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Ford accepting applications for Fiesta Movement 2

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Dec 4th, 2009 at 8:56AM

2011 Ford Fiesta – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford finally unveiled the U.S. version of its B-Segment Fiesta yesterday at the LA Auto Show, and thanks to some clever marketing, the Blue Oval's newest small car is already well-known to prospective buyers. Ford's ingenious "Fiesta Movement" marketing initiative, which put 100 Euro-spec subcompacts in the hands of socially advanced "agents," resulted in over six million YouTube views, 740,000 Flickr views and 3.7 million Twitter impressions. All that traffic has apparently resulted in a 60-percent vehicle recognition score in Ford's survey findings – a number that would be good for a vehicle that has already been on the market a few years.

The first Fiesta Movement was created to get the Fiesta in front of the car-buying public while engaging in customer-driven dialog. Connie Fontaine, Ford brand content and alliances manager, says that wave two will focus on "driving unparalleled consideration." In other words, Ford wants customers to be excited to buy a new Fiesta. Given the fact that Ford generated 80,000 "hand-raisers" with Fiesta Movement number one, another group of Fiesta agents probably isn't a bad idea.

Ford is looking now for 20 teams of agents to participate in getting the word out about its new small car. Interested parties can apply via video on fiestamovement.com between now and January 31. Round two begins in mid-February. Winning contestants will need to be "socially vibrant" and "in-tune with the latest happenings in their neighborhood." Winners will be chosen based on public reaction to their video presentations... though it probably wouldn't hurt to look young and Millenialish. Hit the jump to check out Ford's official press release.

Gallery: LA 2009: 2011 Ford Fiesta

[Source: Ford]

Audi twists e-tron 3319 lb-ft torque rating

by Michael Harley (RSS feed) on Dec 4th, 2009 at 8:08AM

Audi e-tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

When introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Audi boasted its all-electric e-tron was fitted with four electric motors producing "230 kW (313 hp) and 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 lb-ft) of torque." While the e-tron's styling may have raised a few eyebrows, we were notably moved by the quoted torque figure – especially when we considered that the twin-turbocharged Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, one of the most powerful vehicles on the road, makes 738 lb-ft in comparison. We were stupefied by the number, and it set off more than a few debates among our group, but Audi made no attempt to clarify...

The team at Automobile Magazine, initially duped like everyone else, has recognized that Audi was quoting torque measured at the wheels, not at the output shaft – the industry standard. Measuring torque at the wheels takes the multiplication effect of the transmission and final drive gears into account. The resulting figures are generally ten-fold of what they would be at the crank (meaning cars like a 3.6-liter Chevrolet Malibu packs a similar 3,115 lb-ft of torque). Audi's e-tron torque figures are not exactly dishonest, but they are using a completely different evaluation without making mention of it in the press release. Long story short, Automobile estimates the e-tron makes about 252 lb-ft of torque. That is a bit less than the Tesla Roadster's 273 lb-ft.

Gallery: LA 2009: Orange Audi e-tron

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Audi e-tron concept

[Source: Automobile]

LA 2009: Mitsubishi will bring an EV to U.S. in 2011, but it might not be the i-MiEV

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 7:42PM

Mitsubishi i-MiEV - click above for high-res image gallery

Here's a line from Mitsubishi's press release dated April 9, 2009:

Ending months of heightening speculation, Mitsubishi Motors North America President and CEO Shinichi Kurihara confirmed the i MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) is being developed for sale in world markets, including the United States.

Reading that, doesn't it seem that Mitsubishi is saying that the i-MiEV will be for sale in the U.S. someday? That's what we thought. Turns out, that's not exactly what Mitsubishi confirmed eight months ago, according to David Patterson, Mitsubishi R&D of America's chief engineer of mobile emissions, regulatory affairs and certification. When we took a spin in an i-MiEV with Patterson today, he said that he wishes Mitsubishi would confirm that the i-MiEV would someday go on sale in the U.S., and he's been pushing the company to just say it already. "What we announced in New York was that we would bring an electric vehicle to the United States. That's the announcement that I was able to convince them to make," he said.

Granted, in his speech yesterday, Masuko simply said that an electric vehicle would come to the U.S., and didn't say which model it would be."I think President [Osamu] Masuko wanted to make that [i-MiEV] announcement yesterday," Patterson said, but he believes that the company hasn't decided which electric vehicle they will sell here. At the very least, Patterson is confident that whatever vehicle we get, it'll be cool. "Trust me, it gets better than this [the i-MiEV]," he said.

Gallery: LA 2009: Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Live photos copyright ©2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.

Our travel and lodging for this media event were paid for by the Auto Alliance.

Ford: New remote start option will reduce harmful emissions by up to 75%

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 6:33PM

Good news, Ford fans: The Blue Oval is finally stepping into the 21st Century by adding remote start and heated steering wheels to its line of cars and trucks. The remote start option will make its first appearance on the 2011 F-Series Super Duty pickup truck while the heated tiller will initially see the light of day in the 2011 Lincoln MKX.

Following those two launches, the automaker promises that both items will infiltrate the rest of its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury lineups in a jiffy. While it's been possible to have an aftermarket remote start system installed on any new car or truck for quite some time (including a dealer-installed option from Ford), JD Power reports that 90 percent of all purchasers would prefer a factory option, which makes perfect sense to us... especially since Ford's system will be integrated with the heating and cooling systems to bring the cabin to a comfortable temperature regardless of the weather outside.

Ford predicts that the remote start system will help the vehicle's exhaust catalyst heat up more quickly, thereby reducing hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 75 percent. Further, the automaker suggests that a heated steering wheel will increase dexterity in the fingers and hands and reduce the need to wear gloves while driving in the winter. Want to know more? Use those nice and toasty digits to hit the jump for the press release.

[Source: Ford]

Renault EVs to be available for test drives during Copenhagen climate conference

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 5:22PM

Renault Fluence ZE Concept - click above for high-res image gallery

When attendees get to the big climate change conference in Copenhagen next week, they will have an opportunity to sample some of Renault's upcoming fleet of electric vehicles. A sampling of the Fluence ZE sedans and Kangoo Express ZE MPV's will be on hand at the conference and available for test drives. Anyone who wants to drive the battery-powered vehicles will have to set up an appointment to do so. The Fluence sedan will go on sale in Israel, Denmark and parts of Europe starting in the first half of 2011 with a roll out to other markets over time. The Kangoo ZE will be available at the same time in Europe. Renault and its alliance partner Nissan are sticking to a projection that BEVs will account for 10 percent of sales by the end of the next decade. Renault and Nissan are certainly pushing hard to get volume with eight models planned in the next several years and manufacturing in Europe, Japan and the U.S.

Gallery: Renault Fluence ZE concept

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Renault Twizy, Zoe, Kangoo and Fluence EVs

[Source: Renault]

EV Cup electric car racing series to light up tires in 2011

by Domenick Yoney (RSS feed) on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 4:27PM

If you've been impatiently waiting to watch electric cars rip racetrack asphalt asunder, an end to your suffering may be in sight. A new racing series branded EV Cup has just been launched in London with plans to bring 3 separate classes of cars to a half-dozen tracks around Europe beginning in 2011. City and Sports EV series would consist of mono-maker grids using production vehicles, though they would receive some race prep in the way of stripped-out cabins and juiced-up powertrains. The Prototype EV division is more of a no-holds-barred time-trial-style constructor vs constructor affair with no weight or power restrictions and front, rear or all-wheel-drive configurations accepted.

The organization already has automakers lining up to get involved. According to the EV Cup website Th!nk would provide the first field in the City EV category (with the more-appropriately-named than ever Th!nk City), while both Ginetta and the Lightning Car Company are eying a Sports EV series. Meanwhile in the Prototype EV division, the GreenGT team is registered and ready to rumble, so to speak, with their single-seat racer they say can hit 60 mph in under 4 seconds on the way up to its top speed of 170 mph. While they might only get down to official checkered-flag business in over a year from now, we expect to see the EV Cup crew making promotional appearances with vehicles in Europe and America in 2010. Holding out a promise of high-profile brand exposure and racing-environment tech development potential, the opportunity should present a seductive proposition for many in the electric vehicle space. Hit the jump for both the official press release plus bonus video of the GreenGT car hitting 124 mph in a recent run on an airstrip in the Swiss Alps.

[Source: EV Cup]

LA 2009: First Fisker Karmas now expected to hit showrooms in Sept. 2010

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 3:40PM

Henrik Fisker gives an update on the Karma - click above for high-res image gallery

Henrik Fisker provided an update on his eponymous car company here in LA today. No one but the hopelessly naive will be surprised to learn that production Karma's will not be hitting customers hands by the end of this month (as once promised). For a company that was only founded two years ago, to get an all-new design engineered and produced in 18 months is a near impossibility. The new target for the for the Karma sedan to hit dealers in the U.S. is September of 2010. Fisker has lined up 42 dealers in the U.S. to sell and service the Karma, along with three European distributors that will provide cars to about 100 dealers there.

According to Fisker, the company has applied for over 50 patents on the technology in the Karma. The basic architecture of the Karma remains unchanged as a series hybrid / extended range EV with a 22 kWh battery pack and a 260 hp GM GTDI Ecotec four cylinder. The electric range is expected to be about 50 miles with a 0-60 time of six seconds. Delivery time is a little bit longer.

Gallery: LA 2009: Fisker Karma

[Source: Fisker Automotive]

2011 Ford Fiesta priced from $13,320, special deal for reserving early

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 2:56PM

2011 Ford Fiesta – Click above for high-res image gallery

Surprisingly, Ford decided to slip out U.S. pricing for its hotly anticipated and genuinely fuel efficient 2011 Fiesta with no fanfare at all. No major announcements at the LA Auto Show, no wordy press releases... nothing. But, if you head on over to Ford's official page for the new Fiesta, you'll see that it starts at $13,320 (plus a $675 destination charge).

Even better, the full Build and Price section is available, meaning you can see each and every individual option and its price. We went ahead and spent some time perusing the options list, and we see that the low base price is for the base S model, which comes exclusively in sedan form. The least expensive hatchback model is $15,120 (about $800 more than a comparably-equipped sedan).

Step up to a hatchback with Ford's new six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and you're looking at $16,190, and the uprated SES hatchback starts at $17,120 ($18,190 with the auto). Click past the jump for more interesting little tidbits that we noticed when pricing out our own Fiestas, including what Ford is offering for reserving one early.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Fiesta

LA 2009: BMW prices the ActiveHybrid 7, starting at $103,125

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 2:06PM

Hybrids have always demanded an extra price over their competitors, but that is especially true when we get into the premium segment. Whether it's the Lexus LS600h or the Cadillac Escalade hybrid, it seems automakers are averse to subsidizing the addition of electrically enhanced drivetrains. The same apparently holds true for BMW, which priced its ActiveHybrid X6 at just shy of $90,000. BMW's second hybrid model is the ActiveHybrid 7 sedan which got its North American debut in production form in LA with a price tag starting at $103,125 for the standard wheelbase edition and a whopping $107,025 for the extended wheelbase. That comes up just a bit shy of the 2010 Lexus LS600h's $108,175, but the Lexus is a strong hybrid and includes everything at that price point. BMW gives customers the option to spend many thousands more on options.

[Source: BMW]

There's no way Cleantech Group's 2010 prediction about plug-ins comes true

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 1:35PM

Reading through Cleantech Group's "Ten Predictions for 2010," it's easy to dismiss their vision for plug-in vehicles next year as nearly impossible. You can read all ten predictions after the jump, but the sole vehicle-related items reads as follows: "Electric cars take the back seat to smart mobility." Um, nope.

Of all the years to predict that plug-in vehicles are going to be put on the back burner, 2010 is not going to be the one. It's tough to know exactly how Cleantech plans to measure the popularity of EVs vs. smart mobility (and, really, aren't EVs smart?), but media attention is certainly one way to judge which one is on top. And there is absolutely no way that, by the end of 2010, we will have had more news stories about careful driving than we will about the Volt, the Leaf and the like. Simply not going to happen. We're not saying that smart mobility won't be talked about in 2010, but EVs will clean its clock in the media. You can read Cleantech's 2009 predictions here.

[Source: Cleantech]

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#	Blogger	Posts	Cmts
1	Sebastian Blanco	116	10
2	Sam Abuelsamid	93	1
3	Jeremy Korzeniewski	30	0
4	Domenick Yoney	25	0
5	Xavier Navarro	21	1
6	Chris Shunk	4	0
7	AutoblogGreen Staff	3	0
8	Drew Phillips	3	0
9	Michael Harley	3	0
10	Frank Filipponio	3	0
11	Damon Lavrinc	2	0
12	John Neff	2	0
13	Gary Witzenburg	1	0
14	Jonny Lieberman	1	0
15	Chris Paukert	1	0
16	Dan Roth	1	0

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