Autoblog

Last December, President Bush signed a new energy bill into law that requires automakers to achieve a Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard of 35 mpg by 2020. This historic stiffening of CAFE standards set a lofty goal, but left plenty of time to get there and new standards of any kind won't begin until the 2011 model year. Today, which happens to be Earth Day, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters laid out the first set of new CAFE rules that will be implemented for passenger vehicles and light trucks from 2011 through 2015.

The first step on the path to 35 mpg by 2020 will be increases of 4.5% in CAFE standards for passenger vehicles and light trucks over the five-year period spanning 2011 and 2015. This means that standards for passenger vehicles will rise from the current 27.5 mpg to 35.7 mpg by 2015, while light trucks will go from 23.5 mpg to 28.6 mpg. The NHTSA claims the new interim standards will save 55 billion gallons of gasoline and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 521 million metric tons. They also claim that drivers will save $100 billion in fuel costs over the lifetime of vehicles that fall under the rule.

We decided to reach out to the Big 3 automakers in the U.S. to ask for a comment, and both Ford and Chrysler are keeping mum until they've had a chance to read over the new rules. General Motors, meanwhile, already released a statement reiterating what it said last December, which is that it will meet the new standards despite how tough they are.

Automakers are also able to earn credits when they happen to exceed the CAFE standards, and can either bank those for a time when they won't meet them or even sell the credits to other automakers at a cost below what the fine would be for not meeting the standards. We've heard rumors, for instance, that Honda's sitting on a healthy pile of credits.

Now that we have an actual CAFE target for the auto industry to hit in the near term, expect to see a flurry of activity from automakers. Lithium-ion plug-in hybrids, series hybrids, diesels and all-electric cars will likely be the new technologies that help the industry meet these new interim CAFE standards by 2015, and the first change set for 2011 is not far away at all.

[Source: NHTSA]

The Bush camp hasn't exactly been extolled for its green virtue over the past seven years, but the administration is trying to make up for lost time by announcing 2011-2015 CAFE targets on Earth Day. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is scheduled to announce the targets, which are expected to be differentiated by vehicle size, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Automakers already know they have to get to 35 mpg by 2020, so the 2011-2015 targets should be somewhere between the magic number and today's 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.5 mpg for trucks.

While news of 2011-2015 fuel economy standards isn't exactly the stuff that makes blood boil, today's announcement will help shape what vehicles you'll be able to buy in the years ahead. Something tells us the horsepower war is almost over.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Next week on MTV, it's a "Very Special Edition" of Pimp My Ride. In honor of Earth Day coming on April 22, the crew of the popular MTV show that proves on a regular basis that having a large budget in no way guarantees good judgment will be updating a 1965 Chevy Impala. Generally, the best way to have a 65 Impala help the environment would be to tow it to the nearest car crusher and then melt it down to make new cars.

That, however, wouldn't be nearly as entertaining as the approach taken by the crew at Galpin Auto Sports, and it certainly wouldn't merit inclusion here. Instead, they've tossed the old pre-EPA engine that was in the Impala. GM provided the team with a brand new Duramax diesel V-8 as is used in the automaker's full size trucks and SUVs, and after a few minor tweaks, it was installed in the Impala. Result: the GAS crew took the engine from 360hp to 800hp running on biodiesel! Stay tuned for more on the veggie oil special later this week.

[Source: MTV]

The world's largest automotive company is celebrating Earth Day with a barrage of activities across the U.S.

GM actually started at the beginning of the year with its "Live Green Go Yellow" campaign to promote the biofuel E85. Now the various brands have launched their own activities. Saturn, for example, is sponsoring the Green Apple Music Festival in New York City, New York, U.S. And in Detroit, Michigan, GM will be at the New Detroit Science Center to discuss its fuel cell technologies.

A full listing of sponsored activities can be found at the GMability site.

[Source: Auto Spectator]

"We want your vegetable oil."

That is what organizers for Earth Day Tokyo 2006 are asking volunteers, for which they'll pay a small amount. The organizers will then create biodiesel from the oil and use the resulting fuel to power the lighting, televisions, speakers, and other equipment for the various planned activities which to be held in Yoyogi Park. Besides the equipment, the fuel will also be used to power a special bus that will be touring the area.

The organizers have been accepting vegetable oil since the beginning of the month. More details, including drop off locations and "Earth Day Money" can be found at the link.

[Source: The Daily Yomiuri]

As the song goes, "Blues had a baby, and the called it rock n' roll." Well, Autoblog has just birthed its first spinoff, and we're calling it AutoblogGreen.

With gas prices surging and more interest in alternative fuel vehicles and their attendant lifestyles than at any time in recent memory, the time couldn't be better for the Weblogs Inc. network to launch a new site to provide a home for the burgeoning movement, and that's what ABG is all about. In the words of lead blogger Sebastian Blanco, "AutoblogGreen is not just about autos themselves, but also about the environments in which they're driven."

We've already assembled a crack team of contributors to the site, with the aforementioned Blanco at the helm. A seasoned journalist specializing in matters automobiles and environmental, he brings experience and good judgment to the effort. Aiding and abetting him will be the one-and-only Bruno Vanzieleghem, who is the ABG equivalent of Autoblog's own Eric Bryant--  he's a gifted engineer in the automotive supplier realm, albeit with an emphasis on developing eco-friendly technologies.  The two gentlemen will be in good company, as they'll be accompanied by the boundless energy and optimism of self-described 'neo hippy' Cheryl Morrissette, who will imbue her writings with spirit and first-hand knowledge that only a life long 'Green' can offer. And in a chance meeting that can only be described as 'fate,' fellow Autoblog co-lead John Neff was able to use his powers of persuasion to woo green activist/entrepreneur/author Ray Holan, founder of Biodiesel Cleveland, an Ohio-based business preaching the gospel of the alternative fuel. Oh, and he just put the finishing touches on his book, Sliding Home: A Complete Guide to Driving Your Diesel on Straight Vegetable Oil.

As you can see, AutoblogGreen is in more than capable hands, and will be a fine compliment to your daily surf here at Autoblog. For those worried about such things, the advent of ABG does not mean that AB will be handing off all automotive stories of ecological import to its new sister-site. It simply means that so-inclined readers will have another, more focused resource and outlet to frequent.

If you're willing to pardon our dust pollen, stop over at AutoblogGreen and have a look around. Kick off your sandals and stay a while, if you like. After all, today is Earth Day.

 

 

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]

In order to support high demand for diesel vehicles in Europe, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has announced that it will start building oil-burning engines at its plant in Britain. Currently, its UK plant gets diesel powerplants from Japan, and will initially get the parts for the engines from Japan. Ultimately, however, the company plans to produce the parts in Blighty and assemble 20,000-30,000 engines annually.

The company will also increase output of diesels at its two Japanese facilities, which currently produce over 70,000 engines.

[Source: The Business Times]

Cable network Outdoor Life Network (OLN) is set to debut a 13-part television series featuring actress Daryl Hannah, a modified Chevrolet S-10, hemp oil, and an AstroTurf-covered 1982 Volkswagen Jetta that runs on bio diesel. Coolfuel: Roadtrip charts the journey of Australian Shaun Murphy (and his Jack Russell terrier, Sparky) as he traverses 30 states on 30 unique vehicles, running solely on alternative fuels.

Highlights include a bio diesel Hummer limousine, an Electra Cruiser electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and a BMW Z3 that runs on corn whiskey.

Coolfuel: Roadtrip premieres Tuesday on OLN at 8 pm Eastern.

Check out the link for the show's website, which includes video clips, images, and alternative fuel educational resources.

Last month, Washington became the fourth state to join the growing ethanol wave. Governor Christine Gregoire signed the bill, which states that two percent of the state's diesel and gasoline must come from biodiesel or ethanol by the end of 2008. Other parts of the bill require state agency purchases to include a minimum of 20 percent biodiesel.

Washington is the fourth state to enact an ethanol requirement. The other states are Minnesota, Montana and Hawaii.

[Source: American Coalition for Ethanol]