Autoblog

This Thursday has been is the date for a big meeting between the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) that represents General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler LLC, Toyota Motor Co., BMW, Volkswagen, Daimler-Benz, Mazda and Nissan North America. Though Arnie was once a HUMMER drivin' fool and unofficial pitch man for the poster SUV of environmental incorrectness, he's now the gubernatorial head honcho of a state that's been a big PITA for automakers when it comes to emissions standards.

California once had federal approval to set its own emissions standards, and the feds also allowed any other states to adopt California's standards instead of much weaker federal standards if they wanted. Seventeen states now either have or are considering adopting California's emissions standards, which means automakers are faced with the dilemma of possibly building two versions of every vehicle to meet both standards, go bankrupt trying to meet California's standards in time, or even not selling vehicles in those 17 states at all.

The federal government's new energy bill that calls for a raised Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard of 35 mpg by 2020 is what the AAM wants to talk to the Governator about. The AAM hopes to convince Arnold that meeting the new federal standards will be difficult but doable, while California's proposed standard of 40.5 mpg by 2016 is impossible to achieve without losing thousands of jobs and possibly bankrupting vulnerable automakers.

Schwarzenegger is not likely to buy the alliance's argument, however, and this conflict between the automakers and California will likely be settled in federal court a long time down the road.

[Source: Detroit Free Press, Photo by David McNew/Getty]

In an effort to meet pollution regulations in the United States, Honda Motor Company is breaking out a plasma reactor to curb emissions in its diesel engines.

According to Bloomberg News, Honda has reportedly patented a new method to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by pushing exhaust fumes through electrically charged atoms in a gaseous state. By doing so, it strips the nitrogen oxides, in the process forming nitrogen dioxide that's later absorbed by silver and alkali metals. Uh-huh.

Honda is hoping to be in the diesel passenger car business in America by 2009, but right now there isn't a single company capable of meeting the emissions requirements of California (and those Northeastern states that mirror its standards). The automaker hopes that the new plasma technology could make them the first.

[Source: Bloomberg News]

Nissan's first hybrid, the forthcoming 2007 Altima HEV will only be sold in eight states. To put a geographical point on it, the Japanese automaker will sell the eco-friendly sedan in the Northeast and California:  New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine and New Jersey will join the Golden State. All of the states in question have adopted versions of the latter's zero-emissions vehicle program, which in effect will force manufacturers to sell hybrids.

Nissan admits it has the ability to churn out 50,000 hybrids-- more than it expects to divvy up between the eight markets, so it can technically build for other states if demand warrants it.

What do you think, is Carlos 'Hybrids Don't Make Sense' Ghosn missing an opportunity, or just making a good business decision? Sound off in 'comments.'

[Sources: Bloomberg News; Nissan]