Recent Comments:
Mitsubishi launches new tag-line: "Drive@Earth" {Autoblog Green}
Jun 18th 2008 3:58PM Someone's head is going to roll after this slogan fizzles. Give it about 3 months.
Mosler turns 20, celebrates with MT900 GTR XX for Europe {Autoblog}
Jun 12th 2008 3:00PM But yellow instead...
Will Daimler supply engines to Tesla for WhiteStar? {Autoblog Green}
Jun 12th 2008 1:39PM Daimler is not going to buy batteries from Tesla - too expensive. It might be that Daimler will supply engines AND batteries to Tesla for the Whitestar.
Engines from the Smart car makes sense, but Mercedes is also going to be using batteries from Saft/Johnson Controls (if I recall correctly) for their S class hybrid.
Tesla's volumes are too low by themselves to get volume pricing, and Mercedes volumes won't be that high either. But if they combined the two (a la cooperative buy) they may be able to bring the costs down significantly.
Toyota exec throws wet blanket on PHEV dreams {Autoblog Green}
Jun 12th 2008 1:33PM I don't know what all the fuss is about. All the blogs are abuzz with sensational headlines about how Bill Reinert was bringing on the end of the world.
I was in the audience and heard him make the points about not getting carried away. That's all it was. He simply reminded people to be REALISTIC and not to expect too much, as people are apt to do - like when they don't get 60 mpg from their Prius.
The next Toyota Prius is going to be damn good. But anyone expecting panacea can keep waiting - forever.
Honda motorcycles to get Variable Cylinder Management and more {Autoblog Green}
May 28th 2008 7:11PM Take a six cylinder motorcycle, make it really heavy, like twice as heavy a sportbike, and then make it more efficient than it was. The irony....
The Nano won't be lonely: Renault announces ultra-low cost car {Autoblog Green}
May 13th 2008 6:29PM According to today's WSJ the target price of the Renault/Nissan is going to be $2,500 *wholesale*, so it won't be as inexpensive as the Nano.
Derbi DH 2.0: looking to mountainbikes for inspiration {Autoblog Green}
May 13th 2008 6:27PM Finally! I've been wondering for some time why not slightly upsize a bicycle to make a motorcycle instead of trying to lighten existing motorcycle designs. All they need to do is make an electric version that looks as good.
The reason electric bikes haven't caught on in the US yet is because they are priced too high for mass market appeal and no one has built one that looks good (and tough).
This sounds like a winner.
Air Force contract to continue work on high energy battery awarded to Electro Energy {Autoblog Green}
May 13th 2008 6:22PM I'm optimistic too but admittedly there's quite a long, windy and rocky road from laboratory to production.
The challenge with cars is the sheer range of operating conditions (temp, humidity, vibration, collision/safety, altitude, etc) that have to be tested and accounted for, which is probably the main unknown with development of the Chevy Volt.
Game changing batteries will happen but probably will not be commercialized as soon as we think, perform as well as, or be priced as competitively as hoped. But it will happen.
The nUCLEUS is one crazy-looking alternative motorcycle concept {Autoblog Green}
May 13th 2008 6:15PM Surely the next iteration will look different after testing with crosswind.
Trucking group proposes plan to cut fuel consumption and emissions {Autoblog Green}
May 13th 2008 6:14PM Disclaimer: I work for ATA and was involved in putting the plan together.
@GoodCheer: What's the source of your information on road damage?
@UH2L: Thanks for the opinions. Yes, the larger the vehicle typically the more efficient it is on a ton basis. Keep in mind too that something like 86% of communities in the US are accessible only by truck and not rail.
@Josh: Thanks for the compliment. Also, keep in mind the number of trucks to passenger cars is not an accurate indicator. The important metric is VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled). Trucks are business assets and are thus utilized a lot more than cars. Plus they are not driven for discretionary purposes.
Finally, if anyone wants to see a rough comparison between the efficiencies of trucks and cars on a per-ton basis you might find this post I wrote a little surprising:
http://www.automanifesto.com/2008/03/60-mpg-hummers.html
