Autoblog Green http://green.autoblog.com Autoblog Green http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/green.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog Green http://green.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Editorial: Henderson's fuel cell 10X cost comments are out of context]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/02/editorial-hendersons-fuel-cell-10x-cost-comments-are-out-of-co/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/02/editorial-hendersons-fuel-cell-10x-cost-comments-are-out-of-co/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/02/editorial-hendersons-fuel-cell-10x-cost-comments-are-out-of-co/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The other day we reported on an interview with General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson published in the Washington Post. While most of the discussion focused on the bailout and bankruptcy, from the perspective of this site, the main items of interest were Henderson's responses to questions relating the to the cost of the Chevy Volt and hydrogen fuel cells. Much has been made of Henderson saying that the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell used for the Project Driveway program cost 10 times the Volt's approximately $40,000 price.

The problem here is that Henderson's numbers are taken out of context and mean nothing in and of themselves. This is a total apples to oranges comparison. The Volt is expected to carry a sticker price of somewhere around $40,000 at launch. That price will be reduced for customers by a federal tax credit of $7,500 along with whatever state incentives are available. However, that does not necessarily reflect the cost to build the extended range EV, which will likely be somewhat higher than $40k at launch. More important to this discussion is the fact that the Volt is also designed and engineered for mass production meaning that it is cheaper in all respects than the Equinox FCV. Keep reading after the jump.


Gallery: 2008 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell


Gallery: Chevrolet Volt 65% drive

Continue reading Editorial: Henderson's fuel cell 10X cost comments are out of context

Editorial: Henderson's fuel cell 10X cost comments are out of context originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batterybattery vs fuel cellBatteryVsFuelCellchevroletChevrolet VoltChevroletVoltchevychevy voltChevy-VoltChevyVoltEditorialfeaturefeaturedFeatured StoriesFeaturedStoriesfeaturesfritz hendersonFritzHendersonFuel CellFuelCellhydrogenhydrogen carhydrogen carshydrogen fuel cellhydrogen vs plugHydrogenCarHydrogenCarsHydrogenFuelCellHydrogenVsPlugplug-inplug-in hybridPlug-inHybridplug-insProject DrivewayProjectDrivewaywashington postWashingtonPostMon, 02 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[How can we "refuel" electric vehicles today and tomorrow?]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/17/greenlings-how-can-we-refuel-electric-vehicles-today-and-tomo/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/17/greenlings-how-can-we-refuel-electric-vehicles-today-and-tomo/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/17/greenlings-how-can-we-refuel-electric-vehicles-today-and-tomo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Renault Zero Emission line-up - Click for high-res image gallery

Among the many claimed advantages of electric vehicles are the ability to "refuel" your vehicles at home, never visiting a gas station again. In principle, the only thing you need to "fuel" an EV is a working plug. However, in life, few things ever turn out to be as simple as they might appear on the surface. For example think about your cell phone. If, like most of us here at ABG, you have had multiple different phones over the years, you have of course noted that every one of them seems to have a different and unique charging adapter along with a completely different battery.

In a small hand-held, pocketable device like a phone, it would seem that standardizing batteries and chargers would be a relatively simple thing to do and yet it has only been relatively recently that most phones have begun converging on mini-USB connector standard. Batteries, of course, are an entirely different matter. Now imagine expanding these problems by several orders of magnitude and applying electrification to a car. Cars live in a greater variety of environments and are expected to last a lot longer than the typical consumer electronics device (do you still have your phone from six years ago?). Read on after the jump to learn more about how the problem of charging is being addressed.


Continue reading How can we "refuel" electric vehicles today and tomorrow?

How can we "refuel" electric vehicles today and tomorrow? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>better placeBetterPlacecoulombelectric carelectric carselectric vehicleelectric vehiclesElectricCarElectricCarsElectricVehicleElectricVehiclesev chargerev chargingev charging feasibilityev charging pointev charging stationev charging stationsEvChargerEvChargingEvChargingFeasibilityEvChargingPointEvChargingStationEvChargingStationsfalsefeaturedfeaturesgreenlingshome chargingHomeChargingThu, 17 Sep 2009 14:57:00 EST<![CDATA[POLL: LEAF, Volt or neither? Which do you prefer?]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/09/poll-leaf-volt-or-neither-which-do-you-prefer/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/09/poll-leaf-volt-or-neither-which-do-you-prefer/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/09/poll-leaf-volt-or-neither-which-do-you-prefer/#commentsFiled under: , ,



We got a note the other day from Lyle Dennis over at GM-Volt about a poll he's running among his readers following this week's announcement of the Nissan LEAF. Lyle wanted to judge the readers preference among the two electrically-driven cars. As a site that's been dedicated to all things Volt since he launched it two years ago, the results turned out to be pretty predictable. Thus, Lyle suggested we ask our audience, since our focus is less narrow.

The LEAF is, of course, a dedicated battery only car, but its daily range is an optimistic 100 miles unless someone actually installs any 480V fast charging systems, which will still take 30 minutes to give you an 80 percent charge. The Volt, on the other hand, relies on a range-extending internal combustion engine to take you beyond the 40-mile range of its battery. However, since green vehicle options obviously extend beyond electric drive, we've given you a few extra options. Tell us what you think.

View Poll


[Source: GM-Volt.com]

POLL: LEAF, Volt or neither? Which do you prefer? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevroletchevrolet voltChevroletVoltchevychevy voltchevy-voltChevyVoltfeaturefeaturedfeaturesleaf vs voltLeafVsVoltnissan leafNissanLeafpollSun, 09 Aug 2009 18:04:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Before you weld a Volt, you have to stamp out the bodies]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/02/video-before-you-weld-a-volt-you-have-to-stamp-out-the-bodies/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/02/video-before-you-weld-a-volt-you-have-to-stamp-out-the-bodies/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/02/video-before-you-weld-a-volt-you-have-to-stamp-out-the-bodies/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Volt body panels being stamped - Click above to watch the videos after the jump

The other day we pointed you at a video produced by General Motors that is part of a series on the building of the pre-production Chevy Volt prototypes. That video showed the IVER (integration vehicle engineering release) bodies being assembled, welded and painted in the body shop at the pre-production operations center in Warren, Michigan. However, before you can weld and paint, you have take sheets of steel and stamp them into the right shapes. It turns out that there were other videos that came ahead the body shop video that we missed.

In the stamping video, you can see how the engineers go from the mathematical models of the parts to machining the prototype dies. Unlike the production dies, these prototypes are not as tough and are only useful for producing a limited number of parts. Because the steel springs back somewhat after it comes out of the press, the dies don't have the same shape as the final part. As a result, there is often some trial and error in creating the dies.

Once the final die shape is determined, it is scanned and the data is sent to the production tool and die shop. All this to make us a Volt. Check out the videos after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading VIDEO: Before you weld a Volt, you have to stamp out the bodies

VIDEO: Before you weld a Volt, you have to stamp out the bodies originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevroletchevrolet voltChevroletVoltchevychevy voltChevyVoltfeaturefeaturedfeaturesgmvideovideosvoltvolt iver prototypevolt prototype buildVoltIverPrototypeVoltPrototypeBuildSun, 02 Aug 2009 18:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Review: 2010 Audi A3 TDI, diesel with a healthy dash of sport]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/21/review-2010-audi-a3-tdi-diesel-with-a-healthy-dash-of-sport/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/21/review-2010-audi-a3-tdi-diesel-with-a-healthy-dash-of-sport/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/21/review-2010-audi-a3-tdi-diesel-with-a-healthy-dash-of-sport/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Audi A3 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi started its big push for clean diesel here in the U.S. market this spring when its big Q7 TDI finally went on sale. While the Q7 TDI is one of the most fuel efficient seven-passenger SUVs available anywhere, it's only the beginning for Audi. Assuming that Americans start taking a shine to diesel, Audi is likely to introduce a whole series of Rudi D's disciples here. So far, however, only one has been announced in addition to the Q7, the compact A3 hatchback.

The A3 is the entry-level model for the four-ringed brand here in the U.S. Until now, it has only been sold with a choice of a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder or 3.2-liter V6 engines running on gasoline. At the Detroit Auto Show, Audi announced that the A3 TDI would go on sale late this year. While the A3 TDI isn't yet available, one was made available to us for five days during a recent trip to Southern California. Find out what it was like after the jump.

Gallery: Review: Audi A3 TDI


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2010 Audi A3 TDI, diesel with a healthy dash of sport

Review: 2010 Audi A3 TDI, diesel with a healthy dash of sport originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 21 May 2009 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a3a3 tdiA3Tdiaudiaudi a3 tdiAudiA3Tdidieseldiesel audiDieselAudifeaturefeaturedfeatured storiesfeaturedstoriesfeaturesreviewThu, 21 May 2009 11:59:00 EST<![CDATA[The trend continues: people want smaller cars, not compromises]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/15/the-trend-continues-people-want-smaller-cars-not-compromises/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/15/the-trend-continues-people-want-smaller-cars-not-compromises/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/15/the-trend-continues-people-want-smaller-cars-not-compromises/#commentsFiled under: ,



It's a common question these days: can you live with a tiny car? For a growing number of people, the answer is yes, but they're not always ready to make the lifestyle adjustments to get the benefits of lower gas usage (and cost) of using the right tool for the job. According to an Omnibus Study recently conducted by Morpace, Inc., a full 62 percent of consumers think their next vehicle will be smaller than what they're currently driving. Morpace Automotive Feature Content Practice VP Bill Pendry said, "While consumers may want a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle, they don't want to compromise on the feature and option content. Nearly all consumers want the same or greater number of features and options in their next vehicle."

Well, then, perhaps people aren't really clear on their reasons for downsizing. As we know, the current situation is that most (though certainly not all) small cars are pretty bare bones when compared to larger versions. A smaller car has at least one reduced feature: less room. While I can certainly understand the lack of enthusiasm for losing something like airbags, letting go of heavy and space-consuming things like DVD players and a third row of seats is OK. Realizing that it is perfectly possible to live a full life with fewer features/things is something quite vital to adapting to our new global reality, I think. See more on this topic here and check out the Morpace press release after the jump.

[Source: Morpace Inc.]

Continue reading The trend continues: people want smaller cars, not compromises

The trend continues: people want smaller cars, not compromises originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresmorpacesmall-cartiny-carFri, 15 Aug 2008 14:55:00 EST