Should the U.S. institute a vehicle scrapping plan?
Last month, Germany reported a shocking 21 percent improvement in auto sales, and the greatest driver in the uptick was a used vehicle scrapping plan that pays drivers 2,500 euros ($3,150) to remove their old car from the road. With new car sales in most other countries down by at least that much, it was widely speculated that other governments would look closely at Germany’s new system to see if it would be worth adopting in their areas. An opinion piece at Automotive News (sub. req’d) suggests that it’s time for the United States to implement its own vehicle scrapping program. President Obama’s recently-passed economic stimulus plan does contain provisions that are intended to help spur new vehicle sales, but has nothing as dramatic as what’s been enacted in Germany. Such a plan would certainly spark major debate as to the environmental benefits and drawbacks of replacing older cars with new ones. One one hand, new cars feature engines that generally use less fuel and definitely emit less pollutants. On the other hand, the production of cars in general creates its own emissions and uses lots of power. What do you think: With signs pointing towards a possible sales recovery in the U.S., is now the right time to give the market an extra kick with a scrapping plan? [Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd | Photo: nico.cavallotto ] Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy , Green Daily , Germany , USA Should the U.S. institute a vehicle scrapping plan? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:06:00 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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Should the U.S. institute a vehicle scrapping plan?
Honda factories get EPA Energy Star Awards
While a study came out a couple of years ago that compared the environmental impact of the Hummer H2 and the Toyota Prius has been repeatedly debunked , it did raise an important issue while it twisted and manipulated facts: it takes energy to produce and sell a new vehicle. A lot of energy. Over the last several years, all automakers have been working diligently to reduce the energy required in their manufacturing processes, both for environmental and cost reasons. With sales falling and energy costs rising, making plants more energy efficient is critical to financial survival. Honda has just earned 2008 Energy Star awards from the EPA for three of its plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio and Lincoln, Alabama. The Ohio factories earned perfect scores of 100 on the evaluation. All three plants have implemented new control systems in the paint shops that have reduced energy consumption by 25 percent while maintaining the quality of the finishes. Other changes have included reprogramming machines to use less energy during down-time. Honda produces 77 percent of the vehicles sold in North America in plants in the United States and Canada, greatly reducing the transportation costs and energy consumption as well. [Source: Honda] Continue reading Honda factories get EPA Energy Star Awards Auto Blog: Manufacturing/Plants , Honda Honda factories get EPA Energy Star Awards originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Honda to build cellulosic ethanol research facility
One alternative fuel area where Japanese automakers have shown comparatively little interest, until recently, is biofuels. Toyota has announced plans to offer a flex-fuel version of the Tundra and Honda offers flex-fuel Civics in Brazil. Toyota also recently announced a cellulosic ethanol partnership . Honda has now announced plans to build a new R&D facility in Japan that will focus on producing biofuels from non-food feedstocks. The 1,050 m 2 lab is expected to be completed and operating by November of this year. Honda has been working with the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth since 2006 and began operating an experimental production facility in 2007. So far, Honda hasn’t given any indication that it will offer any flex-fuel vehicles in the U.S. market. Perhaps now that Honda has backed off from its plans to offer diesels in the U.S. market and only plans to offer hybrids in small cars, we may start to see the company embrace ethanol. [Source: Honda] Continue reading Honda to build cellulosic ethanol research facility Auto Blog: Ethanol , Honda Honda to build cellulosic ethanol research facility originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Honda to build cellulosic ethanol research facility
Chevy Volt wins environmental prize at Festival Automobile International
A jury at the Festival International Automobile has selected the Chevrolet Volt for the 2009 Environmental Grand Prize. The jury at the French festival is comprised of artists, media and auto industry representatives and selected winners in multiple categories including the new Alfa Romeo MiTo mini car which chosen as the most beautiful car of 2008. The festival this year looked at the car in light of the current economic environment and festival president Remi Depoix said “Designers, engineers and marketing people in the automotive business will have to come up with new valid responses to this new paradox: to conceive an automobile answering new expectations and new requirements without compromising on charm.” Whether or not the Volt meets that no-compromises charm target is still debatable, but it certainly has the potential to break new ground in the technical department. The real question will be whether it can succeed on a commercial level whether the economy turns around or not. Only time will tell the answer to that question. Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt [Source: General Motors ] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , GM Chevy Volt wins environmental prize at Festival Automobile International originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:01:00 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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Chicago 2009: Hyundai CEO says Green is Good, Greed is Bad
Hyundai Motor America CEO and President John Krafcik gave the keynote speech at the Midwest Automotive Media Association’s kickoff breakfast yesterday morning at the Chicago Auto Show . He called his talk “Preparing for a Revolution,” and made a few admissions worth noting. Krafcik declared the “greed is good” era no longer welcome. The excesses that defined the time between the ’80s and 2008ish, “may finally be at a close. The current global economic crisis has paved the way for significant change,” he said. Then there was this: For the most part, our industry has a history of opposing environmental and safety legislation – sometimes with the force of science and good sense behind us, such as the early California EV mandate, but other times with a much weaker platform of defense. Many Americans believe that our fighting these issues is done strictly for own best interests, which run contrary to those of our country’s, and our society’s. As a result, we are painted with a broad brush as bad guys who care little about our own customers and the world we live in. Krafcik believes that the auto industry has earned its “horrible” reputation but they can still turn things around. How will this happen? By owning up to past mistakes and making great, safe vehicles and being more disciplined financially. The other potential savior? Fuel efficiency. Here’s the pertinent quote: Another revolutionary step we can take is to embrace improved fuel economy as an indisputable social good. There’s really no point in arguing about the veracity of climate change when you stop to consider the finite supply of oil, and the turmoil that our present consumption habit is fueling in the Middle East. It’s abundantly clear that improved fuel economy makes sense for our industry and for our country. As an industry, we need to take a longer term view of our environmental strategies. That means stepping up and getting ahead of the regulators where that makes sense. We think that time is now. You can Car Blog Greenthe prepared text of Krafcik’s speech after the jump. [Source: Hyundai] Continue reading Chicago 2009: Hyundai CEO says Green is Good, Greed is Bad Auto Blog: Etc. , Hyundai , Chicago Auto Show Chicago 2009: Hyundai CEO says Green is Good, Greed is Bad originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:55:00 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
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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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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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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Audi R15 TDI spotted testing for the first time in Spain
The much-anticipated Audi R15 TDI has finally be spotted for the first time during a secret test at the Vallelunga track in Spain. Audi has been keeping a tight lid on the R15 since announcing it last November. Aside from that announcement about running the new car at Sebring and Le Mans this year, no other information has been provided. Unlike the Peugeot 908, the R15 retains the open top layout of its R10 and R8 predecessors. Aerodynamically, the R15 appears to be a big step forward from the R10 with a whole new front end look. The central portion of the nose is significantly wider and higher, closer to the look of a Formula One car. The rear body work has also been significantly changed relative to the R10, with much lower sides similar to the new Acura ARX-02a that will also debut at Sebring. Audi has confirmed the R15 will have a smaller, lighter diesel engine than the R10 along with other technical innovations, but details are unknown at this time. One possibility is the incorporation of a hybrid KERS setup to provide an on-demand power boost. Audi won’t publicly show the R15 until it rolls off the transporter at Sebring next month. [Source: AutoSport ] Auto Blog: Diesel , Audi , Racing Audi R15 TDI spotted testing for the first time in Spain originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:37:00 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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USDA and EPA talking about raising ethanol blend in gasoline
Auto Blog: Ethanol , Legislation and Policy , USA Photo by dichohecho . Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0. To say that ethanol raises some people’s hackles is an understatement. Still, even with the controversy and the downturn , American ethanol policy may be moving forward. Bloomberg is reporting that new Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has started talks between his department, the USDA, and the Environmental Protection Agency focused on raising the amount of ethanol that is blended in gasoline in the U.S. For those with short memories, Vilsack used to be the governor of Iowa, a state that grows its fair share of corn. While the Bloomberg report does not mention if Vilsack differentiated between cellulosic or corn-based ethanol, he did say that increasing the blend amounts would be “one way in the short term to create new opportunities [for ethanol].” Since all large-scale ethanol prodution in the U.S. at this point is corn-based, we have to assume Vilsack is referring to that type of biofuel. [Source: Bloomberg ] USDA and EPA talking about raising ethanol blend in gasoline originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:40:00 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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