November 2010
GM Hiring 1,000 Engineers, Researchers to Gear Up for Electric Future
By John O'Dell November 30, 2010By Danny King, Contributor General Motors says it will hire 1,000 engineers and researchers at its Michigan plants over the next two years as it prepares to expand production of electric-drive vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in while developing more cars like the Buick LaCrosse Hybrid. ----------Electric-drive vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt, which began rolling off the production line in Hamtramck, Mich., today, will be a bigger part of GM's model lineup in the future.---------- GM is making the hires to bring all of its work on batteries, electric motors and power controls in house. The automaker more
Chevrolet Volt Leaves Consumers Charged, Somewhat Confused
By David Greene November 30, 2010Chevrolet Volt: do consumers get it? No," chuckled my passenger, a manager from General Motors' factory in Hamtramck, Mich., the assembly plant for the Volt, which will release the first customer-ready cars today. GM educating consumers may be the automaker's biggest challenge with the Volt as consumers "getting" the Volt is key to its success. We at Edmunds.com, the parent of AutoObserver.com, figured a visit to a consumer preview of the Volt was the best place to hear GM's pitch to potential customers -- and to get a read on consumer reaction to the car -- and their understanding more
EPA Issues 2011 Renewable Fuels Standards - Total Unchanged, Cellulosic Slashed
By John O'Dell November 30, 2010Acknowledging the difficulties that developers of cellulosic ethanol have had in commercializing production of the fuel, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has issued its renewable fuels standards for 2011 with a massive cut in the amount to be contributed by cellulosic. Overall, the total requirement for renewables remains unchanged at 13.95 billion gallons, or 8 percent of total anticipated liquid fuel use for the year. Starch-based ethanol - typically made from corn in the U.S and heavily subsidized by the federal government - will continue to account for most of the volume with only 1.35 billion gallons to come more
Honda Adds 'Value-Oriented' Insight Hybrid Model for 2011
By John O'Dell November 30, 2010By John O'Dell, Senior Editor In a further bid to make its hybrids available to a wider audience, Honda Motor Co. says it will introduce a third member of the Insight family for 201l; a "value-oriented," entry-level model priced at $18,950. The newest Insight - called simply that - augments the present lineup of the Insight LX and EX models, both of which get increased content and slightly higher base prices for the new model year. ---------- 2011 Honda Insight EX. ---------- Honda obviously is aiming the new base Insight at value seekers - both first-time new car buyers more
First Production Chevrolet Volts Roll Off Line Today
By Bill Visnic November 30, 2010It was Job One today for General Motors Co.'s heralded Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, with the first production units rolling off the assembly line at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant just outside the city of Detroit. At a ceremony attended by Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm and numerous high-level GM executives, company CEO Dan Akerson drove onto a stage in the first production Volt, which he said will go directly to the GM Heritage Center just north of the city. The second Volt, with a vehicle identification number ending in BU100002, will be auctioned to benefit the Detroit Public Schools Foundation. Governor more
Germany's Merkel "Furious" Over Failed Opel-Magna Deal, Says WikiLeaks
By Michelle Krebs November 30, 2010A U.S. State Department memo, released as part of the massive WikiLeak download of government documents Sunday, describes German Chancellor Angela Merkel as "furious" about the collapse of a deal that would have had General Motors sell its Opel division in Europe to Canadian parts supplier Magna. The memo said Merkel refused to talk to GM executives after it ditched the impending sale of Opel, opting to keep its European operations instead, according to Dow Jones Newswire and Just-Auto.com. more
Toyota to Repair Water Pumps on 650,000 Prius Hybrids Globally
By Michelle Krebs November 30, 2010Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday it is launching a repair campaign on about 650,000 Prius hybrid cars globally - more than half of those in the U.S. - to repair a water pump that can cause the cars to overheat and lose power. In the U.S., the campaign covers 378,000 Prius hybrids from model year 2004 through 2007. The remainder was sold in Japan, Europe and Australia. more
A First Outside of Japan: Toyota Prius Production Begins in Thailand
By John O'Dell November 30, 2010Toyota Motor's Gateway assembly plant in Thailand began delivering 2011 Prius models to Thai dealers Monday, marking the first time the popular gas-electric hybrid has been built outside of Japan. The plant, which also builds Toyota Camry, Camry Hybrid and Corolla models, is expected to turn out 12,000 Priuses a year for sale within the country. Toyota executives said last month that Priuses built at the Gateway plant would not be exported. more
Nissan Leaf Wins European Car of the Year
By Michelle Krebs November 30, 2010The all-electric Nissan Leaf was named the 2011 European Car of the Year. "The jury acknowledged that the Nissan LEAF is a breakthrough for electric cars. Nissan Leaf is the first EV that can match conventional cars in many respects," said Hakan Matson, president of the European Car of the Year jury. The jury includes 57 leading motoring journalists from 23 European countries. more
GreenBriefs: Prius Fix; Volt Production Launch; PHEV Smart; Aussie EV
By John O'Dell November 30, 2010Toyota says it will ask owners of 650,000 Priuses globally to bring their 2004-2007 models in for inspection and possible repair of an engine coolant pump. The voluntary repair action - Toyota says it is not a recall - affects about 390,000 of the hybrids sold in North America. The pump, if defective, can cause the Prius' gas engine to overheat, reducing power output. Toyota said it has received about 300 complaints of defective pumps form Prius owners in Japan and 28 complaints from owners in other countries. The automaker, burned by criticism last year that it failed to more