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Think on GM's range anxiety trademark: "their technology is limited"
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, GM, Th!nk (Think)
Think City - Click above for high-res image galleryGeneral Motor's attempt to trademark the term "range anxiety" is generating some critical heat. The first to attack was Tesla Motors, which basically told GM to go ahead and associate itself with the term. Later, the global marketing director for Think EV, Michael Lock, told AutoblogGreen that:
While I have no interest in bashing GM, it is clear that their technology is limited and their car can only travel about 40 miles without the need for a gasoline engine. This is patently not what the environmentally motivated customer wants. It's classic defensive marketing to try and divert attention away from your weaknesses and this is typical of the battle cry, 'the best defense is offense'.
However, the early adopter end of the market is well educated and, as you may see from the blogs, are already decrying this. It may frighten some of the mass market, but they are not going to build the market over the next 12-18 months anyway and it may actually cement their view that GM is not enthusiastic or invested in pioneering this new market. I think that's a big risk.
Our marketing of the Think brand starts in earnest over the next 6 months and we are confident in the technology and the message. If anything, this presents a great opportunity for us to differentiate from the legacy manufacturers earlier and clearer than we had hoped for. Lock also issued a statement to the media that said:
At Think, we are, frankly, a little bemused by GM's recently released 'range anxiety' campaign. It strikes me as 'kindergarten marketing' and can only be designed to confuse the public at a time when we should all be concentrating on education. The flaw in the GM Volt is that their hybrid arrangement carries enormous excess weight by needing both a power generation and a bulky power storage device.
For many customers, it is a bogus argument that the 100 mile range, in a Think City for example, will cause the driver to run out of charge on the way home from work. Most work commutes are comfortably within that range and new 'fast-charging' technology that enables a 0-80% charge in 15 minutes debunks the myth that a pure EV car is a limited niche option for America's needs. We welcome the late entry by giants like GM to the clean tech debate, but are hoping for a more positive contribution. No interest in bashing GM, indeed.
Gallery: Think City in Finland
[Source: Think]
Think on GM's range anxiety trademark: "their technology is limited" originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFrom Funerals to Births: Revenge film crew on hand for Chevy Volt production
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Chevrolet
Early in 2006, director Chris Paine first screened his film Who Killed the Electric Car at the Sundance Film Festival and turned the media spotlight on General Motors and its decision to scrap the EV1 electric car. GM was, of course, well aware of the impending movie and at just around the same time, a small group of engineers and designers began work on a new concept car. The following January, Bob Lutz drove the Chevrolet Volt onto the stage at the Detroit Auto Show and a star was born.
Before long, the launch of the Tesla Roadster and the decision to produce the Volt convinced Paine to begin work on a sequel, Revenge of the Electric Car which is due out next year. This time, instead of a funeral, Paine got to film the birth of a car. He and his crew recently went to the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant to catch the build of the 100th pre-production Volt. By the time the film comes out, Chevrolet will have delivered several thousand Volts to customers and Nissan will have done the same with the Leaf.
[Source: Revenge of the Electric Car]
From Funerals to Births: Revenge film crew on hand for Chevy Volt production originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsA cure for Island fever: Nissan teams up with Hawaii to promote electric vehicles
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Green Daily
As we've said before, the islands of Hawaii appear to be ideally suited for electric vehicles (EVs). The picturesque beaches, sparkling blue water and breathtaking mountain ranges are a sight to behold. EVs, often tagged as zero-emissions vehicles, are believed to have less environmental impact than other vehicles types and appeal to people in Hawai'i for a variety of obvious reasons, which are discussed in detail here.
Nissan, a self-proclaimed global leader in electric vehicles, has teamed up with the state of Hawaii to promote zero-emissions mobility there. The partnership marks Nissan's first definitive agreement with any state in the U.S. and will, as the company states, "help foster the adoption of electric vehicle technology." Hawaii has taken an active approach towards promoting battery-powered vehicles by offering a $4,500 tax credit towards the purchase of EVs and an additional $500 incentive on home charging stations. Combining Hawaii's $4,500 credit with the federal government's $7,500 incentive, drops the price of the Leaf to a more-than-affordable $20,780.
Hawaiian Senator, Daniel Inouye, outlined of the importance of bringing EVs to the island: This partnership personifies Hawaii's commitment to a future powered by clean, sustainable sources of energy. In order to change the energy consumption patterns of our population, we have to offer drivers alternatives to vehicles that rely on imported fossil fuels. More than 90 percent of the fuel and energy we consume in Hawaii is the product of imported oil. Given our unique access to clean, renewable, energy sources, Hawaii should serve as a model of what is possible when government and business collaborate to plan a path forward into an energy efficient future. The Leaf's arrival in Hawaii is set for January 2011. Hit the jump to read more about Nissan's partnership with the island state.
[Source: Nissan North America | Image: Jordan Emery - C.C. License 2.0]
Continue reading A cure for Island fever: Nissan teams up with Hawaii to promote electric vehicles
A cure for Island fever: Nissan teams up with Hawaii to promote electric vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsBay Area’s First Green Car Expo Set for Oct. 9
Craneway Pavilion
Every major global automaker, without exception, is making a shift to hybrids, electric cars, and alternative fuels. Not because it was their idea. They were forced in that direction by a growing group of passionate consumers fed up with the status quo of petroleum dependence. When carmakers didn’t move fast enough, these consumer-activists converted their cars to run on batteries or alternative fuels.
Green Drive Expo, the Bay Area’s first eco-car expo, will provide an unprecedented opportunity for owners of unique green car creations to show off their work and express their desire for change. The event will take place at the waterfront Craneway Pavilion in Richmond—a renovated 1931 Ford Motor Company assembly plant, sporting a 1-megawatt solar array and stunning views of the San Francisco skyline.
The event will take place on Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door, or you can register for free admission by using this discount code: HYBRIDCARS on this page:
http://greendriveexpo.com/greendriveexpocoupon
Attendees will be offered free public test drives of prototypes of Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid and other hybrid and electric cars. Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Think will display their latest green vehicles. Auto company representatives will be on hand to discuss future products. But in many ways, the most exciting part of the show will be owners showing off their vehicles and discussing the issues with one another.
Lexus Announces Driving Modes for its Sporty New Hybrid Compact
Lexus has released details about the four driving modes that will be included in its forthcoming CT 200h hybrid. The sporty compact is the second dedicated hybrid offering from the carmaker and is intended to boost the fun factor for luxury hybrid drivers—while still being capable of delivering fuel economy approaching the Toyota Prius's 50 MPGs.
For the CT 200h, Lexus will essentially replace the Power mode found in its other dedicated hybrid, the HS 250h, with a new Sport mode which will be tooled towards maximum performance and handling. In Sport mode throttle is cranked up considerably, power control from the battery increases by about 15 percent, and the CT's Electronic Power Steering is adjusted to be more responsive. Lexus will also make its Vehicle Stability and Traction Control systems more passive, allowing for more driver control.
These adjustments obviously cut into fuel economy, but much of the joy of owning a car like this isn't so much the extra performance it provides in all driving situations but the knowledge that it's there if you're in the mood for it.
The three more efficient driving modes are called Normal, Eco, and EV. EV mode allows drivers to go all-electric for up to a mile—so long as the car is kept below 25 mph. Normal mode utilizes Toyota's Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission, allowing the car to respond to changing driving conditions by instantaneously adjusting its gear ratios. Eco mode alters that formula to provide maximized fuel economy for gas-electric driving—slowing cabin cooling, limiting throttle and accelerating battery charging.
The CT 200h will essentially be smaller, more aerodynamic, 5-door hatchback version of the HS 250h—which had the same sized wheelbase as the Toyota Prius but dialed-down aerodynamics for the sake of a roomier, more luxurious interior—at the expense of about 15 MPGs of fuel economy. Lexus has essentially reversed that process for the CT 200h, with the result being a smaller, more efficient luxury small car that can still pack a punch when needed.
The car will hit dealerships in the United States early next year.
Paris Preview: Mitsubishi to debut Euro-spec i-MiEV
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mitsubishi, Green Daily, Paris Motor Show
We've obviously laid eyes on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV on numerous occasions, but the modified Euro-spec version has remained unseen. That is, until now. If you gander at the image above you may notice the slight tweaks that differentiate the Euro-spec i-MiEV from its Japanese counterpart. What, you can't see the differences? Okay, well maybe a long, drawn-out stare will lead you to discover that this Euro-spec models sports revised front and rear bumpers that meet EU regulations. Those revised bumpers are the only exterior changes that are required to make the i-MiEV Euro-ready and the only tweaks that you will find on the outside.Turning out attention to the interior, the Euro-spec i-MiEV features a re-arranged center stack in the instrument panel and, according to Mitsubishi, improved passenger comfort. On the safety front, all Euro-spec i-MiEVs feature a stability control system and side curtain airbags as standard equipment. Pricing for the European i-MiEV will vary by country, but its expected to cost under €35,000 ($44,400 U.S. at the current exchange rate) in all 14 European countries that Mitsubishi targets for sales. Hit the jump for more on the Euro-spec i-MiEV.
[Source: Mitsubishi Motors]
Continue reading Paris Preview: Mitsubishi to debut Euro-spec i-MiEV
Paris Preview: Mitsubishi to debut Euro-spec i-MiEV originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsLabor Day: Last chance for a great deal on a hybrid?
No more deals after Labor Day?
No more deals after summer?“This may be as good as it gets, and get used to it,” Jeff Schuster, the executive director of forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates, recently told the AP about summer car deals.
In the past automakers have used August to unload excess inventories in preparation for new models, but more and more excess inventories are becoming a thing of the past as automakers pare down production.
So, is Labor Day your last best chance for a good deal on a hybrid?
That’s the conventional wisdom amongst most automotive analysts. Still, with hybrid sales tanking, for instance, will automakers never again offer a deal to move inventory? Obviously, only time will tell, but the deals on hybrid vehicles have typically been far less ripe than those offered on pickup trucks, for instance, so the lack of a summer sale will probably have limited impact on hybrid sales and hybrid prices.
Likewise, with Toyota anticipating a large increase in hybrid sales over the next few years, coupled with growing competition, especially from lukewarm Ford, and red hot Hyundai, cheaper hybrid prices seem an inevitable trend.
Nevertheless, the Nissan Altima hybrid is still one of the best deals this summer, so that’s worth a look if in the market. Likewise, Toyota Prius leases are the best I’ve ever seen. For other hybrids, why not make a low ball offer? The future probably holds better hybrid pricing anyway, and that makes it a bit easier to walk away if your dealer won’t budge on pricing.
Sanyo, GS Yuasa dissolve money-losing li-ion battery JV
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily
Intensifying price competition from South Korean battery manufacturers has driven Sanyo Electric Co. and GS Yuasa Corp. to dissolve their long-standing lithium-ion battery joint venture (JV). According to a joint announcement, the liquidation of the Sanyo GS Soft Energy Co. JV was inevitable as the venture had posted net losses for two years running. The decision to dissolve the JV may hinder Sanyo's ability to collect loans valued at 4 billion yen ($47.5 million U.S. at the current exchange rate) and will force GS Yuasa to report a special loss of 3 billion yen ($35.6 million U.S.). Neither Sanyo nor GS Yuasa intends to modify their projected earnings outlooks for 2010.GS Yuasa's numerous JVs with automakers such as Honda and Mitsubishi imply that the company has no intentions of leaving the li-ion battery industry. Meanwhile, Sanyo's split with GS Yuasa will not effect its existing deals with automakers and battery producers, nor should it impact Sanyo's long-term goals of increased li-ion battery production. In the automotive industry, mergers and breakups are inevitable and we're sure that neither Sanyo nor GS Yuasa will shed tears over dissolving this money-losing JV.
[Source: Nikkei]
Sanyo, GS Yuasa dissolve money-losing li-ion battery JV originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSmart Tour Aims To Make Believers As Tiny Two-Seater's U.S. Sales Falter
Struggling to reignite interest in its only model, Smart USA is taking the diminutive, 40 mpg Smart Fortwo on a multi-city tour in hopes of exposing the tiny car to people who are not going to its dealerships, as dramatically sagging sales show.
Contributor Rob Calem caught up with the tour late last month in Hoboken, N.J., and interviewed a few of the people who drove the Smart during the event. Mainly, he reports, they came away impressed.
By Robert E. Calem
It was, of course, a completely unscientific survey, but one we thought interesting to field.
The results?
Most of our respondents reacted favorably to the car, and expressed some degree of surprise that they did like it.
Those spins, however, also resulted in a few negative assessments of the Smart's driving dynamics.
A number of people, though, even said the test drive had made them think of possibly replacing their current rides with a Smart. We also heard positive comments about the vehicle's safety - a story pounded home to the drivers by the two Smart specialists who were there to coax anyone with a driver's license into taking the car for a spin around Hoboken.
"It's not a chick magnet, but it would make a lot of sense for where I live, and would save me a lot of money on not having to pay for a parking garage," said Brett Sikora, 24, a Hoboken resident and real estate agent who currently drives - and garages for $250 per month - a 2009 Honda Accord Coupe.
The Smart, he said, "felt like a regular car once you were in it. You forget that you're in something that's that small from the outside,"
Tata Motors Reportedly Plans to Add Small Vehicles and Hybrids to Land Rover Line
Tata Motors Ltd.'s plans to make smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles for its Land Rover luxury SUV brand may include a hybrid version of the Range Rover two-door Evoque set to debut next year as well as revamped versions of the Range Rover Sport and Land Rover LR4 during the next six years.
That's what Automotive News is reporting today, adding that no timing has been given for the Evoque hybrid and that Tata hasn't revealed additional hybrid-powertrain plans. The Range Rover platform will switch to one built by Tata from the current BMW-based platform, while the Range Rover Sport's use of aluminum in its new versions will reduce weight, Automotive News said.
Tata, which bought Jaguar Land Rover from Ford Motor Co. in 2008 for about $2.3 billion, is looking to boost sales for the luxury brands outside of the U.K. and U.S. while meeting more stringent European and U.S. fuel-economy standards by building more fuel-efficient SUVs.
Jaguar Land Rover has said its first hybrid from the division will be on the road by 2013, though hasn't specified which model. The company will also begin testing its Range-e plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle in the U.K. later this year, though spokesman Stuart Schorr told Green Car Advisor the company won't comment further on potential hybrid plans.
The division said in June that one of the new powertrain options for the 2011 Range Rover is a 4.4-liter turbodiesel V8 supplied by Ford. The engine, which is rated at 309 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, gets an impressive 25.1 miles per gallon (U.S.) on the European Union combined cycle, which represents 19 percent better fuel efficiency than the outgoing 3.6-liter diesel.
Study: Modern li-ion batteries have little effect on life cycle impact of electric cars
Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in
By now we're all aware that the environmental impact of cars and trucks goes well beyond the emissions produced during operation. There is the energy used to produce and dispose of the vehicles and their components, for example, and the cost of getting the fuel for the vehicles out of the ground and into the tank. The impact of making nickel metal hydride batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) was the center-piece of a controversial study published by CNW several years ago. That study claimed that a Hummer H2 had less of an environmental impact than a Toyota Prius in large part because of pollution resulting from nickel mining in Canada.
A new life cycle study conducted by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) has come to a very different conclusion after evaluating the latest lithium-ion batteries developed specifically for automotive applications. These new batteries only account for about 15 percent of the total impact of an electric vehicle over its lifespan when the mining, refining, manufacturing and disposal are factored in. The vast majority of the vehicle's overall energy footprint results from actual operation of the vehicle; in the case of an EV, this mostly means how much it takes to charge the battery.
If an EV is charged by the typical mix of nuclear, coal and hydroelectric power found in Europe, an internal combustion vehicle would need to achieve between 59 and 78 miles per gallon to have a comparable impact. There are several diesel-powered small cars available in Europe that already hit those kinds of numbers, including the Ford Fiesta ecoNetic and Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion. If the electricity production mix shifts more toward coal, the energy balance gets significantly worse for a plug-in car, while an generation profile with a larger percentage of hydro or other renewable sources clearly improves the picture in the EV's favor. Still, a baseline target of 59 to 78 mpg is a good one for liquid-fuel vehicle fans to consider.
[Source: Science Daily]
Study: Modern li-ion batteries have little effect on life cycle impact of electric cars originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments4 modes of hybrid fuel economy: Efficiency in danger?
Shifting into fuel economy
Hybrid fuel economy or hybrid performance?When the Lexus CT 200h hybrid hits dealers it will offer 4 different driving modes – Normal, Eco, Sport and EV – that will provide a nice element of control that might be demanded from Lexus drivers.
While control is a nice option, is a focus on fuel economy slipping away from hybrid technology?
Much of my hybrid driving is focused on trying to achieve ever-greater fuel efficiency but there are times, however, when I’ve definitely taken advantage of the extra torque my Camry hybrid can provide. No one’s perfect. Even hypermilers need to step on it every once in a while just to get the blood flowing.
And, as new hybrids hit the scene, newer and more sophisticated driving modes are becoming standard. In the upcoming CT 200h hybrid for instance, EV mode can be used to power through some extremely sluggish congestion using pure electricity, and Eco mode can provide the most efficient driving in a any kind of driving conditions. Of course, if you just want a nice balance of performance and efficiency, normal is your mode, but if you need to get the blood pumping, Sport mode will help cure the craving.
There’s no harm in that, right? And in a luxury brand like Lexus, Sport mode will probably enable the CT200h to appeal to a wider range of buyers.
Still, horsepower and acceleration have been big drivers of the US auto industry for decades, resulting in a massive foreign oil dependency problem. While hybrid drivers will certainly appreciate ever greater control over their hybrid vehicles via such driving modes, isn’t it possible that hybrid buyers are slowly being led astray from the original point of hybrid technology: fuel economy?
Forget Smart Phone Connectivity, EV Returns To Simple Pleasures
Consumer Federation of America calls for 60 mpg CAFE standard by 2025
Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy
Now that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency have established fleet fuel economy standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, the government agencies are hard at work on the next phase of increases that will stretch out to 2020 and beyond. The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act mandated 40 mpg by 2020 as a minimum, but the standards could actually be set higher. That's exactly what the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) want.
A report from CFA declares that the technology exists to raise fuel economy standards to 60 mpg by 2025 and estimates that doing so would add about $2,600 to the cost of new cars and $3,200 to light trucks. CFA's analysis indicates that, at the equivalent of $3.50 per gallon in 2025, the payback period for the extra costs would only be five years. While the technology definitely exists to produce 60-mpg vehicles, the real problem is consumer behavior, and most American consumers probably won't buy the kinds of small cars required to meet those standards at current fuel prices - particularly with that much cost tacked on to their MSRPs.
Hitting 60 mpg while maintaining the size and capability Americans currently buy would doubtlessly cost substantially more. In order to get people to buy such vehicles, critics suggest there will need to be significantly higher prices at the pump. The idea of a revenue-neutral petroleum tax (whereby other taxes would be cut to compensate) that establishes a floor price of at least $4 per gallon could be a good place to start on the way to 40 mpg. Getting people into 60-mpg vehicles would probably require an even higher floor - perhaps $5/gal or more.
[Source: Green Car Advisor, Consumer Federation of America]
Continue reading Consumer Federation of America calls for 60 mpg CAFE standard by 2025
Consumer Federation of America calls for 60 mpg CAFE standard by 2025 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsGM to offer competitive pricing on Chevrolet Volt in China
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, Green Daily, China
Chevrolet Volt in 'Victory Red' - Click above for high-res image galleryWith its launch slated for the second half of 2011, Kevin Wale, president and managing director of General Motors China, promises that the Chevrolet Volt will be priced to compete in China's fledgling alternative technology car market. The selling price of the Volt will not be officially unveiled until the vehicle launches in China, but as Wale spoke at a news conference in Shanghai recently, the words "I believe the pricing will be competitive" resonated throughout the room.
Priced at $41,000 in the U.S., the Volt is not exactly a bargain and, at nearly $8,000 more than the Nissan Leaf, naysayers suggest the Volt is simply too expensive. While we'd disagree with the notion that the Volt is way overpriced, the Chinese market is ripe with hybrids and plug-ins that will undercut Chevy's breakthrough model by tens of thousands of dollars. For example, BYD's F3DM plug-in hybrid starts at a very reasonable price of $22,000 before incentives, yet it still struggles to rack up a meaningful amount of sales.
So, what is a competitive price for the Volt in China, exactly? Does GM hope to compete on level terms with the $22,000 F3DM? Doubt it. Will The General aim for a $41,000 price tag? Probably not. We're inclined to believe that GM will shoot for a target price that's pretty squarely in the middle, but we'll have to wait for official word to see what "competitive" actually means to GM.
Gallery: Chevrolet Volt in 'Victory Red'
Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Reuters, The Truth About Cars]
GM to offer competitive pricing on Chevrolet Volt in China originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsTexas Biofuels Company KiOR to Invest $500M in Production Plants in Mississsippi
Gov. Haley R. Barbour and officials from KiOR announced this week that the alt-fuels company will locate five biofuel production facilities and investing more than $500 million in Mississippi.
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Click on art to view an animation of KiOR's renewable crude process.
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The Pasadena, Texas, has committed to create at least 1,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state, the governor said at a news conference.
"KiOR will use Mississippi's abundant, renewable natural resources to create a high-quality crude oil substitute that will help meet our nation's energy needs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create more than one thousand jobs for Mississippi workers," he said.
KiOR's catalytic conversion process allows the company to convert biomass, from a variety of feedstocks, including wood products and agricultural waste, into a high-quality renewable crude oil named Re-Crude that can be used as a direct replacement for imported crude oil.
The company's feedstock-flexible technology reduces nature's process of creating oil from a period of millions of years down to a matter of seconds, company officials said.
Using existing refinery infrastructure, KiOR's crude oil substitute can be refined into transportation fuels and can be produced at low cost and in an easily scalable and environmentally-friendly manner.
KiOR has selected Columbus and Newton for its first facilities and has determined another facility will be located in southwest Mississippi. The company is in discussions with other local communities around the state regarding the locations of two additional plants.
KiOR's demonstration plant is producing up to 15 barrels of renewable crude per day from woodchips, a significant scale-up in capacity from the company's pilot plant.
Spyshots: Is Phoenix Motorcars still working on a plug-in hybrid?
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Phoenix, Spy Shots
Phoenix Motorcars PHEV? - Click above for image galleryYears ago, in 2007, Phoenix said it would build a plug-in hybrid vehicle with UQM Technologies, but with all of the trouble Phoenix has been through since then, we thought the project died out. When Phoenix rose from the ashes of bankruptcy earlier this summer, Bryon Bliss, Phoenix Motorcars' vice president of sales and marketing, told AutoblogGreen that the company's sole focus was on an all-electric sports utility truck. The plug-in powerplant - and the SUV version Phoenix was talking about in the past were done. Bliss said in June:
The SUV was always more of a consumer product. As we are delaying a consumer launch we are choosing to direct focus on the available product, the Phoenix SUT. But, AutoblogGreen reader Scott L. sent us an email this week saying the following:
I have pictures taken 8/31/10 in Rancho Cucamunga of the underside of Phoenix Motorcars vehicle showing a muffler for an ICE. We've looked the pictures over and this does appear to be the case. A few things could be going on here. This might, indeed, be a mule for plug-in hybrid development. Or, since Phoenix uses bodies from SsangYong (the SUV seen above is the SsangYong Actyon), the exhaust might just be a remnant of its ICE past. In any case, we've asked Phoenix for clarification and we'll update this post once we hear back. Thanks, Scott!
Gallery: Phoenix PHEV?
Spyshots: Is Phoenix Motorcars still working on a plug-in hybrid? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVolt Can Use California’s HOV Lanes… In 2012
I have survived Southern California’s horrendous traffic jams, though just barely. How anybody could stand to sit in traffic for hours on end, day in and day out, is beyond me. People do it though, and it seems to have bred a special kind of patience in the residents of Southern California. California also is a bastion of green living, and there are many advantages to owning a hybrid car in the state, like use of their HOV lanes.
While California recently announced that the Nissan LEAF would have access to HOV lanes immediately, the Chevy Volt was shunned. That has changed though, as Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill allowing the Volt to use HOV lanes… starting in mid-2012.
