500 employees at facilities in Troy and Dayton, Ohio; Charleston, South Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.

Additional information is available at www.behrgroup.com.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 3, 2009, 3:07 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Batteries

Suzuki Announces Intent To Offer a Hybrid Version of Its Kizashi Sport Sedan

American Suzuki Motors Corp. has announced that it will offer a hybrid version of the 2010 Kizashi, an all-wheel-drive sport sedan the Japanese automaker debuted last week.

The gas-propelled Kizashi is scheduled to appear in North American showrooms starting this winter.

Built at Suzuki's new manufacturing facility in Sagara, the Kizashi will be equipped with a standard 2.4-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine.

As for the hybrid version of the Kizashi, Suzuki was unwilling to say more about it than this snippet from a statement released in conjunction with the Kizashi's world premiere:

"In addition to this excellent new powertrain, and to even further enhance the Kizashi's strong efficiency story, Suzuki is developing an even more fuel-efficient hybrid version that will be added to the lineup in the future."

A lot more details would have been nice, but we're delighted to know that a hybrid Kizashi is on the way.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 3, 2009, 12:16 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Suzuki
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi

July 31, 2009

Tata: Future Jaguar Land Rovers to Feature Fuel-Efficient Aluminum Construction

Tatas-owned Jaguar Land Rover will eventually make all of its models with lightweight aluminum bodies to save on gas and reduce climate-changing CO2 emissions.

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Right, an aluminum-body 2010 Jaguar XJ.
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So said Tata Motors Chairman Rata Tata earlier this week, adding that the two iconic brands are also developing hybrid engines for use in future JLR models.

Jaguar has been touting the aluminum-intensive construction of its XJ sedan since the previous-generation model was introduced back in 2003.

The automaker claims that use of aluminum in lieu of steel can result in a 40 percent reduction in weight.

In addition to improvements in fuel economy and emissions, that degree of weight reduction should also improve acceleration and handling.

In line with its newfound appreciation for lightweight cars, Jaguar Land Rover is experimenting with hybrid powertrains.

A kinetic energy recovery system may be in the cards for the XJ line in 2011, while Land Rover has been working on an Electric Rear Axle Drive that could debut in the upcoming LRX compact Range Rover.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 31, 2009, 2:33 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Jaguar, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Aluminum

Still Shopping? With Big Rebates, Hybrids and Diesels Can Be Attractive

If C4C Comes Back, Tech Premium For Many Could Be Offset; Manufacturer Rebates Would Do Same

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Got a gas guzzler that would qualify under the cash for clunkers program for a federal credit toward a new, more efficient car or truck? (That's if we still have a cash for clunkers program when the dust settles from Thursday's reveation that the programs's initial funding apparently has run dry.)

The situation's up in the air right now, but if you are in the mood to keep doing research, or perhaps have had the car-buying impulse jump-started and have decided to take the plunge - clunker incentive or no - this is a good time to look at hybrids and diesels.

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2009 Camry Hybrid has lowest technology premium, $239.

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If Congress keeps cash for clunkers going, or automakers step up with bigger incentives of their own to keep the market moving, the credits - ranging in the C4C program from $3,500 to $4,500 depending on the fuel economy of the new car or truck - could help make a previously unaffordable hybrid or clean diesel a lot more compatible with your budget.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 31, 2009, 7:09 AM
Categories:: Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Diesel, Ford, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Cash For Clunkers

July 30, 2009

Honda's Prius-Killer Resembles Road Kill 4 Months After Entering U.S. Market

Honda had hopes its retooled Insight (right ) would eventually overtake the Toyota Prius as America's top-selling hybrid when it began selling the model last March.

But four months after entering the U.S. market, it's not even a close race.

Nationwide, Americans bought 2,079 Insights in June, bringing total sales of the streamlined hatchback since March to 7,524. At that rate, Honda will sell less than a third of its goal of 90,000 in the first 12 months.

By comparison, the higher-priced Prius was snapped up by 12,998 drivers last month. Since March, Toyota has sold 40,398 of the gas sippers.

And reviews of the Insight have been dismal. Typical of them is last month's Consumer Reports review, which decided that the new Honda fell short in ride quality, handling, interior noise, acceleration, rear-seat access and visibility.

America's rejection of the fuel-efficient model must be all the more humbling because Honda was the first automaker to bring hybrids to the U.S. It did that a decade ago with an earlier version of the Insight.

And get this: The Ford Fusion Hybrid is selling as well as the Insight in the U.S. even though it costs nearly $10,000 more.

It'll be interesting to see how the Honda CR-Z -- the automaker's next hybrid -- competes when it comes to America next year. As a two-seat sport coupe, it will be entering one of the smallest-volume segments of the market.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (11); Scott Doggett July 30, 2009, 11:20 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Ford Fusion

July 28, 2009

Report: Toyota Plans Yaris-Based Hybrid Subcompact for Japan, Europe in 2011

New Gas-Electric Car Could Be Intended To Battle Honda Fit, CR-Z Hybrids Due in 2010

2009.toyota.yaris.20244849-396x249.jpg Toyota Motor Co. plans to launch a new small hybrid, based on the Yaris platform (it's the Vitz in Japan and Europe) and priced at under $16,000, according to a report in the Asahi newspaper.

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Toyota's Yaris could be the basis for a new small hybrid.
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The car, to be launched in late 2011, will be a unique model - not a hybridized Yaris/Vitz, the report says, and will be built in Japan and, possibly, Europe.

Toyota upheld its policy of not commenting on unauthorized reports of future products.

The idea isn't far-fetched. Toyota as said for years now that it plans to be able to offer a hybrid version of every vehicle in its lineup if it senses market demand.

A new subcompact Toyota hybrid would be just the ticket to battle rival Honda Motor Co., which has already said it will launch a hybrid version of its subcompact Fit (the Jazz in Europe) and a new hybrid sport car, the CR-Z, in late 2010.

"It is no surprise that Toyota is also looking to add this technology to the smaller end of its model range," IHS Global Insight said in a European analysts' report.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 28, 2009, 10:43 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Japan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

July 22, 2009

Ford Puts Pedal to the Metal on Green-Car Features During 2010 MY Presentation

Above, a slide in a Ford presentation Tuesday spells out the new importance the automaker gives green cars.

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

In its bid to survive myriad threats in a volatile automotive industry, Ford Motor Co. is pulling out all the stops.

Perhaps that has never been more evident than it was Tuesday, when the century-old automaker hosted a 2010 model-year news conference and driving event at its sprawling Dearborn Development Center.

Led by Derrick Kuzak (left ), Ford's global product development chief, and Barb Samardzich (below ), head of Ford's global powertrain R&D efforts, the event offered a deep look into the verdant future of Detroit's healthiest automaker less than a month after it unveiled plans to spend $14 billion on advanced-technology vehicles.

The company's recently released EcoBoost engine forms the core of Ford's survival strategy, they said. The engine uses gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology for, the company claims, up to 20 percent better fuel economy and 15 percent fewer greenhouse-gas emissions than like-sized regularly aspirated engines of similar horsepower.

EcoBoost V6 engines will debut in the 2010 model-year Ford Flex, Taurus SHO, Lincoln MKS and MKT; as we reported, the company provided details Tuesday regarding a four-cylinder version slated to appear in Fords starting next calendar year.

By 2012, Kuzak and Samardzich said, the company will produce a combined 750,000 EcoBoost V6 and I4 engines annually in the U.S. and 1.3 million globally.

The executives also said Ford will offer EcoBoost engines in 90 percent of its vehicles by 2013. It's clear from the figures that EcoBoost engines won't be an option, but rather will constitute the stock engines found in most of Ford's lineup less than five years from now.

And Hybrids!

But there's more to the green 2010 MY offerings from Ford than vehicles fitted with EcoBoost engines. Ford is also offering two new hybrids: the Ford Fusion Hybrid ($27,270 base) and the Mercury Milan Hybrid ($27,500 base), both of which impressed us with their acceleration and handling Tuesday on the development center's high-speed track.

Both hybrids average an EPA-rated 41 miles per gallon in the city - that's 8 mpg more than the 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid, which starts at $26,150 - making them the most fuel-efficient midsize sedans currently available in America.

Speaking of Toyota: For the first time in the 28-year history of the Global Quality Research System, a study conducted quarterly by the independent RDA Group of Bloomfield, Michigan, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles recently obtained customer-satisfaction levels on par with the Japanese car maker's.

That's important, because it's one of a spate of recent internal and external studies that show a positive trend in the percentage of consumers with favorable opinions about Ford and growing numbers of consumers who are willing to consider purchasing a Ford product, thanks in no small part to improved fuel economy.

Avoided Bankruptcy

Of course, it also helps that Ford didn't just emerge from bankruptcy, as did Chrysler and General Motors. Those companies now have to win back consumer confidence, while Ford - though driving to improve its ratings - is starting form a much higher level.

The studies also show that vehicles such as the Fusion Hybrid (left, at Ford's Dearborn Development Center on Tuesday ) are bringing new customers to Ford: 54 percent of the hybrid's buyers thus far did not previously own Fords and 66 percent of those buyers are coming out of foreign vehicles, company spokesmen said.

That's crucial as Ford tries to win back some of the market share it's lost to Japanese and European automakers in recent years.

On that chord, it's worth noting that before he assumed his current position as Ford's head of global car development, Kuzak ran the automaker's European small-car operation for five years. People within and outside Ford who are familiar with Kuzak's European efforts say the man knows what Ford needs to do to compete with fuel-efficient subcompacts produced by Old World automakers.

That knowledge includes designing vehicles that not only get excellent mileage, but that are also a blast to drive. Quickness and major fun factor are characteristics Kuzak is constantly stressing to Ford engineers, they say.

EcoBoost Just a Start

But there's more to Ford's fuel-efficiency efforts than EcoBoost.

When you factor in the incremental fuel-saving gains Ford's made with electric power-assist steering (which reduces the load on the engine since a belt-driven power steering pump is no longer required), aerodynamic modifications, six-speed transmissions, reductions in electric-system loads via electric air-conditioners, minute transmission tweaks that reduce friction - and a host of other mileage-enhancers - the fuel-economy benefits of vehicles the automaker has in the works for the short term approach 40 percent.

"We are absolutely committed to delivering new products with the best fuel economy in every segment in which we compete," Samardzich said.

We look forward to posting more Ford green-car news from Tuesday's event later today.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett July 22, 2009, 1:58 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

July 21, 2009

Israeli Firm Developing Microturbine/Battery System for Plug-In Hybrid

Automakers have toyed with turbines for decades, but the powerful engines, widely used in the aircraft industry, have never found a place in the car.

An Israeli company hopes to change that - not with a honkin' big turbine a la the GM Firebird concepts of 1953-1959 or the1963 Chrysler Turbine Car concept (right) , but with a microturbine that generates juice for an extended-range plug-in hybrid.

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Chrysler tested turbine-powered concept in 1963 but never sold it. ETV's system uses small turbine to power an electric motor.
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ETV Motors, the Israeli start-up, says it has raised about $12 million in capital from investors . It recently showed Reuters news service an early prototype of its system, propelling a converted Toyota Prius on a test run just outside Tel Aviv.

The system - which still is a year or more from production - mates the microturbine to a battery pack using newly developed high-density lithium manganese nickel oxide cells.

Each cell stores 4.7 volts, versus 3.2 volts in the lithium-ion batteries just now coming into use for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.

Privately-owned ETV says that its batteries, with their higher-density cells, are lighter and smaller than the present generation and can power an electric car for 35 to 50 miles before the charge would be depleted and the microturbine generator would kick on.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 21, 2009, 11:55 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Car Batteries

July 20, 2009

Lexus' 2010 HS 250h Hybrid to Start at $35,075: On Sale In August

Toyota has finally taken the lid off pricing for its new Lexus HS 250h : the base model of the entry-level luxury hybrid will start at $35,075, with the Premium trim level jumping off at $37,8457 (prices include Lexus' $875 delivery fee).

That makes the hybrid considerably more expensive than its Toyota Prius stablemate, but on par with Lexus' entry-level luxury sedan, the ES 350, which starts at 35,345, including delivery.

Lexus didn't provide an itemized price list for the 2010 HS 250h, but if bragging about price is important you could quickly get it up over $40,000 with its typically Lexus list of extras including a 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.

For tech-heads, there's a package (Premium model only) that includes a heads-up display; an active lane-keeping assistance and lane departure warning system; parking assist system and radar cruise control that helps the car warn you when you are tailgating and, if you ignore that warning, helps slow you down if it senses that a tail-end collision is unavoidable.

Lexus says the 2010 HS 250h goes on sale at dealerships in the U.S. in late August.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 20, 2009, 11:18 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Lexus
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Lexus HS250h; Hybrids

Edmunds Research: Gas Prices Still Sway Interest in Hybrids and Alternative Fuels

Is Now the Time for A Gas Tax to Help Americans Revolt Against King Petroleum?

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Gasoline burners still rule, but interest in hybrids and diesels is climbing along with summer fuel prices, and an impressive number of shoppers are looking at flex-fuel trucks.

Those are the chief findings of just-completed research into the kinds of vehicles Edmunds.com users are researching these days, and it underscores the close tie between gasoline prices and the "green-ness" of the auto market.

As long as the prices of diesel and hybrid cars and trucks remain significantly higher than those of their conventional gasoline counterparts, the level of interest in the alternative models is likely to stay well below interest in gasoline vehicles.

Tipping Point

But as gas prices rise, the payback for hybrids and diesels drops and interest levels creep back up the charts.

Anything to take away some of that pain at the pump seems to be the mantra of many car shoppers..

That's what David Tompkins. Edmunds' executive director of business solutions, found when he and his team looked at the percentage of Edmunds.com users researching the various type of vehicles over the past 18 months.

Tompkins specified "researching" rather than "browsing" because people researching a vehicle are more likely to be buyers than the people who, in the real estate market, would be called "lookie-loos." It's a key difference that some analysts haven't caught onto yet.

Comparing levels of interest shown by shoppers in June of '09, Tompkins found more than twice as much research into hybrid models than into diesels, 9 percent versus 4 percent.

Electric cars and natural gas vehicles didn't register at all, given that the number for sale in the U.S. is so small, but the data suggests that if there were a number of vehicles available - cars and trucks that didn't need gasoline at all - interest in them would soar with fuel prices.

After all, when gas prices were above $4 a gallon last summer, interest in gas vehicles dropped to 84 percent while 26 percent of shoppers researched hybrids, the only significant alternative in the market at the time.

Hybrids began dropping out the picture as gasoline prices fell and by December accounted for only 4 percent of shopper research on Edmunds.com, while gas-burners were back up to 96 percent.

Now, as gas starts what most analysts believe will be a steady upward climb, research into hybrids is rising, hitting up to 9 percent in June.

Gasoline vehicles fell slightly to 93 percent last month, while 4 percent of research in June was directed at diesel vehicles. (The numbers exceed 100 percent because of overlapping research by shoppers who research more than one type of vehicle when trying to select a fuel or powertrain type).

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell July 20, 2009, 2:00 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Diesel, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Diesels

July 17, 2009

Ontario, Canada, Launches 'World's Best' Rebates for Plug-Ins and EVs

The fever spreads: The premier of Canada's most populous province says he wants it to become the northern nation's center for electrical vehicle production and for use of plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles.

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Zenn Motors, which makes this low-speed electric city car, is Ontario's only EV maker, but province's premier wants to change that.
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To encourage use - and demand - for such vehicles, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty this week announced a major rebate program, starting next July, that would give hybrid and EV buyers rebates ranging from $3,570 (U.S.) to $8,925 (that's $4,000 to $10,000 in Canadian dollars).

McGuinty said he'd like to see electricity power 20 percent of all passenger vehicles in use Ontario by 2020, and committed his government to acquiring 500 plug-ins and EVs for its fleet.

The "green car" rebates are the most generous in North America and possibly in the world, McGuinty claimed, adding that his government wants to "make it easier to buy green cars."

Federal tax credits in the U.S. top out at $7,500 for plug-in hybrids such as the upcoming Chevrolet Volt and for all-electric cars such as the Tesla Roadster.

Buyers of electric cars in Ontario also will be issued special license plates allowing access to carpool lanes and public charging facilities.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell July 17, 2009, 11:55 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

Nissan Considering an Expanded Hybrid Lineup, But After 2010 EV Launch

It has seemed, and sounded, for nearly a year that Nissan Motor Co. was intent on bypassing conventional and plug-in hybrids and jumping straight into the electric vehicle market. But the automaker says it hasn't abandoned hybrids.

Although Nissan will introduce an EV in the U.S. and Japan next year, and plans to have a global model or models ready to launch in 2012, it also is looking at expanding its hybrid lineup beyond the single model it now offers - the Altima hybrid sedan sold only in seven states in the U.S.

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Altima Hybrid soon to lose it's "only child" status.
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The company would use its previously announced proprietary hybrid system for the new models, replacing the system it licensed from Toyota Motor Co. for the Altima.

A spokesman for the company in Japan told Bloomberg News this morning that Nissan is "studying possibilities to put our hybrid system in other models" in addition to the Altima and a previously announced Japanese-market luxury hybrid, likely to be the Fuga - that'd be an Infiiti M here- set to launch in 2010.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell July 17, 2009, 9:51 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Nissan Hybrids

Hybrid Drivers Offset Some of their Fuel Savings by Driving More

They Tend To Get More Tickets, Too, Researchers Say

Question: If you buy a 35 mpg hybrid and drive 17,000 miles per year are you a "greener" motorist than the guy in his 25 mpg sedan logging 15,000 miles?

Answer: Of course. The other guy'd be using 114.3 gallons more than you did, to get 2, 000 fewer miles down the road.

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Driving a green car doesn't make a green driver, study shows.
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On the down side, by driving all those hybrid miles, you're making yourself more likely to be involved in an accident, simply by spending more time on the road with all those other cars and crazy drivers.

In fact, you might be driving a little crazier than the others. You tend, as a group, to get more tickets than non-hybrid drivers.

The subject comers up because a consulting group on San Francisco, Quality Planning, decided to look into hybrid owners' driving habits to see if hybrids deserve the "green" driver discounts some insurance companies automatically bestow on them.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (6); John O'Dell July 17, 2009, 2:01 AM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Insurance
Technorati Tags:: Hybrid Drivers

July 16, 2009

2010 BMW 7 Series Hybrid Resembles 2009 Standard 7 Except Deep Down Inside

The uber-spy-pix-photographers at KGP Photography are famous within the automotive world for snapping shots of pre-production vehicles undergoing extreme-conditions testing in Death Valley, the vast desert straddling the California-Nevada border that's home to the highest-recorded temperatures in the Western Hemisphere.

But on a recent night, the master snappers came across a 2010 BMW 7-series "Hybrid Erprobungsfahrzeug," or Hybrid Trial Vehicle, in a parking lot near the scorching proving grounds and did what they do best (and we're not referring to how many hotdogs they can consume in 5 minutes). Their candid images appear here.

In these pics, the gold car is the 2010 hybrid and the silver the 2009 conventionally powered model. As you can see, the changes appear to be limited to the wheels and to cosmetic or aerodynamic alterations to the front bumper. Otherwise, the exteriors of the vehicles are nearly identical except for the paint.

Hidden from the auto-spies' eyes is a 20-horsepower electric motor that works with a conventional twin-turbocharged V-8 to - as BMW board member Dr. Klaus Draeger told us last January - "significantly reduce both fuel consumption and emissions." (That is the objective of all mass-produced passenger hybrid vehicles, no?)

There's also a lithium-ion battery pack and a regenerative braking system in what is sure to be a package with a stratospheric price in line with Lexus' $106,000 LS600 h hybrid. As it is, the 2009 non-hybrid BMW 7-series starts at $80,300.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett July 16, 2009, 2:58 AM
Categories:: BMW, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: BMW 7

July 15, 2009

Kia Begins Selling Its First Hybrid, an LPG-Electric Version of the Forte Sedan

Only days after Hyundai began selling its first hybrid vehicle , fellow South Korean automaker Kia started selling its first hybrid (pictured ).

Both automakers have now joined the ranks of hybrid-vehicle producers, but only they have done so with cars that are fueled by liquefied petroleum gas and electricity. Most mass produced hybrid vehicles today use a combination of gasoline and electricity.

Seoul-based Kia aims to sell 2,000 Forte LPG-electric hybrids domestically this year, the company said today, adding that sales may rise to 5,000 of the cars in 2010.

The timing for both South Korean automakers to introduce hybrid vehicles is excellent, as fuel-efficient cars and trucks have been gaining popularity amid a global economic slowdown.

The Forte hybrid, equipped with a 1.6-liter engine, can travel 42 miles on one gallon of LPG. LPG costs less than half of gasoline in South Korea, hence the reason Kia and Hyundai chose to go the LPG-electric route with their initial hybrids.

The Forte hybrid, which is based on Kia's gasoline-fueled Forte meets California's Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standard, according to the company - a sign that it intends to sell the model in America, although the automaker was mum on that topic. The model starts at $16,000.

Kia plans to introduce a gasoline-electric hybrid midsize sedan in 2011 and to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle by 2013, company officials said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 15, 2009, 10:58 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, LPG
Technorati Tags:: Electric

July 14, 2009

Toyota to Build Auris Hybrid in UK; Will Be First Gas-Electric Hybrid Made in Europe

Japanese industry daily Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun reported today that Toyota has decided to produce a gasoline-electric version of its Auris hatchback (right ) at its British factory around 2012, in what would mark its first locally produced hybrid car in Europe.

Calls to Toyota for confirmation were not immediately returned.

The Auris, part of the popular Corolla series, was Toyota's third-best-selling model in Europe during the first five months of this year after the Yaris and Aygo subcompact models.

Toyota builds most of its hybrid vehicles in Japan, but also produces a small number of Prius cars in China and the Camry hybrid in Kentucky.

It is scheduled to begin production of the Camry Hybrid in Thailand later this month, and in Australia next year. The Prius is also planned for production at a new Mississippi plant but has been delayed due to the economic crisis.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 14, 2009, 2:35 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Camry

In Japan, Toyota Launches First Lexus Hybrid; Model Coming to N. America This Fall

Toyota Motor Corp. today launched its first dedicated hybrid model under the premium Lexus brand, saying it had received orders worth six months of targeted sales in Japan.

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Right, Lexus GM Mark Templin introduces the 2010 Lexus HS 250h at the Detroit Auto Show in January.
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The launch of the HS 250h sedan, which like the Prius is only available as a gasoline-electric hybrid, marks the latest push by the Japanese automaker to drive hybrids into the mainstream as governments worldwide tighten emissions and fuel-economy regulations while offering consumers incentives to purchase less-polluting cars.

Toyota said it has already received 3,000 orders for the vehicle in Japan and expects to sell an average of 500 of them each month domestically.

The model will be sold in the United States and Canada from September, Toyota said, adding that its plans to produce about 3,000 of the vehicle a month through the rest of the year.

Senior Managing Director Toshio Furutani said hybrids had become a major driver for the Lexus brand, which has struggled to sell in Japan since its domestic launch in 2005.

In the first six months of 2009, Lexus sales plunged 38 percent from the year-earlier period to 9,293 vehicles. About 30 percent of those were a hybrid, a Toyota spokesman said.

The HS 250h, powered by a 2.5-liter engine, starts at $42,460 in Japan, making it the cheapest model in the Lexus line-up and eligible for a maximum $2,870 in "eco-car" tax breaks. The HS 250h has listed mileage in Japan of 35 miles per gallon.

Toyota has a goal of selling at least 1 million hybrid vehicles a year within the next few years and has said it would offer the hybrid option on all of its models by around 2020.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 14, 2009, 12:24 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Lexus, Tax Incentives, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Emissions

July 13, 2009

Hyundai Launches World's First LPG-Powered Hybrid, the 41.9-MPG Elanta LPI HEV

Five weeks after it began taking pre-launch orders for its first hybrid-electric vehicle at dealerships throughout South Korea, Hyundai began selling the Elantra LPI HEV in its domestic market.

The vehicle features lithium-polymer batteries and is powered by an internal combustion engine modified to run on liquid petroleum gas (or LPG, consisting chiefly of propane).

The LPI HEV part of its name stands for liquefied petroleum-injected hybrid electric vehicle. The engine modification is a result of LPG being much cheaper to purchase in South Korea than gasoline.

Like the Kia Forte LPI Hybrid, which debuted at the Seoul Motor Show, the Elantra LPI HEV features a 114-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder LPI engine mated with a 20-horsepower, 15-kilowatt electric motor.

To maximize its fuel efficiency, which is rated at 41.9 miles per gallon, the Elantra features an automatic engine start/stop system and a "coach" that offers eco-driving tips via the instrument cluster.

The car also boasts a function that "maximizes fuel efficiency by reducing sharp fluctuations in the torque, increasing the use of electric-motor assist and electric charge regeneration when brakes are applied," the automaker said in a statement.

Three different trim levels will be offered, with pricing starting at $16,180. Hyundai hopes to sell at least 7,500 of the vehicles this year, but there are currently no plans for exports.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 13, 2009, 5:44 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hyundai, LPG, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

Honda Announces CR-Z and Fit Hybrids to Go On Sale in Japan Next Year

UPDATE: But the automaker says it has no plans to bring Fit Hybrid to U.S.

Honda Motor Co. announced today that it plans to begin selling the sporty CR-Z hybrid (above ) in Japan this coming February and release a hybrid version of its popular Fit five-door subcompact (below ) domestically by the end of next year.

By "combining these two models with the currently available Insight and Civic Hybrid, Honda will further enhance its lineup of compact hybrid models, which leverage the unique characteristics of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist, including compact size, lightweight and high efficiency," the company said in a statement.

Honda spokesman Chris Martin told Green Car Advisor that the CR-Z "will come to the United States within the calendar year of 2010," but he would not be more specific. As for the Fit Hybrid, he said Honda currently does not have any plans to bring it to the U.S.

The CR-Z concept vehicle made its world debut at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show in 2007. The car, which takes its looks from the CRX-style three-door hatchback of the 1980s, will feature a hybrid system similar to the one found in the current range of Honda hybrids.

As for a hybrid version of the Fit, American Honda spokesman Sage Marie insisted last September that it was years away. We're delighted that Honda gave that timeframe more thought.

Prices for the CR-Z and Fit Hybrid have not been announced, but the CR-Z is likely to be priced around $20,000 to compete effectively against Toyota's hybrid lineup and the hybrid Fit will likely come in much lower.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 13, 2009, 12:52 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Japan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Economy

July 10, 2009

PSA Peugeot Citroen Says It Is Not Working With Mitsubishi on Hybrid Components

One joint effort is, apparently, enough.

France's PSA Peugeot Citroen has issued a denial of a report for Japan's Nikkei business news that it is collaborating with Mitsubishi Motors on development of hybrid powertrain components.

"We deny the information...We have our own research into plug-in hybrids," PSA Peugeot Citroen sad in a statement.

The French automaker said the two companies will, however, continue their collaboration on a small electric vehicle that the French company would market in Europe.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 10, 2009, 12:45 PM
Categories:: Citroen, France, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

'New' General Motors To Push Ahead With ' Old' GM's Green Initiatives

There wasn't a lot of detail in General Motors Corp. CEO Fritz Henderson's press conference this morning, but he did vow that fuel economy and energy independence will be among the automaker's prime goals as it emerges from bankruptcy.

The company will make advanced battery technology - for hybrids and all-electric vehicles - a core competency, with several announcements about its battery work expected for later this summer, GM said in a statement issued after the press conference.

In his opening remarks in a conference devoted largely to structural changes, Henderson (right) reiterated the the Chevrolet Volt is still on schedule to launch late next year - it will be the first mass-produced "extended range electric vehicle," capable of up to 40 miles of all electric travel. A small gas engine will generate power for the electric drive system once the batteries, charged from the commercial power grid, are depleted.

GM also has promised to build a new small car in the U.S. - we're still speculating in the absence of an announcement by the company - that it will be based on the Spark subcompact initially designed for Latin America and Europe.

Henderson said green initiatives already underway, including the company's work on hydrogen fuel cells, hybrids, biofuels and cleaner and more effcient internal combustion engines, will continue.

And he put to rest,fr now a least, speculation tat the General, hankering for a new image, was planning to change the background color of ts corporate logo from blue to green.

The logo he said, "is not on my desk to change, and I don't have any plans to change it."

We hope though that the company, with the same old logo and much of the same management (although many managemet change annnouncemenmnts are exected in coming week), still will be a "new" GM with a new emphasis on greening its cars and trucks.

For more news and opinion about GM's management and product outlook, check the continuing coverage at our sister blogs, Auto Observer, Inslde Line news and Straightline.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 10, 2009, 8:14 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, Flex-Fuel, General Motors, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: General Motors

Zipcar Charges Into Central London with Hybrids, Expands Chicago Fleet

Car-Share Service Also Campaigns an EV in Its London Fleet

Zipcar, the world's largest car-sharing service, is installing an electric-vehicle charging pod in central London , where it has launched a car-sharing club that will provide members Britain's largest group of shared hybrid vehicles.

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Toyota Prius is one of the hybrids in Zipcar fleet.
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Zipcar's central London club , started in partnership with the City of Westminster, is the U.K.'s "greenest" with 20 hybrid cars and an all-electric Citroen c1, the company said. By 2012, about 30% of the club's 400 cars will be hybrids or EVs, Zipcar said.

With that in mind, Zipcar London this week unveiled its first-ever charging pod that can service both plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles such as the Citroen EV.

The company earlier this year installed a plug-in hybrid charging pod in San Francisco.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 10, 2009, 8:01 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Zipcar

July 9, 2009

Senate Takes Up Climate Bill in September, Will Have Big Impact on Autos

Bill Was Passed by House, but Senate Okay Isn't Certain; Reid Sets December Deadline

We're still trying to get a solid understanding of how the proposed climate and energy bill will affect the cars we drive - now and in the future.

So we offer up a quiet "thank you" to Sen. Barbara Boxer, the California Democrat who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee and just said she'll hold off hearings until after the August recess.

That gives us a little more time to digest the bill (and opponents and proponents more time to argue about it).

To Obama By December

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), said today that he wants to place the measure on President Obama's desk before the big U.N. climate talks set for Copenhagen in December - a location sure to give the climate warming non-believers lots to shout about as they stand in the center of Denmark's capital city and throw snowballs).

There's some doubt as to whether the Senate can muster the 60 votes needed to pass the bill - Republicans are pretty much united in their opposition and more than a few Democrats in the Democrat-controlled upper chamber are iffy.

Most Congress watchers figure that if a bill does come out of the Senate, it will be considerably watered down from the House version, necessitating a potentially heated joint committee session to iron out differences and make compromises.

What We Know

Incentives

Right now, the House version has lots of goodies for green car boosters, including a doubling of the federal loan program to help car makers revamp old factories to build a new generation of advanced technology vehicles (plug-in hybrids, battery electric, natural gas and more).The House wants to make a total of $50 billion in loans available.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 9, 2009, 6:09 PM
Categories:: Biofuels, Emissions, Hybrid, Legislation, Natural Gas, Plug-ins and Electric, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Advanced Technology Vehicles

Mitsubishi-PSA Peugeot Citroen Reportedly Collaborating on Plug-In Hybrids

Automakers Already Working Jointly on Battery-Electric Car

Mitsubishi Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen, already working together on an electric vehicle for the European markets, have reportedly expanded their collaboration to development and production of components for plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Japan's Nikkei business news says the two intend to jointly build powertrain components and are likely to supply finished hybrid vehicles to each other.

The partnership reportedly would benefit Mitsubishi's development of a plug-in gas-electric SUV and PSA Peugeot-Citroen's work on a diesel-electric car.

Mitsubishi, which declined to comment, also would supply high-capacity lithium-ion batteries to PSA through an affiliate, according to the Nikkei report.

Mitsubishi is already developing a plug-in hybrid car for commercial release by 2013 and intends to begin leasing its I-MIEV battery-electric city car in Japan later this month, with retail sales expected to follow sometime next year.

Collaborative agreements such as the Mitsubishi-PSA deals can only help speed the day when electric and electric-assisted vehicles are no longer curiosities but a significant part of the mainstream automotive marketplace.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 9, 2009, 10:40 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Citroen, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Mitsubshi

July 8, 2009

GM "On Track" for Plug-In Crossover by 2011, Says Product Planning Chief

Sale of Saturn Brand, Which Was To Get the New Hybrid, Won't Delay Its Launch

Following up on last month's report of a possible Buick dual-mode plug-in hybrid in 2011 to replace the Saturn plug-in that was dropped when GM sold the brand:

GM's product development chief has told Reuters news service that the company is on track to bring out a plug-in crossover SUV by 2011.

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This Buick mock-up could be the new GM plug-in hybrid.

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"I can tell you that I won't lose one day in terms of customers being able to walk into dealerships and actually purchase a plug-in," GM Vice Chairman Tom Stephens said in an interview with the news service.

Stephens also said GM isn't ignoring the idea of a battery-electric city car: "I think there's pent-up demand for the technology," he said of GM's work on electric-drive vehicles. "My job is to get it out there and get it right the first time but then get it cost-effective so that we can do a huge number."

Stephens has been head of GM product development since April, just in time for the Obama administration auto industry task force's examination of GM's business plan -- a review that wound up with the administration pushing GM into bankruptcy last month.

The company's turnaround plan -- submitted to secure operating loans from the federal government -- calls for GM to introduce at least 14 hybrid and other advanced technology vehicles in the next three years.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 8, 2009, 1:43 PM
Categories:: Buick, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Saturn
Technorati Tags:: GM Plug In Crossover

July 6, 2009

Major Chinese Automaker To Invest Almost $2 Billion in Hybrid Development

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. said it plans to invest more than 12 billion yuan ($1.8 billion at today's exchange rates) on development of hybrid vehicles and hybrid components by 2014.

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Roewe 750, due in 2010, will be SAIC's frst gas-electic car.
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In an agreement with the Shanghai provincial government last week, SAIC said the investment would cover 41 projects.

The automaker is one of the largest in China and has vehicle manufacturing partnerships with General Motors, Volkswagen and several other major Western automakers.

It is bringing out its first SAIC hybrid, the Roewe 750 hybrid sedan next year, followed by the plug-in hybrid Roewe 550 in 2012.

The Chinese government, aiming to make the county the global leader in fuel-efficient, new-technology vehicles, is encouraging companies to pursue hybrid and electric vehicle development.

In China, we expect, "encouraging" means ordering them to work on the programs and supplying them financial incentives to underwrite at least some of the costs.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (4); John O'Dell July 6, 2009, 12:47 PM
Categories:: China, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chinese Hybrid Cars

Sanyo Says It Sees Big Hike in Battery Business as Demand Grows for Hybrid Cars

Think they know something?

Less than a week after Hitachi said it will increase production of lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in anticipation of a flood of new business, Sanyo Electric says it will quadruple its production of nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries for hybrids as demand for the fuel efficient vehicles rises.

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Sanyo sees big jump in demand for batteries like this nickle-metal hydride pack for a Ford Escape hybrid.
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Ford and Honda have increased their orders for Sanyo batteries while a pair of European car makers with plans to launch hybrids after next year are two of Sanyo's newest customers, the head of the company's rechargeable battery division said in an interview with Bloomberg news.

Mitsuru Honma wouldn't identify the European car makers that have ordered Sanyo batteries for their future hybrids, but Fiat, Volkswagen, Jaguar and PSA Peugeot Citroen all among those known to be planning to launch hybrids in 201l and beyond.

Ford Motor Co. with two Ford and two Mercury hybrid models, and Honda Motor Co., with two hybrids, are Sanyo's present nickel-metal hydride battery customers. The company also is developing advanced nickle-metal and lithium-ion batteries for Volkswagen.

Analysts at JPMorgan Securities Japan have said they expect the global market for batteries for hybrid vehicles will top $6 billion by mid-decade.

Lithium-ion batteries are ideal for EVs and plug-in hybrids because they are lighter and hold far more energy - thus providing more range - than nickle-metal hydride batteries; nickle batteries, though, provide for quicker bursts of energy, a must for conventional hybrids that use their batteries primarily to augment their internal combustion engines during periods of rapid acceleration or heavy demand - such as climbing hills.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 6, 2009, 8:53 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

Toyota Reported Ready To Launch Plug-in Prius for Masses in 2011

Toyota has long kept quiet about when it would turn its plug-in hybrid Prius from test car to retail vehicle.

But the Nikkei business newspaper now reports that the answer is 2012.

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Plug-in Priuses already are being tested in Europe.
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That, said the Japanese paper, is when Toyota will begin series production (the auto industry term for production for mass market sales) of the plug-in Prius models it will begin leasing late this year to select fleet customers for real-world testing late this year.

Nikkei, according to a report by Reuters news service, said Toyota plans to build 20,000-30,000 plug-in Priuses a year and intends to price them at about $48,000 -- twice the price of a conventional Prius hybrid and about $8,000 more than the Chevrolet Volt, which will hit the market at the tail end of 2010.

Nikkei did not identify the source of its information about Toyota's plug-in plans and pricing and a Toyota spokesman told Reuters the company would not comment on future product plans.

As Toyota engineers and executives have said in the past, the plug-in Prius is expected to deliver about 12 miles on all-electric range using the lithium-ion battery pack produced for Toyota by Panasonic EV energy Co, a joint venture of Toyota and Panasonic.

We're not sure if Nikkei has its facts straight on this one. Although Toyota is widely expected to launch retail sales of the plug-in hybrids by 2011, the pricing seems a bit high -- at least for the U.S. market where a plug-in Prius would compete directly with the Chevrolet Volt, which promises 40 miles of all-electric range for around $40,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit.

Additionally, a top Toyota executive in the U.S. has questioned whether a plug-in Prius would have much consumer appeal given its relatively short all-electric range, high price and the durability of the new lithium ion batteries.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell July 6, 2009, 12:02 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

July 2, 2009

While Most of Car Market Tanks, Hybrid Sales Gain for Sixth Consecutive Month

The Ford Fusion (above) and Toyota Prius help propel hybrid sales gains despite weak economy and credit woes.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Led by strong showings from both third-generation Prius and the gas-electric version of Ford's Fusion, hybrid car sales in June were up 9 percent from a year earlier and rose 2 percent form May's tally to mark the sixth consecutive monthly increase in sales volume for the segment.

Hybrids, which gained traction from the June introduction of the new 2010 Prius and continued consumer interest in the well-reviewed Fusion hybrid that was introduced in March, outperformed the new-car market as a whole - which was down 28 percent from June of 2008 and off 7 percent from May.

It's too early to declare a recovery in the segment, but rising gasoline prices and renewed public awareness of the importance of improved fuel economy in addressing climate change issues seem to be underlying a gradual strengthening of market performance.

"The most important thing is that there have been a couple of new models that are putting some excitement into the segment, said Edmunds.com industry analyst Jessica Caldwell.

"Then there's all the news of government fuel efficiency and emissions initiatives, and some pretty generous incentives in a segment that really hasn't seen many incentives in the past."

Caldwell doesn't think gas prices were a significant factor in June's hybrid market, but says "they certainly are on people's radar, with a broad expectation that they'll keep going up."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell July 2, 2009, 1:24 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Nissan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Cadillac Escalade

June 30, 2009

Consumer Reports Rips Honda Insight for Ride Quality, Handling, Acceleration, Etc.

Magazine says hybrid is the most disappointing Honda it has tested "in a long time."

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

The new Honda Insight posted a lackluster "Good" overall road-test score in Consumer Reports' testing for the August issue, and fell short in ride quality, handling, interior noise, acceleration, rear-seat access and visibility.

"The Insight is the most disappointing Honda Consumer Reports has tested in a long time," said David Champion, senior director of CR's Auto Test Center. "The Insight is a noisy, stiff-riding car with clumsy handling that is nothing like the Fit on which it is based. Also, Electronic Stability Control is only available on the highline EX version."

About the only thing CR seemed impressed with was the vehicle's fuel efficiency. The Insight achieved an excellent 38 miles per gallon overall in CR's fuel-economy tests.

In a ratings chart of small hatchbacks and wagons, the Insight was rated 21st out of 22 vehicles, with a road test score of 54 points. It was followed by the Dodge Caliber, which scored 49.

All vehicles in the test group are Recommended by Consumer Reports except for the Insight.

CR only recommends vehicles that have performed well in its tests, have at least average predicted reliability based on CR's Annual Car Reliability Survey of its more than 7 million print and Web subscribers, and performed at least adequately if crash-tested or included in a government rollover test.

Full tests and ratings of the test group appear in the August issue of Consumer Reports, which goes on sale June 30.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 30, 2009, 1:15 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Opinion, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Honda Insight

Acura: "Some" 2010 MDX Models Will Qualify for Purchase With Clunker Vouchers

Revamped SUV Apparently Would Boast ~~23%~~ a 6 % Fuel Economy Hike, No Word on How

2009.acura.mdx.20237846-E.jpg (Note: We are red-faced with embarrassment. Acura would only have to boost MDX fuel economy by 1 mile per gallon, to 18 mpg, not 22 mpg, to qualify for the program. That's because the MDX is a light truck, not a car, and it means a 6 percent increase, not 23 percent.
It also means it would be a lot easier to accomplish and wouldn't require much more than a 6-speed transmission and some weight reduction and aerodynamic tweaks to achieve. We've edited this article to eliminate the stuff that's just plain wrong, but in the spirit of transparency, are only striking it out, not erasing it, so you can see where and how badly we messed up.)

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Look for some fuel-economy news from Acura next month.

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2009 MDX pictured gets an EPA combined fuel economy rating of 17 mpg.
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Buried deep in a missive Honda's luxury division sent out this week notifying the automotive press that Acura has several models that would qualify for purchase with a cash for clunkers voucher was this tidbit:

"Certain models of the 2010 MDX luxury sport-utility vehicle" will qualify.

That means those 2010 Acura MDX models will have to get at least 22 18 miles per gallon on the EPA's rating for combined city and highway driving. ~~And that means Acura has figured out a way to make the 17 mpg, 7-seat, 300 horsepower SUV into a 22 mpg fuel-sipper (well, maybe not a sipper but at least not as thirsty as the present model).~~

~~That's a 23 percent improvement, which isn't too shabby.~~

Just how they're going to do it remains a secret. Acura won't talk until the official 2010 MDX introduction on July 20.

But given the MDX placement atop the Acura SUV lineup, it's unlikely that the improved mileage will be achieved by shoving a four-banger into the engine bay and calling it a day.

We're guessing - and it's just guessing at this point, no leaks from insiders helping us out - is that the higher-mileage MDX models will use six-speed automatic transmissions instead of the five-speeds used across the line in the '09 MDX.

Acura might then remove the third-row seating to lighten the SUV and drop all-wheel drive to increase fuel economy, and/or add Honda's cylinder deactivation system to the MDX's 3.7-liter V6. ~~or even stick a smaller, turbocharged V6 in the engine bay.~~

~~A couple of longshots: Is there an Acura MDX hybrid in the works, or could the company be resurrecting the V6 diesel it once planned for its SUVs?~~

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); John O'Dell June 30, 2009, 10:18 AM
Categories:: Acura, Fuel Economy, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Acura MDX

General Motors Breaks Off JV With Toyota; GM-Badged Prius Possibly in the Works

General Motors has announced its intention to abandon its 25-year-old California joint venture with Toyota -- a move the Japanese automaker said would add to its own financial woes -- and Bloomberg has reported that Toyota may produce a hybrid for GM.

Only two weeks ago, Bloomberg reported that GM and Toyota were considering possibly of building Prius hybrids together at an existing plant in Fremont, California.

But in a statement released Monday, GM said it will place its 50 percent ownership stake in New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. -- or NUMMI, the GM-Toyota joint venture that consists chiefly of the Fremont factory -- in the "old GM."

The "old GM" will contain parts of the company that will remain in bankruptcy after a "new GM" exits court protection.

GM filed for Chapter 11 protection on June 1 and plans for its profitable assets to emerge, possibly by the end of summer, as a "new GM" with about $50 billion in financing from the U.S. Treasury.

"After extensive analysis, GM and Toyota could not reach an agreement on a future product plan that made sense for all parties," Troy Clarke, GM's president of North American operations, said in statement.

"Accordingly, NUMMI will end production of vehicles for GM in August, and there are no future GM vehicles planned for the joint venture at this time."

Earlier this month, GM said that production of the Pontiac Vibe at the NUMMI plant would end in August as the Pontiac brand is being eliminated. Toyota builds the Corolla small car and the Tacoma pickup truck at the plant.

In a statement released Monday, Toyota said it was sorry GM was withdrawing from NUMMI, "ending a long, successful partnership spanning 25 years."

"Our hope was for the 50/50 joint venture to continue," the statement said. "While we respect this decision by GM, the economic and business environment surrounding Toyota is also extremely severe, and so this decision by GM makes the situation even more difficult for Toyota. We will consider alternatives by taking into account various factors."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 30, 2009, 12:39 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Courts, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Bloomberg

June 25, 2009

General Motors Reportedly to Build Chevrolet Volt in China Beginning in 2011

UPDATE: GM denies this report.

General Motors will build the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car in China beginning in 2011 as part of the automaker's plan to roll out its revolutionary technology in a wide variety of vehicles around the world, AutoBeat Asia (subscription required) reports today.

All Volts built in China are to be sold there, according to the newsletter.

But the Volt's chief spokesperson, Rob Peterson, in an email sent to Green Car Advisor minutes ago, wrote:

"The Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera will be produced at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant. There are currently no plans to build the Chevrolet Volt outside of the United States at this time. (Note: Volt launches late 2010 in U.S., Ampera launches in caledar year 2011, Volts produced in D-Hamtramck are exported to China in calendar year 2011.)"

Outside the U.S., the Volt will be marketed as the Holden Volt, the Opel Ampera and the Vauxhall Ampera.

As we've previously reported, the Chinese government is aggressively promoting electric and hybrid vehicles as a way to reduce oil consumption and improve air quality in the country's polluted cities. So AutoBeat Asia's report wasn't far-fetched, even if it proved to be wrong.

China wants to have 60,000 alternative-fuel vehicles on the road by 2012, up from virtually none today. Most of the vehicles will be hybrids, but the government is eager to promote pure electric vehicles.

Earlier this year, China's BYD Auto brought its Volt-like plug-in hybrid electric vehicle to the Detroit Auto Show, beating the local automakers to market by a year or more.

Fortunately for the Detroit 3, BYD's market right now is limited to China, and after the company unveiled its F3DM PHEV to North America. BYD has since announced that it doesn't intend to export the vehicle to America until 2011.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 25, 2009, 11:14 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, BYD, Chevrolet, China, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: BYD

June 24, 2009

General Motors Releases Photos of First Actual Running Prototype of Chevrolet Volt

PPChevyVolt 1.jpg Chevy Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer Andrew Farah takes the first pre-production Volt for a drive earlier today.

After all the spy pics and autoshow rollouts of the so-called Chevrolet Volt, you might have thought you'd already seen the real deal. More than once probably.

But until today, the closest thing to a Volt that General Motors had unveiled to the masses was a mule - the not-so-flattering reference of an autobody married to a powertrain and other systems that aren't Volt-like at all.

The images you see here are an entirely different matter. They are, in fact, the very first photos of the pre-production Volt gasoline-electric extended-range hybrid.

What you see here is what some of you will get, with the exception of a few chiefly cosmetic items such as light clusters that designers and/or engineers are still tinkering with.

And somewhat remarkably - given all the turmoil GM has been through lately - the vehicle was completed a week ahead of schedule. That's right: GM had a July 4th deadline for the pre-production Volt.

Andrew Farah, the Volt's chief engineer, took the time to write about his personal goal of driving the vehicle. His words, posted on GM's Fastlane blog, are worth a read.

PPChevyVolt 3.jpg Farah plugs in the first pre-production Volt after completing a test-drive.

PPChevyVolt 2.jpg The first pre-production Volt is fitted with a lithium-ion battery pack at GM's Pre-Production Operations building in Warren, Michigan, earlier today.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett June 24, 2009, 7:28 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

GM Reportedly Persuing Chrysler for Repayment of 2-Mode Hybrid R&D Costs

General Motors is reportedly seeking from Chrysler full payment of development and production costs related to the two-mode hybrid powertrain that the two automakers co-developed with other partners.

PickupTrucks.com reports that GM has filed court documents saying that Chrysler has promised $173,477 to settle $531,275 in costs associated with the development and manufacture of the Chrysler Aspen (pictured) and Dodge Durango Two-Mode Hybrid SUVs.

You might recall that both of the vehicles were killed after only two months of production.

Calls by Green Car Advisor to Julie Gibson, the GM spokeswoman authorized to discuss the matter, were not immediately returned.

Under Chapter 11, Chrysler's assets and liabilities were assigned to two entities: Old Chrysler and New Chrysler. Italian automaker Fiat, which recently merged with New Chrysler after that portion of the company emerged from bankruptcy, has not assumed the two-mode hybrid contract, leaving it with Old Chrysler.

According to a report by TheDetroitBureau.com, the court documents also state that New Chrysler has assigned all production-related contracts to Old Chrysler.

The Website reported that a source outside Chrysler said that Chrysler is hoping to renegotiate many of its pre-bankruptcy production contracts so they can be signed by New Chrysler under more favorable terms. The two-mode hybrid deal reportedly is one of those.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett June 24, 2009, 10:12 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Courts, Dodge, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Bankruptcy

June 23, 2009

Toyota Repeats Support of Fuel Cell Technology as U.S. Plans to Cut Funding

We expect a lot of blogger activity today on this morning's "announcement" from Toyota that it hopes to roll out an updated fuel cell car by 2015, even though it isn't news.

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Toyota has several Highlander SUVs outfitted with fuel-cell electric drivetrains in testing now.

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Toyota first made that promise five months ago at the Detroit auto show.

The real import of today's announcement at the company's annual shareholder meeting is that it comes just two days before Congress begins considering an Energy Department budget that would eliminate federal funding for automotive fuel cell research and development in the U.S.

So while Toyota - and Honda and South Korea's Hyundai and Germany's Daimler and Volkswagen - all continue pursing development of their fuel cell vehicles, doubtlessly with support from their governments, the Obama Administration wants to give up on the technology. That would leave Ford, GM and Chrysler to go it alone or drop their hydrogen fuel cell development programs after sending billions on them over the past decade.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu says he eliminated $100 million in previous budgets' funding for automotive-related hydrogen research because he and his advisers don't see an immediate return - that it will be a decade or more before there's sufficient hydrogen fueling infrastructure to make the vehicles viable.

The DOE instead will pursue funding development of plug-in electric cars.

We're all for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars and trucks, but we think the decision this early in the game to bet the farm on them while ruling out hydrogen fuel cells is short-sighted.

Toyota's reiteration of its commitment to the technology, and Honda's repeated comments that the future will be one in which a number of alternative fuels and powertrains are in play, ought to be seen as a warning sign.

It will be interesting, if Congress acquiesces now and allows the tap for hydrogen fuel cell research funding to be shut off, to listen to the criticism that will be heaped on U.S. automakers a decade or so from now when it becomes apparent that Japan has corned the market on the technology and we're once again left to play catch-up.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell June 23, 2009, 10:25 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Cell Cars

EnerDel Wins $3.3 Million Federal Grant for Lithium Battery Safety Research

The federal Energy Department has awarded lithium-ion battery maker EnerDel $3.3 million for research related to improving the safety and efficiency of batteries earmarked for hybrid-electric vehicles.

EnerDel said in a statement that it will work with Chicago-based Argonne National Laboratories on development of a chemical additive that prevents lithium-ion batteries from overcharging.

The award is the largest in a new group of projects under the auspices of the Energy Department's Vehicle Technologies program, said EnerDel, whose New York-based parent Ener1 has applied for further DOE funding to expand its manufacturing capacity under the Advanced Battery Manufacturing Initiative grant and Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan programs.

EnerDel has been trying to boost revenue with a combination of grants from the U.S. government and contract awards from private companies.

Since the beginning of may, the battery maker has won a contract to make batteries for buses of Northern California's Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District and signed a letter of intent to make batteries for Fisker Automotive's Karma plug-in hybrid vehicle, which is scheduled to reach the market next June.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell June 23, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: Argonne National

Feds Reported Ready to Grant Advanced Technology Loans to Ford, Nissan, Tesla

Ford, Nissan and upstart electric car maker Tesla Motors will be the first auto companies to receive factory retooling loans under the $25 billion federal program to speed production of fuel-efficient vehicles in the U.S., the Detroit Free Press reported late Monday.

The awards from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program are to be announced this morning in Dearborn, Mich., Ford's hometown, by Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Ford, which had applied for $11 billion in loans under the program, is likely to receive the largest loan. The company wants to retool an SUV factory to use for a new electric vehicle it plans to launch in 2011.

Nissan has asked for $1.1 billion to help retool its Smyrna, Tenn. plant to build electric vehicles that it has said will go on sale in selected areas of the U.S. next year.

Tesla has asked for $350 million to refurbish a Southern California factory, believed to be a recently emptied aerospace plant, for production of its upcoming Model S electric sedan.

General Motors corp. and Chrysler are not eligible for loans from the program until they emerge from their Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The loan program is only open to companies that can show they are "financially viable."

In all, 75 companies have asked for $38 billion in loans from the program, exceeding the available funds by 52 percent. A proposal to double the loan pool to $50 billion is pending in Congress.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell June 23, 2009, 1:04 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Progra

June 22, 2009

Report: Toyota's Green Cars Clash With Corporate Growth Plans in Japan

Is Toyota's Green Sheen Being Tarnished By Development Activity At Home?

Do as I say...

Toyota, noted for its environmental awareness and efforts, in the U.S. at least, to operate clean, green and sustainable facilities, has run afoul of the environmental community in Japan over its expansion plans.

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Rice growing near forested mountains in Japan.

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A new research center with more than 6 miles of test track and road courses that the automaker is planning in the country near its Toyota City headquarters threatens nesting areas of two endangered species of buzzards and the existence of nearly 700 acres of forests and 17th century rice paddies.

That's got area environmentalists in an uproar, Bloomberg news service reports.

Toyota, which did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment, had said previously that the R&D center would help speed development of its hybrid models as well as other fuel efficient vehicles.

But to build it on the selected site in Aichi Prefecture - already scaled back by a third to help appease critics - the automaker will be cutting down cedar forests, filling in 400-year-old rice paddies and apparently leveling a mountain top or two. The process will destroy habitat for a number of bird species, local activists told Bloomberg.

"Most people think of Toyota as an environmentally friendly company," said Shigemi Oda, chairman of the Society to Consider the Large-Scale Development Project of the 21st Century. "Crushing mountains is environmentally destructive."

Toyota, according to Bloomberg, has spent more than 32 billion yen ($332 million) buying land for the $1.04 billion project.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell June 22, 2009, 11:00 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Japan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Toyota Motor Corp.

June 18, 2009

Rising Gas Prices Got You Worried? Here's a Nice Deal On a 42 MPG Commuter Car

This is not an endorsement, but the deal is so sweet we had to pass it on.

Honda is offering a $199 monthly lease (that's before taxes, license, registration etc.) on the 2009 Civic Hybrid.

That's $50 a week for a pretty thrifty car, rated at 40 miles per gallon in the city and 45 on the highway, 42 mpg combined, and carrying an MSRP of $23,650 - which would mean a $400-plus monthly payment for most people who'd buy one.

We're not going to go over the entire offer, but wanted to let you know that it's out there and is set to expire July 6 (dealers can extend it, as long as Honda keeps offering the cut-rate financing).

For people who qualify for Honda's top lease financing deal, the down payment is $1,505 and the initial out-of pocket, including the first month's payment, would be $2,299.

You can check out this deal and other rebates and incentives on Hondas or any other nameplate sold in the U.S., with Edmunds.com's incentives and rebates locator.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell June 18, 2009, 5:09 PM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid; Car Leases

June 17, 2009

Austrian Company AVL Opens Hybrid-Powertrain Center in California

In what seems like a continuing shift of automotive investment away from Michigan and into California, Austrian powertrain engineering firm AVL has opened an alternative-fuels powertrain engineering center in the Orange County city of Lake Forest.

The center will be used for prototype and proof-of-concept work, said Bruce Falls, the center's director of engineering. Anything closer to production will be sent to AVL's larger engineering centers in Plymouth, Michigan or Graz, Austria.

Falls said AVL is looking at bridging the systems-engineering gap between automakers and suppliers, both sides of an equation chasing next-generation propulsion systems.

"We're technology neutral. We're a facilitator. Systems engineering has always been the bottleneck," he said. "We're seeing how refined a concept car can go with mechanical integration, so that it's more than just a show car."

Among the center's features is an all-in-one test bed (pictured) that integrates a chassis tester and wheels-off dynamometer with drive-by-wire wheelslip simulators. The rig can handle any vehicle from a small car to a bus to a Class 8 tractor trailer, Falls said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 17, 2009, 11:51 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chrysler, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hydrogen
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Bloomberg: Toyota Considering Making Prius at Calif. Plant It Shares With GM

But a spokesman for the automaker's production division denies the report.

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Toyota is considering making Priuses at a California plant it shares with General Motors, not a factory in Mississippi where production of the popular hybrid had been planned, Bloomberg reported today, citing two unnamed sources.

But Mike Goss, external affairs manager with Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, or TEMA, said "we haven't changed our plans to build Prius in Mississippi. Nothing's changed."

TEMA is responsible for Toyota's engineering design, research, development and manufacturing activities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It operates 14 parts and vehicle manufacturing plants across North America.

The Bloomberg report stated that "given the time and cost to finish the half-built Mississippi facility, it may be easier to make the car at New United Motor Manufacturing," a 380-acre factory Toyota shares with GM in Fremont.

The news service attributed the information to "people who asked not to be identified because the discussions aren't public."

Goss denied that the $1.3 billion plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi, is half-built, stating instead that construction is completed.

"At this point, we've finished the building," he said.

Goss said "the Bloomberg story says something about 'unnamed sources,' but we have not changed our plans."