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UPS deploys 300 CNG trucks in four states, now has 800 worldwide

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:50:00 +0000

UPS has announced the deployment of 300 new CNG-powered trucks in North America. The trucks have been deployed over the past month to Denver (43 units); Atlanta (46); Oklahoma City (100), and four cities in California: Sacramento (21), San Ramon (63), Los Angeles (9) and Ontario (18). This gives UPS a total of 800 vehicles across the company’s worldwide fleet that burn natural gas out of a total of 1,819 UPS vehicles that use alternative fuels. The alt-energy sources include CNG, liquefied natural gas, propane, electric and hybrid electric vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany (pictured), France, Brazil, Chile, Korea and the United Kingdom. These 300 vans were not converted vehicles but designed to be CNG-capable from the start. [Source: NGV ] Auto Blog: Natural Gas , USA UPS deploys 300 CNG trucks in four states, now has 800 worldwide originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:50:00 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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UPS deploys 300 CNG trucks in four states, now has 800 worldwide

Canada wants North American fuel efficiency standard

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice believes that there should be a single fuel efficiency standard for all countries in North America. He says, “At this point in the United States, it would appear as though they are headed toward a 35 mile a gallon standard by 2020 and that would start to come into effect in the 2011 model year. We’ve essentially been prepared to go in that same direction.” That 35 mpg standard is good enough for Canada if it’s good enough for the United States, right? It makes sense for automakers that sell their products across all of North America, especially to the U.S. domestic manufacturers that build hundreds of thousands of cars in Canada and Mexico each year. It’s not perfect, though, as California is moving to create its own fuel economy standards under the guise of greenhouse gas emissions regulations. “The first thing that has to happen, however, is that the United States has to land with their own domestic policy. It’s by no means clear how this will emerge from Congress over the course of the next year,” Prentice said. [Source: Reuters | Image: AlexCovarrubias C.C. 2.5] Auto Blog: MPG , Legislation and Policy , Green Daily , North America , USA Canada wants North American fuel efficiency standard originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 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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100,000 Apteras in 5 years?

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:54:00 +0000

It appears that a sizable chunk of the 32.7 million electric vehicles predicted to be roaming the streets in that report we told you about will be built by Aptera . 100,000 of them to be exact. That is, if the company’s ambitious goals are reached. In their latest newsletter , the number was slipped in alongside mention of 1,500 jobs they plan on creating in that same time span. With a pool of customers over 4,000 deep, months before the first one hits the road, and a 4-wheeled sedan on the way as well, these targets may seem a little high-reaching but doable. This latest dispatch is more content rich than those in the past and contains links to some of the press attention they’ve gotten since their high-profile TED appearance . It also reveals an expanded web presence. Yes, the flightless ones are now Twittering away about everything Aptera and even fielding some questions. Look back over their past tweets and find links to pics of their appearance at the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance or learn what one of these birds looks like in colors other than white. Enjoy. Gallery: Aptera 2e at TED [Source: Aptera ] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Aptera , USA 100,000 Apteras in 5 years? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:54:00 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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Kentucky Ford plant could build Kuga crossover

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:31:00 +0000

Click the Kuga for a high-res gallery Late in 2008, Ford revealed that it would be re-tooling several North American plants to build smaller vehicles that will be brought over from Europe over the next several years. One of those is a Louisville, Kentucky truck plant that was expected to make vehicles based off the European Focus. A Louisville TV station is reporting that sources have told them that one of the vehicles coming from the plant will be the Ford Kuga crossover. The Kuga was launched in Europe last year to very positive reviews. If the Kuga is offered in the U.S., its not clear if it will replace the Escape or supplement it. Either way it will make a stylish, smaller addition to Ford’s domestic lineup. Gallery: 2009 Ford Kuga Related: Geneva 2008: 2009 Ford Kuga arrives in Europe under diesel power [Source: WAVE3.com ] Auto Blog: Ford Kentucky Ford plant could build Kuga crossover originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:31:00 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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2009 Jetta TDI Cup to run on B5 biodiesel

admin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:20:00 +0000

Click the Jettas for a high res gallery from VIRginia International Raceway Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI Cup series will be returning to the racetracks of North America at the end of April with 30 diesel-powered sedans in the hands of young up and coming drivers. For this year’s sophomore season Volkswagen will be filling the tanks of the Jettas with B5 biodiesel. Houston, Texas-based Hyperfuels will be supplying the 5 percent biofuel blend for the cars which will consume about two tankfuls of fuel over the course of 10 races. The Syndiesel supplied by Hyperfuels has a 10 year shelf life addressing one of the biggest issues with some biodiesels, the tendency to go rancid after a period of time in storage. Volkswagen has approved B5 for use in all regular production diesel VW and Audi models. Just as it did last year, the Jetta TDI cup kicks off at VIRginia International Raceway April 24-26. Gallery: First Jetta TDI Cup race [Source: Volkswagen] Continue reading 2009 Jetta TDI Cup to run on B5 biodiesel Auto Blog: Biodiesel , Diesel , Volkswagen , Racing 2009 Jetta TDI Cup to run on B5 biodiesel originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:20:00 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

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:51:00 +0000

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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General Motors files Canadian restructuring plan, will build hybrid car

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:25:00 +0000

General Motors of Canada Ltd has followed its corporate parent in Detroit in filing a viability plan with the Canadian government. It contains the usual array of ideas about working with the Canadian Auto Workers union and cutting executive and salaried pay to cut costs. The plan also includes some upcoming product details. The Oshawa Ontario car assembly plant currently has two assembly lines. The so-called consolidated line will continue building the Impala out through 2013. The other line was recently re-tooled for flexible production to build the new Camaro, with Job 1 coming in March. Two years from now, the line is scheduled to add the convertible version. Later in 2011, that same flex line is scheduled to add a new short wheelbase mid-sized sedan followed by a long wheelbase model at the beginning of 2013. There has been no indication of which brand will get this car or what the model designation will be. A few months after launch a hybrid variant of that car will be launched, the first hybrid car produced in Canada. The short wheelbase mid-size model is likely to be the new Buick Regal, a re-grilled and badged version of the Opel Insignia that was recently unveiled in China. Since Buick has been announced as one of the core brands that GM will focus on in North America, the Regal is a likely choice. As for the hybrid, this will probably be an application of GM’s next generation mild hybrid that is expected to go into production in 2010. The press release is after the jump and the full plan can be found here. Gallery: Opel Insignia ecoFlex [Source: General Motors] Continue reading General Motors files Canadian restructuring plan, will build hybrid car Auto Blog: Hybrid , GM General Motors files Canadian restructuring plan, will build hybrid car originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:25:00 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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Audi’s new A4 allroad 2.0 TDI rated 36.75 mpg (U.S.), not for sale here

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:57:00 +0000

Click the A4 allroad quattro for a high res gallery Audi has just launched a new allroad variant of the A4 Avant wagon in Europe that applies the Subaru Outback approach to the German premium wagon. Like the A6 allroad that was launched some years ago, the A4 adds wheel flares and increased ride height for the psuedo-SUV look and 7.09 inches of ground clearance allowing you leap tall pebbles in a single bound. In spite of that increased frontal area and aerodynamic drag, the A4 still manages to post some pretty impressive mileage when equipped with the 170 hp 2.0L TDI diesel. The four cylinder diesel pushes the A4 allroad to 62 mph in 8.9 seconds and gets combined 36.75 mpg (U.S.) on the Euro combined drive cycle. This engine is a higher output variant of the engine in the VW Jetta TDI. The allroad is also available with a 2.0L TFSI gas four cylinder and the 3.0L TDI diesel V6 which still manages 33.1 mpg (U.S.) and bumps the 0-62 mph time down to 6.4 seconds. As far as we know, Audi has no current plans to offer the A4 allroad quattro here in North America. Gallery: Audi A4 allroad quattro [Source: Audi] Continue reading Audi’s new A4 allroad 2.0 TDI rated 36.75 mpg (U.S.), not for sale here Auto Blog: Diesel , Audi Audi’s new A4 allroad 2.0 TDI rated 36.75 mpg (U.S.), not for sale here originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Audi’s new A4 allroad 2.0 TDI rated 36.75 mpg (U.S.), not for sale here

Honda starts taking orders for new Insight in Japan

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Auto Blog: Hybrid , Honda Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Honda Insight The new 2009 Honda Insight is going on sale in Japan this week, starting at a base price of about $21,000. In Japan the rival Toyota Prius starts at about $25,700, so the Honda has a significant price advantage. Honda won’t be announcing U.S. pricing until closer to its April 22 on-sale date but it is expected to start under $20,000 here, perhaps as low as $19,000. Because of volatility in commodity pricing right now, Honda is waiting to set a price. The sales target for the Insight is 200,000 annually with half of those in North America and the rest split between Europe and Japan. Honda EVP Koichi Kondo acknowledged at the Japanese launch that the 100,000 sales figure in North America may not be met in the first year if the current sales slump doesn’t end soon. Related: ABG First Drive: 2010 Honda Insight, 63.4 mpg! Gallery: ABG First Drive: 2010 Honda Insight Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight [Source: Detroit News ] Live photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Honda starts taking orders for new Insight in Japan originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:21:00 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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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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