Readers of The Green Motorist and other green motoring blogs across the web have been anxiously awaiting Honda’s announcement of the name for its new hybrid vehicle.  Many people guessed it would be called the Honda Insight as a throwback to Honda’s first foray into green motoring.  In a press release sent out this morning, Honda has confirmed that the Prius-killer is named the Honda Insight and will appear next month at the 2008 Paris International Auto Show.

Honda Insight v 2.0
Takeo Fukui, CEO of Honda Motor Company had this to say of the new Insight, “The original Honda Insight pioneered hybrid technology in the U.S. and remains a symbol of Honda’s commitment to innovative technology and fuel efficiency.  This new Insight will break new ground as an affordable hybrid within the reach of customers who want great fuel economy and great value.”   Affordable is right as the 2009 Honda Insight is expected to be priced at $18,500, well under the Toyota Prius.

The original Honda Insight hit the roads in December 1999 and was the first gas-electric hybrid car that was released in the United States.  In addition to being the first hybrid in the US, it was also the first car best a fuel efficiency rating of 70 mpg.

Sales Information
The new Honda Insight is expected to be available in the spring of 2009 in the United States, Japan and select other countries.  Honda has ambitious ales goals and expects to sell 200,000 Insights per year of which 100,000 will come in the United States. 

Other Honda Models
Of course, everyone knows about the Honda Civic Hybrid that will also be available for purchase in the coming year.  California residents can participate in a special lease program set up for the Honda FCX Clarity, which is a hydrogen fuel vehicle.  On the concept front, Honda is also working on a sporty hybrid – the CR-Z.

The release of the Honda Insight is likely going to cut into the market share that Toyota has with its Prius.  The car is in direct competition with the Prius but comes in at about a $3,000 savings when comparing the MSRP of each model.

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Filed Under: General

The Cascadia Center along with Microsoft, United States Department of Transportation, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and others are sponsoring the fifth annual TransTech Conference.  The theme of this year’s conference is “Beyond Oil:  Transforming Transportation” and will be held on September 4 and 5th at the Microsoft Executive Conference Center in Redmond, Washington.

Conference History
In the past, the conference looked at the future of plug-in hybrids, which was followed the next year by announcement of plug-in hybrids by major auto manufacturers including Toyota (plug-in Prius) and General Motors (the Chevy Volt).  According to the 2008 conference brochure, “This year, we will move beyond concepts and announcements to discuss how to transform transportation–how to move beyond oil.”

Keynote Address
From the official conference press release, “Shai Agassi, founder of Project Better Place, will give Friday’s keynote address. Mr. Agassi and the Israeli government have agreed to test concepts for moving the entire country away from oil in transportation through wide-scale implementation of electric cars.”

Presenters
The conference will feature many well-known members of the transportation and energy sectors as well as government figures.  Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner Jon Wellinghoff and former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey will all attend.

Slade Gorton, co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s National Transportation Policy Project, V2Green co-founder David Kaplan and Dr. Bill Rogers of the Idaho National Laboratory and Andy Frank (called the father of the plug-in hybrid) are slated to speak during the two-day conference.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles on Display
A conference on reducing the United States’ reliance on oil would be incomplete without a bevy of non-oil reliant vehicles on display.  The conference will feature a Toyota RAV4 EV, Ford Ranger EV, the ZENN Motor Car and even a Chelan County school bus that has been converted to a plug-in electric.

The Green Motorist readers who are interested in attending the conference can register on the Cascadia Project website.  Registration fees are $95 for both September 4 and 5, $35 for September 4 only and $65 for September 5 only.  The conference organizers have also offered a reduced $65 rate for non-profit members that would like to attend both days of the conference.

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Filed Under: Conferences, electric cars

The Smart Fortwo, a product of Daimler, is already a green motoring option providing drivers an average 41mpg on the highway and 33 in the city for under $15k.  An electric version of the Smart Fortwo is now being road tested in the United Kingdom.

Electric Smart Fortwo Basics
The test models can experience a driving range of up to 72 miles on a full charge; a full charge takes approximately eight hours.  The electric version of the Smart Fortwo retains the safety features of its non-electric counterpart and has a top speed of 60 mph and a 0-30 mph time of 6.5 seconds.  While not the same zippiness that its non-electric counterpart has, it is still impressive. 

Electrical Infrastructure
Part of the problem that electric vehicles (not hybrid electrics) face is dealing with the infrastructure.  The cars need to be recharged and owners will take comfort in knowing that in the London area, there are several recharging stations available for those in the test vehicles; these recharging stations are available at no additional cost.  In addition to the free electricity benefit, drivers of the test cars are also eligible for free or discounted parking in some areas.

Access to Testing
According to the official Daimler press release on the topic, “With that in mind, we’re running a market trial with selected blue chip companies who are happy to meet our requirements to power the cars using only renewable energy sources. When we say zero emissions, we really mean it! Among the partners already enrolled in the trial are Urban Splash, Islington and Coventry Councils, Foster & Partners, CarbonNeutral Company, EDF Energy and Amey.”

Public Availability
Even though these plug-in Smart Fortwos are on the streets of England, Daimler has no concrete dates set for a public launch.  My guess is that the electric Smart Fortwo will be available for purchase somewhere between late 2009 and mid-2010.

It is exciting to see that more electric vehicles are being tested on the roads of the world.  As the concept becomes more common, the public is more accepting of the technology.  Of course, one look at the Tesla Roadster is enough to convince me that an all-electric vehicle can do it all.

More pictures from Daimler.

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Filed Under: electric vehicles

When I think of the alternative fuel future of Chevy, I immediately think of the Chevy Volt.  I am enthusiastically awaiting the release of the Chevy Volt and while doing a little bit of research on the vehicle today, I ran across the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell SUV.  Through its Project Driveway, Chevy is testing hydrogen-powered models of the Chevy Equinox SUV in New York City, Washington D.C. and Southern California.

Equinox Fuel Cell Basics
According to the official Chevrolet Fuel Cell Technology website, the hydrogen-based SUV“will go nearly 150 miles per fill-up,(2) and reach a top speed of 100 mph. Green Car Journal has given the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell its Green Car Vision Award®.(3) The Equinox Fuel Cell won the award over several nominees, including the Honda FCX Clarity and Toyota Prius Plug-In.”

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Basics
The United States Department of Energy Hydrogen Program has a comprehensive list of resources available so that the public can better understand hydrogen energy technology.  From the Hydrogen Fuel Cells FAQ, “Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that can be used to power nearly every end-use energy need. The fuel cell — an energy conversion device that can efficiently capture and use the power of hydrogen — is the key to making it happen.”

Hydrogen energy can be used in a variety of platforms and automobile power is just one of the many applications being researched.  Hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles are zero emissions vehicles

Project Driveway
Drivers in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Southern California may be eligible to participate in Project Driveway.  The minimum requirements are that you must be at least 21 years old, a citizen of the United States and of course hold a valid driver’s license.  If you are interested, please fill out the Project Driveway survey hosted by Gongos Research.

As car manufacturers around the world experiment with a variety of alternative fuel vehicles, it is quickly becoming apparent that no single alternative fuel platform will be dominant in our future.  Learning from the mistake of sole reliance on gasoline-based fuels, manufacturers are expanding their research and looking into a variety of technologies.

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Filed Under: Chevy Equinox, fuel cell, hydrogen

Hyundai Motors is getting quite ambitious with their hybrid and electric vehicle plans.  The Korea-based auto manufacturer has gained popularity in the United States since it was initially launched.  Up until recent weeks, however, Hyundai has made no concrete announcements regarding its transition to alternative fuel vehicles.  Now that they’ve started to discuss the options with the public, they are planning to go beyond just an initial hybrid launch.

Alternative Fuel Hyundai Plans
A Hyundai Sonata hybrid vehicle will be debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November with an expected production date of 2010.  Although 2010 may be the year of the electric vehicle, for Hyundai it will be the year of its first hybrid.  Hyundai plans to follow that release with a hybrid sub compact and by 2013 an all-electric plug-in to compete with the Chevy Volt.  Lofty plans but Hyundai hopes to be on par with the world’s biggest carmakers by 2013 with regards to alternative fuel vehicles.

Hyundai Partnership
As part of the new plans, Hyundai has partnered with several companies to ensure that they reach their target production dates.  According to an article that appeared in the online edition of the Korea Times on August 25, 2008, Hyundai Motors has “teamed up with LG Chem, SK Energy and SB LiMotive to develop batteries in the next 5-6 years that will be a critical part of these eco-friendly vehicles. The development is designed to cut back on the use of fossil fuels, and help reduce greenhouse gases.”

Made in America
An Alabama-based Hyundai plant is currently responsible for all of the domestic Hyundai Sonatas being sold.  Although Hyundai Motors hasn’t officially announced (or possibly even decided) where the future Sonata Hybrid will be manufactured, there is a good chance that it will be an American-made hybrid. 

Non-Hybrid Hyundais
Although the hybrid Hyundai is in its planning stages, this doesn’t mean that the car company doesn’t strive to reduce emissions in their current lineup of cars.  From the Hyundai website, “all of our vehicles are certified Low-Emission vehicles and six of our models are certified Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicles. The all-new Elantra is even certified PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) in many markets.”

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Filed Under: electric vehicles

Keeping with the tradition of one manufacturer’s car having a strong resemblance to another manufacturer’s car, the Nissan EV-02 that was pictured in the UK-based Times Online website looks remarkably like a Scion XB.  Nissan is just one of several companies that are planning to have a production-ready electric vehicle available for public purchase in the United States in 2010.

Nissan EV Stats
Although the car is not in full-production status, the car that was tested in the Times Online article featured a single electric motor with three cases of lithium-ion batteries, 107 base horsepower, a top speed of 85 miles per hour and a 0-62 mph time of a whopping 13 seconds.  Taking 13 seconds to get to highway cruising speed is rather lengthy so the engineers at Nissan are working on this and hope to get that down to less than five seconds.  Obviously quite slower than the all-electric Tesla Roadster which puts down a 0-60 mph time of under four seconds but this car is meant for a completely different market. 

Future Availability
It is currently expected that the Nissan electric vehicle will be available in the United States and Japan in 2010 and global expansion in 2012, at the earliest.  According to the article, Denmark, Portugal and Israel will be likely 2012+ target markets as each of these countries is planning to provide tax benefits and create the needed infrastructure to support electric vehicle expansion.

Driving Range
When it comes to electric vehicles, consumers usually ask how far the car is going to take them.  Right now an EV is not meant to be a replacement for cars taken on trips but merely for around-the-town errands, commuting, etc.  The model tested by the reporter has a range of between 62 and 75 miles on a full charge.  The goal is to reach a 100 mile range on a full charge; it takes between six and eight hours to completely charge the Nissan EV.

In closing, the author had this to say of the Nissan EV-02 that he tested, “I’d be lying if I said the EV had not impressed me. Sceptics will find little to hate about a car that goes as fast as (or faster than) a prehistoric piston-powered motor, corners and stops like one but has running costs on a par with a Flymo.”

Source:  TimesOnline

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Filed Under: electric vehicles, nissan

The 2008 Electric Vehicle Rolling Showcase just wrapped up its weeklong push to bring attention to electric vehicles to those attending the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Denver, Colorado. Famed Hollywood actress Darryl Hannah even stopped by for a visit and to film a spot for The Daily Show.

Sebastian Blanco from autobloggreen posted an interview with Paul Scott about Hannah’s appearance, here is an excerpt: “We got a call from Obama delegate, and the organizer of the Electric Vehicle Rolling Showcase, Nate Vanderschaaf, asking us if we were available to pick up Daryl Hannah and assist her with a shoot for the Daily Show. Hell yes!”

About the EV Showcase
Held from August 24-28, 2008 in Denver, the EV showcase was created to allow anyone in the area the opportunity to ride in an electric vehicle and learn more about the technology. There were ten different EVs in attendance including the Tesla Roadster, Plug-in Prii and the Toyota RAV4 EV from “Who Killed the Electric Car?”.

“Who Killed the Electric Car?”
“Who Killed the Electric Car?” is a 2006 documentary by filmmaker Chris Payne that looks into why the electric car concept failed to take off. Two people from the film, Paul Scott and Colette Divine, were in attendance at the EV Showcase.

Nate Vanderschaaf

The Electric Vehicle Rolling Showcase is the brainchild of Longmont, Colorado resident Nate Vanderschaaf. According to the official EV Rolling Showcase blog, “He feels that Electric Vehicles are the only logical pathway to clean air, energy independence, and freedom from high gas prices.” Vanderschaaf then goes on to say in a blog post, “I’m a “real guy” who drives my 2002 Toyota RAV4 EV to work everyday and, by my own confession, enjoys the ability to haul a large supply of cargo in my car.”

With the 2008 Presidential election on the horizon, it is only natural that green motoring options are being discussed by both parties. Alternative fuel vehicles were discussed during the DNC and it is likely that they will be discussed during the Republic National Convention (RNC) which will be held next week in Minnesota.

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Filed Under: electric cars, electric vehicles

The Green Car of the Year (GCOY) award was created by the Green Car Journal in 2006 “to recognize environmental achievement in the automotive industry.”  Each year, the GCOY is announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show.  Ron Cogan, the editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal, says of the yearly announcement “Each year we choose the LA Auto Show to make this important announcement because California — and especially the greater Los Angeles region — has historically been the epicenter for both automotive and environmental innovation, and that’s what this award is all about.”

Previous Green Car of the Year Winners
In 2006, the inaugural Green Car of the Year award was given to the Mercury Mariner Hybrid.  The Toyota Camry Hybrid garnered the award in 2007 and the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid received the GCOY Award in 2008.  The Tahoe was selected because the city mpg rating was equal to that of non-hybrid mid-size cars.

2009 GCOY Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the 2009 Green Car of the Year award, the vehicle must be in production status by January 1, 2009.  A team of members from the Green Car Journal staff will be weeding through all eligible vehicles and then five finalists will be announced in advance of the LA Auto Show.  The official announcement will be made on November 20, 2008 at the LA Auto Show’s Press Days event.

When looking at the prospective finalists, “emphasis is placed on vehicles that advance overall efficiency and functionality while decreasing its environmental footprint” are important factors that are considered according to Ron Cogan.

Likely Finalist
There isn’t a large list of vehicles that will be eligible for the 2009 GCOY but that doesn’t mean it will be easy to guess which vehicles will make the final five.   The Chrysler Aspen Hybrid fits the newness factor that judges look at but will the 19 estimated mpg city rating be sufficient for the Aspen to seal the deal and win the 2009 GCOY Award?  My guess is no.

Which hybrids do you think will make the top five list for the 2009 GCOY?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Source:  PRNewswire

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Filed Under: General, chevy, toyota

Today is going to be “spy photo” day on The Green Motorist.  The folks over at BMW Blog have posted up a photo of the BMW X6 Hybrid via GlobalMotors.net.  On Sunday, Seyth Miersma at Next Autos.com posted spy photos of a Jaguar XJ which may just be the luxury motor company’s first hybrid. 

BMW X6 Hybrid

The BMW X6 will be the first hybrid BMW to hit the market.  Although expectations are that this vehicle will be initially released in Europe but hopefully the X6 will make it to the US market.  The X6 was initially revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.  According to the official BMW website, the X6 is “a concept vehicle that showcases innovative BMW ActiveHybrid technology in the world’s first Sports Activity Coupé. On the road, the BMW X6 Concept ActiveHybrid is as agile and enjoyable as it is efficient, leaving conventional hybrids far behind in the driving pleasure stakes.”

The ActiveHybrid technology has a goal of reducing fuel consumption and emissions by 20% over comparable non-hybrid vehicles.  The key parts of the ActiveHybrid system consist of an internal combustion engine and a transmission which will have either one or two electric motors.  Although the X6 is the only current concept, BMW engineers plan to use this technology in future hybrids.

Jaguar XJ

NextAutos.com has published a series of spy photos of a next generation Jaguar sedan.  Although nothing is set in stone yet, the website is theorizing “This next generation XJ could also be the first Jaguar car ever to be offered with a hybrid engine option to go along with an entry-level V-6 mill, several V-8s, as well as diesel choices.”  Although it will likely be years before we see a hybrid Jaguar on the road, it would be a step in the right direction for luxury hybrids.

Although BMW and Jaguar won’t be the first to offer luxury hybrid vehicles, the two companies will be a great addition to the existing luxury hybrid market.  Other luxury lines that I’d like to see enter the market include Audi and Bentley – what I wouldn’t give for a nice new Bentley Continental GT Hybrid.

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Filed Under: BMW, Jaguar, Luxury Hybrids

When a person thinks “Toyota hybrid”, the first thing that usually comes to his mind is “Prius.”  The Toyota Prius is arguably the most popular and well-branded US-based hybrid vehicle on the market.  However, the engineers at Toyota have also put their hard work into the Toyota Camry Hybrid.  The Camry is a bit pricier than the Prius with an MSRP of $26,150 for the 2008 model.

Exterior and Interior
The 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid is available in one of nine colors including two different white colors, a racy red and a vibrant metallic blue.  Consumers can choose between two fabric and two leather interiors for the Camry Hybrid allowing for a bit more luxury as compared to the Prius.

Safety Features
The Camry Hybrid isn’t only good for the environment; it is also good for you.  The airbag system in the vehicle include the standard driver and passenger airbags, a driver’s side knee airbag and front and rear side curtain airbags.  The 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid has received a five star rating in all front and rear crash categories by the NHTSA.  For safety ratings on other hybrids, read Hybrid Vehicle Safety Ratings – 2009 Models.

Engine Specs
The 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid will be powered by a 2.4 liter DOHC 4-cyclinder engine with 147 base horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm.  The vehicle is classified as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV).  The battery in the Camry Hybrid is a sealed nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) with a 650V maximum voltage.

Camry Hybrid Fuel Efficiency
The 2009 Camry Hybrid has a fuel efficiency rating of 33 miles per gallon in the city and 34 miles per gallon on the highway.  For comparison, the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid with a 5-speed automatic 2.4L 4-cylinder engine has a city mpg rating of 21 and a highway mpg rating of 31.  Although the Camry Hybrid’s fuel efficiency is significantly greater than its non-hybrid counterpart, it falls quite short when compared to the Toyota Prius.  The mileage estimates for the 2008 Prius are 48 mpg in the city, 45 mpg on the highway which leads to a combined mpg of 46.

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Filed Under: General