Hybrid News

Filed under: Etc., Chrysler, GM, Green Daily

The other day, our friends at Autoblog did a little thought experiment about which vehicle models would survive if the much-talked-about merger between GM and Chrysler comes to pass. The post didn’t focus on the greener side of things, but we already know that the big Chrysler SUVs aren′t long for this world and that Chrysler already wants a little of the Volt advertising attention. So, what might happen should these two companies become one?

Lots of job cuts, to be sure, but when it comes to the excess vehicle models in the line-ups, Grant Thornton of the consulting firm Grant Thornton LLP, told Automotive News (subs req’d) that of the 26 or so current Chrysler models, only seven are “core” and would survive the merger: the Dodge Ram pickup; Chrysler and Dodge minivans; and several Jeep models, including the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. None of those are exactly eco-friendly, but AN writes that GM’s plug-in hybrid knowledge is a vital addition to the potential merged company (file under: no kidding), while Chrysler’s cash is appealing to GM (again, no kidding). What do you see surviving should a new GMrysler company take shape?

[Source: Automotive News (subs req’d)]

Chrysler vehicles could be attrition fodder if GM merger goes through originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

More proof Congress is inept?

In my opinion, Congress was very motivated by the Chevy Volt when it came up with its tax credit plan for battery-powered vehicles. GM is an important American company, so this protectionism isn’t surprising.

Original post by Dahcredyns

Seeking some kaizen

Toyota has always been known for it’s kaizen-influenced business model, or the constant move towards efficiency in all elements of its business. From manufacturing to developing new automobiles, such as hybrid cars, kaizen influences every aspect of Toyota’s corporate culture.

CNBC just reported that there are now rumors that GM might seek some sort of assistance from Toyota to help turn GM′s business around. Is GM seeking some kaizen?

Original post by Dahcredyns

The Volt or bust?

GM has confirmed that it will delay new vehicle production to save cash. Thus, vehicles seen as vital to GM’s future, such as the Chevy Cruze, will be delayed. However, GM will not put any holds on the Chevy Volt according to Reuters.

Original post by Dahcredyns

Filed under: Etc., GM, Green Daily, USA

Although the move is really intended to save money for America’s largest automaker, General Motors’ announcements that it would be turning off the escalators at its corporate headquarters between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. and for the weekends will, of course, have another desirable effect, that of reducing the building’s energy usage. In another environmentally-sound cost cutting move, the automaker has also requested that its workers shut off the lights after they are done working and to turn the thermostat down to 66-degrees at night. Hm, were they not doing this before?

Sure, this is a good move, but it should have been standard practice for, um, ever. Regardless of how much market share your company has managed to gobble up, simple things like turning out the lights and conserving electricity are no-brainers. To put a finer point on it, a lack of cash should not need to be cited as the reason these changes had to be made … common sense should.

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

GM to save electricity by shutting off lights, escalators originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Focused on saving jobs?

For a while analysts speculated that GM was interested in Chrysler because Chrysler had about $11 billion in cash that GM very much needed. However, since it will take about $10 billion of tax payer money to merge Chrysler into GM, where’s the gain? Why not just give them the money to work through the credit crisis independently?

None of the Big 3 have demonstrated that they are yet ready to compete in the new automotive world. The Chevy Volt is the only thing for the Big 3 to hang their hat on, but the Volt still has not been proven in the real world , and it won’t be for more than 2 years. Moreover, GM’s new small car hope, the Chevy Cruze, is probably going to be delayed.

Thus, how does a merger with Chrysler make GM more competitive? How does it make GM’s products more competitive? While this merger might help save US auto jobs - a noble goal - will it make the US auto industry any more successful? And, is trying to save jobs on the back of a yet unproven business model wise?

Original post by Dahcredyns

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, GM, USA

Even as the tide turns against corn ethanol, GM and ten U.S. state governments announced a new partnership last week to get more E85 to more flexfuel vehicles. The states involved here are: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Each state will “work with GM to advance location selection, development and usage of their state’s E-85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline) infrastructure.”

This means that GM will coordinate ethanol promotion and help plan where the E85 stations should go. The states will concurrently set up task forces to find target areas for the new ethanol-ready pumps, as well as how to get these pumps funded and built (or converted). Since there is no cellulosic ethanol on the market today, whether or not this program pushes more corn ethanol into the system depends on the timeline achieved in each state.

[Source: National Governors Association]

Continue reading GM, 10 states push for more ethanol access

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: MPG, Chevrolet, GM, Lightweight

With sales of the smart going well and cars like the MINI flying off the showroom floor, you might expect the big automotive giants to want in on that action too. Perhaps they do, but it doesn’t seem likely that General Motors will be entering that particular segment of the market anytime soon. So says Fritz Henderson, who would know as one of the men making decisions at the top of the company’s ladder. Despite the recent sales success-stories and the rapidly dwindling market for large vehicles, Henderson suggests that Americans are still more likely to choose a compact over a subcompact. For instance, if GM could get nearly the same mileage from a vehicle the size of the Cobalt, it would sell better than a car the size of the Beat. On the other hand, these types of cars sell very well in Europe, and we′ll never know how well they can do in the States (now that Americans have gotten a taste of high gas prices) until an established automaker offers one. It looks like we′ll just have to wait for the Ford Ka and Scion iQ to find out.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req′d]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

As promised, we got a chance to sit down with Wes Bolsen, the CMO and vice president at Coskata, during last week’s Platts Cellulosic Ethanol Conference in Chicago. We wanted a little more information on the $1/gallon number for the Coskata process “cellulosic” ethanol (yes, Bolsen pointed out that it’s really carbon ethanol, but he’s OK with people using the cellulosic term, even though he prefers to call it “next generation” ethanol). About half of the cost is set aside for feedstocks, the rest is for things like utilities, maintenance, water, and nutrients. The Coskata process does not require buying enzymes, there’s no pre-treateament, and there’s no high-pressure chamber. Eliminating these items simplifies the process and, therefore, reduces the running cost to less than $1/gallon. I′m not sure if the fee for the microorganisms is included in this estimate or is part of the plant building fee (which is not part of the $1/gallon).

Because the Coskata process does not require sugars/cellulose, it can use input sources like trashed plastic bottles, tires, landfill gas, and steel mill gasses. Bolsen said that some estimates say 40 or 50 billion gallons of fuel could be created each year from these sources. Oh, and if you think ethanol will die out when we move away from liquid fuels, check out Bolsen’s idea to use ethanol to produce hydrogen for fuel cellls. Want to hear more? Go ahead and listen in (13 min):

Our travel and lodging for this event was provided by GM.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

If you get into a room with a lot of people who make up part of the cellulosic ethanol industry, things can get a little technical. This is the situation here in Chicago for the Platts 3rd Annual Cellulosic Ethanol and Biofuels conference. A few hundred representatives from a lot of companies in the cellulosic ethanol “space” (I hear this term so often these days - the green tech space, the green car space, etc. Why?) are here and the rapid-fire presentations are truly talking to the choir, as it were. Sure, attendees disagree exactly how to best make cellulosic ethanol, but they all understand, well, the space.

So, join me as I share a bit about what was said and done at the conference. This post will cover the first few seminars, when some of the broader questions about cellulosic ethanol and the market were taken up. I’ll have more posts later about other aspects of the discussion. Jump past the fold for more.

Continue reading Platts Cellulosic Ethanol Conference - industry overview

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Ethanol, GM, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

When Toyota invited reporters to Portland last month for the Sustainable Mobility Seminar, we were greeted at the baggage claim with tickets for the Portland public rail system. Here in Chicago for GM’s biofuels conference, we were met at the airport by a driver in an Escalade (and not the hybrid one that’s pictured above, either). I know that Portland’s public transportation system is one of the best in the country, but still.

GM had specified that only GM vehicles be used in getting us to the hotel, the driver told me and when I asked if there was any ethanol in the tank, he said there’s probably E10, because that’s what the pump sticker says, but no go on E85. He admitted that his company doesn’t even have any vehicles that run on E85. I appreciated the ride to the hotel, but couldn’t pass up the chance to share this little tidbit. Some real coverage of the conference coming right up.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Ethanol, GM, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

When Toyota invited reporters to Portland last month for the Sustainable Mobility Seminar, we were greeted at the baggage claim with tickets for the Portland public rail system. Here in Chicago for GM’s biofuels conference, we were met at the airport by a driver in an Escalade (and not the hybrid one that’s pictured above, either). I know that Portland’s public transportation system is one of the best in the country, but still.

GM had specified that only GM vehicles be used in getting us to the hotel, the driver told me and when I asked if there was any ethanol in the tank, he said there’s probably E10, because that’s what the pump sticker says, but no go on E85. He admitted that his company doesn’t even have any vehicles that run on E85. I appreciated the ride to the hotel, but couldn’t pass up the chance to share this little tidbit. Some real coverage of the conference coming right up.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

There are two things that are really easy to understand about electric vehicles - aside from the don’t-need-no-gasoline part. One, they have all their torque available from zero RPM. Two, they′re quiet. Number one means that EVs are fast off the line (see: Tesla Roadster) and that could mean that, once electric motors and batteries are the powertrain of choice in the racing industry, everything we think we know about what a race sounds like could change. CNN describes the possible future this way:

Imagine a sun-swept Texas afternoon in 2015. After the roar of a ceremonial flyover, a Texas Motor Speedway crowd of 200,000 rises to its feet in anticipation of NASCAR’s signature moment.

As the fans join in a full-throated cheer, 43 of the world’s best drivers reach down and press a button. What follows is unprecedented: pin-dropping silence, save for 43 small clicks.

If NASCAR goes electric, CNN wonders, will fans stick around? Do they love the roar or the engines or the speed at which the cars move? Will they be satisfied with one but not the other? NASCAR isn’t exactly at the forefront of automotive greenery (although it is thinking about it), but a U.S.-built Volt might be good enough to change some hearts and minds, no?

[Source: CNN]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

The Opel FLEXtreme Concept

The E Flex Drive that powers the Chevy Volt will make its way into Europe, as an Opel, in 2011 according to multiple reports. While the final design of the concept has not been hammered out, it will not look like the Volt. Nonetheless, it could share some Volt design cues that were driven by the aerodynamics.

In the past, GM has displayed the Opel FLEXtreme as one design idea for the Opel E Flex vehicle. However, this design might be as plausible in the wind tunnels as was the original Chevy Volt concept.

In the interim, GM is going to be working with European leaders to develop plug-in stations for the modern urbanites in Europe without garage access.

Original post by Dahcredyns

The Volt made a recent publicity stop at NASCAR

For many Americans, the Chevy Volt has become the savior of the US auto industry. A made in America foreign oil dependency freedom fighter. And, one day, it might just be that, but not any time soon.

In the interim, however, can it change the perception of GM and its ability to build quality automobiles?

Finish: Chevy Volt: Can it change perception of GM?

Original post by Dahcredyns