Hybrid Living

Filed under: Diesel, BMW, New York Auto Show, Green Daily

During the BMW press conference at the New York Auto Show last week, BMW North America president and CEO Tom Purves made a nice swipe at the earlier announcement from Mercedes about those clean diesel SUVs. While Purves talked about the BMW’s ActiveHybrid and clean diesel systems in general, he also said the following (listen for it starting at about a minute into the video after the jump):

I heard earlier this morning our friends from Stuttgart talking about the cleanest diesel. We’re delighted the industry as a whole is approaching this whole field together. You can also get the cleanest diesel from BMW, but you get performance, too.

There were many chuckles.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors, Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

California Air Resources Board’s important meeting that will decide on the fate of the Zero Emission Vehicle Program (aka the ZEV Mandate) takes place Thursday (background here and here). As one of the big players in the electric vehicle space, Tesla Motors certainly has an interest in how the vote goes on the 27th. To explain his company’s point of view, Tesla Motors President and CEO, Ze’ev Drori, published a letter to CARB on the Tesla website today (it was sent to CARB on the 18th). He will also attend the meeting to deliver his message in person.

Drori’s main message is that the proposed changes to the the ZEV Mandate, which would reduce the amount of pure electric cars the automakers would be required to make. Instead of 25,000 in 2014-2017, the revisions call for a 90 percent drop and claim that battery technology is not available yet to produce that many EVs. Drori, who knows at least a little about how to build an EV, says such a change could “make a mockery of CARB itself.” For his detailed explanation of why CARB might be making this huge mistake, read his letter.

[Source: Tesla Motors]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, Saturn, Green Daily

Smartlets. Sounds like a new, electrolyte-filled candy or something you plug into your MacBook. Instead, Smartlets are one idea that would provide power to plug-in electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt or the Saturn Vue.
Partners Richard Lowenthal, CEO of California-based Coulomb Technologies, and Praveen Mandal will describe Smartlets to attendees of the Plug-In Car show in San Jose, California this July. According to Automotive News, Loenthal envisions Smartlets available for EVs and PHEVs in urban areas where people normally park their cars: parking lots, offices, stores, etc. Of course, Smartlet-like chargers are already available (for free) in some areas, like London.

GM likes the idea, but is taking a hands-off approach, but GM’s vice president of global program management. Jon Lauckner, told Lowenthal and Mandal last fall that Smartlets are “a good idea.” Of course, even though the Vue and the Volt are likely to be among the first plug-in vehicles available from a large automaker, Smarlets would probably be compatible with many plug-in vehicles, at least those that use a standard plug and can accept 110 or 220 volts. We’ll need a wait a while to here more about Smartets. The Coulomb Technologies website says the company “is currently in quiet mode.”

[Source: Jamie LaReau / Automotive News]

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Filed under: Biodiesel, Etc.

While we’ve seen a few biodiesel-related items up for auction on eBay – who can forget Daryl Hannah’s biodiesel El Camino – I’ve never considered that an entire online auction site dedicated to biodiesel products was something the world needed. Fillmore Fuels believes this is just the ticket and has launched an auction site that will (they hope) offer diesel parts and motors, biodiesel feedstock and equipment, and even vehicles for sale. While biodiesel is the current focus of Fillmore Fuels, other renewable fuels might be included later.

The site has been operating since January but was only officially announced last week, according to Red Herring. While Red Herring says that two items are currently up for grabs – a B-60 universal biodiesel processor and a handbook of microalgal culture – when I clicked on the “Buy” tab, I got a “HTTP/1.1 New Session Failed” message. We’ll check back when Fillmore Fuels is out of the eBeta stage.

[Source: Fillmore Fuels via Red Herring]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, BMW

The rumors of BMW’s new green brand have been circulating for months. We talked about the possibility back in January and November. A bit of news came in early February with the discussion of a revived Isetta small car. Automotive News (subs req’d) is now reporting that the Isetta rumors – or, as one of our readers said, iSetta – might be coming true. BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer told AN that a 12-member planning group called “Project i” has been working behind the scenes for about a year to discuss forming a new brand just for BMW’s alternative-fuel vehicles. Reithofer said that the group, “Is fully independent and even free to act beyond BMW structures if necessary.” BMW may build a small EV and if it does, the badge is just as unknown at this point as the look and battery type.

Of course, there’s no reason BMW can’t find religion on just greening up the BMW brand itself. I mean, a 520d gets better mileage than a Prius, don’t ya know? Would an all-electric BMW city car be too much brand dilution?

[Source: Automotive News (subs req'd)]

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Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid

Our good friends at Diesel Forecast have learned that the anticipted Mahindra & Mahindra diesel-hybrid truck will be on display at the SAE World Congress next month in Detroit. The Indian company’s light-duty Appalachian pickup truck and Scorpio SUV should be available for sale in the U.S. by 2010 with either a diesel 2.2L four cylinder engine or diesel-hybrid options. Mahindra’s Dr. Arun Jaura, who used to work for Ford on the Escape Hybrid, will also speak about the truck at the SAE event. We expect the truck to be sold in two- and four-door versions, starting in the low $20,000s (hybrids = $5,000 more). For more details, check out Diesel Forecast.

[Source: Diesel Forecast]

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Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid

Our good friends at Diesel Forecast have learned that the anticipted Mahindra & Mahindra diesel-hybrid truck will be on display at the SAE World Congress next month in Detroit. The Indian company’s light-duty Appalachian pickup truck and Scorpio SUV should be available for sale in the U.S. by 2010 with either a diesel 2.2L four cylinder engine or diesel-hybrid options. Mahindra’s Dr. Arun Jaura, who used to work for Ford on the Escape Hybrid, will also speak about the truck at the SAE event. We expect the truck to be sold in two- and four-door versions, starting in the low $20,000s (hybrids = $5,000 more). For more details, check out Diesel Forecast.

[Source: Diesel Forecast]

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Filed under: MPG, AutoblogGreen Q & A, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, New York Auto Show, Automotive X-Prize

click to enter gallery

We met Jory Squibb way back in late 2006 over at the Santa Monica Alt Car Expo. How can you miss a guy driving a tiny, 100+mpg bubble car called the Moonbeam? Jory, from Maine, is now back on the ABG radar with his presence at the New York Auto Show. He didn’t have a car with him this time, but he did have the idea for a competition vehicle for the Automotive X Prize with him. His new tadpole-style vehicle (that is, two wheels in front, one in back) is called Dirigo, which is the Maine state motto and means “I lead” of “I direct.” The Dirigo’s powertrain is based on a 950cc Daihatsu turbodiesel engine that sits in the back and drives the front two wheels. Jory told us the Moonbeam taught him that you really need at least half of your wheels providing power (the Moonbeam was also tadpole style, but only driven by the single rear wheel). Jory’s team for the Dirigo, which is now a year old, is made up of about four regular members, some of whom are boat builders and are taking the Dirigo in a wooden direction. Learn more by listening to Jory yourself:

UPDATE: Jory sent in a few thoughts on the Auto X Prize at the New York Auto Show. We’ve pasted his essay after the jump.

Thoughts from Jory Squibb (edited slightly for clarity):

I probably don’t have to tell you how depressing it is to go to an auto show. If your heart and brain circuits are working; if you see the planetary burner is on ‘medium well done’; if you notice that our cities are reaching gridlock; and luxury-based decisions about driving heavy, powerful vehicles to the nearby mall–then you will wonder as you wander thru the la-la land of an autoshow: WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

Where is cranky, contrarian Henry Ford when we need him? As the autocrat of a family-owned business, he was free to cut prices even when he already had a massive market share. He could raise wages even when workers were clamoring to work for him. I imagine that at least he would have had the guts in this clear situation, to go out on a limb.

Not so the 20 or so companies we saw in New York: Model after model with the same old gas economy, same styling, same complexity. These big corporations seemed to scrutinize their competitors, examine the bottom line for each of their models, and plod ahead like blind drones.

Yet it was appropriate for the AXP to launch itself against that mindless backdrop, to propose its by-pass surgery on location, right at the clogged coronary artery of the industry.

Two members of our team grabbed some brag photos, rooted around for some ‘business attire’, and purred down to NYC in the volksy TDI at 50 MPG.

I needed three things: to size up the AXP which I had had only telephone and email contact with; to see those four cars on display and get excited about some solid engineering ahead; and to talk with the 10 or so other competitors and steal any idea faintly useful.

The AXP was right there when you went entered the autoshow. Chairs were set up, multimedia blinked on a massive screen, lights played on a canvas roof–absolutely first class.

At exactly 1PM we had speeches, including the CEO of Progressive Insurance who will sponsor the AXP; and the Mayor of NYC who is obviously an unusually thoughtful person. I got to meet Neal and Bethann, both of whom I have always been impressed with.

Then they unveiled the four cars, which frankly, were pretty shabby. I better explain.

First, I’m not speaking from high altitude: Our own entry, Dirigo, is merely a rolling chassis right now, getting a body, and represents components of ho-hum technology, which have simply not been assembled this way before. Here is a 1000 lb, 3 wheel, rear engine, front wheel drive, small turbo diesel. No rocket science. Plug in the numbers. You’ll get 80-100 MPG, and maybe suffer a little from bells- and-whistles withdrawal.

Should I go thru each of the four cars, detailing my disappointment? Well, in brief, there was the totally clunky air-propulsion car. I’ve scanned their website. I talked with their rep at the launch. It just doesn’t add up.

There was a fiberglass replica of the Venture1, which, as such things do, drew no attention. Here is a wonderful design which, alas, will be recognized by everyone as an enclosed motorcycle. As such, it will draw its own excited but limited following. I have dialogued thoroughly with the blog on their website: Can a trike-style three- wheeler, even if tilting, be safe in extreme braking? The jury is still out… perhaps.

There was a heart warming but frankly ho-hum kit-car-to-electric conversion by an inner city high school. Great for AXP PR.

And finally there was fuel-vapor’s lovely third prototype. This held the most promise for me, but, reading between the lines, the technology break-through doesn’t seem to be happening. This is just an eco-rodded Honda Civic. And, even sadder, the team is going the Tesla route: a small production, high price toy for the rich. Please, someone, squirt me a hypodermic of excitement. What is the point of high-MPG in a niche like that?

So far:

• AXP = A+
• 4 vehicles = C-

I then went on to enjoy talking with the other contestants. Basically, they were my fellow travelers on the lunatic fringe. I left the building, late in the day, clinging tightly to a hopeful comment by one of the AXP speakers: it’s early. The best is probably yet to come.

The next morning I got up early, staying on the upper West Side, to take one of my favorite little walks in Central Park. I was as depressed as I ever get: Jeesum! Any one of those 20 fat auto conglomerates could wow the AXP without breathing hard. Grab components off the shelf. Set aside a few engineers and such. Why, why, why?

I saw a church on Central Park West with a Bible verse on a big banner in front. Something like, “We walk by Faith, not by Sight.”

And that shifted it for me, at least a little. It’s hard to walk ahead by what I saw yesterday. Cynicism nips at my heels. But faith, some sort of rooted confidence, enjoyment, well…faithfulness. This thing is going to work out, and it’ll fun to be a part of it. An hour later the hood ornament was pointing to Maine.

[Source: Jory Squibb]

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Filed under: SMART, Green Daily, USA

The smart limited two, unveiled in Geneva.

It’s a good time to be selling Smarts in the U.S. The North American distributor, Roger Penske, told Automotive News (subs req’d) that he thinks that, on top of the 25,000 Smarts he’s getting from Europe this year, he could “easily” sell 15,000 more. The trouble is that the Smart factory simply can’t produce more than they currently are, so those 15,000 extra sales will either be delayed or lost to other brands. Penske said he’s waiting to hear from Mercedes about possibly making more Smarts for the U.S.

Since the refundable deposit for ordering a Smart online is/was only $99, Smart USA said that as many as 25 percent of pre-orders are being canceled in some markets. Still, Smart USA’s president told AN that the overall number of cancellations is “low,” and the cars that were once destined for a particular buyer are not sitting on the lots because of high demand.

In the grand scheme of of the American car market, 25,000 Smarts – or even 40,000 – is not a lot. Still, if anyone was curious whether Americans could embrace a truly small vehicle or not, I think we have the answer.

[Source: Diana Kurylko and Richard Truett / Automotive News (subs req'd)]

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Filed under: Hydrogen, UK

London is one of the most noticeable battlegrounds in the fight for cleaner transportation. Headlined by the ongoing battle between Porsche and mayor Ken Livingstone, the fight also includes scuffles over motorcycles in bus lanes and new bicycle lanes. So, into this tempest, why not drop the oh-so-uncontroversial issue of hydrogen?

That’s just whats happening thanks to a new agreement signed by Air Products and Transport for London. Air Products will build a hydrogen fueling station in central London that will supply hydrogen for a fleet of buses that will be in operation by 2010. The American company ISE will deliver ten hydrogen buses to TfL: five that use fuel cells and five that burn hydrogen in internal combustion engines.

[Source: Air Products via Domestic Fuel]

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