Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: Audi of America president de Nysschen calls Chevy Volt "a car for idiots," slams electric vehicles]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/03/report-audi-of-america-president-de-nysschen-calls-chevy-volt/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/03/report-audi-of-america-president-de-nysschen-calls-chevy-volt/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/03/report-audi-of-america-president-de-nysschen-calls-chevy-volt/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen is a big fan of diesels (no surprise), and during a recent chat with veteran auto journo Lawrence Ulrich, de Nysschen imparted a few choice morsels on the pitfalls of electric cars, with an extra helping of wrath aimed at the Chevrolet Volt.

To start, he said the Volt is "a car for idiots." Adding that they're too expensive and, "No one is going to pay a $15,000 premium for a car that competes with a (Toyota) Corolla. So there are not enough idiots who will buy it." He predicted that the Volt will fall flat, which will cause the federal government to step in and subsidize the Volt in order to save face and boost sales.

And what about pure electric vehicles? According to de Nysschen, "they're for the intellectual elite who want to show what enlightened souls they are." Maybe de Nysschen should check with the corporate mothership on that last point, considering Audi's set to unveil its own EV concept this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Whoops.

[Source: MSN Exhaust Notes | Image: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading REPORT: Audi of America president de Nysschen calls Chevy Volt "a car for idiots," slams electric vehicles

REPORT: Audi of America president de Nysschen calls Chevy Volt "a car for idiots," slams electric vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG - Click above for high-res gallery

It looks as if some manufacturers could be getting at least a partial "Get Out Of Jail Free" card for the new national greenhouse gas regulations announced by the Obama administration back in May. The EPA and NHTSA won't issue final rules until later in the fall, but it seems as though automakers that sell fewer than 400,000 cars a year could get a break. Apparently, up to one-quarter of a qualifying automaker's fleet would receive a four-year exemption, which would allow companies such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz to sell high-powered M, RS and AMG models without those sales affecting their fleet CO2 emissions numbers.

If passed, this set of proposed rules would give the automakers less of a respite than the California regs that would have exempted their entire fleets for seven years. Nonetheless, these foreign automakers would still have an advantage over a company like General Motors, which competes directly against them with some cars such as the of the Corvette ZR1 and Cadillac CTS-V.


Gallery: Review: 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG


Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Luxury automakers could get partial exemption from CO2 rules originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the grand scheme of things, the facilities and products of Lamborghini don't really amount to a hill of beans. After all, the company only has one main factory that produces a few thousand cars a year. While those cars are high-powered and consume a lot of fuel per mile driven, Lamborghini owners tend to drive those cars far fewer miles than the mainstream autos the rest of us hop into on a daily basis. As such, the Lambos' total emissions don't add up to much.

Nonetheless, Lamborghini is still somewhat sensitive to both social and regulatory concerns and has an ambitious plan to reduce CO2 emissions. The automaker is in the process of installing a 17,000 square meter solar array to its factory roof that, when completed later this year, will generate 1,582 MWh of electricity annually. In addition to that, changes are being made inside the plant to improve insulation, lighting, and climate control as part of a broader effort to lower factory-related CO2 emissions 30 percent by 2010.

As for the products coming out of the factory, Lamborghini is pursuing several paths towards a goal of 35-percent CO2 reduction by 2015. In addition to expanding the use of technology like the direct injection that debuted on the Gallardo LP560-4 last year, the engineers are working on improved combustion, weight reduction, auto start/stop systems, hybrid drive and biofuel use.


Gallery: Lamborghini CO2 reductions



[Source: Lamborghini]

Continue reading Lamborghini adding solar power to factory, vows to cut range CO2 35% by 2015

Lamborghini adding solar power to factory, vows to cut range CO2 35% by 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The big news from Bentley in Geneva wasn't really about today -- but stay tuned for 2012. Bentley plans to have its wheel-to-well measure of CO2 emissions down to less than 120g/km, from 400 g/km now. How? By lightening the cars, by engineering better transmissions, and through powerplants able to take advantage of 2nd generation biofuels, meaning cellulosic ethanol from straw and waste products. The best Bentley head Dr. Josef Paefgen would say for specifics was "everything is being considered." So there. Click through the jump to get the full press release and the science, and be thankful Bentley's given you something to look forward to.

[Source: Bentley]

Continue reading Geneva 2008: Bentley's future involves drawing straw

Geneva 2008: Bentley's future involves drawing straw originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Both Ferrari and Lamborghini's CO2 emissions right now exceed 400 g/km. The EU has set a goal of 120 g/km for a carmakers' fleet average by 2012. Last week, Ferrari said it planned to at least get down to 280-300 g/km by 2012, which, while still more than double the target, represents a 30% decrease. It said it would do that by exploring more efficient engines and different body panels to make cars lighter.

Lamborghini's response to the same issue, from CEO Stephan Winkelmann, came to a similar conclusion but in a slightly different way. Winkelmann said that the DNA of the brand -- "the design of the car, the sound of the engine, the top speed and the sprint from zero to 100 kilometers per hour" -- cannot be sacrificed, else they aren't really making supercars any more, which means they're not really making Lamborghinis. And that can't happen.

Also echoing Ferrari, Winkelmann said that Lamborghini owners really only drive their cars on the weekends, and they only sell a handful of them, so "If we look at the real impact, it is close to zero." From the sounds of it, Lamborghini has no intention of messing with the sounds or sizes of its engines, suggesting only (so far) that it will look at using lighter construction techniques, such as more carbon fiber. Take that, EU.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Lamborghini exploring ways to reduce CO2 without sacrificing the sound and the fury originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In 1998, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association said that in ten years it wanted cars to put out 140g of CO2 per kilometer. According to the latest report from Transport & Environment, a "green pressure group" according to the BBC, only two makers are close to that, and two out of three German car makers have raised their fleet CO2 levels since 1998.

Along with Suzuki, VW and DaimlerChrysler were the only two automakers in the survey not to have lowered their fleet CO2 levels. BMW lowered its CO2 emissions by 2.5-percent to 184 g(CO2)/km, but VW's increased by .9-percent and DaimlerChrysler's rose by 2.80-percent. Yet even though VW increased its emissions, it is still the best performing German manufacturer, with a fleet average of just 166 g(CO2)/km.

PSA/Citroen is the closest to the target, with a CO2 rating of 142 g/km, followed by Fiat at 144 g/km. For the full report and methodology, click here. And for those of you interested, GM and Ford fall in line just behind Honda, and before VW.

Thanks for the tip, John P!

[Source: BBC.com]

VW & DaimlerChrysler put out more CO2 than last year... kind of originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari may only produce about 6,000 supercars per year, but the Italian automaker still wants to help control global warming by reducing its CO2 emissions by 40-percet. That's a substantial savings when one considers that Ferrari will need to reach their goal by sustaining and likely improving overall performance. General Manager Armedeo Felica told Reuters that Ferrari intends to reach this goal in 2012 by improving the efficiency of their engines and bringing down the weight of its already trim supercars. While the 40-percent reduction in fossil fuels won't come close to the proposed 120 grams/kilometer that the European Commission is looking to for 2012, it will at least put a dent in Ferrari's atrocious appetite for benzina.

While $3 per gallon gas likely doesn't have much of an impact on Ferrari owners, everybody needs to pitch in to clean up our act. It's nice to see that innovative and exciting companies like Ferrari are doing what it can to help, and a 24mpg F430 sounds good to us.

[Source: Reuters]

Ferrari to help save the world by lowering CO2 emissions originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At next month's Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford of Europe will show off a new line of powertrains that produce ultra-low levels of CO2. The engines will be common-rail diesels and will first appear in early 2008 under the hood of the Ford Focus ECOnetic. In the Focus, it should produce a class-leading 115g/km CO2 reading. This 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi engine features a standard diesel particulate filter and also returns 65.7 mpg on the cycle.

With legislators increasingly focusing on economy and emissions, Ford is the latest to announce a specific answer. We just profiled BMW's tweaked gearbox and Chrysler's lightweight steel, and now we have this clean diesel from Ford. Besides the efficient engine, this Focus has been optimized with a lowered ride height, a new aero kit and low rolling resistance tires. It also represents the first use of a new low-viscosity transmission oil that Ford developed with fuel partner BP.

Follow the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford to launch Econetic range of ultra-low CO2 cars in Europe

Ford to launch Econetic range of ultra-low CO2 cars in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are Ferraris and Porsches condemned to becoming track-day-only toys? Europe already appears well on its way to outlawing ultra-high performance vehicles. Can the US be far behind? That's the question Bloomberg is asking. The culprit in the attack on sports cars isn't necessarily their speed, but the fact that they produce too much carbon dioxide. But they do get criticized for their speed as well. One British member of the European Parliament, Chris Davies, is actually proposing a prohibition on any car with a top speed over 162 km/h (101 mph). That wouldn't leave much choice for buyers unless everybody started fitting governors.

The CO2 problem is the big one though. The European Union is planning to limit CO2 emissions in lieu of fuel-mileage standards. Carbon dioxide is considered one of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. While limiting CO2 emissions might be a laudable goal, the finger too often gets pointed at cars. Car & Driver's Csaba Csere is quoted in the article, talking about the fact that power plants and factories are where politicians should be focusing their efforts. "Automobiles always seem to be the focus, even though they only consume 15 percent or 20 percent of energy,'' he said.

While much of the article dwells on the anti-rich attitude that permeates these types of attacks, the writer brings up some interesting points. Some stuff seems purely intended to provoke reactions, and much of it feels like opinion over fact, but that's editorial content for you. Click over to read the whole thing.

Thanks for the tip, JayP!

[Source: Bloomberg]

Greenies war on fun: CO2 limits might kill Ferrari, Porsche originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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