Two manufacturers beat EU emission targets

The European Union may have set a 130g/km fleet average carbon dioxide (CO2) emission target for 2012 – but two major car manufacturers have managed to hit the goal already.
Congratulations are due to both Toyota and Fiat – the former now averaging 127.9g/km for its fleet and the latter reaching 129.7g/km according to reports. The [...]
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Masdar City testing all-electric autonomous pod cars

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Middle East

Masdar City pod car - Click above to watch video after the jump

It appears that the “car-free” part of Masdar City’s plan doesn’t mean no cars whatsoever, just no gas-burning vehicles. We first wrote about Masdar back in 2007 and it’s a “zero carbon, zero waste, car-free city” dream that has not died quite yet. The latest technology that might be employed there is an all-electric, driver-free pod car built by a Dutch company called To Get There. Green Tech Media got video of the car being tested (watch it after the jump).

So far, city planners have ordered a dozen pod cars - eight standard units, two VIP models and two that will move freight instead of people. The EVs can go up to 25 miles per hour and go around 37 miles on a charge. RFID chips and sensors keep the vehicles on the road and stop them from hitting people. To keep everything as carbon neutral as possible, the cars’ batteries are charged from other batteries, which spend all day in the Abu Dhabi sun charging up. Wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity for Better Place to offer its services?

[Source: Green Tech Media, Masdar]

Continue reading Masdar City testing all-electric autonomous pod cars

Masdar City testing all-electric autonomous pod cars originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York City early adopter demand to far outstrip electric vehicle supply

Filed under: EV/Plug-in

How much does learning about an electric vehicle (EV) change the chance that someone will want to buy an EV? According to a study conducted for the City of New York’s comprehensive sustainability plan called PlaNYC, by 21 percent. Of course, they also found that 18 percent of the population wanted an EV less after learning more about them. Besides EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), PlaNYC looked at how moving more people onto the city’s money-saving public transportation and bicycles and getting more people to walk affect the city’s air quality. The city wants to understand these calculations because there is a goal in place to drop NYC’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels in 2030. Since transportation accounts for so much of these emissions, figuring out the impact of plug-in vehicles - and all of the other options people have to get around - is a huge and important task. Here’s how plug-in vehicles might play a role:

For those New Yorkers that will continue to rely on the automobile for their mobility needs, these electric vehicles can offer an improvement over gasoline vehicles in reducing both urban pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, helping to meet the City’s PlaNYC targets. And, although they are currently more expensive to purchase than gasoline-powered vehicles, electric vehicles offer the potential to save drivers significant sums of money over time, in fuel and maintenance savings - by some estimates, electric vehicles may be 40% to 70% cheaper to operate, depending on gasoline prices and how far a driver travels each year.

Also, this:

Most New Yorkers do not own a car, and those who do may not drive them as far, or as frequently, as in other parts of the country. In addition, many New Yorkers park their cars on the street or in commercial garages. As a result, it is unclear who the target market for the first EVs would be in New York City, how many EVs would be purchased, what the key factors and barriers would be for early adoption, and how EV usage would impact our electrical grid. It is also not clear what incentives - infrastructure investments, subsi- dies, or other actions - may be needed to promote EVs.

Finally:

There is a potentially large group of early adopters willing to change behavior to accommodate electric vehicles. A distinct population of “early adopters” is very positive about electric vehicles and willing to change habits to adapt to the requirements of electric vehicles. This may include, for example, switching from an on-street parking space to one in a local parking garage to access necessary charging infrastructure. The research also has found that New Yorkers’ attitudes, rather than their driving or parking behaviors, are strong indications of their willingness to adopt electric vehicles. … The research projects that, by 2015, up to 14-16% of all new vehicles purchased by New Yorkers could be electric vehicles. Despite this strong interest from early adopters, only limited numbers and types of electric vehicles are expected to be offered in the New York region to meet projected demand.

So, automakers, get thee some EVs to NYC. More details can be had by downloading the PDF. Thanks to lne937s for the tip!

[Source: PlaNYC]

New York City early adopter demand to far outstrip electric vehicle supply originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At Witz' End - Detroit 2010: Detroit recovers, Lutz pontificates

Filed under: GM, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Detroit Auto Show, At Witz End

Bob Lutz speaking at the 2009 LA Auto Show

Attending the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, my first as a journalist in 15 years, I was stunned by the excitement and optimism of the people involved and the depth and breadth of the product on display. “This is the Golden Age of the Automobile,” I thought.

That atmosphere prevailed until 2009, when the economy, the auto market and (many feared) the entire U.S. industry seemed to be crashing down around everyone’s ears. The product was there, but the trappings were sparse and the aura decidedly glum. Now we’ve seen the 2010 Detroit show, which was subdued but cautiously optimistic. There was a strong emphasis on “green” - small-car introductions, hybrid and EV concepts, a plethora of neighborhood EVs on “Electric Avenue” and a lushly wooded drive course for volt-powered vehicles - plus the usual new family, luxury, utility and performance-car debuts.

The night before press days, ageless, outspoken, oft-controversial General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz told a Society of Automotive Analysts meeting that GM is well on its way to recovery. While fleet sales were (intentionally) way down, December retail sales were up 13 percent with four brands vs. eight the year before, its fourth-quarter retail market share was up a full two points from the previous quarter, and its newest products - the Chevrolet Camaro and Equinox, Buick LaCrosse, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX - were, he said, “smash hits.” Read more after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz’ End - Detroit 2010: Detroit recovers, Lutz pontificates

At Witz’ End - Detroit 2010: Detroit recovers, Lutz pontificates originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DOE closes $465million loan to Tesla

The electrification of the automobile has taken another step forward after the US Department of Energy closed a $465million loan with Tesla Motors to construct a manufacturing facility in southern California.
The facility will assemble electric vehicle battery packs, electric motors and other vehicle control equipment both for Tesla's own vehicles and for sale to other [...]
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Projest Get Ready Rhode Island looking for 10,000 electric vehicles in five years

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

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

How many plug-in vehicles should there be in the smallest state in the U.S.? Project Get Ready Rhode Island thinks about 10,000. That’s the group’s stated goal for 2015, which would mean that two percent of the state’s registered vehicles would have a plug in just five years. Project Get Ready Rhode Island announced the target during a press conference at the 2010 Northeast International Auto Show, but the Providence Journal wasn’t able to get an answer about how, exactly, the 10,000 units would arrive in the state.

Project Get Ready Rhode Island is part of Project Get Ready, a non-profit initiative that came out of the Rocky Mountain Institute’s (RMI) Smart Garage Summit. In Rhode Island, the initiative is supported by a lot of state politicians, and joins other Project Get Ready groups in places like Indianapolis, Houston, Denver and Tronoto.

Gallery: Washington 2009: Ford Escape PHEV

[Source: The Providence Journal]

Projest Get Ready Rhode Island looking for 10,000 electric vehicles in five years originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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£12 million fund to develop low carbon vehicle technologies

Over £12 million is to be invested by the government-backed Technology Strategy Board to develop new technology that will speed up the reduction of CO2 emissions from road vehicles.
The investment will be made in sixteen proof of concept studies, which will last up to one year, and six longer-running full research and development projects. The [...]
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