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Chevy Volt to address America's school children in nationwide show-and-tell

by Domenick Yoney (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 1:04PM


2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

On November 30th, hundreds of middle school students and teachers will assemble at the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, along with untold thousands of their electronically-linked peers, to take part in a giant show-and-tell webcast featuring that upcoming electric car with the built-in range extender, the 2011 Chevy Volt. While none of the students are likely to buy a Volt (or any car, for that matter) when it becomes available next year, "Today's middle school students are tomorrow's leaders," according to GM, and so they feel it is important to educate the kids about the increasing role electricity will play in personal transportation.

The assembly, which is in support of the host school's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program, will listen and watch a presentation covering the basics of electricity and how it will transform the way we drive before taking part in a question and answer period. The appearance is only one of many that the Volt will be making while it's in town for the Los Angeles Auto Show. Official press release after the break.


Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt


[Source: General Motors]

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Prediction: In 2015, fuel cell vehicles "will be cheaper than a Rolls-Royce"

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 11:56AM


2009 Honda FCX Clarity - Click above for high-res image gallery

A lot of automakers are targeting 2015 as the year to introduce fuel cell vehicles to the market, GM, Toyota and Honda foremost among them. This is fine and all, but there are still some serious questions about the cost of hydrogen fuel cell systems to figure out between now and then. A quote buried deep in a new UPI Asia article on Japanese leadership in FCVs gives us one researcher's prediction: "By the time FCVs are commercially available in 2015 they will be cheaper than a Rolls-Royce [$550,000], but it will be difficult to price them down to the level of a Corolla [$22,000]."

That's the view of Kenichiro Ota, a professor at Yokohama National University, and it flies in the face of what automakers like GM are claiming. Everyone seems to be coming into agreement that the cars are technologically solid – the distance they can go on a kg of H2 is increasing, for example – but that cost issue isn't going away.

[Source: UPI Asia]

Honda tops 2009 corporate fuel economy charts, Chrysler trails

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 11:02AM

2010 Honda Insight - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently in the process of compiling the the fleet average fuel economy numbers for model year 2009, which recently concluded, and it looks like Honda will be on top yet again. The final numbers are still some months away as the data is collected on exactly how many cars were sold and in what configurations. Based on early numbers, Honda's fleet average comes out to 23.6 mpg with Hyundai-Kia close behind at 23.4 mpg. Both of those companies are down slightly from 2008 when they averaged 23.9 and 23.7 mpg, respectively. Of course, last year Honda sold huge quantities of Civics and Fits when gas went to $4 / gallon. This year, those sales – along with everything else – are down, bringing the average mpg number down.

The three Detroit brand automakers brought up the rear with Ford, GM and Chrysler at 20.5, 19.9 and 18.7 mpg, respectively. All three of those manufacturers had a higher proportion of truck sales than cars but even their car numbers are lower because they sell more large cars than their foreign counterparts. As the new small cars from GM and Ford come to market in the next 12-18 months, this should change their position significantly. Chrysler will have to wait a bit longer for Fiat-based cars to hit the U.S. market before their numbers improve. You can find the full 2009 report here.

Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight


[Source: EPA]

Top Gear lads build the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust, an ER-EV to answer the Chevy Volt

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 9:53AM



Many electric vehicle fans out there are constantly complaining about how long it is taking automakers to bring plug-in vehicles to market. We've had commenters here on this site claiming that they should be able to bring EVs to the street in six months. Apparently even six months is too long for the crew at Top Gear.

For those unfamiliar with the format of the show, most episodes involve the producers giving a challenge of some kind to hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. The most recent episode, aired this week on the BBC in the UK, included just such a challenge. The boys were tasked to build their own answer to the extended range EV Chevy Volt.

In a mere 18 hours they transformed a TVR Chimaera (interesting choice since a chimaera is a mythological creature composed of parts of a number of animals) into the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust pictured above. Once the i-Thrust was completed, it was turned over to AutoCar magazine for an independent road test. As you might guess based on the photo, the results were not surprising and they are a testament to perhaps taking a little more time and car in development of a car. You can grab a copy of AutoCar's full road test as a PDF here and watch a video of the test here.

[Source: AutoCar]

Hyundai's new 2.4L GDI four cylinder hits up to 200hp in Sonata, 10% more MPG

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 9:02AM

Hyundai 2.4L Theta-II GDI - click above for high-res image gallery

When Hyundai's all new Sonata goes on sale early in 2010, it will arrive in U.S. showrooms with only one available engine, a thoroughly revamped version of the 2.4-liter Theta-II four cylinder. The new engine is Hyundai's first production powerplant with gasoline direct injection, but John Juriga, director of powertrains at the Hyundai-Kia Technical Center (HATCI), promised it wouldn't be the last. Juriga told attendees at a recent media briefing at HATCI that Hyundai was planning to roll out GDI across its lineup in the coming years.

For now, though, we have to be content with the new Sonata engine. The basic internal dimensions are carried over from the 2010 port injected edition, with bore and stroke of 88 mm x 97 mm for a total displacement of 2,359 cc. The new fuel delivery system has allowed the engineering team to bump the compression ratio from 10.5:1 up to 11.3:1. Like other direct injected engines, the charge cooling effect of injecting the fuel in into the high temperature compressed aid allows the elevated compression without the risk of knock. Read on to learn more about the first GDI Hyundai engine.

Gallery: Hyundai 2.4L Theta-II GDI


[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai could still introduce clean diesel in America, under the right conditions

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 7:57AM



At the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, diesels were all the rage with a wide array automakers showing off compression ignition engines that were planned to meet U.S. emissions standards and go on sale here. Within months however, a combination of factors – rising diesel prices and the economic collapse foremost among them – led to many of those plans being canceled. One of the companies showing new diesels back then was Kia which, of course, is partnered with Hyundai. John Juriga, director of powertrains at the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center (HATCI) near Ann Arbor told us that clean diesels were being tested there and we had previously been told expect diesels in the Kia Borrego and Hyundai Veracruz, possibly by 2009 or 2010. At this point, that's not happening.

However, that's not the end of the story for diesel Hyundais in the U.S. At a media briefing at HATCI on Friday to show off the new direct injected four cylinder that's going into the Sonata, Juriga brought up diesel when discussing the company's powertrain plans. Hyundai has diesel engines ranging from 1.1-3.0-liters everywhere else in the world but North America and the company is ready to certify to U.S. standards. According to Juriga, it's just a matter of having the right economic conditions. If and when vehicle sales look like they will return to a point when sales volumes can justify the cost of certification and fuel prices drive a demand for diesel, we could see it happen. Unfortunately, right now is not yet that time.

[Source: Hyundai]

POLL: Is the Tesla IPO for you?

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Nov 22nd, 2009 at 7:30PM


Tesla Roadster - Click above for high-res image gallery

With another story about Tesla Motors going public circulating last week (although probably not for a while) – right alongside the news of trouble at electric car maker Aptera – we got to wondering what the community thinks of this move. Is it the right move at the right time (an IPO had been planned earlier, but then the stock market took a nosedive)? Is it a silly investment? Will it follow the IPO from A123 with a great opening day and then dropping back down? Of course, we have no idea – and we're not about to give any advice because we're just not that reckless – but we thought a little poll (polls, actually) would make for good discussion. Vote in the first one here, then follow us after the jump for the rest.

Will you invest in Tesla when an IPO takes place?

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2009 VW Jetta TDI Cup to air on Speed TV starting Dec. 6

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 22nd, 2009 at 3:27PM



Back in October, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI cup wrapped up its second season in fine fashion during the Petit Le Mans weekend at Road Atlanta. While the ten-race series was not broadcast live, cameras from Speed TV were on hand for each event. If you, like most people, missed the races, now is your chance to catch up with some of the best racing out there as Speed gets ready to start airing the 2009 series on December 6. The first four 30-minute races of this year's series will be aired back-to-back on that day starting at 5 p.m. EST with more races to follow on subsequent Saturdays. The series features 30 young racers between the ages of 16 and 26 in identically prepared Jetta TDI sedans as they battle for $50,000 in prize money and $100,000 in career support from Volkswagen for the champion. Spoiler can be found here.

Gallery: First Jetta TDI Cup race


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Speed TV]

Spy shots: First images of the 2011 Chevy Aveo

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 22nd, 2009 at 11:48AM Spy Shots

Back in August, in the wake of General Motors emergence from bankruptcy, the company gave the media a preview of many of its upcoming products. Among those is the all-new Chevrolet Aveo which will take up the B-segment mantle to battle the new Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. Unlike the current Aveo that is built in South Korea by Daewoo, the new model will be built at the Orion, Michigan assembly plant north of Detroit.

While there had been speculation that the ungainly looking Chevy Viva from Brazil would be the Aveo replacement, new spy shots show that this is a completely different car, although it will likely share some mechanical bits with the Aveo.

At the preview last summer, GM design manager Bob Boniface confirmed that the Aveo name would be retained because, in spite of the baggage the current model carries, it does have recognition and launching a new name would be too expensive. Of course that was three months ago and the Aveo is still a year or so away from launch so things could change. Whatever it's called, it's certainly a better looking car than the current model, with a wider stance that looks less tippy. Thanks to Jason for the tip!

[Source: Left Lane News]

Racing Green Endurance to tackle Pan-American highway with electric Radical racer [w/VIDEO]

by Domenick Yoney (RSS feed) on Nov 22nd, 2009 at 8:52AM



How fast can a battery-powered car travel the entire 16,000+ mile length of the Pan-American highway? We don't really know but it looks like we're going to find out. The Racing Green Endurance team, hailing from Imperial College London, are putting together an all-electric version of the Radical SR8 (now an SR0) to demonstrate to the world the possibilities of this powertrain. What better backdrop for such a spectacle than the world's longest highway? Ok, there is that Zero Emission Race around the world in 80 days that the team was to participate in, but apparently their plans have changed. Regardless, the road from Ushuaia, Argentina to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska will not only provide plenty of beautiful vistas but also a dramatic range of topographical and climatic challenges that should make this expedition an interesting one to follow.

Their four-wheeled road-legal weapon of choice is an interesting one. Once completed, they calculate that the SR0 should be able to achieve a 242-mile (390 km) US EPA Highway Cycle range with 53 kWh's of generously-donated Thunder Sky lithium ion batteries. If the need for speed presents itself, the car can call upon 500 hp from its twin motors and should hit 60 mph in 7 seconds. Top speed will be limited to 124 mph. Given the open-cockpit nature of their ride and the route, we suggest they pack plenty of mittens, rain gear and sunscreen. Hit the jump for a nicely put together video presentation of the project.


[Source: Racing Green Endurance]

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