Hyundai Green Car Advisor Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line

November 23, 2009

Hyundai Says Its First GDI Engine Achieves 35 MPG Highway in 2011 Sonata

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata that'll appear in U.S. showrooms starting early next year will feature the South Korean automaker's first gasoline direct-injection engine, a totally revamped 2.4-liter Theta engine that achieves 35 miles per gallon on the highway, Hyundai reported Monday.

Company officials said the engine, a four-cylinder built at Hyundai's Alabama plant, also creates fewer greenhouse-gas emissions and delivers improved throttle response in addition to being about 10 percent more fuel efficient than the 2.4-liter engine in the current Sonata.

Hyundai Motor America President and CEO John Krafcik said in a statement that "the introduction of this technology in our most important, highest volume product ... demonstrates our commitment to delivering products that excite and reward Hyundai owners."

Hyundai's Theta I-4 engine family is a proprietary design engineered in Namyang, Korea, and currently produced at volumes exceeding 2 million units annually. The new Theta II 2.4-liter GDI engine delivers 200 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 186 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm.

Hyundai says its direct-injection engine is different from all others in that it uses individual fuel injectors for each cylinder "strategically positioned to deliver the optimal fuel charge directly into the combustion chamber."

In a traditional multi-port system, gasoline is delivered via the port of each cylinder, where it mixes with air and is drawn into the cylinders when the intake valve opens and the piston moves down. A drawback to that system is when engine speeds increase, the time to open the valve to deliver fuel becomes progressively shorter, making accurate delivery more challenging.

Hyundai says its GDI system avoids that issue by injecting gasoline by a camshaft-driven pump that operates at pressures up to 2,175 pounds per square inch. The pistons are "domed" to increase combustion efficiency.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 23, 2009, 1:10 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hyundai
Technorati Tags:: Emissions

November 20, 2009

EPA: U.S. Fleet of 2009 Cars, Trucks Only Slightly More Efficient Than 2008 Models

The fleet of new cars and trucks sold to U.S. consumers averaged 21 miles per gallon in the 2008 model year, a modest increase over the previous year, with Honda and Hyundai having the most fuel-efficient fleets in America, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported Friday.

New vehicle fuel efficiency improved 2 percent in 2008 from 20.6 mpg for the 2007 model year. The government projected it will improve slightly to 21.1 mpg in the 2009 model year.

The EPA figures are based on real-world estimates for city and highway mileage found on window stickers at dealer showrooms, instead of mileage values developed through laboratory testing.

Honda Motor Co. led the industry in 2008 with 23.9 mpg, followed by Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. with 23.7 mpg, and Toyota Motor Corp. with 22.8 mpg.

Volkswagen AG's fleet averaged 22.3 mpg, followed by Nissan Motor Co. with 21.9 and BMW AG with 21.2.

General Motors Co. led U.S. automakers with 19.7 mpg, followed by Ford Motor Co. with 19.4 and Chrysler Group LLC with 19.3. The EPA projects Ford will increase its fuel efficiency by more than 1 mpg in the 2009 model year and overtake GM.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 20, 2009, 1:27 PM
Categories:: BMW, Chrysler, Diesel, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Legislation, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: BMW

November 11, 2009

Honda Won't Offer Low-Cost Minicar in India to Compete With Tata, Renault-Nissan

Dispelling rumors to the contrary, Honda Motor Co. won't be making a low-cost and presumably fuel-efficient minicar in India to compete with products released by Tata Motors Ltd. and the alliance of Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co.

Instead, Japan's second-biggest carmaker is developing a small car that will cost less than its existing Jazz hatchback model, CEO Takanobu Ito told a news conference today.

The starting price of Jazz is 698,000 rupees (about $15,000) at showrooms in New Delhi.

Ito said the new car will be targeted at countries in Asia, with India as a key market.

"We would like to offer to as many customers as possible, a product at their price expectation level," he said, but didn't give any time frame for launching the new car or a likely price range.

Tata Motors, which controls Jaguar and Land Rover luxury brands, currently sells the Nano minicar (pictured), the world's cheapest car, with starting prices of about 115,000 rupees (roughly $2,500) at showrooms in New Delhi.

The popularity of the car amid rising demand for fuel-efficient, affordable vehicles has prompted other automakers such as Renualt-Nissan, General Motors Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. to announce plans to develop their own low-cost cars.

Renault-Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said Tuesday that a new minicar, to be designed and manufactured by Indian motorcycle maker Bajaj Auto Ltd. and distributed by Renault-Nissan, will be the cheapest car in India when introduced in 2012.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 11, 2009, 1:12 PM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, India, India, Japan, Nissan, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Economy

November 2, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 28, 2009

Hyundai-Kia, Korean State Power Co. to Collaborate on EV and Charging System

A little birdie tells us that Hyundai has signed an agreement with Korea's state-run power company to develop an electric car and charging system that will be ready for sale in Korea by 2011.

The car itself will be done by Hyundai and its Kia subsidiary, with Korean Electric Power Co. working on the EV battery charger.

Hyundai may already have the car well-in hand. It showed a prototype city EV, the i10 Electric (right), at the Frankfurt auto show earlier this year.

The car used a 16 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and promiosed a top speed of 80 mpgh and a range of up to 100 miles on a single charge.

The memo calls for the first charger and a prototype Hyundai EV to be ready in just 10 months - August 2010 - with the car and charger to be ready to go on sale sometime in 2011.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 28, 2009, 1:28 PM
Categories:: Energy Companies, Hyundai, Kia, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: EV

October 12, 2009

Hydrogen Cars Getting Closer, More Affordable; Lack of Fuel Network Threatens

U.S. Trails Asia, Europe in Providing Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure, Automakers Warn

Automakers aiming to meet California's revised Zero Emission Vehicles mandate requirements have pushed the fuel-cell electric car much closer to reality than many realize, according to a report by Bloomberg news service.

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Rendering of advanced fuel station near Los Angeles International Airport touts hydrogen as the fuel of tomorrow.
Automakers say that without more such stations, that vision won't be realized.
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Not only is the technology almost ready for prime time, reporter Alan Ohnsman found that automakers such as Toyota, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Nissan and General Motors now believe they can bring fuel cell vehicles to market by 2015 with price premium of just $3,600 over the average price of a comparable midsized gasoline model.

But the technology and price breakthroughs won't mean much if the U.S. government's infrastructure priorities aren't altered to include encouragement of a hydrogen fueling system

If the U.S. doesn't get moving, it will fall behind Europe and Asia - where governments are actively promoting hydrogen fueling - in the race to replace oil as a motor vehicle fuel, GM and others warn.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 12, 2009, 10:23 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Daimler, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Honda, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Renault, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars

September 14, 2009

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Greenest Car Show Begins Previews Tuesday

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

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

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

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

September 9, 2009

9 Major Automakers Sign Letter Agreeing to Develop and Launch Fuel-Cell Vehicles

Perhaps motivated by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu's proposal last May to slash more than $100 million in federal funding for hydrogen-vehicle research, nine major automakers today issued a joint statement announcing that they had signed a letter of understanding to develop and launch fuel-cell electric vehicles.

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A trio of Ford FCEVs get pumped up.
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FCEVs use an on-board fuel cell stack to convert hydrogen and oxygen to electricity that powers an electric drive system.

Today's announcement came one day after Chu said in an interview that he will no longer seek to eliminate federal funding for the R&D of hydrogen cars, but instead will work with lawmakers to ensure the money is "invested wisely."

The automakers' announcement states that they "strongly anticipate that from 2015 onwards a quite significant number of electric vehicles with fuel cell could be commercialized. This number is aimed at a few hundred thousand units over life cycle on a worldwide basis."

It continued: "As every vehicle manufacturer will implement its own specific production and commercial strategies as well as timelines, commercialization of electric vehicles with fuel cells may occur earlier than in the above-mentioned expected year."

Beyond those statements, the announcement -- signed by Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Nissan and Toyota -- offered little more information regarding the automakers' plans.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 9, 2009, 12:04 PM
Categories:: Daimler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ford, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: California Air Resource Board

September 4, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

August 25, 2009

Hyundai Launches Tucson ix in S. Korea; European, N. American Versions to Come

Hyundai Motor Co.'s all-new Tucson ix, a compact SUV that's more fuel efficient than its popular predecessor, went on sale in South Korea today following 36 months and $225 million in development.

The vehicle, which will be named the ix35 outside South Korea, comes with a choice of 2-liter engines: either the all-new 184-horsepower diesel R or the 166-horsepower gasoline Theta-II. Both are fitted with Hyundai's all-new six-speed automatic transmission for improved fuel economy.

Hyundai said the diesel engine meets the Euro-5 emissions standards and in the Tucson ix achieves 35 miles per gallon, while the version fitted with the gasoline engine achieves 26.5 mpg. The diesel version is offered in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations, while the gasoline variant is available only in front-wheel-drive.

Named after a city in Arizona, the Tucson has been one Hyundai's most popular models, with more than 1 million units sold worldwide since its launch in 2004.

The Korean-market Tucson ix is built in the Ulsan plant, while the European edition ix35 will be built in Europe with production and sales commencing in Europe early next year, the automaker said in a statement.

Full details about European powertrains, trim levels and option packages will be announced September 3rd on the eve of the 2009 Frankfurt auto show. North American specifications will be announced at the Los Angeles auto show later this year.

Hyundai said it is aiming for sales of 16,000 units of the new Tucson ix this year in the Korean market and 40,000 units annually starting next year. From 2011, Hyundai said it predicts the vehicle's sales to reach 300,000 units globally, with 260,000 units sold in the overseas market.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 25, 2009, 11:11 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hyundai
Technorati Tags:: Auto Show

August 10, 2009

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (?) Spied in Death Valley During Hot Weather Testing

The question mark is because here was no distinctive "hybrid" logo on the black-clad car, but a spy shooter for KGP Photography caught what sure looks like Hyundai's upcoming Sonata Hybrid undergoing hot weather testing in California's Death Valley.

The giveaway is the thick orange cable at the back of the engine bay - the orange plastic casing is an international signal for "hey, there;'s high-voltage wiring under here, don't mess with it."

The fact that the tiny four-cylinder engine occupies only half the engine compartment with a bunch of other stuff clad in black plastic (power electronics? electronic controllers?) is also a pretty good clue that the camera caught a Hyundai hybrid.

And then there's the fact that the Hyundai was being tested (comparison tested?) in the company of competing mid-sized hybrids from Ford, Nissan and Toyota
.
We borrowed this under-thehood shot from our sibling news blog, Straightline, over at Edmunds InsideLine, and you can head over there to catch an exterior shot and a bit more detail and speculation.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 10, 2009, 11:25 AM
Categories:: Hybrid, Hyundai
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

July 15, 2009

Kia Begins Selling Its First Hybrid, an LPG-Electric Version of the Forte Sedan

Only days after Hyundai began selling its first hybrid vehicle , fellow South Korean automaker Kia started selling its first hybrid (pictured ).

Both automakers have now joined the ranks of hybrid-vehicle producers, but only they have done so with cars that are fueled by liquefied petroleum gas and electricity. Most mass produced hybrid vehicles today use a combination of gasoline and electricity.

Seoul-based Kia aims to sell 2,000 Forte LPG-electric hybrids domestically this year, the company said today, adding that sales may rise to 5,000 of the cars in 2010.

The timing for both South Korean automakers to introduce hybrid vehicles is excellent, as fuel-efficient cars and trucks have been gaining popularity amid a global economic slowdown.

The Forte hybrid, equipped with a 1.6-liter engine, can travel 42 miles on one gallon of LPG. LPG costs less than half of gasoline in South Korea, hence the reason Kia and Hyundai chose to go the LPG-electric route with their initial hybrids.

The Forte hybrid, which is based on Kia's gasoline-fueled Forte meets California's Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standard, according to the company - a sign that it intends to sell the model in America, although the automaker was mum on that topic. The model starts at $16,000.

Kia plans to introduce a gasoline-electric hybrid midsize sedan in 2011 and to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle by 2013, company officials said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 15, 2009, 10:58 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, LPG
Technorati Tags:: Electric

July 13, 2009

Hyundai Launches World's First LPG-Powered Hybrid, the 41.9-MPG Elanta LPI HEV

Five weeks after it began taking pre-launch orders for its first hybrid-electric vehicle at dealerships throughout South Korea, Hyundai began selling the Elantra LPI HEV in its domestic market.

The vehicle features lithium-polymer batteries and is powered by an internal combustion engine modified to run on liquid petroleum gas (or LPG, consisting chiefly of propane).

The LPI HEV part of its name stands for liquefied petroleum-injected hybrid electric vehicle. The engine modification is a result of LPG being much cheaper to purchase in South Korea than gasoline.

Like the Kia Forte LPI Hybrid, which debuted at the Seoul Motor Show, the Elantra LPI HEV features a 114-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder LPI engine mated with a 20-horsepower, 15-kilowatt electric motor.

To maximize its fuel efficiency, which is rated at 41.9 miles per gallon, the Elantra features an automatic engine start/stop system and a "coach" that offers eco-driving tips via the instrument cluster.

The car also boasts a function that "maximizes fuel efficiency by reducing sharp fluctuations in the torque, increasing the use of electric-motor assist and electric charge regeneration when brakes are applied," the automaker said in a statement.

Three different trim levels will be offered, with pricing starting at $16,180. Hyundai hopes to sell at least 7,500 of the vehicles this year, but there are currently no plans for exports.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 13, 2009, 5:44 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hyundai, LPG, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

June 15, 2009

Hyundai Takes Pre-Launch Orders in S. Korea for Avante Hybrid-Electric Vehicle

Hyundai has begun taking pre-launch orders for its first hybrid-electric vehicle, the Avante compact sedan, at dealerships throughout South Korea, reports The Korea Herald .

The launch date for the model has been set for July 8, although the price of the car has not been disclosed.

The vehicle, known as Hyundai Elantra in overseas markets, will feature lithium-polymer batteries and be powered by a 1.6-liter internal combustion engine modified to run on liquid petroleum gas (or LPG, consisting chiefly of propane).

The automaker believes that the vehicle will achieve a fuel efficiency of 42 miles per gallon, which it says is the equivalent of 52 miles per gallon using traditional gasoline.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 15, 2009, 1:59 PM
Categories:: Hybrid, Hyundai
Technorati Tags:: Hybrid

June 10, 2009

S. Korea's LG Chem Announces Plans to Invest $800M to Build EV Battery Plant

LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's leading producer of chemicals, broke ground today on an $802 million factory that will be used to build lithium-ion polymer batteries for electric vehicles.

The ground-breaking took place in Ochang Techno Park, some 60 miles south of Seoul, with officials from both General Motors Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. witnessing the event.

Robert Kruse, GM executive director-global vehicle engineering, and Yang Woong-chul, Hyundai president of research and development, were on hand as both automakers have contracts with LG Chem to supply batteries for their electric-vehicle and hybrid programs.

LG Chem will begin shipping LPI batteries for GM's Chevrolet Volt program in November 2010, company officials said. A subsidiary of LG Chem in Troy, Michigan, will assemble the batteries into packs for use in the car.

South Korea's Minister of Knowledge Economy Lee Youn-ho told reporters that the "government plans to grow the Korean green-car industry to be one of the world's Big Four by the mid-2010s."

The government will provide research and development funds to LG Chem, he said. No figure was given.

In a regulatory filing, the company said it expects global demand for EV batteries to reach 3.3 million units by 2013 and 4.6 million by 2015.

The company's revenue from battery sales is projected at more than $1.6 billion by 2015, when the global market is estimated to be more than $8 billion, the filing revealed.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 10, 2009, 3:41 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, General Motors, Hybrid, Hyundai, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Volt

May 22, 2009

Hydrogen Boosters Plan 1,700-mile Road Trip To Showcase Their Technology

It's proving to be a long and winding road to the hydrogen economy.

But the California Air Resources Board, the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the National Hydrogen Association and the U.S. Fuel Cell Council are betting that the 2009 Hydrogen Road Tour, which will stop in 28 cities in the U.S. and Canada, will give motorists an opportunity to see how hydrogen fits into the transportation future.

The 1,700-mile road trip will begin on May 26 in Chula Vista, Calif. and end on June 3 in Vancouver, B.C. The tour will showcase a number of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles from General Motors Corp., Volkswagen Group of America, Daimler and other manufacturers. Though some of the planned events are by invitation, most are open to the public, and some lucky folks will be invited to test drive hydrogen-powered vehicles.

"Fuel cell technology is on the verge of becoming a practical alternative to burning gasoline," said CARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "This year's road tour demonstrates how far the industry has come and how near we are to putting these cars in the public's hands."

Given recent budget cuts proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the hydrogen sector could use an upbeat road trip to clear its collective head.

On May 7, DoE Secretary Steven Chu proposed that more than $100 million be cut from his department's hydrogen program. The proposed cut in the 2010 federal budget would slash hydrogen fuel cell spending by 59 percent to just $68 million and shift research to stationary power generation from transportation.

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

Chu's action marked a dramatic reversal from 2002 when former DoE Secretary Spencer Abraham boasted that "At the Department of Energy, we're not just talking about the hydrogen economy. We're working to make it a reality."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson May 22, 2009, 9:03 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, General Motors, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Legislation, Mass Transit, Mercedes-Benz, Transportation Alternatives
Technorati Tags:: Battery Electric Vehicles

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 27, 2009

Honda Still Strong on Hydrogen Fuel Cells, But Eyeing Plug-In Hybrids as Well

As the once-favored hydrogen highway becomes a mere side road on the route to oil independence with the Obama administration's push for rechargeable hybrid powertrains as the new favored alternative to the conventional gasoline engine, hydrogen pioneer Honda Motor Co. says it, too, will begin to pursue the way of the plug.

In an interview with Bloomberg news last week, Honda Motor Co. President Takeo Fukui said his company still sees hydrogen as the best long-term replacement for gasoline in the effort to slash automotive emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases tied to global arming.

Fukui, who is stepping down in June as part of Honda's regular executive shuffle, has in the past has been outspoken in his disdain for plug-in technology, calling it an unnecessary intermediate step form gasoline to pure electric power.

Honda has developed a hydrogen fuel-cell sedan, the FCX Clarity, that it leases to select customers in a Los Angeles-area test program, and isn't planning to abandon the effort.

But, Fukui said in a Bloomberg news wire article published this morning, the automaker also will accommodate the perceived preference of the U.S. government for plug-in hybrid-electric cars and trucks.

Unlike a conventional gas-electric hybrid that charges its batteries from on-board power sources such as regenerative braking, a plug-in hybrid gets its initial charge from the commercial grid, by "plugging in" to a wall socket or a special rapid-charging station

Plug-ins use larger battery pack than a conventional hybrids. They store enough power to permit the vehicle to be driven for an extended amount of time on all-electric drive before the grid charge is depleted and the gas engine kicks in.

Although others, including General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai and Volkswagen are developing fuel-cell vehicles, Honda has been the only major automaker championing hydrogen above other technologies and so far has stayed out of the rapidly developing race to bring plug-ins to market.

While federal support of hydrogen development has all-but evaporated in the U.S., the government is providing billions of dollars for battery development programs and for federal tax credits of up to $7,500 for purchasers of plug-ins.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell April 27, 2009, 2:01 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Emissions, Fisker, Ford, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volvo
Technorati Tags:: FCX Clarity

March 27, 2009

Hyundai's Blue-Will Hybrid Concept; Confirmed: It IS a Plug-In

hyundaihnd4blue3.500.jpg

On the heels of sister company Kia Motors' hybrid announcement, South Korean's Hyundai Motor said this week it will show off a plug-in hybrid concept, the Blue-Will, at the upcoming Seoul Auto Show.

A car that looks nicer going that arriving, the Blue-Wlll - with a grille that looks like a cetacean's baleen-baring, plankton-gulping grin - might better have been called the Blue Whale.

It will get a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder, direct-injected gasoline engine and continuously variable transmission, augmented by a 100 kilowatt electric motor fed by a lithium-polymer battery pack.

Hyundai didn't provide any further details and, in fact, in its official press release doesn't identify the concept as a plug-in with rechargeable batteries. This has led to lots of confusion on the blog-o-sphere, with a number of postings referring to it as a plug-in and others calling it a conventional hybrid.

hyundaihnd4blue2.500.jpg

So before we got caught having to file a correction, we checked with Hyundai's U.S. headquarters and spokesman Chris Hosford tracked down a photo caption he received from Korea that other day. It clearly labels the Blue-Will as a "plug-in hybrid," Hosford said.

That's a technology the lithium-polymer battery chemistry ought to lend itself to as it makes for lighter battery cells so more can be packed aboard for increased energy storage and travel range without a range-robbing weight penalty.

That same lithium-polymer battery chemistry, developed by Korean battery maker LG Chem, is to be used in the Hyundai Elantra LPI (liquefied petroleum, injected) Hybrid, which is slated to go on sale in July, and on Kia's just-announced Forte LPI Hybrid, which follows with an August launch. Neither are plug-ins.

The Blue-Will concept also gets roof-mounted solar panels that are supposed to help extend the battery's range, although most such installations are better suited for powering air conditioners or ventilation fans and don't produce sufficient juice to help much with propulsion.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 27, 2009, 2:19 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

March 25, 2009

Hyundai Motor Co. Introduces All-Electric Car for South Korean Market

Hyundai Motor Co. has been green with envy over the success that competitors Toyota and Honda have had in marketing their fuel-efficient cars to consumers.

South Korea's largest automaker has been playing catch-up as it develops a fleet that eventually will include a mix of conventional and plug-in hybrids, advanced-technology gasoline internal combustion engines and fuel-cell electric vehicles.

And, on Monday, Hyundai unveiled plans to expand that fleet with an all-electric, rechargeable car with a range of about 40 miles (62 kilometers).

"We cannot eliminate any technology. We have to keep them all," Hyundai Vice Chairman Lee Hyun Soon told the Bloomberg news service during an interview on Monday in Hwaseong, near Seoul.

"If your commuting distance is short, maybe you can justify using an electric vehicle," said Lee, who serves as research chief for Hyundai and its Kia Motors Corp. affiliate.

Lee did not say when the battery car will go on sale or which markets initially will be targeted.

Upcoming Kia and Hyundai hybrids, as well as the planned Hyundai electric vehicle, will use lithium batteries manufactured by LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's largest chemical company. LG Chem also is supplying lithium-ion batteries for GM's Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which will go on the market in 2010.

Kia on Tuesday introduced its Kia Forte hybrid, which will be the world's first hybrid-liquefied petroleum gas car when it goes on sale in Korea later this year.

Greg Johnson, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Greg Johnson March 25, 2009, 1:44 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chevrolet, Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Hyundai Electric Vehicle

March 24, 2009

Despite Economy, Kia Sticks to Schedule With Summer Launch of First Hybrid

Sticking to an ambitious green car plan we told you about late last year, Kia Motors is entering the hybrid arena with a mild-hybrid version of its recently introduced Forte sedan (right) , a replacement for the Spectra.

The Kia Forte Hybrid, aimed at the South Korean automaker's home market, is slated to go on sale later this summer.

It combines a 1.6-liter liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) engine with a small electric motor-generator, a continuously variable transmission and what the company says will be the world's first lithium-polymer battery pack.

The gel-based batteries are smaller, lighter and easier to package than solid-cell lithium batteries. South Korea's LG Chem, which recently won the contract to provide lithium-ion batteries for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid due from General Motors Corp. in late 2010, will provide Kia's batteries.

The automaker said the Forte Hybrid should achieve fuel economy of 41 miles per gallon of liquefied petroleum gas.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 24, 2009, 9:34 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia
Technorati Tags:: Kia Forte Hybrid

February 10, 2009

Hyundai To Be Singing The 'Blues' With Its European i30 Models

Carmaker Hopes Its Low Emission Car Will Turn Competitors Green - With Envy

Hyundai has created a "blue" series of cars that will use various fuel-efficiency devices, ranging from low rolling-resistance tires and aerodynamic bodywork through full hybrid- electric systems and on into battery-electric and possibly fuel-cell electric powertrains.

It has scheduled its first hybrid for the U.S. market in its 2010 lineup - a gas-electric version of the Sonata sedan.

But the company said today it is introducing a "micro-hybrid" system in Europe this year, on its i30 hatchback (above) and touring wagon models, in versions to be called "i30 blue."

It will mate an integrated starter-generator to the standard i30 gasoline powertrains (1.4- and 1.6-liter four-bangers) which will provide the electrical oomph to shut the engine down when the car comes to a complete stop and re-start it immediately when it is time to go again.

Hyundai says the ISG (Idle Stop and Go) system in the i30 blue will raise fuel economy and cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 7 percent in models with the larger 1.6-liter engine.

While Hyundai sells the i30 Touring in the U.S., where it is badged as the Elantra Touring (right) , there's no word yet from the company on when - or if - we'll get a blue version here.

The first Hyundai Blue Series models will be built in the company's plant in the Czech Republic and are scheduled to go on sale in Europe in the fall.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell February 10, 2009, 3:37 PM
Categories:: Hybrid, Hyundai
Technorati Tags:: Hyundai Blue Series

January 2, 2009

Hyundai's Fuel Efficiency Drive Gives Company Its Own 6-Speed Transmission

South Korean automaker Hyundai says it has developed its own 6-speed automatic transmission as a fuel-efficiency tool for its cars and sport utility vehicles.

The transmission reportedly is about 25 pounds lighter than the company's present 5-speed automatic and, with an extra gear range, will help vehicles that use it improve fuel economy by up to 12 percent by keeping the engines running in the most efficient range more often.

In its U.S. models, the new Hyundai 6-speed transmission will help the company reach its goal of meeting the new 35-mpg average fuel economy standard by 2015, five years ahead of the required deadline.

With the new transmission, Hyundai joins Toyota, General Motors and Ford as the only carmakers to have proprietary 6-speeds for front-wheel drive vehicles.

Hyundai said it intends to use the transmission on 16 models, beginning this month with the new '09 Grandeur models - that's the Azera in the U.S. The redesigned 2010 Santa Fe SUV also will get a 6-speed when it hits the showrooms late this year.

The automaker also said that its new gearbox will be sealed and maintenance free, with a lifetime transmission fluid that needs no topping up.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 2, 2009, 2:13 PM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Hyundai
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Economy

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 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

November 19, 2008

2008 LA Auto Show: Hyundai Gets Blue About Green With New Fuel Efficiency Plan

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Hyundai Motor Co., itching for the same level of respect U.S. consumers give fuel-economy leaders Toyota and Honda, is beginning to roll out a broad family of efficient new green cars aimed at making it the nation's gas mileage leader by 2015.

Borrowing a page from German's Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, Hyundai has chose to make its green cars Blue -calling its fuel-efficiency initiative the Hyundai Blue Drive.

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Cutaway shows architecture for Hyundai's Blue Drive hybrid system, with flat, rear-mounted battery pack and 4-cylinder gas engine and electric motor drivingfron wheels.
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The South Korean carmaker, which previously had pledged to have a U.S. retail fleet with average fuel economy of 35 miles per gallon five years before that standard will be mandated, said in a press conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show today that it will achieve the goal with a mix of conventional and plug-in hybrids, advanced-technology gasoline internal combustion engines and, in select states, fuel-cell electric vehicles.

As a first step, Hyundai officials said, the company will introduce fuel-efficient "Blue" editions of its gasoline-fueled Accent and Elantra compacts in 2009.

The cars will use low rolling-resistance tires, aerodynamic bodywork, higher gearing and specially tuned engines to achieve better mileage and lower tailpipe emissions that present models of the same cars.

A similar "Blue Motion" line was launched by Volkswagen in 2006. Mercedes-Benz followed with its "Blue Efficiency" effort early this year.

Hyundai Hybrid

The Blues will be followed in 2010 by a gasoline-electric hybrid model of the Sonata midsize sedan (below, left) designed expressly for the North American market.

2009.hyundai.sonata.20212832-396x249.jpg Hyundai said its "full hybrid" Sonata - capable of a limited amount of all-electric travel - is jumping past the lithium-ion battery technology that American, Europe and Japanese automakers are racing to perfect and instead says it will go with a lithium polymer technology for its various battery-dependent models.

Plug-in versions that use larger, grid-rechargeable battery packs for longer all-electric range, will follow at an unspecified pace, company executives said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 19, 2008, 1:55 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Fuel Cell, Green Vehicles, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Hyundai Blue Drive Program

October 31, 2008

This Just In: Hyundai Still Planning Retail Fuel Cell Vehicle for 2012

We just can't help but be amazed, over and over again, at how the Web has no memory. Everything that happens now is new and never happened before.

We bring this up because there's been a flurry of postings about Hyundai's top executive remarking the other day that the company plans to begin selling a fuel-cell electric car in 2012.

That sounded familiar so we went back through the archives and there, on March 25, 2008, was an item in Green Car Advisor titled "Hyundai Wants Piece of Expanding Hybrid Market."

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Hyundai has been working on fuel cell vehicles for years and thinks they can go commercial as early as 2012.
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It started out talking about how the South Korean automaker was planning to launch its first mass-market hybrid in 2009 in South Korea, then followed in the third paragraph with this: "A fuel-cell electric vehicle is expected in 2012, the company said."

We don't mean to toot our own horn, others had the same report back then. In fact, Hyundai had said as early as 2006 that it wanted to do a commercial fuel cell vehicle in 2012. But our sense of what ought to be headline and what ought to be footnote gets ruffled when we see the same headlines being recycled as fresh news.

Reminds us of the old Saturday Night Live skit in which comedian Chevy Chase, playing the show's news anchor, would solemnly announce week after week in tones usually reserved for outbreaks of war or pestilence that: "This breaking new just in: Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead."

In the real world, the Spanish dictator died in 1975, SNL's first year on the air, after a lingering illness. Chase was riffing on network news programs' efforts to keep the story going during Franco's illness by regularly reporting that he hadn't died yet. Chase kept the gag alive on SNL for nearly two years after Franco's death.

Our take on Hyundai Chairman Mong-Koo Chung's comments is that the news should have been "Wow, even in the midst of a global economic slump that threatens to last for years, Hyundai still sees possibilities in fuel cell vehicles and is willing to continue spending money developing them."

That, we think, is the real story.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 31, 2008, 5:02 AM
Categories:: Fuel Cell, Fuels & Technologies, Hyundai, Opinion
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Cell

September 19, 2008

U.S. Fuel Economy Up Sightly In 2008 As Consumers Shift To Smaller Cars

Thanks largely to the rapid and sudden shift to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles in the U.S. - a shift driven by soaring fuel prices - industrywide fuel economy for new cars and trucks sold this year is expected to top 20.8 miles per gallon, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said today.

The new "real-word" figure from the EPA marks the fourth consecutive year fuel economy has risen since a gradual 16-year decline that began with the rise of the full-size truck and SUV markets in 1988 and ended in 2004 as Asian automakers began rapidly increasing their share of the U.S. market with vehicles that were markedly more efficient than domestic models.

In a preliminary report released today, the EPA said it is estimating the average adjusted fuel economy for the light vehicle - or passenger - fleet this year will be at least 20.8 mpg, up 0.7% or two-tenths of a gallon, from last year.

That's still 1.2 miles per gallon, or 5.4 percent, below the all-time high of 22 mpg set in 1987.

For cars alone, the preliminary average is 24.1 miles per gallon, while the truck average is 18.1 mpg.

The agency said, though, that it expects final figures, to be released late this year, to show even higher averages for cars, trucks and the combined total.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); John O'Dell September 19, 2008, 4:27 PM
Categories:: Audi, Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: 2008 EPA Fuel Economy Ratings

September 3, 2008

Hyundai Hopes to Hit New U.S. Fuel Economy Standard 5 Years Early

Hyundai Motor Co. plans to meet the proposed U.S. fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon in 2015 -- five years earlier than required -- and do it without relying heavily on hybrid vehicles, The Wall Street Journal reported today.

The South Korean automaker intends to reach that standard for its Hyundai and Kia brands by building smaller cars and using lighter materials as well as new engine and powertrain technologies such as gasoline direct injection, dual continuously variable valve timing and eight-speed automatic transmissions, the Journal reported, citing an interview with Lee Hyun-soon (right), head of Hyundai's research and development division.

The declaration comes at a time when most automakers, including Detroit's Big 3, are whining to U.S. regulators that an interim step in boosting fuel standards -- to 31.6 mpg by 2015 -- would pose a hardship for them.

"With just conventional gasoline engines, we think we can hit 35," Lee said in an interview at company's research and test center. "We have the technology to improve fuel economy. The problem was it increased the cost of the vehicle. Now, with higher oil prices, we can justify the technology."

In December, President Bush signed a law that requires automakers to boost their fleetwide gas mileage, for cars and light trucks, to an average of 35 mpg by 2020. The standard this year is 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.5 mpg for light trucks.

Since the law's passage, automakers have tried to influence new regulations being developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency, which is responsible for enforcing the new standard.

Asked whether Hyundai may be able to gain a marketing edge by meeting the 2020 target early, Lee said: "Everybody has the same homework. Maybe we are a little bit faster. Our engineers are working hard on this."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 3, 2008, 11:57 AM
Categories:: Courts, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hyundai, Legislation

August 20, 2008

Hyundai Opens Up About U.S. Hybrid: It's A Sonata, Due in 2010

Hyundai Motor Co. has long talked about introducing a hybrid for the North American market, but until now has not offered any detail.

But in Michigan during a media event today, Hyundai Motor America product development chief John Krafcik pulled the wraps off the South Korean automakers U.S. hybrid plan.

The car, a lithium-ion battery-powered version of the sonata sedan, will hit the market here "as early as" 2010, Krafcik said.

A prototype model is expected to start testing late this year.

He said the Hyundai hybrid would use "cutting edge" lithium-ion batteries, but didn't provide details about chemistry, weight, power or energy capacity.

Krafcik did say, however, that the Sonata hybrid would not be a plug-in.

Hyundai previously said it will introduce a hybrid version of its compact Avante in the Korean and other asian and possibly European markets in 2009.

That car is expected to use liquefied petroleum gas rather than gasoline to fuel its internal combustion engine.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 20, 2008, 12:09 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Hybrid, Hyundai
Technorati Tags:: Avante

August 15, 2008

Feds, Automakers Renew Vow To Make Hydrogen the Fuel of the Future

In case you've been wondering, major automakers and the lame-duck Bush Administration have reaffirmed their joint commitment to hydrogen fuel and to getting fuel-cell electric and other hydrogen-using vehicles into the retail market by 2018.

The happy group renewed its vows during a hydrogen technology showcase Thursday in Washington.

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A pair of Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric Vehicles are shown in rendering of a hydrogen fuel station being installed near los Angeles International Airport.

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"With continued investment, hydrogen holds the potential to help fundamentally change the way we power our vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Bud Albright, an Energy Department undersecretary, said in remarks delivered during the public showcase.

The Energy Department, Transportation Department, nine automakers with prototype hydrogen-using vehicles and a number of fuel companies and other hydrogen advocates are in the midst of a cross-country tour to promote hydrogen as the logical successor to oil for fueling cars and trucks.

The manufacturers in "Hydrogen Road Tour '08" are BMW, Daimler, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Honda Motor Co., Hyundai-Kia, Nissan Motor Co., Toyota Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell August 15, 2008, 4:49 PM
Categories:: BMW, Daimler, Ford, Fuel Cell, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Honda, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

August 11, 2008

Hydrogen Road Tour Begins Today: Good Luck Finding Fuel

Honda's FCX Clarity fuel-cell electric car (right) is one of 10 vehicles traveling 'cross country in Hydrogen Road Tour '08.

Ever wonder what a hydrogen fuel cell really looks like, or how a fuel-cell electric vehicle handles? Itching to try that hydrogen-burning BMW 7-Series that so far has been piloted publicly only by high profile business, entertainment and political people?

(Article modified at 6:45 a.m, Pacific Daylight Time)

Your chance of laying eyes, or hands, on a vehicle using what many still believe will be the fuel of the future increases beginning today as a coalition of hydrogen backers launch a 13-day, 18-state, 31-city, cross-country tour to boost interest in hydrogen vehicles.

We wish them well. And we hope everyone who has a chance stops by, takes a look - or a drive - and becomes a hydrogen missionary.

But there's a sad note to what is being billed as the "Hydrogen Road Tour '08."

At times, ~~Mostly,~~ the vehicles will be trucked rather than driven to locations very near their various destinations on diesel or gasoline-burning commercial carriers. After being off-loaded, they'll be driven under their own power just a few short miles to the venues.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (9); John O'Dell August 11, 2008, 2:45 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, BMW, Daimler, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Honda, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: California Fuel Cell Partnershp

July 22, 2008

Acura, Smart, Chevy Models Top List of Healthiest Cars Tested by Ecology Center

Soy foam in the seats the Ford F-150 pickups and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Locally farmed hemp , "ethically produced" woolen fabric and floor mats made of sisal in the Lotus Eco Elise.

Some automakers are increasingly going to great lengths to make the interiors of some of their models if not environmentally friendly, at least a bit wholesome.

But others, well...

Early today the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Michigan, posted its second-annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and children's car seats at www.HealthyCar.org.

More than two hundred 2008- and 2009-model-year vehicles and more than 60 children's car seats were tested for unhealthy chemicals that seep in gaseous form from the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, seats and carpet.

The "new-car smell," as the gases are commonly called, mingle with the air occupants breathe and have been linked to allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer.

The Ecology Center reported that Mazda, General Motors and Nissan improved since last year's findings, with GM showing the greatest gains of the domestic automakers, with an average vehicle ranking improvement of 27 percent.

The list of the 10 best and 10 worst vehicles as picked by the Center appears in the chart above.

Average child-car-seat scores improved 28 percent overall. The list of 10 best and worst car seats for 2008 as picked by the Center appears at left. Click on the chart for a better look.

For more information, go to www.HealthyCar.org.

Below are the three worst 2008-model-year vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Suzuki Reno and Volkswagen New Beetle.

Below are are the three best vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Acura RXD, Chevrolet Cobalt and Smart Passion Cabriolet.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 22, 2008, 12:21 AM
Categories:: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Think, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

July 17, 2008

That New Car Smell Might Kill You

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

That's our sensational headline for 2008, but there's more than a smidgen of truth in it.

Last year Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Ecology Center released the first-ever consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats -- and what they reported was sickening.

The odor you inhale when you slide into a new car? It might very well be bromine, chlorine, lead, other harmful chemicals or a witches' brew of them. They've been linked to birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and, no doubt, cancer.

If you think the government protects you against such things, think again. Some of the vehicles on the road today are veritable toxic dumps on wheels. And many drivers are exposed to these chemicals through inhalation and contact with dust every day.

In case you missed last year's report, Ecology Center found the most toxic vehicles were the Nissan Versa, Chevy Aveo, Scion xB 5dr and the Kia Rio. The least toxic vehicles were the Chevy Cobalt, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Honda Odyssey and the Volvo V50.

Next Tuesday -- July 22 -- Ecology Center will release its second annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats, and if you're thinking of buying a new car anytime soon, you'll want to check it out. The guide will be posted at www.healthycar.org a little after midnight on the 22nd.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett July 17, 2008, 1:39 PM
Categories:: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Legislation, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

July 16, 2008

Survey Finds American Consumers Are Hot for Hybrids but Cooling on Ethanol

While most automakers have shifted production to focus on smaller vehicles, nearly 70 percent of consumers want the companies to invest more in existing and emerging powertrain technologies, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Alternative Powertrain Study released today.

Now in its third year, the Alternative Powertrain Study examines the reasons why consumers consider or avoid alternative powertrain vehicles, such as gas-electric hybrid, flex fuel and clean diesel models.

The study includes the Automotive Environmental Index, which rates the 2008-model-year vehicles on the basis of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data to fuel economy and greenhouse-gas emissions, as well as expert input from J.D. Power & Associates.

The study found that more than 80 percent of the 4,000 consumers polled believe the U.S. is currently facing an energy crisis. Only 18 percent of these respondents believe the issue can be addressed by building small, fuel-efficient vehicle.

Thirty percent believe automakers should continue to produce a comparable vehicle lineup with a focus on gas-electric hybrid, clean diesel and flexible-fuel vehicles, while another 39 percent believe carmakers should focus on developing fuel cell and all-electric vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 16, 2008, 3:32 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Emissions, Ethanol, Fiat, Flex-Fuel, Ford, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mitsubishi, Natural Gas, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Pontiac, Smart, Solar, Toyota

July 1, 2008

Toyota To Offer Yaris in 4-Door Hatchback to American Market

At right, a Toyota Yaris 4-door hatchback. Currently available in Canada and other countries, soon to be sold in the USA.

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

As you'll recall from a piece we posted the other day, Toyota's fuel-efficient Yaris two-door hatchback placed fourth on the list of least-expensive models to own in the U.S., besting a slew of hybrids including the Toyota Prius and popular conventional models including the Honda Civic.

You'll have to revisit that piece to refresh your memory of the Top 3 models by cost. Or if you'd rather not help our page-view count, simply print this out, hold the paper in front of a mirror and read the next sentence: .redro taht ni ,tiF kcabhctah rood-ruof s'adnoH dna kcabhctah rood-owt SG tneccA s'iadnuyH ,kcabhctah rood-ruof oevA yvehC cisab eht saw tI

Next time, it'll be an entire paragraph. Then an entire page! But we digress.

Now if you recently found yourself taken in with the Yaris -- with all the TV commercials for the cute little car, who could blame you -- but bit your knuckles each time you saw it because, as a hatchback, it was only available with two doors, you are in for some good news.

Toyota announced today that for the '09 model year, American consumers will have the choice of buying the Yaris as a hatchback in either two doors or four, just as their northern neighbors (no, the Canadians) have for several years.

Japan's biggest automaker hasn't yet announced pricing for the U.S. four-door Yaris, but it likely won't be much more than the $11,500 it asks for the two-door.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 1, 2008, 6:20 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Hyundai, Toyota

June 25, 2008

Hybrids Don't Shine in True Cost To Own Study

Chevy Aveo tops ownership cost study. Civic hybrid and other gas-electric vehicles don't fare well because of hybrid premium in initial purtchase price.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

If saving money is your thing, and in these rugged economic times who isn't into that, then Chevrolet, Honda, Toyota and Nissan all have cars for you.

But they aren't hybrids

Previous studies using Edmunds' True Market Value calculations have shown that the so-called hybrid premium makes it difficult for the fuel-efficient cars and SUVs to save enough on fuel to earn back the higher price automakers charge for the advanced technology packed into a gas-electric powertrain.

Now a new Edmunds.com True Cost to Own study finds that even with their sometimes hefty federal tax credits, hybrids slip well down into the pack when long-term ownership costs are considered.

The Civic Hybrid is No. 14 in the TCO rankings being released today, while the nation's best-selling hybrid, Toyota's Prius, doesn't even make the top 25. It finished 34th overall, although it is in second place among hybrids.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (10); John O'Dell June 25, 2008, 3:01 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Suzuki, Tax Incentives, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Cost to Own Hybrid

June 18, 2008

Hyundai Denies Government Help With Hybrid Program

Hyundai Motor Co. announced plans today to launch its first hybrid vehicle for public consumption next year â€“ and it claims it will do so without any help from Seoul.

What's even more remarkable than the automaker's claim of going it alone on its upcoming hybrid car â€“ only days after the South Korean government said it spent $38 million to develop the lithium-ion battery that will be used in it â€“ is the fuel that'll power the model.

That would be liquefied petroleum gas and electricity...

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 18, 2008, 12:11 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hyundai

June 15, 2008

Honda Begins Clarity Production, Unveils First Leases

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

True to its word, Honda Motor Co. began production of its long-awaited FCX Clarity fuel-cell electric sedan this evening (Monday morning in Japan) and said that it would begin putting the strikingly sculpted vehicles into the hands of carefully selected customers early next month.

The first of the cars, which produce electricity from hydrogen gas and oxygen and emit only water vapor from their tailpipes, will go to Hollywood producer ("Little Miss Sunshine") Ron Yerxa, who traveled to Japan to attend the ceremony at Honda's new fuel-cell vehicle assembly facility at its advanced R&D campus in Tochigi, about 100 miles north of Tokyo.

Honda introduced the production model of the garnet-red car at the 2007 Los Angeles International Auto Show in November and said at the time that it would launch a three-year Clarity leasing program this summer.

Yerxa and other lessees – there will be about 200 in Southern California and Japan by the end of 2011 – will pay $600 a month and will be required to provide considerable feed-back to Honda about their experiences with the vehicle.

Closer But No Cigar

"This is an important day in the history of fuel-cell vehicle technology and a monumental step closer to the day when fuel cell cars will be part of the mainstream," John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda, said in a statement.

"Our customers and dealers share in our vision for a cleaner and more sustainable transportation future, and share in our challenge to embrace a new generation of automotive technology that we think will carry the auto industry and its customers into the future."

While fuel cell cars represent the auto industry's best effort so far to free the motor vehicle from its dependence on oil and to avoid some of the perceived pitfalls of using rechargeable batteries to store power for electric cars, the technology is not without problems.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell June 15, 2008, 9:30 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Honda, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota, Volkswagen

May 27, 2008

As the Market Turns: Kia Returning to Small Car Roots

After dabbling in minivan-SUV territory, South Korea's Kia Motor Co. is getting back to small cars â€“ a good strategy given that's the direction the entire U.S. automaker is heading as fuel prices ratchet ever upward.

At a media event n Seoul last week, Kia CEO Kim Dong-Jin told reporters that the company has been neglecting the small car market, but no more.

"With fuel prices the way they are, we are going back to the mainstream of the business," he said, adding that the company's new U.S. assembly plant in Georgia, once scheduled to build pickup trucks, will be used for small cars when it opens for business late next year. The plant also will assemble the Kia Sorento, a midsize crossover-utility vehicle.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 27, 2008, 2:02 PM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, Hyundai, Kia

March 25, 2008

Hyundai Wants Piece of Expanding Hybrid Market

Hyundai Motor Co. is joining the hybrid party with a mass-production model, the Avante compact sedan, that is set to go on sale in South Korea and some other markets next year.

Although Hyundai makes no secret of its intent to ultimately bring hybrids in the U.S., it has not disclosed North American sales plans.

The South Korean automaker said that its hybrid lineup will grow as midsize models are introduced in 2010. A fuel-cell electric vehicle is expected in 2012, the company said...

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 25, 2008, 3:24 PM
Categories:: Hybrid, Hyundai

October 11, 2007

Diversity Will Be Key to Alternative Fuels, Panel Says

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Vehicle

As if on cue, the cars of the future queue up and drive past Vijay Vaitheeswaran.

A shiny new Nissan Altima hybrid powered by both gasoline and electricity zips by silently. A slick European-spec Audi A6 sedan purrs by, burning clean diesel.

Then comes a Prius hybrid with a short power cord where you'd expect to find a tailpipe, signifying its aftermarket conversion to a 100-plus mpg plug-in. There's even a Hyundai Tucson fuel-cell electric SUV carrying three tanks full of hydrogen, enough to travel about 150 miles.

Vaitheeswaran, a reporter for The Economist and co-author of Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future, nods in appreciation.

He's taken a break from his book tour to attend an alternative fuels program in the industrial town of South San Francisco.

"In a nutshell, oil is the problem, cars are a big part of the solution," he said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 11, 2007, 1:00 PM
Categories:: Diesel, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Hyundai, Natural Gas, Nissan, Volkswagen

October 8, 2007

Fuel-Cell Vehicles Get Facetime at Speed Festival

A weekend devoted to worship of fuel-swilling, carbon-spewing muscle cars wouldn't seem the ideal place to preach the gospel of clean transportation, but the California Fuel Cell Partnership pitched its tent just inside the entry gates to the Coronado Speed Festival this past weekend -- and got a lot of action.

Almost 1,500 people attending the two-day festival on Coronado Island in San Diego Bay dropped by the partnership's stand to take a drive in one of the eight fuel-cell electric vehicles on hand.

“It’s actually a smart thing to do,” Hyundai spokesman Kevin Oates said of the decision to force-feed fuel cells to the speed crowd. “It lets us reach out to the trend-setters. These are people who are dedicated auto enthusiasts, and they can influence the industry,” he said of festival-goers.

“They’re auto enthusiasts,” he said, “so they’re enthusiastic about their muscle cars and racecars, but they’re also very open to the idea of the fuel cell as a door to the future of the auto.”

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell October 8, 2007, 1:01 AM
Categories:: Daimler, Ford, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, Transportation Alternatives, Volkswagen

September 30, 2007

U.S. Fuel Economy Unchanged, Buyers Still Like Trucks

EPA fuel economy ratings for individual models are posted on price stickers

Americaâ€™s passenger vehicle fleet, still top-heavy with light trucks and large sport utility vehicles, turned in an average fuel economy of 20.2 miles per gallon for 2007 models, unimproved from 2006, according to a new report by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

That the numbers didnâ€™t change despite soaring fuel prices and a nationwide push for greater fuel economy to help reduce our dependence on imported oil reflects both the slow pace at which automakers can adopt improved technologies and the reluctance of U.S. car buyers to give up the kinds of vehicles theyâ€™ve been buying for years.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell September 30, 2007, 11:51 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota

September 10, 2007

Green Scene at Frankfurt Auto Show

Although there's plenty of development work on alternative fuels and power plants going on in U.S. automakers’ R&D labs, the industry is consumed these days with fixing its collective financial woes and there's not much noise being made about advancing green technology. Not in the U.S., anyhow.

We likely won't hear too much about what's close to being market ready until the carmakers and the UAW complete their ongoing master contract negotiations and possibly not until the hype around January's Detroit auto show begins.

But Asian and European car companies, including European subsidiaries of both Ford and GM, are stepping in to fill the environmental void, with a spate of clean diesels and gas-electric hybrids in the works. A lot of green goodies will be shown off at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, which begins a two-day press preview on Tuesday.

Here's a look at what's on tap.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell September 10, 2007, 8:00 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Audi, BMW, Diesel, Hybrid, Hyundai, Nissan, Opel, Porsche, Volvo