With oil prices reaching record levels for the year—and potentially heading higher—the prospects for electricity-powered cars is also on the rise. Deutsche Bank said prices could surge to $100 a barrel in the next two quarters if the US dollar continues to weaken. Rising oil prices alone are not enough to ensure the future of electric cars—but there are clear signs of a massive transition to plug-in hybrids and electric cars.
When will we ever get a hybrid gas-electric minivan? That’s been the most frequent question over the years from hopeful (but frustrated) hybrid shoppers. After all, they say, Japan has had hybrid minivans for about a decade. The explanation that Japan’s minivans are much smaller than US models—and therefore better suited for gas-electric drivetrains—offers little solace. But help might be on the way, in the form of pint-sized three-row family haulers coming to America, maybe even with plug-in capability.
Major car companies are working on ways that plug-in cars will communicate with the electric grid. Ford, Nissan and Volvo have displayed their visions. We spoke with Greg Frenette, Ford manager of battery electric vehicle applications, to learn which driver controls are essential and feasible—and which charging technologies are more fantasy than reality.
Ford Motor Company has developed an intelligent charging system that previews how its production vehicles will interact with the grid. The unnamed system enables all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle owners to restrict charging to when electricity prices fall below a certain threshold, or even "when the grid is using only renewable energy such as wind or solar power," according to Ford.
No longer an amorphous concept, Nissan’s electric car can now be stacked up against other hybrids and plug-in cars for its look and feel, features, and likely cost. The reviews from the blogosphere—usually an irreverant crowd—were mixed.
Ford Motor Co. unveiled plans today for higher fuel efficiency across its 2010 lineup. The company said the new vehicle lineup will improve fuel economy by about 20 percent compared to 2005 levels. The focus on efficiency is helping Ford earn customers who did not previously own Fords.
Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Ford, pledged yesterday to form an alliance with the Edison Electric Institute to work on plug-in cars. Speaking at EEI’s annual convention in San Francisco on Thursday, Mulallly outlined his company’s path toward high fuel-efficiency, which included—but by no means was limited to—electric vehicle technology.
.jpg "$8 Billion in Loans Goes to Ford, Nissan & Tesla")
Department of Energy Secretary Chu announced the first round of $8 billion in low-cost loans from its $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. The loans are going to Ford, Nissan and Tesla. This funding was set aside not by President Obama as a bailout to keep auto companies afloat—but in September 2008 by former President Bush in order to retool plants to build more advanced technology vehicles.
Our recent drive of the Fusion Hybrid proved that the vehicle—if driven with a light foot—can achieve mileage in the mid-40s. That makes the Fusion Hybrid the first American hybrid sedan to hit the mpg big leagues. And that earns Ford a spot on any hybrid buyer’s consideration list, despite the un-truth of their primary marketing claim.
In a dramatic sign of the profound transformation under way in the auto industry, Ford said today it will invest $550 million to retool its Wayne, Mich. assembly plant to produce fuel-efficient compact cars and electric-drive vehicles. The plant formerly made Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigators SUVs.
