The 2010 Chicago Auto Show, which kicks off later this week, is the location for the inaugural presentation of the Hermance Vehicle Efficiency Award. The award recognizes the most efficient new car with the greatest consumer appeal. The award is given in honor of the late David Hermance, Toyota’s highly respected executive engineer of environmental engineering. Hermance was considered Toyota’s hybrid guru, and a spokesperson for efficient vehicle technologies for the entire auto industry.
Coming at the heels of Toyota’s problems with sticking accelerator pedals, news of potential braking problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius and Lexus HS250h hybrid has raised legitimate concerns among hybrid owners. Yet, media coverage of Toyota’s safety issues may be blurring the lines between a potentially fatal problem with the accelerator pedals and the hybrid braking issues that may largely be based on perception.
Toyota acknowledged Thursday that it found software design problems with the antilock brake system on the 2010 model year Prius. The company corrected the problem in Prius models sold since late January. The company said it was still investigating how to inform people who had bought the 2010 model prior to January.
A senior BMW executive last week told Edmunds.com that its 356-horsepower plug-in hybrid 2+2 concept sports car is headed for production in 2013. Only time will tell if the comment is backed by a real commitment from BMW. Regardless, the vehicle follows an emerging trend that the world’s fastest, most exotic, and most expensive sports vehicles will utilize some form of efficient electric-drive technology.
Ferrari will show its first hybrid production car this February at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March. The high-end hybrid specimen will be a gas-electric version of the carmaker’s eye-popping 599 GTB. It will also be the world’s first ready-for-market exotic hybrid.
One week after finalizing the terms for a $465 million low cost federal government loan, Tesla Motors on Friday filed for an initial public offering. The company’s strategy is to sell $100 million worth of stock, and with a new level of capital in its coffers, to focus its efforts on launching its second vehicle—the $58,000 five-seat Model S luxury all-electric sedan.
In the past two weeks, two different companies have announced plans to roll out public rapid charging for electric cars. These chargers will allow electric car drivers to roll up, fill up, and drive off almost as fast as they do today in gas-powered cars. In an interview with HybridCars.com, John Aker, president and CTO of Aker Wade, explains his vision of EV rapid charging.
In an unprecedented move, Toyota said Tuesday it was halting sales and production of eight car and truck models accounting for more than half its US sales until it finds a fix for sticking accelerator pedals. Hybrid models are not affected by the sales and production stoppage.
General Motors said on Tuesday it will set up a $246 million facility to build electric motors to power future hybrids. The first GM-designed and built electric motors would appear in 2013 in rear-wheel-drive two-mode hybrid vehicles.
Better Place secured a new round of funding for the start-up company’s grand vision of creating a global network of electric car battery swapping and recharge stations. London-based HSBC, a conservative bank, led the $350 million round of financing, contributing $125 million in exchange for a 10 percent stake in Better Place. The backing is a major vote of confidence for Better Place—and could begin to silence skeptics of the company’s technology and business plan.
