Will rare metal supply issues temper hybrid production? I’ve seen this topic covered by major auto news outlets from time-to-time. While I’m not a geologist the argument makes sense. There are several different rare metals that are used in hybrid electric vehicle production, as well as in a bevy of consumer electronics, and the supply of these issues may reach a shortage level in the coming years.

The metals that are specifically used during the hybrid vehicle production process include neodymium, terbium, dysprosium, and lanthanum.

Neodymium is “the key component of an alloy used to make the high-power, lightweight magnets for electric motors of hybrid cars, such as the Prius, Honda Insight and Ford Focus, as well as in generators for wind turbines.” Source: Automotive News

So supply issues may affect hybrid vehicles as well as wind turbines, a clean energy industry that is also seeing growth, in the coming years. However, new sources of these rare earth elements are being researched and mines are being opened and there is no finite time defined for when a shortage may occur. At this point it appears to be all conjecture, but definitely worthy of research.

Photo by steven m

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Attention owners of 2009 and 2010 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix models and 2008 and 2009 Scion xD models with a 1.8 liter engine: your vehicle may be part of a voluntary recall by Toyota.

Toyota Motor Sales USA has voluntarily recalled more than 95,000 of these vehicles in 19 states. Owners of these vehicles in the falling states will receive a recall notice in the coming weeks: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

“Toyota has determined that if the vehicle is operated in extremely low ambient temperatures, there is a possibility that condensed moisture from the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) port may seep into the brake system vacuum port and freeze. Should this condition continue, ice may slowly accumulate at the brake system vacuum port and in the extreme case, ultimately plug the vacuum port. As a result of the accumulation of ice, power assist to the brakes would gradually decrease and lead to lengthened vehicle stopping distances.” Source: PR Newswire

For questions, Toyota owners should call (800) 331-4331 and Scion customers should call (866) 707-2466.

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A safe, fuel-efficient, and eco-friendlier vehicle, what more can you ask for in a car? The 2010 Honda Insight and 2010 Toyota Prius both recently received the TOP SAFETY PICK award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The 2010 Honda Insight was reported as having “good performance in front, side, and rear tests and optional electronic stability control.” The Insight also scored well in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ratings with five stars in the frontal driver and side driver ratings. The vehicle scored four stars in frontal passenger, side rear passenger, and rollover ratings.

The 2010 Toyota Prius also received good performance ratings from the IIHS. This is an improvement from the 2004-2006 models, which scored poorly in the side impact tests (without optional side airbags). The addition of the optional side airbags improved the IIHS Prius ratings to the “good” level for the 2004-2006 model years.

The NHTSA has yet to test the 2010 Toyota Prius and so their safety ratings, as determined by the agency, are unavailable.

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Filed Under: honda, toyota

Although the initial deadline for submitting Cash for Clunkers applications was Monday at 8pm, the NHTSA extended the deadline for dealers to submit the completed forms to Tuesday night. Yesterday, the system was actually down for some time because the servers were flooded.

This morning, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) published a press release listing some of the results from this hugely successful program. Nearly 700,000 vehicles were traded in and $2.877 billion in rebate applications were received.

We’ve already seen the positive impact that the program has had on Ford’s sales as the Focus topped the list of new cars purchased under the program and Ford’s July sales were up by a few percentage points. August sales figures will be reported next week and it is likely that we’ll see more good news from Ford and perhaps smaller declines from other automakers.

Not only was this a good deal for automakers and dealers, the program took some gas-guzzlers off the streets. “That’s because 84 percent of consumers traded in trucks and 59 percent purchased passenger cars. The average fuel economy of the vehicles traded in was 15.8 miles per gallon and the average fuel economy of vehicles purchased is 24.9 mpg - a 58 percent improvement.” Source: DOT

I know that many environmentalists were stating that the government should have issued stricter fuel efficiency requirements on the program using the mass availability of 30+ mpg vehicles available. Although I agreed that more fuel-efficient vehicles should have been a requirement, it is good to see that the program did help a bit.

We still have a long ways to go with regards to the average fuel economy of passenger vehicles on the road in the nation but the auto industry certainly needed a stimulus and this program undoubtedly helped.

Photo by Tony the Misfit

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Zipcar’s Low-Car Diet program concluded on August 15, 2009. The month-long program began on July 15 and included more than 250 participants from around the world. After the program, 100% of the participants are committed to remaining car-free. This is a big jump from the 83% that committed to staying car-free after last year’s Low-Car Diet.

Here is a summary of results from the 2009 Low-Car Diet:

Economic Impact:

• Respondents spent 67 percent less on vehicle-related costs compared to the previous month when they were driving their personally owned cars

Environmental Impact:

• 59 percent of the participants reported that the Low-Car Diet encouraged them to make other environmentally friendly changes in their life such as recycling, eating more organic foods and reducing their at-home energy usage (e.g. turning off lights and air conditioning)
• Participants took 74 percent fewer trips by car and reduced overall vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) by 66 percent
• Low-Car Dieters also doubled their public transit ridership with a 98 percent increased use of public transportation

Health Benefits:

• Participants walked 93 percent more and biked 132 percent more, logging a combined total of 8,060 miles by bike during the Low-Car Diet month
• 47 percent Low-Car Dieters reported losing weight; a total amount of 413 pounds were lost during the program

Zipcar is a car-sharing service with a fleet of 6,500 vehicles on college campuses and in urban areas in the United States, Canada, and London, England.

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The second generation of the smart electric drive (smart ED) will begin rolling off of the production line in November 2009. The second generation smart ED was revealed in late 2008 but it will be a full year before the vehicle makes it to production status. Considering the state of the economy and the auto industry, not just in the U.S. but also across the world, this is a quick turnaround.

“Unlike its predecessor, the electrically driven smart fortwo of the second generation is fitted with an innovative and highly efficient lithium-ion battery. It is housed in a space-saving position between the axles, which means that space is not compromised in any way in the intelligent two-seater vehicle.” (Source: Daimler)

The lithium-ion battery that the smart ed uses is supplied by Tesla Motors. Yes, the electric supercar company is providing batteries to the low cost smart ed. The current range is 115 km (approximately 71 miles) on a fully charged battery.

The 2nd generation smart ed will be available to select lease customers in Europe and the United States in late 2009. For more information on availability, contact your local smart dealership.

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If you’re in the market to trade in your clunker for some cash, the clock is ticking. The U.S. Government will be stopping the Cash for Clunkers program on Monday, August 24. The program, officially knows as the Cars Allowance Rebate System (CARS) has been hugely successful, which has led to a backlog of payments to dealers. General Motors has even begun advancing payment to its dealers until the government can process all of these payments.

Instead of letting the next round of funding for the CARS program run out, the U.S. Department of Transportation has decided to declare August 24, 2009 at 8:00pm EDT as the official end of the Cash for Clunkers program.

This doesn’t mean that you must ink your deal by 8pm on Monday; instead it means that the application must be submitted by the deadline. If you’ve recently participated in the program, it may be a good idea to give the dealership a call to verify that the application has been submitted.

If you haven’t yet participated in the program, but hope to, I’d advise you to get to your local dealership as soon as possible. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) is actually recommending, “All dealers now focus their attention and efforts on submitting reimbursement claims prior to the looming deadline.” Source: PR Newswire

If you’re in the new auto sales industry, you’re probably in for a very busy weekend! The renewed funding for the CARS program is expected to have a significant impact on August 2009 auto sales and it is likely that we’ll see some positive numbers when the figures are released in early September.

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If you watch television, even a little bit of it, you’ve probably seen the ingenious commercials that Toyota has for the 2010 Toyota Prius. The commercials include hundreds of people dressed up as flowers that bloom as the Prius drives by. Toyota Motor Sales has taken this concept and turned it into a live floral display along a freeway in the Los Angeles Area.

The “Harmony Floralscape” is located on the Pasadena Freeway in downtown Los Angeles and is made up of more than 20,000 live flowers. This is just the first of nine floralscapes that will grace California freeways.

“Seven of the Floralscapes will be in the Los Angeles area and two in the San Francisco area. Developed by Greenroad Media, Inc., using the company’s patent-pending “Living Pixel” technology, design images are replicated using flowers of differing varieties and colors.” Source: PR Newswire

The picture is beautiful and I love the Toyota commercials but the first thing I thought of when I saw this news release was whether the flowers were organically grown. Thankfully, the press release answers my question:

“The Floralscapes are created from organic and reusable materials and are maintained using ecologically friendly techniques, including the utilization of non-potable water, solar electricity and ecologically responsible insect and fungi control.”

Although this is an advertising venture, I like that the project was thought out in its entirety and that these floralscapes will continue to thrive and won’t just simply die off after the campaign is over.

Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

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Ford Motor Company has announced the development of an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for PHEVs.

“When plugged in, the battery systems of these specially equipped plug-in hybrids can communicate directly with the electrical grid via smart meters provided by utility companies through wireless networking. The owner uses the vehicle’s touch screen navigation interface and Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer to choose when the vehicle should recharge, for how long and at what utility rate.” Source: Ford

This is cool! Seriously cool. If you get home from work, it may still be during the utility company’s peak usage hours. Instead of plugging it in and paying a premium or hoping you remember to plug it in during off-peak hours, you will be able to plug your vehicle in and then it automatically starts charging at a set time. Convenient!

Ford currently has a fleet of 21 plug-in hybrid Escapes. All 21 of these vehicles will eventually have this communications technology installed.

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Filed Under: Ford, PHEV

Vrooooom.

The 403 horsepower Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) took a lap around the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races.

The vehicle reached 100 mph and used zero gasoline! The vehicle has a zero to 60 time of six seconds and a top speed of 125 mph. The vehicle can also achieve more than 100 mpg, according to the manufacturers. There are currently no vehicles with a 100 mpg fuel efficiency rating from the EPA but General Motors is hoping to have the first one with its 230 mpg Chevy Volt.

“The Karma has a range of 50 emission-free miles on a full charge of its Lithium-ion battery, and a total range of 300 miles thanks to an on-board generator coupled to a traditional but efficient 260hp, four-cylinder gasoline engine.” Source: PR Newswire

Fisker recently received $85 million in venture capital, has expanded its retailer network, and was a finalist for the Green Car Vision Award.

Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc.

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Filed Under: Luxury Hybrids, PHEV