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Original post by admin

Filed under: Etc., MPG

There has been a longstanding tradition among car rental agencies to push renters up to bigger, more expensive models. Not that it was all that difficult to do, considering that Americans tend to prefer larger vehicles when all other aspects are equal. Now, though, not all of those aspects are equal, as bigger vehicles are usually thirstier vehicles and the renter is required to return the vehicle with a full tank of gas. So, the act of stepping up to a Hemi-powered Dodge Charger from a four-banger equipped Caliber no longer holds the allure that it once did.

A side effect of users sticking to their smaller vehicle choices is a compact car shortage among rental agencies. This, of course, only makes matters worse as the companies will then do nearly anything to move the larger metal. One other result of the shortage is an increase in the cost to rent a small car and a corresponding decrease in cost to rent an SUV or minivan, which could help offset the higher gas bill.

[Source: ABC News]

 

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Biodiesel, Green Daily

Photo by Martin Pettitt. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

It was not an easy journey. Following a tragic first attempt, the crew of the biodiesel-powered Earthrace boat set out a second time to break the record for motorized circumnavigation. On the second trip, a biodiesel flood and a lost engine were serious setbacks, but this past weekend, the Earthrace pulled into Sagunto, Sapin, two months after setting forth. The 61-day journey means that the Earthrace can now claim to be the best at circling the globe with an engine: the previous such record took two weeks longer to go the distance.

The Guardian UK has a nice story about the crew’s victory, the many troubles they faced along the way, and the well-deserved parties in their future. As tipster Sayyad wrote in to AutoblogGreen, “I think congratulations are in order, especially considering all they’ve been through.” True, but let’s not forget that the record for sailing around the world using nothing but wind and human power is just over 50 days. Sails beat biofuels on the open seas. h/t to Sayyad!

[Source: Guardian UK]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: MPG, BMW, Legislation and Policy, USA

The deadline for automakers to comment on the latest CAFE standard proposal is today, and at least one manufacturer has decided to speak up. BMW is calling the fuel efficiency standards it would be required to meet ‘unattainable.’ As you may be aware, the latest proposal takes into account the overall footprint of the vehicle, and manufacturers which sell large vehicles won’t be required to meet the same goals as those which produce smaller vehicles. While that’s great for manufacturers with truck-heavy lineups, automakers like BMW are in for a world of hurt as they tend to produce smaller, sportier machines. For this reason, BMW would be required to average 37.3 miles per gallon for its cars, quite a bit higher than the 35.7 mpg industry average. The Bavarian’s trucks would need to achieve 31.7 mpg, compared to an industry average of 28.6 mpg.

While it may seem a bit unfair (or maybe not) that BMW should be required to hit higher numbers than some other manufacturers, it should be pointed out that BMW currently offers no engines with fewer than six cylinders and is on a bit of a crossover binge as of late. What’s more, the marque has proven rather adept at squeezing high power outputs from relatively small displacement, so we′d stop a bit short of suggesting that the numbers being asked of it are unattainable.

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

 

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle)

When we write posts for AutoblogGreen, we pretty much assume that our readers know at least a little bit about the green car world. But we’re the minority - I mean, only 20 percent of the people even know about hybrid powertrains, according to one recent study - and sometimes it can be difficult to explain just what it is you’re trying to drive down the road if you’re going to what some might see as the extremes.

Take this story from the Coloradoan, which described what it was like for one resident of Loveland, Colorado to try and get the city to allow him to use a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) in town. When he went to the city council, the city attorney turned to the books to see what other local governments had done and discovered that, while state laws prevent NEVs on federal highways (this is a good thing), municipalities can decide whether these 25mph vehicles should be allowed on their own streets. Maybe. There’s the tricky issue of whether or not NEVs could be allowed to cross state and federal highways.

With the NEV discussion going on and the issue of three-wheelers getting attention in Ohio and South Carolina - and more green car legal issues certain to flummox lawmakers - it’s time to think about standardizing the laws regarding the cars we cover here on AutoblogGreen. There are enough hurdles for these vehicles to cross without bizarres laws that change from city to city. h/t to Chris!

[Source: Coloradoan]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

With five hybrid models on the market now and at least four more coming before the end of the year, General Motors’ hybrid sales are looking less ugly than they did in the first three months of 2008. GM is still no threat to Toyota or even Ford, but sales have been steady (if slow) for the last couple of months. For the first time in their monthly sales report for June, GM has explicitly said how many hybrids were sold. Amidst truck sales that were down 39 percent compared to June 2007, GM declared that it sold 1,149 hybrids in June for a total of 4,376 during the first half of the year.

Out of that total, the Tahoe and Yukon Two-mode hybrids accounted for 547 sales, with the Malibu and Vue mild hybrids taking 295 and 277 respectively. A grand total of thirty buyers opted for the Saturn Aura hybrid. The last time that hybrid sales were mentioned for April, about the same number of Two-mode and mild hybrid models were sold. So far, in a market where hybrids are flying off the lots of most dealers who offer them, GM’s pricey two-mode trucks and tepid mild hybrids have been also rans. It will be interesting to watch and see if the significantly cheaper Chrysler hybrid SUVs can draw more interest when they appear at dealers this summer followed by the smaller Saturn Vue Two-mode later this fall.

[Source: General Motors]

FOR RELEASE: 2008-07-01

CONTACTS

GM Reports 265,937 Deliveries In June

(Monthly comparison percentages are sales day-adjusted unless noted.)

Chevrolet car retail sales increase of 24 Percent: Malibu up 129 Percent and Cobalt up 27 percent compared with last June
Pontiac retail sales up 14 percent driven by G6 up 27 percent, Vibe up 24 percent, G5 and Solstice up 6 percent
Saturn retail sales up 9 percent with Vue up 100 percent, Sky up 66 percent and Aura up 45 percent
Hybrid sales continue to grow with more than 1,100 delivered in June
GM market share estimated 2 points above May and up slightly compared with June 2007
DETROIT - GM today announced June sales results, highlighted by an 8 percent rise in retail car sales and continued strong performance in crossovers. Despite the significant decline of industry market volume and the limited availability of some of GM’s most popular models, GM dealers in the United States delivered 265,937 vehicles in June, down 8 percent (18.5 percent unadjusted). Truck sales declined 6 percent.

“We′re doing all we can to meet customer demand for our popular crossovers and cars, including increasing overtime or adding Saturday shifts at the plants where we build the Malibu, Aura, G6, Enclave, Outlook, Acadia and our full-size vans,” said Mark LaNeve, vice president, GM North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. “Hybrid demand and availability continues to build, and we′re seeing really positive momentum with the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon 2-mode hybrids. While the truck market continues to be impacted by the sudden rise in fuel prices, our offerings from Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac continue to lead their respective segments in fuel economy and that is a decided advantage for those shopping for those vehicles. We expect our market share performance to be very strong compared with April and May.”

Chevrolet Malibu total sales were up 95 percent with retail sales up 129 percent, Cobalt sales were up 37 percent total and 27 percent retail, HHR was up 39 percent total and 70 percent retail, Equinox was up 64 percent total and 42 percent retail, while Suburban and Tahoe were both up in total sales - 13 and 1 percent respectively.

Pontiac retail sales were up 14 percent led by G6 up 27 percent, Vibe up 24 percent, G5 and Solstice were up 6 percent compared with June 2007.

The Saturn division had strong sales in June with Sky total sales up 62 percent, Aura up 41 percent and Vue up 40 percent. The Astra had sales of nearly 900 vehicles.

Cadillac had a strong performance with CTS total sales increasing 31 percent and a retail increase of 10 percent compared with the same month a year ago. SRX and STS both had 26 percent total sales increases.

GM’s popular crossover Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook together accounted for more than 8,800 vehicle sales in the month as demand for the vehicles continues to strain available supply.

GM hybrid vehicles continue to gain in popularity in the marketplace with 547 hybrid Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon 2-mode SUVs delivered. There were 295 Chevrolet Malibu, 30 Saturn Aura and 277 Vue hybrids sold in June. For the month, a total of 1,149 hybrid vehicles were delivered, with 4,376 hybrids sold so far this year.

“Make no mistake about this … Asian automakers do not have a monopoly on fuel efficient vehicles. We have a full lineup of vehicles - including five hybrid models — that provide industry-leading value, great fuel economy and the best warranty coverage of any full-line automaker,” LaNeve added. “Every month, more and more customers are choosing our brands when shopping for a high value, fuel efficient vehicle.”

GM has aggressively managed inventories to low levels. In June, only about 788,000 vehicles were in stock, down about 267,000 vehicles compared with last June. The 72 Hour Sale at the end of June was targeted at the 2008 vehicles left in inventory. Combined full-size pickup and utility inventory is down about 124,000 vehicles compared with June a year ago. The sale helped rebalance inventory to a stronger car mix. There were about 238,000 cars and 550,000 trucks in inventory at the end of June. GM also revised its 2008 industry annual sales forecast to approximately 15.0 million total vehicle SAAR, down from the mid-15 million total vehicle SAAR range estimated earlier this year. The continuing impact of higher fuel prices and lack of robust economic growth led to the revision.

Certified Used Vehicles

June 2008 sales for all certified GM brands, including GM Certified Used Vehicles, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, were 41,857 vehicles, down nearly 9 percent from June 2007. Year-to-date sales are 256,543 vehicles, down 6 percent from the same period last year.

GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry’s top-selling certified brand, posted June sales of 36,445 vehicles, down 10 percent from a strong June 2007 sales performance. Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 3,270 vehicles, up 5 percent. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 1,168 vehicles, down 21 percent. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 841 vehicles, up 10 percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 133 vehicles, up 37 percent.

“The Cadillac, Saab and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle programs posted solid sales increases in June, while GM Certified Used Vehicles continued its sales leadership in the category,” said LaNeve. “We expect growing consumer consideration in coming months for the value and peace-of-mind assurances that come standard on all certified GM vehicles.”

GM North America Reports June and Second-Quarter 2008 Production; Third-Quarter Production Forecast Revised to 900,000 Vehicles

In June, GM North America produced 342,000 vehicles (136,000 cars and 206,000 trucks). This is down 62,000 vehicles or 15 percent compared with June 2007 when the region produced 404,000 vehicles (142,000 cars and 262,000 trucks). (Production totals include joint venture production of 16,000 vehicles in June 2008 and 21,000 vehicles in June 2007.) For the second quarter, GM produced 835,000 vehicles (381,000 cars and 454,000 trucks). This is down 307,000 vehicles or 27 percent compared with the second quarter 2007 when the region produced 1,142,000 vehicles (402,000 cars and 740,000 trucks).

The GM North America third-quarter production forecast of 900,000 vehicles (456,000 cars and 444,000 trucks) is down about 12 percent compared with a year ago, due to recent production adjustments that will reduce the number of trucks produced by about 209,000 and increase the number of cars by about 89,000. GM North America built 1.020 million vehicles (367,000 cars and 653,000 trucks) in the third-quarter of 2007.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 266,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

Note: GM sales and production results are available on GM Media OnLine at http://media.gm.com by clicking on News, then Sales/Production. In this press release and related comments by General Motors management, we use words like “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “objective,” “plan,” “goal” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, representing our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include: the pace of introductions and market acceptance of new products; the effect of competition on our markets and significant changes in the competitive environment price increases or shortages of fuel; and changes in laws, regulations or tax rates. GM’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q provide information about these factors, which may be revised or supplemented in future reports to the SEC on Form 10-Q or 8-K.

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: MPG, Chevrolet, GM, Pontiac, USA

Back in April, we applauded General Motors and its decision to eke some more fuel economy from its high-volume compact car, the Chevrolet Cobalt. Along with the 9-percent increase in fuel mileage, the new model got a shiny new XFE (eXtra Fuel Economy) badge in the process. Pontiac is now offering an XFE version of the G5, which shares most major components with the Cobalt. We’re happy to report that next year’s Cobalt and G5 XFE manage to gain yet another mile per gallon on the highway, up to thirty-seven, to go along with their unchanged twenty-five city miles per gallon.

GM’s XFE models are apparently selling rather well and were one of the reasons that the General chose to add a third shift to the Lordstown, Ohio plant where the compact cars are assembled. Additionally, the success of the badge may encourage GM to make similar fuel-savings changes to more of its cars. After all, low rolling-resistance tires, revised gearing and engine mapping are relatively minor changes which are fairly easy to apply on an older model. We look forward to the change.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]

 

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Ford

If you′re looking to get into an all-electric truck soon - and don’t mind doing a bit of work - then eBay has got the Ford Ranger EV for you. The current bid on the 1998 truck is $4,000, but the reserve isn′t met and there are over six days left. If you think that price if a bit low, the seller’s vehicle description explains why: “The battery pack on this truck is depleted and the truck does not run. It was running perfectly until June 26th, 2008 when the battery pack wore out.”

Still, for the price of some new batteries, you could be driving around in a zero-emission truck with “QUIETER” on the license plate and a iPod-ready Sony CD sound system in the clean interior. Perhaps more importantly, an HOV access lane sticker is included and you′ll never need to go get a smog check if you keep the truck in California. The truck has 61,000 miles on it and is in Santa Cruz, California. The seller is throwing in two 220V 40 amp Avcon charging stations. h/t to Mike!

[Source: eBay]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Etc., Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

No one could ever accuse Shai Agassi, the man behind electric-car infrastructure company Project Better Place, of not being ambitious. He has been all over the planet making deals with major car makers and various countries. His American discussions have been somewhat more modest though with a city here, and an island-state there. No longer.

Speaking to the House of Representatives Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming (we have one of those?), Agassi said, “For the price of two months worth of oil, some $100 billion, we can put in place the infrastructure needed to power the nation’s cars and end this oil dependence,” Ambitious, no? He then threw in the “American jobs” angle with, “Of that $100 billion, moreover, some $80 billion will go into jobs that, by their nature, can only be performed in the US - the construction of the infrastructure itself.”

In the mood for throwing out big numbers and lofty goals, the man-on-a-mission even pitched renewable sources to power the nations automotive fleet saying, “For the price of one year’s worth of oil, some $500 billion, we can go even farther - creating fully renewable electrical generation sufficient to power all of the nation’s vehicles. In so doing, we will again create jobs that can only be performed in this country, and we will give a much broader stimulus to the renewables energy market.” No word on what kind of impression was made on the politicians but we hope it got some hamster wheels turning. Check out the video after the break to gain your own impression of Agassi’s vision.

[Source: Globes]

 

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Original post by Domenick Yoney

Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Ford

Ford is expected to take advantage of this month’s British Motor Show in London to debut an ECOnetic version of the new Fiesta sub-compact. ECOnetic is Ford’s branding for special low CO₂ versions of its different vehicles. In the case of the Fiesta ECOnetic, that means a 1.6L TDCi turbodiesel under the hood cranking out 89hp. Helping the Fiesta minimize its fuel consumption and hence CO₂ emissions will be a modified low-drag nose, side skirts, rear spoiler and wheels. Most of the grille will be closed off to push air around the car rather than through the engine compartment. The final drive ratio has been changed to lower the engine revs when cruising as well. The 2009 Fiestas, like their Mazda2 siblings, are lighter than the models that they replace. All of this adds up to 62.5mpg (U.S.) combined from the new model and CO₂ emissions of 98g/km. That CO₂ number is low enough to exempt the Fiesta ECOnetic from British road taxes and London Congestion Charges.

[Source: AutoExpress]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, USA

The only place we can think of that is more perfectly suited for electric cars than an island is an island paradise far, far away from the mainland. Hawaii, for instance. It seems the thought also occurred to them as they have already been in talks with Project better Place and still keep the first EV in Hawaii on hand. Now, to help them out with their electric-car contemplation comes a grant of 50,000 big ones from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. Obviously not a king’s ransom, the money is better, to paraphrase Frank Sinatra, than a kick in the pants.

Actually, Hawaii and the Department of Energy are partnered in the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative which aims to have 70 percent of the islands energy derived from renewable sources and the money is in support of that program. Governor Linda Lingle also sees the economic advantages in moving transportation in this direction. She says, “This grant will help Hawaii build the foundation needed to transition to electric vehicles and help reduce the need for expensive gasoline…”. And expensive it is, with people paying as much as $4.75 a gallon for regular within the past few days.

[Source: Pacific Business News]

 

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Original post by Domenick Yoney

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, MPG, Volkswagen, Lightweight

Click above for more shots of the VW One-Liter concept

It has been so long since anything has been heard about Volkswagen’s so-called one-liter car that we nearly forgot the concept had existed. It turns out that VeeDub has been quietly working away somewhere deep in Germany perfecting the design. Originally intended for a launch around 2012, rumors now indicate that the vehicle may indeed be ready by 2010. To refresh your memory, the vehicle gets its moniker due to its goal of achieving one liter of fuel consumption per 100 kilometers. The concept vehicle, with its single cylinder engine, was apparently capable of doing a bit better than that, as it was rated at a mind blowing 282 miles per gallon, or about .83 liters per 100 kilometers.

The production version of the carbon fiber vehicle may get a twin cylinder diesel engine along with a possible hybrid drive of some sort. For maximum compactness, the vehicle features the driver in the center of the car with one passenger sitting behind in a cockpit-like arrangement. No word as of yet on price, but it seems that VW is hoping that the government can step in to reduce the cost for purchasers.

[Source: Car Magazine Online]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Biodiesel, Green Daily

Photo by Martin Pettitt. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

It was not an easy journey. Following a tragic first attempt, the crew of the biodiesel-powered Earthrace boat set out a second time to break the record for motorized circumnavigation. On the second trip, a biodiesel flood and a lost engine were serious setbacks, but this past weekend, the Earthrace pulled into Sagunto, Sapin, two months after setting forth. The 61-day journey means that the Earthrace can now claim to be the best at circling the globe with an engine: the previous such record took two weeks longer to go the distance.

The Guardian UK has a nice story about the crew′s victory, the many troubles they faced along the way, and the well-deserved parties in their future. As tipster Sayyad wrote in to AutoblogGreen, “I think congratulations are in order, especially considering all they’ve been through.” True, but let’s not forget that the record for sailing around the world using nothing but wind and human power is just over 50 days. Sails beat biofuels on the open seas. h/t to Sayyad!

[Source: Guardian UK]

 

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Audi

A group of 22 drivers has completed the second stage of Audi’s efficiency marathon run between Basel, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria. While the winning team in the first round managed a “mere” 68.4mpg (U.S.) in a 120hp Audi ʎ TDI, the top team in the second round managed an even thriftier 70.85mpg (U.S.). That equates to the same 88g/km CO₂ emissions as the tiny Smart ForTwo CDi. Over the 22-hour course of the journey the winning team averaged 46.35mph and if they had continued until the tank was dry they could have covered over 1,242 miles. Five of the eleven teams in the second round achieved better than 68.18mpg (U.S.) and even the most “lead-footed” drivers got 67.2mpg (U.S.). With an official combined rating of 46.12mpg (U.S.) for the ʎ, the 44 drivers on the two stages of this event demonstrated again that driver behavior can significantly influence, the efficiency of a vehicle. The Audi press release is after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

PRESS RELEASE

Audi A4 2.0 TDI achieves CO2 emissions of 88 grams per kilometer

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Biodiesel, China

Earlier this year, Gushan Environmental Energy Limited reached an annual biodiesel production capacity of 240,000 tons with a new plant in Beijing. At the time, Gushan said they hoped to reach an annual capacity of 400,000 tons by the end of 2008. They are now getting 50,000 tons closer.

Gushan started building a new biodiesel facility in Shanghai yesterday, and the 50,000-ton plant will help cement Gushan’s place as China’s largest biodiesel producer (by annual production capacity). Two more plants (30,000 tons each) are scheduled to open later this year, and the Beijing plant will be expanded by 50,000 tons. Gushan biodiesel’s main feedstocks are “vegetable oil offal and used cooking oil.” That’s how the press release reads. Since offal usually means waste animal parts (or a delicacy, depending on where you live), I’m not sure if there is a comma missing or if the company is using the word to mean waste veggie oil. We’ll see what Gushan’s PR people can tell me.

[Source: Gushan Environmental Energy Limited]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco