Car Automotive and Design

Showing posts with label Ecology. Show all posts

GOP Budget Committee wants to Axe All “Green” Loan Programs and High-Speed Rail Funds

Five years ago, U.S. President at the time George W. Bush created the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program. It was a legislation providing up to US$25 billion of low-cost government loans to automakers in order to restructure their facilities and develop fuel-efficient vehicles.

The same program continued under the Obama administration, which has made reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the use of alternative energy sources one of its priorities.

However, after the bankruptcy of solar panel maker Solyndra, LLC which had received US$535 million in federal loans, the Energy Department has frozen all funding pending a review. This had a negative effect on upstart companies, such as Fisker Automotive, which relied heavily on these subsidies.

Volvo CEO Criticizes EU’s Strategy on CO2 Emissions Reduction and Electric Cars

Stephan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Cars, said today at an industry seminar in Brussels that the European Commission’s plan of reducing CO2 emissions and promoting electrification throughout Europe is mistaken.

Jacoby believes that a lack of a cohesive incentive strategy and over-optimistic targets set by the EU will not have the desired effects. He said that the high cost of hybrid and all-electric vehicles is currently preventing European car buyers from adopting them.

“Volvo Car Corporation urges the EU to coordinate incentives while supporting research and development”, said Jacoby, adding that if this does not happen, European carmakers will have to deal with the consequences.

Obama Strikes Back Over Rising Fuel Prices, Accuses Republicans of "Liking Gas Guzzlers"

The election battle in the U.S. is heating up and the issue of increasing gas prices is at the agenda of both the Democrats and the Republicans.

One of the three candidates for the Republican Party presidential nomination, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, has called President Obama “President Algae” for his commitment to alternative sources of energy.

Obama, who has made efforts to reduce America’s dependence on oil by offering incentives for vehicles powered by alternative sources, responded to his opponents during his speech at students in Maryland, according to a DetNews report.

Opel Ampera to Run at the 2012 Rally Monte Carlo

The Chevrolet Volt's European twin, the Opel Ampera, will be making its inaugural appearance at this year's edition of the international Rally Monte Carlo.

All in all, six Ampera sedans will participate in the “Alternative Energy” version of the rally, which starts in Annecy-le-Vieux, Clermont-Ferrand and Lugano on March 22 and finishes three days later in the capital of Monaco, Monte Carlo.

U.S. Senators Criticize DOE of Mishandling “Green” Federal Loans

In 2007, the federal government created the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing initiative to help automakers and suppliers develop alternative technologies.

According to DetNews, on Tuesday, March 13, during an Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, many senators accused the Department of Energy (DOE) of mishandling the US$25 billion program.

They said that the DOE had not offered a new retooling program in a year and no new major loans in the past two years. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said that the department had made the program “virtually dormant”, while others, like Senator Rand Paul, went as far as saying that “we need to get out of this business” as the program makes no sense at all.

Ford Focus EV Buyers in California get Access to HOV Lanes and up to US$10,000 in Tax Credits

A week after Ford revealed that it's all-electric Focus achieved a 105 MPGe combined EPA rating, the company announced that owners of the car in California can access the High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes. That, in itself, is another selling point for Ford. Read more »

iCar: New Study Finds that Gen Y Consumers want Hybrids with Tablets and Smartphone-Like Functions

Echo boomers, Generation Y, Generation Next: whatever you call them, people who were born in the beginning of the 1980’s are now an important demographic group for any company. And their preferences may change the type of cars we will drive in the future.

According to the annual survey conducted by the Deloitte consulting company, Generation Y consumers, who the company describes as those aged from 19 to 31, want their new cars to be hybrids laden with high-tech features.

"This could be the generation that leads us away from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles", comments Deloitte automotive consultant Craig Giffi who oversaw the study.

Obama Proposes Higher Incentives for Alternative Fuel Car and Truck Buyers

The current U.S. administration is committed to reducing car and truck fuel consumption and emissions. It has already managed to make major manufacturers agree on its 54.5 mpg Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) 2025 target.

Yet President Barack Obama wants more American new car and truck buyers to opt for cleaner vehicles. Therefore, during his speech at the Daimler Trucks North America plant in North Carolina, he proposed increasing tax incentives for buyers of electric, natural gas and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

"We’ve got to continually develop new sources of energy", said Obama. "We’re not going to be able to just drill our way out", he added referring to the rising fuel prices which averaged US$3.76 on March 6, up from US$3.51 a year ago according to data provided by the American Automobile Association.

CPT's LC Super Hybrid Volkswagen Passat to Debut at the Geneva Motor Show

Zero emission vehicles are as "green" as you can get, but fuel cells are still a long way from mass production and EVs' limited range and high prices are a deterrent for a large percentage of new car buyers. Hybrids, while more affordable, still command a higher price than regular models.

And here's where UK-based Controlled Power Technologies (CPT) and U.S. Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC) come into the picture.

The two companies have teamed up to develop the LC Super Hybrid, which is a new technology that promises to lower a gasoline engine’s consumption to levels comparable to a diesel, but at a much lower cost that a traditional hybrid.

2012 Chevrolet Volt with Low Emissions Package Granted Access to California's HOV Lanes

In order to encourage carpooling and decrease traffic congestion, the State of California came up with the idea of creating the so-called High Occupancy Vehicle lanes or HOV for short, which could only be used by cars with two or more occupants.

Last July, however, the Golden State altered the regulations allowing single-passenger vehicles to use them as well, provided they were all-electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells or natural gas.

Despite being a hybrid, the Volt was excluded from the list specifying the vehicles allowed to use the HOV lanes, which span more than 1,400 miles and reduce driving time by an average of 36 minutes each day, because of its emissions.

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