Above is another video from my trip to AltWheels Boston 2007. The video is a look at the Phill home refueling station, topping off a Honda Civic GNG (Compressed Natural Gas) car. Natural gas cars are actually the cleanest cars you can buy today, even cleaner than hybrids, but they just don't get the credit they deserve. The reason for the lack of recognition for CNG is they have major problems: natural gas is not available everywhere, for example, and CNG cars cost an extra $7,000 (that's without tax rebates) compared with a normal gas car. If the gas prices keep going up and battery technology promises never pan out though, CNG cars just might have to play a bigger role than many expect.

Related:

• IRS approves Honda hybrid and natural gas vehicles for tax credits
• LA Auto Show: Honda Civic GX quick test drive
• Consumer Reports weighs in on Honda's CNG-powered Civic
• Honda starts selling natural gas Civic in New York state
• Civic GX that runs on natural gas available this fall

We recently wrote about the VW's DIESELUTION tour. I took the video above of the Dieselution tour's stop at AltWheels Boston 2007. IMHO, VW should have called the tour Dissolution. Don't get me wrong. I like VW. I think they are great brand and really could have surfed the green revolution wave. I am glad they are planning on making "a" hybrid soon but VW's focus on re-branding diesel as clean diesel seems a pointless, uphill battle to me.

Take their display at AltWheels. The semi truck they use in the display was idling. The VW semi could have been idling the entire show, for all I know. I am guessing they were using it to power the video displays inside. They could have been getting ready to leave however. The video is dark because it was the last booth I checked out. Why would anyone go to beautiful Boston Hall plaza, an outdoor plaza, only to go into the back of idling truck to watch videos on monitors trying to convince you diesel is really clean now?

The video above is a look at the Ford Edge plug-in at AltWheels Boston 2007. The Edge concept is a plug-in electric car with a fuel cell range extender. If it were for sale, you could charge the Edge's lithium-ion batteries by plugging it into a 110- or 220-volt socket or use the fuel cell range extender if the batteries run low. The Edge has one motor in the back and another in the front allowing it to be a front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or both.

The video includes a look under the hood of the Edge plug-in. The Edge plug-in breaking system is a combination regenerative and standard hydraulic breaking. I was really surprised to see there is a lot space around the electric motor. Why is that? The Edge is based on a production car which has a much larger space for a gas motor. To be fair to the gas engine on size, the hydrogen tanks take up a lot more space than the regular gas tank.

Related:

• AutoblogGreen Drives the HySeries Ford Edge and fuel cell Explorer
• Ford unveils PHEV Ford Edge with HySeries Drive at DC Auto Show

The video above is a tour of the GM booth at AltWheels Boston 2007. Sir Mix-A-Lot would be proud to know that GM described its new Tahoe hybrid, the company's first full hybrid, as a "big ass hybrid" in the video. That colorful wording proves GM definitely wants the public to think hybrids are big, powerful machines. The Tahoe is the heaviest car GM makes and in the video, you can hear how I was told the hybrid version even has a larger engine than normal. But hey, GM reduced weight in the Tahoe hybrid by making the doors and hood out of aluminum.

The video also includes a tour of GM's fuel cell Equinox. The Equinox has two connections for refueling, as you can see in the video: a data connection below the back license plate that tells the pump the status of the tank as well as a hydrogen connection. Finally, the video includes a quick look at the Malibu hybrid. The Malibu is a mild hybrid and will only get 34 mpg on the highway and 22 in the city. The Malibu mild hybrid starts production in October. The Tahoe full hybrid starts production in November. Oh, and don't forget about Sir Mix-A-Lot's Baby Got Back video below the fold.

Related:

• VIDEO: Driving the GMC Yukon Two-Mode Hybrid
• ABG First Impressions: Two-Mode hybrid Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon
• GM will provide the fuel cell Equinoxes to customers for free
• Technical Analysis: 2008 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell/HydroGen4
• Detroit Auto Show: Hybrid option for 2008 Chevy Malibu
• 2008 Chevy Malibu Hybrid to debut at Baseball All-Star Game

[Source: YouTube]

I just got back from AltWheels Boston 2007. Over the next few days, I am going to write about interesting things at the show. There is not much to this article right now but I will update it with links to all the articles about the AltWheels Boston 2007. Until I begin to update this article with links, enjoy the teaser video I made of funny and interesting moments from the show. Warning: GM uses a curse word to explain the hybrid Tahoe.

Update: Here are all the articles about 2007 AltWheels Boston.

AltWheels Video: GM describes Tahoe hybrid as a "big ass hybrid," Sir Mix-A-Lot would be proud
Boston AltWheels ABG Video: Spend some time with Ford's Edge plug-in concept
Video: VW's Dieselution tour pollutes at AltWheels Boston
Video: natural gas Honda Civic re-fueling
Video: Mini that runs on veg oil at AltWheels Boston 2007
Video: Environmental Insurance Agency at AltWheels Boston 2007
Video: Robin Chase, founder of Zipcar, GoLoco at AltWheels Boston 2007
Videos: bikes at AltWheels Boston 2007
AltWheels Boston videos: Electrathon, Microfurthur, eMotive
AltWheels Boston 2007 videos: fuel cells, cogeneration, nitrogen tires

[Source: YouTube]

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the 2007 Volkswagen Passat.

This is the second part of a review of the 2007 Volkswagen Passat TDI. Yesterday we covered the Passat's pricing, appearance and some of its many features. Click here to read part one.

Today we cover the interior, safety, economy and on-road performance.

Probably the first thing you'll notice if you hop in and go to turn the car on though is the key fob itself. Instead of a traditional key, the entire key fob slots into the dash for push-button electronic on / off operation. VW thought of everything though because hidden inside the key fob is a "conventional", plastic key which can gain you access to the vehicle but will not start it up. This allows you to leave the (expensive - $500!) key fob locked in the car while you go surfing and just take the plastic key into the water.



Like the on / off control, the parking brake is also a push-button job located close to the ignition switch, and must be engaged for the car to be turned off. An associated feature is the Auto Hold function which neatly answers the question, "I'm on the side of a hill and I don't have a hand brake to stop me rolling back down, what do I do?" Again a push-button operated feature, this time flanking the transmission, Auto Hold automatically activates the electronic parking brake for painless hill starts. Eliminating the hand brake has the added benefit of freeing up room around centre console, resulting in a simple, uncluttered layout.

Continue reading part two of the review after the jump.

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the 2007 Volkswagen Passat.

Late last year I had the pleasure of helping my father choose his new vehicle, and after determining that he wanted a diesel sedan, we quickly narrowed the possible options - BMWs, the 300C, Audis, Peugeots, Mazdas, Fiats, Alfas and VWs - down to the Volkswagen Passat. Offering a great blend of size, comfort, features, diesel economy and price, he picked the Passat up in late November last year. Having helped pick it, I am biased about this car. But that said, let's look at why it worked for my father and me.

The 2007 Volkswagen Passat TDI leads VW's car line-up in Australia as their largest model apart from the Touareg luxury SUV. The 2007 Passat offers three models each in a sedan and wagon format ranging from AUD$42,990 (US$34,056) for the Passat 2.0 TDI Sedan 6 Speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission, through AUD$44,990 (US$35,641) for the Passat 2.0T FSI Sedan 6 Speed Automatic and topping out at AUD$54,990 (US$43,563) for the Passat 3.2 V6 FSI Sedan 6 Speed DSG. The wagon equivalents of each adds $2,000. Frankly I don't understand this pricing scale because the TDI delivers better fuel economy and good performance via VW's outstanding DSG 6-speed gearbox, in which the clutch and gearshift are controlled electronically, for a lower price than the equivalent automatic petrol model.

Despite the array of standard features in the Passat, there are still a good dozen options that you can play with if your wallet allows including sunroofs, sat nav, bi-xenon headlights with dynamic cornering, leather upholstery etc. My father however had a limited range of options due to the fact that multiple Volkswagen dealers in our area quoted delivery times of over six month and as high as nine months due to a global shortage. So, when he was presented with a silver model kitted out with black leather upholstery, he signed up straight away.

Continue reading part one of the review after the jump.

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the 2007 Jeep Patriot.

The all-new 2007 Jeep Patriot delivers class-leading fuel efficiency via its standard 2.4-liter World Engine, giving it 26 mpg / 9.0 L per 100km in the city and 30 mpg / 7.8 L per 100km on the highway. The Patriot's engine provides 172 horsepower (128 kW) and 165 lb.-ft. (222 N*m) of torque and is matched to a standard five-speed manual transaxle and or an optional Continuously Variable Transaxle (CVT2) which improves fuel economy by 6-8 percent compared with a traditional four-speed automatic transaxle.

The World Engine also features dual Variable Valve Timing (VVT), which helps optimise the torque curve at all speeds, to up the power, increase the fuel economy and give the passengers a smoother, quieter ride than engines without dual VVT.

Boasting best-in-class off-road capabilities, the 2007 Patriot has an electronically controlled coupling (ECC) attached to the rear differential to form an integral part of the new Jeep's Freedom Drive I and Freedom Drive II Off-road Package four-wheel-drive systems. The unit seamlessly interacts with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) and Brake Traction Control systems to ensure torque is transferred where and when required for improved handling and traction. Fuel economy is actually improved by the system which only operates when needed.

Analysis: Once upon a time, if you were offering a trail rated, serious off-roader, fuel economy just wouldn't have been one of the design criteria. But when the consuming public starts to demand better mileage, we see people like Jeep respond with a highly capable vehicle with great fuel economy. A bit of consumer action is a beautiful thing.

Complete press release with all the off-road details after the jump.



Related:

• Jeep launches the Grand Cherokee CRD at $38,475
• Step right up! How automakers have placed their bets on future powertrain technologies
• Detroit Auto Show: Live reveal of the Jeep Trailhawk with BlueTec V-6

[Source: Jeep press release]

Industry organisation, Diesel Technology Forum, has announced that all major heavy-duty truck and engine manufacturers have met new Environmental Protection Agency standards for emissions cuts and have been certified by EPA for full production. To meet the new emissions requirements, new long-haul trucks are equipped with particulate matter filters which result in 2007 models being 90 percent cleaner than the previous generation. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions have also been reduced significantly with new technology.

Manufacturers now certified by the EPA to meet the most stringent diesel emissions standards in the world include Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel Corp., International, Mack and Volvo. With 94 percent of goods shipped via diesel trucks, the life-cycle emissions of any products will fall as new trucks replace aging rigs on the road. Once new trucks fully replace the existing fleet, EPA predictions put the reduction in emissions of smog-forming gases at 2.6 million tons each year, and soot emissions at 110,000 tons annually.

Analysis: With clean(er) diesel technology now on the market via new 2007 truck models, governments need to look at incentives to get old trucks off the road. All the hard work by the truck and engine manufacturers to meet the EPA rules won't amount to much if it takes thirty years to turn over the fleet.

Related:

• DaimlerChrysler's Dr. Z wants Americans to take a fresh look at diesel
• Dodge Ram first to meet strict 2010 diesel emissions standards
• Isuzu sticks with GM for DuraMax diesel engine joint-venture

[Source: Diesel Technology Forum]

Edmunds.com, an automotive information site, has compiled its list of 2006 automotive trends. Among the green trends were:

• Subcompact market sales increased 63 percent compared to 2005 in the wake of petrol prices reaching a national average of $3.03 per gallon for regular self-serve in August 2006.
• Hybrid vehicle market share increased nearly 35 percent compared to last year.

Petrol prices are expected to continue to have a significant impact on buyers' spending habits next year resulting in the following trends expected in 2007:

• Sales of crossover vehicles will continue to improve as midsize and large SUV owners seek better fuel economy.
  
• Hybrid vehicles will continue to gain mainstream interest.
• U.S. acceptance of diesel will expand with the introduction of Mercedes-Benz's new BlueTec diesel technology and the new diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Lists were also published of the most-researched cars and trucks of 2006.

Related:

• German manufacturers bet on diesel in America
• GM's new green strategy to focus on plug-in hybrids with "I-car" project

[Source: Business Wire]