House Committee to Hold Chevy Volt Safety Hearing on January 25
Published January 20, 2012
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a formal hearing to talk about and to investigate the possible fire hazards connected with the extensively broken Chevrolet Volts. Darrell Issa, R-CA, chairman of the committee, informed members of the Residence that the hearing—titled “Volt Vehicle Fire: What did NHTSA know and when did they know it?”—will be held on January 25.
National Highway Visitors Safety Administrator David Strickland claims that the White Home was informed of the first crash-check related Chevy Volt fire in September, 2011. White House officials say they did not request that the NHTSA maintain the details below wraps, but it wasn’t until finally Bloomberg News broke the story in November when the NHTSA decided to publicly disclose its findings.
In late November, the NHTSA opened a formal defect investigation in the Chevy Volt. In January, General Motors detailed modifications created to avoid the Volt from catching fire following a extreme influence.
Republicans have, time and once more, asked Standard Motors and the NHTSA to answer concerns concerning the delayed disclosure of feasible fires in crash-tested Volts. Ali Ahmad, a spokesman for Issa, stated last Friday that the Residence Oversight and Government Reform Committee will demand that the NHTSA turn more than all records related to the safety of the Volt:
“NHTSA has stalled on responding to the committee’s inquiry for 6 weeks and inexplicably refused to provide any documents. The committee expects complete compliance with its request and will consider compulsory strategies if NHTSA does not instantly modify its place.”
CAFE Hearings Focus Opposing Viewpoints
Published January 19, 2012
By Jeff Cobb
In Detroit on Tuesday some robust arguments had been heard either in help of or against the proposed 2017-2025 Corporate Common Fuel Economy standards and the car sector is split on the issue.
The hearing will be followed by two far more this month, and these are essential by federal government regulators prior to finalizing fuel economy requirements by the National Highway Transportation Security Company later on this year that would mandate a fleet regular of 54.5 miles per gallon (about 40 mpg on sticker) by 2025.
The proposed principles are poised to amend standards previously set to rise to 37.five mpg by 2016, and among automakers who’ve spoken in favor of stricter rule contain Common Motors, Toyota and Hyundai, whilst other people are against, including Volkswagen and Daimler.
GM’s Vice President-Sustainability and Worldwide Regulatory Affairs, Mike Robinson, informed Wards Vehicle that GM would be open to accelerating the pace of fuel-economy improvement if substantial technological advancements are built in coming a long time.
Toyota unveils 2013 NS4 Plug-In Hybrid Concept
Published January 17, 2012
By Jeff Cobb
Last week at the Detroit Car Display, Toyota showed the world the rest of its Prius-transcending NS4 plug-in hybrid idea.
Primary up to this unveiling, Toyota had maximized its PR value by displaying teaser photographs although providing specifics just as scant as picked close-ups shots of a headlight or other style elements.
So here it is – a new hybrid that Toyota says will be positioned separate from the Prius household, possibly the first progenitor of a new lineup of green cars to be be introduced a few years from now.
Facts are nonetheless limited, but Toyota says it hopes to launch this technology in a automobile really equivalent to the 2013 idea by 2015 – with some technologies trickling sooner into other Toyotas.
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Toyota Reveals 2012 Prius C
Published January 11, 2012
By Jeff Cobb
2012 Prius c.
As anticipated, Toyota debuted the Prius c subcompact at the North American International Car Show in Detroit this week to “complete the Prius family” when it becomes accessible in March.
Pricing will begin at “under $ 19,000,” and it provides an EPA estimated mileage rating of 53 mpg in the city – which Toyota says is the “highest rated city fuel economy of any car without a plug.” Highway mileage is 46 mpg, and the combined rating is 50 mpg,
For people of you who do not already know, Toyota says the “c” indicates “city” and younger drivers are expected to make up a sizable portion of purchasers for one particular of the four grades of standard equipment the urban-oriented vehicle will be supplied with.
Ford Escape Hybrid
By Larry E. Hall
Finally, after just much more than a decade, Ford is bringing out an all-new Escape compact sport utility car, or probably we must say, crossover utility vehicle. Because its debut as a 2001 model, the Escape has retained the exact same shape and all round dimension with just simple exterior and interior refreshes. In reality, the largest news about the Escape over the previous ten-plus years was the introduction in 2004 of the Escape Hybrid as a 2005 model. It was not only Ford’s first hybrid vehicle, it was the world’s first hybrid SUV.
When the new Escape arrives in late spring it will have shed its boxy, dated SUV look, replaced with today’s trendy jelly-bean crossover styling – joining these inflated family members wagons slightly insecure about their location in the automotive pecking order.
Inspired by the European Ford Kuga, the new Escape is a giant leap forward but will leave some thing behind – a hybrid variant. That’s proper, Ford will no longer provide an Escape Hybrid.
Why drop the hybrid powertrain soon after all these years? Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of international product improvement, said that Ford’s EcoBoost four-cylinder engines would offer fuel economic system that “approaches the present hybrid.” He extra that the automaker reasoned that an Escape with a increased mpg rating would not be essential to entice purchasers.
The far more compelling explanation is Ford is placing its hybrid bets on the upcoming C-Max designs. The C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid are committed designs produced to compete with the expanding Toyota Prius lineup. Kuzak stated the C-Max is a multi-activity vehicle that provides virtually the same functionality as the Escape whilst delivering better fuel economy. C-Max will go on sale in the 2nd half of 2012.
Ford Unveils 2013 Fusion, Hybrid and Energi
Published January ten, 2012
By Jeff Cobb
2013 Fusion.
Yesterday Ford revealed its higher-mileage, mid-sized 2013 Fusion, Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi at the ongoing North American International Car Display in Detroit.
Economic climate for the hybrid model is stated to be 47 mpg city, 44 mpg highway, beating out the 2012 Camry Hybrid’s 43/39 EPA mpg numbers.
And if that is not enough, the plug-in Energi model is promised to reach 100 MPGe or higher, topping the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf.
GM Reinforces Volt Battery as Customer Service Gesture
Published January seven, 2012
By Jeff Cobb
On Thursday GM announced it had engineered an expedient but successful remedy to post-crash-test battery fires reported by the National Highway Transportation Security Administration, and will ask Chevrolet Volt drivers to return to their dealers for the one-day reinforcing procedure.
Regardless of ongoing distortions of details by critics like 1 Fox News pundit who advised the vehicle might “blow up,” federal authorities have repeated that the Volt is risk-free and GM says its voluntary measure is meant to preserve displaying why the Volt is rated #1 in customer satisfaction.
According to Mary Barra, GM’s senior VP of international item improvement, the fire’s cause following a 20-mph side-effect into a pole involved rupturing the battery’s coolant lines that led to short circuiting.
