Green Car Advisor
Fiat
November 18, 2009
Concern among some taxpayer and environmental groups that Chrysler's recent decision to downplay development of fuel-efficient electric vehicles violated a pledge used to gain federal bailout funds are unfounded, an administration official says.
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Chrysler, which based part of its federal bailout on promised development of electric vehicles such as this "EcoVoyager" concept, has pulled way back on electrification plans since emerging from bankruptcy.
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"We obviously would be very happy if Chrysler and GM were making lots and lots of high mileage cars [but] it's not a prerequisite. It's not an obligation" of the bankruptcy bailout funding, auto industry restructuring task force chief Ron Bloom said in an interview with Reuters news service.
"We're completely separating policy from ownership," Bloom said of Chrysler's decision. "We trust that the [Chrysler] board has carefully thought out the various options ... and made judgments on the electric program based on that."
The federal government has extended $30 billion in capital to General Motors and $8.5 billion to Chrysler, representing a 60 percent share of GM and a 10 percent stake in Chrysler.
GM is pushing ahead with its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid program as well as with a number of conventional hybrid models, and is expected to expand the Volt's extended-range, gas-electric system to other models as well.
Chrysler, now controlled by Italy's Fiat, has slowed its previosuly announced vehicle electrification plans and now intends to meet federal fuel-efficiency standards by utilizing Fiat-develped gasoline engine efficiency technologies and adding more small cars to its lineup.
Chrysler and GM both have applied for federal guaranteed loans under the $25-billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loans Program, but their applications have not been approved to date.
Bloom said that the federal autos task force doesn't intend to dip into matters involving the automakers and the Energy Department-managed loan program.
We think Chrysler is financially constrained right now from aggressively pushing an expensive electrification program and can probably do what it needs on the fuel efficiency front under its new product plan - which includes introducing the dual mode hybrid Ram pickup next year, an all-electric commercial van early in 2012 and a pair of plug-in hybrids for limited test fleet use in 2011.
But we also think the company is playing the expediency game and could wind up surviving for the short term under the Fiat-designed plan only to fall into a deep hole in later years as more and more of its competitors bring well-develped electric vehicle programs into play.
The game, after all,isn't just about improving fuel economy.
Perhaps more important in the long run is reducing dependency on petroleum fuels and slashing emissions - things electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles can do far better than the best gas and diesel internal combustion engines the industry can develop.
John O'Dell, Senior Editor
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- John O'Dell November 18, 2009, 1:42 PM
- Categories:
- Chrysler, Fiat, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
- Technorati Tags:
- Chrysler Bailout
, Chrysler Electric Vehicle Plan, Fuel efficiency, GM Bailout
Mazda Motor Corp. was honored today with the 2009 Technology of the Year award from a non-profit coalition of Japan-based automotive critics and journalists for the automaker's i-stop idling stop-start system, which is a little perplexing.
A stop-start system automatically shuts down and restarts an automobile's internal combustion engine to reduce the amount of time the engine spends idling, thereby improving fuel economy. The technology isn't new. Daimler, Fiat, Toyota and other automakers have been putting it in some of its vehicles for a while.
So why exactly did the 2009 Automotive Researchers' and Journalists' Conference of Japan decide to recognize Madza's stop-start system now? It's a good question, one we've put to spokesmen for the conference and the automaker.
After waiting four hours for a response, we went ahead and posted this piece; we'll update if and when an explanation is offered.
In a statement issued to the media, Mazda wrote that its i-stop system is fitted to direct injection engines and uses combustion energy to restart the engine in just 0.35 seconds, about half the time necessary for most other competing systems. This might be why Mazda received the award, but it wasn't stated.
The i-stop system also suppresses noise and vibration as the engine shuts down and restarts, ensuring that drivers experience a natural driving feel with no sense of discomfort. Most other stop-start systems do that as well.
Continue reading...
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- Scott Doggett November 18, 2009, 12:06 PM
- Categories:
- Daimler, Fiat, Mazda, Toyota
- Technorati Tags:
- 2009 Automotive Researchers' and Journalists' Conference of Japan
, Mazda Axela, Mazda Hybrid, Mazda3
November 13, 2009
By John O'Dell, Senior Editor
It's not only Chrysler's battery-electric and plug-in electric hybrid vehicle programs that have been pared back - way back - under the post-bankruptcy plan devised for the company by its new management.
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Fiat Doblo small van is now being considered as platform for "new" Chrysler's fit electric vehicle...
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The once-vigorous Chrysler hydrogen fuel cell program - aimed at bringing fuel-cell electric vehicles, commercial and private, to market some day - is pretty much a memory as well. It was absorbed into Daimler's program when the German automaker acquired Chrysler back in 1999 and though it survived the 2007 divorce, it was phased out two months ago.
We're told by knowledgeable people who for various reasons didn't want to be identified that there are no plans right now to actively pursue further development of fuel cells but, of course, that "options are being kept open."
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It would be replacing a Dodge-based electric sports car such as this Zeo concept first shown in January 2008.
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We don't think - as some do - that Chrysler's entire alternative fuels and powertrains effort has been killed by Italy's Fiat, which took control of the country's smallest and weakest automaker as it came out of bankruptcy earlier this year.
Although Chrysler's two-year-old environmental vehicle group, ENVI, has been disbanded under Fiat, we believe the company will keep doing some development work and will follow though on its previous promises to put the hybrid Ram truck into the market next year followed by a pair of experimental plug-in hybrids - for test fleet use only - in 2011.
Not only did those few vehicles remain in the just-announced five-year plan, but the members of the ENVI team, as far as we know, all are still working at Chrysler - they've just been mainstreamed into the regular product development program. And Fiat appointed former ENVI boss Lou Rhodes to be head of vehicle electrification programs for both Fiat and Chrysler - a post that probably wouldn't exist if there wasn't at least some work going on.
There are changes, though, and not for the good.
The Dodge EV once thought to be a sure thing for 2010 is no more, and except for a battery-electric commercial van based on the Fiat Doblo minivan that is under "strongest consideration" for production by late 2011 or early 2012, the chances for other Chrysler hybrids, plug-in hybrids or EVs to make it into the retail market before the next 5-year plan is unveiled in 2015 are pretty slim.
Continue reading...
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- John O'Dell November 13, 2009, 2:33 AM
- Categories:
- Chrysler, Fiat, Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Plug-ins and Electric
- Technorati Tags:
- Chrysler electric vehicle Plans
, Chrysler Electric Vehicle Program, Chrysler EV Program, Chrysler Fuel Cell
November 10, 2009
Despite a solid launch of the new Ka subcompact car in Europe earlier this year, Ford Motor Co. has reconsidered its plan to bring the subcompact to the U.S. and has decided that the car is too small for American tastes.
In an interview with Automotive News (subscription required) published Monday, Ford CEO Alan Mulally said "our view is that Fiesta is about the smallest vehicle that we think will be a real success in the United States."
The Ka, which Ford developed with Fiat, is at 142.5 inches a full 25 inches shorter than the Fiesta, which will go on sale in the U.S. early next year.
However, the Ka is more than 3 feet longer than the popular Smart ForTwo, which measures 106.1 inches from bumper to bumper. Both likely would have been priced the same, starting around $12,000 for the base model.
The Ka is also a few inches longer than its sister vehicle, the Fiat 500, which Chrysler Group plans to sell in America in 2011.
We're disappointed with Ford's decision, because the Ka European motorists can purchase can be had with either of two low-emission engines: a 1.2-liter, 69-horsepower gas-burner or a 1.3-liter, 75-hp turbodiesel.
While the EPA never got a chance to provide a fuel-efficiency rating for the Ka, the gasoline version is said to get about 40 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, while the diesel version is said to be capable of more than 60 mpg.
The European Ka is produced in Tychy, Poland, while a version sold in Latin America is built in Brazil and Argentina. The model has been produced since 1996 and entered its second generation earlier this year.
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- Scott Doggett November 10, 2009, 1:24 PM
- Categories:
- Chrysler, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, Fuel Economy
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- Ford Ka
, Fuel Effcient, Low-Emissions
November 7, 2009
(Updated 11/8/09 to add confirmation and remarks from a Chrysler spokesman.)
Chrysler's ENVI Group, formed in 2007 to develop a line of electrified vehicles for the company's three brands, has been disbanded and the company's January pledge to have 500,000 conventional and plug-in hybrid-electric and all-electric vehicles on the road by 2013 has been junked under its new, Fiat-controlled leadership.
In an interview with Reuters news service Friday, Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa - who only a few days before had assured us that the ENVI team was still "quietly" moving along - said the special group has been disbanded and its work "absorbed into the normal vehicle development program."
Cappa since has confirmed to Green Car Advisor that the formal group no longer exists. He bridled, though, at use of the term "disbanded," saying that the group's members all are still working and that former ENVI chief Lou Rhodes is still in charge of vehicle electrification programs - for both Chrysler and Fiat.
He confirmed, however, that the pre-bankruptcy timetable for putting hybrids and EVs into the Chrysler lineup has been replaced. By one that takes a much slower approach, it appears.
Prior to its bankruptcy and takeover by Fiat, Chrysler had showed a suite of five electric and PHEV vehicles and promised to have at least one in production by next year.
But last week, in delivering a day-long look at Chrysler's post-bankruptcy 5-year product and business plan, executives including Sergio Marchionne - CEO of both Fiat and Chrysler - made no mention of electric vehicles.
And Marchionne later told some reporters, according to Reuters, that electric cars would represent less than 2 percent of Chrysler's anticipated sales in 2015. That would be fewer than 60,000 - far from the 500,000 promised at the Detroit Auto Show in January, a few months before the car maker filed for bankruptcy.
Marchionne does plan to bring the Dodge Ram dual-mode hybrid to market next year and to introduce the fuel-efficient Fiat 500 and a lot of Fiat's fuel-efficient engine technology to the U.S. through Chrysler. He told reporters last week, Reuters reports, that he believes electric vehicles will struggle until battery reliability and range issues are resolved.
Chrysler reportedly still is talking about an all-electric commercial van to the market.
But Fiat got its 20 percent stake - and effective control - of Chrysler in a deal with the Obama Administration in which Chrysler promised to bring more fuel-efficient vehicles to market.
It's disappointing to see the company back-peddling on the electric front and will be interesting to see if Marchionne can do it without electrification.
John O'Dell, Senior Editor.
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- John O'Dell November 7, 2009, 11:26 AM
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- Chrysler, Fiat, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
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- Chrysler Disbands EV Program
November 4, 2009
If the future course of Fiat-controlled Chrysler is a hot topic in your circles, you can see - and hear - for yourself what is being planned as the company opens its marathon 7-hour (!!) business plan meeting to the world today via a live Webcast.
How will the Hemi company meet the 35.5 MPG federal CAFE standard by 2016?
Will there finally be Chrysler EVs? Hybrids? A Chrysler-branded version of the Fiat 500? More trucks, or fewer, from Dodge?
Is Chrysler's muscular styling (when it has styling) out the window, to be replaced by a sleeker, more European look?
We presume all those questions, and more, will be answered during the session as Fiat's sergio Marcionne unveils the new Chrysler 5-year product plan.
It starts at 11 a.m. Eastern (8 a.m. Pacific) and wraps up at 6 p.m. and you can watch all, or parts, by registering on the Chrysler Website.
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- John O'Dell November 4, 2009, 7:35 AM
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- Chrysler, Fiat
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- Chrysler 5-Year Plan Webcast
, Chrysler Webcast
November 3, 2009
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
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- John O'Dell November 3, 2009, 1:54 PM
- Categories:
- Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Plug-ins and Electric
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- Chrysler
, Chrysler Product Plan, Electric Car, EVs, Fiat, PHEVS, Plug In Hybrid
September 14, 2009
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.
Continue reading...
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- 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
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- 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show
June 29, 2009
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.
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- Scott Doggett June 29, 2009, 12:03 PM
- Categories:
- Chrysler, Diesel, Emissions, Fiat, Fuel Economy, MINI
- Technorati Tags:
- Chrysler LLC
, Emissions, Fiat, Fiat 500, Fuel Economy, Fuel Efficient, MINI Cooper
April 30, 2009
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.
Continue reading...
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- John O'Dell April 30, 2009, 10:33 AM
- Categories:
- Chrysler, Fiat, Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Plug-ins and Electric
- Technorati Tags:
- Chrysler Bankruptcy
, Chrysler EV, Chrysler Green Vehicles, Plug In Hybrids
April 6, 2009
Ford's SmartGauge features a multitude of displays to help people become more fuel-efficient drivers.
By Robert E. Calem, Contributor
Regardless of the kind of car you drive, one of the keys to improving fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is to drive smarter - don't hammer the accelerator pedal, don't brake harshly and do steadily maintain just enough speed to keep up with the flow of traffic without passing everyone in sight.
These often are not easy tasks.
To help, automakers have begun rolling out new features and technologies that call attention to uneconomical driving behavior and offer "rewards" for fuel-efficient driving.
Some of these features are passive, like instrument panels that change color as fuel economy improves.
Others more actively engage with the driver, such as an accelerator pedal that pushes back when pressed too aggressively.
Some automakers are even working on technologies that will be able to take the driver out of the fuel economy equation by allowing the car to practically drive itself with best mileage in mind.
Read on to learn more about the driver training features and technologies in cars you can buy today, and be able to buy tomorrow.
Smart Gauges Make Smarter Drivers
"The whole idea is coaching the driver, but as a good coach you don't want to preach," says Sonya Nematollahi, driver information engineering supervisor at Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Mich., while describing the "SmartGauge with EcoGuide" instrument cluster in the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids.
Conceived by Ford in collaboration with IDEO, the design and innovation consultancy that also devised the Swivel 'n Go seating in Chrysler minivans, SmartGauge consists of two 4.3-inch, high-resolution color LCD screens - one on either side of the analog speedometer - that display a collection of digitally rendered gauges accessed through multi-layered menus.
SmartGauge with EcoGuide, fashioned by Ford Design Studio with features input from the industrial design firm Smart Design, uses the menus and gauges to offer increasingly detailed information in four modes: Inform, Enlighten, Engage and Empower.
"Like a good coach, we designed modes into SmartGauge to engage drivers at their experience levels and then guide them to new energy-efficient behavior," says Steve Bishop, global lead for sustainability at IDEO in Palo Alto, Calif.
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Green leaves 'grow' on fusion instrument panel as visual reward when fuel economy improves.
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"Video games engage their users in a similar fashion with levels. In fact, when we observed hybrid drivers, we found they were going for high scores, a gaming behavior that has never existed in cars before. We designed to accommodate it."
Steering-wheel mounted directional buttons are used to navigate through the modes, and the driver can customize the displays in each mode by adding or removing gauges.
Continue reading...
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- John O'Dell April 6, 2009, 4:10 AM
- Categories:
- Audi, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Honda, Mercury, Nissan, Tesla, Volvo
- Technorati Tags:
- Eco Driving
, Fuel Efficiency
February 10, 2009
The Fiat Group will announce new engines and new technologies at the Geneva Motor Show next month, including a new 1.8-liter gasoline engine and a 1.3-diesel engine, Italiaspeed reports today
.
The Website reports that the turbocharged four-cylinder 1.8-liter engine will be used in the upcoming Alfa Romeo 159, the Lancia Delta, the Alfa Romeo Brera, Spider and Mito GTA.
It will be offered in 170-, 200- and 230-horsepower outputs (the latter reserved for the Brera, Spider and Mito GTA) and it will feature both direct injection and continuously-variable inlet and exhaust cam timing.
Italiaspeed reports that Fiat Powertrain Technologies is close to production of its Multijet 2 new-generation diesel injection technology, and its Multiair electrohydraulic valve-actuation system.
Multiair is said to improve torque from gasoline engines by up to 20 percent at lower engine speeds and boost power by 10 to 15 percent, yet reduce fuel consumption by up to 10 percent.
Additional information regarding fuel economy and tailpipe emissions was unavailable.
The Multijet 2 engines will be launched in Frankfurt with a new injection pump and solenoid injectors for more precise fuel delivery. Fiat has not yet decided whether to offer any of these small powerplants in the U.S.
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- Scott Doggett February 10, 2009, 12:54 PM
- Categories:
- Alfa Romeo, Auto Shows, Emissions, Fiat, Fuel Economy
- Technorati Tags:
- Alfa Romeo
, Fiat Group, Fuel Economy, Geneva Auto Show, Tailpipe Emissions
January 20, 2009
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
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- John O'Dell January 20, 2009, 8:24 AM
- Categories:
- Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Fiat, Fuel Economy
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, Fiat, Small Cars
December 11, 2008
The World Car of the Year organization has announced the initial slate of candidates for 2009 World Green Car of the Year.
Launched three years ago, the title has been awarded in the past to the BMW 118d (2008), the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec (2007) and the Honda Civic Hybrid (2006).
The 2009 candidates must be new and on sale by December 31.
The list includes the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI (pictured), BMW 335d BluePerformance, Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon hybrids, Citroen C1, Fiat Palio Weekend Electric, Fiat Siena Tetrafuel model, Honda FCX Clarity. Go to Edmunds.com's Inside Line to view more candidates.
The organization includes working automotive journalists from around the globe, including regular Inside Line contributors Matt Davis, Hormazd Sorabjee, Peter Nunn and Peter Lyon.
The top 10 finalists will be announced in January, with the winner revealed in April at the 2009 New York Auto Show.
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- Scott Doggett December 11, 2008, 1:33 PM
- Categories:
- Alternative Fuels, Audi, Auto Shows, BMW, Chevrolet, Citroen, Diesel, Emissions, Fiat, Flex-Fuel, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Mercedes-Benz, Natural Gas, Plug-ins and Electric
- Technorati Tags:
- Audi Q7 3.0 TDI
, BMW 335d BluePerformance, Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, Citroen C1, Fiat Palio Weekend Electric, Fiat Siena Tetrafuel, GMC Yukon Hybrid, Honda FCX Clarity., World Green Car of the Year
October 6, 2008
European automakers today called for $55.2 billion of low-interest loans to help develop greener cars in the fight against climate change, but their request was instantly rebuffed.
"This idea does not even merit discussion," a source at the European Commission said.
An auto industry group claimed the global economic crisis was making it increasingly difficult for carmakers to achieve European Union emissions targets by 18 percent over the next several years.
But the European Commission rejected the demand for a loan that would equate to over one third of the annual EU budget.
A representative for the auto industry group said it was trying to start a discussion of how the EU might support its automakers in a time of change.
The same group has asked the EU to create incentives for motorists to scrap vehicles over eight years old to speed up fleet renewal.
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- Scott Doggett October 6, 2008, 2:12 PM
- Categories:
- Emissions, Fiat, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Legislation, Manufacturers, Tax Incentives
Borrowing from the Detroit 3 playbook, Europe's automakers plan to ask the European Commission for a $55.2 billion loan to accelerate the transition to fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel cars, The Wall Street Journal
reported
today.
The request follows a similar move in the U.S., where Congress last week approved $25 billion in loans to help American carmakers improve the fuel economy of their vehicles.
Fiat suggested the request to European auto executives at a board meeting of the European Auto Makers Association, or ACEA, on Friday, the Journal reported, citing an unidentified person familiar with the matter.
The board met to discuss the commission's proposals for tighter rules on emissions that scientists say cause global warming. Under the rules, Europe's automakers would face fines if the average emission for their vehicle fleet exceeded 120 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer.
Car companies have complained that meeting the emission limit for the entire fleet by 2012 isn't economically feasible for them, though they would agree to a gradual application of the rules. They have lobbied for the commission to delay applying the rules in full until 2015.
"All European carmakers agree on the [$55.2 billion] demand," a spokesman for Fiat said Saturday, confirming earlier comments by his boss, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. The final details of an agreement remain unclear, another person familiar with Fiat's proposal told the Journal.
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- Scott Doggett October 6, 2008, 5:01 AM
- Categories:
- Emissions, Fiat, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Legislation, Manufacturers
August 1, 2008
Ford of Europe today released these photos of its redesigned entry-level Ka model, developed and built with Fiat, and set for unveiling at the Paris motor show in October.
The original Ka, which was based on the Ford Puma coupé chassis platform, was launched 12 years ago and proved an unexpected success with Ford selling more than 1.4 million of the small city car.
The new model is based on the Fiat Panda/Cinquecento chassis platform and built in Poland.
Although fuel-efficient cars like this are now very popular in the U.S. and reports abound that the new Ka might be coming to America, Ford spokesman Jay Ward told Green Car Advisor the automaker has no intension to selling the microcar here.
"That is not currently in our plan," he said in an email. "We do have the Fiesta coming here in 2010, which will be an excellent addition to our car line-up and add to the already very successful Focus."
Unfortunately, the photos provided here only serve to show what we'll be missing.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
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- Scott Doggett August 1, 2008, 1:08 PM
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- Emissions, Fiat, Ford, Fuel Economy
July 22, 2008
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.
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- 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
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.
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- 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
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.
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- 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
