Autoblog

AutoblogGreen for 05.14.08

Posted May 14th 2008 5:56AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Some interesting two-wheeled, fuel-efficient vehicles popped up on AutoblogGreen yesterday. The Derbi DH 2.0 (pictured) takes styling cues from mountain bikes while the nUCLEUS takes its cues from nothing. Toyota won a round in the ongoing hybrid patent case and, out in Las Vegas, AutoblogGreen chatted with GM's Larry Burns.

• AFVI 2008: A cringing lunch, courtesy of Honda
• AVFI 2008: Sitting down for a moment with GM's Larry Burns
• AFVI 2008: we present to you the lifesize Monopoly Prius
• Derbi DH 2.0: looking to mountainbikes for inspiration
• The nUCLEUS is one crazy-looking alternative motorcycle concept
• Yes they will, no they won't: maybe Audi will intro Q7 hybrid in '09, or not
• Larry Sonsini joins Tesla board to provide guidance on future direction
• Triac to arrive this July, reservations being accepted, and other juicy details
• Brazil starts pro-ethanol diplomatic offensive
• Citroën installs robotized gearshift for the Nemo
• Diesels set market share record in UK
• Air Force contract to continue work on high energy battery awarded to Electro Energy
• Toyota gives $100,000 to Huron River Watershed Council
• The Nano won't be lonely: Renault announces ultra-low cost car
• Solomon Tech's appeal in Toyota hybrid patent case denied
• All of Madrid's official vehicles will use clean fuels by 2011
• Bosch challenging Japanese suppliers for hybrid dominance
• Alstare working on ethanol powered motorcycles and ATVs
• Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup heads north of the border

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AutoblogGreen for 05.13.08

Posted May 13th 2008 1:25AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

It's a little hard to make out shrunk down like this, but that diamond on the Mustang plate in the picture above reads "Propane." Just one of many little discoveries AutoblogGreen found at this year's AFVI expo. While all this is going on, we're also tracking Tesla's troubles with production car #2 (or is it?). And two vehicles you might see in large(r) numbers on U.S. roads in the near future are the i MiEV (which recently cruised through NYC) and the venerable Tuk Tuk.

• AFVI 2008: Need some propane for your pony? IMPCO shows off bi-fuel 'Stang
• AFVI 2008: Opening speakers talk geopolitics, oil shocks and GM's lineup
• Tesla Saga continues: When is production car #2 not?
• Tuk Tuk coming to American roads near you?
• i MiEV on iTunes in HD
• This can't get more Italian: the Fiat 500 Giovanni Rana pastamobile
• Toyota loses hybrid patent appeal case
• McCain will discuss environmental policy specifics today
• Trucking group proposes plan to cut fuel consumption and emissions
• Ford Mondeo most driven car in UK, Daewoo Matiz the least
• GM to push premium green image in China
• Biodiesel's fate in Farm Bill reauthorization uncertain
• Renault to have a "range of electrics" in 2010; Nissan-NEC JV working on li-ion batteries
• Look out, Lexus! Audi and BMW bringing ZF 8-speed to market
• Lawsuit filed in hybrid bus hullabaloo
• Ford to build smaller, lighter pickup off next F-Series platform
• Carchops.com take on the Aptera
• Take a drink from a recycled windshield

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AutoblogGreen for 05.12.08

Posted May 12th 2008 6:05AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

If an AutoblogGreen writer is in Los Angeles, there's a real good chance they're going to want to visit the new Tesla Motors store. So, that's what we did. We're aware that there are people out there who are judging the Tesla Roadster and Chevy Volt by different standards, but that didn't make the short test drive any less fun. Meanwhile, we might be seeing the end of body on frame SUVs from GM.

• AutoblogGreen pays a visit to the new Tesla Motors store
• Renault's electric car debuts in Tel Aviv
• Is the Volta G/T a 175 mph electric motorcycle?
• No more body on frame SUVs likely from GM
• Continental says "good chance" to win Volt battery contract
• Craigslist find of the day: Electric Volvo
• Aerocivic and its aesthetically-challenged modifications strikes again!
• VIDEO: Wind-powered Lotus Exige in the works?
• Illinois brothers tune up a 100 mpge Prius
• Judging the Tesla Roadster and Chevy Volt by different standards
• Who knew? Big Oil is non-profit
• BMW twin-turbo 2.0L diesel wins Best New Engine of 2008
• LA traffic lighter thanks to high gas prices, Americans driving less

More headlines after the jump.

Continue reading AutoblogGreen for 05.12.08

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AutoblogGreen for 05.09.08

Posted May 9th 2008 6:03AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Man, the dangers of the new automotive world: confusing ethanol for biodiesel and kids hitting the silent Prius. Over in London, a new electric taxi is not going to be worth it to 60 percent of the cab drivers who need more oomph than the 100-mile range the batteries can provide. Still, that means 40 percent could use it. Sweet.

• We're telling you for the last time, ethanol is not biodiesel
• Minnesota boy rides bike into Prius he didn't hear
• Stillborn: French gas stations chain stops selling E85
• Audi and Sanyo developing hybrids together
• Battery-powered 1994 minivan cost $6,000, runs 20-25 miles
• Altairnano still in the game for Phoenix Motorcars
• Toyota gives $400,000 to UC Santa Barbara to fund eco fellowships
• Ford is the first carmaker to join the Climate Registry
• Volkswagen TSI engine wins its category again for Engine of the Year
• TX4E electric taxi will only appeal to some London cabbies
• Ten new public electron dispensers pop up in London
• Volvo shows off new FlexiFuel range, including V70 police car
• Fiat to introduce natural gas fueled Palio in India
• South Dakota lawmaker wants cellulosic ethanol to count towards RFS
• Venture funds flowing into Firefly for advanced batteries
• Prius wins JD Power award for highest consumer satisfaction in U.K.
• Altairnano releases 1st Q earning report, holds conference call

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AutoblogGreen for 05.08.08

Posted May 8th 2008 6:02AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

How's this for an idea: add a plug-in hybrid conversion kit to the outside of your car. Sound good? It's called the Poulsen hybrid and it's in the running for the Auto X Prize. Other cool news from the battery-powered vehicle world is more info about the electric Triac, which also might come in truck form. We'll need these options if the predicted $200 oil "Super Spike" happens in the next six months. Shudder.

• 20,000 people express email interest in buying a Chevy Volt
• Who else thinks the Poulsen hybrid is the sleeper team to win the X Prize?
• More details on the electric Triac emerge + new truck?
• $200 oil "Super Spike" within 6 months?
• Earthrace update: biodiesel flood not too much a problem in Atlantic crossing
• New Ford 6 speed automatic bumps Escape mileage 4-6 percent
• Fiat replaces water with special wax
• Ford wins brownfield revitalization award for Fairlane Green
• Tesla's European lessons
• Electric vehicle company RTEV focusing on battery-powered ATVs
• Are Hypermilers a menace on the road?
• Hybrids could get a boost in China with tax changes
• Chrysler must be happy to keep holding onto GEM
• A123 Systems gets $12.5 million PHEV battery deal from USABC
• Ann Arbor, MI kicks off 4th annual Curb Your Car Month
• Mascoma scores another $10m, this time from Marathon Oil
• German transmission builder ZF producing hybrid motors for Mercedes
• Chelsea Sexton gets a biodiesel-powered makeover
• Greenpeace: Carbon capture is not going to save our climate

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AutoblogGreen for 05.07.08

Posted May 7th 2008 6:02AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

The Naturmobil is here. What is the Naturmobil (previously known as the Naturcar)? Why, it's a hybrid vehicle with some real horsepower. As in, it has a horse inside. The lengths some people will go... On the more normal side of the coin, the good news for American TDI fans, the first new VW Jetta TDIs are now on the way to dealers stateside. And Chrysler's plan to sell more cars by offering a gas price guarantee sure got people's attention - just not the kind everybody wants.

• First new VW Jetta TDIs now in transit to U.S. dealers
• Iranian engineer creates 1hp bio-fuel powered hybrid, the Naturmobil
• Pininfarina to unveil its electric car this Autumn
• Phoenix Motorcars to use Electrovaya batteries?
• Iowa's doing that cheap E85 thang again
• China's ethanol market expected to double
• Didn't take long: Chrysler's $2.99 gas guarantee draws critics
• Ethanol powered chopper from Cadillac to be shown in LA
• Clean Green Cars suggests partnership for a sensible Congestion Charge
• Peterbilt unveils new hydraulic hybrid garbage truck
• Aspen, CO police audition Toyota Highlander Hybrid patrol car
• Chrysler thinks $2.99/gallon is good, guarantees it to new buyers for 3 years
• Hyundai to get half of MPG improvement from powertrains
• Big luxury SUVs are "bulldozers" against the earth with biodiesel
• Odysseus: a Z-shaped solar aircraft, built for DARPA
• Coke, bottlers growing hybrid fleets
• More information on GM's new light duty diesel V-8
• Collected for your ease of use: 104 eco-driving tips
• PSA goes further in downsizing engines
• Angus MacKenzie loves diesels!

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AutoblogGreen for 05.06.08

Posted May 6th 2008 5:56AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Trying to choose a crossover hybrid? You have two choices: the Saturn Vue or the Ford Escape. AutoblogGreen has taken a look at both of these and you can read the reviews by clicking on the names of the CUVs above. Meanwhile, the gas tax holiday debate continues. Oh, and what's one alternative to high gas prices in India? Camels.

• In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2008 Saturn Vue hybrid
• High gas prices spur demand for camels in India
• Gas tax debate continues unabated, Hillary tries to defend herself
• Tender Scarlette gets her sales groove on
• Audi chief: Electric car in 5 - 10 years
• Daimler fuel cell buses turn over 2 millionth kilometer
• Ohio refuses to license electric 3-wheelers
• Continental announces new piezo injector that makes diesels even cleaner
• New $100 million X-Prizes created to spur development of clean energy
• Toyota Camry Hybrid production in Australia now likely
• 99 g/km CO₂ Fiesta coming "soon" to Europe
• Blue Sun Biodiesel moves headquarters to LEED certified building
• Mexican crude oil supplies to U.S. to be cut back by 184,000 bpd
• Urban cabs, hybrid pedal power rickshaws, arrive in Paris
• Ford wonders what a modern-day Model T might be like (hint, it's an EV)
• Toyota Prius price climbs $400, other Toyota/Lexus models see similar increases
• EV race day at Tsukuba circuit in Japan
• Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel to be shown at Eden Sexy Green Car Show
• Satellite-based road tax in the Netherlands in 2011
• VIDEO: Jason's big Tesla adventure
• Ludacris And Tommy Lee hawk greasy food to make biofuels
• Speed-control radars blown up in France
• Wheat being touted in western Canada for ethanol

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AutoblogGreen for 05.05.08

Posted May 5th 2008 6:08AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

The first Tesla Motors store has a party, GM might be working on the second E-Flex vehicle already, and Aptera is busy crushing cars. In short, a busy time if you're a car company trying to get some eco-friendly wheels to market. Here's the weekend that was on AutoblogGreen:

• GM already working on second E-Flex vehicle for Opel (and Saturn?)
• What will Ken Livingstone's defeat mean for London Congestion charge?
• Aptera crushing lots of its cars
• GM CEO Wagoner declares that EVs must be affordable to the masses
• Hybrid sales at GM looking slightly less barren in April
• VIDEO: Tesla Motors store-opening party
• Jason Calacanis borrows Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster
• Nissan to trial "sexy" electric cars in London and California by 2010?
• Taiwan Automotive Research Consortium introduces light-electric vehicle
• New hints that all-electric BMW iSetta is on the way
• VIDEO: Take a guided tour of the Aptera factory
• Does Simon Cowell own the least eco-friendly fleet of cars in the world?
• It's Friday: Lucky guy trades cucumbers for a Fiat
• Penny-pinching Seth Green happy with his Prius purchase

More headlines after the jump.

Continue reading AutoblogGreen for 05.05.08

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AutoblogGreen for 05.02.08

Posted May 2nd 2008 6:04AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Heard about the gas tax holiday idea? There are apparently only two people in favor of it, and they're both running for president. Everyone else is strongly opposed. A123 thinks that people will come out in support of the company - it's likely going to offer an IPO later this fall. And, if you missed it yesterday, take a look at the Prius convertible.

• Citroën says its cheaper to drive in the UK today than it was in 2000
• Innovations into lead-acid battery technology
• Audi adds a new entry level gasoline version of the TT - 35mpg!
• Tom Friedman takes on the idiocy of a gas tax holiday
• "Dumb on all counts" - the experts chime in on the gas tax holiday idea
• A123 Systems IPO a go!
• Auto Europe tries to sell 45-day leases of the Peugeot 308 as "fuel saving"
• Register your interest for Mitsubishi's i-MiEV in the UK
• GM to invest in Mascoma cellulosic ethanol project
• Fiat buys Yugo maker, will build new Topolino mini car
• Pininfarina raises capital for electric car project
• British Airways orders up 100 Civic hybrids
• Whence the pickup truck based on a G-Wiz?
• More on the GM-Mascoma cellulosic ethanol partnership
• New 4-cylinder, 6-speed Malibu scores 30mpg in real world test
• Toyota Prius convertible: Don't see that every day!
• ZF modifies 8-speed tranny, now stop/start approved
• For now, these are the Top Ten Automotive X entrants
• In Seattle, a drive to get folks to ditch driving
• Hybrid vehicle designers might want to check out Michigan short course
• Toyota to make a bigger iQ, no hybrid model

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AutoblogGreen for 05.01.08

Posted May 1st 2008 5:56AM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Is deciding between women dressed in nothing but lettuce leaf bikinis or free gas a tough call for you? Earlier this week, as a BP station in Virginia, drivers didn't have to choose. Other odd and interesting tidbits from the world of green cars includes this hack of a Porsche website and and a new fanciful rendering of the electric BMW Isetta.

• Half-naked women or free gas, which gets your attention more?
• New rendering of electric BMW Isetta
• Hacked! Porsche's lawsuit against London website taken over by 1923Turk - or something
• Smart could start testing lithium ion ForTwo in 2009, possibly in LA
• Ford's Mark Fields wants more flex-fuel, less California regulations
• Specs for Euro Tesla Roadster appear, preview of the final US spec?
• Missouri biodiesel uprising debates state's B5 madate
• Another DIY solar electric car built in California
• New images of the X-Prize entry from Motive Industries
• Swedish plug-in hybrid vehicle update coming in May
• India drops excise duty on electric bikes
• Rumormill: Citroën planning new subcompact minivan
• ALD Automotive teaches customers to drive smarter, consume less
• eBay Find of the Day: Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd's 2006 Vespa LX 150
• Rent an E-Solex at Europcar
• Fiat to launch new ethanol/diesel engine in Brazil
• Plug-In 1: Ohio gets its first PHEV
• OPEC: Oil prices could continue to rise
• GM plans to partner up with another cellulosic ethanol maker
• A123: History and Progress
• Continental jumps into turbocharger business
• Pennsylvania commuters can win free gas for carpooling and taking the bus
• Camry hybrid selling at record pace

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