Tag:

budget

Mitsubishi Gets $5.3 Billion Budget for New R&D

Now that the dust has settled on Renault Nissan’s acquisition of Mitsubishi, our favorite electric hill climb people are- finally!- able to start making plans for their future. Big plans, too, it seems- because Mitsubishi will be spending more than 5 billion USD to develop new product lines over the next three years!

Despite a dramatically shrinking market share and factory closings in the US, we’re big fans of the little company that could here at Gas 2. The Mirage is more fun than it should be, and Mitsubishi’s PHEV Outlander has gotten a ton of virtual ink on these “pages”. It’s also won awards, even- and sold well beyond expectations. With this fresh injection of cash, Mitsubishi might be able to make good on its promise of bringing the PHEV Outlander to North America ~~soon~~ eventually.

The expansion of Mitsubishi’s PHEV offerings is just one aspect of the new merger. As we reported when news first broke, the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance’s objectives include the doubling of annual synergies to more than 10 billion Euros, with more than nine million vehicles to sharing four common platforms. Mitsubishi will be able to benefit from those economies of scale and, it’s hoped, launch the kind of vehicular renaissance that’s going to be needed to bring it back from the brink.

They’ll have $5 billion to try, anyway.

What do you guys think? Is this kind of investment a smart move for Renault Nissan, or is this money down the drain for a dying brand? Let us know how you think it will go in the comments section, below. See? Rhyming’s not hard.

Source | Images: Renault Nissan, via Paul Tan.

October 18, 2017 8 comments

VW Slashing New Product Development Budget

written by James Ayre

We’ve discussed VW’s plans to cut development funds for everything but “critical models”, but now it’s confirmed. Planned investments into Volkswagen’s Automotive Division will be slashed by around 1 billion Euro in 2016 as a response to the ongoing diesel emissions cheating scandal, according to recent reports.

The move means that planned investments by the company will be capped at around €12 billion next year. Regardless of that overall cut in investments, the company will actually be increasing its investments into “alternative drive” technologies (electric vehicles, etc) by around €100 million next year as well.

This increased level of investment will be used to move things along at a faster rate, with regard to electric offerings and Tesla rivals from VW, Audi, and Porsche.

The Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Matthias Müller, commented: “We are operating in uncertain and volatile times and are responding to this. We will strictly prioritize all planned investments and expenditures. As announced, anything that is not absolutely necessary will be cancelled or postponed. We are not going to make the mistake of economizing on our future. For this reason we are planning to further increase spending on the development of e-mobility and digitalization.”

Green Car Congress provides more:

Most of the capex is earmarked for new products, the continuing rollout and enhancement of the modular toolkits, and the completion of ongoing investments to expand capacity. Examples include product start-ups such as the next-generation Golf, the Audi Q5, the new Crafter plant in Poland, as well as upfront expenditures for the modular electric toolkit (MEB). Approximately 50% of capex will be spent on the Group’s 28 locations in Germany.

Müller also outlined the first projects as examples where investments are being spread out to a greater extent or cut back. For example, construction of the planned new design center in Wolfsburg is being put on hold, saving approximately €100 million. In addition, the construction of a VW paint shop in Mexico will be reviewed. In the model range, the successor to the Phaeton— a pure-play electric model— is being delayed. Other bada** projects, like the Ducati-powered XL-Sport, will likely never happen at all, at this point.

Apparently, the VW’s joint ventures in China won’t be affected, though, as they aren’t consolidated — and investments from these joint ventures are financed with distinct sources of funds.

Originally published by EV Obsession.

November 24, 2015 1 comment

VW Tristar Pickup Concept Raises the Work Truck Bar

written by Jo Borrás

Mercedes-Benz revolutionized the van business when it launched the Sprinter van in North America. Compared to the old-style, pickup-based Ford Econolines and Dodge Ram vans of the day, the Sprinters were bigger, roomier, more efficient, and easier to drive. With the introduction of its new Tristar concept – first shown earlier this week at the IAA commercial vehicles show in Hannover, Germany – Volkswagen hopes to apply the model for the Sprinter’s success to a segment that is at the very heart of the American auto industry: the full size pickup truck.

Based on the current T-series Transporter that Volkswagen offers to Europe, Asia, and Central America, the Tristar concept offers a high-end, luxury-filled interior that features plenty of great, business-friendly touches like swiveling seats, a large file cabinet/organizer, and foldaway desk.

Under the skin, the VW Tristar features one of the T-series’ top clean-diesel engines good for 295 lb-ft of torque and almost 40 Euro-cycle MPG. That engine is mated to Volkswagen’s advanced Syncro all-wheel drive system, allowing the VW Tristar – should it get built, of course – to get around on any jobsite that America’s truck-based 4WDs can get to.

More importantly, perhaps, if VW’s Tristar ever makes it to the US, it could double the average fuel economy of a typical pickup fleet– and that is something worth getting excited about.

You can check out a few press photos of the new VW Tristar pickup concept, below, and head over to Gizmag to check out this great article about the history of VW’s AWD “Kombi” vans. Enjoy!

Volkswagen Tristar Pickup Concept

Source | Images: Volkswagen, via Gizmag.

September 25, 2014 2 comments

Phoenix Cars Builds Electric Shuttle Bus

written by Guest Contributor

Phoenix Cars is backed by money from Dubai and PR by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and is committed to developing a full line of sensible electric vehicles, from a small compact hatch to a full-size commercial truck and everything in between. Part of that “everything in between”, it seems, is an all-electric, 14 passenger shuttle destined to ferry hotel patrons to and from Southern California airports in the near future.

You can read more about the new Phoenix Cars project in this article, below, which originally appeared on our sister site, Cleantechnica. Enjoy!

14-Passenger Electric Bus In The Development Pipeline Of Phoenix Cars

A new, all-electric, 14-passenger shuttle-bus is currently in the development pipeline of Phoenix Motorcars.

Those of you familiar with the company will no doubt recall that it went bankrupt just a few years ago — and subsequently began a shift away from the development of light-duty vehicles. The new bus represents one of the company’s first offerings since that bankruptcy.

A press release provides some more details:

Phoenix Cars LLC., a leading developer of electric vehicle technologies for the fleet market, today announced the introduction of its modular, electric vehicle (EV) platform and it’s all new 14-passenger, all-electric shuttle bus focused on the US and international markets.

“Phoenix Cars LLC. worked very closely with its key technology partners to develop a compact and modular EV platform, which can be integrated into a diverse range of vehicle applications,” said Steven Davis, president, Phoenix Cars LLC. “The first Phoenix Cars product to utilize this platform is an all-electric shuttle bus that was designed expressly for use by commercial fleets. Our electric shuttle bus offers fleet owners an outstanding value proposition, because our shuttle costs significantly less to maintain and operate than traditional gas or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles.”

The electric shuttle bus is powered by Phoenix’ new EV platform, which includes a proprietary vehicle controller, Remy™ permanent magnet traction motor, Sevcon™ motor inverter, and a Coslight™ lithium-ion battery pack and battery management system.

While it’s certainly good to see Phoenix Motorcars continue to chug-along and release new models, the market has gotten quite a bit more competitive in the last few years. The company will now have to contend with the likes of surging BYD (which, admittedly, doesn’t offer such a small electric bus yet but a more typical bus), and other, long-established companies like Volvo.

While on that subject, Volvo recently supplied the electric buses making up the Swedish city of Gothenburg’s new “ultra-modern” bus service, ElectriCity.

How would Phoenix Motorcars edge out companies like that? Or should it just look to carve out a different, highly specific niche?

Source | Photos: Phoenix Motorcars, via Cleantechnica.

May 20, 2014 1 comment

2014 Silverado HD – 600 Miles on 6 Gallons of Gas

written by Jo Borrás

That’s right, kids! You could (assuming that my math is right) drive more than 600 miles on just under 6 gallons of gasoline in Chevy’s new Silverado HD. Of course, there are asterisks all over a statement like that. Still, that statement is technically correct.

So, let’s start explaining ourselves, shall we?

Chevrolet introduced their new 2014 Silverado HD trucks a few weeks ago, and chose the Chicago Auto Show as the venue to announce that GM’s CNG product rollout had paid off- the new Silverado HD would be available with a bi-fuel CNG option straight from the factory. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, a move to CNG could save construction and contractor fleets thousands of dollars due to the fact that CNG costs much less to buy than an equivalent amount of petroleum-based gasoline. So, the first asterisk is that you have to tick the $11,000 Bi-Fuel option when you order your truck.

The second asterisk is a bit flimsier, but stay with me. See, the new Chevy Silverado HD Bi-Fuel model uses GM’s 6.0 liter Vortec V8 as its base. The same 6.0 liter Vortec V8 that prominently features the following sticker under its hood:

That’s right- the CNG Bi-Fuel model is built using the flex-fuel version of GM’s 6.0 liter Vortec, meaning that you could- if you wanted to- fill the truck’s 36 gallon fuel tank with 36 gallons of E85, instead of 36 gallons of dino-juice. Since E85 is 85% ethanol, that leaves 15% that’s still gasoline (which works out to 5.4 gallons of gas per 36 gallon tank).

Based on Chevy’s claims that the 2014 Silverado Bi-Fuel pickup as shown (crew cab/long bed) will go “more than 650 miles” on combined full tank of gas + full tank of CNG, we can do some math. Now, Chevy doesn’t report the MPG of its full-size trucks, but “13-ish” feels right to me, giving us numbers that look like …

MPG (Est.)	TANK SIZE (Gal.)	RANGE (Miles)
13	36	468
—	—	182
TOTAL		650

… which, again, jives with me.

Now, the GM flex-fuel engines are flex-fuel capable, but are hardly “optimized” for E85. That means we’re going to lose some fuel economy “per gallon” here. Let’s figure that number at somewhere between 10 and 15% on the liquid fuel side of the equation. That brings 13 MPG down to 10.5-11.7 MPG range, making the numbers look like this in the most favorable sort of highway conditions.

MPG (Est.)	TANK SIZE (Gal.)	RANGE (Miles)
11.7	36	421
—	—	182
TOTAL		603

So, there it is. If you choose to run E85 in your 2014 Chevy Silverado HD pickup, you’ll be able to drive about 600 miles on not quite 6 gallons of petroleum gasoline. I don’t know about you guys, but that kind of bright red, V8-powered middle finger to the Saudi sheiks and fear-mongering oil companies makes me a giddy dude.

How does the new Silverado HD make you feel? Do you want to blast across route 66 in one, shouting “‘MURICAAA!!” at the top of your lungs, or does all this green-truck talk just remind you that there’s a commie socialist Nazi Muslim in the White House? Check out some heavy-Chevy pics and let us know what you think about the new big Chevys in the comments, below.

Sources: Chevrolet/GM, my own (admittedly dubious) math and photos.

February 9, 2014 43 comments

GM Begins CNG Truck Production

written by Jo Borrás

After showing off a CNG-powered Chevy van at auto shows for the last few years (the same CNG-powered Chevy van), GM has announced that production of their CNG/gasoline “bi-fuel” commercial trucks has – finally! – begun.

The new bi-fuel CNG trucks, powered by a 6.0 liter version of the company’s OHV “small-block” V8, will be rolling off GM’s Fort Wayne, IN assembly line, and sell for an $11,000 price premium compared to single-fuel trucks. This, of course, is before any applicable alternative-fuel tax credits are applied. GM claims that their bi-fuel system will allow drivers to seamlessly switch between the two fuels without negatively affecting performance. The CNG and gasoline tanks have a combined range of 650 miles, the longest standard range of any OEM vehicle. “Customers are choosing our bi-fuel trucks because they provide the same high level of GM truck performance and versatility but can also help businesses control their fuel costs and reduce their carbon footprint,” said Ed Peper, General Motors U.S. vice president of Fleet and Commercial Sales.

Customers will be able to begin ordering the new bi-fuel CNG trucks from Chevy dealers this week. For more information, you can check out the official GM press release, below.

GMC and Chevrolet Bi-Fuel Pickup Production Begins

DETROIT – Production of the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra 2500 HD bi-fuel pickup trucks is underway in Fort Wayne, Ind., and the pickups are available for order by fleet and retail customers through Chevrolet and GMC dealers.

The Silverado HD and Sierra 2500 HD Vortec 6.0L V8 engine runs on gasoline or compressed natural gas (CNG) and seamlessly switches between the two fuels without affecting performance. The CNG and gasoline tanks have a combined range of 650 miles, the longest standard bi-fuel range of any original equipment automaker.

“Customers are choosing our bi-fuel trucks because they provide the same high level of GM truck performance and versatility but can also help businesses control their fuel costs and reduce their carbon footprint,” said Ed Peper, General Motors U.S. vice president of Fleet and Commercial Sales.

The Type-3 single-tank CNG system in the Silverado HD and Sierra 2500 HD is designed to retain more bed space than any competing bi-fuel truck from an Original Equipment Manufacturer. The pickups are available in standard and long-box and two-or-four wheel drive in the extended cab models.

“At Chesapeake, we are converting our fleet of more than 5,000 vehicles to run on natural gas, and having options from GMC and Chevy is critical to help us reach our conversion goal,” said Nate Pumphrey, Chesapeake Energy Corp. director of Fleet Operations. “Following our full conversion, we will save $11 million to $12 million annually on fuel costs.

“As a fleet manager, the stable price of natural gas is another major benefit that helps me budget more accurately, and the fuel’s reduced emissions align with Chesapeake’s commitment to environmental excellence,” he said.

The bi-fuel pickups are ordered from the factory, sent to the Tier One supplier IMPCO for installation of the CNG bi-fuel delivery and storage system and then delivered by GM transportation to the dealer or to an upfitter for customer-ordered modifications.

The bi-fuel option is priced at $11,000 above the suggested retail price of the base vehicle. The entire gaseous fuel system meets GM’s strict quality, durability and safety testing. The trucks will be covered by GM’s three-year, 36,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty and five-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty and vehicle emissions warranty. The vehicle meets all Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) emission certification requirements.

To find more information about advanced propulsion vehicles available, visit gmfleet.com, or for timely responses to fleet-related questions, join the GM Fleet and Commercial Customer Service LinkedIn group.

Source: GM, via Autoblog.

November 10, 2012 8 comments

10 Best Value Hybrid Cars (and 1 Honorable Mention Lexus)

written by Jo Borrás

What are the best value hybrid cars available? It’s a popular topic on many automotive forums, and basically centers on the question: does the money you save on gas offset the extra money you have to spend on a hybrid option? Industry analysts at Vincentric recently tested 25 popular, US-market hybrid models and compared them to equivalent ICE versions in an attempt to find out which hybrids (if any) deliver real savings over the life of the vehicle.

Surprisingly (to me, anyway) 11 of the 25 hybrid models tested actually did save their owners money! Check out the top 10, below.

1. Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (-$7,001)
2. Mercedes-Benz S Class Hybrid (-$4,242)
3. Lexus HS 250h (-$3,747)
4. Toyota Prius V (-$1,804)
5. Toyota Prius C (-$1,469)
6. Ford Fusion Hybrid (-$1,202)
7. Kia Optima Hybrid (-$779)
8. Porsche Cayenne Hybrid (-$672)
9. Honda Insight (-$656)
10. Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (-$319)

Overall, Vincentric noted that the average cost to own and operate one of these hybrid vehicles was $1,223 more than their all-gasoline powered counterparts over 5 years. That figure was calculated assuming 15,000 miles of driving per year. Fuel prices used in this report were calculated using a weighted average over the previous five months. Vincentric’s own summary of their findings notes that “the range between the best and worst savings was significant, with the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid saving buyers $7,001 while the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid cost buyers over $8,065 more to own (than comparably equipped conventional vehicles).”

YIKES! It’s no wonder GM is cancelling the things!

The big winner here, obviously, is Ford’s premium Lincoln brand – which has surprised even Ford with its success in selling the MKZ hybrid. Their efforts to cut hybrid technology costs and pass those savings along to the customer also seem to be paying off here, making the decision to move the model “up-market” with features like a full panoramic roof a no-brainer. Congrats to Ford, then, for building ’em right!

As for that honorable mention Lexus? Vincentric notes that the Lexus RX450h hybrid SUV saves its owner – ahem! – a whopping $17 over 5 years. That’s 17 AMERICAN DOLLARS, by the way, so … that’s something, I guess?

You can check out the full report by clicking the link, at bottom.

Source: Vincentric.

September 14, 2012 3 comments

Navy Pisses Off GOP Politicians With $210 Million Biofuel Purchase

written by Christopher DeMorro

The United States Navy is the single largest purchaser of diesel fuel in the world, and it is no wonder why; have you ever seen a Nimitz-class supercarrier in person? It’s friggin’ huge. So it is no wonder that the Navy wants to explore homegrown alternatives to the foreign oil that it uses right now. A recent $210 million biofuel purchase by the Navy to three U.S.-based refining operations has pissed off some members of the Republican party who still think we’re sitting on an unlimited and uninterrupted supply of oil.

A Little Cash Buys A Lot Of Green Gas

I probably don’t have to remind you that the United States has far and away the largest and most technologically advanced Navy in the history of the world. Some of these ships, like the aforementioned Nimitz-class supercarrier, are actually powered by mini nuke reactors. However, many support ships like Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are powered by gas or diesel turbines, not to mention that all of our tanks, HUMVEE’s, and even FOB’s (forward operating bases).

So, keeping in mind that the U.S. defense budget for the fiscal year 2013 will be about $614 BILLION, doesn’t it seem odd that GOP lawmakers would single out a $210 million purchase order for experimental fuels? No, not really; the GOP has consistently proved itself to be anti-science, out of touch, penny wise but pound foolish. The Navy initially purchased just 450,000 gallons of alternative jet fuels at a cost of $12 million; obviously the results were impressive enough that Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus felt it was time to scale up production.

Yes, $27 a gallon for experimental biofuels is a lot of money; however, the Navy has already proven the effectiveness of these homegrown, sustainable fuels, mixing it with JP-8 (the standard military fuel), bringing the effective cost closer to $15 a gallon. A large order like this will allow the three selected refiners to scale up production, producing at least 10 million gallons of biofuel annually while seriously cutting down on costs.

The Future Of Fuel, Or GOP Folly?

GOP lawmakers have tried to reign in these biofuel purchases with provisions and bills that would limit the Department of Defense to only purchasing biofuels that cost the same as petroleum. Talk about shortsighted. The Pentagon has taken the lead in numerous projects like the Internet and GPS, which eventually filtered their way into regular consumers hands. But these projects required significant investment early on, and not every project pans out. Yet companies like OriginOil have already developed sustainable alternatives that could use our established refining infrastructure.

Yet I think there is no greater need in the coming decades than sustainable, domestically-produced fuel. Though it isn’t in the news as much these, war with Iran could double oil prices overnight and it is still a very real threat. And what if Iran isn’t alone? Venezuela is a close ally of Iran, as well as a huge exporter of oil to the U.S. and Mexico, another major supplier of oil to the U.S., is in many ways embroiled in a civil war against well-armed and well-organized drug gangs. It’s a scary thought, and in order to avoid that nightmare scenario, the U.S. government has an obligation to help develop useful alternatives, cost be damned.

If we can afford to pay $150 million for each F-22 Raptor, a plane that has been plagued by serious issues since its inception, then we can afford $210 million to help develop an alternative fuel that everybody one day might use.

Source: Reuters

July 13, 2012 21 comments

Super Amazing Electric APE Clone Makes Me Super Happy

written by Jo Borrás

Vespa’s APE three-wheeler is a 3rd-world workhorse of the first order, combining low cost, easy maintenance, high utility, and globally available parts into a package that is tough to beat (just as the Tata Nano guys). In some markets, the APE (and APE-type vehicles) are generically referred to as “Tuk Tuks”, and that’s what you’re looking at here: the Tuk Tuk Factory’s new e-Tuk Vendo.

The e-Tuk Vendo is (as Charis would say) exactly what it says on the tin. It’s electric. It’s Tuk Tuk-ish, and it’s been made with small-scale street vendors in mind.

Tuk Tuk Factory has already begun production of the 35 mph electric trike for the EU market, where the region’s vendors will enjoy special tax status for their alt-fuel commercial vehicle and a 30+ mile range, courtesy of the bike’s lead-acid wet T105 battery. That battery, by the way, has a 3 year duty-cycle and costs significantly less to replace than more exotic li-ion batteries.

Check out Tuk Tuk Factory’s official e-Vendo press release, here …

Tuk Tuk Factory Launches a 100% Electric Vending Van, the e-Tuk Vendo

DIEMEN, the Netherlands, May 3 – On the 24th of April, the Dutch Company Tuk Factory launched a new vehicle, the e-Tuk Vendo. The e-Tuk Vendo is 100% electric vending van intended for mobile catering. The first customer, Toeti Froeti, will use the vehicle for selling fruit shakes and fruitcups.

The e-Tuk Vendo has an autonomy of 70 kilometers and can be charged during stopovers. The vehicle’s battery is large enough to keep the refrigerator cool while driving. Connecting the e-Tuk Vendo to the mains during a stopover powers the refrigerator as well as the other systems on board – water pumps etc. The Vendo’s right side offers 3 cubic meters of selling space, the rear side offers space for storage. Folding away the side panel creates a canopy, and a working table can be extended from the vehicle.

Tuk Tuk Factory already produced a fully electric e-Tuk Classico (seating 3 persons in the back) and an electric e-Tuk Limo (seating 6 persons in the back). “Making a move towards the e-Tuk Vendo and later Cargo is a small and logic step,” according to Roland Vos, director Tuk Tuk Factory. The incentive to start making these vehicles resulted from the numerous requests we received for vending vans with a fun factor. “We can see a substantial market emerging in the area of distribution and sales of biologic and sustainable foods. The go-local trend drives and accelerates this emerging market need. These initiatives find it important that their distribution and sales van is clean & green, it’s often a side condition in their marketing concept.”

Alexander Mascini, head of sales of Tuk Tuk Factory, says he receives “requests from every country on the globe for electric vending vans, even before the vehicle was launched or developed. The e-Tuk Vendo really gets noticed in the city.” Astrid van Vugt, founder of Toeti Froeti, says: “People react instantaneously and very positively, everybody turns their head, looks and smiles.”

Tuk Tuk Factory has a European type approval for these vehicles and several distributors in Europe. Tuk Tuk Factory expects to sell small quantities initially and to steadily grow the business to a few hundred units per year. De basic version of the e-Tuk Vendo is for sale from 24.000 euro, and the lead time is 3 to 4 months.

… and check out some e-Vendo press pics, below.

Source: Tuk Tuk Factory.

May 5, 2012 4 comments

Congress is Buying USPS Employee Votes – with YOUR Money

written by Jo Borrás

The United States Post Office is dirty, inefficient, and – after failing to pay back the $12 billion loan it got from the US Gov’t – hemorrhaging cash at an alarming rate. Total collapse (in the form of not being able to pay employees, pay bills, or buy stamps) has been looming for over a year. The solution is obvious: The USPS needs to be shut down.

Like, forever.

That obvious (Obvious!) move – which would save taxpayers billions of dollars and help clear the roads of over 200,000 slow moving vehicles travelling millions of miles on routes made redundant by FedEx and UPS – won’t happen this year, though. That’s because 2012 is an election year, and because the United States of America is still a democracy (sort of), and the USPS’ 575,000 career employees are ~~desperate for help~~ ready to sell. Their. Votes.

Hoping that the USPS’ 575,000 will sell their votes to them, the current members of the US Senate (i.e., the incumbents) offered a lifeline to the nearly bankrupt USPS last week, voting to give the agency $11 billion MORE dollars that they’ll never be able to pay back. The additional funding, which passed the Senate with a 62/37 vote, pushes controversial USPS decisions like cutting jobs, closing 252 post office branches, and ending Saturday deliveries (moves that the USPS estimates would save over $6 billion) past the 2012 campaign.

I know what you’re thinking. “Come on, Jo – don’t you think you’re being too hard on the USPS? I mean, they bring you Netflix – even if you do have to dig that little red envelope out from a pile of unwanted, unrequested, and unread junk mail that strips rain forest and pollutes rivers and lakes yet doesn’t even make for good kindling?”

Think again.

The USPS’ leadership has actually grown (what I can only assume to be) a set of comically gigantic and incredibly dense metallic testicles (possibly three of them) and actually come out criticizing the $11 billion gimme “loan”, saying it falls far short in stemming financial losses. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe went on to explain that, even if the new bill does become law, he will have to return to Congress in a few years to get even more money.

Really.

I’ve decided that these USPS clowns are actually worse than the evil b****es on “My Super Sweet 16” who complained that their daddys had bought them “the wrong Saab” and thrown ridiculous, hateful hissy-fits on national television over their parents’ (gasp!) dreadful faux-pas.

So, I would like to take this moment to say to the USPS exactly what I would say to one of those useless little see-you-next-Tuesdays: shut the f*** up and be grateful you have anything at all!

Patrick Donahoe, this is you.

Source: Huffington Post.

May 1, 2012 49 comments

Peterbilt Pushes CNG Trucks in Texas

written by Jo Borrás

Last week, over-the-road truck manufacturer Peterbilt showed off its new line of natural-gas-powered trucks to a select group of its dealers and influential (read: wealthy) fleet-owners at their “Natural Gas Leadership” event in Texas. The show-going crowd was able to investigate a variety of converted semis and learn about CNG refueling strategies and return on investment (ROI) to establish what the economic benefits of switching to CNG might be in the face of rising diesel costs.

Bob Woodall, Peterbilt’s director of sales and marketing, called the event a great success while citing that the number of attendees at Peterbilt’s 2012 event was more than double their “usual” dealer event turnouts. Other event organizers were similarly upbeat. “We all agree that natural gas doesn’t fit everyone – but it does fit a majority of the trucking applications,” says Greg Young, director of business development for Cummins Westport Innovations (CWI) and a spokesperson at the event. “It’s not the right answer for everyone, but it does mitigate the risk of diesel volatility.”

In addition to promoting CNG options for its trucks, Peterbilt is hedging its bets by continuing to develop cleaner-burning diesel engines, as well as hybrid-electrid diesels like its (already in production) 386 Hybrid.

Woodall added that Peterbilt is investing heavily in natural gas-powered trucks, with plans to sell 2,000 CNG trucks by the end of this year. “Our parent company, Paccar, has invested $2 billion over the past two years in new products, facilities, and technology – and that includes alternative fuel technology,” he said. “That’s part of our overall effort to drive the cost of operations down for our customers.”

This meeting proves that companies Peterbilt (if not GM) seems to be going after the business that companies like Andersen Windows and AT&T are aggressively generating for CNG, leading to healthier bottom lines for the companies’ books and cleaner air for everyone else.

Good stuff, in other words. Good on Peterbilt.

Source: Peterbilt, via FleetOwner.

March 3, 2012 2 comments

AT&T Builds Towards 15000 CNG Trucks

written by Jo Borrás

This past Thursday, telecom giant AT&T re-committed to its stated goal of putting 15,000 CNG-powered vehicles into operation by 2018, reaching the milestone of 5000 commercial CNG vehicles in service a few weeks ago and putting 274 CNG trucks and vans into service in Connecticut alone (the photo, above, is of Congressman John Larson and AT&T Connecticut’s president, Rodney Smith).

This is all part of AT&T’s bid to improve both its overall fleet costs and reduce the company’s carbon emissions. According to AT&T, their planned alternative-fuel vehicle initiative would save 49 million gallons of gasoline over the 10-year deployment period and reduce carbon emissions by over 200,000 metric tons, which AT&T claims is the greenhouse gas equivalent of removing over 38,000 conventionally-fueled passenger vehicles from the road for one year.

You can read AT&T official press release about hitting the 5000 vehicle mark in whole, below.

Enjoy!

AT&T Marches Toward 15,000 Cleaner-Fuel Fleet Vehicles with Milestone 5,000th Alternative-Fuel Deployment

Five thousand — and counting. That’s the newly-announced tally of alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs) placed on U.S. roads by AT&T since the company embarked on a 10- year commitment of up to $565 million to deploy approximately 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles through 2018, including one of the largest U.S. corporate commitments to compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles to date. AT&T deployed the 5,000th vehicle, a CNG van, in Palmdale, California. AT&T currently operates more than 70,300 vehicles in its corporate fleet.

“In a short period of time, with the support of community leaders all over the country, we’ve invested in the deployment of thousands of advanced technology vehicles that promote cleaner air, use less fuel and help AT&T lower its operating costs,” said Jerome Webber, vice president, AT&T Global Fleet Operations. “While some may see just another car or truck on the road, we think these vehicles represent the shared values of the communities where we live, work and play.”

In 2010, AT&T and other large U.S. fleet operators joined in the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities’ National Clean Fleets Partnership as part of a national challenge launched by President Obama to cut America’s petroleum imports by one-third by 2025. Through 2013, AT&T anticipates it will have purchased up to 8,000 CNG vehicles at an estimated cost of $350 million. Additionally, over the life of the commitment, AT&T expects to invest $215 million to replace approximately 7,100 fleet passenger cars with alternative-fuel models.

According to a 2009 Center for Automotive Research report, AT&T’s planned alternative-fuel vehicle initiative would:

– Save 49 million gallons of gasoline over the 10-year deployment period
– Reduce carbon emissions by 211,000 metric tons – the greenhouse gas equivalent of removing 38,600 passenger vehicles from the road for one year

More Sustainable Service Garages

Beyond the AFV deployments, AT&T is turning to its service garages to help minimize its environmental footprint and cut operating costs within its overall fleet. These programs include:

– Redirecting an estimated 60,000 old tires annually through a new recycling program that turns old rubber into fuel and consumer products
– Recycling all primary garage products, including 180,000 pounds of oil filters; 200,000 gallons of oil; and 23,000 gallons of antifreeze annually
– Eliminating the purchase of 9,000 pounds of lead annually that were being used to balance new fleet vehicle tires at high speeds

For more information about AT&T’s sustainability efforts and to view a copy of AT&T’s 2010 Sustainability Report, please visit www.att.com/csr.

Sources: ATT, Hartford Courant

February 29, 2012 0 comment

CNG-Powered Semis Hit I-94

written by Jo Borrás

Andersen Windows‘ delivery trucks have hit the highways, and they’re being fueled by compressed natural gas that, the company believes, will save them over $25,000 per year at today’s gas prices. Per truck. More than enough, in other words, to make back the $40000 premium on CNG trucks compared to their conventional counterparts.

At $5/gallon? There’s no question the CNG alternative is a winner.

Savings like that are one reason why commercial fleets like AT&T and states like California, Nevada, and Utah are turning their attention away from diesel and gasoline and considering compressed and liquefied natural gas which, thanks to “the shale-gas revolution”, is available for about $2 less per the equivalent gallon of conventional petroleum gasoline and diesel.

“Natural gas transportation is starting to hit a tipping point,” says Rob Brown, an analyst for Craig-Hallum Capital Group of Minneapolis. Brown sees more and more companies turning to CNG, driven partly by better CNG engine technologies designed strictly for burning natural gas, and a push among large companies to reduce harmful carbon emissions and boost their “green” image.

These CNG supporters are also working to address the fuel’s biggest perceived obstacle – a lack of infrastructure. In other words: a lace of places (especially for trucks, which need maneuvering room and rapid-fill pumps) to fill up.

Two CNG filling stations specifically designed for semi trucks will be opening in Wisconsin this week, built in cooperation with Andersen Windows so that company’s trucks will be able to refuel near its Menomonie, Wis., distribution centers. That station, a Cenex truck stop just off of I-94, works in concert with another in Green Bay will be open to the public. It’s hoped that these stations will form the basis for a natural-gas shipping corridor between the twin cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago, IL.

“You need a place to start, and Andersen Windows is creating that start,” said Craig Dickman, CEO of Breakthrough Fuel, a Green Bay-based company that helps shippers reduce their costs.

Source: StarTribune

February 27, 2012 1 comment

Obama’s New Budget Calls For $10,000 Rebate For Electric Cars

written by Christopher DeMorro

It’s an election year, which means the partisan political bickering is only getting warmed up. So it is no surprise that politicians on the right side of the aisle are already calling Obama’s proposed 2012 budget nothing more than a “campaign” document. Among the many provisions Obama outlines in his proposal is billions of dollars in infrastructure funding, in addition to a $10,000 rebate for the purchase of electric and other green-tech vehicles.

We’re going to focus on that proposal, because it would dramatically change the dynamic for electric vehicles. Right now, the $7,500 tax rebate (enacted by George W. Bush) means that buyers pay the full price of a vehicle like the Chevy Volt up front. Come tax time, they can deduct up to $7,500 from their taxable income.

The problem with this rebate is that it forces would-be EV buyers to come up with the cash up front. Obama’s proposal would turn the tax credit into a $10,000 rebate, which comes off the price of the car at the point of sale. So instead of making payments on a $41,000 Volt, buyers would make payments on a $31,000 Volt. For the Nissan LEAF, the price would come down to about $26,000; the Mitsubishi i would squeek in at under $20,000.

I’m not sure this rebate stands a chance of getting through a divided Congress, but it would be a huge boon to the electric vehicle business. Right now there is legitimate criticism that the tax credit favors wealthy buyers who can afford higher payments for a lower tax rate. It is said that the income of the average Chevy Volt buyer is about $170,000, which makes sense as a lot of celebrities like Jay Leno flocked to the Volt when it first came out. This rebate would make the payments easier to swallow for the average American.

Incredibly, the $10,000 rebate could also be applied to natural gas vehicles and other high-tech, green cars. That would open up a lot of options.

I for one would run out and buy a Nissan LEAF tomorrow if this proposal actually gets passed. How could I not? For about $300 a month, I could have an all-electric car. That’s almost my entire monthly gas tab between me and my girlfriend.

Would a $10,000 rebate change your mind when it comes to buy an electric car?

Source: The Truth About Cars via The Daily Caller

February 15, 2012 12 comments