Report: GM orders cells for 100,000 hybrids

Hitachi Limited in Japan is set to spend an estimated Y20-30billion to boost production capacity for lithium-ion batteries as it targets a 70-fold increase in production capacity by 2015.

The report in the Nikkei suggests that the company will raise capacity by 600 per cent next autumn on the back of receiving enough orders of lithium-ion batteries for 100,000 hybrid cars from General Motors Corporation.

In an effort to win orders from domestic and overseas car makers, the company will now bolster its capacity as each vehicle is typically equipped with 30-50 lithium-ion batteries.

It will also mass produce two new types of lithium-ion batteries for use in the next generation hybrid cars that are half the weight and size of conventional nickel-metal hydride offerings and make significant improvements to output density. 

General Motors has contracted Hitachi to provide the cells for its second generation belt alternator starter mild hybrid system.

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China raises fuel prices by 10%

For the third time in recent months, drivers in China are finding themselves shelling out more each time they fill the tank. In China, retail fuel prices are regulated, just as other aspects of life are. As of this week, gasoline is at $3 per gallon in China, bringing it above prices in the United States.

For many years, the Chinese government has held gas prices down to avoid hurting economic growth in the country. The prices are regulated by the National Development and Reform Commission. Prices jumped 6-7 percent a month ago and 3-5 percent in March.

Increasing fuel prices may hurt overall sales of new cars but it may also stimulate demand for more efficient cars. This could help to address some of the severe pollution problems that afflict China’s big cities.

[Source: Gasgoo]

Filed under: Legislation and Policy, China

China raises fuel prices by 10% originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz B-Class B170 BlueEfficiency Sport road test

When it comes to building greener cars, everyone's at it. Even premium carmakers like Mercedes-Benz are jumping on the bandwagon, with the launch of its Blue Efficiency range of cars. However, unlike most other manufacturers, Mercedes has decided to tweak its petrol-powered cars, rather than its diesels. It does this by the addition of a stop/start mechanism, as found in models from the likes of BMW. This new system will initially be found in A-, B- and C-Class models, but it's likely that it will be rolled out on to other models in the future, starting with the E-class in 2010.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class consumer car reviews
Mercedes-Benz B-Class lease prices
Mercedes-Benz B-Class new and nearly new

This new BlueEfficiency model has been tweaked by Mercedes engineers to return better fuel economy and emit less carbon dioxide – but not by a huge amount. On the combined cycle, the B170 consumes 44.1mpg (an improvement of 2.6mpg) and CO2 emissions are an unspectacular 156g/km (a cut of 7g/km), placing it in Band G for road tax (£150 per year). When you compare these figures to those recorded by some of the competition – the BMW 116d's 64.2mpg and 118g/km, the Ford Focus Econetic's 65.7mpg and 114g/km, or the VW Golf Bluemotion's 68.9mpg and 107g/km – you realise that Mercedes has some way to go. And it's not as if you'll get much of your money back on a B170 when you come to sell, either: residual values for the B-Class have traditionally been pretty low, so they've become known as something of a bargain as a second-hand car.

Read the full Mercedes-Benz B-Class B170 BlueEfficiency Sport road test

RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.

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Plug In America criticizes CARB loophole that could help BMW with its MINI E

MINI E - click above for high-res image gallery

BMW has gotten a lot of press (some bad) for their MINI E project. Even though the all-electric car comes with a plug, the plug-in advocacy group Plug In America (PIA) has a problem with the way that the Bavarians might be able to get a lot of legislative good will without really putting EVs on the road for good.

PIA released a statement (read it after the jump) that criticizes CARB’s loophole that could allow BMW to get as many Zero Emission Vehicle credits for the one-year lease of the electric cars as it would for a standard vehicle production program. PIA’s legislative director, Jay Friedland, said that, “CARB is allowing BMW to game the system by accruing the maximum number of ZEV credits with the least amount of effort.” Friedland said that lease-only programs are what led to the EV crush-fest in the 1990s, something that long-time PIA members still remember as a real slap in the face. PIA wants BMW to only get the credits if the MINI Es are also offered for sale.

Another criticism of the lease program is that, according to CARB, when the June 30 deadline got closer and closer, BMW began:

dumping dozens of cars into municipal fleets to be leased for only $10 a month, most recently pulling some of those vehicles from retail consumers who had been willing to pay full price and complied with the nearly 8-month process required to get one of the cars.

Not long ago, we heard that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department got a good deal on some MINI Es.

CARB’s response was to say that it will look at its regulations next year and that “we’ve urged BMW to consider extending that one-year lease.” Undoubtedly, there will be more to come on this.

Gallery: MINI E

[Source: PIA, Reuters]

Continue reading Plug In America criticizes CARB loophole that could help BMW with its MINI E

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, BMW, Legislation and Policy

Plug In America criticizes CARB loophole that could help BMW with its MINI E originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aixam Mega - Government failing on electric vehicles

Electric vehicle maker Aixam Mega; which owns the NICE brand in the UK, has called on the government to rethink its policy on electric cars and vans.

They believe that a report published today by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) will add considerable weight that government policy is at odds with its green plans.

The document is a review of the progress that has been made to date on sustainable development, and it provides details of how the 2005 government strategy 'Securing the Future' has failed in several areas, notably its aim to bring about a reduction in greenhouse gases of 20 per cent by 2010. The report states that when trade and travel is taken into account emissions have actually risen.

What is the problem?

Axiam Mega believe that the government’s sole focus on distant new green technologies rather than technology currently available is a mistake, the French manufacturer even states that its products are being deliberately excluded in the current spate of electric car trials.

Aixam Mega general manager Lawrence Holland says that the company has been willing to take part in various initiatives, including the scrappage scheme and the recently announced electric vehicle trials in major towns and cities, but has been refused each time.

He said: "We have been told that this is because our vehicles are legally described as quadricycles, rather than as cars, owing to their lighter weight, and lower power output.

"In terms of the environmental agenda, this is a nonsensical distinction to be making.

"We make vehicles for private motorists and a range of trucks and vans which have a wide range of practical applications in an urban environment. They meet all the UK government's own criteria for electrics in terms of speed, safety, emissions, range and recyclability.

"The government's own estimates show that 22 per cent of the UK's carbon emissions come from transport, and that the widespread adoption of electric vehicles capable of a range of 50km or more could cut carbon emissions from road transport by half. By allowing commercially ready vehicles such as ours onto their programmes, the government could make real progress towards achieving its carbon reduction targets."

There is little to doubt that Axiam Mega, as well as other quadricycle manufacturers, is being unfairly excluded from government trials and funding.

Is it not time that a fully integrated transport solution is looked at? Including a variety of public and private transport options, from hybrid buses to electric quadricycles.

Let us know your thoughts below.

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Ford could electrify 10-25 percent of its fleet by 2020

Ford Escape PHEV - Click above for high-res image gallery

With Ford taking on a $5.9 billion loan from the DOE and President Obama in favor of a million plug-in vehicles by 2015, how might the money help Ford put plugs on upcoming vehicles. Ford was quite clear that the DOE money will be used to improve the fuel efficiency of 13 models and get them on roads soon, but the medium-term plans do call for more outlets. Speaking to Reuters recently, Ford’s director of hybrid vehicle programs, Nancy Gioia, predicted that “from 10 to 25 percent” of Ford’s vehicles will be electrified in some way by 2020. The first step is to convince drivers that plugging in makes sense. For this, Ford is working with utilities around the U.S. to gather data on driver behavior with plug-ins, especially with the Escape plug-in hybrid. As Ford CEO Alan Mulally said last week, “We cannot do it alone.”

Gallery: Washington 2009: Ford Escape PHEV

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Reuters]

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Ford

Ford could electrify 10-25 percent of its fleet by 2020 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EPA proposes stronger air quality standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has put forward revisions to the nitrogen oxide (NO2) air quality standard in what would be the first adjustment since 1971.

The proposals would add a one hour NO2 standard as well as additional monitoring requirements that aim to protect public health by reducing exposure to high, short-term concentrations of NO2. The proposals will also ensure that NO2 concentrations remain below levels that can cause public health problems.

According to existing scientific evidence, NO2 exposures, ranging from 30 minutes to 24hours, can cause respiratory problems, particularly for people with asthma.

Concentrations in vehicles and near major roads tend to be higher than those that are measured in the current network. Indeed in-vehicle concentrations can be as high as two-three times more than those measured as nearby community wide monitors. Near road concentrations have been measured at anything from 30-100 per cent higher than concentrations away from major roads. As a consequence individuals who spend time on or near major roads can experience short-term NO2 exposures.

Now, the EPA has proposed that for the first time, a one-hour NO2 standard at a level between 80 and 100 parts per billion (ppb) be implemented. It wants to see the current annual average NO2 standard of 53ppb retained and wants to add NO2 monitoring within 50 metres of major roads in cities with at least 350,000 residents.

After the proposal is published in the Federal Register, the EPA will accept public comments for 60 days.

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