General Motors and Ford have joined Hyundai in offering to cover car payments in the event of a job loss. However, General Motors is on the shakiest ground of the Detroit 3 so I don’t have much faith that this new program is going to help the company slow its decline in sales.

General Motors’ sales are down 51.1% through the end of February 2009. February’s sales were 53.1% lower than the company posted in February 2008. Today’s the last day of the month so in the next day or two, we should have March figures to look at.

Automotive News sent out an email alert with details about GM’s plans:

“GM said it would provide payment protection for two years as part of its GM Total Confidence program. The company will cover up to nine vehicle payments of up to $500 a month for new-vehicle buyers.“

I want GM to survive but I feel like they are grasping at straws right now. I know that if I were looking to purchase a new vehicle right now, GM’s promise to pay my car payment if I lost my job wouldn’t outweigh the reports that predict GM’s impending demise.

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The Auto Alliance is calling for a single emissions standard and the State of California is requesting a waiver from the EPA to institute it’s California Air Resources Board (CARB) standard to help clean up the skies over the state. The Obama Administration appears to have addressed both of these issues with one single move – a Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard higher than CARB.

“Now that the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) law, passed by Congress in Dec. 2007, is at last being implemented, America’s auto dealers call on all stakeholders, including the Obama administration and California regulators, to embrace a single, national fuel economy standard.”

CAFE is actually higher than CARB’s standard.

The CAFE standard set by the Obama administration for model year 2011 is 27.3 mpg for the light duty fleet, which includes passenger cars and light trucks. Source: Associated Press, March 27, 2009” (Source: PR Newswire)

I’m sure that we’ll be hearing from people and organizations that aren’t happy with this. This is to be expected, though, as you can’t please everyone.

Photo by oxyboricua

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The accolades for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid keep rolling in. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the Fusion Hybrid its “Top Safety Pick” rating. This is the second Ford hybrid to receive this award – the IIHS has also named the Escape Hybrid as a “Top Safety Pick.”

“Customers no longer have to choose between fuel economy and safety - now they can have both with the Fusion and Escape hybrids,” said Susan Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.

The new Fusion Hybrid’s class-leading fuel economy bests the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city. It also features Ford’s innovative SmartGauge(TM) with EcoGuide, which coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency.” (Source: PR Newswire)

The Fusion Hybrid comes with enhanced side-impact protection, 911 Assist, a Cross Traffic Alert (CTA) system, a Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), and a whole carload of air bags.

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Daimler has announced that it will expand its car2go program to Austin, Texas in the fall of 2009. This will be the first domestic location for the unique car rental program. The program’s initial launch was October 24, 2008 in Ulm, Germany. At the time of the launch, 50 smart fortwos were available.

Due to the success of the car2go program, the Ulm fleet will be expanded to 200 smart fortwo cdi vehicles available for short-term rentals around the clock. As with most innovating things I report about, this was initially limited to a non-US location. Thankfully, Daimler will be branching out and Austin, Texas is on the list.

“As in the first phase of the German pilot project, car2go will begin in Austin with a defined group of users, for example city employees. It is then planned to make car2go accessible to the public in Austin in a second step.

Other factors predestining Austin to be the first international car2go city are the city’s size and its up-to-date economic structure. Among other things it is the location of the fourth largest university in the USA. Beginning in autumn 2009 a fleet expected to number 200 smart fortwo mhd vehicles with automatic start/stop function will be put into operation there.” Source: Daimler

Let’s hope that the results are positive and we see more car2go cities on Daimler’s radar.

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Whew, this car is sexy! I am officially in love. Tesla has revealed the all-new Model S sedan and it was worth the wait. The vehicle has a 0-60 mph time of less than six seconds, a driving range of 300 miles per charge and seats seven! I know that the use of exclamation points isn’t exactly the best journalistic choice but my enthusiasm about this vehicle is difficult to restrain.

So this four-door EV has a speedy 0-60 mph time but it can also hold a 50” television, a mountain bike and a surfboard – at the same time. The cargo space in the vehicle is greater than most gas-chugging SUVs.

For people that question the ability to use a vehicle like this on a family road trip, don’t worry – Tesla addresses that concern.

“The Model S, which carries its charger onboard, can be recharged from any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes. By recharging their car while they stop for a meal, drivers can go from LA to New York in approximately the same time as a gasoline car. Moreover, the floor-mounted battery pack is designed to be changed out in less time than it takes to fill a gas tank, allowing for the possibility of battery-pack swap stations.”

The innovation shown by the designers and engineers at Tesla is truly awe-inspiring. The model is expected to hit dealerships in late 2011 and I hope to be among the first to own it (I still have 2.5 years to convince my husband!)

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Over the past several months, I have received numerous press releases and news stories in my inbox about the desire for a single standard by auto makers. The State of California has requested a waiver to allow the state to implement stricter restrictions. Stricter emissions restrictions will help the state meet its air quality goals. However, automakers are against the idea and instead want a single standard.

Today, the Auto Alliance issued a press release regarding this desire for a single standard. The Auto Alliance is an advocacy group made up of 11 automakers: BMW Group, Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.

Summarizing the press release is not feasible so I am posting it in its entirety.

AUTOMAKERS SUPPORT SINGLE, SUSTAINABLE, NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR FUEL ECONOMY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Washington, DC – Calling the upcoming series of federal decisions on carbon dioxide regulations an important part of the auto industry’s transformation, automakers today called for a single approach for fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards. Automakers said the adoption of an Obama national program administered by the federal government is the most effective way to bridge the concerns of all stakeholders and hopefully signal the beginning of a new era. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers released the comments as the administration is poised to change the industry’s landscape with sweeping proposals.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is expected to set new fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks beginning with model year 2011, which will be the first year of new fuel economy standards included in 2007’s historic Energy Bill, which calls for a 40 percent increase by 2020. At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also is expected to soon decide whether California can implement its own standard on fuel economy instead of joining the comprehensive federal program.

“In the end we all share the same goal,” said Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers President & CEO Dave McCurdy. While crediting California and other states with advancing debate on GHGs to where it is today, McCurdy said that the proposals introduced years ago were designed to fill the void left by the federal government’s inaction, but times have changed. “Today’s administration has the opportunity to reset the debate,” and “bridge state and federal programs to address the environment and today’s economic realities.”

In addition to these important decisions, the administration may soon begin the process of forming a regulation on GHGs through an EPA endangerment finding.

“We’re not waiting for that decision,” said McCurdy. “We’re already taking action. That’s because we understand that being a successful industry means being a part of the low-carbon economy.”

The comments come at a flashpoint in the auto industry as it shifts to the low-carbon economy in the face of the most dramatic auto sales decline in history. Calling it a new day for automakers, the Alliance underscored its commitment to transforming its products and its companies to play a leading role in today’s business environment.

“You have our commitment to continue reinventing the automobile,” said McCurdy. “We will be on the leading edge of the world’s low-carbon economy; an economy in which green auto jobs are a fundamental part of the engine driving our communities.”

Photo by bitpicture

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With the release of the all-new 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid today, Toyota has announced an update on its plans to build a new, lower-priced hybrid. Previously, I’ve discussed a rumor about Toyota dropping the price of its Prius hybrid in Japan to match that of the Honda Insight.

Other rumors about how Toyota is planning to address this new competitor is a smaller, and cheaper, new hybrid. A few weeks ago, I posted about the new gasoline-electric hybrid that may hit the streets of Japan as early as 2011. Today, Automotive News has more information on this new hybrid.

“We are developing a low-priced hybrid vehicle like Honda’s Insight,” Otsuka said. “We are going to compete by expanding our hybrid-vehicle lineup to smaller hybrids, in the class of the Vitz [sold in Japan] and Yaris.” He did not say when the small hybrid would debut, but it could arrive as early as 2011, according to Japan’s Nikkei business newspaper.” Source: Automotive News

Like the Prius price-drop, this new hybrid will likely launch in Japan with no definitive date of North American availability.

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Today is acronym day here at TGM (TheGreenMotorist). EVs = electric vehicles and FCVs = fuel cell vehicles.

Nissan has partnered with Renault and regions around the world to begin the creation of electric vehicle charging stations in preparation for the company’s entrance into the US EV market – tentatively scheduled for 2010.

A report on the new Automotive News show, AN Today, reports that the Nissan EVs will likely be sold on a city-by-city basis. Cities that have an EV charging infrastructure in place will likely be the first to receive Nissan’s new electric vehicle in 2010. The report goes on to state that there is no reason for Nissan to hold back the entire production process while American cities get their infrastructure in place. Watch the entire video on the AN Today website; the Nissan report is the last one.

In other Nissan news, the company is currently testing a new fuel cell technology.

“The next-generation fuel-cell stack is part of a range of eco-friendly technologies that Nissan is pursuing under Nissan Green Program 2010, a plan focused on developing new technologies, products and services leading to real-world reductions in CO2 emissions, cleaner emissions, and expanded recycling of resources.” Source: Nissan News

Although Nissan has been affected by the global economy crisis (like the majority of other automakers), it is heartening to see this automaker continuing to strive towards meeting its green motoring goals.

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Although the plug-in hybrid Fisker Karma will have an estimated price tag of $87,900, the company has already confirmed 32 retail outlets from which the vehicle will be available. Despite the state of the US economy, Fisker execs have set a goal of 40 retail locations by the end of June. They are well on their way and the goal now looks much more realistic.

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The famed Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts will be opening a “Juice Bar” for cars on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. This isn’t a fancy gas station in the middle of the Harvard Square Hotel; instead it is an area in the hotel garage for hybrid and electric car recharging. The price for access to this new juice bar? Free!

“Two separate parking stalls will be equipped with dual charging outlets, featuring a GFI protected outlet with 50/60 AMP, 240 volt and 20 AMP, 120 volt service, which will electrically charge cars between two to four hours. As an added service, The “Juice Bar” will keep an extensive inventory of back-up adapters on hand for popular EV models for guests who may have left theirs behind.” (Source: PR Newswire)

This certainly isn’t the first free EV charging station. One of my favorite local restaurants had two charging stations in their parking lot after the owner purchased one of the original Honda Insights. However, branding it as a juice bar for your car is great; combining this with an Earth Day launch and you have an ingenious product.

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Filed Under: electric vehicles