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AutoblogGreen for 11.17.08
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
Left to Right: Carlsson smart fortwo, the Twill Wicked, a design from Local Motors. What we’re not showing you is the insanely impractical SpeedFit and another modified fortwo, this one from Hermes.
- VIDEO: Drag race between Dodge Challenger and Dodge EV
- VIDEO: Is the SpeedFit a human powered vehicle or stupid fitness machine? Both
- Ford says product first, “you can’t cut your way to profitability”
- AMPLE’s first highway-speed plug-in hybrid visits Singapore
- Local Motors tries to rewire automotive design and building processes
- MINI executives talk about the MINI E
- GM-Volt founder pens open letter in support of GM aid package
- Twill Wicked wouldn’t be so mean to the environment
- U.S. cars still polluting tons more than Europe or Japan
- X Prize Chevy Blazer is back, now with regenerative shocks
- Too sexy for CO2? Try the Hermes smart fortwo
Continue reading AutoblogGreen for 11.17.08
AutoblogGreen for 11.17.08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: ford, gm, volt
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Dingell, Waxman Solidify Support for Position That Holds Gavel Over Autos Bills
There's less than a week to go in the intensifying battle between Democratic Representatives John Dingell of Michigan and Henry Waxman of California over who will chair the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, with the winner likely to shape tailpipe-emissions and fuel-economy legislation for years to come.
Dingell has fought virtually every regulation the automakers have opposed, from seatbelts and airbags to tailpipe emissions and fuel-efficiency standards. By contrast, Waxman has been as strong advocate of fuel-economy standards and legislation curbing automotive greenhouse-gas emissions.
Both sides are building up support in a dispute that also promises to have significant implications for energy legislation, but it's far from clear who has the inside track on winning the gavel.
To date, only a handful of House Democrats have publicly taken sides between the two lawmakers. More than 30 members have spoken up for Dingell, but Jodi Seth, a Dingell spokeswoman, insisted that many others are also on his side. She wouldn't give numbers.
Six members of the Congressional Black Caucus — Bobby Rush and Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, John Lewis of Georgia, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Ed Towns of New York and Kendrick Meek of Florida — sent out their own Dear Colleague letter yesterday urging party unity in support of Dingell.
"By overwhelmingly electing President Obama and a Democratic majority in Congress, Americans have placed their trust in the Democratic party," they wrote. "At this time, we should be coming together to address their concerns."
Another Dingell supporter, Representative Artur Davis (D-Alabama), released a statement saying the Michigan congressman "realizes that the challenges of climate change are real and demand a pragmatic approach that is not rooted in ideology."
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The Cost of General Motors’ Death Much Greater Than a GM Bailout, Editorial Says
In an editorial posted today, Automotive News (subscription required) reports than Congress should consider the cost of a General Motors failure if it thinks a bailout of the troubled automaker is expensive.
Let's be clear, the publication states: The alternative to government cash for GM is not a dreamy Chapter 11 filing, a reorganization that puts dealers and autoworkers in their place, ensuring future success.
No, even if GM could get debtor-in-possession financing to keep the lights on (which it can't), Chapter 11 means a collapse of sales and a spiral into a Chapter 7 liquidation.
GM's 100,000 American jobs will die, Automotive News states. Health care for a million Americans will be lost or at risk. Hundreds of GM's 1,300 suppliers will die. Their collapse could take down Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, perhaps even North American transplants. Dealers in every county of America will close.
The government will face greater unemployment, more Americans without health insurance and greater pension liabilities.
Criticize Detroit 3 executives all you want, the publication states, but the issue today is not whether GM should have closed Buick years ago, been tougher with the UAW or supported higher fuel economy standards.
In the next two to four months, GM will run out of cash and turn out the lights. Only government money can prevent that. Every other alternative is fantasy.
The editorial states that "Ford, which borrowed big two years ago and thus has more cash today, may skip a bailout and the strings attached. Cerberus, which bought Chrysler last year, doesn't deserve money. Government cash might help sell Chrysler to a strategic owner."
A few paragraphs down the editorial concludes: "The stark fact remains: Absent a bailout, GM dies, and with it much of manufacturing in America. Congress needs to do the right thing–now.
Tags: gm, ford
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Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid SUV Packing 260-HP, 30-MPG V6 Delayed Several Months
By Scott Doggett, Contributor
The 2009 Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid sport utility vehicle packing a V6 engine will be available in dealerships the first quarter of next year, not on the first day of next month as parent company General Motors had earlier announced.
"We regularly review the status of our vehicle programs and have decided to re-time the Vue 2-Mode launch for Q1 2009," GM spokesman Brian Corbett told Green Car Advisor in a email earlier today. No explanation for the "re-time" was given.
GM and Saturn representatives have touted the all-new hybrid model as delivering an estimated 50-percent fuel economy over the comparably powered and capable XR V-6 model.
The new hybrid will come fitted with a 3.6-liter V6 with direct injection achieving 260 horsepower, a 0-60 time estimated at 7.3 seconds and a 3,500-pound towing capacity.
It will come with GM's first front-wheel-drive two-mode transmission, a driving range exceeding 500 miles on a tank of gas, and get 28 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.
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Lithium-ion Battery Future Linked to Investment By Teetering Auto Industry
Lithium-ion battery chemistry is discussed these days as if it is the default battery technology for the global auto industry. But adoption of lithium-ion batteries is not exactly just around the corner.
GM engineers work on Chevrolet Volt's T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack.
———-
At the Green Conference and Exposition being held today in Detroit, sponsored by industry trade magazine Automotive News, executives and engineers for automakers and suppliers said that the cratering auto business is making it difficult to automatically assume that expensive efficiency-enhancing alternatives are going to be widely adopted.
Battery-intensive plug-in hybrids, they said, may not enjoy the same level of industry support now that cash-strapped customers have quit buying cars, automakers are bleeding money and global oil prices have regressed to lows many pundits predicted would never return.
David Vieau, president and chief executive of A123 Systems, one of the most prominent developers of lithium-ion batteries and one of two companies currently working with General Motors Corp. on batteries for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle and for plug-in hybrid versions of current GM production models, admits one of his company's current concerns is "getting costs out of the system."
A123 makes the aftermarket lithium-ion battery packs that have been rolled out to immense demand from Toyota Prius owners seeking to convert their cars to plug-ins with extended all-electric range. But Toyota itself continues to seem reticent about the near-term prospects for lithium-ion chemistry in its production cars.
Jaycie Chitwood, Toyota Motor Sales USA's senior strategic planner in the advanced technologies department, flatly said that less energy-dense - but also much less expensive - nickel-metal hydride batteries "will be the technology for hybrids for many years to come."
Tags: toyota, chevrolet, gm, volt, prius
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Unlike Rival GM, Ford Is Betting Future on New Generation of Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
Ford Motor Co.'s top executives have met almost daily during the past six weeks to formulate a make-or-break plan to keep the company solvent in the face of the worst financial crisis in decades, The Detroit News reported today following exclusive interviews with the automaker's top executives.
With gasoline prices falling, some argued Ford should abandon its costly plan to retool North American truck factories to make smaller, more fuel-efficient cars from Europe, and others pushed to stave future investment in products like the F-150 pickup that has seen drastic sales declines in recent years.
But global product development chief Derrick Kuzak–with the support of CEO Alan Mulally–argued that if Ford has a future, it needs to deliver a new generation of class-leading cars and trucks that consumers actually want.
"We're only going to be in business if we create products that people really do want and value," Mulally told the News. "This is the essence of creating a viable Ford."
Unlike rival General Motors Corp., which has curtailed its investment in some new vehicles to conserve cash, Ford is betting the business on new, fuel-efficient cars in a make-or-break bid to turn the company around before time runs out.
Ford's latest launches have done little to arrest its decade-long decline in U.S. market share, and it is far from certain that the cars and trucks in Ford's pipeline will be enough to turn the tide.
Yet, Wall Street analysts such as Eric Selle of JPMorgan say this is the only way forward for an automaker that has wasted too many years producing lackluster products that barely covered its costs.
"The status quo is no longer acceptable," he told the News. "Abandoning the product plan would have been a bad move."
Ford has demonstrated that it can make money off its small cars in Europe, Selle said, adding that the concessions it won from the United Auto Workers union last year should allow Ford to do the same thing in this country.
Tags: ford, gm
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Saturn Vue Two-Mode hybrid delayed a few months
Filed under: Hybrid, Saturn
We’ve been eagerly anticipating the launch of the two-mode hybrid version of the Saturn Vue but it now appears we’ll have to wait a little longer. The Vue marks the first implementation of GM’s two-mode hybrid in a smaller, more reasonably-sized vehicle. The existing mild hybrid Vue has always been considered something of a disappointment to people looking for a compact crossover with better fuel economy. The two-mode Vue uses an Atkinson cycle version of the 3.6L V6 from the Vue XR and was expected to hit close to 30 mpg combined. The two-mode Vue had been scheduled to launch at the beginning of December, but the on-sale date is now expected to be sometime in the first quarter of 2009 with a starting price of under $33,000. At this point the two-mode is likely still a money loser for GM, one probable reason why it’s been delayed.
Related:
- First Drive: 2009 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid
Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Saturn VUE 2 Mode Hybrid
All Photos Copyright (C) 2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Green Car Advisor]
Saturn Vue Two-Mode hybrid delayed a few months originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Opel Zafira 1.6 CNG Turbo: Full details on the first Turbo-charged CNG minivan
Filed under: GM, Natural Gas, Opel, European Union, Germany
Do you need to haul kids in a zippy van and you don’t want it in diesel? Here’s a good option for Europeans: the Opel Zafira 1.6 CNG Turbo. We heard not long ago that the Zafira minivan would get the turbo option - the standard 1.6-liter is a little sluggish at 86hp - and now we learn that the production version will be introduced at the upcoming Bologna Motor Show, Italy, in December. The new Zafira 1.6 CNG Turbo ecoFLEX has an output of 150 hp and a top speed of 200 km/h (115 mph) but consumes only 5.3 kg of natural gas per 100 km in the MVEG cycle, emitting just 144 g/km of CO2. As with most European CNG models, the Zafira can run on gasoline too: it’s got a small additional tank good for 14 liters (about 3.6 gallons). The Zafira has a range of about 370 km (220 miles) when running only on CNG. Find the full press release after the jump.
Gallery: Opel Zafira 1.6 Turbo ecoFLEX
[Source: Opel]
Continue reading Opel Zafira 1.6 CNG Turbo: Full details on the first Turbo-charged CNG minivan
Opel Zafira 1.6 CNG Turbo: Full details on the first Turbo-charged CNG minivan originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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GM-Volt founder pens open letter in support of GM aid package
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy
Perhaps one of the biggest fans on the planet of the Chevrolet Volt is Dr. Lyle Dennis, a New York city neuro-surgeon. Immediately after originally seeing the Volt concept in January 2007, Dennis launched GM-Volt.com. Ever since then he and his readers have been cheerleaders for GM’s extended-range EV. Dennis set up a waiting list for people to register their interest in the car, and over 45,000 people have signed up. With the financial crisis that’s engulfing General Motors right now, the Volt has remained the only upcoming product that hasn’t seen its development dollars cut yet. However, even though the engineering teams are still working on the Volt, the car is ultimately dependent on the survival of the company as a whole. Lyle Dennis wants to maker sure that GM, and thus the Volt, survive. To that end he has written a letter targeted at President Bush, Congress and Treasury secretary Henry Paulson urging them to provide financial aid to GM as soon as possible. If you’re interested in expressing your support you can print out the letter from the site, sign it and send it to your representatives.
[Source: GM-Volt]
GM-Volt founder pens open letter in support of GM aid package originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: volt, gm, chevrolet
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Ford says product first, "you can’t cut your way to profitability"
Filed under: MPG, Ford, GM
It’s been said that “you can’t cut your way to profitability.” This is especially true in product-related businesses like the auto industry. It doesn’t matter how low your costs are if you don’t have desirable products that people want to buy. Ford CEO Alan Mullaly appears to understand this maxim. In spite of financial difficulties, so far Ford has not delayed any new product programs. The retooling of former truck factories to produce the Fiesta, next generation Focus and other small and mid-sized cars is proceeding full speed ahead. Ford spokesman Alan Hall was asked at a meeting about adding extra production capacity for the new Fusion in the event that sales take off after it’s introduction. Hall said that the factories that are being re-tooled are being switched flexible manufacturing systems that will allow Ford to adjust quickly, much like Honda has done recently.
This contrasts sharply with General Motors which has gone into cash conservation mode and delayed virtually every new product program except the Volt. Unfortunately, given GM’s dwindling cash reserves, they may have no other viable option. Delaying new products is not desirable, but if bills can’t be paid, the products won’t matter because no one will supply parts. The big question is how long will Ford be able to persist before it has to start cutting?
Gallery: 2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec S
Gallery: 2009 Ford Fiesta
[Source: Green Car Advisor]
Ford says product first, “you can’t cut your way to profitability” originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: honda, volt, ford, gm
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