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Update: VW announced this car will not be built because it was deemed “too expensive.” Sorry Folks, VW Diesel Electric Hybrid Not Coming to US.
Toyota may lose its high-mileage stranglehold on the U.S. auto industry, thanks to Volkswagen’s new Golf hybrid-electric diesel. At 69.9 MPG, the new model is a serious contender for high-mileage biodiesel usage with a ridiculously low-emissions profile, especially since it will meet the strictest emissions standards in the world: Europe’s Euro V and America’s Tier II Bin 5.
This makes it likely to be released in California, since the major impediment to U.S. diesel vehicle sales has been emissions technology. But VW doesn’t plan on releasing the vehicle in until Europe late next year, which means we’d optimistically see a U.S. version sometime in 2010.
Here´s a throwback to this year´s North American International Auto Show:
At this year´s Detroit auto show, GM’s Cadillac division displayed their Provoq Concept car, an electric vehicle powered by an onboard hydrogen fuel-cell . The electrical system, part of GM’s so-called E-Flex architecture, is supplemented by lithium ion batteries that supply added torque during acceleration. Six kg of compressed hydrogen will provide an estimated 300 miles of driving range.
GM’s Vice Chairman Bob Lutz spoke about the car and GM’s broader vision that “electrically driven vehicles like the Provoq represent the next great shift in the auto industry.” He also underscored GM’s commitment to develop environmentally friendly vehicles and reduce petroleum usage.
I don’t know if this is truly a step forward in clean car technology, or just something for James Bond and Aquaman fans, but Swiss car maker Rinspeed will debut the sQuba, a fully submersible electric car, at next month’s Geneva Auto Show.
Last week at the Auto Show, I had the opportunity to be interviewed for a few short online video segments by coBRANDiT. My interview made it into a few different clips, including the Coskata biofuel announcement. Take a look at the following videos:
Download Coskata Announcement
This year’s auto show was a clash of environmental responsibility with traditional automotive manufacturing.
Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of General Motors, told a group of us that we have two basic choices: use oil until the oil’s gone, or start working on alternatives now and avoid a drastic and potentially unpleasant switch.
While producers are still putting out large, gas-driven vehicles with relatively low fuel economy, the major players are inching toward alternatives and pursuing new technology as rapidly as they say they can. The green theme was so pervasive that some have dubbed 2008 the ‘green year for auto manufacturing’.
Looking for a sweet ride that can get you infinity miles per gallon? Check out the Eco-Chic Fisker Karma, a luxury sports sedan capable of 50 miles of emissions free-driving on one overnight charge.
This sexy-looking sports car, which I stumbled upon at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this week, uses the same kind of technology as the lusted-after Chevy Volt. Both cars use a purely electric drive train for the first 40-50 miles of driving, then switch to a small gasoline engine that recharges the lithium ion battery pack for longer drives. This means that if you drive less than 50 miles per day, you’ll only need to refill the tank once per year.
By Ecotality Life •
September 7, 2007
Editor’s note: Congratulations to our friends at Ecotality on the beta launch of their new blog, Ecotality Life (and for snagging our own Michael d’Estries as Senior Editor). We’ll be continuing our Friday post swaps with Ecotality, and we’re very impressed with the quality and direction of the new blog. Today’s post was originally published on September 6, 2007.
A company in China just came out with a new hydrogen
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By Max Lindberg •
June 11, 2007
Nice looking truck, isn’t it? And it runs well too, without an engine, radiator, or those other amenities, although there is a five-speed manual transmission. You’re looking at a Florida man’s lifelong dream: his first electric vehicle.
62-year-old Kenneth Watkins is an electrical engineer in Orlando, Florida. Ken said he’d wanted to build an electric-powered vehicle for years, but raising a family came first and now that everyone’s grown, he has
[...]
The situation that exists in the Town of Cheektowaga, outside of Buffalo, is the type that an environmentalist hates to see. Not just because the town recently voted to shift from solar to electric street lights, but also because the pilot program and technology failed so miserably.
What appears to have been a rush to savings with the installation of the solar lights in 2003 has now backfired and cast a shadow on a greener
[...]
Chevy VoltJust spent some time with my blogging compadres at a "walk-through"viewing of the Chevy Volt concept vehicle. As you can see, it's a beautiful car! That was part of the plan, we learned — "green vehicles" aren't always particularly sexy, so Chevy wanted to bring some of the emotional attachment of the Corvette and Camaro to a greener vehicle.
By Rebecca Carter •
January 25, 2007
The best homework assignments only came once in a blue moon when your teacher said that you had to watch a TV show or movie at home. Today's tip is just as easy.
