-
Recent Posts
- Revised Auto Forecasts Assume Slight Iranian War Effects?
- Sudden Power Loss – Ford Motor Recall Parade Persists
- GM Expands Owners’ Manual Recalls
- Andretti Global Rules Inaugural Java House Grand Prix
- American Axle – UAW Demands Released Before Contract End
- J.D. Power – Dealer Service Satisfaction High, But…
- Legal Tariffs – Detroit Diesel to Add Third Shift, Recall Laid Off Workers
- Porsche AG Reorganization 2.0 or The New Strategy 2035
- Hit-And-Run Crashes at Record High
- Honda Heritage Parts Program Debuts
- IndyCar – Freedom 250 to Run Past U.S. Capital
- Instrument Panel Display Failures – Honda, Acura Recalls
- Ford Recalls 850,000 Bronco, Edge SUV Rear View Cameras
- Ford Recalls Escape, Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, Corsair SUVs
- Silverado and GMC HD Pickups Recalled for Sudden Stalling
Recent Comments
- Autocrat on Stellantis Subordinated Perpetual Hybrid Bonds on Stellantis Posts Full Year 2025 Loss of €22.3B
- Michigan Governor Whitmer on Pew – Confidence in Trump Dips, Fewer Support His Policies
- Porsche Motorsport Daytona Victory on Daytona 24 Hours – Old and New Stars Getting Ready to Run
- UAW Ford Department Director VP Laura Dickerson on Trump's Ford Plant Visit on Whitmer Stands in Stark Contrast to Trump at Detroit Auto Show
- Ken Zino on Ford Fuel Injector Leak Recall Now at ~694,000
Archives
Meta
Category Archives: alternative fuels
Chevrolet Volt Owners Surpass 100 Million Electric Miles
General Motors said today that Chevrolet Volt owners collectively have driven more than 100 million all-electric miles since the hybrid went on sale two years ago this month. The average Volt owner travels more than 65% of the time in pure electric mode, using the gasoline-engine generator for longer trips. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, milestones
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, gasoline costs, Ken Zino, volt
Leave a comment
Chevrolet Spark EV $25,000 after Federal Subsidy of $7,500
The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV will be priced under $25,000 with tax incentives when it goes on sale starting next summer in California, Oregon, Canada and South Korea. Spark EV will be eligible for controversial high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in California. The price is roughly twice that of a gasoline powered minicar, and that’s with incentives. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, new vehicle
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, coda ev, fit ev, Ken Zino, spark ev
Leave a comment
Food Fight over Ethanol as Special Interest Groups Trade Charges
Two special interest groups are sparing in public over the cost implications of a long-standing federal energy policy that mandates the use of ethanol and ever increasing amounts of bio-fuels in an attempt to free the United States from importing oil sold by terrorist supporting nations. In 2012 about 9% of all transportation fuel used will be from so-called renewable sources. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, AutoInformed Editorial, energy, environment, global warming, news, news analysis, transportation
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, eisa, epa, Ken Zino
1 Comment
Louisiana Generating to Pay $14 Million for Clean Air Act Violations
Louisiana Generating has agreed to a settlement under the Clean Air Act at its Big Cajun II coal-fired power plant in New Roads, which will result in the elimination of more than 27,300 tons of harmful emissions per year Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, electric vehicles, environment, litigation, news
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, big cajun II, clean air act, coal, doj, epa, Ken Zino
Leave a comment
Coda Automotive Offers Level 2 EV Charger as Incentive
n the latest attempt to boost slow EV sales, Californian-based Coda is offering a $2,000 level 2 charging station to buyers of its compact sedan. The 31kWh 2012 Coda sedan, which is built in China from an old Mitsubishi Gallant platform, has a suggested retail price of $37,250. In California, the only place thus far Codas are available, federal and individual state tax subsidies and credits can bring the price down to $27,250 before the promotion. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, coda, Ken Zino, level 2 charging
Leave a comment
GM, ABB Demonstrate Chevrolet Volt Battery Reuse for Backup Power
General Motors and ABB today showed that by repackaging five used Chevrolet Volt batteries into a modular unit, it is in theory capable of providing two hours of electricity for three to five U.S. homes. General Motors will have up to 500,000 vehicles on the road with some form of electrification by 2017 with a focus on plug-in technology, the company’s top product development executive said Wednesday. Continue reading
Spark Plug-in EV to Debut in La-La Land at Los Angeles Show
Chevrolet will unveil the electric version of the Spark minicar at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month. No technical details for the EV were released. The South Korean-made Spark EV will be sold in limited quantities in some U.S. and global markets, starting in 2013 in California. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, news analysis
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, coda ev, EVs, fiat 500, fit ev, focus ev, Ken Zino, leaf ev, scion iq, sonic, spark
Leave a comment
Honda Motor Unveils Tiny EV in Tokyo – Micro Commuter
Honda Motor Company today unveiled a Micro Commuter Prototype, a tiny limited distance electric vehicle. Honda said the EV was developed in response for micro-sized mobility products that are currently being discussed under a government initiative from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Japan. The EV also could comply with regulations for the L7 category in Europe, which is actually a motorcycle category for vehicles that weigh 400 kg or less, excluding the weight of the battery and have an electric motor output of 15 kW or less. Continue reading
Honda Hybrid Sales Top 1 Million. 3M More to Catch Toyota
Honda Motor Company said today that worldwide sales of hybrid vehicles have now surpassed 1 million units. This milestone was reached at the end of September after the start of sales of the first generation Insight in Japan during November 1999. At the time, Insight fuel economy was rated at 35km/liter, then the world’s highest fuel efficiency among all mass-production gasoline-powered vehicles. Continue reading
Saab owner NEVS Opens Battery Plant in China
National Electric Vehicle Sweden is now making batteries in China for electric buses and cars through its wholly owned subsidiary State Power Group. The owner of the rights to the currently inactive Saab brand name says State Power Group (75%) owns the new entity, dubbed National Battery Technology, together with unnamed company management (25%). Continue reading
Ford Fusion Hybrid Sedan Said to Top EPA Fuel Economy Ratings
Many brands now have a claim of some sort to use in fuel economy marketing, which likely means all of them will advertise fuel efficiency this fall, making the issue so confusing that it might no longer be effective for selling cars. Buyers will assume that fuel economy is a given in the entire class of vehicles and forgo the nuances. A similar situation has occurred in the marketing of auto safety during the past decade, with it increasingly difficult for companies to draw a competitive advantage in a continually improving field of what is now demonstrably the safest fleet of new vehicles ever sold in the U.S. Continue reading
More than 75,000 Electric Buses Will Be on Roads by 2018
While the slow sales of electric cars are in the headlines, there is one segment of vehicles – e-buses – that are adopting electric drivetrains at a rate that makes for a healthy business. In North America, hybrid models have captured 40% of new transit bus purchases in recent years. Continue reading
First Look – 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan
Since electric driving depends on a tiny 6.7 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery, this means the Accord plug-in will be hard pressed to stay on electricity for more than 10 or 15 miles, although it will look good on the window sticker with a projected EPA rating of greater than 100 MPG-e. The electric motors are rated at 124-kilowatt (kW). Thank goodness there is also power dense gasoline on board, so the projected range of the plug-in is almost 500 miles. Continue reading
Gulf Oil Opens Another E85 Station on Massachusetts Turnpike
It’s estimated that Massachusetts drivers own more than 100,000 FFVs that were produced because automakers receive generous CAFE credits whether or not the alternative fuel is actually used. It’s unknown how many drivers use the alternative fuel, but national consumption statistics suggest it’s slight. Worse, since ethanol does not have the energy density of good old gasoline, E85 needs to be roughly 25% cheaper for it to make economic sense for drivers. So far the fuel is about as successful as the Boston Red Sox this year. As a result, there are only 2,400 E85 ethanol fueling stations in the U.S. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, energy, environment, news, news analysis
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, e15, e85, ethanol, ffvs, flex fuel, gulf oil, Ken Zino
Leave a comment
DOT and EPA Issue Record 54.5 MPG Fuel Economy Standards
Realistically, the fuel economy average will likely be in the 38-40 mpg range. Therefore, your mileage not only can vary but will vary from big numbers being touted in a closely contested Presidential election year. This, by the way, is where European fuel economy is right now, so if you want to know what the roads will look like a decade hence, travel to Spain or Italy whose governments desperately need tourist revenues to cover their massive deficits. Continue reading
