Henrik Fisker abruptly left the company he co-founded six years ago in March this year, and Reuters says the investors are discussing purchase of the U.S. Department of Energy’s outstanding loan – at pennies on the dollar – along with avoiding bankruptcy by Fisker Automotive.

The Energy Department is owed $171 million and provisions could allow it to try and negotiate what amounts to damage control and selling off the debt at a loss to minimize otherwise greater loss to taxpayers.

The other group said to be thinking about doing something similar to Li and Henrik Fisker, as previously reported, includes Bob Lutz – the “L” in VL Automotive which already has a Web site with Fisker bodied, Corvette-engined cars, but without a reliable supply of the needed bodies.

Lutz and company are looking at snapping up the former 400-plus employee company at fire sale prices of $20 million, and sources said this could crest higher, and may need to, given more money is reportedly on offer by Li and his group.

Sources have agreed avoiding bankruptcy could be desirable for Fisker in maximizing what value it can return to investors.

Henrik Fisker has reportedly been communicating with potential investors to get in on a deal to revive his former company. What role the talented designer who has also penned Aston Martins and BMWs remains unclear.

The group he’s said to be involved with led by Li has reportedly bid on the outstanding Energy Department loan for a sum in the range of $25 million to $30 million.

While higher than what the group Lutz had initially offered, it amounts to 17.5 cents on the dollar back to U.S. taxpayers.

Anything could happen, however, and inquiries to Fisker Automotive, and others involved have gone unanswered.

Automotive News

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This was the average returned by 42 auto journalists who sampled the car on a 28.7 km (17.4 mile) test loop that included 6.5 km (4 miles) city and 13 km (8 miles) Autobahn driving. One journalist managed to squeak out 84 mpg (2.8 l/100 km).

The average speed was 54 kph (34 mph) and the top speed attained among the various drivers was 230 kph (143 mph). The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) calls for a paltry 20.5 mph (33 kph) average speed. Sso while the journalists did not make the typically optimistic number, they did put the car through somewhat more demanding usage, albeit still pretty slow in all.

No doubt if a driver tapped more fully into the E-Hybrid’s speed potential, its average mpg would diminish significantly, but the electric assist shows what is possible with reasonably careful driving.

The vehicle is European rated at 75.9 mpg (3.1 l/100 km), and the actual 54 mpg (4.4 l/100 km) average resulted after traveling a total of 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) was traveled on the sample test course.

Porsche’s Web site shows the plug-in hybrid starts at $99,975 including destination.

The 416 system horsepower and 435 pounds-feet maximum torque are delivered via a 333-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 and a 95-horsepower electric motor. As is typical for hybrids, the system power is less than the combined total of the electric and gas sources as they each peak at different operating ranges.

The E-Hybrid’s zero-emissions range is estimated at 18-36 km (11-22 miles), and this car is a forerunner of more hybrids to come.

Porsche recently divulged it will make a hybrid version of every one of its models, even the more sporting ones right on up to the 918 Spyder which will be launched on 9/18/13, and 918 of these are to be produced.

Autoguide

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Lease deals will start at $199 per month for 36 months with $999 due at signing and before applicable tax, title, license dealer fees.

“The Chevrolet Spark EV is the most efficient – and now one of the most affordable – EVs you can buy” said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet Marketing. “Combined with outstanding infotainment and great design, the fun-to-drive Spark EV is engineered to impress.”

By comparison, a Nissan Leaf S starts at $29,650 including $850 destination fee and is a larger class of vehicle, and the Leaf has become the world’s top-selling EV with over 25,000 sold in America, and 62,000 worldwide.

With regard to the value offered to the Spark EV Chevrolet adds state subsidies could drop the net outlay to as little as $17,495, taking the $2,500 California state incentive for example.

Chevrolet estimates the Spark EV will save drivers on average $150 per month in fuel costs assuming EPA estimated numbers for mileage driven, efficiency comparisons and fuel costs.

Select dealers in California and Oregon will have these cars available some time in mid June, Chevrolet said, without mentioning roll out details for any other state.

The Leaf is available in all states, and has just seen an uptick in its EPA mileage estimates, but the Spark EV is rated a bit higher.

Chevrolet’s Spark EV promises 400 pound-feet of torque however, much more than the Nissan’s at less than half that. That said, how the Spark’s outsized number translates to road speed is affected by the fact that the Spark has a taller gear ratio than the Chevy Volt, for example, and the net gain at the wheels over the Volt is not as large as would appear from just comparing motor torque.

Nissan’s Leaf is geared for maximum effect for the power it has, and is a peppy car to average around-town commuter speeds, but it did see torque reduced this year to augment range.

California and Oregon buyers – or those who travel to those states to buy – will have several more variables to consider besides in assessing between the Leaf or Spark EV.

However individual value comparisons turn out, there is now one more EV due on the roads from a major manufacturer, and this is a stepping stone toward progress in the eyes of EV proponents.

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This was indicated when GM announced two new colors for 2014 – Ashen Gray Metallic and Brownstone Metallic – on images of what look like the same car as a 2013. Apart from this, some changes here and there are planned for 2014, but the new car is not considered different enough to warrant new photos.

Last night we saw GM’s communications department had posted photos labeled 2014 Volt, and some of these same photos were used for 2013, 2012 and even 2011 model year representations of the Volt.

Fans and enthusiasts for electrified vehicles and the Volt in particular have wondered when generation 2 will come along – or if it will come along even – given there are some speculative voices out there suggesting GM could or should cease production.

Most observers correctly do not believe the 2014 Volt will see a substantial reworking, but despite the announcement of new colors, we have seen some random queries and comments – some perhaps based on false speculation from last year – and even among informed regular readers of GM-Volt.com hoping to see significant updates for 2014.

Also, despite speculation, there is no indication that the Volt model would be canceled at some point, and gen-2 may be a 2015 or maybe a 2016 model, though GM has not announced this. GM executives in the U.S. and in Europe have spoken of a second-generation Volt as substantially improved, but GM has inadvertently laid to rest some of the outlying speculation for 2014.

Screen shot 5/17/13. Click on to enlarge image.

Today we spoke to Volt communications representative Michelle Malcho and GM media representative Randy Fox and gleaned the car will carry over much like it was, but some changes to content will be made.

The actual details will not be divulged until mid to late June, Malcho said.

So, this leaves questions whether GM found new improvements of substance to pack into the existing platform like it did last year. Among last year’s improvements, the 2013 Volt did receive a 0.5-kwh increase to its formerly 16.0-kwh battery resulting in more range and improved miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). It also was equipped with the Hold mode that European Volts and Vauxhall/Opel Amperas get that suspends battery use and makes the car run on gas to save electric power for later.

So far, GM has only divulged 2014 colors, so mum is the word even if GM’s CEO did let it slip that the second-generation Volt will see substantial weight loss, and cost as much as $10,000 less.

GM has not announced pricing or launch date for the 2014 either. Last year the changeover from 2012 to 2013 models was in July coinciding with a planned several-week shutdown at the Detroit-Hamtramck Volt assembly plant for maintenance and tooling work.

This photo was labeled 2012 Volt in 2012, then re-labeled 2013 for now, and for a brief while, it was also labeled “2014-Chevrolet-Volt-003″ by GM.

But that was how things worked out last year. This year, Malcho said she did not know off hand whether a scheduled shut down was even in the works, and it will depend on what sort of pending build schedule the plant will have, and whether scheduled maintenance and other factors deem it necessary.

You can look for GM’s media page with the 2014 Volt photos, but we were told this was put up by mistake, and it was already removed within minutes after speaking with Chevrolet personnel informing them their communications people had posted them.

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The global development of the production car based on the NSX Concept will be led by Honda R&D Americas chief engineer Ted Klaus. It will be built at a new $70 million, 184,000 square-foot Performance Manufacturing Center, and plans are for this to be the exclusive assembly plant from which the car will domestically delivered, and exported to the rest of the world.

Ohio Governor John Kasich and Hidenobu Iwata, president & CEO of Honda of America and the head of Honda’s manufacturing operations in North America at Honda’s Marysville plant with concept on display.

This makes the third production facility in Ohio for Honda, and it’s just a few miles from where the engineering work is being done at Honda R&D Americas, Inc. Ohio Center and near Honda’s Marysville plant.

“Thirty years ago, building cars in America was a big dream. Working together, here in Ohio and across North America we turned this dream into reality,” said Hidenobu Iwata, president & CEO of Honda of America and the head of Honda’s manufacturing operations in North America. “The location of this facility is in the midst of one of the greatest collections of engineering and production talent in the world. So it makes sense that we will renew the dream and build this high-tech, supercar in Marysville, Ohio.”

To build the new NSX hybrid, Honda hand-picked 100 “highly skilled manufacturing associates” from existing Ohio operations. The powertrain will be built at Honda’s Anna, Ohop engine plant.

Along with Ted Klaus directing the project, Honda also named Clement D’ Souza, associate chief engineer at Honda of America, to lead the team that will bring NSX to mass production a couple years hence.

“This new plant will be as unique as the vehicle we will build here,” said D’Souza. “In creating the plan for this plant, we looked closely at each process and determined the perfect blend of associate craftsmanship and technology to adopt a new approach to manufacturing.”

The new NSX will be powered by a mid-mounted V6 engine paired with Acura’s new Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system.

“We have a very clear understanding of the high customer expectations luxury buyers around the world have for a supercar, and our challenge is to exceed them and create new value for the customer,” said Klaus. “This new Performance Manufacturing Center will be key to this challenge.”

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In the process of getting there, Nissan has opened up a dialogue with its owners to help facilitate their early adoption of the car, and is working across the country to significantly increase charging facilities.

The car’s best sales month came just a couple months ago in March with 2,236 units sold, and last month’s 1,937 sold gave the Leaf its second-best month and a 423.5-percent year-over-year increase.

“From the beginning our goal with Leaf has been to bring affordable, zero-emission transportation to the mass market in a practical, fun-to-drive package,” said Erik Gottfried, Nissan director of electric vehicle (EV) marketing and sales strategy. “With more than 25,000 Leafs in the U.S. and 62,000 around the world, we’re seeing the adoption curve for EVs accelerate, and there is tremendous interest not only on the West Coast but in a number of new strongholds like Atlanta, Raleigh, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, St. Louis and many more.”

The first wave of people who are buying the Leaf are among the most well educated and informed people to be found. The car has spurred an active, connected, and of course growing community of owners who’ve jumped into the EV waters, with many saying they are comfortable with their choice.

Objections by those who are either neutral or opposed to electric cars include extended charging times and outright lack of infrastructure, and Nissan has been working on this as well.

“Nissan is taking a three-prong approach to bolster infrastructure by working with commercial charging partners to bring a variety of charging options to our customers, collaborating with businesses to encourage workplace charging on their campuses and engaging in pilots with our dealers to determine how to optimize the role they can play in EV infrastructure,” said Brendan Jones, Nissan’s director of EV infrastructure strategy and deployment. “This enhanced infrastructure—particularly with more businesses offering workplace charging as an employee benefit—builds range confidence and gives EV drivers better end-to-end charging ability, meaning they can leave home fully charged, plug in at work and be charged when they leave.”

Aside from the obvious need for placing more chargers where higher numbers of EVs are concentrated, Jones noted the company has found simply adding chargers to a given area is also a spur for sales. It is a new take on the “If we build it, they will come” adage.

Nissan has already installed about 50 additional chargers in the U.S. where concentrations are highest, and this is just the beginning, it says.

In January this year, Nissan announced plans within 12-18 months from that time to triple the number of EV quick chargers from 200 to 600.

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The initial goal will be to deploy 48 super-quick, high-voltage DC chargers in California and strategic places on the East Coast. The exact placement in key markets has yet to be determined but Nissan projects the goal will have been met by the end of 2013.

“Nissan’s commitment to expanding EV charging infrastructure–including quick chargers with businesses such as CarCharging–not only supports today’s Nissan Leaf and other EV drivers, but also helps prepare communities for the increasing use of EVs,” said Brendan Jones, Nissan director for EV Infrastructure. “With more than 25,000 Nissan Leaf already on U.S. roads, bolstering infrastructure further accelerates the adoption curve as it provides range confidence and promotes additional zero-emissions driving.”

During a media presentation given at Nissan’s new Smyrna EV battery plant, one journalist had wryly asked Nissan “How long does Nissan plan to be in the charging business?”

The short answer was for as long as it takes, and indeed, if the so-called chicken-and-egg dilemma is to be fixed, and a new paradigm hatched, as Tesla is also showing with its Supercharger network, manufacturers are essentially doing the equivalent of establishing new fuel stations along with the new kinds of cars they are trying to see accepted.

This present initiative is therefore only one aspect of broader goals by Nissan to significantly expand the network in the not-too-distant future.

Part and parcel with the initiative to create a broader net of quick chargers will be a well-rounded consumer educational and awareness program.

“This campaign will include tools to communicate the charging opportunities for drivers without private garages, such as residents of apartment and condo communities; the ease and benefits of public EV charging; and charging subscription offerings,” said Nissan.

Additionally, CarCharging will offer a free app for Leaf owners that gives real time location info for all CarCharging EV charging stations, including ChargePoint(R) and Nissan’s quick chargers. The proprietary software will offer turn by turn directions, and available at participating Nissan dealerships.

“CarCharging is thrilled to enhance our products and services by including Nissan’s quick chargers in our public EV charging network and to offer our evCharge card to consumers who purchase a LEAF at a Nissan dealership,” said Michael D. Farkas, CEO of CarCharging. “Through our partnership with Nissan, we are eager to expand the EV market by educating consumers who don’t live in single-family homes and may not be aware of public EV charging services available today.”

Whether you drive a Nissan EV or another, and wish to pinpoint the new quick charger stations or CarCharging’s EV charging station locations, you can request CarCharging’s evCharge card at CarCharging.com.

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At least that’s the hope, because the competitive advantages appear to possibly be mixed with disadvantages as well, such as a starting price higher by $730, and city mpg lower by 3 mpg.

But the Cruze diesel is well equipped at that price, promises more power, highway mileage of 46 vs 42 for the Jetta TDI, and on that note, GM engineer Tessa Baughman says she achieved an 800 and 900 mile run, each on a single tank. She did this, she says, while avoiding other hyper mileage techniques with the only concession to maximizing fuel economy being that she drove 5 mph below the posted limit.

With a fuel tank capacity of 15.6 gallons for the Cruze diesel, this equates to a highway figure of 51.28 and 57.69 mpg respectively.

As a point of comparison, the record set with a manual-transmission 2013 VW Passat TDI rated at 43 mpg highway was an astonishing 84.1 mpg over 1,626 mpg.

However this was set by expert hyper mileage instructors, John and Helen Taylor, and in this case, the boilerplate caveat “your mileage may vary” applies doubly.

The take home message with the Cruze Diesel is it too can substantially beat its highway numbers, so, is it thus possible it can beat its city mpg number and close the gap between it and the VW as well?

The Cruze diesel starts at $ $24,885 plus $810 destination charge. It is available only with automatic transmission. Volkwagen offers a manual for $23,055 plus $795 destination or automatic for $24,155 plus destination charges.

The EPA mileage per gallon estimates for the Cruze Diesel are 27 city, 46 highway, 33 combined. For the Jetta TDI, it’s 32 city, 42 highway, 33 combined.

This said, options can easily make either car overlap each other, and GM says for the starting price, its Cruze Diesel is a comparatively solid value as equipped.

Without a doubt, VW has established a fan base for its Jetta TDI, which leads the small but growing clean diesel car market. The Chevrolet, GM points out, has a track record too, however. It was launched in other markets in 2010, and 33,000 units have been sold so far.

The gas variants of the Cruze furthermore have proven to be a top seller for GM, even usurping once stalwarts such as the Honda Civic.

So, if the Cruze diesel, engineered with help from Germans to give all comers a run for their money is as good as promised, GM does stand to begin eroding VW’s market.

Working against them all is diesel remains more expensive than gasoline, making the premium each vehicle costs over gas equivalents a real exercise in number crunching.

In their favor also, diesels can operate at lower rpms, potentially can last longer for those who keep their cars till the wheels fall off, and their power characteristics are excellent also.

The Cruze is said to offer performance like a V6 with highway mileage only 2 mpg less than the Toyota Prius Liftback, and with potential to match the Prius Liftback’s mileage and be much faster when desired. Of course, The Prius’ 51 mpg city and 50 mpg combined figures solidly trounce the Cruze diesel’s 27 mpg and 33 mpg respectively, but the Toyota is an altogether different technology that lends itself to excellent city figures.

We could go on and on with point and counterpoint, but the addition of a new contender, whether it sells well, or only moderately, can only be seen as a step in the right direction.

Rome was not built in a day, and neither will a changeover be to more fuel-efficient transportation.

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While the review gushes with praise for the car that “takes everything you know about cars and stands it on its head,” keeping to a tradition of conservatism, it essentially says do not be an early adopter, let others go first.

“Another concern is investing in a new car and startup company with no track record for reliability or resale value, and a skimpy (although growing) service network,” offers the publication in its full review published today. “So, yes, despite its stratospheric road-test score, we can’t recommend the Model S until we have sufficient reliability data.”

For EV advocates this might be the most disconcerting portion of Consumer Reports’ evaluation, but the rest is so overflowing with praise for the startup company’s product, many a reader may be tempted to overlook the prudent advice.

“Slipping behind the wheel of the Tesla Model S is like crossing into a promising zero-emissions future,” opens the review. The car is “brimming with innovation, delivers world-class performance, and is interwoven throughout with impressive attention to detail. It’s what Marty McFly might have brought back in place of his DeLorean in ‘Back to the Future.’”

See anything missing? No black and red circles to rate past performance. The Model S thus cannot be recommended. Imagine if all consumers were as cautious.

What exactly did Consumer Reports like about the Mode S it purchased for $89,650 plus $1,200 high-powered wall charger before $7,500 federal tax credit? Everything except it lacked a lane departure warning system, and had limited range compared to internal combustion cars, long charging times, limited access, visibility, and some controls.

Overall, the Model S still scored 99 out of 100, and the magazine said it had an internal debate over whether it was the best car it has ever tested, some saying yes, some maybe or no.

By comparison the Porsche Panamera previously tested scored 84, and the Fisker Karma scored 57.

Actual range recorded by the 85-kwh model tested was “roughly 180 miles on cold winter days to about 225 in more moderate temperatures.”

Zero-to-60 mph time for this version just below the top Signature Performance model was tested at CR’s test track at 5.6 seconds.

The ride is “luxury car” smooth, said the publication, and it is “the quietest car we’ve tested since the Lexus LS.”

Handling is “pinpoint” and “reminiscent of a Porsche.” (Presumably a Porsche Panamera, not a Cayman or 911, etc.).

Braking also is excellent, says the report, as are cabin storage, cargo space, practicality with such innovations as the front trunk or “frunk” and optional two-small-person rear jump seats expanding the seating to seven.

In short, Consumer Reports has jumped on board being wowed by the 85-kwh Model S like many other reviewers.

The publication prides itself on fastidious protocols, says it has no conflict of interest in reporting because it purchases its own cars, and its reviews are held as reliable by many.

Others have noted even with all the safeguards in place to maintain objectivity in its evaluations, opinions given by Consumer Reports are ones they would not agree with, to put it in benign terms.

In this case, CR is not bucking trends as it did when it initially came out panning the Chevy Volt, a couple years ago. But keeping to its roots of being at least somewhat contrarian, it does say to withhold purchase of the Model S until a sufficient track record is established by others.

Consumer Reports

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The “solution” is an electric car itself, such as a Chevy Volt, Spark EV, Nissan Leaf, etc., but the “elegant solution” could be maximizing the value and fleshing out a complete cradle-to-grave and beyond paradigm for post consumer batteries.

As a case in point, Nissan and GM are working with ABB Group seeking ways to practically re-use EV batteries in energy storage systems which maximize value of an otherwise post-lifecycle car battery, and add to the renewable energy grid. By definition, EV batteries are deemed post life when their charge holding capacity is somewhere around 70-percent depleted and they cannot meet a sufficient range compared to the new EV.

At the same time, there may be a monetary payback for the depleted battery in years to come, thus lessening the sting of the EV’s price tag for the consumer who may even be able to sell off his old battery to offset the cost of a new one.

“From an environmental picture standpoint, you need to think about the sustainability of everything you’re doing. You need to focus on the broader picture,” said Pablo Valencia, GM senior manager of battery lifecycle management in an interview with Automotive News. “What we’re doing right now is preparing for that broader picture — getting awareness up, both from a customer standpoint and also an industry standpoint, so that the energy storage industry is thinking about secondary use.”

Valencia said he expects within 10 years time the bugs will be worked out of energy storage prototypes just now being demonstrated, and infrastructure will be in place to accept used EV batteries, check their level of performance capacity remaining, and re-purpose them into stationary energy storage units.

“That’s where the world will be,” Valencia said. “People will understand how to use them.”

One of the “bugs” will be software and algorithms to make it a reality.

“One of those key pieces is the controls and the ability to charge the batteries up evenly at cell level, at a section level and an overall system level. Keeping all that balance in place is really the secret sauce to making any battery system work whether it’s a new battery system or a secondary-use battery system,” Valencia said. “The bigger the system is, the more important it is to keep it playing like a good orchestra with all of the pieces in balance with each other.”

Those working in this research field say EV batteries will not be able to be mixed. That is, only the same type of battery must be used, and so you will not likely find a Volt battery mated with a Leaf battery, and a Tesla battery, for instance.

“Batteries that are going into the Volt, for example, are different than the ones going into the Leaf. They are different than what’s going into the Tesla,” Portland General Electric’s Allcock said. “Batteries have all kinds of characteristics. You can’t mix and match on battery packs from different vendors. It just doesn’t work that way.”

Automotive News

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