Chrysler Green Car Advisor Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line

November 3, 2009

Chrysler 5-Year Plan Thought to Include an EV Along With Fuel-Efficient Small Cars

Dodge Zeo8 concept shown at Detroit Auto Show last year could be basis for a new EV in revised Chrysler product lineup under post-bankruptcy recovery plan.

If there's anything certain about Chrysler's new 5-year product plan, to be unveiled in a lengthy conference tomorrow, it is that small cars, advanced technology gas engines and at least one electric vehicle all are likely to figure into the automaker's future.

The company, fresh out of bankruptcy, is now controlled by Italy's Fiat and Fiat, according to the leaks from Chrysler' suburban HQ in Auburn Hills, Mich., wants to use its new American unit as a portal to being its popular Fiat 500 subcompact over form Europe and to reintroduce the Alfa Romeo brand to the states.

Fiat, we've heard, also intends to use its "multiair" fuel-efficient engine technology in Chrysler vehicles going forward and, insiders say, wants to use the Dodge brand for introduction of an electric car - likely one of the models that have been under development - quietly - by Chrysler's ENVI group.

Yes, Virginia, the ENVI group, tasked with developing EVs and extended-range, plug-in hybrids for Chrysler when it was formed in 2007, has survived the financial mayhem and is still plugging away, so to speak.

Whether Chrysler's new masters will pick the sexy Dodge Zeo electric sports car, one of the Jeep plug-ins or the Chrysler 300-based EV concept shown at the Detroit auto show in January - all ENVI productions -or select an all-new Chrysler- or Fiat-based model for the EV is up in the air.

But as we've said all along - and as Fiat's Sergio Marchionne well knows - Chrysler can't survive in the new automotive age without EVs and PHEVs in its portfolio.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 3, 2009, 1:54 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

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

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

September 21, 2009

Silicon Valley VCs Say Detroit 3 Must Scrap Their Business Model to Succeed

Silicon Valley's venture capitalists believe the Detroit 3 automakers cannot become competitive again unless they scrap their traditional business model and embrace new, innovative ways of doing business.

That's the theme of a feature article Reuters distributed today, a copy of which can be read free of charge and registration at the new service's Website.

Speaking of the Detroit 3, Ray Lane, a managing partner at Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Buyers, said that "for years they have been led by accountants and lawyers, not engineers and entrepreneurs. That's OK if the industry isn't changing."

So what do Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group need to do to regain marketplace dominance?

"Start over," said Marc van den Berg, managing director of VantagePoint Venture Partners, which backs upstart electric carmaker Tesla Motors and electric-vehicle infrastructure firm Better Place.

The only way the Detroit 3 can succeed is by completely overhauling the business model, moving beyond just designing attractive cars, Silicon Valley venture capitalists say.

"There is room for business model innovation and technology innovation," said Vinod Khosla, managing general partner of Khosla Ventures.

Khosla said U.S. automakers need to embrace innovation at all levels. He pointed to Better Place, which is building charging infrastructure and battery-swapping stations for electric vehicles.

"Better Place is saying,'Don't let the consumer buy the batteries,' " Khosla said. "That's a business model innovation."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 21, 2009, 4:32 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Fisker, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hydrogen, India, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

September 17, 2009

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

September 3, 2009

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

September 1, 2009

Chrysler Bringing New, 40-MPG Dodge Caliber With New Diesel Engine to Frankfurt

Chrysler announced today that it will be bringing the new Dodge Caliber to the Frankfurt Motor Show fitted with a new 2.2-liter, turbocharged, common-rail diesel engine that's Euro 5 compliant.

The engine, which is paired with a six-speed manual transmission, produces a claimed 163 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. That's 16 percent more power, 3 percent more torque and 25 percent (3,300 pounds) more towing capability than the previous diesel engine.

But wait, there's more: Fuel consumption is improved by 5 percent (40.6 miles per gallon versus 38.6 mpg), and carbon dioxide emissions are improved by 3 percent (154 grams per kilometer compared to 159 grams per kilometer).

Chrysler says forged steel connecting rods, aluminum head and pistons, and fourth-generation direct-injection system with common-rail pressurized at 1800 bar provide durability, weight reduction and performance.

Passenger comfort also improves as dual balance shafts and sound-deadening materials reduce the diesel engine's vibration and harshness by 25 percent compared with the previous Dodge Caliber CRD.

Unfortunately, there are no plans to bring the new diesel engine to the U.S. Unless there's a change, Americans will only be offered Calibers equipped with Chrysler's gasoline-consuming World Engines.

The two World Engines (2.0- and 2.4-liter) in the Caliber are equipped with dual variable-valve timing and an intake manifold design with flow control valves. Combined, these features produce more power, better fuel economy and a smoother, quieter operation than engines without them.

The 2.0-liter World Engine replaces the 1.8-liter engine, delivering 4 percent more power (156 hp) and 13 percent more torque (140 pound-feet). For even greater performance, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine delivers 170 hp and 162 pound-feet of torque. But again, neither it nor the 2.4-liter will be offered to Americans as diesels.

The new Dodge Caliber will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in two weeks. It's interesting to note that the Dodge Caliber was the top-selling Chrysler Group LLC vehicle outside North America in 2008.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 1, 2009, 11:09 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Chrysler, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Carbon Dioxide

August 5, 2009

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

Obama Administration to Award $2.4 Billion Today to Advance EV Development

The Obama administration today will award $2.4 billion in grants to 48 projects that promote advanced battery and electric vehicle manufacturing, according to administration officials.

The grants are designed to boost U.S. manufacturing jobs in an industry that has so far seen the leading technology come from Japan and elsewhere in the Far East.

"Today, almost all of these technologies are overseas," said Matt Rogers, a senior adviser at the Energy Department. "These are really about creating manufacturing capabilities in the United States."

The Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative was funded by the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funds are to advance and lower the cost of technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, necessary to commercialize electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

President Obama has pledged to have 1 million plug-in hybrids on U.S. roads by 2015.

Only one in every five applications won funding, representing about a third of the total dollar amounts sought, said Rogers. While one-fifth of the funds went to small businesses, a number of major auto manufacturers will also benefit.

Twenty-five states will see money from the pool, with the most going to Michigan, followed by Indiana. Eleven and seven projects, respectively, will be funded in these two states, where unemployment has soared as the auto industry licks its wounds.

Information about specific project winners, dollar amounts and jobs created will be released today, Rogers said. One of the applicants is a struggling Chrysler LLC, which plans to develop
a plug-in hybrid version of its Dodge Ram pickup truck.

The money is divided into three pools: $1.5 billion will go toward expanding battery and battery component production, as well as recycling capabilities; $500 million will be for manufacturing electric drive and power electronic components; and $400 million will help purchase and test thousands of plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles, install vehicle charging infrastructure, and provide education and work force training.

The administration plans to roll out the funds as part of today's full-court press highlighting the economic recovery.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 5, 2009, 8:44 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Battery

August 3, 2009

DOT Secretary: Unless Senate Approves Extra $2 Billion, Clunkers Program Will End

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the Cash for Clunkers program that's become the most visible of the Obama administration's economic-stimulus efforts would come to an end possibly as early as this week unless the U.S. Senate approves $2 billion in additional funding for the program.

"If we don't get the $2 billion from the Senate...we would have to suspend the program next week," LaHood (pictured) said in an interview with C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" show on Sunday.

The 10-day-old program has helped reduced inventories of unsold vehicles at many dealerships to their lowest levels in years, giving Ford, Chrysler and General Motors much-needed cash injections.

Senate Democratic leaders said today that they hoped to bring a $2 billion extension to the Senate floor this week as the program's original $1 billion in funding runs low.

But the additional funding is no slam dunk. At least one senator wants to see evidence the program is reducing automotive emissions -- that and boosting the economy are two of its goals.

And some senators have said they are opposed to extending the program unless it is changed to compel consumers to buy more fuel-efficient cars than is currently required. Those senators include Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California.

LaHood expressed support for the program just as it is, but he made clear that if the Senate doesn't approve the funding extension, the administration won't rescue the program.

The program offers government vouchers toward a new car to consumers who surrender for scrapping an older vehicle rated at 18 miles per gallon or less. To get a $3,500 voucher, the new car must be at least 4 mpg more efficient; a 10-mpg improvement is required for a $4,500 voucher.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 3, 2009, 10:08 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Cash fort Clunkers

July 23, 2009

Starting Today Chrysler to Double U.S. Government's Cash-for-Clunkers Incentive

Chrysler Group LLC said Wednesday that it is offering $4,500 in cash toward the purchase of one of its new vehicles as it seeks to match a government incentive for people to trade in their old gas guzzlers.

The automaker said it will offer cash or zero percent financing for six years on most of its 2009 Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep models. The incentive begins today and lasts through Aug. 31.

Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy protection last month under new ownership and is now working to lure back car shoppers in a depressed market.

Chrysler sales were down 46 percent for the first six months of the year, while industrywide sales for the same period were down 35 percent.

The automaker is clearly using the financial incentive to lure prospective buyers into its showrooms, but unfortunately once there the prospects won't have the opportunity to buy any of the electric vehicles Chrysler has been showing in recent years.

However, Chrysler has promised that it will introduce a plug-in electric vehicle next year. It's shown several concepts, including a battery-electric Dodge two-seater based on a Lotus platform and a trio of "extended range" hybrid-electrics - two Jeeps and a Chrysler Town and Country minivan - that use electric motors, lithium-ion battery packs and small gasoline engine/generators in a set-up similar to that being pioneered by General Motors Corp. in the Chevrolet Volt due out late next year.

Most industry watchers, including us, are betting on the recently named Dodge Circuit sports car (right ) - a potential rival to the Tesla Roadster - to be first out of the chute.

Chrysler said in a statement Wednesday that buyers are eligible for the new incentive even if they are not trading in a vehicle under the government's cash-for-clunkers legislation.

That program's final rules will be announced Friday. It offers tax credits to car shoppers who trade in their old, fuel-inefficient vehicles for a cleaner new vehicle.

Not all vehicles qualify under the legislation, however. Car shoppers get a voucher worth $3,500 if they trade in a vehicle getting 18 miles per gallon or less for one getting at least 22 mpg. The voucher grows to $4,500 if the new car's mileage is 10 mpg higher than the old vehicle.

Owners of sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks or minivans getting 18 mpg or less could receive a voucher for $3,500 if their new truck or SUV got at least 2 mpg higher than their old vehicle. The voucher would increase to $4,500 if the mileage of the new truck or SUV was at least 5 mpg higher than the older vehicle.

That means some consumers could, in theory, get up to $9,000 off a new Chrysler vehicle if they trade in and buy the right combination of vehicles. According to our parent company, Edmunds.com, 16 Chrysler vehicles are fuel efficient enough to qualify a shopper for a tax rebate under cash for clunkers, so long as the trade-in vehicle qualifies as well.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 23, 2009, 2:01 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Dodge, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Jeep, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Cash for Clunkers

July 7, 2009

Chrysler Seeks OK To Cancel 64 GEM Franchises, Cites Poor Sales

Struggling Chrysler has asked the judge in its bankruptcy to approve a plan to cancel electric vehicle franchise agreements with 64 dealers.

Chrysler owns Global Electric Motorcars, best known as GEM, and sells the company's neighborhood electric vehicles -- NEVs (right) -- through some of its dealerships.

GEM has other sales outlets, including stand-alone dealerships, as well.

The automaker has filed papers seeking permission at a July 16 hearing to cancel the GEM franchises of 64 dealers -- some Chrysler, some stand alone -- mainly for lack of sales.

A Chrysler spokeswoman said the request isn't a reflection of poor GEM sales overall,but rather of poor performance by the specific dealerships. "Many are not located in areas where GEMs do well," she said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 7, 2009, 3:04 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, GEM
Technorati Tags:: GEM

July 1, 2009

California to Require Reflective Coating on Windshields to Reduce Climate Change

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

California's air-quality authorities are an innovative bunch, and this month they took an unprecedented step toward making the Golden State less hazy by requiring automakers to place a reflective coating on the windshields of cars and trucks purchased in California.

The requirement is one of several that the California Air Resources Board has considered under its Cool Cars program, which is designed, as you likely guessed, to keep vehicles in the sunny state cooler.

By doing that, they reason, Californians won't need to use their vehicles' air conditioners as much, which will reduce the strain on automotive engines, which will decrease the speed with which we gobble up fossil fuels, which in turn will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we release into the atmosphere.

Green Car Advisor first reported on the program in February, when CARB was focusing on having paint-makers tweak their automotive paints so they'd be more light reflective - as opposed to more light absorbing.

Light-absorbing paints, the king of which is black, contribute significantly to a vehicle's cabin temperature when parked in direct sunlight. Hot parked cars tend to cause their owners to reach for A-C controls the moment they enter their vehicles. Running the air conditioners adds to the workload of the vehicles, which in turn results in higher fuel consumption - you know the story.

The same is true with regard to windshields. When you consider at how much of the surface area of a car's sunny side consists of windshields, you can appreciate how important it is for the glass to be sunlight-reflective to help keep a vehicle's interior cool when parked in sunlight.

The technology used by glass manufacturers to make more reflective car windows has been around for nearly 20 years, said Mukesh Rustagi, director of strategic product management at Pittsburgh Glass Works, the largest automotive glass supplier in North America.

The technology exists and it's not particularly costly compared to, say, wiping out entire species and watching the world's glaciers - water sources for more than a billion people - melt away.

With that in mind, California's air regulators voted unanimously last week for a mandate requiring automakers to include sun-reflecting windshields on all vehicles sold within the state by 2014.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett July 1, 2009, 12:01 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Courts, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda
Technorati Tags:: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

June 29, 2009

Chrysler Reportedly To Build and Sell Four Versions of Fuel-Efficient Fiat 500 in U.S.

Four versions of the Fiat 500, a fuel-efficient, low-emissions subcompact car that's been a bestseller in Europe for years, will be coming to the U.S. as early as 2011, according to Automotive News (subscription required).

Often compared in style and character to the Mini Cooper, the Fiat 500 will be the first of the Italian automaker's modern offerings to reach the New World and it will be built at one of Chrysler's own U.S. plants, possibly the one in Belvidere, Illinois, not in Mexico, as had been speculated, the News reported.

In the wake of Fiat's becoming a 20 percent owner of the newly reorganized Chrysler, company officials have said to expect the 500 in about 18 months, allowing time for federal emissions and safety certification.

Like the Mini Cooper, the 500 is an updated incarnation of an iconic original, but with modern safety and emissions equipment. The 500 also borrows retro styling cues from the original, and it offers seating for four, like the Mini, but the 500 is 7 inches shorter and weighs 500 pounds less.

Four versions of the red-hot little car will be built for the U.S. market, Automotive News reported, quoting 500 designer Robert Giolito, who confirmed the plan to Edmunds.com in Italy. Two hatchbacks -- one standard, one sporty Abarth model -- a convertible and a wagon, will comprise the U.S. lineup.

The trade publication noted that it is possible a four-wheel-drive SUV version of the tiny car could be in the works as well for U.S. consumption.

The original 500, referred to as the Cinquecento in Italian, got its name from the size of its engine, an air-cooled scooter-like two-cylinder displacing just 479 cubic centimeters. It was a true gutless wonder.

Four engines are available in the current 500, ranging from a 69-horsepower 1.2-liter engine to the 1.4-liter engine generating 135 hp in the sporty Abarth version. It's unknown at this time if all of these engines will be offered in U.S.-bound 500s, and it's too soon to say if a diesel variant will be available (as it is in other countries today).

Unlike the original 500, the new one has a front engine and front-wheel drive.

As far as style is concerned, the 500 is offered elsewhere in 12 exterior colors, including pastel, metallic and pearl finishes, according to Fiat's Web site. Checkerboard paint schemes are also available, and the interior accommodates four passengers on a variety of seating fabrics and leather.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 29, 2009, 12:03 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Diesel, Emissions, Fiat, Fuel Economy, MINI
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler LLC

June 24, 2009

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

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 19, 2009

Chrysler Light Duty Diesel Project Reportedly Stalled by Bankruptcy

But Hike in MPG Requirements Could Resurrect It and Other Abandoned Diesel Plans

2009.dodge.ram pickup 1500.20242297-396x249.jpg Chrysler's bankruptcy reportedly has killed its diesel engine development contract with Cummins, at least temporarily halting work on a fuel-efficient, light-duty diesel for the Dodge Ram pickup.

The enthusiast site PickupTrucks.com first reported the situation, quoting Cummins pubic relations director Mark Land as saying that while development could be resumed, "it just won't happen under the terms of the original contract."

Chrysler is shedding its old obligations as part of the bankruptcy, and would have to negotiate a new pact with Cummins to move forward on the diesel Dodge Ram project.

Chrysler has been noncommittal, saying only that is continues to explore all powertrain options. It wouldn't wouldn't be alone, though, if it doesn't move forward.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell June 19, 2009, 2:01 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Diesel, Dodge, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Diesel

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
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuel

June 10, 2009

GSA Buys $210 Million Worth of Fuel Efficient Vehicles From U.S. Carmakers

Annual Purchase Total Now $287 Million; $15 Million More Committed For Buses and EVs

The federal General Services Administration said late Tuesday that it purchased $210 million worth of "fuel efficient" vehicles from Ford, GM and Chrysler last week.

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Ford's Fusion is part of the government's purchase of more than 17,000 new fuel-efficient vehicles from domestic automakers this year.
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The June 1 acquisition follows the previously announced purchase of 3,100 gas-electric hybrid cars and SUVs from Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. in April.; The purchases are part of the government's economic stimulus program. Chrysler wasn't included in the initial round because it has no hybrids in its retail fleet.

This month's order for 14,105 cars, SUVs and, presumably, pickups, competed the GSA's assignment from President Obama to spend $285 million this fiscal year on new, fuel efficient vehicles for various federal agency - the total actually hit $287 million.

Additionally, the GSA is slated to spend $15 million for an undetermined number of advanced technology buses and electric vehicles by the end of September for use in the federal fleet.

The agency, which does about a quarter of all the federal government's purchasing, is funding the vehicle acquisitions from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - that's 0.0003 percent of the total, if you are keeping score.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell June 10, 2009, 2:49 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: GSA Vehicle Purchases; Fuel Efficient Cars

June 3, 2009

Toyota Faces $1 Billion Cost to Comply With California ZEV Mandate Says Report

It's still 18 months before California's revised zero emissions vehicle requirements kick in, but the lobbying, has quietly begun.

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Cars such as this plugin Toyota Prius are needed to meet California ZEV mandate, but increase automakers' operating costs.

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Toyota Motor Co. will be most impacted by the rules requiring major antomakers to provide electric and plug-in vehicles for at least 3 percent of their sales in the state from 2012 through 2014, and in an interview with Bloomberg reporter Alan Ohnsman last week a Toyota insider said the company faces $1 billion in new costs to comply.

There's no overt complaining in the article, published today on Bloomberg.com, but Toyota's meassage is clear: $1 billion is a lot of money anytime, and is a particularly sizeable pile of cash to come up with in the midst of a recession that is hurting the entire auto industry including the world's biggest car company.

In addition Toyota, which has the biggest share of the California new-car makert, the mandate would apply to Honda Motor Co., Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. and pre-bankruptcy General Motors Corp, and Chrysler LLC.

The two domestics have said that major production cuts are part of their recovery plans and if their sales in California drop below 60,000 a year as a result, they would no longer be bound by the mandate

Toyota, according to Bloomgerg's calculations, would have to produce 16,000 plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles to by 2014 to comply with the rules, which require major automakers to make non-polluting vehicles equal at least 3 percent of their sales for the 3-year period.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell June 3, 2009, 6:01 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: California Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate

June 2, 2009

Environmental Groups Renew Bid for EPA Ban on Lead in Wheel-Balancing Weights

In yet another effort to overturn laissez-faire decisions by the Bush-era Environmental Protection Agency, a number of environmental groups are petitioning the agency to ban use of lead in the weights used to balance automobile wheels.

The petitioners, lead by the Sierra Club and Michigan-based Ecology Center, are hoping that the EPA under President Obama will be more favorable to their arguments.

Although lead has long been identified as highly toxic, the EPA in 2005 rejected a similar call for a ban, ruling that petitioners hadn't sufficiently documented the risks associated with exposure to lead from tire weights. In humans, lead particles can cause brain damage, birth defects and death.

Instead of a ban, the agency adopted a program of encouraging automakers and tire shops to voluntarily stop using wheel weights made of lead.

The new petition claims that the weights often fall off and onto road surfaces and then are ground to lead dust by passing vehicles. The dust -- an estimated 3.5 million pounds a year -- can easily be washed off the roads in rainstorms and enter the underground water supply.

The petition follows a 2008 California court ruling in which Chrysler and the nation's three largest tire weight manufacturers agreed to stop using lead weights in that state.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell June 2, 2009, 12:45 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Ford, General Motors
Technorati Tags:: Environmental Protection Agency

May 26, 2009

Chrysler Seeks Federal $ For Plug-in Pickups, Electric Minivans and EV Batteries; Development Facility Would Help Speed Commercial Production, Company Says

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Chrysler says the future has a plug on it and that, with a plug-in hybrid drive system, even its Dodge Ram pickups can find a home in the new world of high fuel economy and low greenhouse gas emissions.

We predicted as much last month, and this evening the company proved us right, saying it wants to spend $448 million to speed development and manufacture of plug-in and extended-range electric vehicles and has asked the federal government for $224 million in matching-fund grants to help with two programs.

Chrysler, which is in bankruptcy but is expected to emerge under the control of of Italy's Fiat, said it and a number of so-far unidentified partners would provide $224 million in matching funds

The bulk of the requested federal funding, $183.5 million, would be used for a $365 million demonstration project in which Chrysler would field "at least" 100 plug-in hybrid EV Town & Country minivans, 100 plug-in hybrid Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks and 165 all-electric Town & Country minivans (above) in several test fleets.

Manufacturing Center

The remaining federal funds, if the grants are approved, would be used for development and construction of a "vehicle electrification technology and manufacturing center."

The center, to be located in Michigan, would house facilities for developing, testing and manufacturing electric drive components and for assembling rechargeable battery EVs and range-extended EVs (so-called series hybrids which use an internal combustion engine to generate power for an electric drive system).

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 26, 2009, 4:59 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Dodge, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Electric Vehicles

May 20, 2009

House Climate Bill Would Double DOE Loan Program to Help Automakers Go Green

The House energy and climate bill would double a $25 billion Department of Energy loan program designed to help automakers produce more fuel-efficient cars and trucks.

The provision increasing the DOE pot to $50 billion was tucked into this week's substitute bill after being absent from both House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman's original March draft and Friday's revision.

The substitute, released Monday, was quickly followed by news that President Obama would dramatically ramp up the speed at which carmakers will need to achieve better fleetwide fuel economy.

The DOE program was established in the 2007 Energy Bill to provide loans to automakers and parts suppliers to retool their U.S. plants for making advanced technology vehicles to meet new corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, standards.

But Congress did not provide funding to back the loans until late last year as Washington scrambled to throw a lifeline to the battered auto industry, and DOE has yet to provide the first batch of loans.

The Energy Department cash is separate from billions of dollars already given by the government to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC to help keep the two carmakers operating while they undergo sweeping restructuring, downsizing and, in Chrysler's case, bankruptcy.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett May 20, 2009, 3:10 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler LLC

Chrysler Says It Can Meet Future CAFE Standards With Help From Fiat

Chrysler's green prototypes include plug-in hybrid Jeeps and Town & Country van and a Dodge Circuit EV .

In a press release distributed Monday, Chrysler confirmed a report we posted last month in which the bankrupt automaker said it will rely heavily on Fiat to develop a nationwide fleet of low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles.

"Chrysler's alliance with Fiat will initially deliver consumers a world-class small engine and overall powertrain technology that will rapidly bring to market even more fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly small cars," the company said.

These small cars would supplement a Chrysler-created line of electric and plug-in hybrid-electric prototype vehicles, some of which are shown here, that may or may not enter production.

The small engines developed with help from Fiat will compliment an all-new, high-volume V-6 engine made by Chrysler that the automaker says will deliver up to 8 percent improved fuel economy across the company's current vehicle lineup.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett May 20, 2009, 9:02 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Dodge, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Jeep, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: CAFE Standards

May 18, 2009

Are Automakers Finally Seeing the Light? Will Government and Greens See it Too?

Auto Industry Lines Up To Praise National Program Idea, Now the Hard Work Begins

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

The auto industry, tired of being seen as the bad guy whenever fuel economy and emissions regulation is on the table, is wasting no time lining up in support of tomorrow's White House announcement on development of a national carbon emissions and fuel efficiency program.

A cynic might think this doesn't bode well for the ultimate result of the rulemaking process that President Obama will outline at a press conference in Washington Tuesday morning: That the auto industry figures it has enough clout left to wring the life out of any effort to significantly improve fuel economy.

But we think it simply shows that an industry on life support and dependent on government largess here and overseas has finally read the writing on the wall and realizes that this is as good as it is ever going to get and that if it doesn't play ball it will have no say in the rules it eventually will have to live by.

Automakers also have been caught in a trap of their own making. They've been fighting California, the national leader in establishing greenhouse gas controls on motor vehicles, insisting that individual states shouldn't be able to set carbon emissions rules and that a national standard is needed.

Now the Obama administration has stepped to the table and said, as the president is wont to: "Okay, let's develop a national rule."

To oppose that would be political suicide.

In that vein, the two lobbying groups representing almost every car maker that does business in the U.S. have jumped on board and are voicing support for the so-called National Program for Autos.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 18, 2009, 6:00 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, BMW, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Legislation, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Plug-ins and Electric, Porsche, Renault, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: National CAFE Plan

May 7, 2009

Energy Department Slashes Hydrogen Transportation Funding in Proposed Budget

(Note: Updated 5 p.m. 5/7/09 to include link to Hydrogen and Fuel Cell groups' joint statement.)

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

In a huge blow to backers of fuel-cell electric vehicles, the nation's top energy official said today he sees little promise of the technology becoming a significant player in the nation's transportation system within the next two decades.

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Honda's FCX Clarity, now being tested in Southern California, uses a hydrogen fuel cell to provide electric power.
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As a result, Energy Secretary Stephen Chu is proposing that more than $100 million be cut from the Energy Department hydrogen program in the 2010 budget the administration is submitting to Congress.

The proposed budget slashes hydrogen fuel cell spending by 59 percent to just $68 million and focuses on programs for stationary power generation rather than for transportation.

"We asked ourselves, 'Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will covert to a hydrogen car economy?' The answer, we felt, was 'no,'" Chu said in a briefing today.

The National Hydrogen Association and the U.S. Fuel Cell Coalition quickly issued a joint statement criticizing the program cuts.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (4); John O'Dell May 7, 2009, 3:49 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Honda, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Energy Department Budget

April 30, 2009

Chrysler's Green Programs Likely To Survive Bankruptcy, Fiat Alliance

Company Can't Afford To Drop EV and Plug-in Development If It Hopes for a Future

Chrysler green prototypes include plug-in hybrid Jeeps and Town & Country van and Dodge Circuit EV.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Some quick thoughts on what Chrysler's bankruptcy and reorganization may mean for the company's green initiatives.

Chrysler is going to continue to be run largely by government dictate as it wends its way though bankruptcy -- the Obama administration will be selecting new board members and the Feds will be providing much of the company's working capital -- and the government has made it clear time and again that it wants carmakers to concentrate on fuel-efficiency.

So if Chrysler is to have a post-bankruptcy future, then building cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles that help us kick our oil dependency has got to be part of it, as it must for all automakers.

A large part of that effort, now that Chrysler will be teamed with and ultimately controlled by Italy's Fiat, will be in development of fuel-efficient gasoline and, possibly, diesel engines for Chrysler's U.S. cars and trucks using Fiat technology.

So we can look for smaller, lighter vehicles to be added to the lineup of the company that made its bones with hulking pickups, gas-guzzling Hemi V8 muscle cars and hefty family hauling minivans. And we can surely expect some of Chrysler's more egregiously fuel-inefficient vehicles to disappear.

A Chrysler version of Fiat's popular and tiny 500 subcompact might not make a big hit in a U.S. still worried about the safety aspects of small cars sharing the road with all those Hummers and Expeditions and Rams, but Fiat has other, larger cars, especially in its Alfa Romeo brand, that might transition well in the U.S.

In his press conference today, President Obama skipped over the impact the restructuring will have on Chrysler's green initiatives except to say that Fiat already has agreed to transfer "billions" of dollars worth of "cutting-edge technology" to Chrysler so it can build "new fuel-efficient cars and engines in America."

But Chrysler also may have some technology of its own to bring to the table.

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Chrysler recently showed this 200C EV electric car concept.
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Skeptics believe Chrysler's green programs, particularly the electric and plug-in hybrid-electric prototype vehicles it has shown off in the past year, are vaporware.

But Green Car Advisor spoke with a few Chrysler insiders this morning and they said that there have been no signs that work on those technologies is being dropped or even diminished.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell April 30, 2009, 10:33 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Fiat, Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Bankruptcy

April 17, 2009

Is U.S. Auto Task Force Getting Accurate Assessment of Plug-In Segment?

Advocacy Group Thinks Panel's Consultants Use Flawed Arguments to Downplay Technology

It's great that the Obama Administration is trying to do something to save the U.S. auto industry, but a bit unsettling that the right hand doesn't seem to know what the left is up to - a common Washington problem in general, we imagine, and in particular a problem in a new administration trying to grapple with half a dozen catastrophic events simultaneously.

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GM's Chevy Volt is seen by consultants as too expensive to be commercially viable in the nearterm.

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The issue we're talking about is the seeming disconnect between the president's oft-stated goal of promoting development of rechargeable, or plug-in, hybrid-electric vehicles - with a goal of having a million of them on the road by 2015 - and the administration's Automotive Task Force's apparent reliance on a consulting group that hasn't seen much future in plug-ins.

Felix Kramer, founder of the plug-in hybrid advocacy group California Cars Initiative, raised the alarm in a piece posted this week on the CalCars.org website.

It seems that the Obama administration, whose task force is charged with helping figure out how to save the U.S. auto industry, has awarded the Boston Consulting Group a contract worth up to $7 million for an analysis of the prospects of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.

Both automakers have said in the restructuring plans they've presented to the government that plug-in vehicles - hybrid and "pure" electric - will play a big role in their futures.

But Boston Consulting, Kramer says, has relied too heavily in the past on "business as usual" assumptions and "flawed data" in assessing plug-ins.

Kramer cites one recent report from the company, co-authored by one American- and four German-based analysts, titled "The Comeback of the Electric Car? How Real, How Soon, and What Must Happen Next." (Click here to download the 10-page report.)

The press release issued by the company to promote the report when it was released in January was headlined "Electric Cars Are Unlikely to Help Carmakers Cut CO2 Emissions Significantly by 2020," a less neutral approach that alerts you to the one of the report's conclusions.

We've no axe to grind with a hard-nosed assessment of the facts, but Kramer argues that the consulting company's analysis of the plug-in EV scene uses outdated, excessively high battery costs and ignores the impact of recent U.S. funding programs for battery development.

Green Car Advisor hopes to get Boston Consulting to comment, but two days after taking our request under consideration (with the remark that it would be unfair of us to write about Kramer's concerns without including BCG's response) the best the company's been able to come up with is a "no comment at this time."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell April 17, 2009, 4:00 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, General Motors, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Boston Consulting Group

April 14, 2009

Michigan Awards $400 Million in Tax Credits for Advanced Battery Production

The battery wars heated up again today as Michigan awarded four $100-million tax credit packages to a quartet of advanced battery projects that could lead to the creation of thousands of new jobs in the economically distressed state. One of the $100-million tax credit packages is contingent upon state legislators passing enabling legislation.

The credits awarded by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority are part of the state's bid to build an advanced battery industry that, by 2020, would lead to the creation of 40,000 new jobs.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the winners will spend a cumulative $1.7 billion on their proposed projects.

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GM engineers work on a Volt battery pack.

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The winners of $100-million tax credit packages are:

A joint venture between Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Johnson Controls and French battery manufacturer Saft Advanced Power Solutions. The companies plan to build a plant in Holland, Michigan.

A123 Systems Inc. of Watertown, Massachusetts, which on Monday said it had drawn another $70 million in capital from General Electric, plans to build a plant in Livonia. Last week, A123 announced that it would supply batteries for Chrysler LLC's upcoming line of electric vehicles.

KD Advanced Battery Group, which is a joint venture between Dow Chemical, Kokam America and Townsend Ventures, has yet to say where it would build its planned facility.

Korea's LG Chem-Compact Power, which has a contract to provide batteries for General Motors Corp.'s Volt, was awarded a $100-million tax credit package that is contingent upon additional state legislation being passed.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 14, 2009, 9:54 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, General Motors, Green Vehicles, Hybrid Technologies, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Battery Research

April 10, 2009

Feds To Speed Purchase of 17,600 Fuel-Efficient Vehicles From U.S. Automakers

Plan Includes 2,500 Hybrids and $15 million for EVs, CGN Vehicles and Hybrid Buses

Despite giving Chrysler just a month and General Motors Corp. only 60 days to finish figuring out how to save themselves without potentially devastating bankruptcy filings, the Obama administration continues showing its commitment to the U.S. auto industry by agreeing to spend $285 million to purchase 17,600 fuel-efficient vehicles from the domestic three by the end of May.

The federal vehicle purchases will include 2,500 gas-electric hybrid cars that are to be acquired by Wednesday (the same day federal income taxes are due). 2009.chevrolet.malibu hybrid.20234414-E.jpg

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Ford Fusion (top) and Chevrolet Malibu (bottom) hybrids are among the vehicles the federal government will be purchasing in coming weeks.

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In announcing the plan, President Obama said that the Government Services Agency also will spend $15 million on a pilot program to purchase and test an undisclosed number of new alternative fuel vehicles including compressed-natural gas vehicles, electric vehicles and hybrid buses.

The total isn't huge, representing only about 2 percent of last year's U.S. new car sales total and 29 percent of the government's average annual new vehicle purchases, but it will help brighten an otherwise woeful 2009 sales picture for GM, Chrysler and Ford Motor Co., the only carmakers eligible to participate in the plan.

The hybrid purchase marks the largest government order of gas-electric vehicles to date and will benefit both GM and Ford.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell April 10, 2009, 8:40 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Auto Industry Bailout

April 9, 2009

Exclusive: First Peapod Photos and Update on Planned Model Launches

Peapod 1.JPG

By Dale Buss, Contributor

These first photos of the final production version of the Peapod neighborhood electric vehicle, to be launched on Earth Day (April 22) are exclusive to Green Car Advisor.

They show a car completely in tune with designer Peter Arnell's vision of a radically new approach to the formerly dowdy, battery-powered NEV segment. Getting Peapod off the ground has been Arnell's main task for Chrysler LLC since last year when he became the company's chief innovation officer.

Peapod is meant to appeal to early-adopting city dwellers in search of stylish but limited automotive transportation. Initially, Peapod models will be classified as NEVs, which means their top speed can be only 25 mph, but Arnell has said that the company eventually wants to manufacture and market city electric vehicles, which can go faster. peapod 2.JPG

The single version of the four-seat, all-electric Peapod will retail for a suggested $12,500. It soon will be available in seven colors. The first deliveries are scheduled for October.

"It's a pretty straightforward proposition for a consumer to get their arms around," said Arnell, lead director of the Peapod Mobility Group that has been created out of GEM, Chrysler's long-time NEV subsidiary. Fargo, N.D.-based GEM is manufacturing the Peapod.

"We believe anything that plays well in the efficiency and convenience and simplicity arena with great style, and a sincere attitude toward the ecosystem, is a proposition that's very appropriate for today," Arnell told Green Car Advisor. "And at that price, it's a quality badge that you can wear easily."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 9, 2009, 3:41 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Transportation Alternatives
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler LLC

April 7, 2009

GM, Chrysler Could Be Frozen Out of Fuel-Efficient Technology Loan Program

File this bit of news in the "when it rains, it pours" category.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that, at least for now, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC are prohibited from receiving any of the $25 billion in federal loans available to help automobile manufacturers and parts suppliers retool factories in order to bolster production of fuel-efficient vehicles.

Automakers and parts suppliers have submitted $44.6 billion in loan requests. GM asked for $10.3 billion and Chrysler requested $6 billion.

This pool of funds differs from the $17.4 billion in loans that the two automakers received as part of Washington, D.C.'s massive economic stimulus package and the additional loans they are seeking. But the two pools are linked in a couple of ways.

For starters, Department of Energy rules limit the $25 billion loan pool to companies that "demonstrate a reasonable prospect" of being able to make principal and interest payments. Applicants must have "a net present value which is positive, taking all costs, existing and future, into account."

Last week, of course, the Obama administration rejected restructuring plans submitted by the two financially troubled automakers. GM was given 60 days to present a credible plan and Chrysler was given a month to complete a partnership with Fiat.

In today's edition, the Free Press quotes GM spokesman Kerry Christopher as saying that federal officials "can't give us the additional loans until all other issues are worked out." The newspaper also reports that GM is working with DOE and the Treasury Department to do just that.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 7, 2009, 10:35 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler LLC

April 6, 2009

Chrysler Picks A123 Systems To Provide Batteries for Its Planned Green Fleet

In what company executives are describing as an all-American venture, Chrysler LLC today announced that Massachusetts-based A123 Systems will provide battery packs for its first-generation ENVI extended-range hybrids and battery-only vehicles that are scheduled to start appearing in dealer showrooms in 2010.

A123 Systems is developing proprietary next-generation lithium-ion technology at its Watertown, Mass. headquarters. The company plans to open a production facility in Michigan to serve Chrysler.

A123 Systems earlier had been in the running to supply battery packs for the competing Chevrolet Volt. It also has applied for $1.84 billion in federal loans to help build out its proposed lithium-ion battery plants.

Chrysler has been talking about its extended-range and battery-only vehicles for some time. During recent automobile shows it unveiled plans for five green vehicles: the Dodge Circuit EV, Jeep Wrangler EV, Jeep Patriot EV, Chrysler Town & Country EV and a Chrysler 200C EV concept.

"The most significant challenge to electric vehicles is battery technology," Frank Klegon, Chrysler's executive vice president for product development said. "The diligent selection of strategic partners like A123 Systems helps Chrysler achieve its leadership in electric-drive systems and vehicles."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson April 6, 2009, 11:53 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Hybrid, Jeep, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: A123 Systems

March 30, 2009

Talk is Cheap: Public and Pols Need To Make Decisions, Concessions As Well

Successfully Restructuring Auto Industry Isn't Something That's Entirely Up to Detroit

There's an old Caribbean folksong in which a son calls his father's effort to explain the birds and bees "as clear as mud, but it covered the ground."

That pretty much describes the Obama administration's early direction to General Motors and Chrysler as it rejected the automakers' initial restructuring plans this morning and said they'd be given financial support for a limited period to come up with better plans.

In both cases, the President said in his televised address on the auto industry restructuring this morning, that means a plan to be economically viable while building and selling "the fuel efficient cars and trucks that will carry us to an energy independent future."

America's automakers, Obama said, should "lead the world in manufacturing the next generation of clean cars."

He covered the necessary ground, but without much clarity in terms of just how those goals are to be achieved. That's to be left it up to the automakers and the administration's auto industry restructuring team.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (5); John O'Dell March 30, 2009, 9:11 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Opinion
Technorati Tags:: Auto Industry Recovery

February 13, 2009

A Wild Card Now, 'Peapod' Could Be Key Influence on Future of NEVs

Peapod, originally by Chrysler-owned Global Electric Motorcars, is now built by a separate subsidiary.

By Dale Buss, Contributor

Executives of America's nascent NEV industry are on the edges of their little seats these days about two major, unresolved issues that will mightily influence their market in the years ahead.

One of them is obvious: the fate of electric-vehicle tax credits and other goodies included in the $789-billion federal stimulus package that is expected to be voted on and approved by Congress later today.

The other is neither as immediate nor as obvious -- but it could have just as significant an impact on the future of low-speed NEVs -- neighborhood electric vehicles.

"It" is the combination of Peter Arnell, the branding guru often associated with Chrysler, and Peapod Mobility LLC, the Chrysler-owned NEV maker that he now heads.

Arnell has designed a stylish NEV concept that looks -- well, like a smiling peapod, and a dramatic stylistic contrast to the squarishness of nearly all existing NEVs. He's the lead director of Peapod, which Chrysler just spun off from GEM, its long-established NEV market-leader.

Arnell (left) has declared that he wants to energize the NEV business by aiming Peapod at 20-somethings, who have been largely an afterthought to NEV makers.

"You know how the Beetle was the vehicle of choice for the whole '60s, the hippie revolution and everything?" he recently told Brandweek magazine. "We're hoping that this becomes the new-wave car for the younger set as well as addressing mom and her needs with her kids."

Small Footprint So Far

If Arnell and Peapod are able to elevate NEVs from a sideshow in the electric-vehicle sweepstakes into a true cultural phenomenon, the industry could be transformed.

But there's a lot of ground to cover between now and then -- and it's going to take a while in vehicles whose regulated top speed now is only 25 mph,

NEVs, of course, have been around for more than a decade. They resemble but are sturdier than golf cars, have all-electric powertrains, and can be plugged into regular 110-volt outlets for recharging. Generally, they are priced in the $10,000-$12,000 range.

All NEVs must have head- and taillights, a windshield, and other carlike features. But federal regulations limit their maximum loaded weight to 3,000 pounds and don't require all the safety systems a full-function car or truck must have.

Outfitted as cargo haulers and in other useful configurations, NEVs have become popular fleet vehicles for government agencies, college campuses, corporate complexes, parks and recreational sites, and other delivery- and maintenance-oriented customers.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell February 13, 2009, 3:15 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Plug-ins and Electric, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Neighborhood Electric Vehicles

February 10, 2009

Wagoner on Waxman and Fuel Economy: 'The Chairman Is Very Well-Informed'

It happened, just as we said it would earlier today : General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner (right ) met with Democratic Representative Henry Waxman of California, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which among other things can make life sweet or bitter for automakers doing business in the U.S.A.

GM - and Ford and Chrysler, probably all automakers come to think of it - hate being heavily regulated. For at least the past couple of decades, the Big 3 have fought efforts to regulate automotive emissions and fuel-economy standards that would force them to make cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars and trucks.

Chief among the members of Congress who've wanted tough tailpipe-emissions and fuel-economy laws is Waxman, who is a strong proponent of letting California and other states set emissions and efficiency standards, for automobiles sold in their states, that are much higher than those of the federal government.

We'd hope we'd get some colorful description of the Wagoner-Waxman sitdown, but following the meeting Waxman and his staff zippered their lips on the subject.

Wagoner spoke briefly to reporters after meeting, saying it lasted about 30 minutes in Waxman's Capitol Hill office. The discussion included talks about climate issues and other auto issues, he said.

"I appreciated the chance to sit down," Wagoner said. "Obviously, the chairman is very well-informed on the issues."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett February 10, 2009, 2:53 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

GM's CEO to Meet With Powerful Proponent of States' Drive to Set Emissions Rules

For more than half a century, Democratic Representative John Dingell of Michigan (right ) has been the Big 3's biggest lobbyist in Washington.

He has fought virtually every bill the automakers have opposed, from seatbelts and airbags to tailpipe emissions and fuel-efficiency standards.

Dingell's position as chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for 14 years - to say nothing of his other 38 years on the committee - has given him enormous influence over such matters.

Not by sheer coincidence, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler donated at least $650,000 toward his re-election efforts during his term as chairman.

Democratic Representative Henry Waxman of California has been on the same powerful committee since 1975, listening to Dingell decry efforts to regulate harmful tailpipe emissions and the like.

Waxman (left ) bided his time until this past fall, when he was able ride a national surge for change and unseat Dingell from his perch atop the committee by a close but decisive House vote.

It was a major change at the top, to put it mildly. Waxman has been so at odds with Dingell and the Big 3 that he didn't receive so much as a dollar from the automakers in all the years he served on the committee.

It's probably a fair bet that Waxman is despised by the men who run the Big 3 - or rather, the Detroit 3 now. Certainly, Waxman doesn't hold the men in high regard.

So it would be wonderful to be a fly on the wall today, overhearing what GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner (lower right) and Waxman say to one another when Wagoner pays the new chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce a visit.

Word of the meeting was supposed to be hush-hush, but it leaked out. As for the subject matter, it remains confidential.

But one thing is certain: Waxman vehemently supports efforts by California and other states to impose emissions standards that are tougher than the federal government's.

GM, Ford and Chrysler paid millions of dollars lobbying members of Congress and the Bush administration trying to crush the states' efforts. Thus far they've succeeded, but the battle isn't over.

We'll relay whatever information we're able to glean from today's Waxman-Wagoner powwow.

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett February 10, 2009, 1:01 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

February 9, 2009

Nissan Joins GM, Ford, Tesla, 71 Others Seeking U.S. Funds for Fuel-Efficient Cars

Nissan Motor Co. announced today that it is seeking a federal loan under a U.S. program for fuel-efficient autos.

The decision means that it is competing for U.S. funds with numerous American companies, including General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and electric-car start-up Tesla Motors Inc.

The announcement came the same day as Nissan, Japan's third-largest automaker, said it intended to cut more than 20,000 jobs worldwide and shift production out of Japan as part of a broad new effort to weather the economic downturn.

Nissan, which suffered a net loss of $908 million for the quarter that ended in December, today projected a $1.92 billion operating loss for its year ending in March.

As for the federal loan, the U.S. Department of Energy may disburse some of the $25 billion in low-cost loans to successful applicants in coming weeks, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Friday.

Rules for the program were set in November and the agency received 75 applications for projects totaling $38 billion, Energy Department spokesman Phil West said. Of those, only 26 were "substantially complete," he said.

U.S. officials notified Nissan that its application met initial requirements, and the request entered the second of four approval stages, according to Alan Buddendeck, Nissan's U.S. vice president of communications.

Unlike the $17.4 billion in emergency federal loans GM and Chrysler LLC won to avoid bankruptcy, the $25 billion are part of 2007 legislation creating tougher fuel-efficiency rules. Any manufacturer can apply as long as the money is used to make autos at U.S. factories that produce cars with at least 25 percent better fuel economy.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett February 9, 2009, 3:12 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

February 3, 2009

Washington Auto Show Gives Carmakers Opportunity to Lobby Like Crazy

The auto industry gets a great opportunity to lobby some key congressional and administration officials this week as the Washington auto show gets underway, and by all accounts industry executives aren't missing a step.

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Rep. Ed Markey sits in Chevrolet Volt display at Washington auto show as Tony Posawatz, the GM executive in charge of the car, fields his questions.

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The theme of the show is "Driven by the Environment," which is a great political promise even if the evidence doesn't always point that way, and there are a host of floor displays pointing out the things automakers are doing to green up their product lines.

Officialdom is using the show's proximity to the Capitol to see first-hand what's up (although, political reality being what it is, the political types will be shown around by auto industry execs and will hear - and see - things through an industry-provided filter).

So far, Rep. Ed Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat who chairs the select committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming , and Carol Browner, director of the White House Office on Energy and Climate Change both have visited the show and been wooed, especially by General Motors.

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Carol Browner, the administration's energy and climate change guru, listens as GM global design chief Ed Welburn (right) talks about the Chevrolet Spark economy car.

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GM, which soon has to validate its eligibility for billions in federal bailout loans (as will Chrysler) is showing off the upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid - for the ten-gazillionth time - and the fuel-efficient Chevy Spark subcompact that made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show.

Also scheduled to walk the show floor this week are Ray LaHood, the new Transportation Secretary, and Lisa Jackson, just confirmed as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell February 3, 2009, 1:11 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Chevrolet, Chrysler, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: CAFE

January 20, 2009

Chrysler-Fiat Pact Good News for Fuel Economy, Emissions - If Chrysler Survives

Looks as though Chrysler has found someone interested in it for purposes other than picking the meat from its bones.

Italy's Fiat, itself just recently recovered from a near-death experience (remember just four years ago, when GM, worried that Fiat was close to collapse, paid $2 billion to walk away from an option to buy the company?) has signed a deal for a strategic partnership with Chrysler.

No money is expected to change hands, but the strategic partnership agreement opens each company's product, intellectual and marketing resources for the other to dip into.

We'll leave it to our colleagues at Edmunds' AutoObserver to opine on the business sense of a cashless deal that apparently leaves Chrysler still looking for several billions of dollars to make it through 2009.

But we're heartened by the proposition that, if the beleaguered third member of the U.S. auto-making industry does survive, its tie-up with Fiat could bring a whole new batch of fun to drive, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly cars to our shores.

Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealerships in the U.S. could become outlets for upscale Alfa Romeos and the economical (40+ mpg) Fiat 500 mini-car (right) - the European Car of the Year in 2008.

Fiat isn't likely to be too interested in Chrysler's cars, but the company has underused factories in the U.S. that Fiat can use, and it provides the Italian company easier entry to this market than it would have had going it alone.

Chrysler also would benefit from Fiat's know-how in building small engines that deliver both fuel economy and performance - expertise Chrysler seems to be missing.

And who knows, maybe there's a secret lust for Dodge Ram duallies and Chrysler 300s in Fiat's European markets.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 20, 2009, 8:24 AM
Categories:: Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Fiat, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

January 15, 2009

GM Says Detroit 3 Partnership Great for U.S., but Draws Line on Sharing Technology

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

General Motors, Chrysler and Ford bet on the wrong horses, so to speak, regarding the kind of vehicles they made in recent years. They made ones that, generally speaking, guzzled gas and left the automakers enormously vulnerable to a sudden rise in the price of gasoline.

But American politicians, being the reelection-driven creatures that they are, weren't about to let any of the Detroit automakers go under. GM and Chrysler received bailouts. Ford hasn't asked for funds, but it has submitted a request asking that funds be on hand should they want them.

The pitch American taxpayers have been expected to swallow in exchange for billions in taxpayer dollars is that GM, Chrysler and Ford are doing everything possible now to make cars and trucks that are fuel efficient or don't require gasoline or diesel at all.

If they do this, as they have promised, they'll produce vehicles that people will want to buy, which is good for the U.S. economy, and that are cleaner burning, which is good for the planet.

Whether it's a deal you or I wanted is immaterial now. It will be a good deal for us if the automakers live up to their promise. But an entry on GM's Fastlane Blog Wednesday suggests that GM, Chrysler and Ford won't be doing everything possible to make those wonderful green cars.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (5); Scott Doggett January 15, 2009, 12:01 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Bailout

January 12, 2009

Detroit Auto Show: Chrysler Debuts PHEV Concept With 40-Mile All-Electric Range

Chrysler held the spotlight at the Detroit Auto Show for more than a solid half an hour Sunday with the unveiling of its 200C EV plug-in hybrid electric concept vehicle.

The "performance sedan" is capable of traveling up to 40 miles on battery-only power, company spokesmen said, producing zero tailpipe emissions in the process.

After that distance, an onboard gasoline generator fires up and supplies electricity to the battery, extending the fuel-efficient vehicle's driving range to 400 miles between charges and refills. An electric motor provides all of the vehicle's propulsion.

Frank Klegon, the company's executive vice president of product development, as well as other Chrysler executives and spokespeople, did not go into detail describing the concept's powertrain. Instead, they focused on the vehicle's lovely design.

Given that General Motors doesn't expect to profit from the similarly propelled Chevrolet Volt for at a couple of years after launch, and given Chrysler's worse financial shape, we'd be a little surprised if the 200C EV makes it to market, but we hope it does.

As is often the case with concepts, no price, estimated mileage or launch date was provided.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett January 12, 2009, 2:42 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Detroit Auto Show

January 10, 2009

Detroit Auto Show: Chrysler Adds Jeep Patriot Extended-Range EV to ENVI Stable

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Chrysler, which so far has shown us an electric sports car, an extended-range hybrid minivan and an extended-range hybrid Jeep Wrangler to prove that its green division is hard at work and that the company knows that the future isn't in hemi-V8s, has added a fourth vehicle to its electric lineup.

Just in time for the North American International Auto Show (ta dah!), Chrysler's ENVI unit has retrofitted a Jeep Patriot crossover utility vehicle with an electric drive hybrid system that uses a small gasoline engine to generate juice when the battery pack's initial charge is depleted.

ENVI, for those who don't know, is Chrysler's greenworks. Its name comes from the first four letters of "environmental" and not from Chrysler's feelings about Toyota and others that jumped on the alternative fuels and powerplants bandwagon long before Chrysler figured out which way the circus was heading.

Anyhow, the Jeep Patriot EV, pictured above, is just a concept. Chrysler says that one of the EVs its engineers at ENVI are working on will be put into production in 2010, but hasn't let slip yet which it will be (we're leaning toward the Dodge EV sports car, which has just been renamed the Dodge Circuit).

The Patriot uses a 150-kilowatt electric motor rated at 200 horsepower and boasts a top speed slightly in excess of 100 mpg, Chrysler says.

When it is officially introduced at the auto show in Detroit today, it will wear a green paint job that Chrysler calls "ENVI Green Pearl." And, of course, the gi-normous "EV" logo that's splashed across the sides of all four of Chrysler's EV concepts.

The marketing guys in Auburn Hills must have figured that if it's a green car it really ought to be a green car and have repainted the other Jeep extended-range EV, a Wrangler, the same shade. It was white with giant chromed EV logos when it was in LA - land of bling.

But then, Chrysler has done up the Town and Country extended-range minivan in a deep gray - Liquid Graphite Pearl, to be precise - and the Dodge Circuit is tangerine, or "Tangoreen," so maybe it is only Jeeps that gotta be green to show that they are.

Anyhow, like the other extended range EVs Chrysler unveiled back in September and first publicly showed in November at the LA auto show, the Patriot EV uses a lithium-ion battery pack - Chrysler still hasn't said who the supplier is - and can travel up to 40 miles on all-electric power from a fully charged battery.

After that, the small gas engine kicks on to continue generating electricity to feed the electric motor, which is what drives the wheels.

By the time the fuel in the tank runs dry, Chrysler says its extended-range EVs can tick off 400 miles on their odometers.

And then you just fill 'er up at the first convenient gas station and you can keep driving until you have time to stop and plug-in the batteries for a recharge that will take several hours.

That's if Chrysler makes it out of the deep financial morass it's slogging around in these days, and, once out, actually pushes forward with its apparent commitment to electricity as the gasoline of the future.

The whole ENVI family: Jeep Wrangler and Patriot, Town and Country and Dodge Circuit EVs.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 10, 2009, 9:10 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Chrysler, Dodge, Hybrid, Jeep, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler EVs

Detroit Auto Show: Dodge EV Concept Gets Real Name, New Color

In what could be a clue as to which of its electric vehicle concepts Chrysler is thinking of moving into its production plan for 2010, the carmaker has given the formerly bumblebee-striped and unimaginatively named Dodge EV a new color scheme, a distinctively Dodge grille and a new moniker.

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Now called the Circuit, Dodge's tangerine-colored electric sports car looks more Mopar than it did in its yellow-and-black days as the plain ol' Dodge EV at the LA auto show.
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The Lotus-based two-seater is now the Dodge Circuit, and it has been repainted a color the marketing geniuses at Dodge are calling "tangoreen" but which looks pretty much like the international orange a lot of Dodge muscle cars have sported over the years.

The rest of the package is the same as was shown with the yellow-and-black version at the LA auto show in November, as far as we can tell from material Dodge gave us in advance of the North American International Auto Show's opening media preview session Sunday, where the Circuit will make its debut.

The basics: a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack and 200 kilowatt electric motor good for 268 horsepower; top speed a little north of 120 mph; 0-60 in less than 5 seconds, and range between charges of 150-200 miles, depending on how the car is driven.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 10, 2009, 9:01 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chrysler, Dodge, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Detroit Auto Show

Jewel of a Deal: Army Orders 4,000 Low-Speed EVs From Chrysler's GEM

Struggling Chrysler's electric vehicle subsidiary, Global Electric Motorcars, has won a valuable contract to supply 4,000 of its low-speed EVs (right) to the U.S. Army for use on bases around the country.

The contract comes a few weeks after the the U.S. Army command in Europe rejected small EVs after testing a trio from GEM. An Army spokesman in Germany said the test uncovered maintenance and range limitations.

But the U.S. military services already had announced in November that they would collectively be ordering at least 10,000 low-speed EVs from a variety of suppliers in coming years for use on North American military installations.

The GEM EVs will be leased for six years, with the first batch to be shipped in April from GEM's factory in Fargo, N.D.

The deal represents the largest single order for GEM, which has leased or sold 38,000 electric vehicles in the decade since it was founded.

Rechargeable GEM vehicles are so-called neighborhood EVs with top speed limited to 25 mph. They are legal on public roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 10, 2009, 8:28 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler Electric Vehicles

January 9, 2009

Detroit Auto Show Forecast: Gloomy, But With Flurries of Green

(Note: Article updated after initial posting to include Lexus hybrid)

The upcoming North American International Auto Show in snowy Detroit - media preview days begin Sunday and the show opens to the public on Jan. 17 - is likely to be a pretty glum affair, what with the auto industry imploding and the prospect of many people really being interested in buying a new car right now ranking right up there with being interested in having wisdom teeth pulled sans anesthesia.

But carmakers are trying, and what most are trying hardest with is fuel efficiency and alternatives to the thirsty, greenhouse-gas spewing cars and trucks of the past.

Oh, there will be speedsters and factory-built hot rods on display at the show - Ford Motor Co., for example, will unveil the 540-horsepower 2010 Shelby GT500 Mustang and Audi will be showing a 525-horsepower, V10-version of its exotic R8 sports car.

But most attention will be focused on advanced technology cars such as the 2010 Prius hybrid (right) and the battery-electric city car concept that Toyota will show, Honda's Prius-fighting 2009 Insight hybrid and concepts such as the all-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel -cell electric trio, collectively called Concept Zero, that Mercedes-Benz will unveil.

Beyond the cars, the show's media preview will spotlight industry executives who will be delivering news about their companies' green futures.

Most notably, Toyota is expected to outline its hybrid and electric-vehicle strategies for the next few years and Ford is expected to discuss its plans for a stable of future EVs, starting with a commercial truck it plans to launch in 2010.

Green Car Advsior, along with Edmunds Auto Observer, Edmunds Inside Line and Edmunds.com, will be covering the show 's media days and bringing you timely reports, but we thought we'd also offer a preview today of the major green vehicles that will be displayed and discussed.

Green Preview

So, by manufacturer, here they are:

Audi
Volkswagen's upscale stablemate is expected to announce plans for its upcoming U.S. diesel lineup. So far, the company has said it will launch a 3-liter diesel version of its Q7 SUV (right) later this year and has broached the possibility of a diesel A4. We'll know more after Audi's Sunday afternoon press conference.

BMW
The pride of Bavaria will discuss the X5 and 3-Series diesels it plans to bring to the U.S., perhaps supplying us with some performance and fuel economy numbers as well as a marketing time-line.

Chevrolet
Nothing big here, unless the General decides to announce the upcoming Volt plug-in hybrid's pricing and/or the battery suppliers.

The Chevy vehicle that gets officially introduced at the show is the redesigned 2010 Equinox crossover (right), which will come with a new six-speed automatic and a fuel-efficient, direct-injection four-banger expected to deliver 182 horsepower (almost as much as the '08 model's base V6) and highway fuel economy of 30 miles per gallon.

Chrysler
The company has three brands that it has tied together for car show purposes with a trio of concept electric vehicles.

Chrysler EV trio - 300.JPG Those to be displayed in Detroit are further refined versions of the Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep EVs originally unveiled last September and first shown publicly at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November.

By brand, they are the Chrysler EV, an extended-range electric version of the town and Country minivan; the Jeep EV, a gas-electric Wrangler; and the Dodge EV, a Lotus-based, bumblebee-striped battery-electric sports car that would look great in the garage next to an electric Tesla Roadster.

Chrysler has said that it will bring one of the cars to market in 2010, but hasn't said which or in what kind of numbers. Maybe that's what we'll hear at the show.

Fisker
The nascent plug-in-hybrid company headed by, and named for, noted auto designer Henrik Fisker (BMW, Aston Martin, Fisker Coachbuild), will show the production version of it first proposed vehicle, the Fisker Karma sports sedan (right) that it unveiled to great interest at last year's Detroit show. Fisker also will unveil a new version - a convertible, we suspect - caled the Karma S.

Like the Chevy Volt, the Karma uses an on-board internal combustion engine to generate power to keep its electric motors turning the wheels.

Ford
We expect a discussion of the company's electric vehicle strategy, perhaps with a teaser glimpse or two of potential future offerings and a look at the commercial truck the company has said it will launch in 2010.

Honda
The news here will be the unveiling of the production version 2009 Insight hybrid (right) , a sub $20,000, five-seater Honda hopes will finally, finally, pump its hybrid sales up into Prius territory.

We're expected to hear a lot of technical detail and, perhaps, even a firmer price for the car, which looks in pictures a bit like the Prius it's designed to battle.

Lexus
Toyota's luxury unit will reveal its first stand-alone hybrid model, a small car that is based off the upcoming 2010 Prius.

Although it is not unusual - its pretty common, even - for photos of new models to leak out before their official unveiling, the best we've been able to come up with for the new Lexus hybrid is this rendering (left) published in a Japanese auto magazine a few months ago.

Mercedes-Benz
The covers will come off a trio of EV concepts from Daimler's luxe brand. All use the same swoopy, sport wagon-ish body (below right) - a design that also shows where Mercedes is heading with the compact B-Class replacement due in 2010 and, perhaps, headed for the U.S.

The so-called Concept Zero family consists of the E-Cell, a battery-electric with a range of about 60 miles; the E-Cell Plus, a plug-in hybrid that uses a 3-cylinder gas engine-generator to extend the range of its batteries when the initial charge is depleted (think Chevy Volt), and the F-Cell, which uses a hydrogen fuel-cell to produce electricity on-board by combining hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel-cell stack. Range is about 125 miles. Mercedes says the E-Cell Plus can go almost 400 miles on an overnight battery charge and a tank of gas.

Toyota
The company whose name has become synonymous with 'hybrid" is introducing the redesigned 2010 Prius at the show, but photos of the car leaked out weeks ago and you've got to believe that anyone who's interested has already seen it. What will be news, of course, are the specifications and performance numbers.

The other biggie on the product front from Toyota will be the unveiling of a concept electric vehicle, probably called the FT-EV if the company's previous auto show naming practices prevail (that would stand for "future technology-electric vehicle").

The car, believed to be built on a current Toyota subcompact chassis, is the company's effort to give us a look at what a Toyota-built battery-electric EV for short-range urban driving might look like if the company does, as it has said it would, put an EV into its retail fleet in 2012.

Not The End

And, of course - Detroit being Detroit - there likely will be a surprise or two. So consider this list a starter, not a definitive catalog.

China's BYD, for instance, will be there with the plug-in-hybrid (left) it launched in its home market a few weeks ago, beating the big boys like GM and Toyota to the punch by a matter of, oh, a year or two. Who knows what the company - whose name is an acronym for Build Your Dreams and whose future is being backed by investment whiz Warren Buffett - will do next? We might find out as the Detroit show rolls along.

We'll be back when media days begin on Sunday to keep you up-to-date.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); John O'Dell January 9, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Audi, Auto Shows, BMW, BYD, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fisker, Ford, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Green Vehicles, Honda, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Detroit Auto Show

January 8, 2009

A123 Systems Seeks $1.8 Billion Federal Loan For EV Battery Factories in U.S.

By John ODell, Senior Editor

Advanced automotive battery developer A123 Systems has plunged into the government funding pool with an application for $1.84 billion in loans to help build several lithium-ion battery plants in the U.S.
The 7-year-old company is seeking the loans from the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicles program recently funded by Congress.

The so-called retooling loans are available to help automakers and automotive parts and components makers retool existing plants or build new ones dedicated to building more fuel-efficient vehicles.

In a statement issued Wednesday, A123 said that, if granted, the loans would help it "dramatically expand production capacity" to supply battery systems for up to 5 million conventional hybrid vehicles or 500,000 plug-in hybrids a year by 2013.

Fierce Competition

The company is one of dozens, in the U.S. and abroad, racing to develop powerful, reliable battery systems that will underpin the new generation of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles being worked on by automakers around the globe.

A123 Systems uses a proprietary nanophosphate chemistry to produce lithium-ion batteries. It's technology builds on work initially done by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where one of the company's three co-founders is a professor. Another is an MIT business school graduate.

The Massachusetts-based company was in a "quiet period" imposed by securities regulators prior to its proposed initial public offering and would not make any executives available for comment.

But in Wednesday's prepared statement, company CEO David Vieau said the auto industry is "entering a new phase...where we increase the electrification of vehicles, reducing consumption of gasoline though advanced batteries."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 8, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Ford, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Think
Technorati Tags:: A123Systems Seeks Federal Loan

December 30, 2008

Jetting to D.C. To Seek Bailout $$ Lands Auto CEOs Atop Year's Dumb Moves Lists

Automotive News ranks the maiden journey of the Detroit Big Three CEOs to Washington to beg for bailout funds as second on its list of the 10 top automotive blunders of the year.

But Fortune magazine, even though surveying things with a bit more detachment, puts that ill-fated trip at No. 1 on its list of the year's top blunders in all business segments.

We tend to agree with Fortune, which calls its list the "dumbest moments" review.

Having to go hat-in-hand to D.C. to ask Congress for help was bad enough, but to fly there in private corporate jets and then to have the gall to complain that you are running out of money - well, it takes a stunning degree of political and public relations naivetÃ© to do that.

There are, of course, valid arguments for sending your top dogs out on private jets. They can work undisturbed while in the air, get to where they are going in the minimum amount of time, arrive fresh and clear-headed and ready to go to bat for the company, and get home and back to the grind without having to loiter at the airport for hours waiting for a scheduled commercial flight.

But if they had to fly, for Pete's sake, couldn't they at least have jet-pooled? Did no one in their PR departments warn them, or are they so full of themselves they just couldn't see how insufferably pompous they looked?

(If you are wondering, for its top automotive industry blunder, Automotive News picked the fact that GM and Chrysler waited until they were nearly out of cash before seeking federal aid. We think that was probably a wise move - it would have been difficult to persuade Congress to act while there still was money in the bank.)

Fortune wasn't satisfied with lambasting GM's Rick Wagoner, Chrysler's Bob Nardelli and Ford's Alan Mulally for flying to D.C. to seek an auto industry bailout.

For its second-dumbest business blunder of the year, it again picked on the automakers-in-chief, this time for choosing to use their companies' hybrid cars for cross-country drives to D.C. on their second, and ultimately successful, trip to implore Congress for a financial rescue.

That ranking we don't agree with.

It seems that Fortune's gripe is that Chrysler's Nardelli made the drive in one of the company's Dodge Aspen two-mode hybrids, a car that had just been ordered dropped from the company's 2009 lineup.

We think the three should have drawn straws and carpooled in the hybrid from the company run by the guy with the short straw, but we don't think that the trip rates as the second-dumbest move made in the business world last year.

Not even close.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (6); John O'Dell December 30, 2008, 1:39 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Opinion
Technorati Tags:: Auto Industry Bailout

December 22, 2008

Economic Downturn Will Test Obama's Vision for an Energy-Efficient Auto Industry

President-elect Barack Obama leveled a stern warning at General Motors and Chrysler last week after the federal government promised them billions to help them survive: "The auto companies must not squander this chance to reform bad management practices."

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President-elect Obama on next week's cover of Time.
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Once he takes office, the bailout will give him a tool to prod the industry to change, but it will also test his resolve as he pushes it in new directions.

Obama, after all, has been thinking out loud about the future of the American automobile industry for years, well before his presidential campaign began. He co-sponsored two bills in 2006, during his second year as a U.S. senator -- one to raise fuel economy standards, and the other to encourage the use of alternative fuels.

His writings and speeches on the auto industry suggest a keen interest in finding ways, including new technology, to improve the fuel efficiency of the cars and trucks that Americans drive.

But with Detroit in a fragile financial state, it is unclear how many compromises he will have to make in pursuing his agenda for the auto industry, as he juggles other priorities such as providing a stimulus program for the broader economy, The New York Times reported Sunday. The United Automobile Workers union, which backed Obama, will want a say in the changes he envisions for the automakers.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett December 22, 2008, 1:01 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation, Tax Incentives
Technorati Tags:: Bailout

December 19, 2008

GM, Chrysler Insist They Are Proceeding With Green Plans Despite Product Delays

Chevy Volt.jpg By Scott Doggett and John O'Dell

During weeks leading up to today's bailout decision, Detroit's automakers insisted that short of a complete collapse they were continuing with their major green initiatives because they finally understand that increased fuel efficiency, clean emissions and sustainability are critical to their long-term survival.

However, General Motors and Chrysler -- both of which today received approval for federal bridge loans, while Ford continues to await a decision on a request for a line of credit -- have delayed specific programs as they prepare to battle for survival during the global economic slump.

For GM, that included delaying construction of a factory in Flint, Michigan, where the engine for the upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid sedan is to be made.

And Chrysler, which has promised to field a battery-electric car in 2010 and says it is also developing plug-in hybrids, was close to financial meltdown, putting those plans in jeopardy.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 19, 2008, 11:56 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Cruze

December 17, 2008

Small Cars Improve in Crash Tests Overall, but They Suffer Big Hit in Side Impacts

Small cars fare better in crashes than they used to, but they still lag behind larger vehicles in protecting passengers. Their disadvantages are especially clear in side-impact crashes.

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Chrysler's PT Cruiser did poorly in the side-impact test.
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Of the nine small cars recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, all received the group's top rating of "good" in frontal crashes, but only two got good ratings when broadsided.

The Insurance Institute tested nine small cars for the 2009 model year in front, side and rear collisions. The group included the BMW Mini Cooper, Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4, as well as the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe, which are essentially the same vehicle sold under two brand names.

Only the SX4 and Matrix, and its twin the Vibe, received good ratings for protection in side crashes. The Ford and Chevrolet were judged acceptable in side-impact protection, while the Hyundai and Saturn were marginal and the Chrysler was poor.

Only the Ford Focus was top-rated in rear-impact crashes that test how well the vehicles' seats and head restraints protect passengers. The Chrysler PT Cruiser was the worst performer, with poor ratings for side and rear protection.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 17, 2008, 1:17 PM
Categories:: BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hyundai, MINI, Mitsubishi, Pontiac, Saturn, Scion, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: BMW Mini Cooper

December 10, 2008

Tesla Says It Won't Make Sedan or Build Factory Without $350 Million in Federal Aid

The fate of Tesla Motors' next generation all-electric sedan rests in the same pot of federal money lawmakers want to use to bail out General Motors and Chrysler.

The maker of the $109,000 Roadster electric sports car (right) is seeking $350 million in low-interest government loans to develop a $57,499 four-door plug-in electric sedan tentatively called the Model S, CEO Elon Musk told Bloomberg news service Tuesday. The company won't build a planned $250 million manufacturing facility in San Jose, California, for the new car without the aid, he said.

You may recall that on Nov. 21 we reported that the young Silicon Valley electric-vehicle maker had applied for about $400 million of a multi-billion government loan package designed to help automakers produce more efficient vehicles and meet new fuel economy standards.

And, you may recall that on Nov. 3 we reported that Tesla's directors had approved $40 million in convertible-debt financing to step up production of the Roadster and the Model S and to expand its battery-electric powertrain sales unit. We were told that most of Tesla's major investors had pledged a combined $40 million to ensure that amount would be met.

But according to Bloomberg, Musk said the recently completed $40 million debt offering "wasn't very easy."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett December 10, 2008, 9:39 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Bailout

December 9, 2008

Automotive Bailout Talks Heat Up Over States' Desire to Regulate Tailpipe Emissions

greenhouse gases.jpg Congressional Democrats crafting an auto industry bailout are pushing to include language requiring carmakers to drop their legal challenge to an attempt by more than a dozen states to regulate climate-changing emissions from motor vehicles.

A Democratic draft bill would require that Detroit carmakers who receive a portion of the bailout to drop their lawsuit against state efforts to enforce greenhouse-gas tailpipe restrictions on cars and trucks. The bill would prevent the carmakers from participating in "any legal challenge (existing or contemplated) to state laws concerning greenhouse-gas emission standards."

Longtime supporters of California's request for a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce such restrictions, which when granted would permit other state's to adopt California's car-emissions rules, are promoting the provision. Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California, who heads the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, is among them.

One of the reasons the auto industry is in trouble is their fight against the waiver, Boxer told reporters Monday. Meeting California's tougher-than-federal emissions standards is in the automakers' best interests, she said.

But Republicans and auto industry supporters say the provision is unnecessary and counterproductive.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett December 9, 2008, 11:52 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chrysler, Courts, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

December 8, 2008

Ford Hybrid, Fuel-Efficient Diesels From BMW, VW Make Ward's Best-Engines List

Ward's Automotive Group has announced its 15th annual 10 Best Engines list, which "reflects the diversity of 2009 powertrains that will play a role in reshaping America's automotive landscape."

The winning engines were selected by editors for Ward's, publisher of automotive trade magazines since 1924.

Thirty-two engines were considered this year. Eligibility requirements included: Availability in a regular-production U.S.-specification model on sale no later than first-quarter 2009. And, the engine must be in a vehicle priced no more than $54,000 (a price cap indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle).

The winners by manufacturer, engine and vehicle tested:

Audi; 2.0-liter TFSI (Turbocharged Fuel Stratified Injection) DOHC (double overhead camshaft) I-4 (inline 4-cylinder); A4 Avant
BMW; 3.0-liter turbocharged DOHC I-6; 135i coupe
BMW; 3.0-liter DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel; 335d sedan
Chrysler; 5.7-liter Hemi OHV (overhead valves) V-8 (a V-shaped engine with eight cylinders); Dodge Ram truck/Challenger R/T large car
Ford; 2.5-liter DOHC I-4 HEV (hybrid electric vehicle); Escape Hybrid SUV
General Motors; 3.6-liter DOHC V-6; Cadillac CTS sedan
Honda; 3.5-liter SOHC (single overhead camshaft) V-6; Accord coupe
Hyundai; 4.6-liter DOHC V-8; Genesis sedan
Toyota; 3.5-liter DOHC V-6; Lexus IS 350 sedan
Volkswagen; 2.0-liter SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel; Jetta TDI sedan

The diesel engines from VW and BMW and the engine from the Ford Escape Hybrid all got better than 30 miles per gallon during Ward's testing and often topped 40 mpg, said Tom Murphy, executive editor of Ward's AutoWorld magazine.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 8, 2008, 6:18 PM
Categories:: Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Diesel, Dodge, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Hyundai, Lexus, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Audi A4 Avant

Detroit's Second Trip to D.C., by Autos Instead of Jets, Still Not Very Fuel-Efficient

As she watched the chief executives of the Big Three American automakers drive to Washington to plead for a bailout last week, Libby Rosenthal could not help noticing the gas mileage of the "fuel-efficient" vehicles they used to make the trip from Detroit to demonstrate their green goodwill weren't all that fuel-efficient.

In a short piece published in The New York Times today, the regular contributor noticed that Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli chose to ride in a Chrysler Aspen Hybrid (pictured). That model, she correctly stated, gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and 22 mpg on the highway (and, though it launched only months ago, has already been discontinued due to low demand).

Alan Mulally of Ford arrived in an Escape Hybrid SUV (34/31 mpg city/highway), and General Motors' Rick Wagoner arrived in a Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid sedan (26/34 mpg city/high).

"What's wrong with this picture?" she asked. "For starters, although these vehicles may be hybrids, by any real-world standard they are not particularly fuel-efficient. Hybrid technology can only do so much to improve the gas mileage of a huge, heavy, overpowered car."

Ouch. She offers a reality check for those who would like to compare: The Toyota Prius -- a hybrid -- 48/45 mpg city/highway.

And she alludes to a claim by Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman for global product development, that meeting the federal fuel-economy standards included in the 2007 energy bill would cost the consumer an additional $6,000 per car, on average. Seems like a lot of money, given the plethora of cars on the global market right now that best the fuel-economy mandate.

Traveling by not-so-efficient automobiles instead of a corporate jet -- the mode of transportation the three CEOs chose last month when they first came to Washington to plead for taxpayer dollars -- was a change for the better. But, she writes, it still shows how far American automakers have to go to match what's being done elsewhere around the globe.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (5); Scott Doggett December 8, 2008, 12:29 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Alan Mulally

New Gas Tax to Boost Fuel Efficiency a 'Mistake,' Obama Says, Favoring Incentives

President-elect Barack Obama opposes boosting taxes on gasoline to keep consumers away from gas-guzzlers and to raise funds for alternative energy programs.

"Putting additional burdens on American families right now I think is a mistake," Obama said during a "Meet the Press" interview with Tom Brokaw that aired Sunday, citing the current jobs and housing woes.

"What we have to do long-term is make sure that we have an energy strategy that focuses on fuel-efficient cars, that focuses on providing incentives for fuel-efficient cars. Same applies to buildings," Obama added, noting he plans to make building efficiency part of an upcoming stimulus plan.

Brokaw asked the president-elect about bumping gasoline back to $4 per gallon to fund alternative energy and to signal to consumers that the days of filling the tank cheaply are gone.

Some energy experts, including New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, support a gasoline price "floor" to keep drivers and automakers away from SUVs and similar vehicles, and to prevent new technologies from being undercut by falling energy prices.

Gasoline prices have dropped sharply in recent weeks and months, and Sunday the national average was $1.73 per gallon, far below the peak average of more than $4.11 per gallon last July.

Obama supports higher investments in alternative fuels and vehicle technologies, incentives for fuel-efficient cars and increasing the corporate average fuel economy standards for cars and trucks.

Click Video to watch the videotaped interview. Or, read the entire transcript of the show, or go to the next page to read just the portion that pertains to the automotive industry.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 8, 2008, 11:37 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Bailout

December 5, 2008

It's Detroit's Invaluable Green Automotive Technologies That Are at Stake, Congress

A lot has been written in recent days about the job losses and economic damage that would result if Washington chooses not to offer the General Motors, Ford and Chrysler financial aid.

James E. Malackowski, president of a merchant bank specializing in intellectual property financial products and services in Chicago, says there's something else at stake.

In an opinion piece published in The Detroit News this week, Malackowski states that the value of the automakers' green technologies is great and would likely be lost to the U.S. if they went out of business.

"There is far more at stake in this debate than just the future of Detroit and the U.S. auto industry," he wrote. "The fate of vital green and energy intellectual properties is at risk, too. When it comes to the Big 3, it's the technology, Congress."

The piece is well worth the time it takes to read it. It can be viewed by clicking on DetNews.com or by going to the next page.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett December 5, 2008, 2:41 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

December 3, 2008

Automakers, DOE Award Battery Technology Development Contract to Celgard

The U.S. Department of Energy and a consortium made up of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler today announced the award of a $2.3 million contract for battery technology development to Celgard , a global supplier of material for lithium-ion batteries that is located in Charlotte, N.C.

Battery separators are electronically insulating membranes that prevent the battery from overheating and increase battery power and capacity. The more advanced the separators, the better they are able to perform these functions.

Celgard was given the 18-month contract to advance lithium-ion battery separator technology for hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle applications. The work is totally in keeping with the mission of the United States Advanced Battery Consortium, which is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that support the commercialization of fuel cell, hybrid and electric vehicles.

The Energy Department is involved in the work because its overarching mission is to advance America's national, economic and energy security. Transportation technologies that reduce the nation's use of imported oil is seen as increasing America's energy security.

Plus, the department has identified electrochemical energy storage as a critical enabling technology for advanced, fuel-efficient, light- and heavy-duty vehicles. By supporting that research and development, the department supports the U.S. automotive industry, which it views as important to the economic security of the country.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 3, 2008, 11:47 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Chrysler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Battery

December 2, 2008

Chrysler CEO, Seeking $7 Billion From Congress, Has Big Plans for Electric Vehicles

Chrysler today submitted a plan requested by Congress detailing its business case for receiving government funding as part of a bailout for the struggling auto industry.

The Chrysler Viability Plan.pdf seems to some of us to paint a picture of a corporation that's struck an iceberg and may soon reach its final resting place, deep under water, despite the valiant efforts of its captain.

The captain would, of course, be Robert Nardelli (left), chairman and CEO of Chrysler, author of the company's viability plan. If he manages to get the $7 billion he says the company needs by the end of this month, he seems to feel he might just keep the thing afloat.

"The company believes this request is the least costly alternative considering the options we face," he writes in the last paragraph of the plan. "It provides the least detrimental effect on human capital and the stimulus necessary to prevent further economic decline, if not outright economic depression."

Reads like an obituary, which of course we hope it's not. That "human capital" to which he refers are people. The detriment: their sudden unemployment, their wounded self-esteem, fears, perhaps, of being out on the street with few prospects.

But if he gets his money--actually, he states that he would work for free--as well as $8.5 billion in low cost loans Chrysler is seeking from the Department of the Energy, he wrote that we can all expect green things to come from Chrysler.

They are: introducing the company's first full-function electric-drive model by 2010; making 50 percent of the Chrysler product line flex-fuel capable by 2012; and, producing 500,000 electric vehicles by 2013.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 2, 2008, 5:41 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chrysler, Emissions, Flex-Fuel, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

Death of Chrysler-Getrag Transmission Deal a Fuel Economy Disaster Says Analyst

The demise of Chrysler's dual-clutch transmission venture with Germany's Getrag has analysts at Global insight worried both about the troubled automaker's ability to hit tough new U.S. fuel efficiency rules and its apparent willingness to sue everyone in sight.

Collapse of the joint venture - which left a nearly completed transmission plant in Indiana standing empty and Chrysler suing Getrag over funding - means Chrysler will concentrate on refining its existing six-speed automatic transmission rather than using the more fuel-efficient dual-clutch trans in future products.

In a morning briefing by analysts in its London office, economic and business consulting firm Global insight opines that the situation "is a disaster" for Chrysler as the new transmissions had been expected to help the car company achieve a six percent fuel economy improvement.

That would have been helpful as new federal CAFE rules will require an average improvement of at least 4 percent a year starting in 2011.

The automaker likely will be able to squeeze a bit more fuel efficiency out of its six-speed transmissions, but not as much as it would have gotten from the dual-clutch models, which minimize power loss between shifts.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell December 2, 2008, 3:24 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

December 1, 2008

Electric Vehicle Charger Company Says Sales Arm Now Reaches 28 States

EV charger manufacturer Coulomb Technologies, which recently announced that it has orders for 40 of its networked charging stations to be installed along major traffic corridors in California, says it now has established distributorships that cover 28 states with plans to expand into all 50.

Coulomb, headquartered in Northern California, is displaying its wirelessly linked charging stations at the Electric Drive Transportation Assn.'s annual conference in Washington, D.C. this week.

The company's "Smartlet" stations supply current at a variety of voltages for battery-electric and pug-in hybrid vehicles. Station users' would use prepaid accounts that would be debited via a wireless transaction when they access one of the charging stations - unless the station owner has opted, as several have, to deliver the power at no charge.

Coulomb said it will market the stations exclusively through its regional distributors, who now cover the major states in all regions except Texas and the Midwest.

Richard Lowenthal, Coulomb's chief executive, has said that he wants to position the company to have a commercial recharging infrastructure in place when vehicles with rechargeable batteries beginning appearing in the marketplace.

In addition to independents such as Tesla Motors, Miles Electric Vehicles, GEM and Zap that already market electric vehicles, several major and independent automakers, including General Motors, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, BMW, Fisker Automotive and Aptera Motors have announced plans for plug-in hybrids or battery-electric cars that will begin to hit the market -- some for testing, others for retail sales or leasing -- by late next year.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell December 1, 2008, 1:55 PM
Categories:: BMW, Chrysler, Fisker, Ford, General Motors, Green Vehicles, Mercedes-Benz, Miles, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Coulomb Technologies

November 28, 2008

Tesla Roadster Versus Chrysler's Dodge EV Concept: Plenty to Like About Both

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

If Tesla's Roadster and Chrysler's Dodge EV Concept provide a glimpse of the future, sports cars made after the internal combustion engine exits production might outperform their predecessors.

At a glance, the Tesla and the Dodge could be variants of one another, the Roadster being the convertible version, the Dodge the hardtop. Both of the zero-emissions vehicles are based on Lotus platforms, the Tesla on the Elise and the Dodge on the Europa S.

Spinning the rear wheels of both cars are electric motors receiving power from lithium-ion battery packs. The battery pack in either car can be fully charged in less than four hours.

After that, the pair differ significantly. For starters, the Roadster is in production. As of today, 70 have been delivered to customers, according to Jeremy Snyder, general manager of Tesla's Los Angeles showroom.

The Silicon Valley company is completing final assembly of the vehicle at the rate of 10 a week, Snyder said. That rate will double in early 2009, he said, adding that more than 1,200 people have placed deposits on one. Recent recipients include George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Dodge may never enter production. Chrysler has made three EV concepts--an electric-powered Chrysler Town & Country van, Jeep Wrangler and the Dodge--and Chrysler insists that one of them will enter production in 2010. But the automaker isn't saying which one quite yet.

The Tesla was designed to be an electric vehicle from the ground up. Not so with any of the Chryslers.

The Roadster is based on the Elise platform, but the chassis is completely different, having had its exterior sheet metal replaced by a carbon-fiber composite and a styling that is unique to the Tesla. The chassis is built around a longer, stronger version of the Elise's aluminum frame.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett November 28, 2008, 11:33 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Dodge, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

November 25, 2008

GM, Ford and Chrysler CEOs May Make Their Next Trip to Washington by Automobile

After being skewered by Congress for using corporate jets to fly to Washington to seek a federal bailout, the chief executives of Detroit's three automakers may make their return trip to the U.S. capital by car.

They and others whose livelihood is dependent on Detroit's automotive industry spent the weekend discussing how to set up a giant car caravan for a road trip to the District of Columbia to press lawmakers into giving them taxpayers' dollars to rescue the Detroit 3.

It's unknown whether the executives might make the trip in a Hummer limousine or perhaps a small herd of Hummers. What is known is that GM CEO Rick Wagoner, Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli and Ford CEO Alan Mulally won't be going to Washington by corporate jet.

The carpool idea is intended to show Congress that more than three rich white men in expensive suits stand to lose their jobs if the automakers don't receive federal aid.

The notion of carpooling to the Capitol followed last week's disastrous hearings in front of two Congressional committees. Mulally, Nardelli and Wagoner traveled to Washington on separate corporate jets to seek $25 billion in government loans to help them make it through the worst U.S. auto sales downturn in a quarter-century.

Congress, though, abandoned a vote on the bailout after the appearances in which the automakers were criticized for lavish corporate travel as well as for having poor business plans to see the companies through the crisis.

It appeared the executives had no specific plan to change the way they do business in order to justify the bailout. Lawmakers have demanded restructuring plans by December 2, with hearings to follow.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (4); Scott Doggett November 25, 2008, 12:03 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hummer, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Alan Mulally

Automakers Reportedly Still Unable to Produce Profitable Hybrid and Plug-In Cars

Many members of Congress believe they know what the car company of the future should look like.

"A business model based on gas--a gas-guzzling past--is unacceptable," Democratic Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York said last week. "We need a business model based on cars of the future, and we already know what that future is: the plug-in hybrid electric car."

But the car company Schumer and other lawmakers envision for the future could turn out to be a money-losing operation, not part of a "sustainable U.S. auto industry" that President-elect Barack Obama and most members of Congress say they want to create, so says The Washington Post in story published today.

That's because car manufacturers still haven't figured out how to produce hybrid and plug-in vehicles cheaply enough to make money on them. After a decade of relative success with its hybrid Prius, Toyota has sold about a million of the cars and is still widely believed by analysts to be losing money on each one sold. General Motors has touted plans for a plug-in hybrid vehicle called the Volt, but the costly battery will prevent it from turning a profit on the vehicle for several years, at least.

"In 10 years are they (at GM) going to solve the technological problems with respect to the Volt? Sure," Maryann Keller, an automotive analyst and author of a book on GM, told the Post. "But are they going to be able to stake their survival, which is really more of a now to five-year proposition, on it? I'd say they can't. They have to stake their future on Malibus, the Chevy Cruze, and much more conventional technologies."

U.S. automakers faced a barrage of demands last week that they provide evidence and assurance that they would use federal bailout money to transform their companies to produce automobiles of the future, using advanced technologies and featuring hybrid or plug-in vehicles. And in his "60 Minutes" interview on Nov. 16, Obama said that before backing a big loan package he wanted to be sure "that we are creating a bridge loan to somewhere as opposed to a bridge loan to nowhere."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (4); Scott Doggett November 25, 2008, 10:00 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

November 24, 2008

Bill Ford Looks Beyond Bailout to Fuel-Efficient Cars to Secure Automaker's Future

While General Motors and Chrysler plead to Congress for a bailout, William C. Ford Jr. (right ), the executive chairman and scion of the founding family of the Ford Motor Co., has reached out to President-elect Barack Obama in hopes that his company can benefit from the administration's longer-term strategies for the auto industry.

Ford has been working behind the scenes, meeting one-on-one with Obama in August, conferring with his senior economic advisers, and teaming up with Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan to push a vision of a leaner, greener auto industry, The New York Times reported today.

With Detroit on the brink of disaster, the great-grandson of Henry Ford could play a critical role in how the Obama administration decides to assist the companies financially and shape broader energy policies.

"One of the things that I feel very encouraged about is the president-elect and where he'd like to take this country in terms of energy, and I completely buy into his vision," Ford said in an interview with the Times.

He can afford to take a longer view because Ford, unlike GM and Chrysler, does not need an immediate infusion of government aid to stay in business.

While Ford's chief executive, Alan R. Mulally, joined his counterparts from GM and Chrysler in testifying before Congress last week, Ford is not asking for an immediate bailout from Washington for now.

The company has enough cash on hand--$18.9 billion, as well as a $10.7 billion line of credit with private lenders, the Times reported--that will keep it running through 2009 without cutting development of its next generation of more fuel-efficient cars.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett November 24, 2008, 11:07 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Bailout

November 17, 2008

Detroit's Death Would Wallop Ad World, Deal Major Blow to Magazines, Other Media

Ford Adman Falling.jpg If you think you're insulated from the death rattle of Detroit, think again.

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler together accounted for 3.3 percent of 2007 U.S. measured ad spending, according to a report today in Automotive News (subscription required), citing Ad Age DataCenter's analysis of TNS Media Intelligence data. Big deal? Yes--as in $4.6 billion in measured spending.

The world's top four agency companies--Omnicom Group, WPP Group, Interpublic Group of Cos. and Publicis Groupe--count on Detroit's Big Three for as much as 6 percent of revenue.

If one or more of Detroit's carmakers goes away, gets smaller or goes into bankruptcy, "all media companies need to be concerned and there will be an impact on agencies, which derive a substantial amount of their income from [Detroit]," Bob Liodice, president-CEO of the Association of National Advertisers, told Automotive News. "These are substantial, heavyweight players. You've got some of the largest marketing spending companies in America."

The Detroit 3's measured ad spending tumbled 14 percent in the first eight months of the year--even before a credit freeze, freefall in October auto sales and dwindling cash made bankruptcy reorganization a real prospect for at least some of Detroit.

Some media are especially vulnerable. The four major TV networks last year generated a hefty 5.9 percent of revenue from the Detroit 3, according to TNS data. Most reliant was News Corp.'s Fox: 9.2 percent of the network's measured ad revenue came from Detroit.

Many blogs, including Green Car Advisor, would also feel the pinch if the well of automotive advertising dollars ran dry.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett November 17, 2008, 2:43 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Advertising

Democratic Senator Calls for 50 MPG Fleet Average as Condition of Automakers' Aid

Automakers that receive federal aid should double the fuel economy of their fleets by 2020, Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said today.

Nelson's remarks during Senate floor debate suggest that Republicans are not the only lawmakers who may block emergency loans to the Detroit 3.

In an interview, Nelson said a new energy law that raises fleetwide fuel economy to 35 miles per gallon by 2020--about 40 percent higher than today--falls far short.

"Why should we be pouring taxpayer money into an automobile industry that has continued to resist higher miles per gallon, which has led us in part to the problems we're in?" he said.

Nelson said he wants a fleetwide average of 50 mpg by 2020. Asked whether he would seek to block aid to the industry over that issue, he said: "All of that is process. That is yet to be determined."

Nelson echoed other lawmakers who say the aid legislation should include pay limits for Detroit 3 executives. But he also said current senior management of the automakers should step down.

General Motors declined to comment on Nelson's proposals, pending the release of the actual legislative language.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said he plans to introduce a broad economic stimulus bill that includes aid to automakers.

If that bill fails, Reid said, he will offer a bill that provides only for expanded unemployment benefits and aid to the Detroit 3, expected to be $25 billion in loans drawn from $700 billion already approved to rescue the nation's financial system.

The White House today proposed letting the car companies take $25 billion in loans previously approved to develop fuel-efficient vehicles and use the money for more immediate needs.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (11); Scott Doggett November 17, 2008, 2:03 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Bill Nelson

Chrysler Plan to Bring Small Chinese Cars to North America Is Reportedly Dead

Chrysler's plan to bring small, fuel-efficient cars made by China's Chery Automobile Co. to North America may be dead, according to a report in today's Automotive News (subscription required).

Last year, Tom LaSorda, Chrysler's CEO at the time, touted a deal in which Chery would supply small cars such as the one pictured here to Chrysler.

The two companies were scheduled to start bringing cars to Mexico this year. But now, neither company is talking about the deal. And a source says the program is on hold.

"I wouldn't place much hope on it," a former Chery executive familiar with the Chrysler deal told Automotive News. "Both companies have their own problems to deal with, and both have run out of money."

He said a major obstacle was the substandard quality of Chery's cars. "Chery knows there is no way for these cars to meet the safety and emission standards of the U.S. market in the near future," the former executive said.

Chrysler and Chery never offered a public timetable for the arrival of Chery-made cars in U.S. showrooms. In a May interview with Automotive News, LaSorda said plans for Chery's U.S. debut were having difficulties.

"We need small cars," said LaSorda, who now is Chrysler's co-president. "Chery's cars are still not ready for that exposure into these markets."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 17, 2008, 11:15 AM
Categories:: Chery, China, Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy
Technorati Tags:: Automotive News

Hoping to Generate Excitement, Chrysler Brings EV Concepts to LA Auto Show

Chrysler Town and Country EV (left) Dodge EV (center) and Jeep EV concepts represent Chrysler's shot at a future.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

In hopes of creating some buzz about the company that doesn't have to do with who might be buying it or how soon it might collapse from lack of funds, Chrysler LLC is bringing its three recently unveiled electric vehicle concepts to the Los Angeles Auto show this week.

There won't be a press conference or any big announcements from the company during the media preview days Wednesday and Thursday, but the three Chrysler EVs will be on the stand for oohing and aaahing and, the company, hopes, photos and stories.

We wrote a bit about the cars when they were first introduced in Michigan in late September, and we happily would have taken the bait and written about them again when the LA show's media days commence.

But we got an early peek last week at a special program Chrysler's ENVI program for advanced technology vehicles (it stands for ENVIronmental) hosted for a few media types at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, so we're going to write about them a few days before they go on display for the rest of the crowd.

The cars are a battery-electric "Dodge" EV built from a Lotus Europa and "extended-range EV" versions of a Town and Country minivan and a Jeep Wrangler 4-door, both with 40 miles of all-electric range on an electric drive system whose batteries are "replaced" by juice from an on-board internal combustion generator once the battery charge is depleted.

All three are first-phase demonstration vehicles, said Lou Rhodes, ENVI's president and ranking engineer. That means that they started life as regular production models with gas engines and conventional drivetrains and were converted - a process that requires some compromises be made.

The compromises were hard to find, though, as all three are nicely finished vehicle with no dangling wires or exposed components (there were some test modules installed in the trunk of the Dodge EV that wouldn't be there in a production model, but there were nicely hidden, covered in the same material as lined the rest of the trunk.)

The Town and Country wasn't working, though, and the Jeep didn't have the ICE generator installed so was running only on battery power. Rhodes said the ENVI team has built "multiple models" of each in recent months and had simply run out of time to finish the LA Auto Show cars before it was time to ship them.

The reason there are multiple models is that Chrysler already has started on a plan to to have 100 of the cars on the road for real-world testing over the next two years-Rhodes said the plan is for 50 next year and 50 the year after, with one model ready for limited volume retail production sometime in 2010.

Nobody will say which model is the leading candidate for production, but we'd guess that the Town and Country would be a safe bet.

It is large enough to handle the extra weight and size of an EV's battery pack, and a range-extended EV model (or RE-EV) would give Chrysler - already king of the minivan segment -a unique entry in the growing electric car segment.

Just A Ploy?

Rhodes is an engineer and while he's got a lot of retirement money (and, we expect, bonus and incentive bucks and other potential future income) tied up in Chrysler's future, his job isn't to worry about finances but to build vehicles that people will want to buy - something Chrysler's a bit short of these days.

Still, we asked him how, with the economy collapsing, the auto industry collapsing faster and Chrysler's very existence being questioned daily in the mainstream and financial media, he can remain serious about his job.

Isn't ENVI just a smoke screen to make the politicians who control potential auto industry bailout funds more likely to end send some cash Chrysler's way?

How, we asked, can Chrysler afford to finance development of a whole line of electric vehicles when it can't afford to keep plants open and workers employed?

The financial struggle, he replied, is for others to worry about. He insisted that there's been no cut-back of funding for ENVI and no indication that Chrysler's bosses are anything but serious about moving forward with the project.

The question shouldn't be whether the company can afford to pursue green initiatives, but whether it can afford not to.

"There's always been product that has turned Chrysler around," he told us. "This is some of the product that will do it for the company in the future."

We hope so.

Now let's take a look at the cars.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 17, 2008, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Chrysler, Dodge, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Jeep, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler EVs

November 14, 2008

Dingell, Waxman Solidify Support for Position That Holds Gavel Over Autos Bills

There's less than a week to go in the intensifying battle between Democratic Representatives John Dingell of Michigan and Henry Waxman of California over who will chair the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, with the winner likely to shape tailpipe-emissions and fuel-economy legislation for years to come.

Dingell has fought virtually every regulation the automakers have opposed, from seatbelts and airbags to tailpipe emissions and fuel-efficiency standards. By contrast, Waxman has been as strong advocate of fuel-economy standards and legislation curbing automotive greenhouse-gas emissions.

Both sides are building up support in a dispute that also promises to have significant implications for energy legislation, but it's far from clear who has the inside track on winning the gavel.

To date, only a handful of House Democrats have publicly taken sides between the two lawmakers. More than 30 members have spoken up for Dingell, but Jodi Seth, a Dingell spokeswoman, insisted that many others are also on his side. She wouldn't give numbers.

Six members of the Congressional Black Caucus -- Bobby Rush and Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, John Lewis of Georgia, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Ed Towns of New York and Kendrick Meek of Florida -- sent out their own Dear Colleague letter yesterday urging party unity in support of Dingell.

"By overwhelmingly electing President Obama and a Democratic majority in Congress, Americans have placed their trust in the Democratic party," they wrote. "At this time, we should be coming together to address their concerns."

Another Dingell supporter, Representative Artur Davis (D-Alabama), released a statement saying the Michigan congressman "realizes that the challenges of climate change are real and demand a pragmatic approach that is not rooted in ideology."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 14, 2008, 12:30 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Automakers

The Cost of General Motors' Death Much Greater Than a GM Bailout, Editorial Says

In an editorial posted today , Automotive News (subscription required) reports than Congress should consider the cost of a General Motors failure if it thinks a bailout of the troubled automaker is expensive.

Let's be clear, the publication states: The alternative to government cash for GM is not a dreamy Chapter 11 filing, a reorganization that puts dealers and autoworkers in their place, ensuring future success.

No, even if GM could get debtor-in-possession financing to keep the lights on (which it can't), Chapter 11 means a collapse of sales and a spiral into a Chapter 7 liquidation.

GM's 100,000 American jobs will die, Automotive News states. Health care for a million Americans will be lost or at risk. Hundreds of GM's 1,300 suppliers will die. Their collapse could take down Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, perhaps even North American transplants. Dealers in every county of America will close.

The government will face greater unemployment, more Americans without health insurance and greater pension liabilities.

Criticize Detroit 3 executives all you want, the publication states, but the issue today is not whether GM should have closed Buick years ago, been tougher with the UAW or supported higher fuel economy standards.

In the next two to four months, GM will run out of cash and turn out the lights. Only government money can prevent that. Every other alternative is fantasy.

The editorial states that "Ford, which borrowed big two years ago and thus has more cash today, may skip a bailout and the strings attached. Cerberus, which bought Chrysler last year, doesn't deserve money. Government cash might help sell Chrysler to a strategic owner."

A few paragraphs down the editorial concludes: "The stark fact remains: Absent a bailout, GM dies, and with it much of manufacturing in America. Congress needs to do the right thing--now.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett November 14, 2008, 10:56 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation, Opinion
Technorati Tags:: Auto Industry Bailout

November 12, 2008

Dingell Cites Dated Quotes From Heavy Hitters in Effort to Retain Chairmanship

Supporters of Representative John Dingell today released a list of favorable--but dated--quotes from Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Nancy Pelosi concerning the Michigan Democrat as part of the heated battle for the gavel of the House Energy and Commerce Committees.

None of the statements address the specific dispute between Dingell (pictured) and Democratic Representative Henry Waxman of California over the chairmanship, but Dingell supporters hope they will prompt other House members to speak up in favor of their candidate.

At stake: potentially enormous influence over automotive fuel-economy and tailpipe-emissions regulations. Dingell has been the Detroit 3's biggest supporter on Capitol Hill for years, their go-to Congress member to battle environmental restrictions placed on the industry. Waxman has been a proponent of such restrictions.

Dingell has received more than $625,000 from the Detroit 3 the last two decades--more money than all other members of the House from automakers since 1989. Waxman, by contrast, has not received a penny from the industry during his time in office. Dingell has also received $394,591 from the oil and gas industry since 1989, compared to Waxman's $23,580.

As for the impressive but dated quotes, Obama offered praise for Dingell at a June event in Flint, Michigan. "The senior member of the Michigan delegation is somebody who has done more for working people than just about anybody in the history of the House of Representatives," Obama said.

Former President Clinton's comments came more than a decade ago, in a March 1996 appearance in Taylor, Michigan "I've never met anybody who worked harder for the interest of ordinary Americans and working families than John Dingell--anybody who stood up more, and more consistently," Clinton said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 12, 2008, 7:35 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation, Oil
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

Bailout for Automakers, If Approved, Likely to Come With Fuel-Economy Strings

If Congress extends the Wall Street bailout to include U.S. automakers, any financial aid to the battered industry will likely be accompanied by requirements for increased fuel economy.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hinted at potential fuel-efficiency conditions Tuesday when she announced plans to craft legislation to use a portion of the $700 billion bailout package to aid the cash-strapped American auto industry.

"It is essential for the domestic automobile manufacturing industry to re-emerge as a global, competitive leader in fuel efficiency," the California Democrat said in a statement emailed to reporters. "For the automobile industry to be truly viable, it must continue to move in this direction."

Pelosi's comments echoed those made by President-elect Barack Obama in recent days.

But Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said today that while autos is a "critical industry in this country," the government's $700 billion financial rescue program wasn't designed to help automakers.

Asked about Democratic congressional leaders' plan to rush financial aid to the industry, Paulson cautioned that "any solution has got to be leading to long-term viability" for auto companies.

He said Congress could try to make funding more available to the auto industry as part of a $25 billion loan program approved in September to develop fuel-efficient vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 12, 2008, 11:12 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, General Motors, Legislation
Technorati Tags:: Auto Industry Bailout

November 7, 2008

Waxman Power Play Could Have Huge Impact on Mileage, Emissions Standards

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

For years, members of Congress have been saying we needed to have more aggressive fuel-economy standards. And for years--32 to be precise--Detroit's automakers have lobbied aggressively to prevent that from happening.

The person the car companies have routinely turned to to fight their battles in Washington is Democratic Representative John Dingell of Michigan (right), the longest serving current member of the House and second-longest serving member in our nation's history.

For more than half a century, Dingell has fought virtually every regulation the automakers have opposed, from seatbelts and airbags to tailpipe emissions and fuel-efficiency standards. His position as chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce has given him enormous influence over such matters.

For nearly as long as Dingell has been in office, critics have charged that elected officials such as him are far too beholden to large corporate interests to regulate them in a socially responsible manner.

One of those critics is Democratic Representative Henry Waxman of California, who has been as strong advocate of fuel-efficiency standards and legislation curbing greenhouse-gas emissions. And this week Waxman stated his intentions to replace Dingell as chairman of the Commerce Committee in a power play the chairmen of the Detroit 3 can only dread.

On Wednesday, Waxman (left) released the following statement:

"When the new Congress starts in January, we will face unprecedented opportunities and challenges. The public expects Congress and President-elect Obama to work together to find solutions to the nation's most pressing problems. But the issues we will confront are immensely difficult. We will need the very best leadership in Congress and our committees to succeed.

"That is why after long thought I have decided to seek the chairmanship of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Some of the most important challenges we face--energy, climate change, and health care--are under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Committee. In large measure, our success as Congress will depend on how the Commerce Committee performs.

"Enacting comprehensive energy, climate, and health care reform will not be easy. But my record shows that I have the skill and ability to build consensus and deliver legislation that improves the lives of all Americans."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett November 7, 2008, 4:37 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chrysler, Diesel, Emissions, Ethanol, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Natural Gas, Oil, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: CAFE

November 6, 2008

Auto Industry Bailout Rules Unveiled as Automakers Seek to Double the Funding

Remember that $25 billion, low-interest loan program Congress recently approved funding for to help the ailing auto industry re-tool U.S. factories to build more fuel-efficient cars and trucks?

Not a penny of the auto industry bailout loans has been distributed - the Energy Department only published its rules for the program yesterday - but the domestic auto makers already are asking that the total be doubled, to $50 billion.

The chief executives of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler, along with the president of the United Auto Workers Union, are in Washington today meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Michigan Democratic contingent, the subscription-only Greenwire news service reports.

Whether they get the extra funding or not, it will be a while before any of the companies actually gets any money - the loan applications have to pass several government review processes including one for environmental friendliness.

It is expected to be early next year before any funding is delivered - and that's if applications start rolling in now. It would take a presidential declaration of an emergency situation to speed things up.

Under the DOE's interim rule, preference will be given to automakers that have been operating in the U.S. for 20 years or more - a provision that favors the domestic companies. But any automaker with a U.S. factory - or plans to build one - can apply.

One big hurdle - the applicants have to show that they are financially viable and will likely be around to repay the loans - a provision that could hurt Chrysler and a few others.

Read Edmunds Auto Observer's take on the bailbout rules,

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 6, 2008, 11:57 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Green Vehicles
Technorati Tags:: Auto Industry Bailout

November 3, 2008

Treasury Won't Help GM With Merger, Will Help With Funding for Fuel-Efficient Cars

The Treasury Department has turned down a request by General Motors for up to $10 billion to help finance the automaker's possible merger with Chrysler, The New York Times reported today , citing people close to the discussions.

Instead of providing new assistance, the Treasury Department told GM on Friday, the Bush administration will now shift its focus to speeding up the $25 billion loan program for fuel-efficient vehicles approved by Congress in September and administered by the Department of Energy.

Treasury officials were said to be reluctant to broaden the $700 billion financial rescue program to include industrial companies or to play a part in a GM-Chrysler merger that could cost tens of thousands of jobs.

But it remained unclear whether the officials were also seeking to avoid making any decision that would conflict with the goals of a new presidential administration. The Democratic candidate, Senator Barack Obama, has said in recent days that he supports increasing aid to the troubled automakers, while Senator John McCain has not said whether he would support aid beyond the $25 billion.

While GM and Chrysler continue to talk, no deal is expected until the government clarifies its role, if any. Potential investors in the deal have been hesitant to back the merger without federal assistance, the Times reported.

GM's chairman, Rick Wagoner, had lobbied Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to provide emergency aid to the auto companies under the bailout program to stabilize the financial markets.

The Bush administration is still considering a range of options to aid the Detroit automakers, which are losing billions of dollars and rapidly depleting their cash reserves, the Times reported, citing auto industry and administration officials.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 3, 2008, 3:57 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

October 28, 2008

As Other Automakers Slash Production, Honda Raises Output for Fuel-Efficient Cars

Honda Motor Co., Japan's second-largest carmaker, increased global production in September to meet demand for small cars in the U.S. and emerging markets, Bloomberg news service reported Monday .

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Right, 2009 Honda Civic LX-S Sedan.
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Output rose 9.6 percent to 360,453 vehicles last month, the company said in a statement. Honda also benefited from one to two extra production days in the U.S. this year, it said.

The company is shuffling U.S. production to keep factories busy and boost car output, while building fewer minivans and sport-utility vehicles as light-truck sales fall. Expansion in China is reducing Honda's reliance on the U.S., where U.S. industrywide sales this year have slid 13 percent through September, triggered by high gasoline prices and a credit crunch.

"Honda has a very focused strategy'' emphasizing small cars over larger vehicles, Hirofumi Yokoi, a Tokyo-based analyst at auto-consulting company CSM Worldwide, told Bloomberg. "That leaves them in pretty good shape right now.''

Honda's sales are down 1.1 percent this year, compared with an 18 percent drop for General Motors Corp., a 17 percent decline for Ford Motor Co. and a 25 percent plunge for Chrysler LLC. Sales for Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's largest automaker, have fallen 10 percent.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett October 28, 2008, 8:15 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

October 27, 2008

GM Says Full-Size SUVs, Its Most Profitable Products Ever, Aren't Going Away

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

An article in Sunday's New York Times did a nice job of recapping the boom and bust of the sport-utility-vehicle market, particularly as it applies to General Motors.

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Right, the 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid.
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The reporting high up in the article about GM putting the brakes on plans to overhaul the next generation of large SUVs and full-size trucks was particularly newsworthy; our regular readers will recall that we reported the development four months ago.

The decision came amid plummeting sales of full-size trucks and increasing demand for fuel-efficient cars. But as bad as things were for the auto industry in general and the Detroit Three in particular at the start of summer, they pale in comparison to the ugliness that followed.

Back in June, GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said "we think the higher fuel prices are here to stay and they'll have a significant -- essentially permanent -- impact on the truck market."

Although gas prices have since fallen, financial markets the world over have crashed and talk about America's major automakers possibly going belly-up is on the rise.

With this backdrop, we decided to call Wilkinson again to see where things stand now with regard to the GM's plans for full-size SUVS, the most profitable products in the General's hundred-year history.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 27, 2008, 5:38 PM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: 2008 Chevrolet Suburban

October 23, 2008

Chrysler to Discontinue Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen Hybrids, Shutter Plant; Move Not Seen As Indicator of a Hybrid Collapse Amid Industry's Financial Turmoil

By Scott Doggett and John O'Dell

The Chrysler Aspen (right) and Dodge Durango (below) full-size hybrid sport utility vehicles have become the first green vehicle casualties in the wake of the automotive industry's declining fortunes.

Chrysler announced today that it will close the Delaware plant where the SUVs and their nonhybrid namesakes are made and discontinue the models.

The Auburn Hills, Michigan, automaker won't move their production anywhere else when the plant closes at year's end, Chrysler spokesman Scott Brown told Green Car Advisor, despite the fact the hybrids entered full-scale production on Aug. 22, barely two months ago.

"Even though we got significant orders for the hybrids, it doesn't make sense to keep the plant open for just them," he said.

The death of the two Chrysler hybrids isn't going to cause much mourning in environmental circles, said Jim Kliesch, senior engineer for the clean vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

By using the hybrid system with the notoriously thirsty 5.7 liter "HEMI" V8 engine, Chrysler didn't produce significantly efficient hybrid SUVs, he said. The big engine helped make the Aspen and Durango 'utes very expensive as well.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett October 23, 2008, 12:34 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid

Chrysler to Close Plant, Discontinue Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen Hybrids

BREAKING NEWS -- DETAILED VERSION TO FOLLOW

Less than a year after unveiling the Chrysler Aspen (right ) and Dodge Durango (below ) full-size hybrid SUVs and only two months into their full-scale production, Chrysler confirmed today that it will discontinue the models with the just-announced closing of the Delaware plant where they are made.

"The demand for our full-size SUVs has really dropped off this year," Chrysler spokesman Scott Brown told Green Car Advisor. "Even though we got significant orders for the hybrids, it doesn't make sense to keep the plant open for just the hybrids."

The SUVs are Chrysler's first-production hybrid vehicles. The Durango and Aspen models, which employ the same two-mode hybrid system found in General Motors' full-size SUVs, are sticker priced at $45,340 and $45,570, respectively.

Chrysler wouldn't say how many of the hybrid SUVs it had planned to build at the plant in Newark.

Both models made their international debuts at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show last November.

Today's announcement coincided a report from Daimler AG, which owns a 19.9 percent share of privately-held Chrysler, that the U.S. automaker suffered a $772.5 million second-quarter loss due to slowing U.S. sales and a market shift to small cars.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 23, 2008, 10:34 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows,