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January 7, 2010 9:41 AM PST

Auto industry focused on hybrids, survey says

by Candace Lombardi
  • 4 comments

Styling innovations like this glass roof available for Ford Motor's 2009 V-6 and GT Mustang may not be the focus in coming years as automakers look to provide energy efficiency not looks, according to one survey.

(Credit: Ford)

Biodiesel technology is low on the list of priorities for auto industry research, according to a global survey of 200 senior auto executives conducted by KPMG that was released Thursday.

When asked to rate which were the most important alternative fuel technologies to the auto industry over the next five years, hybrid systems were ranked first followed by battery electric power, fuel cell electric power, and biodiesel, respectively.

Fuel efficiency was ranked as the feature auto executives believed makes the biggest impact on customers' purchasing decisions, while "environmental friendliness" was second followed by safety innovation in third.

A car's style and looks came in last on the list of factors auto executives thought customers looked at these days when deciding which car to buy. They're likely right. The information follows news that Ford Motor announced in December it saw record sales for its hybrid cars in 2009 compared to hybrid car sales in other years.

"Automotive manufacturers are in the challenging position of being asked to compete on both technology and cost. With global consumers still feeling the pinch of the recession, those OEMs who can deliver on this equation will be in the driver's seat," Gary Silberg, national automotive industry leader for KPMG, said in a statement.

The survey was conducted September through November 2009.

Originally posted at Planetary Gear
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. E-mail her at candacelombardi@gmail.com. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.
January 6, 2010 11:00 AM PST

CES: OnStar mobile app puts the Chevy Volt in your pocket

by Antuan Goodwin
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OnStar app for the Volt in action on the Motorola Droid (Credit: General Motors)

Updated: CNET video added.

The Chevrolet Volt hasn't even hit the sales floor yet and there's already an app for that. On Tuesday evening, Chevrolet and its OnStar telematics system announced working smartphone apps for the Motorola Droid, Apple iPhone, and BlackBerry Storm that will allow Volt owners to connect to their vehicles wirelessly to access remote features via smartphone.

The Chevrolet Volt OnStar smartphone app will let users know if the Volt is plugged in or not and whether it's charging on 120V or 240V. Users can also schedule charging times to get the lowest off-peak rates and "Charge Now" if they need a quick boost. Users can even remotely start the Volt to preheat or cool the cabin while plugged in to preserve a bit of EV range. Of course, battery charge level and gasoline and electric ranges will also be accessible using the app, as well as displays of ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog

Originally posted at 2010 CES
January 5, 2010 6:35 AM PST

Think to manufacture electric cars in Indiana

by Martin LaMonica
  • 28 comments

The Think City: coming to America.

(Credit: Think Global)

Correction to release time of car made on January 6 at 3:50 a.m. PT.

Carmaker Think plans to manufacture its highway-capable electric car in Indiana and and make it available in the U.S. next year, the company said on Tuesday.

The Norway-based company is scheduled to hold a press conference in Elkhart, Indiana, where it intends to make the small car. CEO Richard Canny and Indiana governor Mitch Daniels will attend.

The Think City is an all-electric car that can go about 60 miles per hour and has a driving range of about 100 miles. It runs from lithium ion batteries supplied by EnerDel, which is based in Indiana.

Think began delivering the City to European customers in December, a year after it halted operations because it had run out of money. The company, which has its roots at Ford, had to restructure and raise more money.

The move to produce cars in the U.S., which was expected, is a welcome sign for the U.S. auto industry which has been hit hard by falling car sales and, in some cases, strategic missteps.

In a press advisory on Tuesday, Think did not indicate what sort of financial incentives the state offered. But many policymakers are eager to attract companies with advanced auto technologies, such as plug-in electric vehicles. The Obama administration last year dedicated $2.4 billion to promote domestic car battery manufacturing.

It's expected that Think will market the two-seat City to American consumers as a car suitable for daily errands or commuting. In many cases, it could be second car with a household's primary gas car able to take longer trips.

Pricing for the car is not yet available. In general, automakers say that the cost per mile of electric cars, which charge their batteries from a home outlet, will be cheaper than gasoline cars.

Originally posted at Green Tech
December 25, 2009 6:59 PM PST

Ford sees bump in hybrid sales

by Natalie Weinstein
  • 16 comments

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

(Credit: CNET)

Ford Motor's hybrid sales are up 67 percent this year, despite an overall industry slump of 11 percent, the company reported.

The carmaker sold 31,000 hybrid cars through November this year--which was higher than its previous sales record set in 2007. The company said Wednesday that it pinned part of the increase on the release of the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid. Both vehicles get 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, Ford said. The Fusion Hybrid, which was released in March, represents 45 percent of all Ford hybrid sales for 2009.

Ford's goal is to make 10 percent to 25 percent of its fleet "electrified" by 2020. That's the equivalent of 800,000 to 2 million cars. "Electrified" covers hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric vehicles.

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Originally posted at Green Tech
December 22, 2009 3:45 PM PST

Honda CR-Z brochure leak hints at new nav option

by Antuan Goodwin
  • 1 comment

Honda CR-Z brochure scan

We know that we should be concerned with the CR-Z's performance, but the possibility of a new Honda nav system has us excited.

(Credit: Temple of VTEC)

Scans of the brochure for the Honda CR-Z have been making the rounds on the Net, giving us a peak at what you get when you apply the terms performance, compact, and hybrid to a production car.

However, upon taking a look at the interior photos, we were hit with what looks like even more good news: the navigation system's new button layout seems to suggest that the CR-Z may be getting a new system. Which is great, considering Honda's current goes-in-everything navigation system is over half a decade old. Does this mean no more DVD-based navigation? Are we finally going to get traffic data? Is this the end of the funky PC-card slots behind the motorized touch screen? Hopefully, yes.

Honda CR-Z brochure scan

It appears that the production CR-Z will remain true to the concept.

(Credit: Temple of VTEC)

It also looks like the digital instrument cluster is sporting some heavy LCD usage, which also gets us all hot and bothered...um, sorry.

If the CR-Z can match the expectations of a generation of rabid CRX lovers and deliver zippy performance, a tossable chassis, and decent fuel economy, an upgraded cabin tech package could be the feather in its cap. But we won't know for sure until we get some time behind the wheel after the CR-Z is unveiled at the 2010 Detroit auto show.

Originally posted at 2010 Detroit auto show
December 21, 2009 11:55 AM PST

Check out the BMW Concept ActiveE

by Suzanne Ashe
  • 1 comment

Here's a look at the BMW Concept ActiveE. The all-electric car is based on the 1-series coupe. Unlike the demonstration in this promo video, the batteries don't pop in like a toy, but they will be located where the gas tank would normally go. Look for the ActiveE next month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Originally posted at 2010 Detroit auto show
December 17, 2009 5:00 AM PST

New Insight ads will stress car, not lifestyle

by Automotive News
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LOS ANGELES--Honda plans a new marketing approach for its Insight hybrid after the Toyota Prius-fighter's disappointing debut.

An ad campaign starting early next year will focus more on the car's features and benefits, said John Mendel, American Honda Motor Co. executive vice president. One spot likely will detail the Insight's capability to "train" a driver to drive more efficiently.

Honda Insight

Honda to create ads about the car instead of the buyer.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

The ad will feature the Insight's fuel economy readout, which uses a scrolling video-game format on the instrument panel. Mendel said that ought to make the Insight appeal to buyers under 35 years old--the target market.

Since the Insight's debut, ads have been lifestyle-oriented, for example showing the hybrid transporting young people to the beach. The ads also have been highly stylized, relying on quick-cutting and inventive camera work.

"Are we happy with how sales are going? No, we're not happy," Mendel said in an interview. "We are going to continue to market the car. But to call it a relaunch makes it sound like we did something wrong."

Mendel described current market conditions as unfavorable for hybrids, what with fuel prices much lower than in the summer of 2008. Still, the Prius is outselling the Insight 6-to-1.

Honda's initial 90,000-unit sales goal was revised to 60,000 because of the economy, but sales since its March launch total just 18,933 units through November

(Source: Automotive News)

December 16, 2009 9:49 AM PST

Struggling Saab finds partner on electric vehicles

by Candace Lombardi
  • 2 comments

A prototype of the ZE Saab 9-3.

(Credit: Saab)

Lithium-ion battery manufacturer Boston-Power and Swedish automaker Saab are collaborating on a zero emissions version of the Saab 9-3, both companies announced Wednesday.

The ZE Saab 9-3 (ZE for zero emissions) would be an all electric vehicle with a Boston-Power battery.

Many may wonder why Boston-Power would get involved with the struggling, for-sale Saab. But for the Massachusetts-based battery manufacturer, which has been trying to get into transportation batteries, the partnership makes sense, considering its associations.

In January 2009, Boston-Power received $55 million in series D funding from a group led by Foundation Asset Management, the investment arm of a Swedish foundation. The funding was intended to establish battery manufacturing for transportation applications, which Boston-Power started doing in May 2009.

Previously, the company manufactured laptop batteries. It was most noted for its Sonata, a long-lasting battery found in certain models of Hewlett-Packard laptops.

The deal is part of an 86 million Swedish kronor (about $12 million) grant from the Swedish Energy Agency to promote green transportation and electric vehicles. As part of the grant agreement, the group plans to produce at least 100 ZE Saab 9-3 cars by the end of 2010.

The coalition also involves electric power train designer Electroengine, engineering management company Innovatum, and the Swedish industry organization Power Circle.

Though it could be an an effort to make the financially struggling automaker seem more attractive to possible buyers, the timing of the announcement is curious.

On Monday, Saab's parent company, General Motors, announced a deal to sell Saab branding rights in China to the Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corporation (BAIC) along with "certain Saab 9-3, current 9-5 and powertrain[sic] technology and tooling," according to a GM statement.

Then on Tuesday, GM said it's close to cutting a deal to sell Saab to the Holland-based sports car maker Spyker.

Originally posted at Green Tech
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. E-mail her at candacelombardi@gmail.com. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.
December 15, 2009 3:09 PM PST

New Toyota hybrid concept teased for Detroit

by Antuan Goodwin
  • 1 comment

Toyota hybrid teaser

Well, we know three things: it's a Toyota; it's a hybrid; and it's green.

(Credit: Toyota)

The 2010 car show season is set to kick off in January at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, affectionately and more commonly known as the Detroit auto show. Toyota is going to be there and, being Toyota, you can bet its booth will be stuffed to the gill with hybrids. We've just received a pair of teaser images for an unnamed Toyota hybrid concept.

Toyota teaser

The ultra-swept headlamps and rounded nose point toward a concept that's like no current Toyota offering.

(Credit: Toyota)

The concept should be a new model and not simply a hybrid version of a currently selling vehicle. There's not much that we can tell from the pictures beside that it's a green Toyota hybrid. I'm guessing based on the steep angle of the A-pillar that this is going to be a tiny car. Perhaps a new subcompact hybrid that slots in below the Prius.

We'll keep our eyes peeled for more information as it comes available. In the meantime, give us your best guess as to what Toyota's got up its sleeve in the comments.

December 15, 2009 5:00 AM PST

New Chevy chief's top to-dos: Key launches, marketing plan

by Automotive News
  • 1 comment

DETROIT--What do the modern family, young people, truck lovers, performance enthusiasts, and the "eco-culture" have in common?

They're all part of Chevrolet's target audience, says the brand's new chief, James Campbell. Launching a marketing plan that reaches each tops his to-do list. Campbell, 45, a marketer by trade, takes over as Chevrolet works on a marketing theme to replace the five-year-old "American Revolution." The new ads will launch in the first half of 2010, Campbell said last week after his appointment. He declined to give more details.

Campbell's predecessor, Brent Dewar, left to pursue personal interests and spend more time with his family, General Motors said.

Through November, Chevrolet's U.S. sales dropped 27 percent, more than the industry's 24 percent decline but less than GM's 32 percent slide. GM will lean on the brand as the market recovers and as the company makes up for departing brands Saturn, Pontiac, Hummer, and Saab.

"No question, Chevrolet has got to carry the volume, so I definitely feel the responsibility of that," Campbell said. "So goes Chevrolet, so goes General Motors." Campbell, a GM lifer, worked in field sales and customer relationship management before joining Chevrolet in 1998. There he helped launch products such as the Cobalt, HHR, Colorado, and several Corvette models. He eventually directed GM's retail planning before becoming head of GM's Fleet and Commercial Operations in February.

Chevy Volt

New GM marketing executive develops plan to sell the Volt.

(Credit: GM)

Campbell said his work on the Corvette in particular taught him to understand customers and meet their needs.

In the coming year, Campbell will launch the Cruze small car, the re-engineered Silverado heavy-duty pickups, and the Volt plug-in hybrid. The Cruze is a high-volume vehicle, but because it will get up to 40 mpg on the highway, it will join the Volt in appealing to the "eco-enthusiast," he said.

Campbell is the first major appointee of Susan Docherty, GM's U.S. sales and marketing chief. She announced his new job a few hours before GM said Campbell's Buick-GMC counterpart, former Ford Motor marketer Michael Richards, had quit after eight days with the company. GM spokesman Chris Preuss said the company probably will seek an outside replacement.

(Source: Automotive News)

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