Hybrid News

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Hybrid, Green Daily

Many of the people in Plug in America were excited by Barack Obama’s win in the US presidential election. So excited, in fact, that they applied to be part of the Presidential Inaugural Parade that will take place later this month. Well, with 1,300 other groups having the same idea, PIA’s electric and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) contingent was not selected to take part in the Washington, DC event. Undeterred, PIA has announced their own “Inaugural Parade West: Plug In, America!” which will cruise through Santa Monica, CA on January 17. So far, PIA expects over thirty “EVs and PHEVs, including Teslas, numerous RA͠s (with tens of thousands of miles on each), Vectrix bikes, Chevy ⁶s and conversions.” Chris Paine and his film crew will be on hand as part of their work on the sequel to “Who Killed The Electric Car?” As for major automaker participation, PIA said that, “We′ve invited GM to bring a vehicle. That will be the next news update. Or miracle? Hey, they brought a Volt to AltCarExpo….” (see above).

Continue reading Plug In America will host West Coast Inauguration parade with 30+ EVs

Plug In America will host West Coast Inauguration parade with 30+ EVs originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Legislation and Policy

When president-elect Barack Obama nominated Dr. Steven Chu to be the next Secretary of Energy last week, he made his stance on energy and the environment abundantly clear. Chu has long been outspoken as a believer in human-caused global warming and the need to address the problem aggressively. Part of that process needs to include making the vehicle fleet more fuel efficient and transitioning it away from fossil fuels. However, there is a very real cost to doing that in terms of the technology requirements. That has been true for a long time.

As Obama approaches his inauguration, the problem has become significantly more serious. In just the last few months, vehicle sales in the United States have plummeted by as much as 40 percent. Until the economy starts to turn around, any significant change in the vehicle fleet is simply not going to happen. Obama will likely have to back off on some of his goals. With the distinct possibility that vehicle sales in the US may drop below 10 million units in 2009 (from a high of over 17 million just a few years ago), the new and more efficient vehicles that automakers are building will take a much longer time to replace existing vehicles. Micki Maynard takes a look at the problem in the New York Times today.

[Source: New York Times]

Will the economy force Obama to back off on efficiency plans? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, Better Place

Two items of note from the incoming President. First, the Jerusalem Post has a minor hint that Barack Obama’s transition team has got their collective eye on the work of Better Place. The paper writes that the new administration “may be adopting it,” according to Better Place chairman Idan Ofer. What that means, exactly, is not sure, but we’ve put in an email to Better Place to try and find out.

On the liquid fuel side of the green car equation, we have news that President-elect Obama has selected Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa and a strong supporter of ethanol and higher CAFE standards, to lead the USDA. Over at Democracy Now! there is a look at Vilsack’s past while the AP looks at what the future might hold with him at the helm of the USDA.

Previously on ABG:

• Anti-coal biofuel researcher will become Obama’s Secretary of Energy

[Source: Jerusalem Post, Democracy Now!, AP]

Obama green car update: working with Better Place? going pro-ethanol with Vilsak? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Etc., Solar

The other day we had a post about the need to continue doing some basic maintenance on your car even if you are driving less in this age of higher fuel prices. One of the items we mentioned was caring for your battery. If you drive your car infrequently as I do (I drive a lot of loaner vehicles from manufacturers for review purposes) you may find that your battery eventually dies. Just as all the electronic gear in your house draws juice to light up all those LEDs, so to does your car for alarm systems, clocks etc. Even with nothing drawing power, a battery will eventually self discharge. I use an inexpensive trickle charger that slowly charges my battery and automatically shuts off when full charge is reached and then re-starts when the voltage gets below a certain level. Mine is a plug-in unit because my car is in a garage. If you park your car outdoors, though, you might want consider a solar charger. The1.8W unit pictured above is available online for under $25 and measures 6.5 x 1.25 x 18 inches so you can stick it on your dashboard and plug it into an accessory socket. If you are going to leave it sitting for extended times you should also go for a charge controller that monitors your battery to prevent over-charging. Just as with a hybrid battery, overcharging your starter battery will damage it. You can find various examples of these devices by using your favorite search engine to look for “solar car battery trickle charger” and you shouldn’t need to spend more than $50. It’s cheaper than a new battery and less hassle.

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

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

Funded by US oil dependence

The State of Qatar, a nation made rich via foreign oil and gas, will invest $65 million in the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid according to Cars.com.

Perhaps, soon, the same countries that we buy our foreign oil from can sell us the plug-in hybrid cars that end our foreign oil dependence, or least the licenses for such technology.

Wouldn′t that be hilariously ironic?

Original post by Dahcredyns

Filed under: Legislation and Policy

As you may have noticed when filling your tank, the plan for a gas tax holiday put forward by presidential candidates from both party brands, never came to fruition. The idea had been suspend an 18¢ per gallon federal tax on fuel from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Of course the fact that this would have saved average drivers a whopping $28 had little if anything to do with the lack of movement on bills from both Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain. It turns out the real coup de grâce may have come from the road construction industry. The excise tax money which would have meant little to individual drivers, comes out to an aggregate $9 billion. That’s money that is supposed to go toward building and maintaining roads around the country. Without that money, road construction projects would have to be put off. Canceled or delay construction projects would mean laid off construction workers, a prospect that no politician hoping to get re-elected relishes in an election year.

Rather than a tax holiday, drivers are in fact likely to see an increase soon. While high fuel prices have the benefit of pushing people to drive less, and consume less fuel, that starves the highway trust fund as well. As a result the fund is likely to be in deficit this year to the tune of $3 billion. As a result a fuel tax increase may be needed.

Looking ahead, we may need to start taxing electric bills to get funds to build roads. Even though electric cars use no petroleum, they still put wear and tear on the roads and it’s only far that the drivers who use those roads should pick up the tab. Alternatively increased use of toll roads may be necessary, something proposed by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.

[Source: Detroit News]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Etc., Legislation and Policy, On Two Wheels

Scooter use has skyrocketed these last few years due to the ever-present concerns over fuel mileage and vehicle emissions. Chinese manufacturers have stepped in to provide many of the machines that are currently available for purchase and are often offered at very low prices. Those low prices make them attractive to people who have never owned a scooter before and are not aware of the diverse brands already on the market. One fact which is often overlooked is that Chinese manufacturing companies come and go with some regularity, and the same scooter could be badged with a different manufacturer logo every day of the week.

The ever-changing Chinese scooter business causes problems when it comes time to register the scooter, as this story very clearly bears out. Randy Bearup purchased a Chinese scooter branded as a Ricardo, and was able to register the scooter for a short period before he was contacted by the DMV, at which time his license plate and registration were requested back. It seems that the scooter, although labeled as California approved, was not in reality ever tested by authorities. Since this particular model of scooter had never been tested, nobody could be sure whether or not it met California’s emissions requirements, or any other standards for that matter.

It’s important to realize that not all Chinese-made machines are of low quality, and not all are horrible polluters either. But it is difficult to know which brands and machines are properly certified and which ones claim to be one thing but are in fact another To quote the often-used phrase “buyer beware,” make sure that the model you are looking to purchase comes from a reputable dealership which carries reputable brands. A little searching on the internet can go a long way towards saving yourself from a major headache later.

[Source: CBS13.com]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Biodiesel, Green Culture, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, On Two Wheels, Green Daily

Last night on the Independent Spirit Awards, an award show for independent films, there was a joke about Ed Begley Jr. powering the entire show (lights, sound, etc) by pedaling a stationary bike. Ed, an actor known to be very eco-friendly, didn′t really power the entire show but the organizers did use green power to show off their Independent Spirits. Biodiesel generators powered the show’s electrical systems (lights, sound, etc.) and the organizers found other ways to make the entire show very green. Will the Oscars be able to top Begley on a bike?

[Source: AMC]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Legislation and Policy, Japan, USA

Click above for a high-resolution gallery of the 2007 Toyota Prius Touring.

“The Japanese government paid for 100% of the development of the battery and hybrid system that went into the Toyota Prius, ” according to Jim Press. This quote was taken from an interview conducted by Business Week which also included Chrysler LLC CEO Robert Nardelli and vice chairman Tom Lasorda.

“I can say 100 percent that Toyota received absolutely no support - no money, no grants - from the Japanese government for the development of the Prius,” answers Toyota’s Tokyo-based spokesman Paul Nolasco. Irv Miller echoes this sentiment on Toyota’s blog.

Hmm… so Press, who worked for Toyota for 37 years, claims that Toyota received help from the government in Japan for the development of their hybrid drivetrain. Just what kind of help goes unmentioned. Toyota denies any assistance. Though Miller believes Press misspoke, Press has since added, “The Japanese government strongly supported R & D (research and development) investment in battery development, and the Prius and other Japanese models benefited from that investment.” Sounds like he’s not backing down from his claims, and Chrysler is doing a bit of damage control (see the company’s statement after the jump).

We have no way of knowing which side is telling the truth, but we can surmise that Press would like to get some of the same treatment, if it did indeed take place, from the U.S. now that he’s moved to Chrysler. Also, we wonder what the other Japanese manufacturers have to say on the subject, as they are also mentioned by Press in his later comments.

Related:

• Toyota claims Jim Press lied about gov′t funding Prius development

Chrysler Statement on Hybrid Battery Development

There have been several news reports today concerning statements made by Chrysler LLC Vice Chairman and President Jim Press on battery development for hybrid vehicles. First of all, Press was not speaking negatively of Toyota.

In a recent interview, he referenced the close cooperation between the Japanese government and Japanese industry. He said the Japanese government strongly supported R & D (research and development) investment in battery development, and the Prius and other Japanese models benefited from that investment in industry.

He cited this as an example of cooperation between government and industry working together on public policy issues. He went on to say that he would like to see similar cooperation in the United States in order to find technological improvements that help give U.S. companies a competitive advantage.

[Source: Business Week, Chrysler]

 

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski