 |
 |
|
| Video News & Views
PEOPLE & IDEAS TO WATCH | Shouldering the Technology Risk | | Governments have their hands on regulatory and market development levers which determine whether or not people will be buying ultra low-carbon vehicles, according to a UK official. |
| | | | |
 |
July 29, 2010
Jon LeSage, Editor
 |
|
Just got back from Plug-in 2010. There were more people than last year, and I heard a lot of enthusiasm and excitement expressed about the launch of the Volt, Leaf, and other electric cars later this year and beyond. When GM announced the details on the Chevrolet Volt, including the 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty, one of my green journalism counterparts asked Nissan why they had exactly the same warranty that they announced that day. Nissan says this came from their own market research and were going to announce it anyways. Another interesting moment was hearing an Underwriters Laboratories panel speaker express concern over battery switching (which, by the way Better Place is working on with overseas clients and may bring to North America) and its safety and ability to meet UL and SAE standards. Research is being done. That's it for now - next week, ADW Green will present more coverage of Plug-in 2010.
Comments? Email me at jon@automotivedigest.com.
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Green Conference Planning Guide |
Conference Themes, Agendas, & Events |
|
| |
|
|
Military Vehicle Conference Opportunity for Education & Video Interview Automotive Digest's man on the scene, Jim Stickford, will be attending Military Vehicles Exhibition & Conference and will be available for video interviews. (Email me if you’re interested in scheduling this ahead of time.) Automotive technology innovation breakthroughs are important to follow, which is why following the latest on Race for the Green and Automotive X Prize are crucial in the green car arena. Military vehicles have that level of importance, so this event offers a valuable opportunity. Join the major stakeholders from DoD and military, OEMs, component manufacturers, service providers, and academia for a comprehensive exhibition, program updates, technical education, and networking opportunities – all under one roof at Detroit’s Cobo Center. This is the largest stand-alone military vehicles exhibition in the U.S. displaying the latest vehicles, components, and after-market products in the light, medium, and heavy categories. It’s taking place Aug. 10-13. Read more.
|
|
 |
|
Alternative Fuels & Vehicles |
Natural Gas, Propane, & Biofuels |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ad Campaign Questions Whether EPA Should Allow for Ethanol Increases
Corn ethanol is a bad thing, according to a new anti-farm lobbying advertising campaign covered in The Detroit Bureau. A newly launched advertising campaign challenges the U.S. Congress to put aside the influence of the huge contributions from agribusiness and stipulate that “objective” scientific testing be conducted before allowing an increase in the percentage amount of ethanol in gasoline. The campaign speaks to central issues for the auto industry: how to decrease emissions and dependence on foreign oil from terrorist supporting countries; and what if the biofuels we are using really cause more emissions than they save? The way EPA calculates the “life cycle emissions effects” is of such concern to ethanol advocates and opponents.
|
|
Biofuels Will Soon Make Up 1% of Jet Fuel Used by Commercial Airlines One percent of jet fuel used by commercial airlines may come from biofuels made of plants including algae, according to Boeing’s environmental chief. British Airways Plc and Continental Airlines Inc. are testing the carbon-cutting alternative fuels as the global air industry accelerates efforts to slash greenhouse-gases blamed for global warming according to a report. Boeing has worked with airlines from the U.S. to Japan to test jet fuels made from plants such as jatropha and camelina. That’s because moving more toward cleaner fuels is in the industry’s best interest, said Boeing's environmental chief Billy Glover. Airlines are striving to reduce emissions that the United Nations says account for at least 3% of the global warming gas pollution.
|
|
ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics Open Greenhouse to Grow Algae
ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics Open Greenhouse to Grow Algae
Synthetic Genomics and ExxonMobil announced the official opening of a greenhouse for growing and testing algae that could someday replace crude oil in the production of diesel and other fuels. ExxonMobil is spending at least $600 million to develop next-generation transportation fuels from algae with $300 million directed to Synthetic Genomics, a five-year-old start-up that has assembled an all-star roster of biologists. The greenhouse is intended to serve as a facility bathed in real sunlight, where scientists can work to identify – or genetically engineer – the particular algae that is best-suited to serve as a biological feedstock in the existing fuel production infrastructure. Read more.
|
|
|
 |
|
Green Resources & Sources |
Reports, Whitepapers, & Association News |
|
|
Alternate Fuel Station Locator for All Things Green According to the Dept. of Energy, there are six categories of alternative vehicle fueling stations to know about: biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, natural gas, and propane. Click through to check out each category. When you do, maps on these pages display concentrations of fueling stations in each state and allows you to get station location details for each one. Not surprisingly, ethanol looks to be the most plentiful for now as it fuels the wide range of flex-fuel vehicles available in this country. Hydrogen seems to be the least available for now, as the field of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles has been made up of a small number of test drive models, which will be changing in the next 4-5 years. Surprisingly, natural gas was thinner than we thought it would be, with California and New York having the largest station concentrations.
|
|
 |
|
|
| Manufacturers, Technology, & Component Suppliers |
| |
|
|
|
Tire Fuel Savings Calculator: Yokohama Tire Corp. announced it has launched an interactive, online-based tool on its Web site that will enable commercial fleet owners to learn how they can improve their bottom line in terms of gas savings. Called the Yokohama Fuel Savings Calculator, the interactive tool performs a side-by-side comparison of Yokohama’s fuel-efficient tires against competitors. The savings are shown in three ways, which are the Annual Fuel Savings per Truck, Annual Fuel Savings for Fleet and Annual Gallons of Fuel Saved. EcoTough-Coated Piston: Federal-Mogul Corp., a global supplier of technologies that improve powertrain efficiency and enhance vehicle safety, has developed a new coated piston for gasoline engines that combines the properties of low wear and low friction in a single application. The new EcoTough-coated piston offers superior wear resistance and reduces fuel consumption up to 0.8%, as well as reduced CO2 emissions, compared to conventional piston coatings. The EcoTough-coated piston is compatible with existing and advanced cylinder bore finishes and can be introduced seamlessly in volume engine production as a running change. Electric Bus: The Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) announced a partnership with NexGen Power Group Inc., based in San Clemente, Calif., to test a fully functional heavy-duty, zero-emission, battery-powered transit bus for one year beginning December 2010. NexGen Power will retrofit two buses from diesel to an electric operating platform to perform a full operating day.
|
|
|
 |
| Electric Vehicles & Charging Stations |
Coulomb Partnering with Mega Electrical Wiring Supplier Leviton
Leviton Manufacturing Co. is a huge privately held global provider of electrical wiring devices, data center connectivity solutions, and lighting energy management systems. And it will now be entering the world of green cars through its OEM, product, and marketing partnership with Coulomb Technologies. Through the agreement, Leviton’s EVSE product family, including home and public charging stations, will be network-enabled by the ChargePoint Network through an open interface architecture that provides Leviton customers advanced features similar to all charging stations on the ChargePoint network. The companies highlighted their new alliance during this week’s Plug-in 2010 conference in San Jose.
- [Read More] |
|
THINK Moving into Asian Market with IOCHU Partnership
European production of the THINK City continues in Finland and customer deliveries are taking place across Europe. THINK has also announced plans to establish a U.S. production facility during 2011 in Elkhart County, Ind., and is developing operations in Asia. THINK and ITOCHU Corp. now have an expanded partnership for marketing and distribution of the THINK City electric vehicle and EV drive system in Asia. The two companies have been in a cooperative relationship since 2009, through a number of market-leading demonstration projects in association with THINK’s lithium-ion battery partner, Ener1, Inc.
- [Read More] |
|
All-Electric Racer Moving Across Entire Pan-American Highway
Pan-American Highway passes through many diverse climates and ecological types, from dense jungles, to arid deserts, to cold mountain passes – perfect for those test driving a green machine. Racing Green Endurance SR0 is a high-performance, all-electric prototype car, based on the chassis of the fastest production car in the world. It has been modified by a group of engineering graduates from Imperial College in London. They’ll be covering 16,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina. The team behind it hopes it will be the first electric vehicle to travel the full distance of the Pan-American Highway.
- [Read More] |
|
|
 |
Stats and Smart Charts
 |
Annual Dollar Spend per Household by Generation
[Click to enlarge graphic]
 Significance of the Data: - High-earning Boomers have the largest annual dollar spend per household of any group, followed by GenX
- Greatest Generation members were shaped by Great Depression and World War II frugality, according to Nielsen
- Greatest Generation are most frequent shoppers and more deal prone than other age segments
- Millennials, also known as GenY, don’t like to waste time in-store
- Shopping less often than other age cohorts but buying more per trip as result
- Source: Nielsenwire - March 4, 2010
|
|
Advanced Lightweight Materials for Vehicles
|
Aug. 11-12 at Cobo Convention Center in Detroit
|
|
Join the major stakeholders from DoD and military, OEMs, component manufacturers, service providers, and academia for a comprehensive exhibition, program updates, technical education, and networking opportunities - all under one roof at Detroit’s Cobo Center. This is the largest stand-alone military vehicles exhibition in the U.S. displaying the latest vehicles, components, and after-market products in the light, medium, and heavy categories. Visit www.advancedlightweightvehicle.com.
|
|
|
CAPCOA Climate Change Forum
|
August 30-31, San Francisco
|
|
The California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA), along with its co-hosts, CARB and EPA, are proud to present “The CAPCOA Climate Change Forum.” The Forum will create a collaborative environment where progress can be made towards the harmonization of climate programs. This conference will focus on how federal, state, and local agencies can most effectively align efforts to advance climate change programs in California. Read more.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
Green People Going Places
|
Jim Rallo
PHH Arval
Retired Executive
Jim Rallo has retired from PHH Arval after 38 years with the company and many outstanding contributions to the fleet management industry. Rallo joined PHH in 1970. During his career, he held increasingly responsible positions and was eventually promoted to SVP of Sales & Client Relations. For the past 11 years, he served as VP of Strategic Partnerships, where he developed and maintained the company's relationships with domestic and import vehicle manufacturers and expanded PHH Arvals global reach to Japan and Africa through affiliations and partnerships. Rallo was a leading industry spokesman in the area of clean air legislation, testifying on behalf of the fleet industry before a number of state, congressional, and federal agencies regarding the Clean Air Act and Energy Policy Act (EPACT).
|
 |
Gordon Feller
Urban Age Institute
Chief Executive Officer
Since 1983, Feller has been working to change the way that cities work – how they govern themselves, how they partner with the business sector, how they collaborate with NGOs and international agencies, how they are led, and how they plan for a more sustainable future. He’s been part of making the electric vehicle and alternative fuel network become established and progressing in the San Francisco bay area and across the country. As a consultant, Feller has a client list featuring many prominent non-profits, for-profits and government agencies, including the World Bank Institute, McGraw Hill, Reuters, Bechtel, BP Amoco, UCLA, HP/Compaq, Lockheed, Apple Computer, IBM, Phelps Dodge, Digital Equipment Corp, AT&T, Reuters, ChevronTexaco, UNESCO, and City University of New York/College of Staten Island.
|
|
|
| Design & Development |
Test Driving Mitsubishi i-MIEV Highlights Strengths, Weaknesses
|
|
Mitsubishi is making Japanese market versions of its i-MiEV electric car available for test drives in the U.S. The base price will be less than $30,000 and will qualify for government incentives. It's cost effective and has other benefits as a small electric car. The American audience should be aware there are drawbacks, too.
|
|
|
Chinese Manufacturer Selling Electric SUVs Through U.S. Dealer Networks
|
|
Rohrman Auto of Lafayette, IN, the 15th largest dealership group by retail unit sales, will be selling Zotye electric SUVs at 10 of its 36 stores starting later this year. Green Automotive, Dallas, TX, imports SUVs from China's Zotye Holding Group, which makes them in Zhejiang, China. The Zotye will have a sticker price of $29,995.
|
|
|
 |
| The Color of Money (F&I) |
GMAC Branding Will Transition to Ally Financial
|
|
GMAC's consumer, dealer-related auto operations is getting a new brand name. Parent company Ally Finance Inc. will rebrand U.S. operations to Ally Financial, and the name change is coming up on Aug. 23. Mexico and Canada operations will be rebranded Ally Credit. The Ally brand will be used for GM, Chrysler, Saab, Thor Industries, and Fiat Mexico.
|
|
|
Used Vehicle Prices Plateau
|
|
For most of the year, used-vehicle prices have been on the upswing, but their rise has started to diminish. One Kelley Blue Book analyst, in particular, said this could mean that the used market has hit "a point of equilibrium." In the latest Blue Book Market Report, KBB director of vehicle valuation Juan Flores explained that lack of used inventory has been the biggest catalyst in pushing used values up. However, the robust used pricing isn't expected to stick around in every vehicle category.
|
|
|
 |
| Fleet Factor & Regulations |
Tweaks to Midsize Cars Geared to Improve Mileage
|
|
Automakers are using advanced technology to improve mileage, especially on their sedans, in between model changes as it gets closer to changes in federally mandated standards and to comply with consumer preferences.
|
|
|
Arizona Pulls Plug on Photo Enforcement Speeding Tickets
|
|
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer allowed the contract for photo enforcement speeding to expire after complaints about constitutionality and revenue shortages as violators ignored tickets not delivered in person. The cameras had produced a 19% drop in fatal crashes while data was being collected.
|
|
|
 |
| Fuels & Energy |
U.S., European Governments Embracing Electric Vehicle Benefits
|
|
Initiatives being discussed in Washington and Europe by legislators and ministers are part of the forward movement of hybrid and electric vehicles happening this year. The U.S. Senate Energy Committee approved a $3.6 billion bill to promote electric vehicles substantially in the next 20 years, while ministers from UK, Germany, and France take action on greenhouse gas emissions.
|
|
|
Argonne National Lab Says Propane Making a Comeback as Vehicle Fuel
|
|
Compressed natural gas has been rising in popularity lately as the U.S. searches for ways to reduce the usage of imported oil. Liquefied natural gas, aka propane, has been making a comeback according to a report from Argonne National Laboratory as more manufacturers develop engines that can run on propane and governments extend tax incentives.
|
|
|
 |
| Automotive Marketing |
Online Video Ads Are the Place to Be
|
|
The online video advertising market is poised for rapid growth over the next few years, according to eMarketer. The research firm estimates online video advertising spending will grow more than 48 percent this year, reaching $1.5 billion. By 2014, it predicts the video ad market will top $5.5 billion.
|
|
|
Domestic Auto Brands Take Lead in J.D. Power APEAL Study
|
|
Domestic auto brands collectively surpassed import brands in vehicle appeal, according to J.D. Power and Associates’ 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study/ Domestic models have improved steadily for four years. led by Ford and GM. Import brands beat domestics by 5 points in 2009.
|
|
|
 |
| Dealers & Aftermarket |
AutoUSA Survey Finds More Dealers Utilizing Comprehensive Marketing Strategies
|
|
In survey results just released, AutoUSA finds 47.6% of dealers share marketing messages with their service departments as potential buyers, not just those coming into the showroom looking for a new car.
|
|
|
Lincoln Offering Most Fuel Efficient Luxury Sedan on American Roads
|
|
Ford makes automotive history by being the first automaker to offer a hybrid version of a car at the same price as the gas-engine style -- advertised as the most fuel-efficient luxury car in America, priced below the 2010 Lexus HS 250h.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
