Detroit auto show

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Chrysler Green with ENVI at the Detroit Auto Show

January 26, 2009 in Biz News, EVs, Future Cars, New Tech by kristen | No comments

Dodge Circuit

Chrysler, one of the not-so-Big Three, brought several cars from its ENVI extended-range electric car program to the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, including a Lotus-designed sports car and an electric concept car.

Lots of companies had new green technologies to show off, though, (except for Ford, which only brought a slide presentation of its plans to build electric cars in the future). Chrysler set itself apart by thanking the government and the American people at its press conference for the bailout money and acknowledging that it had a new responsiblity to consumers who had granted them the loan “just in time.”

Part of this responsibility, in Chrysler’s view, is to build cars that answer our energy and creature-comfort needs. It’s working on it. The company owns GEM, the golf-cart-like NEV company, and it brought three ENVI electric vehicles, including two Jeeps and minivan with a 40-mile electric range.

But it was the ENVI concept cars that stood out. Here’s the skinny on these new EVs:

Dodge Circuit

  • EV sports car shown in Tangerine
  • Designed by Lotus — and looks like it
  • 0-60 in under 5 seconds, top speed of 125
  • 150-200 mile range from lithium-ion batteries

Chrysler 200C

  • Interior made with organic materials
  • In-car Wi-Fi hotspot from Mopar
  • Microsoft-powered on-board computer includes a Facebook-like app, music downloads
  • 0-60 in 7 seconds, 268 hp
  • 40-mile electric range; 400 miles with range-extending gasoline engine

Chevy Equinox Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Test Drive

January 23, 2009 in Biz News, Consumer News, Future Cars, Hydrogen, New Tech, test drives by kristen | No comments

I mentioned that the Mitsubishi iMiEV was one of the most popular cars to test drive on the basement track at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The other was GM’s Chevy Equinox SUV powered by hydrogen fuel cells. I waited my for turn at the wheel and did a few 10-mph laps with a GM rep in the passenger seat to fill me in on the technology.

The most notable thing was that the hydrogen-powered motor was as quiet as an EV, and drove like an EV, since it basically is an EV being powered by hydrogen rather than energy stored in, say, lead-acid batteries. GM has a fleet of these Equinox SUVs on the roads right now, and customers have asked engineers to leave in the “whine” on acceleration, rather than making the vehicle perfectly silent.

Though I couldn’t test it on the 700 feet of impromptu track inside the Cobo Center, the Equinox can do 0-60 in about 12 seconds, which is similar to a Prius. The hydrogen fuel generates zero emissions, and the current generation of the technology operates without any issues from -5 degrees Fahrenheit to 113 degrees. The next generation should be usable in “normal car range,” from -40 to 130 degrees.

GM has the largest fuel cell fleet in the world being tested by consumers right now. What we need is enough solid information from GM and its testers to break the chicken-or-the-egg fuel cell impasse that we’re at now: no one wants to build the cars without fueling stations in place, and no one wants to install the fueling stations without the cars.

Image courtesy of GM.

Mitsubishi iMiev Test Drive

January 21, 2009 in EVs, Future Cars, small cars, test drives by kristen | No comments

iMiev in the Basement

After a couple manufacturers pulled out of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show at the last minute and the floorplan was rejiggered, there was a large, empty space leftover in the basement of the Cobo Center. What to do with it? I know! Let’s bring in trees, tulips, and shrubberies, and have alternative-fuel vehicles available for test drives!

And so I found myself in line late in the afternoon, waiting to drive the Mitsubishi iMiev. Mitsu didn’t have a booth at the show, so I didn’t think I’d get to see this little EV in person. I was happy to be wrong. It was one of the most popular vehicles to test at the show, as most of the other vehicles were new hybrid models like the Cadillac Escalade. We’ve all driven a hybrid by now, right? Journalists are so jaded.

I lugged my press-kit-filled tote bag to the driver’s side, only to find it wasn’t the driver’s side. The car isn’t manufacturered for use in the States, so it’s right-hand-drive, Japan-style. Luckily, the car is tiny, so I didn’t have far to walk to correct my mistake. Mitsubishi PR guy Moe took the passenger seat to ride along with me and answer my questions. Moe is a fairly tall guy, and he didn’t look too uncomfortable inside the car. I’m only 5′ 4″, and I fit behind the wheel just fine.

We tootled about the smooth cement track for three or four laps. Moe pointed out that there is an Economy mode that slows the starts and is 13% more efficient than regular Drive, and a Boost mode for getting up hills that makes use of regenerated braking power. The little iMiev isn’t fast by anyone’s standards, but it was hard to gauge its usefulness in the real world when I was confined to 700 feet of basement track and a maximum 10 mph.

Moe said the iMiev project started in 2004, and that a fleet of the cars is being tested worldwide, with the U.S. being a proving ground for cold-weather use. He said he’s driven the iMiev on the highway without fearing for his life or being blown all over the road. The batteries help give the little car some weight, he said; he found the gasoline-powered version of the car scarier than the EV on the highway.

The interior was pretty Spartan, with few bells and whistles. But the rear seats can fold down for extra cargo space, which is nice as long as whatever you’re loading in the back is large and airy, like, say, a balloon bouquet. Anything heavier is going to have a noticeable effect on the little motor’s get-up-and-go.

Image by me. Moe is in the passenger seat on the far side of the car.

The New Honda Insight

January 19, 2009 in Consumer News, Hybrids, MPG by kristen | 4 comments

Honda Insight

The blogosphere (GoodGreenCars.com included) has been abuzz this fall about two new hybrids: the third generation of the crazy popular Toyota Prius, and the resurrection of the pioneer Honda Insight. We’ve already talked about the “most important reveal,” according to humble Toyota execs, of the 2009 Detroit auto show, so now let’s turn to the potential giant-killer Insight.

First of all, if you take a look at the pictures of the new Honda Insight on the stand in Detroit, one thing stands out: it looks just like a Prius. Same short, sloped nose, same little wheels, same chunky back. Part of that is due to the aerodynamics necessary to get high fuel economy in a hybrid, but part of it is probably a little Prius piggy-backing, as well. In order to sell a lot of Insights, you have to aim for the familiar.

Honda hasn’t announced an official price for its hybrid, but it keeps saying it will be cheaper than the Prius. The new Prius doesn’t have an MSRP yet, either, but we can expect both of the cars to be somewhere slightly north of $20,000.

Interestingly, while Toyota couldn’t have tooted its own horn louder if it had brought a drum and bugle corps to Detroit, Honda didn’t schedule a press conference for its Insight. It left the car on the dais for the curious to find, with a cutaway car showcasing the Insight’s technology nearby. Humility won’t get anyone anywhere in the new automotive landscape, so if Honda wants to take on the mighty Prius, it had better step up is marketing game.

Insight insides

Tesla to Supply Batteries for Smart EV

January 13, 2009 in Biz News, EVs, Future Cars, small cars by kristen | 1 comment

Tesla RoadsterSmart EV

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced today at the 2009 Detroit auto show that the company will supply the batteries for the forthcoming Smart electric vehicle. Musk had just gotten the go-ahead from Smart parent company and Tesla partner Daimler this morning to make the announcement at the press conference this afternoon — the last auto manufacturer’s press conference of the show.

Musk said Daimler felt Tesla had the best engineering and technology, and so chose the small Silicon Valley electric car maker to supply the batteries for its Smart microcar. The Smart EV will use the same batteries as the Tesla Roadster, but in a smaller pack.

Musk also mentioned that his goal is to bring EVs to the masses, something that could be done through this partnership with Daimler. While the technology is expensive, it goes into expensive cars like the Tesla Roadster (which sells for upwards of $100k and is sold out through November 2009). By working with a large car maker to build EVs in volume, Musk hopes to lower the costs and partner with Daimler to build tens of thousands of cars, instead of the 1500 Roadsters Tesla hopes to build this year.

Tesla likes this partnership model so much that Musk says it’s looking for more deals of the same kind. “The notion of Silicon Valley versus Detroit is completely untrue,” he said.

Detroit Day One: What’s New

January 11, 2009 in Bioethanol, Biz News, Consumer News, EVs, Future Cars, Hybrids, MPG, New Tech, PHEVs, small cars by kristen | No comments

I’ve attended about a half-dozen press conference at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit today — enough to give you an idea of what’s to come. I’ll have pictures and in-depth information on the models mentioned here in the next day or two.

GM: To emphasize the company’s commitment to greener powertrain technology, the Volt led the GM parade. The much-hyped range-extended electric vehicle should be market-ready by the end of 2010. The Chevy Beat microcar concept will be produced worldwide as the Chevy Spark in 2011. The surprise of the conference was the all-electric Cadillac Converj concept (nice spelling, eh?) It’s based on the Voltech system, as the company is calling it, and should have a 40-mile range.

Lexus: Toyota’s luxury arm debuted a dedicated hybrid, the HS 250 h. The “entry-level luxury vehicle” has plant-based eco-plastics, according to Lexus, throughout the interior, which is 30% recyclable. The car overall is 85% recyclable, including the batteries. It’ll be on sale in late summer 2009, but no price was announced yet.

Ford: Ford was all about its new EcoBoost engine, which is an option for the Flex right now and will be available on 90% of Ford vehicles by 2013. Bill Ford Jr. announced plans to bring four new high-mileage battery vehicles to the market by 2012, declaring it “not a test program,” but a business strategy.

Chrysler: Chrysler execs were grateful for the government bailout and weren’t afraid to show it. They brought their GEM low-power electric vehicles, plus the three ENVI electric prototypes they debuted in 2008. They also brought the new Patriot EV (the second Jeep to get the EV treatment) and the Chrysler 200c EV concept, which is packed with more hi-tech bits than an iPhone.

Bentley: The high-luxury car maker made available its corporate plans to move to flex fuels in its massive sedans and convertibles. It also announced a new biofuel car that would debut in Geneva this March. Oh, and they brought champagne. Yum.

Mini: Mini brought its E electric car and talked about its program to get a fleet of 500 test cars in Los Angeles and New York City, and it debuted a new convertible that is more fuel efficient and emits less carbon dioxide than the previous model.

That’s all for now. More press conferences tomorrow, including a new plug-in hybrid sports car concept from Fisker.

What to Expect at the Detroit Auto Show

January 7, 2009 in Biz News, EVs, Future Cars, Hybrids by kristen | No comments

With nine manufacturers out of the picture, I think it’s safe to say we shouldn’t expect much from the 2009 North American International Auto Show, which opens to the press January 11.

While Good Green Cars readers might not mind that Ferrari has pulled out of the Detroit show, you might find it interesting that Nissan/Infiniti has also decided not to bring any cars, and has even asked local dealers not to put up a display. The manufacturer has a hybrid program and plans to introduce electric cars to Oregon in the near-ish future. I was hoping to see those EVs, at least in prototype form, in Detroit this year. I also don’t see Mitsubishi on the press conference schedule, which means no up-close-and-personal time with the adorable iMiev.

What we can expect to see are the new Ford Fusion hybrid, the new Honda Insight, and the new Toyota Prius, all of which have a bunch of buzz surrounding them. Ford is also expected to talk about — but not have on hand — the new EVs it plans to build. I’m sure Chevy will be bringing the latest incarnation of the 2011 Volt PHEV, and that Chrysler will have its lineup of potential EVs on display.

Keep this blog bookmarked for the next week or so, as I report firsthand on the green goings-on in Detroit.

2010 Toyota Prius Preview — With Blue Men

January 2, 2009 in Future Cars, Hybrids by kristen | No comments

Finally — a good look at the coming 2010 Toyota Prius. Not just a taillight or a window switch, but a good, slow pan around the whole car while jazzy piano music plays (”Something’s Coming” by Leonard Bernstein, naturally) and the Blue Man Group plays with a boomerang.

The BMG gets inside the car, too, and plays with the tech features, like iPod integration and the futuristic dashboard readouts, which look like they were designed by Tony Stark. That’s “Iron Man” to the less geeky of you.

The video is about three and half minutes long, the perfect length for a Friday afternoon snack break. The car is set to debut at the Detroit auto show, and I’ll be there, blogging like crazy. Come back in about ten days to see what this sucker looks like in the metal.