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Hybrid Cars May Require Hundreds Of New Power Plants To Be Built, If Owners Charge Up During Peak Hours 2008-03-13 11:05:18 ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2008) — A growing number of plug-in hybrid electric cars and trucks could require major new power generation resources or none at all— depending on when people recharge their automobiles.
A recent Oak Ridge National Laboratory study examined how an expected increase in ownership of hybrid electric cars and trucks will affect the power grid depending on what time of day or night the vehicles are charged.
Some assessments of the impact of electric vehicles assume owners will charge them only at night, said Stan Hadley of ORNL’s Cooling, Heating and Power Technologies Program.
“That assumption doesn’t necessarily take into account human nature,” said Hadley, who led the study. “Consumers’ inclination will be to plug in when conven Read more:Hybrid
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I Care More About MPG Than MPH 2008-03-13 11:02:11 Today’s post is less about gas mileage tips or updates on soaring gas prices, and more of a call to action to show that you want car manufacturers to worry more about their vehicles’ gas mileage and less about their vehicles’ zero to 60 time. To that end, I would like to launch the “I Care More About MPG Than MPH” campaign.
Now, I know this isn’t as catchy or inspiring as something like Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” rallying cry, but at the same time, I hope that it’s something that you can and will take seriously.
For far too long we have had gas guzzling muscle cars, trucks and SUVs jammed down our throats by the major car manufacturers. For example, last night while watching TV, I saw nine commercials put out by car manufacturers - seven of which were for trucks or SUV
Car depreciation rates worsening 2008-03-13 10:59:54 The current economic uncertainty, coupled with green taxes, are making car depreciation rates worse, according to motor industry analysts. Analysts Eurotaxglass’s have told the BBC the value of used cars will fall by an additional 8% this year.
Big family cars, which traditionally lose most value, and four-wheel drive vehicles are worst affected.
By comparison, say the experts, fuel efficient cars and smaller vehicles are holding their value better.
Slowdown
New cars automatically depreciate in value the moment they leave the garage forecourt.
The warning from Eurotaxglass’s suggests that the increased cost of borrowing, stagnant house prices and the credit crunch have now spread to the car market.
But the experts are warning consumers to take account of resale values when pur
Tax increase for high-emission cars 2008-03-13 10:58:36 Buyers, manufacturers and retailers of high-emission
cars in Britain are to be hit by a reform of the vehicle excise duty, which will include the imposition of a new first-year rate of as much as £950 per car.
The regime announced on Wednesday will take effect in 2009 and apply to the “highest-polluting cars”, Alistair Darling, the chancellor, said. Cars emitting more than 255g of carbon dioxide per km would be subject to the highest rate.
Cars that emit less than 130 grams of carbon dioxide per km – the European Union’s target it wants carmakers to reach in 2012 – would pay no car tax at all in the first year, Mr Darling said.
“It is right that if people choose to buy a more polluting car that they should pay more in the first year to reflect the environmental cost,” he sai
Starting a Car With a Push of a Button 2008-03-13 10:56:09 What It Is: The motion of inserting and turning a key to start the car is about to join the annals of lost muscle memory that include manually rolling down windows or starting a car with a hand crank. A broadening range of cars and sport-utility vehicles are switching to push-button starters that use electronic codes instead of metal lock cylinders to control access to the vehicle’s ignition system. Some vehicles require a key fob to be inserted into the instrument panel — like a thicker version of a hotel card key. But a growing number use electronic so-called smart keys that can interact with the vehicle electronically without ever leaving the driver’s pocket. More than 50 vehicles in the 2008 model year have push-button starters, more than double the number in 2007, ac
Pioneer importer of foreign cars to Japan dies 2008-03-13 10:53:32 TOKYO (Reuters) - Jiro Yanase, the man who paved the way for many foreign automakers to break into the Japan
ese market and helped European brands become a status symbol here, has died at the age of 91, a company spokesman said on Thursday.
Born the son of a car importer, Yanase joined the family business in 1939, just as the increasingly nationalistic Japanese government banned sales of foreign cars.
After World War Two, he restarted imports of GM vehicles in 1948, and later secured the rights to sell Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi and Volvo among other makes, thereby making the name Yanase almost synonymous with imported cars.
“Jiro Yanase has provided American and European manufacturers the initial entrance — and the most successful means of selling cars — to the Japanese m Read more:Pioneer
3 are charged in stolen-vehicle ring - Officials say older autos targeted 2008-03-13 10:50:34 Three Detroit men have been charged in what prosecutors say was a car theft ring that conned 119 people out of more than $1 million.
On Wednesday, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced 281 charges against 36-year-old Marlon Carter, 277 charges against 31-year-old Kevin Ball, and 11 charges against 35-year-old Kwame Sylvester.
She said the trio hunted for cars they wanted to steal — usually GM vehicles — recorded the vehicle identification numbers, or VINs, and gave them to an accomplice working at a car dealership who made keys for them. The cars could then be stolen
by unlocking the doors and driving away.
Then, the defendants allegedly bought junk cars similar to the stolen ones and swapped the VINs to sell the stolen cars with clean VINs.
Rodney Hassinger, principal a Read more:older
Top 10 2008 Hybrids 2008-03-12 17:41:21 By Joe Wiesenfelder
Hybrid rankings have often been simplistic: Most are little more than lists of the highest-mileage models on the market. Here, we ranked hybrids based on how much fuel savings they get when compared to their non-hybrid version, as well as how much all that saved gas is going to cost you. Examinations that compare hybrids to “comparably equipped” versions miss an important point. Hybrids
are almost always among the most expensive trim levels, if not the most costly, but our premise is that you’re looking for efficiency first, followed closely by price. This isn’t about acceleration, so the hybrids are compared to the lowest-priced, most-efficient gas-only trim level in their model line. Our rankings take into account the hybrid’s mileage
Rental Cars Get Some Style 2008-03-12 12:15:30 In all the world, there’s generally nothing more stultifying to the soul of a car guy than a rental. How many underpowered automatic vinyl-seated monstrosities have we all had to endure? Rental
agencies are the dumping ground for the unloved and unlovable ugly babies of the automotive world.But international travelers can now sign up for a luxurious treat with Auto Europe’s new prestige car hire service. Visit and select ‘Luxury London Cars’ from the Specials menu to discover a red carpet roll call of cars made by BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lotus, Porsche, Bentley and Aston Martin.
The new service is designed for those with money to spare while traveling on business or pleasure. Every car is guaranteed to be less than 2 years old and most are loaded up with extras like Read more:Style
Ottawa wants anti-skid vehicles starting after 2011 2008-03-12 12:07:37 Transport Canada said yesterday it is working on regulations requiring all new passenger vehicles to have anti-skid technology within three years, part of a wider push by the Harper government to integrate the country’s auto industry with its Nafta partners.
The department will mandate that manufacturers selling in Canada put a feature called electronic stability control, or ESC, on all new light cars and trucks built after Sept.1, 2011, according to its Web site.
In a news release, it said preliminary analysis shows the feature could prevent about 30% of all crashes in which drivers lose control.
The move comes as the federal government readies new mandatory fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles, also starting in 2011. Both moves are being bench-marked against similar measures Read more:Ottawa
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2010 Pontiac G8 Sports Truck Unveiled…It’s the Return of the El Camino! 2008-03-15 11:55:20 The El Camino
has been dead in the US for quite some time, but its spirit is going to live again in the 2010 Pontiac
G8 sport truck.
GM has officially unveiled the new “sport truck” version of the recently introduced G8 sedan. This vehicle has been rumored for quite some time and now it is official, well almost. GM has unveiled the new Pontiac G8 sport truck, but that may not be its official name. The exciting news is that GM is allowing one lucky consumer the chance to name the new vehicle. From March 15 - April 15 consumers can visit www.pontiac.com/namethiscar and submit their name ideas (like El Camino).
The G8 sport truck or G8 ST as some people are referring to it as features the same front end as the sedan version with a unique 73.9-inch rear cargo bed that has 42.7 cubi Read more:Sports
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Forgotten, but not gone - Like something pulled from a time capsule, a ‘65 Mustang is corralled 20 years after it vanished from a street corner 2008-03-15 11:45:06 It’s one of the oddest lost-and-found cases ever.
When Sean Carmody’s 1965 Ford Mustang
convertible was stolen on a summer morning in 1984, the businessman figured it was gone forever. In fact, he had already had a similar Mustang stolen before, and police warned him that the second one was probably halfway to Canada when he reported it missing that day.
But more than 20 years later, authorities planning to tear down an old garage found his coveted Ford Mustang in Boston. The beige soft-top convertible with a thin navy pinstripe along the bottom was nearly the same as when the now 80-year-old retiree left it on a street corner
as he grabbed breakfast before work.
This could be one for the record books. About three of every five vehicles stolen nationwide are recovered, an Read more:Forgotten
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Budget 2008: Families to suffer as Budget threatens the value of larger cars 2008-03-15 11:41:34 Families who sell their cars on the second-hand market face significant losses as a result of changes to road tax introduced by Alistair Darling in this week’s Budget.
Alan Cochrane: Alistair Darling, be reasonable about my car
Budget 2008: Full coverage
The value of many larger cars, essential for families with children, could fall substantially because of their higher running costs, experts said. This would leave many owners considerably out of pocket. Three out of every four cars sold in Britain are sold on the second-hand market.
The changes to the vehicle excise duty were announced by the Chancellor “to encourage manufacturers to produce cleaner cars”.
However, the changes in duty affect all cars, new and old. A Vauxhall Zafira made in 2001, for instance, and specif Read more:Families
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Car dealers’ bust prompts bill - Lawmaker would deny plates to illegal immigrants 2008-03-15 11:36:14 HAMILTON - After three Butler County car dealerships were accused of selling fake IDs to help illegalimmigrants
buy cars, a state lawmaker is planning legislation that would add another step to block them from getting temporary license tags or registrations.
“I can’t stop you from buying a car. I think that would be unconstitutional. You have a right to buy anything you want, as long as you have the money. But what I can do is stop you from obtaining a tag or license to put on that car,” said state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Fairfield.
Combs said Friday that his office has asked the Ohio Legislative Services Commission to research and draft a proposal that would require vehicle purchasers to prove U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status before obtaining a temporary tag Read more:Lawmaker
Answers About the Car of the Future From Joel Piaskowski 2008-03-15 11:32:48 Last week, we solicited questions for auto designers about the car of the future. We got lots of great questions, and passed along the best to the designers who will be taking part in a TimesTalks event on Monday.
Here are responses from Joel Piaskowski, chief designer at Hyundai.
1) Are steering wheels being replaced by “video game” type controls? — Glenn Churches
It’s very important for drivers to feel fully comfortable with all of the controls in the car, especially those for steering, braking and acceleration. While many young (and not so young) people are comfortable with video game type controls there are millions of drivers who would be confused by such a change.
However, it is possible that for a specialty, low-volume vehicle in the future there might be some type of steeri Read more:Future
Fuel-cell cars still far from showroom: Toyota 2008-03-14 07:37:49 TOKYO (AFP) — Work is moving ahead to build a next-generation eco-friendly car running on fuel cells but it will take years to make it commercially viable, the head of auto giant Toyota
said Thursday.
Japanese companies have been working to create a viable car running on fuel cells, which would produce electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, leaving water as the only by-product.
“When we first started the research and development of fuel-cell cars, some people predicted that they may be commercialised by around 2010. But that’s difficult,” Toyota Motor Corp. president Katsuaki Watanabe said.
“The technological advances are significant. The only problem is the cost,” he told reporters.
Toyota last year reported success in a test o
Volkswagen reveals plan to increase car sales 2008-03-14 07:36:41 WOLFSBURG, Germany: Volkswagen
said Thursday it would roll out more than 20 new models by the end of the decade in a bid to bolster sales to 8 million vehicles in 2011 and close the gap with Toyota Motor and General Motors.
While Volkswagen unveiled details of its strategy on Thursday, another Germany carmaker, Bayerische Motoren Werke, posted results that for the first time this year met expectations. BMW also announced the departure of one of its most senior executives.
After shedding thousands of jobs, a leaner VW has aggressively expanded its market share in Europe, mainly at the expense of French rivals Renault and PSA Peugeot Citroën, while intensifying a push into emerging markets.
“There are 300 million people in China poised to buy their very first car. In Russia there are
Stepping on the gas-guzzlers in green motoring drive 2008-03-14 07:33:54 DRIVERS buying new gas-guzzlers have been clobbered by the Chancellor, while those switching to greener cars will enjoy a one-year vehicle tax holiday.
Alistair Darling’s shake-up of the tax disc system introduces a one-off “showroom” tax to encourage car buyers to choose less polluting models.
It also nearly doubles the number of tax bands to 13 as a further incentive to fuel efficiency.
However, the changes were last night criticised by both car makers and environmentalists, who said they would do little to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
Motoring groups also warned Mr Darling that families needing large cars would be hit, while Friends of the Earth Scotland said postponing the fuel duty increase had left “all icing, no cake”.
Drivers of some of the most pollu Read more:Stepping
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Dallas County investigates bogus inspection stickers on county cars 2008-03-14 07:31:42 Dallas County has taken an aggressive stand against fraudulent vehicle inspections by spearheading efforts to smoke out offenders and by forming a Clean Air Emissions Advisory Board to involve other agencies in the effort.
But the county now finds itself the focus of an investigation of bogus inspection stickers after state officials found paperwork discrepancies involving four to seven county vehicles.
County officials would not release details of the investigation but said at least one employee of the county’s garage has been suspended while the matter is investigated.
“Someone may be either intentionally or negligently changing some information on those stickers,” Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield said Thursday. “We found some private shops doing it. But unfortunatel Read more:Dallas
Controversy grows amid green autos - Tightening emissions standards brings more efficient cars to the market, but not all are pleased 2008-03-14 07:30:14 GENEVA — Car makers are showing off their leanest, greenest mass-market models through Sunday in anticipation of stricter European emissions
controls at the Geneva International Motor Show.
A host of small cars are celebrating their debut in Geneva, including production versions of Ford Motor Co.’s new, fuel-stingy Fiesta and Toyota Motor Corp.’s three-seater iQ, and a concept version of Fiat’s 500 Aria.
All three boast carbon dioxide emissions of under 100 grams per kilometer, which will help those manufacturers beat an EU proposal for a fleet average of 130 grams by 2012.
Environment ministers from the 27-nation bloc — the world’s biggest consumer market with 490 million people — met in Brussels earlier last week to discuss the plan, which has ru Read more:Controversy
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Electric cars made in Canada can’t be driven here 2008-03-17 07:04:43 A Canadian manufacturer is crying foul over a bureaucratic tussle that it believes is blocking its low-speed car from residential streets - but government officials say that there is no conspiracy to kill the electric car.
ZENN Motor Co. has sold thousands of its vehicles in the United States, but the Zero Emissions No Noise vehicles cannot be purchased for use on Canadian roads.
“I’m mystified,” said Ian Clifford, the founder and chief executive officer of the company. “I’ve heard certain bureaucrats at Transport Canada
, say to me, if it’s the last thing they do, they’re going to keep low-speed vehicles off the road.”
The federal government first opened the door to low-speed vehicles in 2000, but the Toronto-based company only received the n Read more:Electric
Mayor sets out plan for car club expansion 2008-03-17 07:03:01 The Mayor
of London, Ken Livingstone, today set out an ambitious plan designed to expand London’s network of car clubs, making them more accessible to all with 50 per cent of London’s population within a 5 minutes walk of a car club vehicle by 2012, and 75 per cent within a 10 minute walk.
London is at the forefront of the car club market in the UK, and is home to 75 per cent of the UK car club fleet. Car clubs allow members to hire cars for short periods, meaning that people who need to use a car occasionally don’t have to buy and maintain a vehicle of their own. They have been demonstrated as a successful alternative to car ownership and a means of reducing congestion, with each car club vehicle replacing up to 10 privately owned vehicles on the capital’s roads, a
Plug-in hybrid vehicles could help environment, maximize power 2008-03-17 06:59:34 At his Ozarks New Energy Conference presentation, Jeff Davis, the chairman of the Missouri Public Service Commission (Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder’s former chief of staff) had “plug-in hybrids” on his PowerPoint list of alternative energy items — but had no time to talk about them. A plug-in hybrid is basically a battery-power
ed electric vehicle with a small back-up gasoline engine (or no gasoline engine). You plug in the vehicle when you park (e.g., at home overnight or while at work). No special gas or hydrogen stations are required. The vehicle plugs in like a lamp. Prius/Honda hybrids get 38-60 mpg; a plug-in hybrid would get 100 mpg (when using gas). The range you need determines whether you buy an all-electric or a gas/electric plug-in. A tank of gas will get 300 plus mi
X5 and Mini models power BMW sales to record 1.5m cars 2008-03-16 16:55:12 Frankfurt - BMW’s full-year profit rose 9 percent and it boosted its annual dividend as new versions of the X5 sport utility vehicle and Mini car won customers, the German car maker announced yesterday.
Net income advanced to €3.13 billion (R38.45 billion) from €2.87 billion a year earlier, the company said. Analysts had predicted profit of €2.89 billion.
BMW sold a record 1.5 million vehicles last year, a 9.2 percent increase, helped by the X5 and Mini models
that went on sale at the end of 2006.
Chief executive Norbert Reithofer yesterday said the car maker would raise its dividend by 51 percent to €1.06 a common share.
BMW in September said it planned to deliver 1.8 million vehicles a year by 2012, with sales exceeding 2 million vehicles by 2020. A coupé version of the 1- Read more:power
Not Just For Cars Anymore - ‘Complete Streets’ Movement Focused On Making Way For Cyclists, Pedestrians, Transit 2008-03-16 16:52:01 If America is going to conserve energy and become more physically fit, a good place to start would be with the streets.
Click Here to View Original Article
Since at least World War II, streets have been regarded primarily as conduits for cars and trucks. But if streets and their sidewalks and intersections were handled in a more far-sighted way, they would serve a bigger slice of the population — pedestrians, bicyclists and mass transit riders , as well as motorists.
Throughout the United States, a “Complete Streets” movement is emerging, causing more and more governments to broaden their outlook. According to a report last fall in the AARP Bulletin, 52 municipalities, six counties, 10 regional governments and 14 states have adopted Complete Streets policies. These policies r Read more:Focused
, Transit
More car roofs now glass acts 2008-03-16 16:49:13 For stargazers and those seeking the benefits of a convertible without the wind-blown hair, the auto industry has a solution.
A growing number of cars and crossovers are offering panoramic glass roofs composed of one or two large panels, opening the cabin to the heavens and giving motorists the feel of more head room and natural light as they cruise.
Ford has it on the 2008 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and upcoming releases such as the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS.
General Motors puts it on the Cadillac SRX, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave. Toyota has it on the 2009 Venza crossover, joining such vehicles as the Mercedes R- and S-Classes.
“It’s a feeling of freedom,” said Peter Pfeiffer, of Mercedes-Benz Design.
Sales breakdowns for vehicles with the glass roof options
Japan’s Passenger Car Sales May Rise on New Models 2008-03-19 09:55:54 Japan’s passenger car sales may rise for the first time in two years next fiscal year as new models by Nissan Motor Co. and Daihatsu Motor Co. spur demand in the world’s third-largest auto market.Sales
of passenger cars may rise 0.4 percent to 4.43 million vehicles in the business year starting April 1, led by a 1.3 percent gain in minicars, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said in a release today. Overall vehicle sales will fall 0.6 percent to their lowest in 27 years as demand for trucks declines 5.3 percent, the group known as JAMA forecast.
New or redesigned minicar models by Nissan and Daihatsu may help attract buyers in Japan as they have lower tax and insurance rates. Inflation and a shrinking population are damping demand. Japan’s consumer confidence Read more:Japan
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Diesel cars ‘will outsell petrol in three years’ in the UK 2008-03-19 09:51:02 Diesel-powered cars will outsell their petrol counterparts within the next three years as drivers try to avoid tax penalties for fuel inefficient vehicles, motoring experts have claimed.
According to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, diesel accounted for 40.2 per cent of the 2.4 million cars sold in Britain last year compared to just 13.8 per cent in 1999.
Diesel has already overtaken petrol in terms of total fuel consumed by all vehicles in Britain and last year drivers bought 25.5 billion litres of the fuel compared to just 24 billion of petrol.
The Society says that sales of diesel-powered engines will outstrip their petrol counterparts by 2011 as motorists try and avoid the high tax penalties announced in last week’s Budget.
Chancellor Alistair
Car-pursuit systems - Stop in the name of the law! 2008-03-19 09:43:06 New ways to track and halt suspect vehicles are being developed
Shutterstock
IT MAKES a spectacular sight. To stop a fleeing car, a pursuing policeman nudges the front of his own against a rear corner of the fugitive vehicle. Then, by turning into the pursued car, the officer forces it into a jolting tailspin that screeches it to a halt.
This manoeuvre, known as the pursuit-intervention technique, or PIT, was developed in California in the 1970s. It has dangerous repercussions, according to Eddie Wren, a former traffic-control police officer in Britain, and now head of Advanced Drivers of America, a school for professional drivers in Williamsville, New York. Injuries are common. And spun cars, unless rapidly boxed in by patrol vehicles, can take off again.
In the view of many experts, howe
Green Cars: The Last Hurdle 2008-03-19 09:40:30 Give the auto industry credit. Today’s cars are better in almost every respect than cars made a generation ago. They’re better made, safer, more durable and have more advanced technologically. They’re also a lot cleaner. Through changes in the fuel, such as removing both lead and sulfur and technological innovations like the catalytic converter, cars are no longer the smoking hulks of the 1970s.
In fact, cars are better today in every respect but one: global warming pollution. The next hurdle to creating a “green” car will be to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the chief culprit in man-made climate change.
A staggering amount of carbon dioxide pollution comes from U.S. cars. In 2005, our carbon emissions from personal vehicles totaled 318 million metric ton Read more:Green
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