Green Car Advisor
Emissions
September 5, 2008
Ford's 65-miles-per-gallon 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic (right) goes on sale in Europe this November, but it won't be coming to the United States. Not then, possibly not ever.
That according to a disturbing report Business Week published today. The magazine says that despite the popularity of fuel-efficient cars in the U.S. these days, Ford doesn't intend to ship it there.
"We know it's an awesome vehicle," Ford America President Mark Fields told Business Week. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the U.S."
The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel. American motorists just don't like the stuff, based on memories of diesel-powered cars belching black clouds of exhaust.
Add to that U.S. taxes that make diesel costlier than gasoline, plus America's love affair with Toyota's Prius and other hybrids, and the outlook for diesel -- even clean-diesel -- cars in the States is bleak.
And, at prevailing exchange rates, the Fiesta ECOnetic would sell for about $25,700 in America. By contrast, the Prius retails for $22,000 there.
The bottom line: Ford doesn't believe it could charge enough to make money on an imported ECOnetic.
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- Scott Doggett September 5, 2008, 11:27 AM
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- Diesel, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy
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- Ford
August 29, 2008
Right, Toyota's E-Com electric vehicle.
Five years after putting the kabosh on its rechargeable RAV4 all-electric SUV, Toyota Motor Corp. announced today that it's back in the EV game, developing a plug-in electric-powered commuter car.
Japan's largest automaker also said that it intends to speed up testing of plug-in Prius hybrids, which will contain the latest advances in battery technology.
The all-electric car will be "mass-produced'' in the early 2010s, President Katsuaki Watanabe said today in Tokyo without elaborating. Tests of rechargeable Priuses, previously set for 2010, were moved up to late 2009. Currently available Priuses can operate on electricity and gasoline but cannot be plugged in.
The move to develop an electric vehicle now reflects rising demand for fuel-efficient cars amid high gas prices. It also means Toyota will bring its plug-in EV to market in late 2010, which is just about the time General Motors intends to begin shipping its plug-in Chevrolet Volt to dealers.
Plug-in hybrids can be recharged using a household outlet. Current hybrids capture power from braking when the vehicles are in motion and rely on an onboard gasoline engine to generate electricity for the battery pack and electric motor or to supply power directly to the wheels as needed, but their batteries cannot be recharged from an outlet.
Toyota's rechargeable Prius will use lithium-ion batteries, an advance over the nickel-metal hydride versions in existing hybrids.
Rechargeable Priuses with extra nickel-metal batteries are now being tested in California and Japan, with a range of about 7 miles on battery power alone. Toyota estimates the new plug-ins will be able to travel 10 miles on a charge.
"We'll be studying the range, but think we'll need more than that for a consumer version,'' Toyota spokesman John Hanson told Bloomberg news service today in an interview from Tokyo. "Non-consumer fleets'' such as utilities will use the vehicles, Hanson said.
GM wants the Volt to have at least 40 miles of all-electric range before relying on a gasoline engine to generate electricity for the Volt's electric motor.
Toyota is building on its own experiments with all-electric vehicles, including testing fleets of E-Com electric minicars in Japan. To meet California air-quality regulations, it leased electric versions of its RAV4 small SUV (above, left) about a year ending in early 2003. Many of the vehicles can still be seen on roads in the Golden State.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
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- Scott Doggett August 29, 2008, 4:35 PM
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- Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
August 28, 2008
By Scott Doggett, Contributor
A Northern California Toyota dealership has become the first business to accept deposits for factory-direct plug-in Priuses.
Magnussen's Toyota of Palo Alto started accepting $500 deposits for plug-in Priuses two weeks ago and as of this morning had accepted 25 of them, according to Eric Doebert, business development manager for the dealer.
That development has occurred despite the fact that the automaker has repeatedly told the press that it will limit production to 400 of the vehicles during or before 2010 and that those vehicles will be for fleet evaluation only.
In other words, while some government and commercial fleets may contain plug-in Priuses in 2010, retail sales -- plug-in Priuses for the general public -- won't begin until sometime after 2010.
That's what Toyota has been telling reporters, but it's possible the automaker has said something different to its dealers. Doebert says that's exactly what's happened.
"There is no official word that we have as a dealer regarding exactly what is going to happen," he told Green Car Advisor today. "We've heard different things. Nothing concrete. However, we are very confident that we'll have retail units in 2010.
Continue reading...
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- Scott Doggett August 28, 2008, 12:16 PM
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- Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
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- Electric Vehicle
, Magnussen's Toyota of Palo Alto, Plug-in Hybrid, Plug-in Prius
August 27, 2008
Organizers of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize opened the official registration process this week - the first step in qualifying for the fuel efficieny competition's $10 million in prizes - after receiving letters of intent form more than 120 teams.
The prospective entrants are from 17 countries, with most coming from the U.S. - 28 states are represented on the initial list.
The contest challenges entrants to design, build and operate a production-capable vehicle that can deliver, at minimum, the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon fuel economy.
Prospective entrants range from Indian automaker Tata Motors to a high school team from West Philadelphia.
Missing from the preliminary list are all of the major U.S., European and Asian automakers, but a few celebrities apparently will be on hand, among them Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young, who has said he intends to enter his 1960 Lincoln Continental - converted to a plug-in hybrid running on biodiesel..
Registration closes January 1, 2009, and entrants then will have about eight months to prepare for a series of competitions that will start in New York in September and take the vehicles to as many as nine major U.S. urban areas through early 2010.
Winning teams must deliver vehicles that achieve at least 100 miles per gallon-equivalent fuel economy and meet stringent emissions standards. the teams also must present compelling business cases for their vehicles.
Click here for more information about the competition, the prize and the entry process.
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- John O'Dell August 27, 2008, 12:54 PM
- Categories:
- Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Green Vehicles, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Tata
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- $10 million X Prize
, Fuel Efficiency, Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize
By John O'Dell, Senior Editor
Mercedes-Benz, with its 2009
BlueTec SUVs, and Volkswagen with its
2009 Jetta TDI are the big players in the U.S. diesel market these days. But it looks like BMW is close behind.
We got the keys to a Euro-spec BWM 745d over the weekend and gave it a whirl as part of a program, sponsored by diesel systems developer
Bosch, to show off the differences that advances in diesel technology have brought to oil-burners in recent years.
Diesels, long thought of by U.S. motorists as smelly, noisy and dirty - because they were smelly, noisy and dirty - have undergone a metamorphosis overseas as Europe's carmakers turned to them to help cope with governmental concerns over CO2 emissions and consumer concerns over fuel prices that are now running in the neighborhood of $8 a gallon.
They now are clean and quiet and pretty near odorless thanks to stringent emissions filtering systems and the low sulfur content of modern diesel fuel.
They also deliver quite a wallop in the fuel economy department - usually offering 30 to 35 percent better mileage than gasoline versions of the same vehicles.
The 745d, for instance, delivered a pretty consistent 24 miles per gallon in combined highway and city driving while we had it- 33 percent more than the comparably performing, gasoline-fueled 4.8-liter 750i sedan that's EPA rated at 18 miles per gallon in mixed use.
Continue reading...
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- John O'Dell August 27, 2008, 5:01 AM
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- BMW, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen
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- 2008 BMW 745d
, 7-Series, BMW, Diesel
August 26, 2008
Right, Mahindra's Appalachian pickup.
Apparently addressing concerns many Americans might have about spending $20,000 on an Indian-made pickup truck, Mahindra & Mahindra has decided to put 25 of its clean-diesel pickups on U.S. roads to collectively rack up more than 3 million miles in what amounts to additional testing to ensure the model meets U.S. expectations when it goes on sale here in the fall of 2009.
The additional testing will delay the model's U.S. arrival by three months. Mahindra, which sells about 10,000 farm tractors a year in the United States of America, still hopes to be the first Indian company to sell trucks here.
Assuming crude prices remain high, the timing will be good for Mahindra. Although the light-truck market is down, Mahindra's Appalachian pickup -- fitted with a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder engine and a 7.5-foot cargo box -- is expected to get about 30 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving. That's considerably better that what its likely competitors -- the gasoline-powered Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma -- get, and the diesel pickup would likely deliver much better towing power.
While it's true that diesel fuel now sells for about 14 percent more than regular gasoline, diesels typically get fuel economy that is 20 percent to 30 percent higher than gasoline-powered engines. And, the Appalachian is expected to meet the emission requirements of all 50 U.S. states, putting it squarely in the so-called "clean diesel" corner.
The Appalachian will be available in two- and four-door versions when it reaches approximately 300 dealers nationwide during the fourth quarter of next year. The same vehicle with a hybrid drivetrain is expected to enter the U.S. market the following year for about $5,000 more before any available tax credits are applied.
Mahindra says the truck will be available in two- and four-wheel drive, come standard with a paddle-shift six-speed automatic transmission, and have a payload capacity of about 2,600 pounds. Final assembly of the Appalachian will be conducted in Ohio to avoid a 25-percent federal import tariff.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
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- Scott Doggett August 26, 2008, 8:42 AM
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- Diesel, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, India, Mahindra, Toyota
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- Appalachian Pickup
, Clean Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Mahindra & Mahindra
Microprocessors, Ben, microprocessors!
Not only are they the primary building block of the computer and advanced electronic devices entertainment, communications, military, industrial, you name it) but they are, increasingly, the key to greening up the automobile.
That's the word according to Gartner Inc., the Stamford, Conn.-based information technology research and consulting company.
In a
recent report, Gartner research analyst Amy Leong opined that the worldwide market for automotive microprocessors, spurred by the industry's race to develop fuel efficiency and emissions reduction innovations, should top $6.3 billion by 2012.
That's up almost 19 percent from an anticipated $5.3 billion this year.
About half the total in 2012 will be directly related to environmental and fuel management improvements in our cars and trucks.
And now that we've helped those of you with portfolios diversity them a little bit more, let's look - through Leong's eyes - at why microprocessors
(above) are making it easier for auto companies to get greener.
Many of the auto industry's green car technologies are dependent on microprocessors, she wrote.
The list would include hybrid cars, diesels and direct injection gasoline engines, fuel-cell and battery-electric vehicles, even things like Nissan's "eco-pedal" that pushes back to tell you that you're accelerating too hard.
Microprocessors, aka minicomputers on a chip, control the interaction of gasoline and electric powerplants in hybrids (as well as regenerative braking systems and a host of other items); they run variable valve timing and complex high-pressure fuel injection systems and on and on and on.
Microprocessors also drive electric equipment that can replace hydraulic pumps and other hefty components as automakers adopt technologies such as electronically controlled brakes, steering and acceleration to lighten vehicles ('cause a lighter car is a less-thirsty car).
These systems are increasingly complex, "amplifying the need for higher-performance 32-bit" microprocessors with increased memory, Leong wrote in her report.
We don't have much of a portfolio ourselves, (unless you count a passbook account at a local credit union), but we're still heartened by the analysis.
Why? Because anything that makes it easier and, ultimately, cheaper, for automakers to go green is a good thing in our book - and microprocessors do tend to make things get cheaper. (Remember those $100 pocket calculators that now cost about $3.95?)
Use of advanced tech also can help speed things up.
The report says Gartner analysts expect "revolutionary zero-emission and alternative fuel solutions" to be in commercial use after 2015.
But who knows? All it takes is one little breakthrough in chip design and 2015 could become 2012.
PS - If you want to read the whole 14-page report, Gartner will sell it to you for $1,295 - just click
here for the company's marketing site.
Otherwise, thank the folks at
Urban Age Institute in San Francisco for tipping us to a boiled-down version of the report so we could synthesize it for you.
John O'Dell, Senior Editor
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- John O'Dell August 26, 2008, 3:01 AM
- Categories:
- Emissions, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies
- Technorati Tags:
- Automotive Microprocessors
, Gartner Inc., Green Car Technology
August 22, 2008
The New York Times reports today that the politics of energy are convoluted and volatile in Congressional campaigns across the U.S. this summer, as candidates search for a Goldilocks approach that is neither too hot nor too cold, and that voters will believe is sincere.
The pandering and waffling of candidates is producing a convergence of sorts around the idea that more is better, the Times reports, that an expansion of energy production from all sources and places will somehow fix things, lower prices and restore stability to the economy.
But the more complex components of the energy debate, from climate change to conservation, often get mostly lost in the drumbeat of simplified answers, leaving some voters more confused, or torn, than ever. The article is well worth the time it takes to read.
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- Scott Doggett August 22, 2008, 5:16 PM
- Categories:
- Alternative Fuels, Emissions, Energy Companies, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Opinion
Right, trucks at the Port of Los Angeles.
The Port of Los Angeles' clean-truck replacement program got a significant boost Thursday when two Arizona-based freight haulers agreed to participate in the program.
As you may recall, this is the same port that saw the world's largest electric truck -- potentially one of many -- put into service this past May in an effort to reduce the area's ghastly air pollution, as we reported back then.
The American Trucking Association has opposed the port's plans to replace its aging fleets, which produce a large portion of the diesel pollution at the nation's biggest cargo container complex.
The ATA filed suit in federal court to block the plans, asserting that the port's actions violate federal statutory provisions that prohibit states or their political subdivisions from enacting or enforcing a legal requirement that is "related to a price, route or service of any motor carrier."
The ATA said the filing points to "a host of regulatory requirements - such as the submission of truck-maintenance, safety and parking plans; equipment marking and tracking; financial oversight; routing mandates; and periodic reviews and audits - that will dramatically affect a motor carrier's operations at the ports in terms of price, routes, and services."
But the potential participation of the two Arizona companies -- Swift Transportation Co., which has 37 major terminals in 26 states and Mexico, and Knight Transportation Inc., with nearly half of its fleet consisting of 2008 models -- is a major development. Both companies are members of the trucking association.
"It shows that the Los Angeles plan is attractive and trucking companies are biting," Adrian Martinez, projects manager with the Natural Resources Defense Council, told the Los Angeles Times.
At the time the ATA filed its lawsuit, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said his office was "committed to rolling ahead with the world's most ambitious and bold plan to simultaneously green and grow a port," and port officials said they would press ahead with their plan.
The Clean Truck Program is designed to encourage rapid improvement of air quality at the port through use of grants and financial incentives that would allow trucking companies to accelerate the replacement of older, high-polluting trucks with newer, cleaner trucks.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
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- Scott Doggett August 22, 2008, 4:40 PM
- Categories:
- Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
August 20, 2008
The race to develop advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles took an expected turn today, with German parts supplier Bosch and Korean electronics giant Samsung announcing they have received all regulatory approvals to launch a joint venture to develop the batteries.
The joint venture will be headquartered in Korea and bear the name SB LiMotive Co. Bosch and Samsung each own 50 percent of the new company.
The company's objective, Bosch and Samsung said in a statement, is to "series-manufacture highly efficient lithium-ion batteries customized to automotive requirements and to market them worldwide from 2011."
Samsung has extensive experience developing lithium-ion batteries for a broad range of non-automotive applications, including notebook computers, power tools and mobile handsets.
Bosch will contribute the experience it has gained in recent few years with its "Project House Hybrid," which focused on power electronics, battery management, electrical engines and transmission systems.
The development of new, advanced lithium-ion batteries is widely regarded as the last big obstacle separating a world in which the vast majority of vehicles are gasoline powered and a world predominated by gas-electric hybrids and pure electric vehicles.
SB LiMotive enters an increasingly competitive market. Among the companies that are working on advanced lithium-ion batteries are Mitsubishi, Honda, Sanyo, LG Chem, Compact Power, A123 Systems, Continental, General Motors, and Johnson Controls-Saft.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
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- Scott Doggett August 20, 2008, 5:07 PM
- Categories:
- Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric
If you've been following the price rumors swirling around the Chevy Volt, you've heard guestimates ranging from $25,000 to $50,000.
This week, General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner told talk-show host Charlie Rose that the plug-in gas-electric hybrid will likely sell for about $35,000 to $39,000.
Starting a little more than 32 minutes into the interview with Rose, Wagoner says:
"We initially hoped we could get it for a very, very good price, let's say below $30,000. It's going to be more expensive than that for the first couple of years. Haven't finalized it ... but it'll be in the mid- to high-thirties is my best guess."
Later on, Wagoner said that "for something like the Volt, we'd be looking for a significant subsidy" from the government on the demand side, meaning a tax credit for initial Volt buyers.
If by "significant" Wagoner is referring to the $7,000 tax credit GM has been lobbying Congress for, initial buyers who live in states without a sales tax might be able to get a Volt for less than $30,000.
But whether the base price for the Volt will fall in the mid- to high-thirties remains to be seen.
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- Scott Doggett August 20, 2008, 12:48 PM
- Categories:
- Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric
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- Charlie Rose
, Chevrolet Volt, Chevy Volt, GM, PHEV, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Rick Wagoner
There's no mistaking it: Sinister forces are still at work at Peugeot.
The French automaker presented the scariest car at the last Paris Motor Show, a wicked jet-black sedan concept packing a 700-horsepower V12 turbodiesel engine. It's name: 908 RC.
The lion-logoed family business has done it again, producing the stealthy, diabolical "RC..." concept pictured here; it's full name will be revealed when the vehicle debuts at the Paris show this October.
Peugeot is disclosing very little about the concept, but this much it has revealed: within the RC...'s four doors are four seats, and under the hood "highly innovative hybrid architecture."
The automaker's aim: a sedan offering a very high level of efficiency both in terms of performance -- with its potential 230-kilowatt, 313-horsepower electric motor -- and minimal impact on the environment -- carbon dioxide emissions of 109 grams per kilometer in the combined cycle or zero in electric mode.
In a statement, Peugeot says the vehicle demonstrates more than ever that the automaker "is capable of combining respect for the environment with driving pleasure."
If only Peugeot would take this breathtaking beast to market.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
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- Scott Doggett August 20, 2008, 10:25 AM
- Categories:
- Auto Shows, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric
- Technorati Tags:
- 2008 Paris Auto Show
, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Peugeot RC
By Scott Doggett, Contributor
Many people if not most who buy a small or midsize sport utility vehicle do so because they believe it offers greater personal protection than a car. And for that extra measure of protection, they are willing to sacrifice fuel economy.
Today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced that the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid earned top ratings in recent crash-test evaluations, bringing to three the number of hybrid SUVs getting superior mileage without compromising safety.
The other hybrid SUVs earning top-safety-pick honors from the respected institute are the midsize 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid and the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which the institute had previously evaluated.
But the big winner announced today by the institute was the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, which outperformed the competition in recent front, side and rear crash test evaluations of eight small SUV models.
The 2009 Escape, including the hybrid version, 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander and 2008 Nissan Rogue joined the Tiguan in earning top ratings in all three of the institute's evaluations. All four models come equipped with electronic stability control and side airbags, which the institute considered very important.
The institute ratings of good, acceptable, marginal or poor are based on results of front and side crash tests, plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against whiplash injury in rear crashes.
The 2008 Chevrolet Equinox, 2008 Jeep Patriot, 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2-door 2008 Jeep Wrangler all earned the second-lowest rating of marginal.
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- Scott Doggett August 20, 2008, 8:02 AM
- Categories:
- Chevrolet, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Saturn, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
August 19, 2008
Ford Motor Co. announced today that its 30 fuel-cell test vehicles have exceeded the expectations of the company's hydrogen research engineers by accumulating more than 865,000 real world miles without significant maintenance issues since the fleet's launch three years ago.
Encouraged by the program's success, Ford said it recently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to extend its three-year-old hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle program for up to 24 months, until the next-generation system is ready for deployment in the 2010 timeframe.
Ford was one of the first automakers to launch a fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles in 2005, after unveiling a prototype in late 2003. Its Focus Fuel Cell fleet partners include government agencies across the U.S. and in Canada, Germany and Iceland, where cold climate testing is expected to result in significant performance improvements on the next generation.
Additional Ford hydrogen projects have included a fleet of 20 hydrogen internal combustion engine buses, the Fusion Hydrogen 999 that set a land speed record in 2007, a Fuel Cell Explorer and a Plug-in Hybrid Edge that uses a fuel cell-powered HySeries Drive.
A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle produces electricity through an electro-chemical process in the fuel cell stack. Its only tailpipe emissions are drops of water. Fuel cell vehicles hold the promise of decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming by replacing vehicles that run on fossil fuels.
According to Ford's global fuel cell team, the first-generation fuel-cell vehicles worked much better than originally expected with virtually no degradation in performance. In light of that success, the Department of Energy, which shares the test program's operating cost with Ford, agreed to extend the program.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
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- Scott Doggett August 19, 2008, 3:47 PM
- Categories:
- Emissions, Ford, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Fuels & Technologies, Hydrogen
You know the times they are a-changin' when a battery maker and a racecar manufacturer team up to market specialized lithium-ion batteries to power plug-in hybrid electric race cars.
And that is exactly what Lithium Technology Corp. of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and Hybrid Racing AG of Walchwil, Switzerland, have done.
They announced their decision yesterday after concluding "that there is an immediate need for LTC's unique and innovative products in the advanced motor sports world," the companies said in a joint statement.
The decision follows the companies' successful work on the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle shown above, which is powered by a 3.3-liter V8 bi-turbo gas engine and a 100-kilowatt electric motor hooked up to a 9-kilowatt battery pack made by LTC.
The battery pack is charged prior to races and recoups energy from braking. The electric range of the vehicle is about 31 miles, after which onboard gasoline fuels the V8. Click here to watch a video of the racecar in action.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
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- Scott Doggett August 19, 2008, 11:45 AM
- Categories:
- Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Plug-ins and Electric
August 18, 2008
By Scott Doggett, Contributor
The nerve of some people.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers today distributed a press release, saying that it had trademarked "EcoDriving" and launched a Website with fuel-saving tips for motorists.
This is the same Alliance that has vigilantly opposed legislation that would compel automakers to meet government-mandated fuel-economy standards.
The Website the Alliance launched -- ecodrivingusa.com -- contains what you'd expect: Nothing on how the industry can clean up its act and provide more fuel efficiency, just tips on how motorists can drive more fuel efficiently, a means to calculate your vehicle's carbon footprint, and of course instructions on how to "promote the EcoDriving program."
As for the Alliance's claim that they possess the trademark to "EcoDriving"?
The term "EcoDriving" is not unique to the Alliance or its services or products -- a litmus test that trademark terms must pass -- and the term has been in the public domain for awhile.
It can, for example, be found on ecomodders.com, ecodrive.org and other Websites that promote fuel-responsible driving and, unlike the Alliance and its new Website, aren't funded by BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.
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- Scott Doggett August 18, 2008, 5:58 PM
- Categories:
- BMW, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Legislation, Manufacturers, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen
Volkswagen of America today announced that their all-new, 50-state-compliant Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen are now available for customer delivery.
The clean-diesel sedan and SportWagen start at $21,990 and $23,590, respectively.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the Jetta TDI at 29 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.
Volkswagen contends the Jetta TDI's fuel economy is 24 percent higher -- 38 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway.
The Jetta TDIs come standard with six airbags, with optional rear side airbags, and a 3-year, 36,000-mile limited warranty.
As we reported recently, American owners of the Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen are eligible for a $1,300 tax credit.
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- Scott Doggett August 18, 2008, 11:37 AM
- Categories:
- Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Volkswagen
- Technorati Tags:
- 2009 TDI Jetta Sedan
, 2009 TDI Jetta SportWagen, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Efficient, Volkswagen of America
Ford Motor Co. will launch production of the first EcoBoost V6 engines early next spring for installation into the Lincoln MKS sedan and Ford Flex crossover SUV, Automotive News reported today.
The automaker is planning to charge a $700 premium for the new 3.5-liter turbocharged and direct-injected engine, the subscription news service reported, adding that the first vehicles will be rated at 340 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque.
Ford spokesman Alan Hall, when asked to confirm the report, said, "We've not announced pricing."
The EcoBoost strategy, unveiled earlier this year, combines a smaller-than-usual engine with a turbocharger and direct injection to deliver 20 percent better fuel economy, 15 percent fewer tailpipe emissions and, often, more horsepower than the larger fuel-injected engines that typically would be offered as standard equipment in most models.
Compared to a similarly powerful V8 engine, the fuel savings from the new V6 were estimated at $339 a year at $3.25/gallon. The savings will be substantially greater at current gas prices.
In 2010, Ford will also add the engine to the F-150 pickup as an alternative to the current 5.4-liter V8, the service reported.
The automaker is expected to introduce four-cylinder EcoBoost engines in other models in the next couple of years. Ford has said that by 2012 it plans to offer EcoBoost engines for almost every model the company makes.
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- Scott Doggett August 18, 2008, 10:45 AM
- Categories:
- Emissions, Flex-Fuel, Ford, Fuel Economy, Lincoln
August 15, 2008
LS9 Inc. says it has created synthetic "industrial microbes" that can digest sugar in plant-based food and excrete it as hydrocarbon-based "petroleum replacement products."
But that's not all. The South San Francisco, Calif., company says it can genetically tweak the bacteria to produce a variety of "DesignerBiofuels" that are essentially indistinguishable from gasoline, diesel and even jet fuel.
LS9 says the fuel its proprietary microbes produce can go straight into a car's gas tank or be sent to a refinery for further preparation.
What's more, the fuels are nearly carbon-neutral, LS9 reports, meaning that about the same amount of carbon dioxide is generated by the combustion of its fuels as is consumed by the plant-based foods eaten by the bacteria.
The company suggests that its bacteria's efficient use of biomass or sugar cane addresses the food-versus-fuel issue plaguing corn-based ethanol and other alternative fuels.
LS9 says it is "rapidly commercializing and scaling up" production so that the company can produce fuel by the barrelful within a few years.
Visit the company's Web site for further details.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
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- Scott Doggett August 15, 2008, 1:01 PM
- Categories:
- Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Diesel, Emissions, Ethanol, Fuel Economy
August 14, 2008
By Scott Doggett, Contributor
Ford Motor Co.'s decision last week to scrap plans to build a little brother to the F-150 pickup and abandon plans to import a compact truck from South Africa had more than a few of us wondering if Detroit's No. 2 automaker was backing away from its proclaimed small-is-better strategy for North America.
Mark Fields (right), Ford's president of the Americas, would like everyone to know that is not the case.
Fields revealed the latest details concerning the company's accelerated transformation during a speech this week at the Center for Automotive Research's annual Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan.
Fields said Ford executives "see this year's consumer shift to smaller vehicles as an opportunity and one that Ford is uniquely positioned to answer using the strength of our European small-car lineup and our fast-moving global product plan."
"We plan to answer the call with dynamic, fun-to-drive small cars -- and we intend to make them profitably," he said.
Ford, Fields said, will significantly accelerate its small-car development by leveraging global platforms that will deliver major savings through increased economies of scale.
Ford announced last month that it plans to bring six small vehicles from the company's European lineup to North America by 2012. As part of the product plan Fields outlined, Ford will introduce the new Fiesta small car in North America in early 2010 and the new Focus small car later that year.
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- Scott Doggett August 14, 2008, 6:51 PM
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- Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy
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, Fiesta, Focus, Ford Motor Co., Fuel Economy, Fuel Efficient
By Scott Doggett, Contributor
Chrysler will spend $1.8 billion to convert a Detroit automotive plant tooled to produce the full-size Jeep Grand Cherokee into a factory rolling out more fuel-efficient, car-based crossovers.
Chrysler Vice Chairman and President Tom LaSorda, speaking Wednesday at a conference in Traverse City, Michigan, said the Auburn Hills-based automaker intends to make a "new generation of world-class vehicles" at the factory.
While skimping on specifics, LaSorda said the new vehicles would be "of various sizes and dimensions" and represent an "evolution" of the older, gas-guzzling Jeeps.
The 2.7 million-square-foot Jefferson North assembly plant was built in 1991 and expanded in 1999. Its main product has been the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The current Grand Cherokee (above) began production in August 2004 and the Jeep Commander was added in July 2005.
No vehicle illustrates Chrysler's financial woes more than the Grand Cherokee. Unlike its competition, the SUV had a so-called unibody construction rather than a body mounted on a truck frame.
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- Scott Doggett August 14, 2008, 5:03 PM
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Mass production of the new Ford Fiesta -- the first of a generation of new global fuel-efficient cars from the American automaker -- started at the company's Cologne plant in Germany today.
The all-new model was developed by the European arm of Ford's global product development team to meet the increasing fuel-economy demands of customers worldwide.
The Fiesta is also the blueprint for future Ford global product development, bringing together Europe, the Americas and Asia. The new Fiesta will be tailored for each region and go on sale progressively between now and 2010, starting now with Europe, Ford said in a statement.
Other production facilities for new Fiesta will be located in Valencia, Spain, Nanjing, China, Rayong, Thailand, and Cuautitlán, Mexico. They will begin to produce the car for their respective regions from late 2008 through early 2010. Those made in Mexico will supply North America, with availability in 2010.
More than 12 million Fiesta have been sold worldwide since the very first Fiesta was launched in 1976.
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- Scott Doggett August 14, 2008, 12:04 PM
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UPDATES WITH DESIGN CHANGES
By Scott Doggett, Contributor
In an apparent move designed to maintain public interest in the Chevrolet Volt, General Motors today released two -- and only two -- photos of the production-ready plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
Until now, the public has been seeing photos of the Volt concept that debuted at the Detroit auto show last year. But with the photos of the production-ready front corner (right) and rear, we're getting glimpses of the car as it will appear in dealers' showrooms.
The photos indicate that the General has been smoothing out the concept's angular exterior in an attempt to make the production vehicle more aerodynamical while simultaneously adhering to its original design.
We're pleased GM decided to keep headlights and fog lights that emit cool-blue light. The color bespeaks the electric heart of the Volt, a car GM says will be able to go the first 40 miles after a charge on battery power alone.
The next 400 miles before a recharge is needed require gasoline to power an onboard generator that supplies electricity to the Volt's electric motor.
The rear shot (left) gives us our first look at the Volt's production-ready badge. Below are photos of the concept's front corner and rear for comparison purposes.
