In conjunction with the launch of its diesel engines in the U.S., Audi has created a Facebook Causes page to benefit the Nature Conservancy. For every person that joins the cause, Audi has committed to donating a dollar to the Tensas River basin project where the Nature Conservancy is conducting a carbon offset program. The Tensas project involves reforestation of private lands and restoring natural habitats that have been shrinking due to human activity. Audi has committed to donating up to $25,000 to the program. The project will buy land, plant trees and then monitor the carbon effects of all the work. The Tensas River Basin is in the lower Mississippi valley. Just head over to www.causes.com/natureconservancy to trigger another donation. [Source: Audi ] Continue reading Audi launches Facebook causes page to benefit Nature Conservancy Filed under: Audi , Carbon Offset Audi launches Facebook causes page to benefit Nature Conservancy originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Filed under: Time Warp , Dodge , Police/Emergency Over at Clunkbucket, Mike Bumbeck has an “odd rod” feature highlighting one of the more interesting law-enforcement vehicles we’ve ever come across. Back in the early 70s, the Bay Area Pollution Control District decided to form a Vehicle Patrol section to issue citations to emissions scofflaws. Officers used a chart that told them what color color smoke was “good” or “bad” to determine whether the exhaust spewing from cars’ tailpipes was in compliance. Nowadays, this sort of endeavor would likely be carried out by humorless glorified metermaids in politically-correct Toyota Priuses. Back then, however, jauntily-dressed pollution-enforcement agents cruised the streets of San Francisco in specially-liveried Dodge Polara pursuit specials. Because, you know, when you think “clean air” you think “Dodge Polara.” Head over to Clunkbucket for plenty more photos, some additional program history, and details on the excellent replica you see above. [Source: Clunkbucket | Photo: Mike Bumbeck] Irony Police: ‘73 Dodge Polara Air Pollution Control replica originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

The RiverSimple hydrogen fuel cell car - Click above for high-res image gallery The Riversimple fuel cell car unveiled in London today breaks a lot of the rules for what we expect a hydrogen vehicle to be. First, it’s not trying to be a replacement for a regular car (see: these SUVs or this truck ). Instead, it’s very small and only seats two. Second, the usual proprietary secrets that go into designing and building the fuel cell have been replaced with an open source model, with all the designs and information due to be placed online for free. Third, and most dramatically, this car is cheap. According to Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, the company that developed the fuel cell used in the Riversimple, “This innovative car could be made available to consumers for just 200 pounds Sterling ($315) per month.” Compare this to the lease or purchase prices of other advanced technology vehicles. The MINI E, for example, costs $850 a month for a year. The Honda FCX Clarity is $600 a month for three years. Sure, these are different vehicles and, with the MINI E, different technologies, but a lot of people shop with their wallets, and $315 beats $850, easy. When we first learned about the car last week , we heard that the lease period is a reported 20 years , so that will take the bloom off the rose a bit. Riversimple plans to start leasing the car by 2013. It has a 240-mile range on a full charge of its small 1 kg hydrogen tank and can go up to 50 mph thanks to ultracapacitors and a 6 kW fuel cell. The company says it has “an efficiency equivalent to 300 miles to the gallon.” Look for 10 prototype vehicles to hit the UK sometime next year. Of course, thanks to the open source model, if you want to DIY this one, you might be able to beat that timeline. There’s a full press release and video of the car after the jump. Thanks to everyone who sent this in! Gallery: Riversimple hydrogen fuel cell car [Source: Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, Guardian UK , BBC , Riversimple | Photo by Leon Neal/AFP/Getty] Continue reading Riversimple open-source fuel cell car could cost just $315/month Filed under: Hydrogen , Green Daily Riversimple open-source fuel cell car could cost just $315/month originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery If you’re a politician worth your own salt, you apparently have to buy a car that contains both a gasoline engine and an electric motor. Former Republican presidential candidate John McCain is finally getting on the bandwagon and picking up his own little slice of green heaven: he’s announced on his Twitter page that he’s buying a Ford Fusion hybrid . McCain’s decision to go Blue Oval for his hybrid choice is a publicity boon for the Ford Motor Company, as the Arizona Senator’s 777,000 Twitter followers have no doubt taken note of the make and model of the war hero’s new ride. With his new Brilliant Silver Clearcoat Metallic Fusion hybrid, McCain will be able to patrol the streets of Washington while achieving a best in class 41 mpg city. Guess we have an answer to this question . Gallery: Ford Fusion hybrid [Source: LA Times Blog ] Filed under: MPG , Ford John McCain tweets plans for next automobile purchase: Ford Fusion hybrid originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Chevy Cruze - Click above for high-res image gallery To compete with Ford’s new global compact car, the Fiesta , other compact vehicles and for the higher-mpg car market in America in gereral, GM will be bringing out the Chevrolet Cruze next year . Over on the GM Fastlane blog, CEO Fritz Henderson has addressed GM’s small-car strategy. For a company long associated with SUVs and muscle cars, the new GM will have its work cut out for it to convince people that they no longer want/need all those gas-guzzlers tGM promoted in years past and should consider a compact GM car instead. Henderson wrote: If you haven’t heard, next year we’ll roll out an all-new compact that will surprise most customers with its terrific fuel efficiency (approaching 40 mpg highway), appealing interior design and spacious five-passenger cabin. This new car, our Chevrolet Cruze, will feature a small but very powerful 1.4 liter direct-injection turbo-charged gasoline engine in an attractive and affordable package. Now, we recognize that small-car buyers have long held Asian imports to be best-in-class in this segment, and we know that simply fielding a competitive car won’t cut it. That’s why we’re out to beat the competition . Is that going to be enough? Gallery: Paris 2008: Chevrolet Cruze [Source: GM Fastlane ] Filed under: MPG , Chevrolet , GM , USA GM CEO; the Chevy Cruze “will surprise most customers” originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

2010 Chevy Spark - Click above for high-res image gallery General Motors has narrowed down its selection process for its new small car assembly plant to three locations. The Lake Orion, MI plant that until recently built the Pontiac G6 is one possibility as is Janesville, WI which had been building full-size SUVS. The third possibility is Spring Hill, TN, which until last year was the home of Saturn and currently builds the Chevy Traverse. Traverse production is being consolidated in Lansing, MI with the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. GM is currently negotiating with federal and state officials to see who will give the best deal to get the new production. The automaker hopes to make a decision by the end of June. The other thing we still don’t know is which car will be built. It could be the Spark or the slightly larger B-segment car that will replace the Aveo . Gallery: Geneva 2009: Chevy Spark Gallery: 2010 Chevy Spark [Source: General Motors] Continue reading GM to select factory for building small cars by the end of June Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants , GM GM to select factory for building small cars by the end of June originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

General Motors’ decision to sell Saturn to auto magnate Roger Penske doesn’t make much sense to me. If anyone can make a go of it, it’s Penske. But it has the acrid whiff of a bad deal from GM’s end. Penske plans to use those Saturn retail stores to sell cars potentially made by manufacturers in Europe or Asia. While he may only select cars from one or two automakers, those companies will could be companies that don’t have a presence in the U.S. market already. For them, it makes great sense because they avoid the cost, risk and years of development time it takes to set up a successful retail network. Saturn, for all of the mistakes GM made over the years, has a great retail network. It is known for its no-haggle, no-pressure sales approach and customer service. Its customers loved it even when the Saturn cars weren’t so great. Through Penske’s acquisition, someone like France’s PSA (parent of Peugeot and Citroen) or India’s Tata Motors or any number of players from China can get into the U.S. That basically removes the biggest natural barrier to entry, which is developing a sales chain. Longtime GM watcher Maryann N. Keller, who sits on the board of retailer Lithia Motors, points out that whoever Penske gets to supply cars will be in direct competition with GM. I made the same point in this blog entry when Saturn went on sale. For its part, GM will still build Saturn vehicles for the next year or so. If Penske wanted, he could even have GM build Saturn vehicles on contract beyond that. Frankly, I’m not sure that Penske will succeed. Saturn’s brand is more damaged than many people think. The Saturn Aura was North American Car of the Year, but sales were weak because the brand didn’t draw showroom traffic. From the cold view of an economist, weak carmakers like Chrysler, Mitsubishi and poor brands like Saturn, Hummer, Saab and Volvo should be victims of the crisis. They can’t make money so they go away, leaving a stronger industry for the survivors. That’s what happens to weak players who didn’t justify their existence before the nasty downturn. By keeping Saturn around, GM has preserved one more brand the market doesn’t need and opened the door for more competitors to come into its most vital market. This is a market, by the way, that is already hotly competitive. GM is struggling to remake some of its brands and beat back the notion that the company is a failed enterprise. Since GM was already in bankruptcy, they could have killed Saturn off with minimal cost. Instead, they sold it off. If Penske succeeds with another carmaker, the cost could be huge.

Injoy

The first ever TTXGP is now just a few days away and teams are still arriving to the Isle of Man for the event. One group that arrived earlier than most is XXL Racing from Germany, and as a result, their rider was the first to “stretch the legs” of a competing machine on the island. A resident of the Crown dependency, Frank Schuengel, happened to be on hand with a camera and recorded the moment on video. He also took a bunch of stills that are available in the gallery below. You can check out his website for lots more. Unfortunately we don’t know a lot about the bike aside that it uses a synchronous electric motor , likely a prototype from Siemens, to take it over 124 mph (200 km/h). It features regenerative braking and will be piloted by the TT-experienced rider Thomas Schönfelder. Go ahead and hit the jump to see it in action. As an added bonus, we’ve thrown in a clip from Mission Motors testing, tearing down and shipping off their entry. Enjoy. Gallery: XXL Racing at the TTXGP [Source: Frank Schuengel / ManxTube / YouTube ] Photo: creative commons by Frank Schuengel Continue reading VIDEO: First TTGXP practice run XXL Racing Filed under: EV/Plug-in , On Two Wheels , Germany , Racing VIDEO: First TTGXP practice run XXL Racing originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

In the grand scheme of things, the facilities and products of Lamborghini don’t really amount to a hill of beans. After all, the company only has one main factory that produces a few thousand cars a year. While those cars are high-powered and consume a lot of fuel per mile driven, Lamborghini owners tend to drive those cars far fewer miles than the mainstream autos the rest of us hop into on a daily basis. As such, the Lambos’ total emissions don’t add up to much. Nonetheless, Lamborghini is still somewhat sensitive to both social and regulatory concerns and has an ambitious plan to reduce CO 2 emissions. The automaker is in the process of installing a 17,000 square meter solar array to its factory roof that, when completed later this year, will generate 1,582 MWh of electricity annually. In addition to that, changes are being made inside the plant to improve insulation, lighting, and climate control as part of a broader effort to lower factory-related CO 2 emissions 30 percent by 2010. As for the products coming out of the factory, Lamborghini is pursuing several paths towards a goal of a 35 percent CO 2 reduction by 2015. In addition to expanding the use of technology like the direct injection that debuted on the Gallardo LP560-4 last year, the engineers are working on improved combustion, weight reduction, auto start/stop systems, hybrid drive and biofuel use. Gallery: Lamborghini CO 2 reductions [Source: Lamborghini] Continue reading Lamborghini adds solar power to factory, vows to cut range CO 2 35% by 2015 Filed under: Flex-Fuel , Hybrid , Manufacturing/Plants , Lamborghini , Green Daily Lamborghini adds solar power to factory, vows to cut range CO 2 35% by 2015 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments