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Category Archives: alternative fuels
Hewlett-Packard Fined $425,000 for Not Reporting Defective Lithium Ion Batteries that Seriously Injured Consumers
The controversy is of interest to the auto industry since its use of lithium ion batteries in electrical vehicles and hybrids is growing at exponential rate, with millions of battery packs soon to be on U.S. roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed its investigation of fires in Chevrolet Volt EVs last week. Nevertheless many consumers remain wary of the emerging technology and it remains to be seen if the Volt brand is damaged. Continue reading
NHTSA Closes Volt Battery Fire Investigation with No Recall
NHTSA also said it remains unaware of any real-world crashes that have resulted in a battery-related fire involving the Chevy Volt or any other electric vehicle. The world’s most prominent auto safety agency set a precedent back in November by opening a safety defect investigation without any supporting data from real-world incidents. Continue reading
UK Starts Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Project with Automakers, Utilities and Gas Suppliers – Cars on Road Promised by 2014
The allure of fuel cells remains efficiency, roughly 50-60% compared to an internal combustion engine’s ~20%. Emissions are also attractive – no pollutants at the tailpipe and some studies indicate a drastically reduced overall well-to-wheel emissions when compared with today’s fossil fuel engines. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, energy, environment, fuel economy or emissions
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, daimler ag, fuel cell ukh2mobility, fuel cells, hyundai motor company, johnson matthey, Ken Zino, nissan motor manufacturing (uk), sa air products, the boc group, UK H2 Mobility
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BMW Delivers First All-Electric Active E in the US
The fully electric Active E with its lithium-ion batteries have a claimed a driving range of up to 100 miles on a full charge. With an output of 170 horsepower, maximum torque of 184 lb-ft from a standstill, BMW said Active E accelerates from 0–60 mph in under nine seconds. If the driver is a lead-foot – or is that now lithium foot? and/or the weather is cold – the Bimmer won’t go that far, of course. All such mileage claims await independent verification. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, fuel economy or emissions, news, news analysis
Tagged active e, auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, bmw active e, bmw ev study, electric vehicles, EVs, i3, Ken Zino, mini e, u.c. davis plug-in hybrid & electric vehicle research center
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First Lifetime Hybrid Battery Warranty On Hyundai Sonata
The announcement appears to be an opportunistic and pre-emptive use of public relations, given current Chevrolet Volt battery fire concerns. The Chevrolet Volt uses the same supplier – LG Chem – as the 2011 model Sonata Hybrid. Model year 2012 Sonata hybrid versions are just about to go on sale since Hyundai is still clearing out inventories of its 2011 Sonata Hybrid. This is a rare sales setback for Hyundai, which also captured the North American Car of the Car of the Year award for its Elantra compact car at NAIAS, and reflects a larger hybrid sales problem that most automakers have. Continue reading
NHTSA Keeps Chevrolet Volt Battery Fire Probe Open
GM said this morning that it was “optimistic” that no recall would be required, a politically sensitive issue since the federal government, which NHTSA is part of, still holds a large 27% stake in GM. For GM’s part, a safety recall is arguably more damaging to the reputation of the Volt than the proposed customer service action. Last year Chevrolet sold 7,671 Volt models , which cost more than $40,000 without taxpayer subsidies to its mostly rich buyers, another political controversy in itself. Continue reading
GM Changes Chevrolet Volt to Protect Battery to Stop Fires
It was not immediately clear whether NHTSA would require that Chevrolet Volt EVs be recalled or whether the modifications can be done as a customer satisfaction procedure. There remains at this moment an ongoing NHTSA engineering analysis, which could lead to a recall. GM said it was “optimistic” that no recall would be required, a politically sensitive issue since the federal government still holds a large stake in GM. Continue reading
Milestones: First U.S. Diesel Powered Car – Cummins Packard
Fuel prices have risen since then, now ranging between $3 to $4 a gallon. The company Clessie Lyle Cummins founded in 1919 – Cummins Engine Company of Columbus, Indiana – to build engines based on Rudolf Diesel’s compression engine (patented 20 years before) has grown to be a Fortune 500 company with more than $18 billion in annual sales. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, milestones, news, people
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, c.l. cummins, cummins, cummins diesel, dodge ram, Ken Zino, rudolf diesel
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Federal Appeals Court blocks Enforcement of EPA Cross State Rule until Dozens of Power Company Lawsuits are Resolved
The rule requires reduction in emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which the auto industry successfully undertook decades ago. The Appeals court will consider the legality of the rule sometime next year. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, energy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, litigation, news, news analysis
Tagged air pollution, alternate fuels, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, co2, coal, coal powerplants, cross state pollution, epa, EVs, Ken Zino, so2
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Chevrolet Volt Hybrids for China arrive at Shanghai
Due to a combination of tariffs and incentives for locally-produced Chinese vehicles – at the core of China’s job creating industrial policy – the Michigan built Volt (more than $40,000 in the U.S. without government incentives) will be at about a $19,000 per hybrid disadvantage, not good news for UAW employees who build the Volt in Hamtramck. Continue reading
Toyota Launches Prius c Hybrid as Aqua in Japan for $21,700
In Japan the Prius c comes in seven models with a price ranging from $21,750 to $34,500 for lavishing equipped models for handicapped people. Look for the Japanese-built Prius c in the U.S. to start somewhere under $20,000 with several more expensive option packages. AutoInformed is betting Toyota will continue to use aggressive ‘comeback pricing’ and incentives to regain market share lost post-tsunami and Thailand floods this year. With the introduction of the all-new reduced price Camry last October, Toyota has regained 2 percentage points of U.S. share in the last two months. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, marketing, milestones, new vehicle, news, news analysis, shows and events
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, Ken Zino, naias, prius c, toyota agua hybrid
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Iran Threatens to Close Strait of Hormuz, Shut Off Oil Supply. Here We Go With Another Oil Crisis Caused by Despots?
The larger issue remains an amorphous U.S. strategy conducted and – alas – at times directed in Washington by big money interests that care not about the welfare of the United States or its citizens. U.S. energy policy going back to President Carter and the first OPEC oil embargo four decades ago has failed under one-term Carter and every successive President and Congress since – Democrat or Republican – to eliminate this security threat – as well as the corresponding national economic decline posed by oil imports and the resulting enormous transfer of U.S. wealth overseas. Continue reading
EPA Finally Decides 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards
This ongoing Congressional debacle started when EISA established annual renewable fuel volume targets, reaching an overall level of 36 billion gallons annually in 2022, including 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels; 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels; 4 billion gallons of advanced biofuels; and 1 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel. EISA further specifies that 21 billion U.S. gallons of the 2022 total must be derived from non-cornstarch products such as sugar or cellulose. Continue reading
FAA Clears Santa Claus One for Christmas Eve Flight
Santa Claus has been flying accident-free for centuries, and FAA safety inspectors have cleared Santa Claus One–the world’s only known reindeer-powered aircraft–to deliver presents to children around the world this year. Continue reading
EPA Issues First Standards on Powerplant Mercury Pollution
Environmentalists say more battles are ahead in “pay to play” Washington, DC during what likely will be the most expensive presidential election in history – literally awash with billions in “contributions” from the extremely wealthy or “One Percenters” and large corporations. Some extremist Republicans running for president want to abolish the EPA entirely. Continue reading
