2030: Fuel car cars powered by oceanic gardens?

Cheap, common fuel cell vehicles by 2030

Reasonably priced fuel cell vehicles should be available by 2015 and become cheap and common around 2030 according Nabil Kassem, professor at Stockholm's Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

According to AutoBlogGreen, "Prof. Kassem stated that fuel cells are the most promising technology for our energy future, a future some call the Hydrogen Society. He not only envisions hydrogen in cars, but believes that fuel cells will have applications in micro power plants, household appliances, and in heating and air conditioning units. On the issue of cost, Kassem said that the moment hydrogen starts being produced on a large scale, it will become cost competitive. How will we obtain it? Kassem referred to a Japanese project that wants to create "oceanic gardens" where solar energy would be used to create electricity and then hydrogen."

A 70 mpg Golf hybrid: Has VW finally committed to hybrids?

Will VW bring a Golf diesel hybrid to America?

VW has been a little wishy-washy regarding VW hybrid vehicles, but all of that might finally be over. According to numerous reports, VW has virtually committed to a new 70 mpg Golf Diesel hybrid, which is supposed to debut next week at the Geneva Auto Show. Until then, however, there are few details about the vehicle or about the potential of seeing this hybrid in the US.

Regardless, the competition in the hybrid vehicles segment is really heating up and around 2010, hybrids are going to become a major driver of the auto industry.

Mercedes first to lithium hybrids?

Coming to America in late 2009?

In the third quarter of 2009, Mercedes-Benz is planning to begin selling the lithium-powered Mercedes S400 hybrid vehicle. The 3.5 liter V6 gasoline electric hybrid should achieve almost 30 mpg, and it could be the first mass-produced lithium-powered hybrid.

Sometime thereafter, Mercedes will also launch a lithium powered diesel hybrid, the S300 Bluetec hybrid, a 2.2 liter twin-turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel hybrid that is expected to achieve more than 43 mpg.

According to AutoWeek, Mercedes-Benz has will control the thermodynamics of lithium "by integrating the lithium-ion batteries directly into the cooling system of the car to allow them to operate at an optimum temperature of between 59 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Mercedes says it has been working on the underlying technology since 1992, creating 25 patents in the process.

"What we have here is a groundbreaking key technology that is going to be a decisive factor for the future success of the automotive industry," says Thomas Weber, head of Mercedes-Benz research and development."

Mercedes - the future king of hybrid cars?

Toyota Prius CR's Top Green Pick Again

The best green car

Consumer Reports has picked the Toyota Prius as its Top Green Car for 2008. Any Top Pick is determined by road tests, safety and reliability.

In terms of the Best Fuel Economy for the Buck, the Prius is was 3rd overall, the Prius Touring Edition was 5, and the Honda Civic hybrid was 7.

The kids don't like hybrids

Teenagers have Mustang Envy

According to a new survey, teenagers and twenty-somethings have no interest in hybrid cars. While that's a little disappointing, the survey also indicates that teenagers and twenty-somethings have, at least temporarily, lost interest in large SUVs, such as the Cadillac Escalade, which this group loved just two years ago. Likewise, there is also more interest in smaller vehicles.

Hybrids: Has GM leapt past Toyota and Honda?

It's not just about the Volt?

I received an e-mail yesterday asking whether I thought that GM had leapt past Toyota and Honda in hybrid vehicles in the last year, as some believe based upon GM's dual mode hybrid vehicles and, more importantly, the ongoing development of the Chevy Volt.

My initial response was absolutely not, but as I contemplated this question, I realized that maybe GM had jumped past everyone in the auto industry. Well, everyone except Toyota. Read more....

$4.00 gas: Death by ignorance?

We've had it coming?

First, let me just say that $4.00 gas is cheap. Second, for those that drive fuel efficient vehicles, $4.00 gas isn't nearly as painful as for those driving gas-guzzlers - no duh, right?

Still, for those with large families that drive gas-guzzlers, I feel for your pain - a little, but had you gotten a minivan, instead of a much larger - without any extra seating - SUV, your pain would be a little less. Of course, when gas is cheap, ignorance is bliss.

Ultimately, if Americans utilized practical intelligence as consumers, the US economy and the average American family would be able to absorb $4.00 gas without nearly as much pain. But, American culture doesn't value practicality, there's no image value.

Well, enjoy your bling-bling all the way to the gas pump. You look cool.

Plug-in hybrids could increase air pollution

Plug-ins lead to some serious grid questions

I'm a huge fan of plug-in hybrid vehicles, yet I'm equally critical of plug-ins as well. Ultimately, even without plug-ins, the US is facing a crisis when it comes to the US electric grid, and converting a significant percent of the US fleet into plug-in hybrids could result in many, many billions of dollars of extra grid updates.

Then there is the question of where does grid electricity come from?

All of this has led me to believe that many on the right now advocate for plug-in hybrids as cover for nuclear power. Now, I'm not fully against nuclear power, but I do believe there should be a healthy debate about whether nuclear power is the best option forward, but let's get back to the grid.

According to two recent studies, plug-in hybrid cars, feeding off today's electric grid, such as the Chevy Volt, could essentially become coal-burning vehicles in many parts of the US, leading to potentially significant increases of soot particles, mercury and acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide.

Ultimately, just as with conventional hybrids cars, such as the Toyota Prius, plug-in hybrid vehicles are not THE solution to America's energy problems.

A massive, future-focused energy policy is desperately required here in the US, maybe the world. Unfortunately, America doesn't even seem capable of having or leading such a discussion.

Fuel economy and SUV safety

Is safety really an excuse?

Many women, I've been told by several auto industry-related women, buy large SUVs because they feel safe - it's some kind of motherly instinct they claim. But are SUVs really safe?

Why is it that improvements in SUV safety seem to find their way into the news a few times per year if SUVs are so safe in the first place? Is the foreign oil dependency that large SUVs create safe for US soldiers fighting an oil war in Iraq? Was it safe for the victims of 9/11 - an attack partially funded by foreign oil profits?

There are some out there that do need a large SUV, such as the GMC Yukon hybrid pictured above, but not nearly as many as drive such vehicles. Thus, does safety legitimately justify SUV need? I don't think so.

Has the EPA lost all credibility?

Just a puppet of the US auto industry?

"This is a choice only you can make, but I ask you to think about the history and the future of the agency in making it," stated a memo by a senior career staffer in the EPA to Administrator Stephen Johnson regarding California's tailpipe waiver. "If you are asked to deny this waiver, I fear the credibility of the agency that we both love will be irreparably damaged."

"The eyes of the world are on you. It is obvious to me that there is no legal or technical justification for denying this".

I guess there was only politics. Do US a favor, Mr. Johnson, resign. It is your destiny.

Cheap biofuels to the rescue!

$4.00 gas starts to change consumer behavior

I just finished reading a story on how the Department of Energy is funding enzyme systems for cellulosic ethanol, a line of research I endorse. Still, this quest that US automakers, Congress and business are making to develop cheap biofuels seems flawed in its very essence.

Hasn't cheap gas already proven that cheap fuel leads to consumer retardation? Cheap fuel leads to increased consumption. So, why do we keep pouring billions and billions of dollars into ethanol and biofuel-related endeavors, but so little into automakers that achieve impressive fuel economy, into automakers that significantly reduce consumption?

Is consumption, not efficiency, the driving force of America? Yes, I know, that's a stupid question for anyone living in this consumer nation to ask.

Toxic ten: Ford slammed for breaking hybrid promise

So what if you had the world's first hybrid SUV?

For failing to live up to its hybrid promise, in addition to having the second-worst fleetwide gas-mileage rating in both 2006 and 2007, massive Superfund waste, and for mass production of the Ford F-150, Portfolio.com named Ford to its 2008 Toxic Ten list.

Congratulations!

How much car do you really need? Part 1

Do you really need it, or do you just want it?

"Thus my point isn't that people shouldn't be allowed to buy whatever vehicle they want," states Karl on Cars this morning. "My point is that you should be honest about your lifestyle and fully recognize when you really need a large, utilitarian vehicle and when you simply want one. For example, do I need a Ford GT? Nobody needs a Ford GT! However, I'm fully ready to admit I simply wanted one, functionality and earth-saving desires be damned. I'm not sure how many SUV drivers really need one, but I fear many of these folks aren't ready to admit they simply want one.

And at this point I have to add what really kills me is when these same folks, sitting in the cabin of their 6,000-pound SUVs/Crossovers/full-size trucks that they don't really need, claim to be earth conscious and/or scream "No blood for oil!" or "We need to stop being held hostage by our energy policies that subjugate us to Middle East countries."

Whatever folks."

Click here to read the Karl's full story

LiNiN: The future for hybrid vehicles?

A perfect car for LiNiN?

New research coming out of Europe "compared the performance of Li-ion batteries made with negative electrodes composed of lithium nickel nitride (LiNiN) to conventional Li-ion batteries containing conventional carbonaceous anodes. They found that the new materials are more efficient than the conventional electrodes and less likely to overheat."

No word on cost-effectiveness, etc. Still, LiNiN batteries offer the potential of increased energy capacity at lower voltages, an important factor for hybrid cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles, because it makes managing unintended thermodynamic events easier. So, hopefully the research pans out into something marketable.

Only 10,000 Chevy Volts to start?

It's simply going to take time for the plug-in revolution to happen

For many GM fans, the automotive world changes forever once the Chevy Volt hits the street. Unfortunately, when consumers do finally begin putting Volt rubber to the road, there probably won't be too many Volts available. According to the latest reports, only about 10,000 Volts will be produced the first year - even the first couple of years - as economies of scale and real world consumer testing unfold.

In the interim, let's hope that GM, and other plug-in hybrid developers, such as Toyota, continue to produce as many hybrid vehicles as possible today.

Lotus exploring mild hybrids with super-capacitors

A Lotus hybrid anytime soon?

Lotus Engineering, the automotive consultancy division of Lotus, and Continental Division Powertrain recently presented the results of their “Low CO2” research collaboration - "a practical option for manufacturers to reduce their fleet average CO2 emissions" according to the company.

Part of that research includes a mild hybrid drivetrain that couples a 12 kW electric motor and 60v supercapacitors for energy storage. But are supercaps realistic today?

At NAIAS, I was able to ask Micky Bly, who runs GM's hybrid powertrain program, about the possibility of supercaps and GM hybrid vehicles. Micky stated that GM was still exploring supercaps, but that GM didn't believe that supercaps were a viable technology for their current hybrid program due to cost/benefits.

Prius-like Lexus hybrid on the way

To debut at 2009 NAIAS

MotorTrend is displaying this illustration of a dedicated hybrid Lexus model that Toyota will debut at the North American International Auto Show in 2009.

Toyota will debut two new dedicated hybrid vehicles at NAIAS. Along with the Lexus, another Toyota hybrid-only model will also debut. Both will built on the Toyota Prius platform and drivetrain.

Letter to NADA from Washington Post: Gas tax now

The good ole gas lines of the '70s!

"The new CAFE bill has the same flaw as the old CAFE bill," writes the Washington Post's Warren Brown this weekend in an open letter to Annette Sykora, Chairwoman of the National Auto Dealer's Association. "It does not ask consumers to do one thing, pay one thing, give up one thing or participate in any meaningful way in fuel conservation.

Later, Brown states, "the old CAFE bill did absolutely nothing to reduce the nation's overall consumption of gasoline and other oil-derived fuels. Gasoline consumption, in fact, has skyrocketed in America since the first CAFE law went into effect in 1975. Increased technical fuel efficiency plus cheap gasoline equals increased consumer demand for all that gasoline provides and supports and, thus, increased gasoline consumption."

Hence, "If Americans won't pay more for burning all of the oil-based fuels they use willy-nilly, perhaps they will be willing to support a military draft to send more of their children to the Middle East to fight and die for it.........Either way, we are going to pay. It's just a question of how much and when."

I'll second that.

Yukon hybrid in limited availability

A limited supply now available

I noticed that GM started ad campaigns for the GMC Yukon hybrid on Yahoo this weekend. I clicked through the ad to the GMC website, where it now states that the Yukon hybrid is now available in "limited availability".

The 2wd versions has an MSRP of $50,945, while the 4wd version is $53,775. Anybody shop the Yukon hybrid at a local dealership yet?

The BMW X5 Mild Hybrid - Is it worthy?

BMW takes the mild path to hybrids

Recently, I made a post Do Mild Hybrid Vehicles Makes Sense, and I think the BMW X5 Mild hybrid might easily resolve that question.

Yes, if they are anything like the BMW X5 Hybrid.

Read more.....

Too much caffeine in CAFE?

CAFE: More jittery buzz than anything?

When Congress was working out the final details of CAFE, I was a perpetual cynic. First, if America were hitting the 2020 standards outlined in CAFE today, America would still be dependent on foreign oil. Second, there are still too many loopholes for flex-fuel credits and for light trucks. Third, the antiquated way of measuring CAFE means 35 mpg is really like 26.5 mpg. Thus, CAFE might make autos a bit more fuel efficient, but not enough to really accomplish anything very significant.

Even worse, if CAFE legislation adds a few thousand dollars to the cost of large SUVs, for example, many in the auto industry believe this will only serve to keep older SUVs on the road far longer - making CAFE even less effective, especially in the short term. And new data by Polk, showing that Americans are keeping their cars longer, seems to lend credit to this thread of thought.

CAFE hasn't achieved much in the past, and it probably won't achieve much in the future. Why can't Americans handle the truth? Why does gas cost $8.00 in Europe, but just $3.50 in America?

A Prius shortage caused by lithium?

How could Toyota let there be a shortage of hybrids?

If hybrid cars are the future, one would assume selling as many hybrids as soon as possible would be smart because it's the quickest path to economies of scale. Some even argue it's the best path to lithium and plug-in hybrids as well.

So, why is Toyota claiming that a Toyota Prius shortage is possible?

Could it be lithium? Is lithium forcing NiMH battery manufacturers to scale back their NiMH manufacturing in favor of lithium-ion research and development? Believe it or not, but has Toyota actually perfected the lithium battery for the third generation Toyota Prius and the third generation Hybrid Synergy Drive? Read more.....

Is Volt success dependent on Toyota?

Without Toyota lithium will be too expensive?

"Moreover, the transition to lithium-ion batteries (as needed by GM for the Volt) will be based less on particular chemistries and technical details than their suitability for being mass manufactured in a reliable, economic fashion," states a MotorTrend article this morning.

Thus, plug-in hybrid fans should, according to the article, push for the widespread adoption of current Toyota hybrid vehicles so that lithium will have the necessary economies of scale - a huge hybrid buyer's market - to make lithium cost-effective once safe, reliable lithium batteries can be mass-produced.

Interesting, since Bob Lutz has been claiming that the race between GM and Toyota towards lithium is largely about chemistry...

Is the green movement a zealot-driven jihad?

Green critic John McCormick claims the green movement has turned into a jihad

"If reducing CO2 output is the name of the game -- and let's remember that no-one has proved that man-made CO2 has anything to do with the earth's natural warming trend ....," John McCormick states as he attacks the green movement's jihad against fuel inefficiency in today's DetroitNews.

Perhaps nature is solely responsible for global warming, an unlikely possibility. So what? Does that make foreign oil dependency any less of a threat to national security? Read more....

Peugeot changes hybrid course to luxury

Not for the masses?

Due to a cut in government funding, PSA Peugeot Citroen will both delay the launch of its diesel hybrid vehicles and move its focus towards high end luxury hybrids, rather than a mass-market solution, such as the 308 HDI hybrid (more).

OEMtek: Convert your Prius into a plug-in Prius

Double your mileage for $15,000?

If you live in California, home to some half a million Toyota Prius hybrids, then you can soon convert your Prius into a a plug-in Prius using the OEMtek BREEZ PHEV Conversion Module.

Read more...

Prius shortage: Another kink in Toyota's hybrid armor?

A Prius shortage, again?

Just a few years ago, if you were in the market for a Toyota Prius, you had to add your name to a list and be the first one to your dealership as soon as your salesman called - if he or she even called. Those days might be coming back.

"Our volume on Prius was up 67% last year," said Toyota GM Bob Carter. "That was a supply-restricted 67% increase. That's 181,000 cars. We can't repeat that, no way, even though the demand may be there. We just can't keep up. So you will see much more moderate growth because of the supply."

Why does it seem that Toyota is slipping? Finish.....

Prius still the greenest hybrid

Prius is the greenest conventional fueled car

According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, the Toyota Prius is the 2nd Greenest mass-produced car in America, just behind the natural gas powered Honda Civic. And for all you Boston Legal fans out there, that rating includes battery consideration so a Hummer really isn't cleaner than the Prius.

Other hybrid vehicles included in the Top 10 were the Honda Civic hybrid at 3, the Nissan Altima hybrid at 6, and the Toyota Camry hybrid at 10.

Do plug-ins prove that GM has changed?

This plug-in hybrid is being tested in the real world

Most people buy hybrid cars because of foreign oil dependency or global warming. Most people terribly concerned about these issues see GM as the enemy in this battle.

Despite the fact that GM is about to a launch a greater number of hybrid models in the next few years - probably more than any other automaker - critics don't care because so many of them are large hybrid SUVs. Fair enough.

Ironically, however, GM isn't just going to launch more hybrid models than any other automaker in the next few years, GM is also attempting to launch two different kinds of plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2010: the dual mode plug-in Saturn Vue and the Chevy Volt Range-Extended plug-in vehicle. Finish......

Fool's Gold: PHEVs?

Couldn't lightweight hybrids change the world now?

How realistic are plug-in hybrid vehicles? That depends on who you ask, but there is a great story covering this topic - a topic addressed by the 2008 SAE Hybrid Vehicle Technology Symposium last week - on today's Green Car Congress.

Anyway, here's my take. Read more....

Cupholders: Proof America needs a gas tax?

Cup placement more important than foreign oil dependency

Americans might be worried about foreign oil dependency, but they are still more worried about where they will put their morning cup of coffee on their drive to work according to the latest research. Ultimately, Americans are concerned about fuel economy, but not enough to pay anything extra.

Won't it be impossible for America to end foreign oil dependency without some sort of gas tax? Wouldn't a gas tax be a great way to fund tax credits for hybrid cars, including plug-ins and other clean vehicles?

Could the Volt be even bigger in Europe?

Does the Volt make more sense on the other side of the pond?

Ultimately, the red-hot Internet buzz machine, the Chevy Volt, is going to cost more than the $30,000 originally predicted. Some GM execs have put the final price around $35,000. Others, closer to $40,000 than $30,000.

Would a $40,000 price tag be too high for most Americans? Probably, but such a price tag might be just right for Europeans. In fact, with $8.00 per liter fuel in Europe, a $40,000 Volt might make far more sense in cities of Europe than cities in America where gas doesn't even cost half as much as in Europe.

Hybrid legends: New batteries every few years

What's your favorite hybrid lie?

This week as I checked out the blogosphere, I was surprised to read several hybrid bashes claiming that new batteries have to be bought every few years for hybrid cars. I thought most finally knew this wasn't true?

Some of the first Toyota Prius hybrids have now been on the road more than 10 years with that same battery pack, and today's battery pack is even better. There are many hybrids from Toyota, Honda, and Ford that have achieved a few 100,000 miles without ANY service problems. Consumer Reports has consistently given hybrids extremely high reliability marks.

Yet, the urban legends of hybrids won't go away. What's your favorite false myth regarding hybrids?

What's wrong with the Civic hybrid?

Fuel economy interest up to start 2008, but Civic hybrid sales down?

I received an interesting e-mail from blogger, Mike, regarding some data that he put together regarding the sales of fuel efficient vehicles (more). While sales of the EPA's most fuel efficient vehicles were up about 15 percent in January of 2008, Honda Civic hybrid sales were down 2 percent.

All other hybrid vehicles are seeing huge increases in hybrid sales, except the Nissan Altima hybrid, which was flat. What gives I wonder?

Do mild hybrids make sense?

Is the Malibu hybrid worth the effort?

There was a time when I hated writing about mild hybrids, but today that isn't the case. It isn't that I'm willing to give much pen time to the mild side of hybrid vehicles now, but at least I no longer hate mild hybrids.

Still, do mild hybrids make sense? Read more.......

Nano hybrids coming soon?

Tata's next hybrid?

Word on the street is that Tata will offer a hybrid version of its $2500.00 Nano, as well as a number of electric vehicle versions. (more)

GM: Tests prove Volt superior to plug-in Prius?

Ready to leave the Prius in the dust?

"An Extended-Range Electric Vehicle such as the Volt can reduce real-world fuel consumption compared to a comparable 40-mile all-electric range (urban cycle) Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle by more than 50%, according to a set of simulations run by GM using the operational data from 621 drivers captured in the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Travel Survey (RTS)," states the Green Car Congress.

Today, you cannot buy either a Chevy Volt, or a plug-in Toyota Prius. Three years from now, if some of these plug-in hybrids are finally made available for sale, either one or both vehicles might be too expensive for most consumers. Or, perhaps the Volt will be able to use more electricity, but cost $7,000 more than a 120 mpg, but less electric Prius. Which will consumers choose?

While I don't mind technological updates on Volt or Prius plug-in progress, such studies comparing hypothetical cars using invalidated technology, minus real world economics, seems largely a waste of time.

Audi A3 1.9TDIe: Who needs a Prius asks Angus?

A Prius killer?

Angus of MotorTrend has been driving an Audi A3 1.9TDIe for the last few days, a nice new diesel vehicle that is making Angus ask why anyone needs a Toyota Prius. Ultimately, according to Angus, the Audi is more fuel efficient than the Prius, except in extreme traffic, and the Audi performs better, so maybe there is no need for hybrid cars? Finish reading.....

If hybrids are sanctimonious, then guzzlers are idiot-machines?

If Prius drivers are sanctimonious, what are gas-guzzler drivers?

Foreign oil dependency is the root of 9/11, the root of two Wars in Iraq, the root of tensions in the Middle East, a source of funding for those opposed to the US, etc. etc.

Yet, if you buy a hybrid, such as a Toyota Prius, you're sanctimonious?(more) Fine. So what do you call the people that keep buying ga