Tomberlin Anvil NEV - Click above for image gallery Tomberlin, a manufacturing and distribution company based in Georgia, recently unveiled the Anvil, its latest low-speed electric vehicle, on the CBS News Early Show. As a neighborhood electric vehicle, the Anvil is capped at a top speed of 25 miles per hour and is legal on roads in the U.S. with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. Base price for the Anvil will be $16K. Tomberlin is claiming a 40-mile range from the aptly named 1,797-pound (with six 12-volt batteries installed) Anvil, which reportedly features a powerful 50-horsepower motor, front disc and rear drum brakes and an on-board charger that can plug into any standard wall outlet. What probably sets the Anvil apart from most other NEVs is its interesting appearance. Looking something like a mashup between a Jeep Wranger, a Hummer H2 and a golf cart, the Anvil doesn’t really look like any other low-speed electric vehicle in recent memory - for better or for worse. Click past the break for two short videos of the Tomberlin Anvil in action. Gallery: Tomberlin Anvil [Source: Tomberlin , Dealernews ] Continue reading Tomberlin releases Anvil NEV [w/VIDEO] Filed under: EV/Plug-in , NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle) Tomberlin releases Anvil NEV [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

While the argument about whether a Hummer H2 is actually more environmentally friendly than a Toyota Prius has long since been debunked (even if it keeps popping up its ugly head ), it does raise a valid point. A major part of the environmental impact of transportation devices like cars and trucks comes during the manufacturing and disposal phases of their existences. Evaluating environmental impact requires total lifecycle analysis of the product, something that Toyota has done for the new 2010 Prius. The Tsutsumi plant that builds the Prius is one of five ISO14001 certified Eco-factories in the Toyota network. The factory has a 50,000m 2 solar array on its roof that generates 5,000 2,000 kW per hour of electricity, about half of the plant’s total requirements. Another 22,000m 2 of the factory is covered in a photocatalytic paint that converts NOx CO 2 to oxygen and nitrogen. A number of initiatives including zero land-fill waste, water recycling and reduced volatile organic compound use are all part of the overall effort to reduce the impact of building Priuses. Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius [Source: Toyota] Continue reading Toyota to build new Prius in Eco-Factory in Japan Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants , Solar , Toyota Toyota to build new Prius in Eco-Factory in Japan originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Filed under: Motorsports , Supercars , Ferrari , Motorcycles Ducati 1098R - Click above for high-res image gallery While the age-old question of whether the fastest way ’round a race track is on two wheels or four isn’t likely to get a definitive answer, on July 13th at the Ducs Fly South track day at New Jersey Motorsports Park we’ll get another bit of evidence to consider. Three Ferrari Challenge cars will take to the track driven by the staff from Universal Autosports, with each competing against the other to set the fastest lap. Immediately following that hot lap competition, a series of professional instructors and racers from Ducati will perform an identical contest piloting the Italian bikes. You know where this is heading, right? Naturally, the Ferrari Challenge driver and Ducati rider with the fastest laps will go head-to-head in a winner-takes-all race. Wanna watch? No problem - you can even hit the track yourself on your own motorcycle. Click past the break for all the details. Gallery: Ducati 1098 R Continue reading Ducs Fly South event to feature Ferrari vs. Ducati showdown Ducs Fly South event to feature Ferrari vs. Ducati showdown originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Hummer HX Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery Despite what could be construed as opposition by the Chinese government towards Tengzhong’s bid to purchase the HUMMER division from General Motors, the company is still working towards finalizing the sale by October of this year and on future environmentally-friendly models. According to Yang Yi, the firm’s general manager: We want to make a green HUMMER. We think the Hummer has huge potential in emerging markets. Tengzhong and HUMMER are very aware of the government’s fuel-efficiency requirements. HUMMER has already achieved substantial progress in this area . Last year, GM’s SUV-centric brand showed off a concept for a downsized HUMMER called the HX , which would likely be known as the H4 if it were ever to enter into production. Jim Taylor, currently head of HUMMER’s operations and likely to stay on after the brand’s sale to Tengzhong, has previously stated that the brand is investigating biofuels, hybrids and fully electric machines. Gallery: Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX Concept [Source: Autocar ] Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Flex-Fuel , HUMMER , China Confirmed: HUMMER buyer plans new green model originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

The Canadian post office is looking at the possibility of deploying electric trucks and vans for its delivery services. Electric vehicles are generally well suited to such duties because the routes are clearly defined and can be modified to meet the range limitations of the batteries. With 7,000 vehicles driving 47 million miles annually, the Canada Post has the potential to cut a lot of fuel use and emissions. In Canada, most power is produced from hydro-electric or nuclear sources, further cutting the carbon footprint. However, Canada Post has some unique issues with the use of electric vehicles. Because routes often start off with five miles or more of highway driving before even starting the actual delivery and pickup route, range is cut down significantly. In many parts of the country, winters are also extremely cold, causing further range issues. Azure Dynamics builds electric delivery vans, more than 150 of which have been sold to courier company Purolator. However, these vans are too large for the post office’s needs. Perhaps something closer to the size of Ford’s upcoming Transit Connect BEV would be more useful. Gallery: 2010 Ford Transit Connect [Source: The Tyee ] Filed under: EV/Plug-in Canada Post may start deploying electric trucks originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

As companies like Ford know, eliminating semi truck miles from the supply chain has a noticeable greening effect . But what if those trucks were electric powered with a diesel range extender and solar panels built in? Oh, and what if they were much larger than current trucks and able to carry 65 tons worth of stuff? Why, if you had all that - along with regenerative brakes and an aerodynamic design - then you’d have Kenyan designer Kioko Muthui’s Highly Sophisticated Transporter (HST). Designed as a “vision for future long-distance road haulage” (see, not all dreams are dead), the HST “would feature extraordinary fuel efficiency, a significantly improved driving experience, a higher level of active and passive safety, and enhanced environmental and infrastructural considerations.” As a thought experiment, it’s quite cool. Plus, the renderings show the HST to be a Daimler product. Cool. For more information, check out this brochure of the HST in PDF . Gallery: Highly Sophisticated Transporter (HST) [Source: TreeHugger ] Filed under: MPG , Solar Meet the HST (Highly Sophisticated Transporter), a large, green semi-truck originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:25:00 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

Renault’s low-cost Dacia brand has just introduced a new LPG-fueled version of the Logan sedan in France. The Logan is powered by the same 75 hp 1.4-liter engine used in the Sandero that debuted in March. The Logan 1.4 MPI 75 LPG has a starting price of just €8,700 but it is eligible for a €2,000 French eco-bonus plus a €1,000 state rebate for cars that emit less than 160 g/km of when trading in a 10 year old car. That brings the price, including taxes, to just €5,700. The LPG Logan is rated at 135 g/km of CO 2 emissions and is 95 percent recyclable at end of life. Like most LPG vehicles, the Logan also retains the standard gasoline fuel system allowing it to run on either fuel depending on availability. The driver can select the fuel source with a button the dash. The press release is after the jump. [Source: Renault] Continue reading Dacia introduces LPG fueled Logan in France at €6,700 Filed under: Renault , Natural Gas Dacia introduces LPG fueled Logan in France at €6,700 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:48:00 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.

Kia Borrego FCEV - Click above for high-res image gallery It’s hard to learn much about a car in 10 minutes, but when that’s all you’ve got, you study quick. During the Hydrogen + Fuel Cells 2009 conference in Vancouver, British Columbia last week, we got to spend a few minutes in both the Nissan X-Trail FCV and the Kia Borrego FCEV. Both of these large vehicles participated in the 1,700-mile Hydrogen Road Tour but were rearing and ready to go when we took to the streets of downtown Vancouver for a quick spin. The Borrego performed a bit better than the X-Trail, but both managed to impress us with their zero-emission * selves. Find out why after the jump. Gallery: Kia Borrego FCEV Continue reading First Drive: hydrogen-powered Kia Borrego FCEV and Nissal X-Trail FCV Filed under: Hydrogen , Kia , Nissan , AutoblogGreen Exclusive First Drive: hydrogen-powered Kia Borrego FCEV and Nissal X-Trail FCV originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments