AutoblogGreen

Honda Motor Company, ever the environmental trailblazer, has developed an earth-friendly fabric made from plants for its vehicle interiors. The fabric accomplishes two things that previously made such technologies flawed -- it's both durable and resistant to sunlight. The material is appropriate for seats, door coverings, headliners, floor mats and other fabric-covered surfaces.

The new fabric has the potential to cut energy consumption during production by 10 to 15 percent over processes for petroleum-based polyester fabrics, lessening CO2 emissions. It will first be used in Honda's fuel cell vehicles, set to go into production within the next three years or so.

[Source: peopleandplanet.net]

Toyota Motor Company is looking to broaden its alternative fuel capabilities, says Jim Press, who indicated that the company is strongly considering launching E85-capable vehicles and plug-in hybrids. The North American president of the Japanese automaker's announcement marked a turn in events for Toyota, who so far hasn't really put much stock in plug-ins nor E85-capable vehicles, instead putting its effort towards beefing up its traditional hybrid vehicle offerings.

The most likely reason for the about-face is pressure coming from the Bush administration (and other automakers' quick reaction to that pressure), which has touted both E85-capable and plug-in hybrid vehicles as important technologies in mitigating the country's energy problems.

[Source: Automotive News]

A number of scientists at research universities around the U.S. are coming out of the woodwork to rain on the Big 3's parade with doubts about the environmental benefits of ethanol. According to a report by the Associated Press, scientists are also debunking the theory that ethanol could provide a dramatic shift away from the United States' dependence on foreign oil, citing that only 12 percent of our fuel supply could come from ethanol even if every acre of corn were harvested for the purpose of making E85, feeding the fear that a competition could arise between the use of corn for fuel versus food.

But all hope is not lost, say the scientists.  Alternatives, such as inedible materials like switchgrass and woody plants used to produce cellulosic ethanol, provide more environmental benefits, more energy and don't put a strain on the nation's food supply. We just have to get the technology out of the laboratory and into vehicles.

[Source: Associated Press via the Detroit Free Press]

Ford Motor Company is mulling ways to move some of its Expedition metal -- which is a good thing considering the 82-day supply the automaker is currently hoarding. The Dearborn-based automaker is taking its big Expedition SUV, which gets 14 mpg in the city, and making a diesel or hybrid version of it. The diesel would be a V8 slated for Europe, while the hybrid version would compete with GM's big hybrid SUVs, the GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe. It might not move the cars off the lot now, but it is some foresight sorely needed for the vehicle if it is to survive.

The diesel engine won't be a big deal. Ford may decide to beef up the 3.6L diesel V8 currently found in many a Land Rover over in Europe, but a hybrid won't be so easy. If Ford decides to do the development of the hybrid itself, the vehicle would definitely arrive a little late to the party (the Expedition will probably go on sale in 2010, whereas we'll see GM's trucks in 2008); however, the company may decide to go another route to bring the vehicle to market faster -- buy the two-mode hybrid technology from GM. The issue at hand is that Ford currently does not have rear-wheel drive truck platforms capable of hosting hybrid technology.

[Source: Automotive News via AutoWeek and Hybrid Car News]

The British government delivered quite the smack down to Honda recently when it decided not to award potential buyers "carbon grants" as incentives to buy green. Despite Honda knowing that this predicament would not improve the bottom line, company spokespeople say Honda will contine to build green in the UK and hope that both car buyers and the government will do the right thing sooner or later. 

A survey Honda conducted to bolster its cause said that 35 percent of the British population think the government is most responsible for getting motorists to drive greener cars, and 70 percent of asthma sufferers believe that the government is not doing enough to reduce traffic fumes.

[Source: Askaprice.com]

Seven vehicles produced by Honda Motor Company have achieved certification from the U.S. government that they're fit for tax credits, the Internal Revenue Service reported on Thursday. In a roundabout way that would be tedious to explain here, the perk generally cuts off after Honda has sold its 60,000th hybrid vehicle. Vehicles in question include the 2005 and 2006 Civic, Accord and Insight models. Tax breaks range from $650 to $3,400, according to the release, which you'll find after the jump.

[Source: Internal Revenue Service]

Ethanol was just getting entirely too much attention, so Toyota Motor Company is back on its soap box hawking hybrids and demanding equal time. The automaker addressed Congress on Wednesday, hoping to offset the support Detroit automakers are receiving over their push toward E85 fuel and remind everyone out there of the importance of hybrids. The automaker announced it could make one million hybrids a year, more than doubling the number of hybrids on the road in the United States today and contributing to lessening the country's dependence upon foreign oil. General Motors, Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler Group have all pledged to increase their hybrid investments as well, but neither will come close to knocking Toyota off as king of that particular hill.

[Source: Reuters]

While at my parents' house for Easter, Dad read this headline from the Chicago Tribune to me over breakfast: "Gas price run-up not turning tide for hybrid SUVs."  He went on to summarize the article, which says that gas-electric hybrid SUVs like the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid are becoming dealer inventory headaches compared to the likes of the new Chevy Tahoe.  Evidently, people don't want to spend another $3-4K (and $10,000 over the price of comparable vehicles produced by other manufacturers) just to get the hybrid technology, particularly since the gas savings isn't really all that stellar (to be conservative, let's say 10% or so). Then we started chatting about the increasing criticism of hybrids in general, and while it's not surprising, the criticism is disheartening considering rising gas prices, among other issues.