In May, President Obama announced new tougher fuel economy standards to take effect in 2012. Yesterday, his administration released the proposed 1,227-page set of regulations for implementing the standards, which require cars to average 35.5 mpg by 2016. As usual, the devil is in the details.
The list of automotive brands showing electric or plug-in hybrids at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show reads like an auto industry A – Z: Audi, BMW, Citroën, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Smart, Toyota, Volvo, Volkswagen…Are plug-in cars the latest fashion for an industry needing to green-up its image? Or is the EV revolution off and running?
Fisker Automotive will make a $39,000 plug-in hybrid, according to a report on Earth2Tech.com. Ray Lane, managing partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, which invested in Fisker, said the start-up carmaker will make an official announcement in the next week or two.
By the end of the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, Volkswagen will have unveiled as many as nine world premier vehicles. What’s the common denominator? “Maximum efficiency," according to VW. The coolest in the bunch is the L1, a two-seat hybrid concept that could get hundreds of miles per gallon, and the E-Up! all-electric minicar. With these concepts, VW is pointing to small innovative platforms, new levels of aerodynamic design, and electric or hybrid drive.
Toyota believes that lithium batteries do not justify the higher cost, and that current hybrid battery technology—nickel metal hydride—is best suited for conventional hybrids. The company came to that conclusion after conducting three years of “secret tests” on 126 Priuses equipped with lithium ion batteries, according to Bloomberg. “The problem with lithium is that it was overhyped,” said Jack Lifton, an expert in the raw materials that go into batteries.
Toyota will unveil the new Auris Hybrid and gas-electric Lexus LF-CH at the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show, signaling the direction of the company’s hybrids for European customers. With its small and sporty concept hybrids, Toyota aims at the biggest part of the European market. Five-door hatchbacks are the best selling type of car in Europe.
The growing list of part- or pure-electric cars to be displayed at next week’s Frankfurt Auto Show establishes a new litmus test for green cars at auto shows: Cars without plugs are behind the times.
Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid
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[HCDATE] When President Obama visited Southern California Edison’s electric vehicle test facility in March, he used the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid as the main prop for the photo op. The president spoke in soaring tones about the cars of tomorrow—but the expression on his face in the PR photo was disbelief if not outright disapproval. While Ford’s marketing folks might have preferred one of Obama’s winning smiles, his grimace better reflects Ford’s rigorous and skeptical approach to making sure the Escape Plug-in Hybrid is truly ready to hit showrooms in 2012.
China will soon overtake America as the world’s biggest car market. The country will need consumer incentives to boost its nascent market for hybrid and electric cars. Japan's hybrid market is booming, largely supported by generous consumer tax breaks for green cars. To further accelerate its hybrid market, Japan's newly elected government is expected to set much tougher goals for reducing auto emissions.
The 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show won’t start until September 17, but Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company is already establishing itself as the company with perhaps the boldest vision for a green car future. Vehicles with Hyundai and Kia badges on display in Frankfurt will include hybrid city cars, a hybrid crossover SUV concept, an all-electric city car, a plug-in hybrid, diesel vehicles with micro-hybrid stop-start technology, and mid-size lithium-battery-powered sedans running on liquid petroleum gas.
