February 2010
Volkswagen's New CrossGolf Gets Better Mileage, But No U.S. Distribution
By John O'Dell February 26, 2010Volkswagen is giving the updated version of its CrossGolf crossover better gas mileage and more power. But the company still won't give it to Americans. The new CrossGolf, which is being unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show next month, will go sale in its initial markets in April and will be available with turbocharged gasoline engines ranging from 105 to 160 horsepower as well as with several turbodiesel options, Volkswagen said. The most efficient gas version will get about 35 miles per gallon with both a six-speed and seven-speed transmission. While this is a European figure, which tends more
Judge Rejects Honda Fuel Economy Lawsuit Settlement as Too Stingy
By John O'Dell February 26, 2010First, Honda is accused by Civic Hybrid owners of being too, shall we say "optimistic" in its fuel economy boasts for the gas-electric car. ---------- Owners of 2003-2007 Honda Civic hybrids sued automaker over alleged misleading mileage claims and agreed to settle. Now a judge has rejected the settlement offer as too stingy.---------- Now a judge is saying the automaker is being too stingy in its attempt to settle the lawsuit disgruntled owners filed three years ago. Honda's two-month-old attempt to settle a 2007 class-action lawsuit over what Civic Hybrid owners say were misleading and overstated gas mileage figures was rejected more
Diesel Booster Aiming for Speed Record in Oil-Burning Dragster
By John O'Dell February 26, 2010We're suckers for a good race car picture any time we can justify one here on Edmunds' green car site, and this is as good a reason as they get. Gale Banks, the California-based dean of diesel and leading proponent of the idea that the fuel - and engines that burn it - can be clean, economical and powerful, is taking his Sidewinder Top Diesel dragster to the Desert Diesel Nationals in Arizona next weekend (March 6) with his eye on runs down the asphalt quarter-mile in the 200 mph-plus, low mid-6-seconds range. And, he says, he'll do it more
Britain to Subisdize Electric Car Cost - Up to $7,600 Per - to Help Jumpstart Demand
By John O'Dell February 26, 2010The British government has approved a program legislators there believe will provide a big boost for electric vehicle technology and a resulting drop in CO2 emissions - a national subsidy to buyers of zero and near-zero emissions cars and trucks equal to the lower of 25 per cent of the vehicle's purchase price or 5,000 British pounds. ----------Smart ED (electric drive) goes on sale in Britain later this year and wold qualify for the new British subsidy covering up to 25 percent of the purchase price.---------- At present exchange rates, the British EV subsidy equalst $7,642 - close to more
Zap Says It Has Order for 100 Electric SUVs - to be Delivered to South Korea
By John O'Dell February 26, 2010Northern California-based EV importer and developer Zap, which last month announced a partnership with a South Korean optics company to bring electric vehicles to that country, said this week that it has received its first order - for 100 electric SUVS. ----------The Zhejiang Jonway A380 SUV will be converted to electric drive and exported from China in Zap's South Korea EV deal.---------- The vehicles will be jointly built by Zap and Chinese automaker Zhejiang Jonway in China - based on the Chinese company's A380 SUV model - and then imported into South Korea by Zap's partner there, Samyang Optics more
2010 Geneva Auto Show: Hyundai to Show i-flow Diesel Hybrid, New Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model, and More
By John O'Dell February 26, 2010Hyundai motors plans to show its i-flow diesel-electric hybrid concept at the Geneva Auto Show next week as just one of eight fuel-efficient, lower-emissions vehicles on its stand. The i-flow is the most notable of the bunch because it will be one of the few hybrids to use a diesel engine instead of a gasoline powerplant. The South Korean automaker released a rear three-quarter view of the diesel hybrid last week to whet our appetites and this week is teasing with this image (right) showing, a driver's side three-quarter view from the front. The i-flow - still officially a more
NHTSA Says Federal Fuel Economy Rules Jeopardized by Bid to Void GHG Ruling
By John O'Dell February 25, 2010Move Also Would Reignite Controversial Plan by Major States to Set Own CO2 Standards An effort by Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski to overturn the EPA's ruling that greenhouse gases endanger public health could disrupt plans to set a national standard for automotive greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy, according to the Department of Transportation. In a letter sent Friday to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chief counsel for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - NHTSA - said that if the EPA were stripped of authority to regulate greenhouse gases the result would cripple NHTSA's efforts to implement more
Question Congress' Hearings Won't Answer: Are Cars Safe?
By Michelle Krebs February 25, 2010Despite all the questions asked during Congressional hearings on Toyota's recalls this week, the nagging question that won't -- and maybe can't -- be answered is: are today's cars safe, at least from accelerating of their own volition? Toyota happened to be the company at the witness table for vehicles that -- for one reason or another, identified or not -- have the possibility of unintended acceleration, potentially endangering not only Toyota drivers but drivers, passengers and pedestrians around them. Yet, while Toyota is under the microscope and, in fact, has more reported complaints than its competitors, unintended acceleration more
Honda 3R-C Concept - An Electric Trike For the Urban Dweller
By John O'Dell February 25, 2010Engineers and designers at Honda are no different than those at other auto companies - always thinking of what might be next. One difference is that sometimes Honda let's em loose to actually build a concept even though it isn't likely to ever become a production model. After all, it could trigger a groundswell of demand and really become the next big thing - or pieces of it could be used in a real production vehicle. Who knows? That's the thinking behind the Honda 3R-C, a battery-electric three-wheeler that looks like a closed-cabin mini-car when parked but opens up more
Hummer Hangs On - for a Little Bit - as GM Allows Two Months to Find New Buyer
By John O'Dell February 26, 2010The Terminator was just about impossible to kill off. His favorite vehicle might be as well. Just two days after General Motors said it was going to wind down the Hummer brand after a deal with China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. fell through, the company has decided to extend agreements with 153 Hummer franchises. The dealers are being given until May 1 so Hummer executives have time to seek a new buyer for the brand. Hummer Chief Executive Officer Jim Taylor told the trade journal Automotive News that he was advised by GM CEO Ed Whitacre to more