hybridnation

Electric Cars Not Yet Free of CO2 Emissions

2009-02-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

Electric cars emit gases indirectly if they use widely available power from fossil fuel electric plants which burn coal, natural gas and petroleum and release greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide.

A comparison of electric cars from manufacturers Tesla and Mini - using data about electricity from coal powered electric plants in the U.S. - shows that they would effectively emit more carbon dioxide than hybrid cars from Honda and Toyota over a travel distance of 100 miles.

The carbon dioxide emissions were derived from the electric vehicles' respective battery capacities and estimated full charge driving distances as well as fuel powered cars' current government miles per gallon ratings.

In a 100 mile drive, an all-electric Tesla Roadster would require an average of 21.72 kilowatt hours of energy, the equivalent of having using a medium-sized air conditioning unit operating for 21 hours.

story continued

Oil Conscious

2009-01-22T18:33:00.000-05:00

With the price of gasoline now gathering back to a healthy and more affordable price, will our thoughts on being more fuel efficient go with the wind. Will we stop caring about being oil independent, purchasing hybrid cars, or even stop thinking about our precious environment. We as a nation have to stop and think, do we keep spending billions of dollars on petro which in turn the majority of that money goes in to the hands of countries which aid terrorist regimes, or do we become energy conscious and rid ourselves of these hate spewing leaders like Ahmedijinad and Hugo Chavez. Lets wake up America.link

Toyota to Offer Certified Used Hybrids

2009-01-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

Toyota will become the first automaker to offer certified used hybrid vehicles under a program announced yesterday.

Though certified used cars have been a reliable choice for millions of Americans seeking an inexpensive way to get into a car under warranty, hybrids have always been excluded from the programs. Used hybrid buyers were on their own, without the backing of a manufacturer's warranty.

Toyota's program, according to Autoblog, will not cover hybrids under the same warranty program as non-hybrid cars, but instead will "reside alongside the automaker's standard certified pre-owned program." Certified used Toyota hybrid "will have passed a thorough examination with 174 individual points, 14 of which are hybrid-specific. Assuming a hybrid were to pass the inspection, it is then covered under a warranty that includes seven-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain coverage," and seven years worth of roadside assistance.

The car's batteries, however, will not be covered under that warranty. Instead, Kicking Tires explains, "Toyota hybrid batteries come with an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty," beginning with the initial purchase of the vehicle. That warranty will be now transferred along with the car -- so the battery will be covered until the car itself has been on the road for eight years or 100,000 miles.

story continued

Fisker’s California Dreaming

2009-01-14T22:45:00.000-05:00

By LAWRENCE ULRICH
Published: January 12, 2009

IS IT REAL? Henrik Fisker, the chief executive, said it is. The Karma S concept – or “Sunset” -- is a plug-in hybrid two-door, hardtop convertible. It’s an offshoot of the $87,900 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid that’s scheduled to begin deliveries later this year.

WHAT THEY SAID The Cailfornia-based company founded by Fisker – the designer of such beauties as the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin Vantage – has opened an engineering center in Pontiac, Mich., to help bring the Karma and Sunset to market. Both cars will be assembled by Valmet in Finland in a plant that built the Porsche Cayman and Boxster.

WHAT THEY DIDN’T SAY Whether the company can really, truly find anything close to 15,000 buyers a year for exotic cars with a largely unknown name and unproven technology. Yet Fisker said the company has 1,300 preorders for the Karma, with 22 United States dealers lined up and 18 more in the wings. “With this car, you’re changing what luxury is, projecting a new image of who you are and what you stand for,” Mr. Fisker said.

story continued

World automakers' global race to get green on display

2009-01-12T13:40:00.000-05:00

Daniel Howes

Beneath the gloom weighing on the Detroit auto show, there's a global race under way and it's powered by electricity.

Today, China's BYD Auto Co. Ltd will formally unveil two gas-electric hybrids as well as its lithium iron-powered E6 electric car, which the five-year-old automaker from Shenzhen expects to make available in the finicky U.S. market within two years. How and through what distribution channel remains to be seen.

"We think electric cars are a good choice to enter the U.S.," BYD Chairman Wang Chuan-fu told me Sunday through an interpreter, "... and there will be less competition."

I wouldn't be so sure. To walk the carpet of a noticeably subdued (and more spacious) North American International Auto Show is to see a global industry opening a new competitive front as it grapples with its present and future in more profound ways than at any time in a generation. Yet if there's one word you'd be hard pressed to hear anywhere, least of all among General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., it's "surrender."
story continued

Cities give 'green' light on parking perks for hybrid drivers

2009-01-05T18:51:00.000-05:00

By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY
Many hybrid car owners, who often get tax credits and special use of HOV lanes, are getting another perk: parking privileges.
An increasing number of offices, hotels and others are giving drivers of hybrids free or reduced-cost parking or reserved spots closer to entrances, similar to those for the disabled or for pregnant women. They're following at least a dozen cities, which introduced such perks in 2004.

"It really encourages people to buy hybrids," says Maureen Lacey, of Boston University Medical Campus' parking office. She says the medical center's preferential first-floor parking for hybrids, begun in 2007, was so popular that in October it doubled to 100 the number of available spaces.

story continued

How Hybrid Cars Can Solve The Energy Crisis

2008-12-16T20:24:00.000-05:00

We have worked for many years building a worldwide infrastructure to recycle bottles, cans, newspapers, cars - almost anything - except energy. If the very existence of our society rests on energy, why do we make no effort to recycle it? Hybrids are, in fact, the only drive system that allows the kinetic energy of motion to be recycled for future reuse.

How does this work, and why is it so important? As basic physics tells us, energy is required to get a vehicle moving. In conventional vehicles, that energy comes from petroleum, which is converted into kinetic energy by a combustion engine. However, in order for the vehicle to stop, it must then dump this kinetic energy as waste heat generated by the brakes - an extravagant process that repeats itself over and over countless times, day in, day out. And this waste of energy is acceptable?

story continued

Obama's Energy Policies At A Glance

2008-11-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

Energy was a major issue in the U.S. presidential campaign after high gasoline prices added to consumer woes this year and candidates pledged to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

Here is a look at the energy plan of President-elect Barack Obama.

ENERGY RESEARCH

Obama wants to invest $150 billion over 10 years on low-carbon energy sources that will help create 5 million jobs, double research and development spending on biomass, solar and wind resources; accelerate commercialization of plug-in hybrid cars, invest in low-emission coal plants.

story continued

Panasonic eyes Sanyo; bets on solar power, hybrid cars

2008-11-04T14:59:00.000-05:00

By Kiyoshi Takenaka

TOKYO (Reuters) - Panasonic Corp, the world's top plasma TV maker, is betting on a green future of solar power and hybrid cars as it negotiates a price for rival Sanyo Electric Co that analysts say could be up to $8.7 billion.

A key driver for Panasonic is Sanyo's auto batteries business that powers increasingly popular hybrid and electric vehicles, but it would also secure a foothold in the solar cell industry, another with strong growth potential amid concern about global climate change.

Sanyo is the world's seventh-largest solar cell maker and competes with bigger rivals such as Germany's Q-Cells.

"This isn't a bad combination," said Mizuho Investors Securities analyst Nobuo Kurahashi. "Sony doesn't make auto batteries, at least not yet. When hybrid and electric vehicle demand takes off, Panasonic and Sanyo will be far ahead of everyone else."

Panasonic runs a car battery venture with Toyota Motor Corp, while Sanyo offers nickel metal hydride batteries to Ford Motor Co and Honda Motor Co Ltd and develops lithium-ion batteries for cars with Volkswagen AG.

Panasonic has around $10 billion in cash and cash equivalent, some of which could be used to build a large-scale solar plant, which would be needed to make cost competitive solar panels.

story continued

Oregon governor outlines climate change agenda

2008-10-28T19:45:00.000-04:00

By JOSEPH B. FRAZIER – 13 hours ago

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon's governor unwrapped an ambitious 2009 legislative climate change package with proposals for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for homes and buildings by 2030, with benchmarks to be sure the goal is reached.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski also wants to replace the $1,500 tax credit on hybrid vehicles with a $5,000 credit on all-electric cars and to fund energy efficiency for 800 low-income homes a year.

Oregon already is the highest per-capita user of hybrid cars in the nation, he said Monday, and the tax credit could be better used on promoting all-electric vehicles.

Kulongoski said Oregon can be an important point of entry for such cars and that he will make that point on a trip to China and Japan next month.

He said his plan to cap and trade greenhouse gas emissions by utilities and industries in Oregon would go into effect in 2012 to allow time to make sure it is fair and workable.

While Kulongoski almost certainly will have a Democratic House and Senate likely to lean toward his goals, one leading Republican on Monday urged caution, though he commended some aspects of the climate change agenda.

story continued

Consumer Reports: Hybrids Are Very Reliable

2008-10-24T19:11:00.000-04:00

Hybrid cars outscored other vehicle segments for reliability, according to the Consumer Reports Annual Car Reliability Survey, released on Thursday. Nine hybrid models were included in the survey of 1.4 million subscribers of Consumer Report. All the hybrids earned above-average predicted-reliability ratings.

Some consumers have expressed concerns about reliability of hybrid batteries and other components. "We haven't actually seen that," said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Division. "They all get better reliability than their regular counterparts. They seem to be very reliable."

Consumer Reports also found that non-hybrid gas-sippers such as the Honda Fit, Scion xD, Smart ForTwo, and Toyota Yaris had few problems. Ford scored well for domestic car companies, but the top 10 most-reliable brands sold in America are all owned by Asian automakers.

link

China seen as potential electric car hub

2008-10-07T19:41:00.000-04:00

By Braden Reddall

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The head of Johnson Controls Inc's battery unit believes China could adopt electric cars faster than elsewhere because of its size and comparative lack of reliance on gasoline for transport.

Alex Molinaroli, president of the Power Solutions unit, said China's government would likely lead the way through policy to provide vehicles to the many among the country's 1.3 billion people who now rely on bicycles and scooters.

"The next step up from that is going to be some sort of vehicle, (but) it may not be a vehicle that would be acceptable in both Western Europe and the U.S.," Molinaroli told the Reuters Global Environment Summit on Tuesday.

"They can't go everywhere on a bicycle, and they all can't afford a $20,000 to $30,000 vehicle, but they have to move people around."

story continued

One Nation

2008-09-22T22:57:00.002-04:00

Written by Anthony Mangano

I have yet to hear of any of the candidates running for president speak about hybrid cars. Sure maybe considering the global market meltdown is a very serious situation, but if all those mortgage brokers were not trying to scheme every tom ,dick and harry out of there life savings maybe we wouldnt be in this problem. Maybe we as a people should put our lifes and health before greed , then maybe then we will become again the nation everyone looked up to and thought so highly of. Its embarassing when you have people in government bickering and putting down there president. Its expected of the media of course because they are nothing but a bunch of liberals anyway. Yes maybe you can blame the president of which our current state is , but like Kennedy once said "ask not what your country can do for you ,but what you can do for your country. Wake up AMERICA.

Can green cars make it in Russia?

2008-09-22T22:55:00.000-04:00

September 21, 2008 Posted by: Paul Lucas

From the USA to the UK, from Israel to India, the world appears to be embracing the green car concept. However, there is one country that is yet to catch green fever - Russia.

The car market in Russia is booming but hybrid cars are certainly not all the rage with few on sale. Now however, car manufacturers are taking a new approach - by appealing to those who like to drive cutting edge technology and who like to set the trends.

The range of hybrid vehicles offered by Lexus is one of the few to enjoy sales success in the country and now Toyota and Honda are considering bringing their most popular models to dealerships next year.

The emphasis is not so much on their environmental qualities, however, as it is on offering something new and different to the young, well-off crowd. As hybrid cars use a rechargeable electric battery in addition to the conventional petroleum engine, the technology should hold appeal.

story continued

GM thinks beyond the Volt

2008-09-18T19:51:00.000-04:00

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com senior writer
DETROIT (CNNMoney.com) -- The applause hasn't died down for the new Chevrolet Volt, but General Motors is already planning where the technology for this new electric car can go next.

The Volt, which made its official debut Tuesday, is based on what GM calls the "E-Flex platform." This new type of vehicle uses high-capacity lithium-ion batteries and will be able to go up to 40 miles on a full charge. If a driver wants to go farther, the car's small gasoline engine will generate more electricity, allowing trips of over 300 miles.

But that technology doesn't have to stop with the Volt, according to said Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the E-Flex program. Different body styles - wagons or small cars, for instance - and versions styled for different brands are under consideration for a future, improved E-Flex use.

"These are some of the alternatives that are being reviewed, even as we speak, relative to the future beyond Volt," Posawatz said in an interview with CNNMoney.com after the Volt's official unveiling in Detroit Tuesday.

more on this story

Biofuel musses up electric car fest

2008-09-08T20:27:00.000-04:00

By Seattle Times staff

Rami Grunbaum, deputy business editor, and Seattle Times Business staff

At a Cascadia Center conference last week on the future of transportation titled "Beyond Oil," the star was the electric car.

Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids were lined up outside the Microsoft Executive Conference Center during the two-day conference: plug-in Priuses, converted SUVs, even a plug-in yellow school bus.

True believers on grid-powered vehicles happily exchanged factoids inside. In such a crowd, Rob Elam, founder of Propel Biofuels, stuck out like a sore thumb.

Elam's Seattle company is in the down-and-dirty business of distributing biodiesel, an alternative fuel made mostly out of vegetable oil that can be used in almost any standard diesel engine.

Biofuels, now based mostly out of soy and corn, have been criticized for not being cost-efficient — and some scientists have even cast doubt on their environmental benefits.

Others point out that biofuels are merely a halfway measure on the way to electric cars. That didn't keep Elam from telling fans of electric vehicles that biofuels are the right thing to adopt, right now.

In the U.S., there are about 14 million diesel vehicles and 9 million flex-fuel vehicles that can run on biodiesel and ethanol, Elam told the audience.

story continued

Big Green Apple: Mayor says answer to energy needs is blowin' in wind

2008-08-20T21:28:00.000-04:00

BY ADAM LISBERG
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF

LAS VEGAS - Windmills atop the Brooklyn Bridge. Green power in Fresh Kills. The
Statue of Liberty's torch powered by an ocean windfarm.

That's the vision for a green revolution Mayor Bloomberg laid out in a speech at the National Clean Energy Summit on Tuesday night.

"Perhaps companies will want to put wind turbines atop bridges and skyscrapers, or use the enormous potential of powerful off-shore winds miles out off the Atlantic Coast, where turbines could generate roughly twice the energy," Bloomberg told the summit.

"We don't generate a lot of electricity in New York City," he said. "But we can work on using less. And in New York, we're determined to do what no other city has ever attempted, and that is to keep our energy usage at or near its current level even as our population grows.
story continued

Nissan Shows Off Its Electric Car and New Hybrid

2008-08-07T22:42:00.000-04:00

The electric Cube was pretty nimble on the test track, but the new hybrid raises as many questions as it answers
by Ian Rowley
I just got back from driving Nissan's (NSANY) much hyped new electric car and hybrid. The press event, held in searing heat at an advanced technology showcase 90 minutes outside Tokyo, was the first chance that reporters have had to check out the Japanese automaker's new environmental techs.

Most seemed pretty impressed at the electric vehicle, although it's hard to draw too many conclusions. The version we drove was an electric version of a Nissan Cube, a popular model in Japan. However, the company says its EV, which is scheduled for a 2010 launch in Japan and the U.S., will use the same electric system but look completely different from any of today's Nissans.

On the test track, the Cube was pretty nimble, quickly reaching 100km/h on a short straight, despite carrying four passengers. One bad point was the bulk of the batteries—at 300kg—under the rear seats. That meant they were raised higher than normal and not comfortable for those in the back. Still, it's safe to assume the problem will be ironed out by the time the final version appears.

Upbeat About Lithium-Ion Batteries
On a more positive note, Nissan seems very upbeat about its lithium-ion battery technology. While Honda (HMC) and Toyota (TM) are reluctant to use li-ion cells in new hybrids (save a low-volume lease version of the Prius due for 2010), citing safety concerns, Nissan is confident that its batteries, which are half the weight and offer significantly improved performance over the current nickel metal hydride cells, will help it claw back some ground in the hybrid race and make it an EV leader.

more on this story

State is first to OK green building standards

2008-07-18T19:45:00.000-04:00

Matthew Yi, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau

Friday, July 18, 2008
California on Thursday became the first state in the nation to approve green building standards to cut energy and water usage, a move that officials say will help the state meet its ambitious goals to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The plan, adopted by the California Building Standards Commission, requires that all new construction - from commercial buildings to homes, schools and hospitals - reduce energy usage by 15 percent, water use by 20 percent and water for landscaping by 50 percent. A voluntary form of the code is scheduled to kick in on July 1, 2009.

"There is no statewide standard in the nation such as our green building standard," said commission chairwoman Rosario Marin. "In fact, we're the first one in the world, and we anticipate others to follow us."

The rules do not specify how to make the reductions, but ideas range from installing energy-efficient appliances and increasing natural lighting to using low-flow toilets and planting drought-resistant vegetation. The code will be voluntary while the commission works on a mandatory regulation, which the panel hopes to have in place by end of 2010 or beginning of 2011, Marin said.

Environmental groups and the California Building Industry Association applauded the 11-member commission's 10-0 vote Thursday to approve the standards as a good first step.

story continued

Continental Sees Car Price Rises On Raw Material Costs

2008-06-27T22:01:00.000-04:00

FRANKFURT -(Dow Jones)- German automotive supplier and tire maker Continental AG (CON.XE) expects prices for car buyers to rise because of higher raw material costs.

Until now, the Hannover-based company was able to pass on higher raw material costs to suppliers and car manufacturers, Continental technology board member Karl-Thomas Neumann told Dow Jones Newswires Friday. But they can't compensate for the rising costs any longer, he said.

"We're expecting end-customer prices to rise," he added.

The restructuring of the company's ailing drive train unit Powertrain - which includes the VDO business recently acquired from Siemens AG (SI) - is on track, said Neumann, who is head of the unit.

Neumann earlier revealed plans for the company to reduce the number of cost- intensive plants in Western Europe and the U.S. Following the decision to close down the firm's plant in Wetzlar, other similar decisions are set to follow, he added Friday. Some plants are on the rocks, Neumann said, without elaborating.

The company, however, plans to set up new plants in Eastern Europe.

story continued

BMW Prepares Hybrid Race Car

2008-05-30T20:52:00.000-04:00

By EDWARD TAYLOR
May 30, 2008 4:55 p.m.

FRANKFURT -- BMW AG is developing hybrid technology for a Formula One race car to hit the track next year, according to Mario Theissen, director of motor sport at the German auto maker.

The team is responding to new rules presented in March by Formula One's governing body, the Paris-based Federation Internationale de L'Automobile, which will allow Formula One teams to boost the power of their cars using fuel-saving technologies, including hybrid.

"From 2009 BMW will use hybrid technology in Formula One," Mr. Theissen told guests assembled for the opening of a new BMW dealership in Frankfurt, Germany, late Thursday. Other Formula One teams are expected to explore similar technologies.

The FIA says it issued the new rules to make new fuel-saving technologies the only way that Formula One teams can increase the power of their engines, and so give a boost to research into technologies that can be used in the broader car industry to cut the carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming. Car manufacturers, many of which sponsor Formula One teams, are under growing pressure to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

story continued

Paul McCartney furious as new eco-friendly car delivered by jet

2008-05-13T20:14:00.000-04:00

Sir Paul McCartney was furious when his new eco-friendly car was delivered by jet.

The £84,000 hybrid Lexus limousine - a gift to the former Beatle from the manufacturers to thank Paul for promoting green cars - was flown from Japan to Britain, creating a carbon footprint almost 100 times bigger than if it was shipped.

A source told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "It defies sense. Paul was offered a Lexus as a gift and ordered the hybrid limo because it helps to reduce emissions.

"But he was horrified after learning it was delivered by plane. Paul has always campaigned for green issues and he can't understand why anyone would send an enormous car from Japan to Britain on a plane. "

A spokesperson for Swissport, who handled the transporting of the car, said:

"We couldn't believe the hypocrisy of flying an environmentally friendly car in from Japan.

more on this story

We all must do our part to help curb climate change

2008-04-30T22:19:00.000-04:00

Global climate change is a major problem that needs to be addressed immediately or it will have major consequences on not only the human race, but all creatures on this planet will feel its effects.

There are many little things we can do to make a difference and need to start doing before it is too late.

One way to retard the process is to make it mandatory for all new homes built to have solar panels.

As college students and the future leaders of the world, we must demand changes to be made.

This is a simple thing that can be done.

The price of the solar panels will be offset by the lowered cost of electricity and new home buyers will just have to pay a little more to pay for them.

more on this story

State slashes clean-air car goal

2008-03-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

7,500 emission-free autos are mandated by 2014
By Michael Gardner
UNION-TRIBUNE U-T SACRAMENTO BUREAU

March 28, 2008

SACRAMENTO – Air quality regulators dramatically reduced the goal for emission-free vehicles in California yesterday, but for the first time they required automakers to sell a new generation of plug-in hybrid cars.

The unanimous decision by the California Air Resources Board will reduce by 70 percent the number of electric and hydrogen vehicles that manufacturers will be required to sell by 2014.
The new rule also obligates auto companies to manufacture 60,000 plug-in hybrids by 2014. The cars would make short trips on batteries that could be recharged with everyday extension cords and switch to gas for longer drives.

story continued

Brazil tops five million hybrid cars: auto industry

2008-03-10T22:03:00.000-04:00

SAO PAULO (AFP) — More than five million vehicles and almost nine in ten new vehicles in Brazil now run on both gasoline and ethanol derived from sugar cane, the car manufacturing association Anfavea said Monday.

Anfavea president Jackson Schneider told reporters in Sao Paulo that Brazil -- a pioneer in biofuels -- has made more than five million so-called "flexi-fuel" vehicles since the first came off the production line in 2003.

Some 4.97 million vehicles were sold nationally by the end of February and "the five million vehicle mark has already been passed", he said.

Last month, 168,744 new hybrid vehicles were registered -- 88.3 percent of the total -- compared to a total of 2,003,090 last year.

Schneider predicted that such vehicles would make up 52 percent of the market by 2013, up from 12 percent in 2007.

The biofuel industry is rapidly expanding as governments and companies try to wean themselves off oil, and Brazil is a world leader, last year producing 22 billion liters of ethanol biofuel derived from sugar cane.
source

Technology Breakthrough Announced by The Alternative Energy Technology Center

2008-02-25T19:55:00.000-05:00

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Alternative Energy Technology Center, Inc. (OTC:AETE) announced today that it completed the initial design phase of its Cellulosic Ethanol – Esterified Lignin to Gasoline Unit. This vertically integrated biorefining unit will take advantage of proprietary technology using flexible feedstocks such as forestry waste, dedicated feedstock grasses, sawdust, sorghum and corn stover.

“AETC’s integrated technologies provide the ability to convert cheap, abundant cellulosic plant material into a variety of fuel products that will allow us to efficiently address a part of America’s energy needs,” stated Brown Marks, President and CEO. “America’s energy future must be built on renewable fuels that can be produced at a lower cost and the company’s vertically integrated biorefining technology delivers the answer to this pressing need,” he concluded.

Building on its recent acquisition of Meridian Biorefining, Inc., AETC expects to extend the Cellulosic Ethanol - and Esterified Lignin to Gasoline Unit with a fully functional BioCrude Process Unit. The combination of these proprietary technologies will produce the first fully functioning commercial biorefinery in the U.S. in 2009. Oil is refined using distillation, fractionation and cracking units. AETC uses a sophisticated, energy efficient system to process biomass in a bio-aerosol form into a wide range of transportation fuels, lubricants, and chemical co-products.

Multiple technologies for processing cellulose into fuels are under development at competitors such as DuPont (NYSE:DD), Pacific Ethanol (Nasdaq:PEIX) and SunOpta, Inc. (Nasdaq:STKL) among others.

story continued

Battery solutions for hybrid vehicles

2008-02-06T21:34:00.000-05:00

For years carcompanies working on fuel cell cars have wondered about lithium ion batteries. Never the perfect choice, their availability and reliability were both questionable.

Indeed one of the conundrums facing hybrid and fuel cell vehicle developments was how to make sure the lithium ion batteries did not overheat (these by the way are the same batteries that power the laptop).

Now it seems the auto industry is going about things in a more organised fashion. Johnson Controls, which is a world leader in automotive batteries, has tied up with Saft Advanced Power Solutions, which a leader in making lithium ion batteries for a plant that will make the latter specifically for the auto industry.

The plant, located in France, will crank out 5000 units a year but the two partners have indicated a quick ramp up and an Asian footprint are both on the cards.

Which means top customers like General Motors, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Chrysler and others, who are all betting big on hybrids, will now be able to source lithium ion batteries from a dedicated supplier. All of which means that the joint venture will get plenty of customers to keep it busy over the next couple of months.
story continued

2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon debut gasoline-electric hybrid versions

2008-02-06T21:32:00.000-05:00

What weighs more than 2 1/2 tons, has seats for up to nine people, looks conspicuously like a big sport utility vehicle and yet is a gasoline-electric hybrid?

It’s the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and its twin, the GMC Yukon Hybrid, which are the largest passenger-carrying hybrids on the consumer market. You might say these new models introduced early in calendar 2008 are the hybrids for big families because gas-electric hybrid cars are limited to five passengers.

Before these models, the largest hybrid SUV — the Toyota Highlander Hybrid — was a mid-size vehicle with seats for up to seven.

The Tahoe and Yukon Hybrids also are the hybrids for people who need towing power for boats and trailers — at least small to mid-range boats and trailers that aren’t more than 6,200 pounds of tow weight.

The Tahoe and Yukon Hybrids can accomplish this towing because they’re based on truck platforms and team large, 6-liter V-8s with electric motor power to generate a hefty 332 horsepower and 367 foot-pounds of torque at 4,100 rpm.

story continued

2008-02-03T17:44:00.000-05:00

Mike Huckabee Energy Issues

Presidential Warming

2008-01-23T22:32:00.000-05:00

Has anybody noticed that not one of the candidates running for president have mentioned anything about the environment. I have been following the race for the last three months or so, and not once have I heard anything about global warming, hybrid vehicles and things of that nature. Sure the economy and health care is important, but without clean air and technological breakthroughs where will we be in the future of this great country of ours. I just hope that whoever does get elected will follow in the footsteps of a Abraham LIncoln or a John F Kennedy and bring us back to the symbol of peace and prosperity in which the past immigrants that came here searched for.

Fisker Karma Hybrid Car Seen in Detroit Auto Show

2008-01-15T19:10:00.000-05:00

The Fisker Karma can do 150 mph and go from 0-60 in 5.8 seconds. If that’s not enough for you, the new hybrid will go 50 miles off of lithium-ion batteries, before the gas engine will take over to recharge the batteries.

The Fisker Automotive plug-in hybrid was featured at the Detroit Auto show, taking advantage of the recent hype over hybrid cars.

The Fisker will sell for $80,000 and should be on car lots in 2009. source

New US Fuel Efficiency Standards May Aid Aluminum,Hurt Steel

2007-12-23T23:14:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON (AP)--The energy bill President George W. Bush signed last week mandating tougher fuel-economy standards sent a simple message to automakers: lighten up.

The new rules certainly give makers of aluminum, carbon fiber and other lightweight materials something to smile about, analysts say, though the steel industry's piece of the auto-industry pie is likely to shrink.

Auto shoppers, meanwhile, can expect to pay a premium at dealerships when the new rules kick-in - but the impact will be mitigated somewhat by fuel savings.

The new law says the auto industry must raise its fleet-wide fuel-economy average 40% in the U.S., to 35 miles per gallon (15 kilometers per liter), by 2020. Increased mileage requirements could begin as early as 2011.

"With new standards, historically the auto industry has responded by lowering the weight, which meant less steel and more aluminum, rubber and plastic," said Mary Deily, a professor of economics at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, who has studied the steel industry.

A 10% drop in weight yields roughly a 6% improvement in fuel economy, automakers and analysts said.

story continued

U.S. Senate Report: Over 400 Prominent Scientists Disputed Man-Made Global Warming Claims in 2007

2007-12-20T22:46:00.000-05:00

Over 400 prominent scientists from more than two dozen countries recently voiced significant objections to major aspects of the so-called "consensus" on man-made global warming. These scientists, many of whom are current and former participants in the UN IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), criticized the climate claims made by the UN IPCC and former Vice President Al Gore.

The new report issued by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s office of the GOP Ranking Member details the views of the scientists, the overwhelming majority of whom spoke out in 2007.

Even some in the establishment media now appear to be taking notice of the growing number of skeptical scientists. In October, the Washington Post Staff Writer Juliet Eilperin conceded the obvious, writing that climate skeptics "appear to be expanding rather than shrinking." Many scientists from around the world have dubbed 2007 as the year man-made global warming fears “bite the dust.” (LINK) In addition, many scientists who are also progressive environmentalists believe climate fear promotion has "co-opted" the green movement. (LINK)

This blockbuster Senate report lists the scientists by name, country of residence, and academic/institutional affiliation. It also features their own words, biographies, and weblinks to their peer reviewed studies and original source materials as gathered from public statements, various news outlets, and websites in 2007. This new “consensus busters” report is poised to redefine the debate.
story continued

Ford sees rollout of next-generation hybrid battery

2007-12-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

By Kevin Krolicki
DEARBORN, Michigan (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co expects a new generation of more powerful batteries to be on the road in hybrid vehicles in the next three to five years, a senior Ford engineer said on Tuesday.

Ford and its major rivals are all working to adapt the lithium-ion battery technology now widely used in consumer electronics for use in hybrids as a way to boost the fuel economy of vehicles still in the development stage.

"I think within three to five years you'll see lithium-ion hybrid electric vehicles out there in some volume," Ford's chief hybrid engineer, Sherif Marakby, said on Tuesday.

The auto industry's race to develop the new battery technology has drawn close scrutiny because it is expected to open the door to a new market for electric vehicles and allow automakers to meet tougher U.S. fuel economy standards.

Current hybrids, including Toyota Motor Corp's market-leading Prius, run on nickel-metal hydride batteries. That battery technology is seen as approaching the end of its usefulness because of chemical limits on how much power it can store and the cost of the metals it requires.

story continueed

Kia's green dream

2007-11-27T22:18:00.000-05:00

WITH fuel prices reaching record levels never before has such attention been focused on eco motoring.

Getting the most out of each precious gallon is now top priority and keeping cars lean and green is the name of the game for every car manufacturer.

So called alternative fuels are now big business with auto companies across the globe investing millions.

But Korean car maker Kia has gone one step further by spending £29million on the world’s first research centre specifically designed to develop the cars of the future.

In conjunction with its sister company Hyundai, the Mabuk environment centre near the Korean capital Seoul is mapping out the shape of the automotive industry for generations to come.

story continued

On Mileage, Car makers Offer a Hybrid Message

2007-11-14T20:29:00.000-05:00

By MIKE SPECTOR
November 14, 2007; Page B1

Los Angeles

Touting a hydrogen-powered Chevrolet, a Lincoln with a super-efficient gasoline engine and a hybrid Dodge, car makers plan to use the Los Angeles auto show this week to demonstrate that they're on a fast track to delivering vehicles that offer dramatically improved fuel economy.

But in Washington, where the rules on reducing gasoline consumption are made, car makers are fighting to block the toughest proposal under consideration for raising federal mileage standards.

"They're definitely saying one thing to Congress and one thing to consumers," says Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Campaign for Fuel Efficiency, an environmental group lobbying for tougher fuel-efficiency rules. Just last week, an alliance of environmental groups took on Toyota Motor Corp., which often is praised for its gas-electric hybrid technology, in a full-page ad in USA Today for opposing the mileage proposal.

story continued

US energy lab testing plug-in hybrid cars in Seattle

2007-11-08T18:36:00.000-05:00

The Associated PressPublished: November 6, 2007

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho: A U.S. energy lab is testing 13 hybrid cars retrofitted with mileage-boosting batteries that can be plugged into a regular household electrical outlet.

The U.S. Department of Energy demonstration project is aimed at judging the performance of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in an urban area. Over the next 12 months, 13 converted Toyota Prius cars owned by the city of Seattle, King County, Port of Seattle and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency will drive the streets of western Washington state in the study by the Idaho National Laboratory.

So far, the cars' mileage per gallon has about doubled after being outfitted with lithium plug-in batteries, to 125 miles per gallon in city driving conditions.

story continued

New York may join crackdown on plastic bags

2007-10-30T17:51:00.000-04:00

By Edith Honan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City may follow an international trend and crack down on plastic shopping bags, seeking to cut their use with a plan officials hope will be a model for other cities.

A proposal introduced on Monday requires stores larger than 5,000 square feet to set up an in-store recycling program and sell reusable bags.

Some 700 food stores plus large retailers such as Target and Home Depot would have to collect used bags and provide a system for turning them over to a manufacturer or to third-party recycling firms.

Stores would be required to use bags printed with a reminder to consumers: "Please return this bag to a participating store for recycling."

Environmentalists have targeted plastic bags as a scourge that take years to biodegrade and contaminate soil and water.

source

Official Google Blog: A clean energy update

2007-10-23T22:00:00.000-04:00

Official Google Blog: A clean energy update

Honda sees big hybrid volume push with next model

2007-10-23T21:13:00.000-04:00

TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co will start churning out gasoline-electric hybrid cars in large volumes in earnest with a hybrid-only family car planned for a 2009 launch, Chief Executive Takeo Fukui said on Tuesday. Japan's second-biggest automaker ranks a distant second behind Toyota Motor Corp in the hybrid market, now selling only the Civic hybrid after discontinuing production of the Insight two-seater and gasoline-electric Accord.

"Right now, the Civic hybrid is pretty much hand-made," Fukui told an industry conference ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show.

"We don't have much of a desire to expand volumes under these circumstances," he said, citing the high cost of producing the fuel-sipping vehicles.

Honda, which launched its first hybrid, the Insight, in 1999 -- beating Toyota to the U.S. market -- has admitted to making no money on sales of hybrid cars, which add a pricey electric motor and battery to capture energy while driving.

story continued

US-China Electric Car Joint Venture to Hold Meetings at ZAP in California

2007-10-16T22:05:00.000-04:00

Electric car manufacturer ZAP (OTCBB: ZAAP) announced today that officials from its new US-China joint venture will be in California over the next few weeks to move ahead with plans to manufacture electric and hybrid cars, buses and trucks.

"Part of the meeting is to identify the potential key partners that would provide suitable and proven technology for the electric vehicles while using California as a springboard for the wide adoption of electric drive vehicles for the rest of the world," said Albert Lam, former CEO of Lotus Engineering and Chairman to the joint venture between ZAP and Youngman Automotive Group.

Last month ZAP signed a joint venture with Youngman for electric and hybrid cars, buses and trucks. Representatives from Youngman will be attending the meetings to be held at ZAP's Santa Rosa Headquarters and Beverly Hills.

story continued

Toyota Prius just keeps on going

2007-09-27T21:28:00.000-04:00

Four years since its last redesign, there's more competition on the market, but the hybrid car is still a hit.

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer
September 25 2007: 6:45 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Nowadays, most car models get a major redesign about every 4 or 5 years. By that time, sales have started to slow as competitors have introduced fancier, better cars in the auto industry's endless cycle of one-upsmanship.

In that respect, the Toyota Prius is entering its golden years and should be ready for retirement soon. Rumors are even circulating about a possible replacement.

But there's something different about the Prius. Even now, the Prius is selling at a pace any car company would call hugely successful. Of all hybrid vehicles sold in America so far this year, more than half were Priuses and, thanks to increased production, Prius sales this year are up 76 percent so far this year.

The Prius is the company's third best-selling car here so far this year. With sales of 124,620 cars, it ranks behind only the Camry (324,000 cars) and Corolla (262,000).

As it ages and the market becomes more competitive, the Prius is losing little of its steam. "That's not been true of any other model that I'm aware of," said Tom Libby, an analyst with Power Information Network.

story continued

World's smallest four-seater car takes centre stage

2007-09-12T17:43:00.000-04:00

By RAY MASSEY

The world's smallest four-seater micro-car was unveiled by Toyota at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The 'IQ' prototype is just 9ft 9 inches long - about three inches shorter than the original Mini - and is expected in showrooms within two years priced between £9,000 and £10,000.

It has enough room for three adults and a small child, but a sliding seat arrangement means it can be driven as a two seater with added boot space.

A Toyota spokesman said:'It's the world's smallest four seater car.'

It was one of a series of small and 'green' cars on display at the show where manufacturers were anxious to display their environmental technology.

Britain's new Mini Clubman started production at BMW's Oxford plant as the car was shown simultaneously for the first time in public at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

source

Toyota Wary of Lithium Ion Batteries

2007-09-03T22:11:00.000-04:00

Fire-prone batteries too hazardous for use in cars, automaker decides

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.Com

September 3, 2007

the lithium battery technology to still be too hazardous to put in hybrid cars and trucks for widespread consumer use.

Lithium ion batteries can overheat and catch fire. There have been numerous incidents in recent years of laptop computers and cell phones suddenly bursting into flames.

Just last month, a Georgia hospital administrator said his Dell wide-screen laptop's batteries exploded into flames. It "looked like fireworks which would have been cool had it not been in my house," Douglas Brown said.

Lithium ion batteries are any important part of the future of plug-in hybrids that will be charged overnight with household electrical current, reducing the need to consume gasoline.

Plug-in hybrids, however, could cause the lithium ion battery to experience severe charging and discharging cycles, a process that decreases the life of the battery and causes heat to build increasing the possibility of fire.

GM is planning to use the batteries in a production version of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in concept, possibly as early as 2010.

While Toyota executives said safety concerns still bar using lithium ion technology in cars, the number-two worldwide auto company hopes to squeeze more performance from nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Nickel-metal hydride is the hybrid battery standard but automakers are planning for lithium ion as the next generation of hybrid power because the batteries can be smaller and lighter, producing better performance.

story continued

Eco-millionaires see boom times ahead

2007-08-20T20:54:00.000-04:00

By Chris Wills

LONDON (Reuters) - Mankind's response to climate change will shift how the world gets its energy and is already making "green barons" out of early investors in renewable energy, clean technologies and carbon trading.

Reuters spoke to four entrepreneurs who are cashing in on the energy revolution and who say there is more money to be made.

BRUCE KHOURI, co-founder of Solar Integrated Technologies, based in Los Angeles, has at the age of 48 made $5 million by cashing in shares in the company.

He still has a $11 million stake in the company, which makes lightweight solar panels for commercial roofs. He saw the opportunity while running his own industrial roofing firm.

story continued

Now, Even Those Temporary Wheels Can Be Greener

2007-08-11T20:54:00.000-04:00

By BARRY REHFELD
Published: August 12, 2007
ROO ROGERS, who lives in Lower Manhattan, is helping to reduce auto emissions by not owning a car. But he still likes to take the wheel for occasional multistop spins around town, for hundred-mile drives to a vacation home on Long Island and for business trips when he’s in California.

When he rents a car or uses a car-sharing service, Mr. Rogers tries to help the environment a little more by driving only a hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius. And he has ridden to the airport by using OZOcar, a car service of which he was a founder; it has an all-hybrid fleet of Priuses and a few Lexuses.

“The Prius is the most practical and sustainable car with the best gas mileage,” he said. “And I don’t have the problems of parking, the insurance and even the gas whenever I go anywhere.”

In city driving, the Prius gets 60 miles for each gallon of gas — a dozen more than its main competitor, the Honda Civic Hybrid, and double the urban range of the highest-mileage gasoline-only cars, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

story continued

Japan's Honda Motor to start selling hybrid cars in China

2007-08-04T18:56:00.000-04:00

TOKYO (Thomson Financial) - Japan's Honda Motor Co will start selling hybrid cars in China, where there is growing interest in energy-efficient vehicles to help combat severe pollution, the company said Thursday.

Dongfeng Honda (nyse: HMC - news - people ) Automobile, a joint venture between Honda Motor and Dongfeng Motor Group Co of China, will start selling Honda Civic hybrid cars in China by the end of 2007, a Honda Motor spokeswoman said.

'We will initially export hybrid Civics from Japan to China. Local production is one option for the future, but there is no specific plan for it yet,' she said.

Toyota Motor Corp (nyse: TM - news - people ) was the first foreign car maker to produce hybrid autos in China, in late 2005, with its Prius model.

story continued

LI lawmakers seek hybrid tax exemption

2007-07-12T22:00:00.001-04:00

By TOM INCANTALUPO
Some Long Island Republicans, Democrats and environmentalists called Thursday on the state Assembly to reinstate a sales tax exemption for hybrid and certain other fuel efficient cars.

The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), leader of Long Island's GOP delegation, passed the state Senate but not the Assembly before the most recent session ended.

"This legislation is an important first step toward reducing our dependence on foreign oil and protecting our environment," Skelos, who is the Senate's deputy majority leader, said in a statement.

A state tax credit for the purchase of hybrid vehicles expired in 2005.

Removing the state's 4 percent share of the sales tax would save a consumer about $800 on a $20,000 car, Skelos' office said. The most popular of the hybrids, the Toyota Prius, begins at $22,795 with freight.
story continued

AJC Applauds Israeli Decision on Hybrid Cars for U.S. Envoys

2007-07-10T19:29:00.000-04:00

July 10, 2007 – New York – The American Jewish Committee today praised the Israeli government for its decision to convert its diplomatic vehicles in the U.S. to hybrid-electric technology.

“This forward-thinking initiative reflects Israel’s deep, ongoing contribution to the environment and global security,” said AJC Executive Director David A. Harris. “We commend Sallai Merridor, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., for his leadership on this issue, which helps further diminish our dependence on oil from hostile sources. Let us hope that other nations, particularly those that have been outspoken on energy and environmental matters, will follow Israel’s laudable example.”

AJC has long been a leading advocate for energy independence. The agency’s Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Bonus Program, which provides cash incentives to its employees to purchase new hybrid cars, was the first program of its kind offered by any non-profit organization in America.

To learn more about this program, and AJC’s overall green efforts, visit www.ajc.org.

source

Ford Reconsiders Electric Cars

2007-07-09T23:05:00.000-04:00

By Kevin Krolicki

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co and power utility Southern California Edison will announce an unusual alliance on Monday aimed at clearing the way for a new generation of rechargeable electric cars, the companies said.

Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally and Edison International Chief Executive John Bryson are scheduled to meet with reporters at Edison's headquarters in Rosemead, California, the companies said.

The two chief executives will announce a "joint initiative" that represents a first-of-its-kind tie-up between a major automaker and a major utility in the area of "plug-in" hybrid vehicle technology, representatives of both companies said.

Further details were not immediately available, but environmental advocates said the tie-up showed the momentum building for developing rechargeable hybrid vehicles as a way to reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

story continued

Al Gore III’s Hybrid Speed Demon

2007-07-05T23:17:00.000-04:00

By Mike Nizza
An article in The New York Times about the popularity of the Toyota Prius compared with hybrid versions of other cars found that part of the draw was that many buyers seem to “want everyone to know they are driving a hybrid.”
Now we know another reason: it can go pretty fast. Reports over the holiday about Al Gore’s son being arrested on speeding and drug charges came with a mind-boggling kicker: He was clocked doing 100 miles an hour in the crunchiest of cars.
And he didn’t push it to top speed, according to a Toyota news release flagged by the good folks at Digg today. In 2004, the company tested a Prius over at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where Formula One racers and rocket cars have broken one speed record after another over the years. Toyota got the needle on that baby up to 130.
The test was meant to show the buying public that the Prius was no slouch in the performance department, compared with its conventional-engined cousins. Now Toyota has Al Gore III to thank for spreading the word in his own way.
source

GM's Lutz: Some Concept Cars Killed Over Fuel Economy

2007-07-02T22:26:00.000-04:00

DETROIT -(Dow Jones)- General Motors Corp. (GM) Product Chief Bob Lutz said the company has killed some of its concept-car ideas because of an increased emphasis on fuel economy and sensitivity over the auto maker's public image.

Lutz, speaking during a video podcast on the company's Web site released over the weekend, said GM has "arranged our priorities on now getting more fuel efficient, (and) spending a lot more money on alternative(s)." Those alternatives include hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, and hybrid-electric vehicles with a battery that can be recharged by plugging in.

Congress is debating fuel-economy legislation that would boost requirements significantly. Lutz said it is challenging to make certain show cars a reality when operating "in an era where everybody is talking about 36-miles-per gallon by 2017 and 4% (increase) a year after that.

"Something had to give at the other end," Lutz said, referring to the company's decision not to build meaty sedans such as the Cadillac Sixteen super- luxury car concept, and the Buick Velite roadster and instead focus on more fuel-efficient technologies. "We had to prioritize" and the Velite "got prioritized out."

story continued

Nissan developing smaller, lighter car batteries for hybrids and electric cars, CEO says

2007-06-27T20:14:00.000-04:00

BANGKOK, Thailand: Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday his company is working hard to develop the next generation of smaller, lighter auto batteries — a technology that holds promise for electric cars as well as for hybrids.

He also said Nissan and its French partner Renault SA are moving ahead with studies on a US$3,000 (€2,230) car for the Indian market.

As demand for green vehicles grows, automakers are racing to develop viable lithium ion batteries, which are common in gadgets such as laptops and cell phones but have yet to be fully adapted to the more rigorous demands of a car engine.

Nissan, which has fallen behind rivals such as Toyota and Honda in hybrid vehicles, recently opened a new tech center in Japan dedicated to developing environmentally friendly technologies. Nissan Motor Co. last year introduced a hybrid vehicle with nickel-metal hydride batteries, but licenses the technology from Toyota.

Ghosn believes that Nissan's investment in green technologies will help it narrow the gap or even put it ahead of competitors down the road.

source

Hybrid Cars Now Available to Rent

2007-06-20T21:41:00.000-04:00

In an apparent race to be seen as the greenest company in the industry, car rental companies Hertz and Avis are adding thousands of fuel-efficient hybrid cars to their fleets this month.

Hertz and Avis are both adding 1,000 Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrids. Hertz’s automobiles will be available at 50 airport locations and in New York City. The company expects to have nearly 2,000 hybrids in its 410,000-vehicle North American and European fleet by the end of this year and 4,300 by the middle of next year, Executive Vice President Brian Kennedy says. The Avis hybrids will primarily be available in California, with some in the Washington, D.C., area, Seattle and Portland, Ore., spokesman John Barrows says. Both companies say they'll guarantee hybrid reservations.

The moves follow a public relations initiative last week by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, highlighting what the company called its "unparalleled fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles," which includes 3,000 gas-electric hybrids. Enterprise says it has more fuel-efficient cars than any other rental company.
story continued

Google plugs in to hybrid car development with $10M

2007-06-18T21:53:00.000-04:00

By James R. Healey, USA TO
Internet search giant Google (GOOG) hopes to speed the development of plug-in hybrid cars by giving away millions of dollars to people and companies that have what appear to be practical ways to get plug-ins to market faster.
But the money, announced Monday afternoon at Google headquarters in Mountain Valley, Calif., totals just $1 million so far with another $10 million pledged, which might not be enough to move the needle.

Auto development is crushingly expensive, especially when it involves the kind of advanced battery and powertrain technology used in plug-in hybrids.

Though automakers are tight-lipped about what they spend, bringing a plug-in hybrid to market could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

story continued

Honda planning to test China market for hybrid Civic cars

2007-06-16T19:19:00.000-04:00

SHANGHAI (XFN-ASIA) - Honda Motor Co is planning to test-market its hybrid-powered Civic economy car in China within three months, an official with a Honda joint venture was quoted as saying in the official Shanghai Daily.

The Dongfeng Honda (nyse: HMC - news - people ) Automobile official, who was not identified, said: 'It would be a trial operation to test the market response before localized production begins.'

'Our hybrid Civic will have a price advantage against Toyota (nyse: TM - news - people )'s Prius,' the official said, without providing details.

Toyota Motor Co became the first foreign car maker to produce hybrid autos in China with its Prius model in late 2005.

The Prius sells for 288,000-302,000 yuan and annual sales are expected to hit 3,000 this year.

The official added that the hybrid market will become more favorable if the government offers favorable tax policies to reduce driving costs for hybrid owners.

story continued

G8

2007-06-12T21:30:00.000-04:00

Mike Millikin
June 10, 2007 9:17 AM

At the G8 Summit, six of the G8 countries agreed to “at least halve global carbon dioxide emissions by 2050” and to achieve this goal together “as part of a United Nations process.” The US and Russia were holdouts on halving. Together, all eight nations agreed to “substantial” emissions cuts, without setting any target. The agreement paves the way for talks beginning in Bali, Indonesia in December to find a successor to the UN-backed Kyoto Protocol.

An unusual and intense tropical cyclone—Gonu—formed and headed into the Gulf of Oman, striking Oman and Iran. More...

Hundreds of glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) are flowing faster, further adding to sea level rise according to new research published this week in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Climate warming, which is already causing increased summer snow melt and ice shelf retreat of the Antarctic Peninsula, is the most likely cause.
story continued

Ikea switches UK car fleet to hybrids

2007-06-11T20:09:00.000-04:00

Ikea is switching its entire UK company-car fleet to hybrid vehicles as a prelude to a possible company-wide shift to greener vehicles.

The Swedish retailer said it would trade in its Skoda company cars for Honda Civic hybrids by next year in a pilot programme that it was considering extending to other countries.

The move is a significant one for the growing market for alternative-fuel cars, given the home furnishing group's size and global reach.

It is a coup for Honda, which has seen its rival Toyota achieve global market dominance in hybrid vehicles, which are powered by a combination of an electric motor and a conventional engine.

Honda last week said it was discontinuing production of a hybrid version of its mid-size Accord, US sales of which have trailed behind Toyota's top-selling Prius. However, its hybrid Civics have sold well, and the company is developing a smaller new hybrid car.STORY CONTINUED

Hybrid cars the go as fuel price rockets

2007-06-09T15:56:00.000-04:00

Josh Dowling
June 10, 2007

AS petrol heads towards $1.50 a litre, and the consumer watchdog renews its focus on fuel pricing, Australians are buying hybrid cars in record numbers.

Last month the petrol-electric Toyota Prius recorded its best monthly sales since its release six years ago.

And year-to-date figures show sales have almost doubled compared with the same period last year. Its competition, the Honda Civic Hybrid, at $32,990, the cheapest petrol-electric car in Australia, has a two-month waiting list.

Conrad and Jane Silvester, husband and wife operators of the East Orange post office, liked the Prius so much they bought two.

"I can tell you why they're selling - ours has nearly paid for itself in fuel savings alone," Mr Silvester said.

story continued

Toyota sells its millionth hybrid

2007-06-07T23:30:00.000-04:00

Toyota has sold its millionth hybrid car, 10 years after introducing its first one in Japan.

It took Toyota eight years to sell its first 500,000 hybrid cars and only two more to break the one million barrier.

Hybrid cars achieve high fuel efficiency by switching between a petrol engine and an electric one.

Toyota's most popular hybrid car is the Prius, which has sold 757,600, but it now sells hybrid versions of other models including the Camry and Lexus.

The company said last year that it hopes to sell one million hybrid cars a year by 2010.

Its most expensive hybrid, the Lexus LS600h, went on sale in Japan recently priced at 15m yen (£62,000). story continued

Hybrid cars face 'Catch 22' situation

2007-06-04T20:41:00.000-04:00

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 4 (UPI) -- A U.S. study shows alternative fuel cars with the same performance and price as gasoline vehicles won't sell well, even if three times more fuel efficient.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology analysis found, among other things, until many alternative fuel vehicles are on the road, people won't consider buying one -- so there won't be many on the road, thereby producing a "Catch-22" situation.

"The challenge is not just introducing an (alternative fuel) vehicle," said postdoctoral associate Jeroen Struben of the Sloan School of Management. "Consumer acceptance, the fueling infrastructure and manufacturing capability all have to evolve at the same time."

Thus, he said, fuel suppliers won't build alternate fuel stations until they're certain of future demand; but until the fuel is widely available, consumers won't buy the vehicles. And manufacturers can't make such vehicles cheaper and better until production volume is high; but high-volume production won't happen until such improvements are in place to attract buyers.

The research was supported by MIT, the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Shell Hydrogen.

source

Congress weighs in on ethanol

2007-05-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

By Tim Lemke

With the Indianapolis 500 coming up on Sunday, a couple of U.S. Senators have written a letter to NASCAR CEO Brian France, urging him to follow the Indy Racing League in switching to ethanol fuel.
Evan Bayh (D-IN) and John Thune (R-SD) said NASCAR can play a role in reducing the nation's dependence on foreign oil.
"We believe that respected American traditions, such as NASCAR and the Indy Racing League, have a responsibility to lead by example and help cut our ties to foreign sources of oil and embrace alternative renewable resources that are produced here at home," the senators wrote. "To this end, we ask that NASCAR consider converting its race car fleet to run on 100 percent American-produced ethanol, as well as start a long-term commitment to promote clean, renewable homegrown fuels." story continued

New York's yellow taxis to go green

2007-05-23T20:41:00.000-04:00

New York's yellow cabs are to become hybrid cars within five years under a scheme to make the city the greenest in the US.

Michael Bloomberg, the city's mayor, announced the shift to hybrid technology – which powers cars using a combination of fuel and electric batteries – in a bid to cut emissions by more than half over the next decade.

Of the 13,000 yellow cabs on New York streets, only 375 are hybrids. Mr Bloomberg said that number would rise to 1,000 by the end of 2008 and a further 20 per cent of the fleet would go hybrid each subsequent year until 2012. The estimated 50,000 other licensed cabs in the city will not as yet be required to make the shift.

Mr Bloomberg, a potential presidential candidate, said the government had failed to act on fuel efficiency.
story continued

Toyota thinks gas-electric cars are way of future

2007-05-19T22:54:00.000-04:00

BY YURI KAGEYAMA
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOKYO -Toyota's commitment to hybrid automobiles was on full display Thursday when it unveiled its most expensive gasoline-electric vehicle yet - the $124,000 luxury sedan Lexus LS.

Executives at Japan's No. 1 automaker are fully convinced that hybrid cars are the way of the future. And they're betting that growing consumer concern about the environment - and higher gas prices - will lure even wealthy buyers to the new model, which went on sale Thursday in Japan for 15 million yen and will arrive later elsewhere.

Executive Vice President Masatami Takimoto denied hybrids were "a transitional technology" that will be replaced by more advanced ecological technology in the future.

story continued

Toyota aims to sell 430,000 hybrid cars worldwide this year

2007-05-17T18:48:00.000-04:00

TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - Toyota Motor Corp aims to sell 430,000 gas-electric hybrid cars worldwide this year, 37 pct more than the 313,000 it sold last year, as it keeps its eye on its target of annual sales of 1.0 mln such vehicles soon after 2010, the company said.
At a news conference marking the launch of Toyota''s Lexus-marque LS600h and LS600hL hybrid sedans, company president Katsuaki Watanabe said: "Our plan to double the number of hybrid models is under way, and I believe our engineers will clear the tough challenge of halving [production] costs."
Toyota rolled out the new hybrid models in the Japanese market today and will begin selling them elsewhere in Asia, in the US and in Europe in stages, starting next month.
The company expects to sell 7,000 LS600hs and LS600hLs worldwide by the end of the year, 4,000 of them in Japan.story continued

Hybrid Pricing

2007-05-16T16:59:00.000-04:00

I as a lover of the environment is always recommending hybrid cars. A friend of mine has been looking to get a new car. He loves american cars and will only drive american. So I told him to look into the Ford escape hybrid. He went down to the dealer and priced both the hybrid and the non hybrid, and what he found was a big difference in price. How are we supposed "go green" if we can't even afford to. If the automakers don't come down on there prices we as a nation will never be oil dependent.

Helping Canadians go green

2007-05-14T20:56:00.000-04:00

Federal government's rebate plan for fuel-efficient vehicles could spur sales of cleaner cars
PEDRO ARRAIS, CanWest News Service
Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies drives one. Actress Cameron Diaz has one. So does environmentalist David Suzuki. They're environmentally friendly cars, and thanks to changes in federal policies, more Canadians will be jumping on the green bandwagon.

For the first time, the federal government is offering rebates between $1,000 and $2,000 for consumers buying or leasing top fuel-efficient cars and trucks, the best of which is the Toyota Prius with a combined fuel consumption rating of 4.1 litres per 100 kilometres.

Driving fuel-efficient vehicles means Canadians will produce significantly less carbon dioxide, nitrogen, benzene and other components that make up the bulk of greenhouse gases - a likely cause of global warming.

Under the Transport Canada program, called ecoAuto, gasoline-powered cars that get 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres or better, and light trucks that get 8.4 litres per 100 kilometres or better qualify for the rebates. More than half of the 17 vehicles listed as eligible for the $160-million, two-year program are gasoline-electric hybrid cars. But hybrids - cars that are powered by a combination of a gasoline engine and electric motor - are not the only vehicles eligible for rebates.

story continued

Toyota says its cost of making hybrids will fall

2007-05-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

TOYOTA CITY, Japan - Toyota Motor Corp. expects to cut costs for hybrid cars enough to be able to make as much money on them as it does on conventional gasoline cars by around 2010, a top executive said on Thursday.

Japan's top automaker has been keen to see the fuel-saving powertrain enter the mainstream since launching the Prius, the world's first hybrid car, in 1997, but sales have come at the expense of profitability given their high production costs.

But Masatami Takimoto, executive vice president in charge of powertrain development, said cost-cutting efforts on the system's motor, battery and inverter were bearing fruit, and the cost structure would improve drastically by the time Toyota reaches its sales goal of one million hybrids annually in 2010 or soon after.

story continued

Pol-Ethanol

2007-05-07T21:07:00.000-04:00

Ethanol has become very popular recently. Is it because of car manufacturers worried about global warming or is it just politics as usual. Ethanol which here in the U.S is made mostly with corn is a very hot topic in the presidential debates. The Iowa caucus has been an early indication of which candidate for President of the United States might win the nomination of his or her political party , and Iowa is where corn is largely produced. So when you think that we are moving ahead to oil dependency, think again.

Ethanol is booming, but is it too good to be true?

2007-05-06T21:39:00.000-04:00

Alternative fuel dogged by questions about demand, fuel efficiency and its impact on food prices
By Jim Suhr - ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — Corn-and-soybean farmer John Adams considered the pitch too good to pass up.

The 58-year-old Adams, who works 950 acres in central Illinois, didn’t immediately join the farmer cooperatives pooling together to build a 100-million-gallon-a-year ethanol plant. But when he dropped by an informational meeting a few months ago, he had to have a piece.

“I was impressed,” he recalled. “I had to do a lot of thinking about where the ethanol market was and where I think it’s going.”

Ethanol, for decades largely an afterthought in the global fuels market, is in the midst of a booming renaissance, despite a host of questions.

It is a hot topic from agribusiness boardrooms to Midwestern diners to world capitals including Washington. President Bush says the fuel additive distilled from mashed and fermented grain is a cheap-and-easy alternative to highpriced foreign oil, and some day it’s already been an economic boon for moribund rural stretches.

story continued

Chrysler hybrid will be a gasoline saver

2007-05-03T22:12:00.000-04:00

By Tom Krisher
The Associated Press
DETROIT (May 3, 2007)
Chrysler's famous Hemi V-8 engine, known more for power than fuel economy, will become more fuel efficient when the company rolls out a hybrid version early next year.

Chrysler Group said this week it will offer a hybrid Hemi in its Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen sport utility vehicles that will improve their fuel economy by nearly 40 per cent in the city and about 25 per cent on the highway.

Analysts have said the "two-mode" hybrid system, developed jointly with General Motors and BMW, could vault SUVs and trucks into the same fuel efficiency range of some larger sedans.

Current Aspens and Durangos get 13 miles per gallon in the city and 18 on the highway, but the hybrid versions should get an estimated 18.2 mpg (12.9 litres per 100 kilometres) in city driving and about 22.5 (10.45 L/100km) on freeways. Chrysler would give only the percentage increases and not actual numbers, saying mileage testing had not been completed.

more on this

Global warming may begin to burn a hole in wallets

2007-05-01T18:45:00.000-04:00

Eric Zimmerling
Would you still ask for a plastic bag to carry your groceries if you had to pay tax on that bag?

This was one of the questions asked by Professor Annette Nellen of the College of Business to nearly 100 students and faculty Wednesday in a lecture covering the business aspects of global warming.

"Only 1 percent of plastic bags get recycled," Nellen said. "If there was a tax on plastic bags, would you still have an immediate need or could we just bring our own bag to the store to carry groceries?"

Douglass Ikegami, a senior majoring in history, said the lecture gave him "a new idea of the impact that global warming has on society."

"I hear about the polar ice caps melting and the environmental impacts that global warming has on us, but I never really thought about the business impacts," Ikegami said. Nellen also talked about how the increase in the number of automobiles and oil usage affects global warming, and how insurance might go up as a result, he said.

The 60-minute lecture of the Boccardo Business Center featured Nellen discussing what she said is the impact global warming is having on businesses and possible solutions for the problems.

Nellen used a large projection screen with multiple slides to support her discussion that gave the audience an array of information.

Among the business impacts Nellen discussed were the amount of cars that have increased over the past 50 years and how that has effected global warming.

"In 1950, there were 55 million cars. In 2004, there were 551 million cars," Nellen said. "With the introduction of hybrid cars over the past few years and the healthy emissions cars, should a tax be imposed on oil in an effort to lead people towards hybrid automobiles?"
story continued

Buyers Saving Sooner on Hybrid Cars

2007-04-29T14:17:00.000-04:00

By ANDREA COOMBES
April 29, 2007

If you've been toying with the idea of buying a hybrid car, the cost equation is tilting in your favor.

Until recently, buying a hybrid meant you were willing to shell out for a pricier car because you believed in helping the environment or because you liked to own the latest high-tech gadget. Auto-research firms found it could take up to 15 years, depending on the model, of gasoline-pump savings to offset hybrids' higher sticker price.

But now it's taking less time to break even, thanks to car makers' new deals on hybrids. Right now, the average incentive for hybrid models is about $1,638, according to Edmunds.com.

Hybrid Discounts

"Up until maybe a year or so ago, we were paying over sticker prices for hybrids," says Philip Reed, consumer-advice editor with Edmunds.com.

But now, "there are hybrids on car lots and they're being discounted. That's unusual. and it's also at a time when gas prices are high so people are going to want these cars," Mr. Reed says.

Those incentives are helping to shorten the length of time it takes to recoup a hybrid's higher sticker price. Last year, Edmunds.com found that it would take a bit more than two years to break even on buying a Toyota Prius, when compared with buying a gas-powered Toyota Camry LE. Today, that break-even period is less than a year, assuming you drive 15,000 miles a year.

story continued

Ford gets greener than ever with the 2008 Escape Hybrid

2007-04-27T18:59:00.000-04:00

Jim Robinson, Ancaster
Hybrid vehicles have gone from a curiosity to the mainstream almost overnight and that's a good thing.

The public has accepted the wisdom of hybrids and the proof is in the sales charts.

The Ford Escape is already the top-selling small SUV on the market, and one of only two small SUV hybrids on the market, the other being the Saturn Vue Green Line.

When it came to styling the 2008 version of the Escape and Hybrid, designers dropped the cladding of the previous model and then set about rounding the corners of what was essentially the brick-like form that SUV buyers covet for its rugged/brawny appearance. In the process, the 2008 is now much handsomer.

story continued

Comparing Alternative Fuels For Cars

2007-04-27T18:57:00.000-04:00

Science Daily — Norwegian scientists have drawn up a league table of alternative fuels for cars. Their analysis is based on a well-to-wheel approach that takes into account manufacturing, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and local and regional pollutants.

Bottom of the table, unsurprisingly, are petrol vehicles, but coming in a close second last are hybrid vehicles that can run on compressed natural gas or petrol. Top of their league are fuel cell powered vehicles using hydrogen gas obtained from natural gas methane.

Karl Høyer of Oslo University College and Erling Holden of Western Norway Research Institute, Norway, and reported in Inderscience's International Journal of Alternative Propulsion their analysis of fuel chains including petrol, natural gas, and alternative fuel sources such as methanol and ethanol, hydrogen and biofuels.

"Alternative fuels are not in themselves a road towards sustainable mobility," the researchers say. However, their analysis places petrol and hybrid vehicles firmly at the bottom of the league table when all energy factors from source to consumer use are taken into account. "Any alternative fuel we considered is better than the cars that are used mostly today," they add.

story continued

2008 Lexus LS 600h L

2007-04-23T21:28:00.000-04:00

By MARK VAUGHN

AutoWeek | Published 04/23/07, 8:02 am et

AT A GLANCE:
2008 LEXUS LS 600H L
ON SALE: June
PRICE: $104,715
DRIVETRAIN: 5.0-liter, 389-hp, 385-lb-ft V8; 221 hp from two electric motors; combined power 438 hp, 389 lb-ft; rwd, CVT
0 TO 60 MPH: 5.5 sec (mfr.)
CURB WEIGHT: 5049 lb
FUEL ECONOMY (EPA Combined): 21 mpg

Is it possible to hug a tree even if you own the forest and are exploiting the trolls and elves for cheap labor? That is the question the Lexus LS 600h L begs to ask, and the answer is yes.

The idea with this hyper-electronic spaceship sedan is that you can have your 438-hp faux-V12 and eat it, too. It’s a solution so green that, despite all that power and weight, everybody still can feel good about it, from the plutocrats in the reclining rear “Executive Class” seats to the protester sitting up above in an old-growth redwood.

The nice way to look at this cosmic leap of an automobile is to say that Lexus threw all of its technological creativity into making a supersedan that loves and respects the earth across which it hums. With the world’s largest all-wheel-drive hybrid-electric drivetrain short of an AT&SF train, the Lexus LS 600h L produces as much power and torque as a 6.0-liter V12. So they say. Look around at a few spec sheets, and you’ll see that output does match the 6.0-liter V12 of the BMW 760Li but falls short of other 12-cylinder engines, such as the Aston Martin DB9 at 450 hp, the Bentley Continental GTC at 552 hp, the Ferrari 612 at 533 hp and the 599 GTB Fiorano at 612 hp, to name just the normally aspirated 12s. Sedans? The Audi W12 makes 450 hp; Mercedes uses a pair of turbos to hit 510 hp.
more on this story

What is Earth Day?

2007-04-20T18:48:00.000-04:00

By Timothy Brown
USINFO Staff Writer

Earth Day, April 22, is the annual U.S. celebration of the environment and a time for Americans to assess the work still needed to protect the natural gifts of our planet. Earth Day has no central organizing force behind it, though several nongovernmental organizations work to keep track of the thousands of local events in schools and parks that mark the day. It affirms that environmental awareness is part of the country's consciousness and that the idea of protecting the environment -- once the province of a few conservationists -- has moved from the extreme to the mainstream of American thought.

This was not always the case. In the 19th century, Americans, blessed with a vast land rich in natural resources, lived with the notion that fresh fields were always just over the horizon. When one exhausted the soil or forests or coal of a given place, it was possible to move on to another. As industry boomed in the early 20th century people accepted without question skies blackened from smokestack emissions and rivers fouled with industrial waste. As early as the mid-1930s -- and again in the 1950s -- Ohio's Cuyahoga River, running through America's industrial heartland, was set ablaze by burning chemical waste from factories built upon its banks. There was no public outcry. Few people even noticed.

story continued

George Bush and hybrid cars

2007-04-18T22:15:00.000-04:00

check this out if you have not already

Lawmakers: Eliminate sales tax on hybrid cars

2007-04-18T18:46:00.000-04:00

Gannett News Service

ALBANY -- Buying a hybrid car can save drivers hundreds of dollars on gas, and it could get even cheaper if a bill proposed today becomes law.

Two Long Island lawmakers have introduced legislation that would eliminate state sales tax on the purchase of a new or used hybrid vehicle. The bill would also allow cities and counties to opt in to the tax waiver.

"As automobiles are among the greatest producers of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants, out state should be using its tax policies to promote the purchase of hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles," said Assemblyman Steven Englebright, D-Suffolk County. "Middle-class New Yorkers know the issues and want to do something about it, but they need to able to afford the technology."
more on this story

What is the best battery for the hybrid car?

2007-04-18T18:44:00.000-04:00

The early HEV models used lead acid batteries because there was no alternative. Today, Honda and Toyota employ nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH). This chemistry is lighter and environmentally friendlier than lead-based systems. The battery consists of cylindrical cells that are connected in series to attain several hundred volts. The cell strings are suspended in mid air to allow air-cooling.

One of the critical battery requirements for hybrid applications is longevity. Rechargeable batteries for consumer products typically last for two to three years. This short service life is no major drawback with cellphones, laptops and digital cameras because the devices get obsolete quickly. At $2000 to $3000 per battery pack, the replacement cost of an HEV battery would constitute a major expense.

Most batteries for HEV are guaranteed for eight years. To meet this long service life, the cells are optimised for longevity, and not size and weight, as is the case with portable applications. Since the battery runs on wheels, the increased weight and size is not too critical.

A NiMH for an HEV can be charged and discharged 1000 times if done at an 80% depth-of-discharge. In a hybrid vehicle, a full discharge seldom occurs, except if the owner lives on a mountain and requires all available battery power to commute home. Such a routine would add stress to the battery and the life would be shortened. In most other applications, the hybrid car only uses 10% of the rated battery capacity. This allows thousands of charge/discharge cycles. Batteries in satellites use a similar system in which the battery discharges less than 10% during a satellite night. NASA achieves this by over-sizing the batterymore info

Hybrid Electric Vehicles - Better Than Ethanol

2007-04-17T23:11:00.000-04:00

Mario Osava

RIO DE JANEIRO, Apr 17 (IPS) - Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are the best way to achieve a drastic reduction in greenhouse gases produced by vehicle exhaust fumes, until hydrogen-powered models become viable. They are even more environmentally-friendly than the use of biofuels.

Powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, HEVs are becoming an attractive alternative in the light of the most recent reports by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which recommend urgent measures to curb global warming, say Brazilian experts.

Automotive engineering professor Marcelo Massarani at the Polytechnic School of Sao Paulo University told IPS that HEVs can cut pollution caused by vehicles powered by fossil fuels by 80 percent, "and sometimes by up to 90 percent."

An HEV is still 10 to 20 percent more expensive to buy than a conventional car, but in Sao Paulo there would be an average net saving of 18,000 reals (8,800 dollars) over the life of the vehicle, Juliana de Queiroz concluded in her master's thesis, which was supervised by Massarani.
story continued

New Yorkers heading for alternative fuel vehicles

2007-04-15T13:31:00.000-04:00

By ALLAN DRURY
THE JOURNAL NEWS

Joel Turner knew that despite Toyota's reputation for making reliable, long-lasting cars, his 1993 Camry would eventually be ready for retirement.

His dilemma was whether he would buy another Camry or go a bit more upscale and spring for a Lexus.

For Turner, a retired IBM computer programmer and analyst who lives in Greenburgh, the decision turned on the gas mileage he would get with a Camry Hybrid, one of the Japanese manufacturer's entries in the growing category of environmentally friendly, alternative-fuel automobiles.

When he paid his $29,700 and drove his new car off the lot at Geis Toyota in Peekskill last month, Turner, 57, became a part of New Yorkers' movement toward alternative fuel vehicles, a movement that is gaining momentum, thanks to sky-high gas prices, state and federal tax credits and environmental awareness.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said last week 339,936 alternative fuel autos were registered in New York last year, an increase of 24 percent over the 274,000 registered a year earlier. On the national level, there were 1.5 million alternative fuel vehicles sold last year, surpassing the projections of automakers by 50 percent, or about 500,000 vehicles, said the alliance.

The sales brought the number of such vehicles on American roads to 10.5 million, the alliance said.

story continued

Auto Show

2007-04-13T23:22:00.000-04:00

I recently went to the Jacob Javitz center in the city to check out the auto show. I have been going every year for about 10 years or so. The good news is that automakers are finally paying attention to the environment (money is green also) and going green. I was really impressed with Lexus, a bit more expensive than a Honda but at least there doing the right thing. The bad news about the auto show is that people really only pay attention to higher end cars like Ferrari and Porsche and of course the women who are usually showcased in front of them, but thats a whole different story. Hopefully one day your super sports car will be a hybrid and not get about 8 miles per gallon.

New PG&E plug-in car can feed power to home

2007-04-11T21:13:00.000-04:00

By Sarah Jane Tribble
Imagine a car that powers your home during a blackout. Or one that produces so much extra energy, the utility company pays you.

Stop imagining.

PG&E, joining a growing number of advocates for plug-in hybrid cars, will showcase a converted Toyota Prius at an alternative energy gathering in Sunnyvale today. The investor-owned utility, which appears to be the first in the United States to demonstrate a car that can power a home, says customers will be able to use plug-ins to cut greenhouse gas emissions as well as high home-energy bills.

"If there has ever been a place to start and capture the possibilities and imagination of consumers, California is the place," said Bob Howard, PG&E vice president of gas transmission and distribution.

While sales of conventional hybrids such as the Toyota Prius that run on a combination of electric and gasoline motors have skyrocketed the past few years, major automakers have been reluctant to build mass-market plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be recharged with a home's electrical outlet. They said consumers weren't interested because the cars would be too expensive.

But as manufacturing prices have dropped and gas prices have risen, attitudes have shifted.more on this story

Climate change concert star Madonna accused of hypocrisy

2007-04-11T18:47:00.000-04:00

The stars of a major Live 8-style concert to raise awareness of climate change have been condemned as hypocrites for failing to lead environmentally friendly lives themselves.

The likes of Madonna and Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform at Live Earth at Wembley Stadium on July 7, yet campaigners say they are among the least "green" individuals on the planet.
Built on the model Bob Geldof used for the anti-poverty Live 8 concerts in 2005, Live Earth will also be held simultaneously in Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo.

More than 100 rock and pop stars will perform during the 24-hour live concert.

story continued

Ethanol blends prove divisive

2007-04-08T17:32:00.000-04:00

BY JUSTIN HYDE

FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF

WASHINGTON -- The boom in U.S. ethanol production that Detroit automakers and ethanol proponents have worked hand in hand for years to achieve could soon pit the two industries against each other over how much of the fuel in your vehicle's tank is too much.

With outlets for the alternative fuel growing slowly, the ethanol industry is considering asking federal officials to allow sales of gasoline with up to 20% ethanol, double the current limit, for use in all cars and trucks.
But U.S. automakers say outside of the 5 million vehicles they've sold that are capable of burning 85% ethanol, their cars and trucks weren't designed for such fuels.

General Motors Corp. Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, who touted ethanol's potential during this week's New York auto show, said he had asked GM's engineers last week about the effect E20 would have on its older vehicles.story continued

Solar panels

2007-04-07T13:28:00.000-04:00

I was just wondering if the new stadiums that are being built for the New York Yankeesand the Mets are going to have any type of alternative energy products installed. Maybe they can install solar panels on the roof to light up the stadiums. I know installing such products on your home are a bit expensive, but when you have deep pockets like George Steinbrenner and Fred Wilpon they should set an example and lead the way to a cleaner and brighter future. Heres a stretch, maybe M.L.B can use bats that are made from something other than wood.

Cleaner Cars, Stronger Companies: Auto Emission Standards Must Aid Detroit and the Environment

2007-04-06T10:48:00.000-04:00

By Jake Caldwell
The forthcoming sale of DaimlerChrysler’s Chrysler automaker unit and the Supreme Court ruling earlier this week requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to police auto emission standards are sure to roil The Big Three Detroit car manufacturers. Both developments are yet another indication that U.S. automakers need to shift swiftly from a business model based on churning out big gas-guzzlers to one that is at once more technologically competitive, environmentally friendly, and in tune with our nation's energy security requirements.

Because of the business and financial structure of the U.S. auto industry, however, this transformation will not be easy. That’s why Congress has a key role to play, helping the Big Three retool their assembly lines, design shops, and employee benefits packages to regain their competitive edge.

story continued

Some save at the pump by plugging in

2007-04-04T21:27:00.000-04:00

A few drivers in the Truckee Meadows don't cringe when they pass a sign offering $3 a gallon gasoline.

"For $3, I can go about 170 miles," said Chuck Swackhammer of Verdi. "The economy of electric vehicles is unbelievable. As gas prices continue to go up, these EVs are going to get a lot more popular.

"... I drive my (Chinese-made) ZapCar electric pickup 18 miles to Sparks and back every day. I plug it in overnight at home, go to work and plug it in there and then make the 500-foot climb back home. The range is about 25 miles to a charge, but most people commute a shorter distance. It's the perfect second car."

Swackhammer is among several Northern Nevada electric vehicle drivers starting a local EV club. They invite anyone who owns or has an interest in electric vehicles to attend.

"The club is a way for people to learn about electric vehicles and network with others who have the same interest," said Bob Tregilus of Reno, who last year built an electric motorcycle on a standard 400cc Kawasaki frame and rides it to work and classes at the University of Nevada, Reno.

story continued

Campaigns Save Energy With Hybrid Cars

2007-04-02T22:38:00.000-04:00

By NANCY BENAC Monday, April 02, 2007

WASHINGTON - This year's presidential candidates are trying to get good mileage out of getting good mileage. The candidates, who do a lot of talking about the need for greater energy efficiency, are not just asking who walks the walk but also, who drives the hybrid?

Democratic candidate John Edwards makes a point of telling people that after years of driving a regular sport utility vehicle, he and his wife bought a hybrid model to shuttle their kids, strollers, toys, luggage and other stuff between Washington, D.C., and North Carolina.

This month, Edwards announced his campaign would be "carbon-neutral," meaning it will do what it can to limit energy consumption and then buy "carbon offsets" to counterbalance the emissions produced by the energy it does use.

Edwards is not the only White House hopeful trying to make his own energy use part of the political equation this year.

story continued

Happy Anniversary

2007-04-01T19:40:00.000-04:00

This month makes one year that I started Hybridnation. Its been a fun ride. I would like to thank everyone who has supported this wonderful site. I started this blog in hopes to educate people on hybrid cars and alternative energy solutions. If in any way I helped in our efforts to reduce emissions and to preserve our environment, then Hybridnation is a success. Again, thank you for your support and lets do our part to make this world a better place for our children to enjoy.

With five private jets, Travolta still lectures on global warming

2007-03-30T20:16:00.000-04:00

His serious aviation habit means he is hardly the best person to lecture others on the environment. But John Travolta went ahead and did it anyway.

The 53-year-old actor, a passionate pilot, encouraged his fans to "do their bit" to tackle global warming.

Happy landings: John Travolta's plane collection parked at his home in Florida

But although he readily admitted: "I fly jets", he failed to mention he actually owns five, along with his own private runway.

Clocking up at least 30,000 flying miles in the past 12 months means he has produced an estimated 800 tons of carbon emissions – nearly 100 times the average Briton's tally.

story continued

'Biofuel cell' Generates Electricity from Air

2007-03-30T20:05:00.000-04:00

Friday March 30, 2007 6:09 AM PDT - By: Dave White
There's electricity in the air—and from it.

A group of British scientists has reported a biofuel cell that can make electricity from plain old air, as long as it has enough pure hydrogen. That's a rather simplistic explanation, but you get the idea. The key point is that their fuel cell has no platinum, which weighs down other batteries in both mass and price.

The scientists constructed their fuel cell by encasing a pair of electrodes coated with enzymes from bacteria that oxidize hydrogen inside a container filled with air and 3 percent more hydrogen. (For those who keep track of things, that's below the explosion threshold.) Interestingly, the enzymes are from Ralstonia metallidurans, a bacterium thought to have been one of the first forms of life on the planet.

Trials of the fuel cell produced enough electricity to make a watch go. Light bulb power can't be far behind. Conceivably, larger versions can power larger machines. And it probably goes without saying that the only waste product is plain old water.
check out link

Hybrid cars cost less to build as demand grows

2007-03-28T20:57:00.000-04:00

March 27 2007: 11:10 AM EDT

LONDON (Reuters) -- Battery makers and suppliers of other key parts for hybrid, energy-saving vehicles have one overriding question: when will the market be big enough to justify their costs?

A hybrid vehicle, which combines an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by batteries that can recapture energy normally lost, costs $4,500 to $6,000 more to build than a conventional vehicle, a recent report by the Sanford C. Bernstein investment management firm said.
The upfront cost and load capacity are the main challenges for hybrids due to the expensive electrical motor and battery.

"It is a chicken-and-egg problem - the car makers say to us we want an aggressive price from the beginning and we say to them we can give them an aggressive price when we have the volume," Franck Cecchi, chief operation officer of battery maker Johnson Controls-Saft, said.

Demand for hybrids was booming and the world's top producer of hybrids, Toyota Motor Corp. (down $1.99 to $130.71, Charts) forecast global sales of hybrids reaching 1 million in 2010, equaling the number of all new cars and small trucks purchased between 1997 and 2006.

story continued

Green Cars of the Future

2007-03-27T19:10:00.000-04:00

by Dan Lienert
Forbes.com
Robert Q. Riley Enterprises, a Phoenix-based design company, recently unveiled a "do-it-yourself" kit for building an advanced hybrid car.

For $200, you get the company's construction plans for a three-wheeled sports car called the XR-3. A completed XR-3 will reportedly deliver between 125 and 225 mpg. A three-cylinder diesel engine powers the front wheels and an electric motor run by a lithium-ion battery powers the rear wheel. The driver can switch between battery-only, diesel-only and hybrid driving modes. The DIY kit will be available this May or June.
story continued

Corn Can't Solve Our Problem

2007-03-24T16:00:00.000-04:00

By David Tilman and Jason Hill
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B01

The world has come full circle. A century ago our first transportation biofuels -- the hay and oats fed to our horses -- were replaced by gasoline. Today, ethanol from corn and biodiesel from soybeans have begun edging out gasoline and diesel.

This has been hailed as an overwhelmingly positive development that will help us reduce the threat of climate change and ease our dependence on foreign oil. In political circles, ethanol is the flavor of the day, and presidential candidates have been cycling through Iowa extolling its benefits. Lost in the ethanol-induced euphoria, however, is the fact that three of our most fundamental needs -- food, energy, and a livable and sustainable environment -- are now in direct conflict. Moreover, our recent analyses of the full costs and benefits of various biofuels, performed at the University of Minnesota, present a markedly different and more nuanced picture than has been heard on the campaign trail.

more on this story

Al "Hollywood " Gore

2007-03-18T19:29:00.000-04:00

I have a bone to pick with Hollywood and all the annoying liberals that follow them. I think its great that they're all driving hybrid vehicles, but when you're also taking your private jet just to fly a few hundred miles to their next Hollywood party ( and winning an Oscar) then your just a complete hypocrite. For example Al Gore, great motivator, however practice what you preach before the media finds out that you're not. People need to realize the importance of "going green". We don't need flaky actors to educate us on hybrid cars and alternative energy sources. I myself think that all this hype about global warming is pure nonsense. The world has gone through changes since the beginning of time and I don't think that we have that kind of power to alter it. The oceans as we know are being destroyed by all the pollutants and wastes we throw in it. The coral reefs around the world are being diminished not only by toxins, but also by the rising temperatures of the oceans. The less waste we use the better not only will it help our pockets, but also help preserve this beautiful planet we call Earth.coral nation

Hybrid (Japanese) cars eye the European roads

2007-03-17T18:11:00.000-04:00

The European Union’s Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas made headlines recently with his decision to swap his Mercedes for a Japanese hybrid and the European carmakers were vocal in denouncing his decision.
Now, Toyota’s new president for Germany is pushing hybrid cars and “cleaner” motoring in a bid to protect the environment in Europe’s biggest economy. “Climate protection and hybrid technology, which is not so well known in Germany, will be our main goals in the future,” says Keiji Sudo, who has been in charge of Toyota Deutschland for two months.
Hybrid engines, combining electric and petrol-driven motors, will become more efficient and have a greater variety so they can be used in “a wide range of models,” Sudo says.
Toyota has become the world’s number one in hybrid motors since it brought its first model on the market in 1997. Today the Japanese company is far ahead of its German rival BMWs, VW and others in this fuel-efficient technology.
Many competitors are only just starting to offer hybrids, while the Japanese carmaker is already developing third-generation models.
Asked about BMW’S alliance with DaimlerChrysler to develop a hybrid engine, Sudo said: “In the future, we’ll face stiff competition, but at the moment we have the advantage of being in a pioneering role.”
story continued

ConocoPhillips eyes alternative energy

2007-03-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

By LAUREN VILLAGRAN
NEW YORK

ConocoPhillips said Wednesday it plans to boost spending on alternative energy research this year by as much as 60 percent -- a move analysts say will help the large integrated oil company catch up with rivals that already have a presence in the burgeoning sector.

At an investor meeting in New York, ConocoPhillips said it would increase research and development spending on biofuels and other alternative energies to $150 million, or about 38 percent of its total technology budget of $400 million.

Chief Executive Jim Mulva said in an interview after the meeting that the company expects to make announcements about new projects involving ethanol, biodiesel and other alternative energies this year.

"Some of the announcements you've seen from competitors -- we've been working pretty hard to do a similar sort of thing in many of the ways that they are doing, but we want to do things a little bit differently," he said, stressing the company's commitment to developing new technologies.

story continued

Hyundai to build engine plant in Alabama

2007-03-13T22:30:00.000-04:00

No. 1 Korean automaker's $270 million factory will serve U.S. facilities, create an estimated 520 jobs; mass output slated to start in Sept. '08.
March 13 2007: 7:19 AM EDT

SEOUL (Reuters) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Tuesday it plans to invest $270 million to build an engine plant at its U.S. car manufacturing unit in Alabama to serve growing demand in the world's No. 1 auto market.

The engine plant, estimated to create about 520 jobs, will begin mass output from September 2008 and supply engines to the Alabama plant and a Georgia plant being built by its affiliate, Kia Motors Corp., Hyundai said in a statement.

The Alabama facility currently produces Hyundai's Sonata sedan and its Santa Fe sport-utility vehicle.

Hyundai and Kia, which sell about three quarters of their cars abroad, are expanding overseas production to shield themselves from a strong won and frequent labor disputes.

Separately, Hyundai also said it would begin mass production of fuel-efficient environmentally friendly hybrid cars from 2009, with a production target of 300,000 in 2015.

more on this story