Archive for April 12th, 2010

Report: Chevy e-Spark coming to India later in 2010

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Chevrolet, GM, India

General Motors is moving forward with the all-electric Chevrolet Spark project and plans to sell the car in select Indian cities by the end of the year. GM India President Karl Slym said his company – which has expressed a desire to sell “thousands, not hundreds” of these little vehicles – is currently reviewing the various state and city electric vehicle (EV) tax incentives to determine exactly where and when the EV will go on sale. Once on the market, GM India will look through the customer response data and determine which future GM models, if any, will get the EV treatment.

For now, Slym said GM is interested in bringing “something that would break the mold which is as affordable as possible and has a utility value as well” to the market. Pricing for the e-Spark has not yet been announced, but we do know the car will likely be India’s first four-door EV and will be powered by an all-electric drivetrain from Reva. Price it right, and there will be plenty of people getting utility out of this thing.

Daimler to make 16-passenger diesel Sprinter van, a carpoolers dream machine

Filed under: Diesel, Etc., Mercedes Benz, Daimler

If you’ve ever wondered why so few automakers offer vehicles with space to cram in 15 of your closest friends for a cross-country trip, you’re probably the only one. Still, Daimler has heard the thoughts of those who think the current Sprinter lineup is just not quite big enough. How does seating for 16 sound? Crazy at first, for sure, but the soon-to-be-available mega-sized Sprinter (even larger than the one pictured) actually offers substantial people-hauling capability and better efficiency than your typical bus.

The new 16-passenger Sprinter is targeted at the commercial market, not your average car buyer. Daimler predicts that most of the new vans will be used for hotel shuttle service and public transit, but that does not mean that you can’t buy one. The lengthened Sprinter will be sold through Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner dealerships starting this summer. We see a green aspect here that could go overlooked, this van would take the term carpooling to new heights and the turbocharged diesel engine brings about as much efficiency as you can expect from something capable of packing in all the guests at your local Motel 6, with room to spare.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Daimler to make 16-passenger diesel Sprinter van, a carpoolers dream machine originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ethanol company Poet says cellulosic biofuel coming in 2012

Filed under: Ethanol

Since 2007, Poet Energy has been pumping out corn ethanol at various locations around the U.S. Before that, the company was known as Broin and had a 20-year history making biofuel. Corn ethanol, though, isn’t anyone’s idea of an end game product. What we’re really waiting for is cellulosic ethanol. Granted, getting this advanced biofuel from the lab to the pump for anyone can put it in a gas tank has proven difficult. For the first episode of Poet TV, a project billed as the first in a monthly series, Poet CEO Jeff Broin and the company’s public relations director, Nathan Schock, sit down and answer the question “How close is Cellulosic Ethanol?” Broin’s answer: Poet will be producing cellulosic ethanol by 2012.

Broin thinks that there is room for a lot of players in the alternative fuels industry, he’d just like to be one of the biggest. “We need every new technology we can get to offset imported oil,” he says, adding that ethanol is here today and that “it is the molecule that can replace significant volume of gasoline in this country.” Watch the video after the jump.

[Source: Poet TV]

Continue reading Ethanol company Poet says cellulosic biofuel coming in 2012

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Volkswagen intros updated Touran minivan, 51.1 mpg with Bluemotion

Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Volkswagen

At the Leipzig Motor Show in Germany this weekend, Volkswagen rolled out a new version of its Touran compact MPV. The Touran is based on the Golf platform and it’s now up to date with the latest VW design language. The new face features the same horizontal grille found on the Golf and Touareg with a similar headlight design.

More important than the fresh looks is the new Bluemotion package. The Touran 1.6 TDI Bluemotion is one of six gas and diesel engine variants. The most efficient Bluemotion option includes a 103 horsepower 1.6-liter inline-four diesel with a six-speed manual transmission. Combined with automatic start/stop and brake energy regeneration, the seven-seat Touran scores 51.1 miles per gallon (U.S.) on the EU combined cycle. The Bluemotion package can be added to other engine packages as well, with the 1.2-liter turbo direct injection TFSI engine getting a 39.9 mpg (U.S.) rating. Later this year, the Touran Bluemotion will be available with the 140 hp 2.0-liter TDI with a rating of 49 mpg. Given VW’s desire to grow U.S. sales to 800,000 a year, perhaps we’ll see some flavors of the Touran here eventually.

2011 Volkswagen Golf Twin Drive

Volkswagen is planning on introducing a plug-in hybrid version of the new Golf, called the Twin Drive. The new vehicle is currently being tested in Europe, and if all goes well, the Twin Drive Golf will go into production for the US market around the 2011 time frame.
The current Twin Drive Golf vehicles [...]

Via New Car Blog

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Report: State Farm asks Toyota to pay for unintended acceleration insurance claims

Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Toyota

Back in September of 2007, State Farm sent a letter to Toyota asking that the Japanese automaker pay for an insurance claim for a 2005 Camry that had reportedly wrecked as a result of unintended acceleration. According to a report in USA Today, State Farm wrote, “we are aware of several complaints to your company of sudden acceleration involving the Toyota Camry.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was copied on the note, and the government agency wrote back to State Farm stating that it had been looking into unintended acceleration claims since August of 2006, but the investigation had been closed.

State Farm wasn’t reimbursed back in 2007, but in light of Toyota’s recall of 7.7 million vehicles for acceleration-related issues, the insurance company is taking a second crack at getting cash from Toyota. The process of an insurance company receiving money from an automaker is called “subrogation” and USA Today says Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons told the national newspaper that the process is fairly common.

Common or not, State Farm can recoup up to $30 million from Toyota, and the insurance company says customers involved in unintended acceleration crashes in a Toyota could get their deductible cash back, which can range from $250 to $1,000 or more. However, customers shouldn’t expect money any time soon. Case Closure mediation attorney Mark Bunim reportedly told said that the process could take some time to resolve as someone would need to check every Toyota claim and determine whether the accident involved sudden acceleration.

If Toyota doesn’t pay for the insurance claims, the automaker could indirectly foot the bill with higher insurance premiums. Due to Toyota’s otherwise strong quality and safety reputation, its vehicles are currently relatively inexpensive to insure. If Toyota pays State Farm for accidents involving unintended acceleration it’s a near guarantee that other insurers will follow suit.

[Source: USA Today] Read more…

IndyCar: 2010 Grand Prix of Alabama [SPOILER ALERT]

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

Round three of the 2010 IndyCar season had the teams visiting Barber Motosports Park in Birmingham, Alabama for the first time. Well, technically the IZOD IndyCar Series was already here, as the track hosted the pre-season test sessions for the series. The 2010 Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union, however, was to be the first Indycar race held at the track.

Seeking to pick up where he left off in St. Petersburg, championship points leader, Will Power, was also aiming to set IndyCar history with the first ever three-for-three start to the season. If he managed to grab the checkered flag at the end of the race, Power would be the first to accomplish such a feat and would tie three other drivers for the most wins in a row in series history as well.

Power had already shown he could hold his own at Barber, claiming the fastest overall laps in testing and practice leading up to the race, so it didn’t look good for the competition. But would Power be able to claim the pole? Would he capture that third win in three races and set IndyCar history? Follow the jump to see how the race unfolded in Birmingham.

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