California High Speed Rail: All Aboard!

California’s high speed rail project has gotten the green light to begin even with many political obstacles still on the table.

The overseeing board of the California high speed rail project has said that the first 65 mile stretch of rail between Fresno and Merced will be exempt from the requirement that railway construction first obtain prior approval from the federal board.

The reason for this decision to skip the federal board approval was in part caused by a massive lobbying campaign to get the high speed rail construction under way. In other words, JOBS JOBS JOBS! In short this is a massive win for labor unions and long term this decision will reduce the time for citizens in California to can have access to a high speed rail system.

Given that the California high speed rail project has $3.5 billion in funding from tax payers’ dollars there are of course objectors to the decision. The concerns range from environmental impact to god old dollars and cents. A recent bill from by the transportation subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee has actually proposed allocating no funds for the California high speed rail project through the bill in 2014. Well, as it turns out the California high speed rail project was not expecting any further funding in 2014 anyhow so that’s obviously just political grandstanding.

As for the environmental concerns, they are still valid. Environmental impact reports have shown that an estimated eleven endangered species would be affected by the overall California high speed rail project. Massive emissions from diesel powered heavy equipment used to lay the track would pollute the air. Dozens of rivers, canals and wetlands fed from the peaks of the Sierra Nevada would be crossed and could create other complex issues.

The issue here is this would be from the overall California high speed rail project. Thankfully that means there is time to deal and fix these possible issues in an environmentally friendly way while still moving forward with the advancement of American high speed rail.

Source: sacbee.com

GM "loans" Volts in Southern California to spur sales

General Motors is looking to spur sales of its Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid in California by loaning hundreds of Southern California drivers Volts for as long as a week, Green Car Reports said, citing GM representative Shad Balch.

Under GM's "Cars to People" program, the automaker has loaned almost 300 people Volts over the past few months, and will likely loan the cars to a few hundred more by the end of the year, according to the website. Balch told Green Car Reports that the challenge behind simply explaining the cars' technology to potential customers was the impetus behind the program, and that the Volt "sells itself" to potential buyers.

The program represents yet another way GM's trying to boost sales in the most populous U.S. state. GM last month started deliveries of 2012 Volts, which are notable because they're eligible for solo-driving in California's high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes. California Volt buyers are also eligible for a $1,500 rebate from the state, on top of the federal tax credit worth up to $7,500. Last month, GM also began offering so-called "Quad $0" lease program on Volts made in 2011, in which customers could lease the vehicles without a down payment, security deposit, first month's payment or cash upon sale. Those cars aren't eligible to be driven solo in California's HOV lanes.

Meanwhile, GM this week began a five-week shut-down of Volt production in an attempt to thin out dealer inventory. While GM was about 2,400 units short of its goal to sell 10,000 Volts in 2011, Volt sales showed signs of life last month, moving 1,023 units, up from 603 vehicles sold in January.



Source: Autoblog Green

2012 Chevrolet Volt Cleared for California's Carpool Lanes

PRESS RELEASE

A low emission model of the 2012 Chevrolet Volt electric car are on their way to California, where customers will qualify for a $1,500 state rebate and be allowed to drive solo in the state's carpool lanes.

Volts with the Low Emissions Package, which is standard for California, began shipping from the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck plant this week and should begin arriving at the more than 140 participating Chevrolet dealerships in California before the end of the month.

"The Volts with the Low Emissions Package are certain to be a strong draw for California commuters looking to travel the state's notoriously congested freeways in the carpool lane," said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing.

Commuters who use carpool lanes in Southern California save an estimated average 36 minutes a day, or about a third of their total driving time.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is making 40,000 Clean Air Stickers available for registered vehicles that meet the state's emissions standards. Applications can be downloaded from the DMV's web site at www.dmv.ca.gov

Additionally, the new Low Emissions Package makes the 2012 Volt eligible for owners and lessees to receive up to $1,500 in state rebates through the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project. This incentive is in addition to a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 Clean vehicle rebate applications can be submitted online at www.energycenter.org

California has more than 1,400 miles of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes. Originally restricted to vehicles with two or more occupants to help minimize congestion, the lanes are now open to single occupancy use by owners of advanced, low-emission vehicles. Volts registered in Georgia, New York and Florida also are eligible for single occupancy access to carpool lanes.

The Volt has a total driving range of up to 379 miles, based on EPA estimates. For the first 35 miles, the Volt can drive gas-and tailpipe-emissions-free using a full charge of electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt's battery runs low, a gas powered engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 344 miles on a full tank. Volt owners have travelled more than 10 million miles since the vehicle launched late last year. Roughly two-thirds of those miles were powered by grid electricity.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

California gasoline consumption down 1.8%, diesel up 4.8% in October 2011; gasoline consumption continues downward trend

Gasoline consumption in California declined 1.8% in October 2011 while diesel fuel consumption increased 4.8% according to a report released today by California State Board of Equalization (BOE).

High gas prices appear to be directly affecting fuel consumption in California. We are seeing a trend of Californians consuming less gasoline in the last eight months of 2011. We’ll see what coming months show as California begins to turn the corner and shows signs of economic growth.

—BOE Chairman Jerome E. Horton

California used 1.23 billion gallons of gasoline in October 2011 which is a 1.8% decline from the previous year when 1.26 gallons were used. In California, the average price of gasoline rose 74 cents to $3.89 per gallon in October 2011, a 23% increase compared to $ 3.15 per gallon in October 2010. Nationally, the average price of fuel jumped 66 cents to $3.51 in October 2011, a 23% increase over the October 2010 price per gallon of $2.85.

Diesel fuel consumption in California increased 10.3 million gallons in October to a total of 226 million gallons, which is a 4.8% increase compared to the previous year when 216 million gallons were consumed. The average price of diesel in California rose 85 cents to $4.06 per gallon in October 2011 compared to $3.21 per gallon in October 2010. Nationally, the average price of diesel rose 75 cents to $3.80 per gallon which is a 25% increase compared to $3.05 per gallon in October 2010.

California gasoline and diesel fuel figures are net consumption that includes audit assessments, refunds, amended and late tax returns and the State Controller’s Office refunds. BOE is able to monitor gallons through tax receipts paid by fuel distributors in California. BOE updates the reports at the end of each month.

Source: Green Car Congress

Extended-range electric vehicle news roundup

News from the just-getting-started world of extended-range electric vehicles has been a mix of positive reports as well as some stories for which we’re still awaiting full resolution.

Both General Motors and Fisker share in common a tenacious ability to keep receiving awards, and they also have both had to contend with minor technical concerns.

Aside from this, we’ll mention a couple more briefed stories, including one about KSPG, a company that has shown a compact range-extending engine at the Detroit Auto Show that can be added to a battery electric vehicle.

KSPG

KSPG Automotive (formerly Kolbenschmidt Pierburg) is a German automotive supplier, and a subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG.

It and FEV have co-developed a 30-kw range extender for battery-electric vehicles. The 800cc, four-stroke V-Twin is the size of a motorcycle engine, weighs about 137 pounds, and is combined with two 15-kw generators.

The range extender is designed to drop into a space around the size of a spare tire well, or anywhere else and thus upgrade a BEV into a serial hybrid.

According to AutoblogGreen, KSPG Automotive’s Gerd Kleinert said this is a solution for our time.

“We are convinced that this is a kind of bridge technology from the current combustion engine to electric drive,” he said. “The biggest point in electric cars is still the battery. If someone offers a battery that is the size of a 50-liter [13.2-gallon] gas tank with the same energy content with the same weight that you can recharge it in three minutes, everyone would drive electric.”

Of course unless a battery tech breakthrough happens, EVs with this energy density aren’t available yet.

“That’s the reason we think there is a need for this bridge technology because it guarantees you will get home,” Kleinert said, “even if you run out of electricity. You only need a small battery, which drives the cost down.”

Kleinert said that in recent months KSPG has talked to EV makers to design-in its range extender. To offset the cost of doing this, talk is of specifying a smaller battery pack than would otherwise be called for.

KSPG reportedly began working on the range extender about a year ago, first showed it at Frankfurt, and the company said it is capable of producing 10,000 units per year.

It intends to assemble a working prototype vehicle this summer and said it knows MSRP will be a sensitive issue, and without specifying estimates, said the price will be “acceptable.”

For a more comprehensive review of this range extender concept, check out GreenCarCongress.

Fisker

Just days after Fisker’s recall of 239 six-figure Karmas to fix a loose hose clamp, Fisker is issuing another minor recall and again halting sales until it handles the new bug.

This one is a potential software fault that has produced symptoms including random check-engine lights coming on, and inoperative infotainment systems.

Shoppers passing Harrods department store in Knightsbridge, London can eye the Fisker Karma as they arrive for the Winter Sale. The EVer will take pride of place in the prominent Brompton Road window display until February 4.

Fisker has taken steps to say the issues are nothing to be concerned about, and to really let everyone know it cares about its customers, Henrik Fisker committed to calling Karma owners with a personal apology.

And in other wholly positive news, Fisker has been collecting some awards – as the photo at world-famous Harrods shows – and Fisker issued a press release to elaborate.

“In recent weeks, this has included Top Gear’s Luxury Car of the Year, Automobile’s Design of the Year Award, listing in TIME Magazine’s Top 50 Innovations of 2012, a Global Green Design Award, and noted Swiss magazine Schweizer Illustrierte named the Karma their Most Stylish Car of 2012,” Fisker Automotive said.

Henrik Fisker said he is “happy, humbled and very proud,” and added “We have always had a great deal of faith in the appeal of the cars we create, but to have that recognized by critics so early on in the Karma’s lifespan is really fantastic.”

Volt

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson will make his first appearance on Capitol Hill since September 2010, this time to answer a U.S. House panel next week about battery issues.

“Dan has agreed to testify at the hearing, and he looks forward to doing it,” GM spokesman Greg Martin told The Detroit News.

As GM-Volt readers are aware, the inquiry is about whether safety regulators properly handled reported Volt fire risks.

We’ll note also that this entire process will be viewed by some in the know as nothing more than absurd political theater.

Unfortunately in this election year, there are political opponents who’d like to make certain points, and the Volt has been caught in the middle.

Many observers have noted this whole issue has been overblown, GM has been credited with handling it well so far, but it also has a preemptive ad campaign standing by, if winds of perception fan further flames against it.

“I have a contingency plan. It’s ready to go” said GM’s marketing head Joel Ewanick to USA Today.

The ads are described as “honest and straightforward” and would direct people to a Web site or other technical resource to explain the issues.

The dilemma for GM is timing. It does not want to alarm people about concerns, but only wants to respond if necessary.

Meanwhile, GM is not just busy in Washington, but also in Shanghai.

Stories were re-circulating recently by mainstream sources like USA Today and conservative political bloggers too, that GM signed a deal to co-develop an EV with its joint venture partner SAIC in the Peoples’ Republic.

Reports cited quotes made a few months ago by GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky hinting the Volt could be made in China one day.

“If we localize, eventually it won’t have a tariff and it will get the subsidy,” he said. “We have made no decision on if, when or where we build Volt in the future.”

Girsky also reiterated assertions that neither SAIC nor the Chinese government have demanded Volt technology.

The Volt at its launch at Auto Guangzhou 2011. From left to right: Ye Yongming, President of Shanghai GM; Chen Hong, President of SAIC Motor; Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group; and Joseph Liu, Executive Vice President of Shanghai GM).

At the same time, observers note future EVs would draw on lessons and technology learned from the Volt, Spark EV, and other GM research.

For now the $75,500 Chinese Chevrolet must try to appeal having a 25-percent tariff slapped on it, and without qualifying for incentives domestic EVs can get that add up to as much as $19,000.

U.S. lawmakers have said China’s tactics constitute a “shaking down” and violate World Trade Organization rules. It’s also been said that China has a major technology deficit. It is no leader in EVs or hybrids but is alleged to be manipulating GM and others by holding out its massive potential for growth.

We’ve heard these things before, but Girsky’s comment allowing that GM could “localize” Volt production so it could then “get the subsidy” indicates the idea is definitely not off the table.

To further qualify the statement, yesterday GM spokesman Rob Peterson said some have taken Girsky’s comments out of context, and for balance, he said GM would need to see a strong demand for the Volt before building in China.

“We build where we sell,” Peterson said. “If there’s a tremendous amount of market acceptance, yeah we could consider having production capacity there.”

But again, there are no plans, and as we know the Volt is price handicapped, so will a catch-22 keep the Volt away from Chinese production indefinitely?

While this and other Volt issues are still playing out, on the unequivocally good news front, there’s little doubt that the Volt has won a fair number of awards, and is still doing so.

In addition to all the awards it collected last year, the Volt was named “Most Earth Friendly” at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this month.

Also favorable for the Volt, Peterson observed, is next month California market Volts equipped with a low-emissions package will begin shipping to dealers there.

For the past 3-4 months, GM has been reducing allocations to the Golden State because its Chevrolet dealers in cases are reportedly reducing prices already to clear the way for the pending HOV-lane accessible Volts.

These Volts will also entitle Californians to apply for a $1,500 rebate as CorvetteGuy reported last month, and should help further increase their competitiveness against hybrids that are already HOV legal.

Source: GM-Volt.com

State of California Cracks Down on HOV Access, Dumps the Prius and Chevy Volt

California prides itself as being a green mecca, inviting inventions and high technology and grooming early adopters with special HOV lane access and tax credits on alternative fuel vehicles. Well, mostly. It seems like California has soured on hybrids in HOV lanes, recently revoking the Prius’s access to this less-traveled road.

At least the Prius was allowed in for a time though. In a rather shocking turn, California has not only denied the Chevy Volt access to the HOV lane, it also won’t get any state tax credits. Zing!

I am a pretty patriotic dude. I love America, and I tend to have a pro-America bias, especially when it comes to cars. So it really baffles me that California would just totally shut the Volt out, especially when it is giving the Nissan LEAF both HOV access and makes it eligible for a $5,000 state tax credit. That means the Nissan LEAF will cost around $20,000 in California when it goes on sale and gets access to Cali’s HOV lanes… even though its range means it won’t be traveling long highway trips, as that battery will go down quickly at highway speeds.

Of course some of the fault lies with GM. The bigwigs there decided they would rather get the Volt to production by the fall of 2010 than take the extra time aligning the Volt with California’s strict emissions requirements. Given that just 800 LEAFs will be able to tap into the $5,000 tax credit, maybe GM was right to concentrate on getting the Volt to market ASAP. Still, I’m miffed that Nissan gets these tax credits, and the Volt gets shut-out. Way to go California.

Source: Gas2.0