In a speech at Fresno State University in California, Republican presidential candidate John McCain outlined a series of new proposals for dealing with the energy and environmental crises that figure to play a bigger role in this year's elections than ever before.
These days, auto safety recalls don’t get much attention, so the news that General Motors was recalling 9,000 of its 2007 Saturn mild hybrids to replace the high-voltage battery pack in each one was no more than a blip in the press. But behind the scenes, it was an expensive and annoying distraction for General Motors, and a huge blow to Cobasys, makers of the nickel-metal-hydride batteries. For six months now, GM has been forced to divert batteries it should have fitted to this year’s mild hybrids toward its dealers’ repair bays instead.
These days, no major auto company can afford to ignore a technology that wrings more miles from a gallon of gas. Japanese automakers currently own more than 90 percent of the growing hybrid market, and they seem determined not to be left out of the diesel market either. Nissan plans to first offer a diesel engine to the American market in 2010, and Toyota, Subaru and Mitsubishi have all made noises about doing the same.
Today, the Department of Energy announced a $30 million grant to Ford, General Motors and General Electric, hoping to commercialize plug-in hybrids by 2016. If you can't wait that long, a recent announcement may be encouraging: Hymotion will soon be offering a plug-in hybrid conversion kit for less than $10,000.
With gasoline topping $4 a gallon, hybrids are so hot that the auto industry can’t produce enough to satisfy demand. Carmakers point to a shortage of battery packs, but auto battery expert Menahem Anderman told HybridCars.com that the real shortage is a “shortage of planning.”
As if more evidence were needed of the recent tectonic shifts in the automotive marketplace, American car buyers have begun opting for vehicles with smaller engines in hopes of increasing fuel economy. According to J.D. Power and Associates’ Power Information Network, 45.6 percent of retail buyers in May 2008 chose four-cylinder engines for their new car or truck.
A General Motors spokesperson told Automotive News that the company planned to sell 27,000 mild hybrid vehicles this year, but is falling short because its supplier, Cobasys, provided faulty batteries. In an exclusive interview with HybridCars.com, a Cobasys executive—who asked not to be named—responded to GM statements and press reports, saying, “A lot of it is not correct," but declined to elaborate further.
For years, sporadic anecdotes about hybrid battery failures have been reported by individual hybrid drivers. But finally, the automakers are reporting the first numbers about the likelihood of batteries failing after the warranty expired.
Later this month, General Motors will begin real-world testing a fleet of Chevrolet Malibus outfitted with lithium ion battery technology—as part of a push to bring the Chevrolet Volt concept vehicle to market.
There are no shortage of conspiracy theories about the role of big oil companies in keeping hybrid and electric cars off our roads. Ironically, Exxon Mobil could play a part in ushering in the next generation of hybrids. Exxon Mobil's separator film is used in Electrovaya's Maya-300, a low-speed, all-electric vehicle—and could be used in many future hybrids.
