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Geneva 2009: Ford Tourneo Connect BEV concept

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:04:00 +0000

Click the Tourneo Connect BEV for a high res gallery When Ford announced at last month’s Chicago Auto show that it would collaborating with Smith Electric Vehicles to bring an electric version of the Transit connect van to the U.S. market in 2010, they didn’t actually bring a sample along. Here in Geneva the automaker did have a vehicle much like the one we will get. The Tourneo BEV is the low roof passenger version of the Transit Connect but the important bits of this concept are what will appear in the TC EV. The wheels get drive torque supplied by an AC induction motor and the electrons are stored in a lithium iron phosphate battery pack. Dan Jenkins from Smith declined to reveal who the cell supplier is or will be. A similar Transit Connect EV will be sold by Smith in Europe beginning this fall. Gallery: Geneva 2009: Ford Tourneo Connect BEV Continue reading Geneva 2009: Ford Tourneo Connect BEV concept Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Ford , Geneva Motor Show Geneva 2009: Ford Tourneo Connect BEV concept originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Geneva 2009: Ford Tourneo Connect BEV concept

Toyota announces 150 plug-in Prius hybrids are coming to Europe in 2009

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:17:00 +0000

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Toyota Prius Toyota Motor Europe CEO Tadashi Arashima has announced that Europe will get 150 plug-in Priuses this year, followed by another 350 in 2010. These PHEV units will be used for testing purposes and will not be available for the masses. Even better news from ToMoCo: 2012 will see the introduction of an all-electric vehicle. Toyota could use the plug-in help to meet its self-set goal of average corporate CO 2 emissions of 140 g/km, including Lexus offerings, this year and drop to between 120 and 130 g/km before the mandatory limit comes dues in 2015 . Arashima also said that, since the price of diesel cars will climb significantly with the introduction of the Euro V and VI anti-pollution rules, diesel vehicles won’t be as attractive to buyers who might also consider a hybrid vehicle. He did acknowledge that diesels will continue to be significant in European markets. [Source: Automotive News (subs. req'd)] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Toyota , Europe/EU Toyota announces 150 plug-in Prius hybrids are coming to Europe in 2009 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:17:00 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 announces 150 plug-in Prius hybrids are coming to Europe in 2009

Geneva 2009: Ford’s all-electric Tourneo Connect

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:10:00 +0000

Click above for a gallery of Ford Tourneo BEV Ford couldn’t be bothered to actually bring a battery-powered version of the Transit Connect to the Chicago Auto Show last month (but they did show off four gasoline-powered versions and announced the BEV there). People visiting the Geneva Motor Show will get a more personal experience with Ford’s latest zero-emission vehicle when the Tourneo Battery Electric Vehicle concept makes an appearance there this week. The idea behind the passenger-friendly Tourneo BEV is to showcase how the battery-only powerplant can be used to ferry people as well as freight. The powertrain for both models was co-developed by Ford and Smith EV and features a 21 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery pack, a 50 kW permanent magnet motor, and a single-speed transmission. That’s good for a 160-km (100-mile) range and top speeds of about 113 km/h (70 mph). A full charge takes 6-8 hours. These numbers are exactly the same as those announced for the electric Transit Connect . Gallery: Ford Tourneo Connect BEV [Source: Ford ] Continue reading Geneva 2009: Ford’s all-electric Tourneo Connect Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Ford , Geneva Motor Show , Green Daily Geneva 2009: Ford’s all-electric Tourneo Connect originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:10:00 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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Geneva 2009: Ford’s all-electric Tourneo Connect

Ford Transit Connect EPA numbers come in above expectations, 22/25 mpg

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:07:00 +0000

Click the Transit Connect for a high res gallery When Ford announced a couple of weeks ago that it was ready to start selling the compact Transit Connect van in the U.S. the final EPA mileage numbers were not yet available. At the time the company estimated that the TC would be rated at 20 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway. The Feds have now finished crunching the test data and the TC came in a bit better, now scoring 22 mpg around town and 25 on the open road. The Transit Connect will be on sale at Ford dealers this summer starting at $21,475, including destination. Gallery: 2010 Ford Transit Connect [Source: Ford] Continue reading Ford Transit Connect EPA numbers come in above expectations, 22/25 mpg Auto Blog: MPG , Ford Ford Transit Connect EPA numbers come in above expectations, 22/25 mpg originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Ford Transit Connect EPA numbers come in above expectations, 22/25 mpg

Transportation Secretary’s mileage tax idea never leaves the ground

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:19:00 +0000

Over the weekend, we heard that the new Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood (R), was considering implementing a tax on the number of miles people drive each year to raise the funds for road infrastructure. The idea was solidly rejected by our readers – and very quickly by the Obama Administration. One problem with a mileage tax, as Green Car Advisor points out, is that there is then no tax-based incentive to use less fuel. As the Washingto Post reports, the idea was pretty short-lived, with White House spokesman Robert Gibbs declaring: “It is not and will not be the policy of the Obama administration.” A higher fuel tax is the most likely option for a way to collect money to repair American roads. We’ll see if that idea has got longer legs than Lahood’s mileage tax. [Source: WaPo via Green Car Advisor ] Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy , USA Transportation Secretary’s mileage tax idea never leaves the ground originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:19:00 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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Transportation Secretary’s mileage tax idea never leaves the ground

Ford gets incentives from Michigan for EV battery development

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford Transit Connect The Michigan Economic Development Corporation has granted Ford Motor Company a $55 million incentive in refundable tax credits. The incentive will come from the new Michigan Advanced Battery Credits initiative and is supposed to help Ford push forward with its plans to introduce four new electric vehicles to the American market by 2012 . Lithium ion battery packs are likely to account for the bulk of the costs associated with developing usable electric vehicles. The first vehicle we are expecting to see from the Blue Oval is an all-electric van based on the Transit Connect platform , which should be ready by 2010. Next up, and probably more exciting to most consumers, will likely be a new electric compact car based on the next-gen Ford Focus platform and built in collaboration with Magna International. Expect that car to hit the market in limited quantities in 2011. A year later, Ford’s first plug-in hybrid models should be ready for public consumption as well. Gallery: 2010 Ford Transit Connect [Source: Ford] Continue reading Ford gets incentives from Michigan for EV battery development Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , Ford , Legislation and Policy Ford gets incentives from Michigan for EV battery development originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Ford confirms Transit Connect EV with Smith Electric for 2010

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:01:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Ford , Chicago Auto Show Click the Transit Connect for a high res gallery Ford has now confirmed that the new Transit Connect small van will form the basis for its first new battery electric vehicle that will launch in the second half of 2010. Ford is very excited about electric vehicles and we first learned that Ford planned to introduce a Transit Connect EV when the company’s viability plan was submitted to Congress in December. Since then, speculation has been rife about which vehicle would form the basis for the new EV, with most indicators pointing at either the Transit or Transit Connect. Part of the reason for that is that Smith Electric Vehicles of the UK has already developed battery-powered versions of both of those models. At a background briefing prior to the Chicago Auto Show, Ford’s VP of product development, Derrick Kuzak, revealed that Ford was working with Smith to bring the Transit Connect EV to market next year. While Kuzak declined to provide much detail on the vehicle specs, volumes or pricing, some hints can be gleaned from the Smith EV website . The model sold by Smith as the Ampere adds a 24 kWh lithiun ion-iron phosphate battery pack to the Transit Connect. The standard 2.0L four cylinder gas engine is replaced by a 50 kW electric motor. Together, these systems yield an expected range of about 100 miles on a charge and a top speed of 70 mph. The Ampere also has a payload capacity of 1,764 lbs. With that kind of payload, even a likely real world range that is considerably less than 100 miles shouldn’t do much to dampen the utility of such a vehicle for a lot of customers. At least at first the Transit Connect EV will only be offered to commercial operators. The rest of us will have to wait another year for the Focus-based EV . Gallery: 2010 Ford Transit Connect [Source: Ford] Continue reading Ford confirms Transit Connect EV with Smith Electric for 2010 Ford confirms Transit Connect EV with Smith Electric for 2010 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

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Montana could follow California on greenhouse gas rules

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:02:00 +0000

Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy Montana could soon become the latest state to adopt California emissions rules if a recently-introduced bill becomes law. California still hasn’t received the go-ahead from the EPA to even regulate carbon dioxide emissions but Montana Senate Bill 180 would make CO 2 a regulated pollutant. If the EPA reverses a late-2007 ruling, automakers will have to achieve a fleet average of 44 mpg by the end of the next decade in order to meet the California standards. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer supports the senate bill and sent a representative to testify at a recent hearing. While Montana would simply adopt the standards set by California, state regulators would have to ensure that automakers meet the standard in the state based on sales. The Montana bill would also extend beyond cars an regulate emissions from commercial and industrial sources. [Source: Green Car Congress ] Montana could follow California on greenhouse gas rules originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:02:00 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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Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:46:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Transportation Alternatives , Lightweight , USA Proterra has begun a 10-city “California Clean Bus Tour” with the unveiling of its EcoRide B35 all-electric transit bus in San Jose. The lightweight, composite-bodied people mover features the 10 minute recharge-capable TerraVolt[TM] Energy Storage System, said to be based around batteries from Altairnano , and motors from UQM Technologies . Its regenerative brakes can recapture up to 90 percent of the vehicle’s kinetic energy and help it achieve a range between 30 and 40 miles. Although, like many alternative drivetrains, it has a higher upfront pricetag than its diesel counterparts, the company estimates the difference can be absorbed well before the end of its expected 12-year life through lower energy and maintenance costs. Proterra also has a plug-in hydrogen fuel cell version of the bus that will begin service in Burbank this Spring. California has a mandate that dictates 15 percent of all buses added to fleets after 2011 be zero-emission vehicles. Founder and CTO of the Golden, Colorado company, Dale Hill says, “”The fact is, emissions free transit is not a ‘nice to have,’ it is a must have for clean, healthy communities across California and the U.S.” Indeed it is, Mr. Hill. Full press release after the break. [Source: Proterra ] Continue reading Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

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UK company goes for converted electric Ford Transit vans for landscaping duty

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:23:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Ford , UK Click above for high-res gallery of the converted Ford Transits If the smaller Ampere electric van (a converted Ford Transit Connect) just doesn’t offer enough carrying capacity for all your rakes and shovels, then take a page from Continental Landscapes. The UK-based company recently purchased four of the larger Transit vans for use in their landscaping business. Continental purchased two 4.6-ton Ford Transit beaver tail and two 3.5-tonne tippers, all of which were converted by the old hands at Smith Electric Vehicles and have lithium ion iron phosphate battery packs and a 90-kilowatt induction motor that provide a 100-mile range between charges. The vans have a top speed of 50 miles per hour. The reason for the purchases? A desire to reduce operating costs and emissions. The plan is to use these vans for about 5,000 miles each year, so the company should find out soon if this measure works. Gallery: Smith Electric Vehicles converted Ford Transits [Source: Nobull Communications] UK company goes for converted electric Ford Transit vans for landscaping duty originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

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