October 2010
Chrysler Reportedly Planning 40-MPG Car to Enter Production in U.S. Next Year
By Scott Doggett October 29, 2010Chrysler is planning a Fiat-based 40-miles-per-gallon car that will resemble to 2010 Alfa Romeo Giulietta (pictured) and enter production late next year at a plant in Illinois, The Detroit Free Press reported, citing suppliers and consultants familiar with the plan. The fuel-efficient model will be based on Fiat's C-EVO underbody and will replace the Dodge Caliber compact crossover, the newspaper said in Thursday editions. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Chrysler will soon receive a U.S. Department of Energy loan of as much as $10 billion under a program that subsidizes production of more fuel-efficient vehicles. Chrysler last began a more
Propel Fuels Opens First of Its 75 DOE- and State-Supported E85 Stations in Calif.
By Scott Doggett October 29, 2010By Scott Doggett, Contributing Editor California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and executives for alternative-fuels provider Propel Fuels today marked the opening of the first of 75 ethanol-85 stations the company will open in the state over the next year as part of California's Low Carbon Infrastructure Investment Initiative. ----------Schwarzenegger, Propel Fuels CEO Matt Horton and others at new E85 station in San Jose, Calif., today.---------- The initiative, which consists of a build-out of a statewide network of stations that dispense E85 and biodiesel, is funded in part by a $10.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and the more
Fuel Trade Groups Urge Retailers to Limit E15 Sales to Flex-Fuel Vehicles for Now
By Scott Doggett October 29, 2010By Danny King, Contributor To use a phrase applicable to the primary method of transportation before cars came around, hold your horses. That's what two fuel-distribution trade groups are saying to gas-station operators raring to sell more corn-based fuel to non-flex-fuel vehicles after the EPA said it'd be OK to sell ethanol blends to all model-year 2007 and newer gasoline-powered vehicles. Washington-based ethanol lobbyist Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) put out a joint statement saying that E15, or fuel with 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline, should still only be used in flex-fuel more
GreenBriefs: Hydrogen Lobby, Green Car Pricing News, EV Ed, Wirless Charging
By John O'Dell October 29, 2010The nation's two largest fuel cell advocacy groups have joined forces in hopes of accelerating the push to commercialize hydrogen energy technologies. The National Hydrogen Association and the U.S. Fuel Cell Council jointly announced the merger and new name - Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association - and said their intent in combining is to achieve "the critical mass necessary to help shape the clean energy agenda." In plainspeak, that means they want to become a larger, more efficient lobbying organization. The group is interested all uses of fuel cells and hydrogen-based energy - not just automotive - but more
GE Plans Largest EV Buy Ever, Hopes to Help Invigorate Electric-Drive Market
By John O'Dell October 29, 2010General Electric Co., a big player in the EV infrastructure market, plans to place an order - or orders - for "tens of thousands" of battery-electric vehicles within the next few weeks, its chief executive said during a speech in London. ----------GE already makes an EV charger, the WattStation - now it plans to buy thousands of EVs.---------- We don't know if that stunning announcement will be enough to get the ball rolling, but it's certainly heartening to see that a major company - albeit one with a corporate interest in promoting electric-drive vehicles - has decided to replace more
Saab Struggles for Sales Foothold as Sales Boss Bolts, Production Cut
By Bill Visnic October 29, 2010Saab Automobile AB formally cut its sales ties with longtime owner General Motors Co. just four months ago, with Saab executives and the CEO of new parent company Spyker Cars NV admitting that as the company tries to reconnect with customers, its recovery will be slow. And thanks to much-reduced overheads and its pending new crossover, the 9-4X, coming virtually for free after its split with GM, Saab's breakeven point is said to be just 85,000 sales globally. But the hard payback for the decade-long spell of neglect from GM and vanishing from the market for more than a more
Chevrolet Will Find Out if It 'Runs Deep' Enough
By Dale Buss October 29, 2010Chevrolet has unveiled its new marketing campaign, under the tagline "Chevy Runs Deep," and its brand stewards have fully explained their thinking behind the effort that began in earnest with TV spots during World Series telecasts and that will crescendo with Chevy's reappearance in Super Bowl advertising on February 6. But will the new approach, Chevy's execution, and its reservoir of goodwill among American consumers actually run deep enough for the campaign to become successful in rebranding Chevrolet? Will it end up bolstering Chevy like a rock - or sink like a stone? more
China Reportedly Resumes Shipments of Rare Earths Without Explanation
By Scott Doggett October 28, 2010China, which curtailed the export of rare-earth elements to Japan following a collision at sea between boats from both countries and later stopped shipments of the minerals to the U.S. and Europe, today allowed the shipments to resume, according to The Associated Press. The elements are found in many modern technological devices, including superconductors, electronic polishers, and hybrid- and electric-car components (primarily batteries and magnets). The embargo that had been in effect on Japan since Sept. 21 and America and Europe since Oct. 18 resumed without explanation, the AP reported, citing industry officials. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham more
Tesla, Toyota Are Discussing Whether to Build Electric RAV4 at Startup's Calif. Plant
By Scott Doggett October 28, 2010By Scott Doggett, Contributing Editor FREMONT, Calif. - Tesla Motors, the Silicon Valley maker of the all-electric Roadster, and Toyota Motor Corp., the world's largest automaker, are discussing whether to build a battery-electric RAV4 SUV at Tesla's new plant in Fremont. ----------Tesla VP of Manufacturing Gilbert Passin, in black jacket and grey slacks, addresses reporters at Tesla plant in Fremont, California, where the Model S electric sedan (pictured) will be produced.---------- "It's being decided," Gilbert Passin, Tesla's vice president of manufacturing, told GreenCarAdvisor late Wednesday following a tour of the gigantic, 5.5-million-square-foot plant that it bought from the Japanese more
The Halloween Effect
By Jeremy Anwyl October 30, 2010We are having something of a debate internally about the Halloween effect. Apparently the last three days of October have historically seen the largest drop in sales, when compared with every month in the year. In fact, most months show the month ending stronger, not weaker. But not October, which usually sees sales decline by at least 10% The debate centers on the reasons why. One analyst suggested sales should actually be higher around Halloween as car buying is still a scary prospect for many consumers. (I think they were kidding…) Has Halloween trick-o- treating become so engrossing that car more