autoMedia Auto News Blog : Electric vehicles

autoMedia CARnival 11-20-09: This week in Auto Blogs

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:06:00 GMT

It's the week ending November 20, and we've browsed our favorite automotive ...(read more)

Charge! Cadillac Converj Plug-In Racing to Production

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:36:00 GMT

Word has spilled from the Motor City via The Detroit News that General Motors will produce the Cadillac Converj extended-range electric car. For industry pundits, it seemed predestined that GM would offer a luxury sibling to the much ballyhooed Chevrolet Volt. By packaging the innovative drivetrain in a Cadillac model, GM can amortize the investment across more sales volume. Just as significantly, a Cadillac sports car can absorb the cost for the expensive battery packs, and it will make the Volt seem like an affordable, practical alternative, rather than the most expensive Chevrolet in history. First shown at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit , the Cadillac Converj served as the automaker’s grand finale. Product czar Bob “Maximum” Lutz at the time said if greenlighted, the production Converj would closely resemble the show vehicle. As you can see here, the Converj bears more than a family resemblance to the CTS Coupe , and it puts a sharp edge on luxury sportsters in general. Going green is fast becoming cool. The Volt is expected to go on sale by late 2010, so don’t look for a Cadillac version till 2011 at the earliest. Also see: Driving a Chevy Volt Test...(read more)

Name its Color, Be the First to Drive a Chevy Volt!

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:00 GMT

Don't miss your chance to be involved in the development of Chevy's highly anticipated Volt! ...(read more)

Fisker Buys GM Factory to Build Plug-In Hybrids

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:42:00 GMT

As the auto industry emerges from crisis , new hope is given to a General Motors factory town with today’s announcement that Fisker Automotive will purchase the Wilmington Assembly plant in Delaware. Vice President Joe Biden and Delaware Governor Jack Markell were on hand for the news that Fisker signed a letter of purchase intent for $18 million. An additional $175 million will be spent to refurbish and retool the factory over the next three years. The funds come from a conditional loan of $528.7 million the Department of Energy awarded the company in September. The facility that previously built the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky will be overhauled to assemble an “affordable” plug-in hybrid sedan dubbed Project NINA. Production is expected to begin in late 2012, and Project NINA is optimistically forecast to support 2,000 factory jobs and more than 3,000 vendor and supplier jobs by 2014, as production ramps up to full capacity of 75,000-100,000 vehicles per year. More than half of the sedans are expected to be exported. The car itself is estimated to cost about $39,900 after federal tax credits. Learn about the Fisker Karma , a luxurious plug-in hybrid that delivers an estimated...(read more)

autoMedia CARnival October 23, 2009: This week in Auto Blogs

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:55:00 GMT

It's the week ending October 23, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather the highlights from each. Toyota's problem with unintended acceleration remains in the headlines at LeftLaneNews where they suggest the problem goes deeper than loose floormats, perhaps even to a flawed design with a highly computerized engine control system that lacks a fail-safe mechanism for emergency situations. Betcha that's something lots of people are thinking! Tokyo Motor Show is underway, and as much as we especially love all the fun concepts and high-tech prototypes we see there every two years, we also love the Tokyo booth babes, whose costumes are even more funky than the vehicles themselves. Carscoop has posted a gallery of Tokyo Motor Show girls that perfectly illustrate this point. And yes, they also show some fun cars too. Lounging under the influence: A Minnesota man took his motorized La-Z-Boy out for a drive, and after drinking eight or nine beers, crashed it into a parked car while trying to "pop a wheelie." Apparently, his blood alcohol limit was 0.29 - more than three times the legal limit. Yeah, if I had a cushy chair powered by a...(read more)

Automotive X Prize Announces Finalists

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:50:00 GMT

The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize announced the 43 teams that will advance in its international competition to develop a marketable car that achieves 100 miles per gallone equivalent (MPGe). The teams are campaigning 53 vehicles total that have passed expert review for business plans and technical specifications. These vehicles will progress to the performance and safety testing in the spring as they compete for the $10 million prize. In total, almost 100 entries had been submitted for the contest. The finalists represent 18 states, 10 countries, and six fuel types, signaling the contest’s reach and diversity. Cars on hand at Manhattan’s Classic Car Club for the announcement included the narrow Amp Sky, Commuter Cars Tango, and three-wheel Zap Alias. At the event, X Prize also opened the registration for the DASH+ contest. Funded by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, this parallel competition challenges high schoolers to design the dashboard of the future. School teams can register at FuelOurFutureNow.com , where they can learn more about the related sciences involved in interior design. The qualified teams are listed below, along with their fuel or energy type. Mainstream...(read more)

Nissan LEAF EV to Make First U.S. Appearance in Los Angeles

Brandy Schaffels — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:34:00 GMT

Nissan has announced that its Nissan LEAF zero-emission, all-electric car will make its North American debut in Los Angeles on November 13. The Los Angeles showing will be the first time people in the United States will be able to see the five-passenger, five-door, gasoline-free car, as it begins its nationwide tour....(read more)

autoMedia CARnival 10-16-09: This week in Auto Blogs

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:24:00 GMT

It is the week ending October 16, and we have browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather the highlights from each....(read more)

Could Quiet Cars Get Custom Soundtracks?

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Safety experts have become so concerned that today's whisper-quiet hybrid and electric cars may pose a danger to visually-impaired pedestrians that they've introduced a study to investigate whether such vehicles should have artificial soundtracks to help people nearby hear them....(read more)

Nissan To Take Reservations For Leaf EV

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:23:00 GMT

Reacting to strong interest in its five-door electric car, Nissan will accept reservations for the Leaf in spring 2010. To date, about 22,000 people have contacted Nissan about this significant EV. (See our Nissan Leaf preview.)

The Leaf uses laminated compact lithium-ion batteries that generates 90kW, routing 80kW to the electric motor. The batteries can be recharged up to 80-percent full in under 30 minutes with a quick charger. At home, it would take about eight hours to fully recharge via a 200-volt outlet. Nissan claims the Leaf 100-mile range – ample for the daily needs of most drivers. Pricing hasn't been announced, though Nissan says it will significantly undercut the Chevrolet Volt, and it may be well under $30,000 with federal incentives.

About 70 percent of the people in North America who have inquired about the reside in markets where the all-electric zero-emission car first will be brought to market. This strong consumer reaction has Nissan hoping to secure 20,000 reservations before the car goes on sale late 2010. The Leaf will be sold globally, with plans for it to be sold in Europe, Japan, and the United States 2010. Beginning in late 2012, Nissan will manufacture the Leaf and its advanced lithium-ion battery pack for the U.S. market at the company’s plant in Smyrna, Tenn. Initially, the Leaf will be sourced from Japan.

Learn more about the Leaf reservation process. And before you commit, be sure to read our Chevrolet Volt first drive.

Read: "Electric Vehicles: Pros and Cons"

autoMedia CARnival 9-25-09: This week in auto blogs

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:00:00 GMT

It's the week ending September 25, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel is the highlight from each. Everyone's multi-billion dollar tax drain, aka the Cash Allowance Rebate System, aka CARS, aka Cash for Clunkers, is back in the headlines again.

Soon after Cash for Clunkers ended, many supporters were boasting that the average mileage for the first quarter million trade-ins improved from 16.3 mpg to 24.8 mpg. That's a great fuel savings, right? Wrong: research shows that C4C participants intend to drive almost twice as many annual miles, which will certainly offset any efficiency-based fuel savings. Find out more at AutoBlogGreen.

More bad news about cash for clunkers: Exotic cars were also sent to the crusher! Though the most popular vehicle destroyed under Cash For Clunkers was the Ford Explorer, Jalopnik says buyers also smashed AMGs, Rolls-Royces, and even a LaForza. We can't imagine crushing a $130,000 Aston Martin DB7 Volante for a $4500 credit. That's just wrong.

Hey, not ALL the clunkers have been traded in! If you're looking for some classic American haulers, TruckTrend.com has found three 1960s-era passenger vans for sale on eBay. Take your pick from a 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier, a 1966 Ford E-100, or a 1966 Dodge.

Yeah, we all thought the Segway was a strange invention at first, but it recently had a starring role in "Paul Blart, Mall Cop." Now Honda has released its own personal mobility device, the U3-X, which stands for both "universal" and "unicycle." According to AutoBlog, the large wheel contains a series of smaller wheels that can rotate independently, allowing the awkwardly perched user 360 degrees of movement. Like the Segway, the person piloting the U3-X simply leans in the desired direction to control the movement through the Honda Omni Traction Drive System. Not sure what movie this device will star in, but it causes me to envision human bowling pins, just waiting to be knocked over...

Stranger than fiction: LeftLaneNews is publishing prognostications that Fiat's master plan for the Chrysler Group, includes turning Dodge into a sports car brand and transforming Chrysler into a Cadillac rival. Another proposal reportedly would eliminate Dodge's trucks from its lineup and place them into a whole new division called, not surprisingly, Ram. Hmmm.

Shell will award free V-Power premium gasoline and an all-new 2010 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo motorcycle to the winners of their "Fuel My Passion" Contest and Sweepstakes. All you have to do is submit a creative photo posing with your vehicle and showing the "V" Sign, and also include a short story of up to 100 words on how Shell V-Power has fueled your passion. Details are at AutomotiveTraveler, though we suggest you leave out references to the Mercury Mistress from your entry.

After nearly two years in fleet service, the Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicle fleet has surpassed more than a million miles on the road. According to AskPatty about 5,000 people have driven the fuel cell Equinox in short test drives. More than 80,000 people in New York, Washington, D.C., and Greater Los Angeles, have volunteered to drive the vehicles as part of Project Driveway's experimental program began in November, 2007.

Consumer Reports asks "Do cars dream of electric beeps?" Many have said the silence of electric cars could be potentially dangerous; Well, Nissan proposes breaking EV silence with 'Blade Runner' whir while moving, to alert pedestrians who can't see or hear them

Thanks for joining us for this week's autoMedia.com CARnival! Have you got something of interest you want us to include in a future carnival? Then fill out our online form so we can be notified of your interesting entry to our weekly blog CAR-nival. Check back next week for another installment.

Brandy Schaffels, autoMedia.com Contributing Editor

autoMedia CARnival 9-18-09: This week in the auto blogs

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:01:00 GMT

It's the week ending September 18, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel is the highlight from each. The Frankfurt Motor Show was the main focus online this week, with exotic alternative fuel concept vehicles such as the the Audi e-tron, Peugeot Globule shapeshifting electric car, Mercedes-Benz BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS, and the Volkswagen E-Up and L1 arnering a fair amount of attention. More traditional vehicles, such as the Ford C-Max compact crossover,
Lexus 600h, Mini Cooper Coupe Concept, next-gen Toyota LandCruiser, 2010 Aston Martin Rapide,
2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and even an 800-hp Brabus E V12, also gathered headlines. Take your pick, the smorgasbord of vehicles at Frankfurt truly offered something for every automotive taste.

We can always count on Jalopnik for the most unusual tidbit each week. Yes, we can. So, how about a gallery demonstrating the types of the automobiles found parked at everyone's favorite world's largest retailer. No, these are not art cars: they are the cars of WalMart.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety celebrated its 50th anniversary by crashing a modern Chevy Malibu into 1959 Bel Air. The intent of the crash was intended to demonstrate how the leaps and bounds taken in automotive design contribute to passenger safety. Autoblog has an interesting assessment of the video, and while it's sad to see the demise of a perfectly lovely classic car, it's even sadder to see what happened to its crash-test-dummy driver. And as usual, the readers' comments are quite interesting as well.

The Holden Commodore enjoyed a brief run as the Pontiac G8 in the United States, but that came to an end with the demise of Pontiac this summer. Although GM has denied plans to sell a rebadged Commodore as a Chevrolet to U.S. consumers, the automaker might have a new set of customers: American police departments. Apparently, according to LeftLaneNews, General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson recently confirmed in an Australian media interview, rumors saying a Commodore police cruiser could be destined for America.

Jay Leno should be nicknamed "The Regurgitator," because you just can't keep that man down! After leaving "The Tonight Show," Leno has recently reappeared in a new primetime talkshow format, and with him he brings his interest in specialty automobiles. AutoBlogGreen has info on Jay's Green Car Challenge, which puts celebrities behind the wheel of an electric Ford Focus competing for best possible lap times.

President Obama made the headlines at Consumer Reports in a blog about his recent visit to a General Motors factory in Ohio. While there, the POTUS unveiled new regulations for fuel economy: By 2012 new cars and trucks must average 29.2 mpg, but those targets will increase to average 35.5 mpg by 2016. Apparently, according to research at CR, "more than 80 percent of Americans said fuel economy was the most important factor in choosing a new car."

Have you ever taken a good close look at the collection of automotive gadgets found in those onboard airline product catalogs? Just because most of us really CAN live without animated hitch critters doesn't mean we can't still secretly wish for them! AskPatty reviews the Delta Airlines "Skymiles" catalog, and discovers some practical devices meant to make life in and with your car more convenient.

Thanks for joining us for this week's autoMedia.com CARnival! Have you got something of interest you want us to include in a future carnival? Then fill out our online form so we can be notified of your interesting entry to our weekly blog CAR-nival. Check back next week for another installment--until then, have a great weekend!

Brandy Schaffels, autoMedia.com Contributing Editor

Frankfurt: Mercedes-Benz Demos EREV BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS

Brandy Schaffels — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:36:00 GMT

Mercedes-Benz released its own Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motorshow this week. The five-seat, four-door BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS hatchback promises a total range of about 370 miles, of which about 60 can be traveled solely using electricity.

The E-CELL PLUS is part of a trio of BlueZERO concept vehicles, each with its own drive system. Mercedes-Benz feels it won't be just one technology that paves the way to sustainable mobility in the future, so the company is presenting several alternatives.

The first in the trio -- the BlueZERO E-CELL -- was released in Detroit at the beginning of the year. Propelled exclusively by a battery-powered electric drive, this pure electric vehicle is projected to be able to travel more than 120 miles on a single battery charge and will be completely free of tailpipe emissions. The third vehicle will be the Hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered BlueZERO F-CELL, promising a range of nearly 250 miles on electric power and also without creating tailpipe emissions.

The E-CELL PLUS revealed at Frankfurt operates in a similar fashion to the highly anticipated Chevy Volt EREV: The liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery is stored in the subfloor, and can hold an energy content of up to 17.50 kWh. The compact 100-kW electric motor of the BlueZERO E-CELL is powered solely by the battery, which receives range-extending energy from an additional three-cylinder, turbocharged gasoline engine. Installed near the rear axle, this compact engine can produce 50 kW of power to charge the battery while the car is being driven.

During rapid charging with a high-capacity 20 kW connection, Mercedes-Benz claims the high-performance lithium-ion battery of the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS can store enough power in 30 minutes to provide a 30-mile cruising range. The complete electric range of 62 miles requires a rapid-charge time of somewhat more than an hour. Charging time with a standard charge cycle at a conventional household outlet with 3.3 kW is approximately six hours.

Like its two sister models, the BlueZERO E-CELL and the BlueZERO F-CELL, the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in less than 11 seconds. To ensure optimum range and energy efficiency, its top speed is electronically limited to about 90 mph. The five-seat compact cars measure about 13.5 feet long, but are spacious enough to carry 17 cubic feet of cargo, or haul 1000 pounds of gear.

Mercedes anticipates producing the first fuel-cell-powered vehicles later this year, and hopes to produce the electric/battery-powered models in 2010. Read more reviews of Mercedes-Benz vehicles here at autoMedia.com.

By Brandy Schaffels, autoMedia.com contributing editor

Frankfurt: VW Debuts Nine New Models Including E-Up!

Brandy Schaffels — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:36:00 GMT

Volkswagen presented a large selection of small cars at the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) being held in Frankfurt this week. The nine premieres ranged from the zero-emissions E-Up! concept to a near-production prototype of the sensational 1-Liter car, the L1; the economical Polo three-door; and super-efficient BlueMotion versions of the Polo (71 mpg), Golf (62 mpg) and Passat (53 mpg). Volkswagen also showed a supersporty the Golf R, and the new generation of the Multivan / California . Many customized models - such as three new, dynamic R-Line versions (Golf, Scirocco and Passat CC) and the first vehicle under the new top label Volkswagen Exclusive (Golf Estate) - completed the range of IAA premieres.

Most notable is the zero-emissions E-Up! Concept, which is based on modules of the New Small Family Volkswagen is expecting to release for the 2011 model year. This super tiny ultra-compact pure electric vehicle measures in at just under 10 and a half feet long (compare that to the Smart fortwo at 8 feet, 2 inches or a Honda Fit, which is just over 13 feet) features an 18kWh lithium battery pack with a range of 84 miles and a top speed of 85 mph. Promising seating for three adults and one child, the extra-lightweight electric vehicle weighs just under 2400 pounds - though 500 pounds of that are the lithium batteries, which can be charged in about five hours from a standard household outlet.

We're also especially intrigued by the two-seat L1 concept. The L1 concept is constructed from a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic body that weighs about 840 pounds and is powered by a new common rail two-cylinder turbo-diesel and an electric motor. Passengers are seated behind the driver, like an amusement park ride. With its average fuel consumption of 158 miles per gallon, this extremely aerodynamic L1 (Cd 0.195!) promises to become the most fuel-efficient hybrid automobile in the world. Volkswagen claims that if the L1 lightweight car concept were to also go into production in 2013, it would introduce a new era in automotive production.

As cool as these concepts appear, you don't have to wait until 2011 to drive a highly efficient vehicle from Volkswagen: the Volkswagen Jetta TDI already in production promises fuel economy in excess of 40 per gallon. Read more about it in our 2009 Volkswagen Jetta review, and research VWs in the 2009 new car buyer's guide here at autoMedia.com.

By Brandy Schaffels, autoMedia.com contributing editor

autoMedia CARnival 9-11-09: This week in the auto blogs

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:29:00 GMT

It's the week ending September 11, 2009 and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel is the highlight from each. Big news is General Motors' announcement of a 60-day money-back guarantee, that will allow eligible buyers of new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles that will allow customers to return their vehicle to their dealer between 31 and 60 days of purchase and receive a refund of the purchase price for the vehicle.

Sneak Peeks from the upcoming Frankfurt Auto show are everywhere to be found! AutoBlogGreen has news and photos of the Mercedes-Benz S 500 plug-in electric Hybrid set to Debut in Frankfurt next week. The luxury PHEV features a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine and a 44 kW/60 hp electric motor that promise the S 500 Hybrid races from 0 to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds, while also offering more than 70 miles per gallon. Race on, Treehuggers!

MotorTrend's Frankfurt preview is live now, with first looks at more than a dozen of the cars set to be revealed next week. They've got everything from the Audi R8 Spyder, Lamborghini Reventon Roadster, Lexus LF-Ch and BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concepts. The content here will just keep growing, so check back again next week to see what else has been added.

This announcement from Jalopnik is worth running just because the photo is so entertaining! During a marketing call to promote GM's GM's new marketing campaign: "May The Best Car Win," Bob "Maximum Marketing" Lutz challenged any comers in an unmodified production sedan to a duel against a Cadillac CTS-V. So, Jalopnik challenged Lutz to race against Wes Siler in a Mercedes-Benz AMG C63. Regardless, Lutz told the assembled reporters "You're running into a trap because if you beat me by a second on the lap time, we'll just advertise the price difference." Can't wait to see the outcome of this event!

Ahead of its official debut at the State Fair of Texas later this month, images of Toyota's next-generation 4Runner SUV have been leaked at LeftLaneNews. You'll have to wait until September 24 for more official news, until then, this is all you get.

Next week is National Child Passenger Safety Week, and to launch the event, Inspection stations across the United States are standing by on Saturday, September 12 so that car seat installations can be explained and demonstrated in person. AskPatty.com suggests that if you've got babies or young children, this would be a good reason to take the grandparents and caregivers for a refresher course on child seat safety

Moving up from child safety to Teen Driving Safety, Liberty Mutual Insurance has just released an analysis that claims to show that moms and dads are not exactly setting good examples as the drive. According to the article at TheDetroitBureau, 69% of parents of teen drivers report they practice at least two dangerous or distracting behaviors while driving, and nearly half do at least three. Blame the dads (not the moms) for these bad examples, as the survey finds dads are less likely than moms to encourage their teens to practice safe driving in general. While 85% of moms discuss safe driving often with their teen drivers, only 73% of dads have had the same conversation.

Before we end for the week, let's take a moment to enjoy a funny car commercial, brought to us by those wacky humorists at AutoBlog. Ever wonder what goes into the design of the cars we see on the road? Well, here's an inside look at what goes into styling a sexy German-designed automobile. It'll take your breath away...

Thanks for joining us for this week's autoMedia.com CARnival! Have you got something of interest you want us to include in a future carnival? Then fill out our online form so we can be notified of your interesting entry to our weekly blog CAR-nival. Check back next week for another installment--until then, have a great weekend!

Brandy Schaffels, autoMedia.com Contributing Editor