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Nissan applies for DOE loan program, purpose unknown

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:30:00 +0000

Auto Blog: Nissan , Legislation and Policy To date there have been 75 applications for low cost loans from the US Department of Energy through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program. Only one of those has been from a Japan-based automaker, Nissan. The ATVMIP is the $25 billion fund created as part of the 2007 energy bill to help automakers and suppliers pay for the costs of developing and tooling to build more efficient vehicles that meet the new CAFE requirements. The 75 applications so far equal total requests of $38 billion, so some companies are expected to come away empty handed. A Bloomberg report quotes Energy Department spokesman Phil West as saying only 26 of the applications are “substantially complete.” The largest chunks are expected to go to the Detroit automakers along with some battery suppliers. Tesla Motors applied for $450 million in funds to pay for the development and production of its Model S sedan. As for Nissan, spokesman Brian Brockman told ABG “Yes, we’ve applied. We aren’t discussing how much or what we would use it for.” Given Nissan’s commitment to bringing electric vehicles to market beginning in 2010 and its involvement with Better Place , it could be looking at building EVs here in the United States. [Sources: Bloomberg , Nissan] Nissan applies for DOE loan program, purpose unknown originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:30:00 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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Nissan applies for DOE loan program, purpose unknown

At Witz’ End: Detroit Auto Show: Reality Check – Part I

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:02:00 +0000

Auto Blog: AutoblogGreen Exclusive , Detroit Auto Show , Green Daily , At Witz End This year’s Detroit North American International Auto Show (aka NAIAS) was easily the greenest ever, greener even than the evergreen Los Angeles show two months earlier. Several automakers (most notably Nissan) were missing due to the weak economy, while others (Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz) were present but silent with no press conferences. That left room for the likes of Tesla, Fisker and a pair of Chinese makers to set up shop on the main floor and hype the media on their grand plans. While a number of high-powered gas- and diesel-burning machines (mostly from Europe) shared the NAIAS spotlight, nearly everyone there showed current and future EVs and gas-electric hybrids (HEVs). Among these, which will actually happen; which might sell in serious numbers; which (if any) will succeed to the point of being profitable for their makers? Let us speculate (after the jump). Continue reading At Witz’ End: Detroit Auto Show: Reality Check – Part I At Witz’ End: Detroit Auto Show: Reality Check – Part I originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

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Cold weather will cause the Volt’s engine to start up earlier than you might expect

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:19:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , Chevrolet , GM For the time being, General Motors is content to let suppliers like A123 Systems, LG Chem and Cobasys focus on cell chemistry for its hybrid and electric vehicle battery packs. GM leaders like Denise Gray and Bob Kruse believe that the key to ensuring that those cells last for (essentially) the life of the car, is in how those cells are managed. One of the killers of advanced rechargeable batteries is extreme temperatures, whether too hot or too cold. In order to ensure the batteries stay in their optimal range, General Motors is taking charge of the management control systems for its batteries regardless of who supplies the cells inside. That means the battery state of charge models need to be accurate to prevent over-charging and overheating. Lithium batteries don’t like cold temperatures, so when the Volt is plugged in, the battery pack will be warmed up to ensure it provides adequate performance. If the car is left unplugged during cold weather, the range extender will start up as soon as the car is turned on to help warm the battery and the car will only switch to electric power once the internal temperature of the battery is within range. [Source: Green Fuels Forecast ] Cold weather will cause the Volt’s engine to start up earlier than you might expect originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:19:00 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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Cold weather will cause the Volt’s engine to start up earlier than you might expect

DC Auto Show: GM announces plan for Volt introduction, San Francisco, D.C. early adopter cities

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:10:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Chevrolet , GM , Green Daily , Washington DC Auto Show GM’s Ed Peper At the Washington Auto Show this morning, GM outlined its plan for getting America ready for the Chevy Volt. GM has been looking at which cities are the most prepared for and has people who are the most interested in a plug-in vehicle, and singled out San Francisco and Washington, D.C. as two locations where the General is focusing its roll-out efforts. Working with local governments, electric utilities, regulators and other players, GM is setting the stage with a holistic approach: finding ways to provide incentives to purchase the Volt, creating workplace charging infrastructure, HOV-lane access possibility, potentially changing building codes to allow vehicle charging stations to be built, and more. GM will replicate these efforts in other parts of the country. As all this is happening on the outside, GM North America president Ed Peper said that Volt development is continuing uninterrupted and GM is still on track to introduce the car late next year. More details after the jump. Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal, also announced that The Volt won the Green Car Journal’s Green Car Vision Award. Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt Continue reading DC Auto Show: GM announces plan for Volt introduction, San Francisco, D.C. early adopter cities DC Auto Show: GM announces plan for Volt introduction, San Francisco, D.C. early adopter cities originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

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Detroit 2009: E85-powered Mustang, the HP2g, gearing up for the Auto X Prize

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:01:00 +0000

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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BYD may license Fe batteries to other automakers

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:04:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , European Union , Japan , China , USA , BYD Click above for high-res image gallery of BYD’s PHEVs BYD , the Chinese car and battery company who are now at the Detroit Auto Show with their “Dual mode” hybrids and e6 all-electric MPV (above) have made it known that they may be willing to license their inexpensive battery tech to other automakers. Indeed, they have already been fielding inquiries from Japanese, European and American firms. They say their “Fe battery,” thought to be a lithium iron phosphate ( LiFePO 4 ) formulation, costs less than half of what typical lithium ion batteries cost, and are safer and longer lasting. Their downside is that they can not hold as much energy and can add greatly to the weight of an electric vehicle. The BYD e6, for example, needs 1323 lbs of “Fe battery” to achieve its 249-mile range whereas the Tesla Roadster power pack weighs in at about 900 lbs. Despite that shortcoming we think this may be a decent solution for the right sort of vehicle and expect someone might take them up on it. Gallery: Detroit 2009: BYD F6DM and F3DM Gallery: Beijing 2008: BYD e6 [Source: Reuters UK ] BYD may license Fe batteries to other automakers originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

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BYD may license Fe batteries to other automakers

24 hours left to vote in the ABG Best of Detroit poll

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Auto Blog: Etc. , AutoblogGreen Exclusive We’re having fun watching the results come in for the AutoblogGreen reader poll of the best vehicle from the Detroit Auto Show. We have our own top picks , but this site isn’t just about us. It’s about you, and any friends who you want to email (or Twitter or txt msg or whatever) and tell them to give your favorite car from the show that extra push. To give everyone a fair heads-up, we’ll be closing the poll in 24 hours (at 5 pm EST on Friday), and then we’ll know for sure what the collective wisdom of the group picks for the top spot. Will the Cadillac Converj keep its lead over the new Insight? Earlier, the race was neck and neck (just two votes), but the Converj is now up by about 40. I’m sure there’s some Insight fan with 40 friends out there, isn’t there? Or maybe a Prius fanboy army that can get 150 fans to move that icon to the top of the list? In any case, we’re counting on you and your internet circle of friends to make this a contest. Click here to get started. 24 hours left to vote in the ABG Best of Detroit poll originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:44:00 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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Almost 70 plug-in vehicles will take part in Inaugural Parade West

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Green Culture , Green Daily When Plug In America first announced their ” Inaugural Parade West: Plug In, America! ” that’s taking place in Santa Monica this weekend, they were hoping about 30 vehicles would take part. They underestimated interest. An update PIA sent out this week says that 68 vehicles are now confirmed to roll through Santa Monica on Saturday, all broadcasting the message that there are a lot of people out there who want plug-in vehicles. The vehicle line-up is pretty much a who’s who of currently (and previously) available electric cars: RAV4 EVs, Tesla Roadsters, an eBox, an iMiEV, a PHEV Escape, and a Porsche and a Geo Metro converted to run on battery power, plus more. Surprises include SUTs from Phoenix (we don’t see these out and about much) and an electric Chevy S-10. Celebrity guests/speakers include “Who Killed the Electric Car?” director Chris Paine and California State Senator Fran Pavley. Click past the jump for details. [Source: Plug In America] Continue reading Almost 70 plug-in vehicles will take part in Inaugural Parade West Almost 70 plug-in vehicles will take part in Inaugural Parade West originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

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Almost 70 plug-in vehicles will take part in Inaugural Parade West

Michigan man creates electric Bug, hopes to commercialize

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:16:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Volkswagen , USA We’ve seen electric Bugs before, and we’re likely to keep seeing them in the future for a variety of reasons. First, the platform is cheap and VeeDub sold so many of the little rear-engined buggers that there are lots of them to be had. Second, the air-cooled drivetrain is dead simple and is contained all in one little place, making conversions a relatively simple affair. Last, but certainly not least, the Beetle’s light weight – much of which is due to its unique body-on-pan construction – makes for an excellent platform for an electric car. The latest such Bug EV is called the Lightning Bug and comes courtesy of an aftermarket golf cart manufacturer from Michigan named Dale King. With the recent business slowdown, King has had enough time to concentrate on the electric vehicle project and has reportedly spent just $13K to create a vehicle that’s capable of hitting 70 miles per hour for distances of up to 100 miles. Those are pretty good specs for a conversion, but we’re left wondering what kind of motor, batteries or controller are being used. Whatever the case, King would like to begin commercializing the product, so we may know more in time. Thanks for the tip, Steve ! [Source: MLive ] Michigan man creates electric Bug, hopes to commercialize originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:16:00 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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Detroit 2009: the ugliest Tesla Roadster you’ve ever seen

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:36:00 +0000

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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