Officially official: Peugeot to offer re-badged Mitsubishi i MiEVs
While the partnership between Mitsubishi and Peugeot to bring electric vehicles to market has been officially official for some time, the deal we told you about that would see the Peugeot lion logo perched proudly on the nose of the Japanese automaker’s i MiEV hasn’t. Until now. On the eve of the unveiling of its ” Prototype iMiEV concept ” in Geneva comes word that the two have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would see them collaborating on vehicles based upon the iMiEV. We are guessing that the timing of this announcement and the imminent reveal of the slightly-upsized right-hand-drive prototype of the iMiEV is not coincidental. It is said that MiMoCo will be doing the manufacturing in Japan while the extra showroom floor space that Peugeot can offer in Europe should help boost sales volumes and keep costs down. While it is unknown what sort of sales targets the companies have for the car, we do know that GS Yuasa and Mitsubishi plan on making enough batteries for 10,000 i MiEVs once sales start with a doubling of that capacity within a year or two. As to what a Peugeot iMiEV will look like, until pictures are taken we can only lean on the magic of photoshop and present you the slightly altered image above. Press release after the break. [Source: Mitsubishi ] Continue reading Officially official: Peugeot to offer re-badged Mitsubishi i MiEVs Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Mitsubishi , Peugeot , Geneva Motor Show , Europe/EU Officially official: Peugeot to offer re-badged Mitsubishi i MiEVs originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Officially official: Peugeot to offer re-badged Mitsubishi i MiEVs
Geneva Preview: BMW X3 xDrive20d rescue vehicle, 36.2 mpg (U.S.)
Click for high-res images One of the many vehicles that will be debuting at the Geneva Motor Show this week is an emergency rescue version of the BMW X3. The rescue version is based on the X3 xDrive 20d which is powered by a 177 hp version of BMW’s 2.0L four cylinder diesel engine. Drive goes to the wheels through BMW’s torque vectoring xDrive all-wheel-drive system. Even in this SUV body, the diesel returns 36.2 mpg (U.S.). As expected of a rescue vehicle, it’s equipped with the usual array of equipment including lights, sirens and mountings for rescue equipment. Gallery: BMW X3 xDrive20d emergency rescue vehicle [Source: BMW] Continue reading Geneva Preview: BMW X3 xDrive20d rescue vehicle, 36.2 mpg (U.S.) Auto Blog: Diesel , BMW , Geneva Motor Show Geneva Preview: BMW X3 xDrive20d rescue vehicle, 36.2 mpg (U.S.) originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Geneva Preview: BMW X3 xDrive20d rescue vehicle, 36.2 mpg (U.S.)
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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Johnson Controls boss confident in li-ion tech, worries about supply base
Click the plug-in hybrid Escape for a high res gallery Michael Andrews, director-government affairs at Johnson Controls, is like most in the auto industry: he now believes that lithium ion battery technology will prove to be technologically viable. The problem as Andrews sees it is the manufacturing supply base. Currently, there is not much of a supply base to speak of in North America. If the industry is to go electric in any significant volumes that situation will have to change, and quickly. Aside from the Cobasys nickel metal hydride batteries used in the GM mild hybrid vehicles, all of the hybrids on sale right now have batteries sourced from overseas. According to Andrews, the big issue will be getting equipment for producing the anodes and cathodes at the heart of the cells. Several battery makers, including EnerDel and A123 Systems , have applied for government loans through the AVTM program in order to fund new U.S.-based manufacturing facilities. It will still take several years for those factories to come online; until that happens automakers will have to continue importing batteries, adding significantly to costs. Related: ABG First Impression: Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid w/Video AutoblogGreen Drives the HySeries Ford Edge and fuel cell Explorer Ford’s Nancy Gioia discusses hybrids and plug-ins Gallery: ABG First Drive: Ford Escape PHEV Gallery: Washington 2009: Ford Escape PHEV [Source: Ward's Auto World ] Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid Johnson Controls boss confident in li-ion tech, worries about supply base originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:51:00 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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Leave a commentToyota: Market wants hybrids, not sportscars
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Toyota Prius If the automaker’s presence at the last couple of Auto Shows (see Detroit , Chicago ) wasn’t enough to clue us in, Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter has spelled out the Japanese giant’s future product portfolio to Automotive News , saying, “Personally, I would love to have a sporty car, but it is pretty clear what the market is looking for right now.” So, just what is it that the market is looking for? Carter answers, “high-quality, fuel-efficient, low-impact-environment products.” Expect to see plenty of hybrids in the coming years from Toyota, kicked off later this year with the introduction of the 2010 Prius hybrid . A bit further down the line, Toyota says it will dive into fully electric vehicles . Looking beyond the electrification of Toyota’s line for a moment, we remember that the diminutive iQ is also on the horizon. We’ve also heard rumblings of an investment into cellulosic ethanol , though nothing definitive on that front has yet been announced, and the automaker has also continued to pledge its support for hydrogen . Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius [Source: Automotive News - sub. req.] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , Toyota Toyota: Market wants hybrids, not sportscars originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:58:00 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: Market wants hybrids, not sportscars
Posted in Auto Green, Hybrids | hybrid toyota, Hybrids, hybridtoyota, japanese, manufacturing, toyota-prius, toyotahybrid, toyotaiq | Leave a commentGet Approved!
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