September 2010
GreenBriefs: Volt in World Series; Wireless EV Charger; Battery News Abounds
By John O'Dell September 30, 2010The 2011 Chevrolet Volt will make its mainstream marketing debut during the 2010 World Series, General Motors said today. Ads for the extended-range plug in, which will deliver up to 40 miles of all-electric travel on rechargeable batteries before an on-board, gasoline-powered generator kicks in to continue producing power for the Volt's electric drive motor, will run all autumn after their World Series bow, said GM marketing chief Joel Ewanick. Volt production for retail sales is scheduled to begin Nov. 11 with the first of the four-passenger, $41,000 cars delivered to customers in select U.S. markets before the end more
Automotive X Prize Alternative Class Winner Eyes U.S. Production Deal
By John O'Dell September 30, 2010Swiss motorcycle maker Peraves AG and Southern California EV pioneer AC Propulsion have signed a letter of intent to begin manufacturing and selling Peraves' Automotive X-Prize winning E-Tracer electric vehicle in the U.S. The agreement is for a low-volume effort to bring 100 of the unusual EVs into the States beginning next year. Details are still being worked out. AC Propulsion developed and provided the battery-electric drive system for the X-Tracer, a unique, fully enclosed two-seater that typically runs on two wheels, like a motorcycle, but has two midships retracting wheels that automatically deploy to provide extra stability in more
Volvo Confirms Diesel-electeric PHEV, Production of Battery EVs
By John O'Dell September 30, 2010By Danny King, Contributor It's official: the Swedes have been bitten by the electric-car bug. Volvo says it will start producing electric vehicles and embark on a worldwide testing program in early 2011, and will have a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid vehicle (PHEV) ready for the market the following year. The automaker made the announcements at the Paris auto show, where it unveiled its C30 hatchback EV. The car, which will have a single-charge range of about 95 miles, will go into production early next year and will run test fleets in the U.S., Europe and China. To make sure more
Lotus Unveils Eterne Sedan Concept for 2015, Says Hybrid Version Will Be Offered
By Scott Doggett September 30, 2010Lotus turned heads today at the Paris Auto Show with the debut of the Eterne sedan concept, which the British carmaker says will launch in spring 2015. Looking like it contains genes from the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and Audi A7 Sportback, the Eterne is fitted with a 620-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 sourced from Toyota. Lotus says a hybrid version of the vehicle will also be available, powered by electric motors and benefiting from a regenerative-braking system. The Eterne will be offered in both rear- and all-wheel-drive forms with a full hybrid transmission that's good for 196 mph and more
Got Opinion on New EPA Fuel Economy Label Proposals? Here's Chance to Air It
By John O'Dell September 30, 2010The federal Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have scheduled joint public hearings next month in LA and Chicago to hear what people think about its proposed new fuel economy labels (click on illustration to enlarge). The agencies, you'll remember, recently issued two proposals for redoing the decades-old "window sticker" in order to update it to reflect 21st Century concerns. The main focus of the hearings is likely to be the controversial proposed "letter-grade" label in which the government assigns a grade, ranging from A+ to D, based on fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. Critics, more
Financial Woes Could Cut Vital European EV Subsidies, Ford Finance Chief Warns
By John O'Dell September 30, 2010Ford Motor Co.'s top financial guy told reporters at the Paris auto show that he fears austerity moves by cash-strapped European governments could result in curtailment of promised subsidies for electric vehicles, making them unaffordable for most people. ----------Nissan is counting on government subsidies around the world to make first-generation Leaf EV more affordable.---------- If Ford Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth's worries are justified, EV development globally could be severely impacted. It's the expectation of those European subsidies that have caused many analysts to predict big numbers for EV and plug-in hybrid sales over the next five to 10 more
Firms Step Up Plans to Mine Rare Earths in Wake of China's Export Restrictions
By Scott Doggett September 30, 2010China's decision to curtail the export of rare-earth elements to Japan following a collision at sea between boats from both countries has triggered plans around the world step up production of the metals. ----------Right, rare earths found in the Prius.---------- The elements are found in many modern technological devices, including superconductors, electronic polishers, and hybrid- and electric-car components (primarily batteries and magnets). In a detailed report today, The Nikkei Japanese business paper said that mineral-rich countries are moving to raise their production of rare-earth metals in the wake of China's tightening restrictions on their export. China currently controls 90 more
Volkswagen Offers Peek of Coming U.S.-Built Sedan
By Bill Visnic September 30, 2010Although the Volkswagen Group is unveiling the latest generation of its Passat midsize sedan at the Paris motor show this week, the company also said that to avoid confusion it felt compelled to issue sketches of the yet-unnamed New Midsize Sedan (NMS) it will build at an all-new assembly plant in Chattanooga, TN, beginning next year. Although the sleek-roofed sedan bears some resemblance to the existing Passat CC, VW officials insist the NMS to be built in the U.S. is not related to the new-generation Passat unveiled in Paris. The company issued the images, according to one communique, "to more
Volt Advisory Board Member Reveals Long-Held Secret: Gas Tank is 9.3 Gallons
By John O'Dell September 30, 2010(Updated with GM's statement.) General Motors has kept us all in the dark for more than a year now over the size of the Volt extended-range plug-in's gas tank. Now the number is out, apparently, and it is 9.3 gallons. The word comes from Lyle Dennis, the nation's premier Volt-watcher and a member of GM's newly constituted Volt Consumer Advisory Board. He writes in his blog that he heard the number from a fellow advisory board member earlier this week after the GM-sponsored board attended a Volt driving event, and has since confirmed it. He doesn't say who gave more
2010 Paris Motor Show: Fisker Karma Production Model Hews to Concept's Promise
By John O'Dell September 30, 2010Henrik Fisker talks as models - still de rigueur for high-end car debuts at European shows - roll back cover on production version of Fisker Karma at Paris auto show. ---------- Production cars often bear very little resemblance to the concepts that wowed auto show-goers and spawned the retail version, but auto maker and designer Henrik Fisker has vowed that his company's extended-range plug-in, the Karma sedan, would not change much from drawing board to assembly line. He showed the production version of the 2011 Karma at the Paris auto show today and as far as we can tell, more