Published on September 14th, 2009
Volkswagen will display an updated version of its 1-Liter concept this week at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The diesel-hybrid car which only weighs around 800 lbs gets an jaw-dropping 170 MPG. So who wants one?
It was seven years ago when VW first announced the idea. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch–currently the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Volkswagen Group–drove a prototype of the car from Wolfsburg to Hamburg. It was the world’s first car to travel 100 kilometers on just a single liter of fuel. But the concept wasn’t ready for production as the body’s carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) was too costly for consideration. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on September 9th, 2009
I love trucks. To me they represent everything America does (or at least used to) stand for. Rugged, capable, the workhorse of the working man. So much praise to heap on a very basic and oft-uncomfortable vehicle. But where do those gas-guzzling, stump pulling, trucks with all the aerodynamics of a brick fit in the future?
Electric Motor Corporation has an idea, and is teasing photos of their F-150-based “Flash” pickup truck. The name could use some work; but how does the rest of the truck shape up?
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electric,
electric motor corporation,
electricmotorcorporation,
EMC,
F-150,
f150,
flash,
Ford,
hybrid,
pickup,
range,
thunderbolt,
towing
Published on September 9th, 2009
There is a line being drawn in the sand between two-different types of hybrid cars. There are those that follow the model of the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape hybrid, which alternately use electric and gas power. Then there are those like the Volt which uses electric motors to drive the wheels while getting electricity from a small gas motor.
Lotus has developed a “range-extender engine” that falls into the latter catagory. It implements numerous money and weight saving features that could make extended-range hybrids even more appealing in the future.
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Published on September 8th, 2009
Where is the mainstream media when you need them? Probably off chasing another Micheal Jackson’s baby’s daddy. But they could do a lot more use into investigating the court case of Paice LLC vs. Toyota. In the lawsuit filed by Paice against Toyota, Paice claims that several of Toyota’s popular hybrid models infringe on patents held by Paice. Having won a similar case back in 2005, Paice is now seeking an exclusion that would keep Toyota hybrid imports from entering the U.S.
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hybrid,
infringement,
paice llc,
paicellc,
patent,
prius,
priuss,
synergy drive,
Toyota
Published on August 31st, 2009
I don’t know much about Sophia “the Angry Green Girl”, but this woman absolutely KNOWS how to get attention. Case in point? She’s hired a dozen bikini-clad LA models to wash any hybrid vehicle that happens by in the hopes of generating some press for her new website, under the banner of “Shamelessly exploiting everything I got to save our world.”
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Published on August 26th, 2009
The big scare about oil is that it’s a dirty and diminishing resource. We are running low on supplies while polluting our environment. While we do consume oil at a ghastly rate, there are plenty of other materials that go into the cars, computers, and cell phones that we have all grown very accustomed to. Rare metals not easily accessible. China currently controls 95% of the rare-metal market, having flooded the market last decade with cheaper metals and wiping out most of the competition.
Whether sensing a precarious position or a powerful one, China is now considering a partial or total ban on certain rare earth elements. Some of these elements are directly related to the future of fuel. What will hybrids do without their Lanthanum?
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ban,
China,
dysprosium,
export,
high tech,
lanthnum,
lutetium,
nickel-hydride battery,
prius,
rare earth,
rare metal,
terbium,
thulium,
yttrium
Published on August 13th, 2009
BMW’s new ActiveHybrid X6 promises to be the world’s most powerful hybrid with 480 hp (358 kW) and 575 lb-ft of torque (780 N·m).
The ActiveHybrid X6 will hit 60 mph in just under 6 seconds all while providing a 20-percent fuel savings according to the EU test-cycle. The EU also gave it a CO2 rating of 231 g/km. EPA numbers aren’t yet available. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on August 12th, 2009
Oh GM, I knew you were getting ahead of yourself.
Early this morning, CEO Fritz Henderson claimed thatthe Chevy Volt, a gas-electric plug-in hybrid would earn an EPA-estimated rating of 230 MPG.
But according to Green Car Advisor, the EPA has said no such thing.
Hit the jump to read the EPA’s reply.
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Published on August 11th, 2009
Bankruptcy? What bankruptcy? New GM emerged from a gov’ment cradled bankrupcty filing just a month ago, but it seems like business as usual at the former American manufacturing giant. At a press conference this mornig, New GM CEO Fritz Henderson wasted no time explaining a recent marketing campaign involving the numbers 23 and a smiling electrical outlet.
230 “composite” miles per gallon for the Chevy Volt, city rating of course. 230 miles per gallon? What kind of voodoo magic are they putting in those batteries?
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Bob Lutz,
buick,
CEO,
Chevy,
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fritiz henderson,
gas,
hybrid,
Volt
Published on August 10th, 2009
Despite government rebates for hybrids offered to consumers in U.S. and Canada, the programs are failing to produce environmental benefits, yet the programs continue to cost consumers. This according to a new study, “Green Drivers or Free Riders? An Analysis of Tax Rebates for Hybrid Vehicles,” from the University of British Columbia (UBC).
The study finds that hybrid sales have not replaced gas guzzling SUVS, but rather have replaced small, relatively fuel-efficient, conventional cars. Too bad considering SUVS, trucks and vans produce substantially greater carbon emissions. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on August 7th, 2009
Editor’s Note: This is a guest contribution by Elaina Medina of Portland General Electric.
This week Portland General Electric welcomed news it was named a strategic participant and Oregon was named one of five test markets for the largest rollout of EVs and an associated charging station network in U.S. history.
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charge station,
Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation,
electric vehicle,
eTec,
EV,
EV War,
Great Electric Car Race,
LEAF,
Nissan North America,
Oregon,
PGE,
Portland General Electric,
renewable power
Published on August 6th, 2009
Lamborghini is known for many things; sexy sounding V12 engines, outrageous, egregious bodykits, and low fuel efficiency (often in the single digits). But a hybrid?
Even supercar makers are getting into the green game. Hot on the heels of Mercedes announcement that the famous gullwing would return as an all-electric supercar, and Ferrari’s plan to unveil a hybrid of their own at November’s L.A. Autoshow, Lamborghini is now planning a hybrid of their own.
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Published on August 5th, 2009
The Toyota Prius is among the most popular cars under the Cash For Clunkers program right now. But many people who want one will have to wait, as production of the popular hybrid has slowed because of a battery shortage. The supplier of Prius batteries, Panasonic EV Energy, can not keep up with Toyota’s 500,000 annual Prius capacity. While Panasonic EV says it should have its production capacity ramped up to a million units annually by mid-2010, this begs the bigger question;
Will battery packs hold back hybrid production and development?
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Published on July 28th, 2009
Shelby SuperCars, makers of the “World’s Fastest Supercar” the Ultimate Aero, is diversifying its lineup quite a bit. After announcing earlier this year that they would be unveiling the world’s “fastest EV” this summer, SSC is hoping to market more than just outrageously fast (and expensive) supercars.
It seems they want to get into the hybrid motorhome market and plan to offer an RV with an all-electric range of 150 miles. They also have ambitious plans of providing over a quarter of the engines needed to meet Obama’s goal of a million plug-in electric cars by 2015.
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Published on July 27th, 2009
It was an interesting week to say the least. By the time the Lexus pick-up team arrived to retrieve their prototype, I was clear that I would likely measure all hybrid vehicle test drives by this first one. This was not my first hybrid test ride, nor do I hope it is my last, but I found myself more attached than I wanted to be as I saw its sleek yet short silver body reflect brilliantly for the last time. Yes, I am waxing (or waning perhaps) poetic for a car . . .
I come by it naturally as my father had a love for cool cars and gadgets - the Lexus HS 250h hybrid presented a satisfying blend of both.
A few of the ergonomic and gadget-type features that I loved had little to do with the hybrid or eco-factor. However, a couple of things in particular stuck with me and I suspect will be incorporated to some degree in most hybrid cars - or they should be for at least one model generation:
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