Archive for March 25th, 2010

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Tesla Motors, Legislation and Policy, USA, Fisker

What do the Detroit automakers, Tesla Motors, Fisker Automotive and Honda have in common? Today, someone from each of these companies met with representatives from the Obama administration at the White House. On the table was a discussion of electric vehicles and how utility companies can/will play a role in the roll-out. Even though Obama himself supports plug-in vehicles, he was in Iowa for a health care rally. We don’t know what was said in D.C., but the meeting was apparently headed by auto industry task force chief Ron Bloom. Discussing the realities (and potential) of the plug-in vehicles with companies that are making it happen certainly fits with some of the Administration’s previous actions, like giving out DOE loans and $2.4 billion for electric vehicle projects. We’ll be looking for reports of what was said at the White House today. If you’ve got any inside information, let us know.

This is not the first meeting of this sort. Back in 2007, President Bush met with the the CEOs of the Big Three to discuss the future of domestic vehicles, including the prospects for alternative fuels.

[Source: Detroit Free Press via Green Car Advisor | Image: ~MVI~ - C.C. License 2.0]

Report: Traditional, new automakers met at White House today for plug-in hybrid talk originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Via Autoblog Green

To see recall-plagued Toyota staging a public track day this coming weekend at Fuji Speedway, where it will run several of its recently revealed Nurburgring-inspired road-going concepts including a supercharged iQ, is a step in the right direction. Weighed down by reports of unexpectedly accelerating cars and dubious brakes, not to mention its untimely withdrawal from F1, the world’s No. 1 car company has taken a beating of late. But this fresh new batch of creative concepts is evidence that CEO Akio Toyoda’s directive to produce more-fun-to-drive Toyotas is starting to sink in.

Now that I think back, there seems to be a clear correlation between the company’s F1 withdrawal and its launching of a bunch of fun new cars, while simultaneously focusing more on its Nurburgring racing program.

At a function for the Japan Car of the Year jurors last September, rumors started flying about a possible F1 withdrawal. Walking into a large hotel room in central Tokyo, we noticed the walls were filled with photographs and posters of Toyota’s racing program. But there was not one mention of F1 anywhere. Every poster on the wall was shot at either the Nurburgring or Fuji Speedway and was dedicated to the company’s in-house racing team, Gazoo Racing. Not surprisingly, there was a special reference to the LFA and IS F — Toyoda-san had strapped himself behind the wheels of both cars and competed in the last two Nurburgring 24 Hour classics.

As the man himself appeared a few minutes later, a video shot across a big screen in the corner of the room summarizing Gazoo Racing’s efforts for 2009. Then Toyoda went into a passionate speech about how his racing experience helped him understand what needed to be done to the company’s car lineup to make the vehicles more fun to drive. He also said he would support Toyota’s ongoing grassroots racing efforts, especially at the Nurburgring. Not one reference to F1 was made.

To have such a high-profile bunch of journos in the room and mention nothing about F1 was certainly saying something — without saying it.

But this about-face is exactly what the company had to do. It was hemorrhaging money in F1 and had almost nothing to show for it. Without a succession of strong podium finishes, the demerits of competing in F1 started to outweigh the merits. There was no doubt that a more grassroots-focused racing program, and road cars that are more fun and appeal to a wider cross-section of the international motoring public, was a healthier path to take.

That’s why you are going to see more competitive versions of the LFA, IS F, and even the Auris appear in Nurburgring races, while cars like the FT-86 and totally redesigned 4WD hybrid MRS will surface in showrooms within the next three-five years.

It’s just a pity Toyota didn’t pull the plug on F1 three or four years ago — if it had, we could be driving the FT-86 now!

Via MotorTrend Magazine Blogs

Filed under: SUV, Hummer, Humor, Specialty

When the internal combustion engine finally helped the automobile pass the horse-drawn carriage as the chosen method of transportation for a majority of citizens in the United States, that a step in the right direction. Right? Moving forward about a hundred years… when the behemoth Sport Utility Vehicle that never actually seems to venture off the beaten path passed the minivan in the hearts and minds of families across the country as the people-mover of choice, was that a step in the right direction?

If you answered no to either of the above questions, perhaps you’ll enjoy the video pasted after the break. Created by artist Jeremy Dean (read about our initial post on the project here), the converted Hummer H2 is called Futurama and is pulled by two white horses named, appropriately enough, Duke and Diesel. Hummers are for horses? See for yourself.

Continue reading Hummers are for Horses: Artist reimagines the monsterous SUV [w/video]

Hummers are for Horses: Artist reimagines the monsterous SUV [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Via Autoblog

Price of Hyundai Verna in Bangalore
All prices (indicative) ex-showroom as of Feb 2010, prices may vary

Verna 1.6 VTVT – Rs 6,53,566/-

Verna 1.6 SX VTVT – Rs 7,29,631/-

Verna 1.5 CRDi VGT – Rs 7,76,952/-

Verna 1.5 SX CRDi VGT – Rs 8,27, 692/-

Verna 1.5 SX CRDi VGT AT – Rs 8, 91,966/-

Via AutomobilePlanet.com

Will the plug-in Prius ever outsell the conventional Prius?

Why did GM kill the Cadillac Converj, a plug-in based upon the same Voltecs hybrid drive as the upcoming Chevy Volt? Wouldn’t making as many range-extended EVs across as many models as possible help bring down costs quicker?

“Sure, each Cadillac Converj would not lose as much money as each Chevy Volt,” reports MotorTrend’s Todd Lassa. “But it still would lose money, and the best way to limit losses from new technology is to limit volume. “This Cadillac doesn’t lose as much money as this Chevy” isn’t a business case. Volt is designed to be a “volume” model, eventually produced in the tens of thousands, but it will be years before we see that.”

Years before we see tens of thousands of Volts produced per year? The Toyota Prius is already selling in the hundreds of thousands, so the Volt seems at least a decade away from topping the Prius. Then again, the Volt? Unfortunately, we’ve known about GM’s limited production numbers for some time, so I doubt the Volt will be the first plug-in to contend with the Prius.

Besides, the Nissan Leaf has been the real plug-in story these days……..

Finish: When will a plug-in vehicle outsell the Toyota Prius?

Via Hybrid Cars