By Huw Evans

Following recent hearings regarding the proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy targets set to begin in 2017 and culminating in a mandated “54.5 mpg” by 2025, the National Automobile Dealers’ Association has expressed strong warnings against the federal efficiency standards.

The NADA’s concerns – over what would actually equate to low 40 mpg range on the window sticker – come despite the proposed CAFE rules being supported by a number of automakers as well as the UAW.

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By Larry E. Hall

The 2012 Buick LaCrosse, redesigned in 2010, is helping to shed the image that only AARP card-carrying members purchase the tri-shield brand. The average age of Buick buyers has fallen in the last decade from the mid-70s to the late 50s. To help juice up this trend, and also appeal to entirely new buyers (read green and trendy), Buick is offering a green machine, the 2012 LaCrosse eAssist. It delivers an EPA estimated 25 city/37 highway and 29 combined. Those fuel economy numbers are up from 19/30/23 for the 2011 LaCrosse with the same four-cylinder engine.

Even though eAssist is similar in principle to the very mild belt-alternator-starter (BAS) hybrid system first used on the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line and 2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, you won’t find the hybrid badge on the LaCrosse that adorned those earlier vehicles. General Motors is avoiding the H word this time around in part because the word has become synonymous with the Toyota Prius, and also to dodge previous complaints that this mild form of hybrid technology doesn’t deserve the hybrid name.

A BAS system – sometimes called stop-start hybrid and micro hybrid – is a relatively low-tech hybrid design. It is composed simply of an energy storage device, like a battery, and a beefed-up starter motor that can also act as a generator. It essentially shuts off the engine when the car stops, and quickly restarts it when the brake pedal is lifted. Depending on design, it can provide some electric assist to the engine at speed, but not all-electric operation.

Even though the LaCrosse eAssist is coming at a time when automakers are pushing toward greater degrees of electrification – and Honda for one is trying to engineer itself out of a mild hybrid approach that precludes plugging in – this lower cost type of hybrid technology deserves a place in the hybrid family. After all, a jump in fuel economy from 19/30 city/highway mpg to 25/37 mpg can yield a solid 30 percent gain in fuel economy.

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By Huw Evans

Racing improves the breed, or so the old saying goes, yet in Audi’s case it certainly rings true. Following on from victories at Le Mans with TFSI technology (2001) and then the first ever diesel powered sports endurance racer (2006), the Ingolstadt automaker is attempting to go one better this year with a diesel hybrid prototype.

The car, which should prove a worthy rival for Toyota’s gasoline hybrid, the TS030, is seen as a logical step, especially considering Audi Sport’s experience with oil-burning technology.

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By Jeff Cobb

A three-day teardown and cataloging of components from a Chevy Volt has shown its electronic controls to be exceedingly sophisticated and apparently designed for future upgrades.

Performed by a team of automotive engineers for Munro & Associates of suburban Detroit and attended by Reuters and EE Times, this sort of thing is more often done privately by automakers looking to reverse engineer competitors' vehicles.

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By Larry E. Hall

Tepidly, Fiat-controlled Chrysler Group will test the U.S. compressed natural gas waters later this year with a small number of Ram CNG pickup trucks. In an interview with Business Week at the Detroit auto show last month, Sergio Marchionne, chief executive officer of both automakers, said, “We are going to bring them here, there is no doubt,” Sales will be “limited at first. It depends upon the distribution network.”

Previously, Chrysler executives have said they plan to offer vehicles that use the technology to fleet customers in the U.S. by 2017. A Chrysler spokesperson declined to give any further details about the automaker’s plans, including which specific Ram pickup will be converted to CNG fuel or what customers will be targeted, commercial or government fleets. That person said, “We’re sticking with what’s been said, and nothing more at this time.”

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By Huw Evans

The SolarWorld GT has been labeled by some as the prettiest solar powered car ever built. It’s also on track to be one that makes history too, with a goal of covering 21,000 total miles, which would stand as the longest distance traveled by a single solar powered vehicle.

As the brainchild of Germany’s Bochum University of Applied Sciences and U.S. solar panel manufacturer SolarWorld, the two-seater incorporates photovoltaic panels in the roof, and began its remarkable journey last October.

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By Huw Evans

A new report by Pike Research has found that among advanced-tech vehicle battery suppliers, Johnson Controls and LG Chem are the two companies most likely to take advantage of changes happening in the industry.

Over the past decade, we’ve seen battery technology develop by leaps and bounds for hybrid and electric vehicles, with lithium-ion chemistries largely considered superior and having displaced nickel-metal hydride in many instances.

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In its 2012 Car Brand Perception Survey, Consumer Reports added a couple of questions to assess "America’s pulse" on plug-in vehicles. In particular, the magazine asked the general public questions pertaining mainly to plug-in vehicle safety.

Of the surveyed group, 43 percent of respondents believe that plug-in vehicles feel are as safe as gasoline-fueled automobiles and 20 percent deemed them safer. However, 28 percent fell that electrified vehicles are less safe than their gas-fueled counterparts.

While limited range was the most prevalent (77 percent) concern, fire risk during charging was a concern voiced by nearly half (44 percent) of the respondents. Other safety-related concerns included pedestrian safety due to silent operation (40 percent concerned), crash protection (39 percent) and post-crash fire concerns (35 percent), which ties directly to recent Chevy Volt incidents. At the bottom of the listed concerns were electric shock (30 percent) and accident avoidance (29 percent).

In its 2012 survey, Consumer Reports assessed "America’s pulse" on plug-in vehicles and discovered that the general public has numerous concerns in regards to electrified automobiles.

According to Consumer Reports, most of these responses reveal that the general public is misinformed regarding plug-in vehicles. As the magazine so accurately states, "Exposure to such vehicles and more education should help consumers better understand that electrified cars have been proven safe alternatives to traditional cars. It is a shame the Volt incidents likely misguided consumers and potentially impacted the short-term adoption rate for this promising new technology."

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The HybridCars.com monthly sales dashboard is a collaboration of HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates, a Michigan-based market research firm focusing on automotive issues including the hybrid and electric vehicle market.

The limited-supply BMW ActiveE lease program began in January. BMW is calling the 700 drivers who'll lease the all-electric 1-Series "Electronauts."

January sales always drop significantly from the prior year-ending month and this time around it was no different.

Generally, December sales are very high as year-end sales are in place. This rule of thumb applying to vehicles in general is also true for hybrid, plug-in, and diesel vehicles.

While overall sales in January were at a strong rate (over 14 million at an annual rate based on seasonal adjustment factors), the actual number of sales was down 27 percent from December 2011. Hybrid sales were down a similar rate, at 30 percent and plug in sales were down 48 percent (although the low volume of these sales makes the comparison less meaningful). Diesel sales dropped less, at 22 percent, than the overall market or the hybrids or plug ins.

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By Larry E. Hall

How does 41 city mpg/36 highway sound for a midsize luxury sedan that offers a long list of interior bells and whistles? If that grabbed your attention, then test drive the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. Or, if you can wait until late fall, an all-new 2013 model ups the fuel economy numbers to an expected 47 city/44 highway.

But let’s get back to the 2012 model, a car that gets better fuel economy than anything else in its class.

Last year, Ford officials were quoted as saying it wants as much as 25 percent of its global fleet to be powered by motors and batteries by 2020. The company expects 75 percent of those vehicles to be conventional hybrids – and the rest made up of pure electric cars or plug-in hybrids.

The 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is a good example of how Ford is scaling up to reach its target—by spreading its best electric-drive technology across common platforms. Instead of dreaming up a brand new purpose-built gas-electric vehicle for its Lincoln luxury nameplate, Ford migrated the technology from its award-winning Ford Fusion Hybrid to the MKZ.

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By Jeff Cobb

Toyota has upped its fuel-efficiency projection for its Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV), according to Bloomberg, which reports the automaker expects to top the Volt in its U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy rating.

Toyota’s U.S. Group Vice President Bob Carter, said the Plug-In Prius (AKA PIP) should manage 50 mpg in hybrid mode for combined city/ highway mileage, and earn 95 MPGe assuming its 4.4-kwh lithium-ion battery is recharged frequently.

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By Bertel Schmitt

When I called Toyota’s new Aqua / Prius C affordable compact hybrid first a “gamechanger,” then an “engineering feat,” this attracted the attention of self-styled jargon vigilantes. They demanded equal platitudes to be bestowed on domestic models. In the meantime, the Japanese game changer threatens to change Toyota’s best laid plans: It sells ten times better than expected.

Someone at Toyota told The Nikkei yesterday that the company “received about 120,000 orders for its new Aqua compact hybrid between its Dec. 26 release and Jan. 31, 10 times the monthly sales target of 12,000 vehicles.” Toyota markets the car as the Aqua in Japan. In the U.S. and other markets, it will be called Prius c.

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By Jeff Cobb

Mitsubishi i (formerly badged MiEV).

In a unanimous ruling Friday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) called for a steep ramping up of zero- or very low-emission vehicles sold in state from 2018-onward. The goal is for them to comprise 15.4 percent of all vehicles sold by 2025 – up from less than 1 percent today.

At the same time, the ruling called for a slashing of tailpipe emissions from the rest of the passenger vehicle population beginning sooner in 2015 and extending through 2025.

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By Bertel Schmitt

2012 Model, JDM Spec, 18,000 horsepower.

So, do you think you a lot about cars? What do you know about the monster car carriers that bring an imported car? As far as I am concerned, I knew nothing when I arrived this morning at Nissan’s dock in Oppama, where Japan’s second largest car company showed off a 2012 model car carrier, the Nichioh Maru. And would you believe that the blue and white monster is green?

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Despite multiple delays, Coda Automotive chief executive Phil Murtaugh told the media last week he remains confident that sales of his company's debut vehicle, the electric Coda Sedan, will commence before the end of February. During an interview with The Detroit News, Murtaugh claimed that the $37,250 Coda Sedan is ready to sell as soon as EPA certification is complete. That, according to Murtaugh, should be before March.

However, certifying a vehicle for use on public roads in the US isn't a simple process. The Coda Sedan must obtain official fuel efficiency ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency and will have to successfully complete the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandatory crash tests.

Without certification, the Coda Sedan can’t legally be sold for on-road use in the US. Furthermore, the act of certifying a vehicle in the US can be a timely process, with both the EPA and the NHTSA short on the resources necessary to quickly certify all waiting vehicles. It took Fisker nearly nine months after production began to get official federal government approval to sell its plug-in hybrid Karma in the United States. Assurances aside, whether or not Coda meets its current deadline to officially launch sales is now in the hands of the federal government.

Also in the hands of the government is Coda's application for a share of $25 billion in loans for advanced technology vehicles makers. If it gets that loan, Coda it will be able to begin moving production of its vehicle from China to the United States, a move that the carmaker says will create as many as 2,000 jobs. If the request is rejected, Murtaugh told The Detroit News his company still plans to move production here, but it could take 5-8 years of sales to accumulate the money to make that possible.

Once the Coda Sedan does begin sales, the carmaker announced earlier this month that customers would be given the option of buying a version of the car with a smaller battery capacity for $2,650 less than the standard model. Instead of a 36-kilowatt-hour battery pack with a claimed range of 150 miles, the budget model will carry a 31-kWh pack delivering 125 miles of range.

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By Larry E. Hall

Ford hit a grand slam two years ago with the introduction of an all-new Ford Fusion Hybrid. It was awarded the North American Car of the Year prize at the 2010 Detroit auto show, named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, was one of Car and Driver magazine’s “10 Best Cars for 2010” and was given the inaugural Hermance Vehicle Efficiency Award by the publishers of HybridCars.com.

• by John DeCicco Ford Fusion Hybrid: A Cleaner Machine for the Masses
• By Lindsay Brooke Calibration and the Ford Fusion Hybrid
• By John German Ford Fusion Hybrid: Toward an Integrated Hybrid Future

Why did the Fusion Hybrid rack up so many awards? Because the vehicle established a new benchmark in hybrid technology. Marrying a seamless, sophisticated hybrid powertrain to the outstanding Fusion platform – positioned solidly in the middle of the mainstream market – proved to be a winning combination. It’s fun to drive and speaks of refinement all around, from handling and braking through comfort and convenience. And then there was the icing on the cake – class-leading fuel economy of 41 city/36 highway and 39 combined.

But Ford is not resting on its laurels. An all-new 2013 Fusion Hybrid will be in dealer showrooms this fall. It not only ups the fuel economy numbers to an expected 47 city/44 highway, it is blessed with the styling of the gasoline-powered Fusion that auto critics are calling the best-looking midsize car, bar none.

Given that the 2013 Fusion Hybrid arrives later this year, there are no changes for the 2012 Fusion Hybrid.

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As it’s not a hybrid, the MINI Roadster might not seem like a car that shoppers for alternative energy vehicles would fancy. This was also said about the standard MINI Cooper, yet the Cooper’s most cross-shopped car is none other than the Toyota Prius. Could the Roadster continue this trend?

Those who would consider a MINI vs. a Prius are probably less interested in the amazing fuel economy of the Prius (though it’s certainly a factor) and more impressed by the car’s look and the image it portrays. These “lifestyle buyers” are exactly the sort of shopper that would also consider purchasing a MINI Roadster.

Fuel economy numbers have yet to be released for the Roadster, but if they’re anything like the Coupe, expect digits in the high 30s on the highway – not in Prius territory, but again, this unlikely competitor is not only about fuel efficiency.

Motivation

In base form the Roadster is powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine making 121 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 114 pound-feet of torque at 4250 rpm. It gets a 0-60 time of 8.7 seconds, but in true MINI fashion will likely feel faster. Despite some added weight, surprisingly, acceleration is improved over the convertible Cooper model, due in part to sportier gearing.

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By Jeff Cobb

2012 Nissan Leaf.

We’ve heard from naysayers that electric and other zero emissions vehicles are not the “future,” and from advocates who say they are.

Of course no one knows the actual future, but if today the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approves its proposed “advanced clean air rules” as it is expected to, zero-emissions vehicles could become far more commonplace nationwide.

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National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland

The "unnatural relationship" between the Obama administration and US carmakers in the wake of the 2009 auto bailouts may have led to a delay in disclosing a potential safety defect in Chevrolet Volts, Republican lawmakers claim in a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee report. Some Republicans questioned whether the US government's 32-percent ownership stake in General Motors means that it cannot be "an effective regulator."

Specifically, US Representative, Darrel Issa (R-CA), stated "This unnatural relationship has blurred the lines between the public and private sector as President Obama touts the survival of General Motors as one of the top accomplishments of his administration. On a policy level, this relationship raises serious questions about whether or not the administration is too heavily invested in the success of GM to be an effective regulator."

Today's hearing—titled "Volt Vehicle Fire: What did NHTSA know and when did they know it?"—stems from the Volt fire incidents and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) handling of the issue. Republicans assert that both General Motors and the NHTSA delayed disclosing info related to the first Volt fire until after Bloomberg News broke the story.

The NHTSA opened a formal investigation in late November and closed it in mid-January, concluding that "no discernible defect trend exists" and that "modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts."

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By Larry E. Hall

If you're thinking about buying a Lexus HS250h, you might also consider an Audi A3 TDI or a Lexus HS250h. Compare these vehicles.

Never let it be said that high-mileage hybrids are grim, joyless, or Spartan. The 2012 Lexus HS 250h sedan was the smallest and most economical car Lexus had ever built when it went on sale in late 2009 as a 2010 model, but it’s unquestionably luxurious. Lexus has noted that more than 60 percent of luxury-car buyers would consider a hybrid if one were available, so Lexus gave them an option.

Official EPA mileage for the HS 250h is 35 mpg city/34 highway/35 combined. Lexus says the HS 250h qualifies as a Super-Ultra-Low-Emission-Vehicle (SULEV).

With the exception of a new exterior color choice, there are no changes for the 2012 edition. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the entry level HS 250h is $36,330 – a $700 increase over 2011. The step up Premium model also increased $700 to $39,800.

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