Super-light electric concept revealed

A new electric vehicle prototype weights half the average weight of a conventional electric vehicle.
Designed and built by Japanese manufacturing firm, Teijin, the new concept weighs just 437kg, much less than a smart fortwo at 750kg. The PU_PA EV (as in 'pupa electric vehicle,' a reference to metamorphosis) is designed to embody the firms [...]
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Report: Prius tops Japan's March sales list, wait time back up to six months

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Japan

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

Even with Toyota’s unintended acceleration issues, it really should come as no surprise that the Toyota Prius tops the sales charts once again. The perennial best-selling hybrid has kept its perch near the top of the leader-board for years. Just days ago, we reported that the Prius was the best-selling hybrid vehicle in the U.S. for the month of March, no surprise there. Now comes word that the Prius is the best selling car in Japan for the same month.

The Prius is not only the best-selling hybrid in Japan, it’s the best-selling vehicle, period. March numbers show that the Toyota Prius has now accrued 277,485 sales in a twelve-month period. The Prius has held onto that top spot in Japan for 11 months now, no small feat. High sales of the Prius are partly attributed to large government incentives given to purchasers of fuel efficient vehicles in Japan.

Trailing behind the Prius in second place is the Honda Fit. This small-sized offering also offers up strong fuel economy and a competitive price. Still, the Fit trails the Prius by a wide margin in sales in the last twelve months only racking up 173,154 units sold. In fact, the Prius is so popular in Japan that the waiting list stands at a reported six months right now!

[Source: Detroit News]

Report: Prius tops Japan’s March sales list, wait time back up to six months originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London library benefits from electric van

The City of London Corporation has become one of the first local authorities to benefit from the Department for Transport's (DfT) Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme (LVCVPP), after it took delivery of an all-electric van.
The van produced by Allied Electric, is a battery-powered adapted Peugeot Boxer, capable of travelling over 100 miles and can [...]
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Report suggests fuel tax better than higher mpg standards for heavy duty vehicles

Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Legislation and Policy

Passenger cars and light-duty trucks will be subjected to stringent new emission standards in the near future. Heavy-duty vehicles are not being left out of the mix and will have their own regulations intended to slowly lead to cleaner vehicles delivering goods across the nation. That’s a good thing.

However, there is dispute over how best to achieve the goal of cleaning up the nation’s fleet of heavy-duty vehicles. On one hand, the Environmental Protection Agency believes that regulating emissions is the best way to clean up the notoriously dirty vehicles. On the other hand, research shows that a fuel tax may be the best answer.

A report released by the National Research Council (NRC) concludes that a fuel tax is is the simplest, most efficient way to reach clean air goals. The study finds that, while regulations on future heavy-duty vehicles is certainly beneficial, the regulations will have virtually no impact on the hundreds of thousands of old, inefficient heavy-duty vehicles that are likely to remain on our roads for decades.

The NRC study shows that a fuel tax would force companies to be efficient in planning routes, delivering items and driving in a manner that conserves fuel. The fuel tax would also affect all heavy-duty vehicles, no matter how old or outdated. Another reason for the NRC to suggest a fuel tax rather than strong regulations is cost. The NRC report shows that new, efficient, high-tech diesel engines costs on average $23,000 more than gasoline engines. In an industry where profit margins are slim, footing this additional upfront cost is not easy and it’s argued that since a fuel tax is spread out through the life of the vehicle, the costs are easier to cope with. Whether it’s a fuel tax or stringent regulations, one thing is certain, the nation’s fleet of dirty, workhorses will have to clean up their act soon.

[Source: National Research Council, Green Car Advisor]

Report suggests fuel tax better than higher mpg standards for heavy duty vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Garia announces Soleil de Minuit limited edition golf cart - and you thought $17,500 was expensive

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

Garia Soleil de Minuit - Click above for high-res image gallery

Just a few months ago (in early December 2009), the “World’s Most Exclusive Golf Cart” was the new Garia vehicle that is priced $17,499 or 13,999 Euros, plus tax and delivery. Now, though, we know that even this absurd price for an all-electric golf cart can be nearly tripled thanks to the new Garia Soleil de Minuit limited edition. The golf cart for the insane will be unveiled at the Top Marques Monaco 2010 starting April 15. How much will the new Soleil de Minuit cost? A smooth $52,000 or €39,000. Yes, that’s $52,000.

That price leaves us little choice but to believe Garia’s claim that the Soleil de Minuit is “the most expensive golf car ever made by a manufacturer.” What would possibly make someone interested in this way-overpriced monster? Well, it’s made at Valmet Automotive, which is where the Porsche Cayman, Porsche Boxster and Think City are made. Aside from the pedigree, the cart:

features carbon roof, one-of custom paint tailored to enhance all design features on The Garia, two-colored hand-stitched luxury seats, alcantara roof lining and numerous hand-made details to create a truly unique luxury golf car.

Of course, there’s also a built-in refrigerator and the ability to have the cart painted whatever color you want, you know, to match your other cars. We’d get ours in Grey Poupon yellow.

Gallery: Garia Soleil de Minuit Limited Edition Golf Cart

[Source: Garia]

Continue reading Garia announces Soleil de Minuit limited edition golf cart - and you thought $17,500 was expensive

Garia announces Soleil de Minuit limited edition golf cart - and you thought $17,500 was expensive originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fuel economy standards established

The US Department of Transportation, along with the US Environmental Protection Agency, have announced increasingly stringent fuel economy standards as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Corporate Average Fuel Economy programme and the Clean Air Act for 2012-2016.
The standards outline the following:
- Car makers must improve fleet-wide fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas [...]
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Can plug-in vehicles make any money before they become outmoded?

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

Nissan Leaf EV - Click above for high-res image gallery

Writing on the AltEnergyStocks site, John Peterson tries to make the case that plug-in vehicles are a bad investment for automakers and are unlikely to be profitable anytime in the foreseeable future, certainly not before they are obsolete. Considering the issue purely from a business case perspective, Peterson is very likely correct, at least for the first generation or two. Cars like the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt will almost certainly be money losers for the lifecycle of the first-generation models (for its part, Nissan says they will make a profit off of the Leaf, though it isn’t going into details). However, without the creation of money-losing first-generation models, it would be hard to get to subsequent iterations with improved technology, lower manufacturing costs and higher volumes, thus bringing the costs down.

Peterson also argues that battery makers are overvalued and at “nosebleed” levels, and specifically mentions A123 Systems and Ener1. While both companies may well be overvalued based on their current stock prices - $13.67 for A123 and $4.40 for Ener1 - from where we sit, these hardly qualify as nosebleed and are well below their peaks of the past year. Both of those companies also have new battery plants opening this year, not 2012 and beyond as Peterson says in his article.

In general, it’s certainly hard to make a viable economic case for first-generation plug-in vehicles based on fuel savings and cost of the vehicles, but if batteries are ever going to progress, this is a step that needs to be taken. It may well turn out that plug-in vehicles never turn out to be the best solution, but if no one tries, it won’t ever be known.

[Source: AltEnergyStocks]

Can plug-in vehicles make any money before they become outmoded? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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