Ford CEO Mullaly expects many Fords to be electric in a decade
Click above for high-res gallery of the Ford Focus EV “mule” Ford may have been relatively quiet on the electric vehicle front while General Motors got all the attention for its Chevy Volt series hybrid, but the Blue Oval has come roaring back in recent months. It was revealed in its viability plan submitted to Congress back in December that an electric commercial van would be launched just one year from now followed by an electric car the next year. According to CEO Alan Mulally, that’s just the start. At a conference in California this week, Mulally declared, “In 10 years, 12 years, you are going to see a major portion of our portfolio move to electric vehicles.” Mulally told the conference that internal combustion efficiency will also improve dramatically over the next decade, and more hybrids will join the lineup including a plug-in hybrid that will debut in 2012. Ford is shifting a significant proportion of its truck building capacity to cars over the next two years and the company doesn’t expect truck sales to recover to their previous record heights. While fuel prices are low now, they are expected to climb again as the economy recovers. The shifts to cars and more hybrid and electric vehicles will be necessary to meet both market demands created by those expected higher fuel prices and government mandates for higher fuel efficiency. Gallery: ABG Quick Drive: Ford Focus EV mule Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. [Source: Automotive News , sub. req'd] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , Ford Ford CEO Mullaly expects many Fords to be electric in a decade originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:29:00 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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Ford CEO Mullaly expects many Fords to be electric in a decade
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Leave a commentGeneva 2009: Ford’s next Focus, the iosis Max now with EcoBoost!
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford iosis Max Concept Ford is preparing to make a major shift to smaller cars over the next few years, starting with the new Fiesta at the end of this year and the new European-based Focus next year. When that next-generation Focus lands in the U.S., it is expected to look a lot like the concept that Ford is showing in Geneva this week. The shape and styling details of the iosis Max give a preview of next years Focus five door hatch although the head-light clusters and doors will surely be more conventional. The sliding rear doors are unlikely to make it to production either. What will make it through is the drivetrain. This is the third Ford concept this year (along with the Lincoln Concept C and Volvo S60 concepts in Detroit) powered by the new 1.6L EcoBoost four cylinder along with the PowerShift dual clutch transmission. With the automatic start stop system, this combination is expected to top 40 mpg with ease when it arrives. Gallery: Geneva 2009: Ford Iosis Max Gallery: Ford Iosis-Max Concept Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading Geneva 2009: Ford’s next Focus, the iosis Max now with EcoBoost! Auto Blog: MPG , Ford , Geneva Motor Show Geneva 2009: Ford’s next Focus, the iosis Max now with EcoBoost! originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Geneva 2009: Ford’s next Focus, the iosis Max now with EcoBoost!
Posted in Auto Green | after-the-break, copyright, entry, exige, focus, fordiosismaxconcept, geneva 2009, genevamotorshow, lotus, year | Leave a commentGeneva 2009: Honda Accord Tourer Type-S
Click the Accord tourer for a high res gallery The car pictured above represents some of my favorite features in a main-stream car: it’s a wagon and it’s a diesel. I’m also fully aware that I am in a distinct minority on both counts among drivers in the U.S. market. This is the new European-market Honda Accord Tourer Type-S. We get the sedan version in the U.S., badged as the Acura TSX. Personally, I prefer the wagon version because it retains the overall size and dynamic characteristics of a sedan while adding a huge dollop of utility when needed. It’s also quite a handsome car. Rumor has it we’ll see this body style appear as a new Honda CUV in the states this fall with the high-riding Outback treatment. The wagon is not new to Europe but the new Type-S (also available as a sedan) is. The Type-S Accord gets a 178 hp version of Honda’s new iDTEC 2.2L diesel four cylinder with a stiff 280 lb-ft of torque. The Type-S gets larger 18″ wheels and bumper and sill extensions for a more aggressive look. Unfortunately, this is very likely the car we were supposed to get as a TSX this year. However, market conditions have forced Honda to indefinitely cancel those plans. What a shame. Gallery: Geneva 2009: Honda Accord Tourer Type-S Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading Geneva 2009: Honda Accord Tourer Type-S Auto Blog: Diesel , Acura , Honda , Geneva Motor Show Geneva 2009: Honda Accord Tourer Type-S originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Geneva 2009: Honda Accord Tourer Type-S
Posted in Auto Green | copyright, data, geneva, genevamotorshow, honda, hondaaccordtourerdiesel, hondaaccordtourertypes, market, year | Leave a commentNext 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
Strong early sales in Japan prompt Honda to increase Insight production
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Honda Insight Since Honda started taking orders for the new Insight in Japan earlier this month, dealers have tripled the original sales target. As a result, the company has decided to crank up production starting in April to meet the demand for the new hybrid. Honda had been projecting world-wide Insight sales of 200,000 a year with 100,000 going to the U.S. and Canada. It remains to be seen how strong U.S. demand will be, especially with a new Prius arriving shortly after the Insight. The Insight’s price should undercut the Prius by several thousand dollars, although it’s also a considerably smaller car than the Toyota. In addition to price, the Insight’s Fit-based chassis should also have an advantage in driving dynamics, which may appeal to some drivers more. The Insight goes on sale in the United States on April 22. Related: ABG First Drive: 2010 Honda Insight, 63.4 mpg! Gallery: ABG First Drive: 2010 Honda Insight Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight [Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd] Live photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Auto Blog: Hybrid , Honda Strong early sales in Japan prompt Honda to increase Insight production originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:30:00 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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Strong early sales in Japan prompt Honda to increase Insight production
Chicago 2009: Photo fun with the 2010 Toyota Prius
Click above for a gallery of the spinning 2010 Toyota Prius Ahh, the fun you can have when an auto show isn’t exactly busy. Today at the Chicago Auto Show, we found a 2010 Toyota Prius spinning on a stand all by itself (see also: Saturn Flextreme in D.C. last week ). With not all that much to do ourselves, we set the camera to a slow shutter speed and spent some time with our fisheye lens aimed at the car. Turns out, if you fall into the camp that thinks the Prius looks a little like a spaceship, this might be what you’d see cruising through hyperspace (if it looks anything like what the movies tell us). Have fun looking at these and, if you want plan pictures of the new Prius that don’t suggest motion sickness, here they are . Gallery: Chicago 2009: 2010 Toyota Prius Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc. Auto Blog: Etc. , Toyota , AutoblogGreen Exclusive , Chicago Auto Show , Green Daily Chicago 2009: Photo fun with the 2010 Toyota Prius originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Chicago 2009: Photo fun with the 2010 Toyota Prius
Posted in Auto Green | a-longer-term, chicago, chicago auto show, chicago-auto, copyright, environmental, green, johnkrafcik, photo, toyota, toyota-prius, toyotaprius | Leave a commentBridgestone adds "One Team, One Planet" to Safety Scholars video contest
For the last two years, Bridgestone has been running a video production contest for young drivers where they produce a safety oriented 25- or 55-second ad on some aspect of safe driving. For 2009, the Safety Scholars program is back and, in addition to safety, entrants can produce a PSA on “automotive environmentalism.” If you know someone between the ages of 16 and 21 that can sling a video camera and wants a crack at a $5,000 scholarship or a new set of Bridgestone tires, let them know about this opportunity. Videos have to be submitted between May 27 and June 17. A panel of judges will then pick the top 10 videos which will be posted to YouTube, MySpace and Facebook, where people can watch and vote. The winners will be announced in July. You can check out all the rules at SafetyScholars and see a sample video from 2008 after the jump. [Source: Bridgestone ] Continue reading Bridgestone adds “One Team, One Planet” to Safety Scholars video contest Auto Blog: Etc. Bridgestone adds “One Team, One Planet” to Safety Scholars video contest originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:14:00 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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Bridgestone adds "One Team, One Planet" to Safety Scholars video contest
iMiEV starts renewable energy-powered trial in New Zealand
Click above to view a high-res gallery of the Mitsubishi i MiEV The long-awaited New Zealand road show featuring the all-electric iMiEV is underway. Mitsubishi kicked off the trial with a gala event on Tuesday, where over 100 people from the government and other “key stakeholders” were invited to Zealandia, a 252-hectare wildlife preserve, to give the zero-emission jellybean a quick drive. The nice thing about Mitsubishi’s New Zealand test is that the juice is provided by local utility Meridian Energy , which produces all of its energy from 100 percent renewable power (called “carboNZero” and is made from hydroelectric and wind sources). Meridian has been pro-electric cars for years , and has its own Electric Vehicle Programme that is “tasked with researching EV technology and implementing strategies to help NZ unlock a more sustainable personal transportation future, using renewable electricity.” This is the first time an automaker and a utility have worked together in New Zealand on EVs. The iMiEV will launch in Japan this summer and is currently testing there and in the U.S. and Europe in addition to New Zealand. [Source: Mitsubishi] Continue reading iMiEV starts renewable energy-powered trial in New Zealand Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Mitsubishi , Pacific Region iMiEV starts renewable energy-powered trial in New Zealand originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2009 Lexus GS450h
Auto Blog: Hybrid , Lexus , In The AutoblogGreen Garage Click the Lexus GS450h for a high res gallery Since debuting the Prius just over a decade ago, Toyota has been gradually spreading its hybrid drive technology through its product lineup including the Lexus brand. Later this year, Lexus will be getting its first hybrid-only model in the form of the HS250h but it’s first hybrid sedan was actually the GS450h which went on sale as a 2007 model. As with the LS600h that we tried out a year ago , the GS450h is promoted by Toyota as option that gives performance of a larger engine with the efficiency of a lower displacement. So, unlike the Prius which goes for the big mpg numbers, the Lexus hybrids post more typical results for their segments. As a mid-sized luxury sport sedan, the GS falls into a segment with competitors such as the BMW 5-series, the Mercedes Benz E-Class and the Acura TL . All four of these are very close in overall size, although the Lexus is the only one with a hybrid powertrain option. Based on the nomenclature, Lexus expects the GS450h to have performance similar to the vehicle with a 4.5L V8 with the efficiency of a 3.5L V6. Follow the jump to see if they succeeded. Gallery: AutoblogGreen Garage: 2009 Lexus GS450h Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2009 Lexus GS450h In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2009 Lexus GS450h originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2009 Lexus GS450h
Posted in Auto Green, Hybrids | a-2007-model-, a-high-res, copyright, efficiency, garage, green-garage, gs450h, lexusgs450h, mercedes-benz, prius | Leave a commentAudi adds dual clutch S-Tronic to Euro A4 and A5
Auto Blog: MPG , Audi Audi has just added a new transmission option to European-market versions of the A4 and A5. The company’s 7-speed S-Tronic dual clutch gearbox is now available with the 2.0L TFSI four cylinder. The A5 picks up 0.3 seconds in the 0-60 run and cuts 1g/km of CO 2 emissions with the new gearbox. In the sedan, the mileage is unchanged at 31.8 mpg compared to the 6-speed manual. Here in the U.S., the A4 2.0L currently comes standard with a CVT while manual and conventional automatics are optional. Related : First Drive: 2008 Audi A4 3.0 TDI Quattro Gallery: ABG First Drive: 2008 Audi A4 3.0 TDI Quattro [Source: AutoCar ] Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Audi adds dual clutch S-Tronic to Euro A4 and A5 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 07:54:00 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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