Sportier BlueMotion models coming from VW?
Click above for a gallery of the Volkswagen Bluesport While the primary goal of Volkswagen’s numerous BlueMotion models is to reduce fuel consumption and therefore carbon emissions, the German automaker apparently recognizes that not all drivers are willing to accept sluggish acceleration to go along with their reduced diesel bills. This is why the VeeDub introduced its BlueSport Roadster concept at the last Detroit Auto Show . That sporty model was able to provide plenty of performance from its 2.0L turbocharged diesel engine to go along with its miserly fuel mileage figures of 35 mpg on the European Combined Cycle and 62 mpg while in Eco Mode. Reports from the U.K.’s evo magazine indicate that VW is hard at work on a production version of the BlueSport concept for 2011. Before that model hits the market, the moniker may be applied to a performance-minded diesel version of the European Scirocco and possibly an oil-burning GTI hatchback as well. Gallery: Detroit 2009: Volkswagen Concept BlueSport [Source: evo ] Auto Blog: Diesel , Volkswagen Sportier BlueMotion models coming from VW? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:47:00 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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Sportier BlueMotion models coming from VW?
Think advances U.S. plans, will sell full-speed City car in mid-2010
Click above for a gallery of the Th!nk City Th!nk’s Norwegian exodus continues. Th!nk will announce details of its “aggressive expansion plans” next Thursday in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Th!nk CEO Richard Canny and Th!nk product development director Christopher Neal will be on hand to talk to representatives from Michigan and seven other states about “options to bring electric vehicle manufacturing jobs to the U.S.” Um, yes please. Th!nk has said for a while that they plan to bring this all-electric, highway-speed (62 mph top speed) car to America; now we know that the Th!nk City is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in the middle of 2010 (no word on the Th!nk Ox ). The City is already available in Norway and we have video proof that this car is fun to drive. With a 112-mile range, this car could be the right alternative for a lot of people. U.S. price? We’ll ask Th!nk next week. [Source: Th!nk] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Green Daily , Th!nk (Think) , USA Think advances U.S. plans, will sell full-speed City car in mid-2010 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Think advances U.S. plans, will sell full-speed City car in mid-2010
Consumer Reports teams up with the Automotive X Prize for MPGe, safety tests
The Automotive X Prize will get help with the safety and education portions of its competition from Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports will be the competition’s “Official Active Safety Testing Partner.” We spoke with the Auto X Prize’s senior director , Cristin Lindsay, during the Detroit Auto Show, and she said that safety is paramount, both for the drivers and people who come out to watch. Having a trusted name like Consumer Reports helping to conduct pre-race safety inspections and active safety performance tests should convince outsiders that these sometimes unusual body shapes are indeed fit for use. Another bit of news is that Consumer Reports will use MPGe (miles per gallon energy equivalent) when it tests plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles in the future. The press release does not explicitly say Consumer Reports will use the X Prize’s criteria, but the X Prize’s Carrie Fox told us that, “The plan, and it’s still a plan, is for them to use the MPGe standard we’ve come up with.” You can Car Blog Greenan excerpt from the current official rules describing the MPGe calculations after the jump or Car Blog Greenthe whole ruleset in PDF . [Source: Auto X Prize ] Continue reading Consumer Reports teams up with the Automotive X Prize for MPGe, safety tests Auto Blog: MPG , Automotive X-Prize Consumer Reports teams up with the Automotive X Prize for MPGe, safety tests originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:08:00 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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Consumer Reports teams up with the Automotive X Prize for MPGe, safety tests
Roush adds propane-powered E-250 to existing F-150 and F-250 line
Click above for a gallery of the Roush propane-powered F-250 and E-250 Last month, Roush started showing off a new propane-powered F-250 truck to go alongside the gaseous F-150 that it released last year. Roush has now also announced that it will convert the E-250 van model to propane power as well. Both vehicles will reportedly be available later this year through Ford dealers in the United States and Canada. Using propane as a fuel source has a few benefits over traditional gasoline and diesel. Propane is a form of natural gas and it burns much cleaner than other fossil fuels. Roush cites a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 18 percent, a reduction in nitrous oxide by 20 percent, a reduction in carbon monoxide by 60 percent and fewer particulate emissions when compared with an engine running on gasoline. Roush’s propane vehicles all use the 5.4-liter Ford V8 engine with a liquid propane conversion system. So equipped, there is no loss in horsepower or torque. There will, however, be a slight reduction in fuel mileage. Gallery: Roush propane-powered F-250 and E-250 [Source: Roush] Continue reading Roush adds propane-powered E-250 to existing F-150 and F-250 line Auto Blog: Ford , Natural Gas Roush adds propane-powered E-250 to existing F-150 and F-250 line originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Roush adds propane-powered E-250 to existing F-150 and F-250 line
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Leave a commentFord touts European successes of new Ka and Fiesta
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford Fiesta Ford is justifiably proud of the sales figures that its new Ka and Fiesta small cars have been able to rack up amidst a struggling global market. These two products have helped the automaker increase its European market share by 0.5 percentage points to 8.8 percent. More importantly, it proves that consumers do want to buy small cars as long as they are stylish, comfortable and modern. Legislation from various governments that promotes the purchase of fuel efficient, low-emission cars has also boosted demand for the two vehicles. Both models were released late last year to a great deal of fanfare from the European automotive press, and U.S. sales of the new Fiesta are slated for 2010. To keep the hype machine in top gear, Ford will select 100 individuals in America and plans to give them keys to the Fiesta ahead of its official debut as they take part in the Fiesta Movement program. In somewhat related news, Ford has also announced its new Product Sustainability Index, a program that looks to improve the environmental, social and economic impact of automobiles through 8 product attributes that it believes are the key sustainability elements of a new vehicle. Click past the break for the full rundown on what goes into the PSI, how it applies to the new Fiesta and why Ford believes it’s important. Gallery: 2009 Ford Fiesta [Source: Ford] Continue reading Ford touts European successes of new Ka and Fiesta Auto Blog: MPG , Ford , Europe/EU Ford touts European successes of new Ka and Fiesta originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Ford touts European successes of new Ka and Fiesta
In Detroit, Hell Actually Has Frozen Over
What a new world we live in these days: a black president (hurray!), the worst economy since the Depression (oh, dear), and now…even Detroit is changing its wanton ways. Here are five pieces of ironclad evidence that Hell has now well and truly frozen over in southeastern Michigan. 1. Detroit car critic actually LIKES a hybrid! Toyota Camry Hybrid. See for yourself: Detroit News auto critic Scott Burgess, who never met a three-ton truck or big honkin’ SUV he didn’t like, actually fell for the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid . He doesn’t just like it—he LUVS it . What’s next, a Smart ForTwo ? 2. Hour-long waits to drive green cars at the Auto Show. Basement of Detroit’s Cobo Center, transformed into EcoXperience. As we mentioned in our Detroit Auto Show preview , the vacant basement of Cobo Hall was transformed into the EcoXperience, a 1/8-mile test track winding through waterfalls, flowers, and trees that filled the 70,000-square-foot area. Hometown crowds waited up to an hour to drive hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell cars at low speeds, with factory reps or trained drivers alongside. The only snag was the sharp, dank odor of mulch that rose onto the show floor from every basement stairwell, like a garden center with dead A/C. read more
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Posted in Hybrids | auto, black-president, depression, detroit-auto, news, toyota-camry, trained-drivers, usedcars.com | Leave a commentBMW X6 ActiveHybrid to arrive by year’s end
Auto Blog: Hybrid , BMW , Detroit Auto Show Click above for gallery of photos of the 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid One of the vehicles we expected to see in Detroit somehow missed our radar. The not-so-green BMW X6 ActiveHybrid was previewed in COBO and we somehow missed it. Sure we’ve seen pics of this sports car/utility vehicle crossover hybrid before and we’ve also heard BMW promise that it will be available by the end of 2009, but this time they really seem to mean it. After giving a walkaround of the BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid, BMW’s Dr. Klaus Draeger gave some additional details about this upcoming hybrid hybrid. As we’ve told you before, the BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid is a two-mode hybrid, and uses BMW’s 4.4L V8 gasoline engine along with its electric assistant. Going hybrid increases fuel economy on this most oddly shaped BMW by a decent 20 percent, but that still puts the X6′s mileage at just about 15 mpg/city. BMW promises that both the 7-series and X6 hybrids will be on sale by the end of 2009. Well, it’s better than nothing we guess. Gallery: 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid [Source: AutoReview ] BMW X6 ActiveHybrid to arrive by year’s end originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:42:00 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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BMW X6 ActiveHybrid to arrive by year’s end
Detroit 2009: E85-powered Mustang, the HP2g, gearing up for the Auto X Prize
Auto Blog: Ethanol , Green Culture , AutoblogGreen Exclusive , Detroit Auto Show , Green Daily , Automotive X-Prize Click above for high-res gallery Down in the basement (the smelly, smelly basement ) of Cobo Hall at the Detroit Auto Show, we found Doug Pelmear and Jennifer Rodgers. They were sitting next to a car we didn’t expect to see at the show, a 1987 Mustang. Why was the car there? Because Pelmear is still promoting his claim to get 110 mpge with the car and will be participating in the Progressive Automotive X Prize. This Mustang is called the HP2g , and Pelmear told us that he and his team are gearing up for the business plan portion of the X Prize, specifically how they’d sell 10,000 units a year. The 110 mpge claim is also a bit difficult to nail down. Nowhere on the HP2g website or in the materials provided to us at the show is the number fullly explained; just that “Mileage performance verification by cross country road test in October/November, 2008.” The best we can figure, as we noted when we wrote about this car before , is that Pelmear is only talking about the petroleum portion of the E85 fuel, and is somehow counting the ethanol as free energy. That may work for the headlines, but it won’t win the AXP, which looks at all the energy that goes into the car. Still, Pelmear made it clear that he intends to win the popularity portion of the competition with his iconic ride. Good luck with that. If you’re in Detroit, the Mustang and all the other vehicles we talked about will be on display through the weekend. The show closes Sunday. Gallery: Detroit 2009: E85 Mustang Continue reading Detroit 2009: E85-powered Mustang, the HP2g, gearing up for the Auto X Prize Detroit 2009: E85-powered Mustang, the HP2g, gearing up for the Auto X Prize originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:01:00 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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Detroit 2009: E85-powered Mustang, the HP2g, gearing up for the Auto X Prize
Ex-Mclaren designer now plans electric sportscar
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Green Daily Click above to enlarge the JJAD P1-E Gordon Murray isn’t the only ex-McLaren F1 designer that is now branching out into greener pastures. Jim Dowle from JJAD has announced plans to build a new electric sportscar, and it sounds like a winner. A lithium ion battery pack is said to provide a range of 230 miles, though that figure will surely go down as the driver explores its amazing acceleration. How’s a run to sixty miles per hour in 2.9 seconds sound? Such performance is capable due to the P1-E’s dual electric motors that provide the gullwing-doored coupe all-wheel drive. Assuming that JJAD gets the necessary funding, Dowle expects to have running prototypes created within the year and hopes for production shortly thereafter, with prices for the P1-E coming in at around £55,000 (about $75,000). If that happens, Tesla is going to have some rather serious competition in the all-electric sportscar market. See the full press release after the break. [Source: JJAD] Continue reading Ex-Mclaren designer now plans electric sportscar Ex-Mclaren designer now plans electric sportscar originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Ex-Mclaren designer now plans electric sportscar
Further evidence of twin Prius models for 2010?
Auto Blog: Hybrid , Toyota Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Toyota Prius It’s been prognosticated that Toyota will keep its current-gen Prius around for the foreseeable future to share showroom space with the latest version of the iconic hybrid hatchback, which just recently debuted at the Detroit Auto Show . Toyota had in the past downplayed those rumors, but the Japanese Nikkei is once again reporting the two-Prius strategy, which leads us to believe that there may be some background fire to go with the smoke, at least in Toyota’s home market of Japan. We’re just going to have to wait and see what happens in U.S. showrooms when the new Prius finally makes its appearance later in the year. Why would Toyota want to keep its older model around anyway? The answer to that question may have something to do with the automaker’s cross-town rival, Honda. With a new competitor coming in the form of the new Insight , which is expected to be priced well below the Prius, Toyota could decide to keep the old model around a bit longer as a price leader. Gallery: Detroit 2009: 2010 Toyota Prius [Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd] Further evidence of twin Prius models for 2010? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:50:00 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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Further evidence of twin Prius models for 2010?
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