Chery electric car venture with Israel Corp. speeds up, slims down
Less than two weeks after Chery unveiled its first electric car (above) comes news that the joint venture the Chinese car maker has with Israel Corporation Ltd. is set to speed up. The holding company belonging to the Ofer family, which has $100 million or so invested in Better Place , has said that, although it will pare down its investment, it will also speed things up. When we had reported about the deal a little over a year ago it was “only” worth $225 million but apparently it had grown to $900 million. The new figure bandied about is a more manageable $500 million with each party owning a 50 percent share of Chery Quantum Auto Co. The rearrangement doesn’t call for any new cash outlays for the next couple of years beyond the $200 million each has already thrown down. Other refinements to the plan include the postponement of new plant construction in favor of using Chery’s existing capacity and a reduction in the number of different models to be produced. Although Israel Corp said that “development would begin now,” it was unstated what type or how many models would be produced. We’ll keep an eye on the situation and let you know what develops. [Source: Jerusalem Post ] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , China , Middle East Chery electric car venture with Israel Corp. speeds up, slims down originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Chery electric car venture with Israel Corp. speeds up, slims down
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Leave a commentBetter Place announces 19 "Vision Partners" (aka early buyers) in Israel
Click on the image above for a gallery of Better Place images “Vision Partner” sure has a nice ring to it. So positive, so optimistic, and so perfect a name for Better Place’s new partners in Israel. Better Place announced this week that it has agreements with 19 companies who want to support Better Place’s plug-in vehicle/infrastructure project by being the first to buy the cars when they become commercially available in 2011. Better Place founder and CEO says that these agreements prove “that there is a real demand for electric cars powered by the Better Place network.” The Jerusalem Post lists 13 of the companies : Israel Corporation, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries, Partner Communications, Pelephone Communications, Orange Communications, Matrix IT, Direct Insurance, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Netafim, Keter Plastics, Orbotech, Manpower Israel, and Glasshouse Technologies. Globes also names Jafora Tabori, SQlink, and Nike Israel as partners. We’re trying to find the names of the other three. Gallery: Better Place [Source: Better Place , Globes , Jerusalem Post ] Continue reading Better Place announces 19 “Vision Partners” (aka early buyers) in Israel Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Green Daily , Middle East , Better Place Better Place announces 19 “Vision Partners” (aka early buyers) in Israel originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Better Place announces 19 "Vision Partners" (aka early buyers) in Israel
Carlos Ghosn: We’re testing the EV this year
Renault is betting big on electric cars, or at least that’s the image they’re out peddling everywhere. During a press conference this week in Paris, Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that the French marque will begin testing pure electric cars this year. Specifically, he said that (translated from the French), “the conditions for electric cars to exist have finally been met,” and added: “We’re testing an EV model this year. It’s able to run for 160 km (100 miles), even with the A/C and the radio at full blast.” No further details were given. Is this the model for Renault’s partnership with Better Place ? Is it the model they promised to build for France ? Once pure electric vehicles are available, Renault predicts domestic French demand for them could reach about 400,000 cars in 2016; that’s roughly 20 percent of the market. [Source: Le Blog Auto ] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Nissan , Renault , Better Place Carlos Ghosn: We’re testing the EV this year originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Carlos Ghosn: We’re testing the EV this year
Next gen GM hybrid pickups to get 50% better towing, Voltec possible
click for a high res gallery of GM’s hybrid pickups General Motors is currently in the midst of launching its hybrid full-size pickup trucks and our man Jeremy is in San Antonio this week to try them out. One thing about the auto industry is that as soon as you get one product out the door, you’re already working on the next generation. Such is the case with GM’s two-mode hybrids which are due for a second generation in about 4 years. Mike Levine over at PickupTrucks.com has been talking to GM about where they are going for the next generation models. While the trucks launching right now have pretty decent towing power at 6,100 lbs for the RWD version (5,900 for the 4WD), big truck buyers want more. GM’s truck vehicle line executive, Gary White, told Mike that the next-gen models would have 50 percent better towing power in addition to greater efficiency. Perhaps more interesting is where GM is going with the hybrid architecture itself. While a next generation two-mode system will definitely be developed, White told Levine that something like the Volt’s Voltec (formerly E-flex ) system is on the table for the trucks. The trucks certainly have room between the frame rails for plenty of batteries, and electric motors that provide enough torque for 9,000 lbs of towing capacity are pretty straightforward. Such a system would also eliminate the limiting factor with the current two-mode, which is the planetary gear-sets. However, a truck would need a very large range extender to maintain that towing capacity beyond the plug-in battery range when the vehicle gets into charge sustaining mode. It’s certainly an interesting idea. We’ll be watching to see what happens. Gallery: 2009 GM hybrid pickups Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. [Source: PickupTrucks .com] Auto Blog: Hybrid , Chevrolet , GM , GMC Next gen GM hybrid pickups to get 50% better towing, Voltec possible originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Next gen GM hybrid pickups to get 50% better towing, Voltec possible
Better Place goes Canadian with Ontario electric car partnership
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Green Daily , Better Place The electric car deal-making juggernaut that is Better Place is staking its claim on a new territory. BP representatives are in Ontario this morning and, along with Ontario Premier McGuinty, announced a new partnership to advance the cause of EVs – what they’re calling a Car 2.0 model – in the Great White North. Better Place will do this by establishing a Canadian head office in Ontario and build an EV demonstration and education center in Toronto. Ontario is also working on a study, to be released in May, that will determine ways to “speed up the introduction and adoption of electric vehicles” there. Better Place will come up with an EV charging network plan and timeline for Ontario. Bullfrog Power, which partners with Better Place, makes 100 percent renewable energy in Ontario (that’s their wind turbine in the picture). We’ll keep an eye out for more information on this latest announcement. For now, go ahead and wade into the weeds of the Better Place plan and technology a bit by clicking here . For more on Ontario’s history with electric cars, check this out . Gallery: Better Place Around The World [Source: Better Place] Continue reading Better Place goes Canadian with Ontario electric car partnership Better Place goes Canadian with Ontario electric car partnership originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Better Place goes Canadian with Ontario electric car partnership
Posted in Auto Green | a-friend-via, beter place, better, better-place, bullfrg power, bullfrgpower, detroit-news, entry, green-daily, introduction, picture, place, spinning-discs | Leave a commentToyota plans production hydrogen car by 2015
Auto Blog: Hydrogen , Toyota Click above for a gallery of the Toyota FCHV Toyota’s biggest contribution thur far to the eco-friendly car world would undoubtedly be its hybrid technology, which graces over a million driveways all around the world in cars such as the Prius, the Camry Hybrid and the Highlander Hybrid. Automakers like Nissan even license the technology from Toyota, making the Hybrid Synergy Drive’s impact on the marketplace extremely far reaching. But it’s not the only gas-saving technology that the Japanese automaker has been working on. Just a few months ago, we slid behind the wheel of a Toyota SUV that was powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, and the automaker is now saying that it plans to have a hydrogen-powered vehicle in production by 2015. Don’t expect Toyota to give up on hybrids altogether. Masatami Takimoto, an executive VP at Toyota, suggests that the automaker is dividing its resources into three categories: fully electric city cars , plug-ins and hybrids , and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Gallery: First Drive: Toyota FCHV [Source: NY Times via World Car Fans ] Toyota plans production hydrogen car by 2015 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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AMG puts up the white flag in the Autobahn power war
Auto Blog: Diesel , Hybrid , MPG , Mercedes Benz , Lightweight Click the AMG C63 for a high res gallery Over the past two decades, the big German automakers have been continuously cranking up the power levels of their high performance cars to absolutely insane levels. It’s gotten to the point where you must have a minimum of 500 hp or more just to get into the game; many cars approach 600hp. Mercedes-Benz’s in-house performance brand AMG has now declared “ENOUGH!” Volker Mornhinweg, head of AMG told Autocar, “The horsepower war is over.” The key to performance is a high power to weight ratio. Unfortunately, when you have a lot of weight, you need more power to maintain performance. That means bigger tires and brakes are also needed, leading to an escalating cycle. As Lotus has clearly demonstrated with the Elise and its derivatives, a lightweight car can have tremendous performance even with modest power levels. Mornhinweg is taking that to heart and promises to reduce the mass of future AMG Mercedes models starting with the next-generation E63 that debuts later this year. The new E-Class is lighter than the outgoing model and a dual clutch gearbox will also be part of the package to help improve efficiency. Diesel, hybrid and four cylinder drivetrains are also in AMG’s future product plans as the tuner brand tries to maintain performance while meeting the new environmental realities. Related: In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG [Source: Autocar ] AMG puts up the white flag in the Autobahn power war originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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AMG puts up the white flag in the Autobahn power war
Toyota’s FTEV might be aimed at car-sharing services
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Transportation Alternatives , Toyota , Green Daily Click above for high-res gallery of the FT-EV The iQ-based Toyota FT-EV that we saw in Detroit might one day replace all those golden bird and circuit stickers for ones that Car Blog GreenZipcar or Connect or even Better Place . According to the New York Times’ Green Inc. blog, Toyota isn’t planning on producing the FT-EV for “the conventional car market.” Instead, car-sharing services could get first crack at the all-electric city car because they offer a way to regularly charge the car and provide a parking space to urban dwellers who might shun car ownership precisely because parking is such a PITA. Some residential communities that currently rely on golf carts or GEMs might also be good venues for the FT-EV, Toyota’s Bob Reinert told the Times. One other tidbit: the PHEV Prius might (repeat might) be officially called the “Prius Plug-in.” That domain name is currently held by the Amberjac folks . Just so you know. Gallery: 2009 Toyota FT-EV Concept [Source: New York Times ] Toyota’s FTEV might be aimed at car-sharing services originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Toyota’s FTEV might be aimed at car-sharing services
Environmental group launches anti-Dakar Rally campaign
Auto Blog: Etc. , South/Latin America This year, the famous Dakar Rally has moved to South America because of security issues in its previous home in Africa. The race usually showcases the latest in all-road racing technology – diesel vehicles are doing well this year – but there’s also the question of what is the real environmental impact of the race. One of Spain’s most important environmental groups, Ecologistas en Acción , has asked the Rally to be finished early because of the environmental damage that more than 800 all-terrain vehicles are performing: for each 1,000 km of off-road motoring, one hectare (about 2.5 acres) is eroded. Then there is the high fuel consumption, noise and the general promotion of this type of “sport.” Ecologistas en Acción thinks that the spirit of adventure and discovery themes of the adventure hide all too well the reality of big-engined vehicles running on heavyset frames through a natural environment. [Source: Ecologistas en Acción ] Environmental group launches anti-Dakar Rally campaign originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Detroit 2009: the ugliest Tesla Roadster you’ve ever seen
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Tesla Motors , Detroit Auto Show There is a Tesla Roadster in the Tesla Motor booth at the Detroit Auto Show this year, but you’ve all seen that car a gazillion times by now. And, since it’ll be awful hard to beat those gorgeous pics of the orange model , we decided to skip the shiny red model on display here. Instead, our green eyes were drawn to the powertrain chassis sitting on the display stand, the one thing we didn’t mention in the flurry of Tesla posts yesterday. While we’ve discussed the Roadster’s powertrain system in the past, we haven’t seen this building block before. Ergo a gallery. The only difference between the powertrain on the stand and the one that’s in the cars – aside from the labels so you know what’s what – is that the battery box in the powertrain example is empty. Tesla decided it didn’t make much sense to ship a few hundred pounds of cells to Detroit for no real good reason. This year’s Detroit Auto Show was the first that Tesla Motors has officially entered. They’ve displayed vehicles in partnership with other companies in the past, but this is the only time they’ve come to a show on their own. It was a last-minute decision – they only made the call three weeks ago – and was in part determined by the low, low booth prices at this year’s NAIAS. Gallery: Detroit 2009: Tesla powertrain Detroit 2009: the ugliest Tesla Roadster you’ve ever seen originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Detroit 2009: the ugliest Tesla Roadster you’ve ever seen
Posted in Auto Green | better-place, cars, detroit, detroit2009, ecologistasenaccion, entry, green, green-daily, prius-plug-in-, tesla-motors, times, toyota ftev, year | Leave a commentGet Approved!
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