Ford Builds Five Millionth EcoBoost Vehicle

The year was 2009 when the first Ford powered by the then-new line of EcoBoost engines debuted, promising big engine power but small engine fuel economy. It all began with the 3.5 liter V6 in the Ford Taurus, but EcoBoost engines rocking three and four-cylinders can be had in just about every available Ford and Lincoln vehicle, and consumers can’t get enough of them.

Last week, the five millionth vehicle equipped with an EcoBoost engine came off the assembly line at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. That car was a 2015 Ford Focus with the three-time award-winning 1.0 liter three-cylinder EcoBoost under the hood, which is appropriate given the growing popularity of the small-displacement powerplant. The 1.0 liter EcoBoost has demonstrated incredible flexibility, equally capable delivering hybrid-rivaling fuel economy and high-thrills Formula Ford racing action, though it’s just one of a growing number of small-displacement turbo engines at the Blue Oval’s disposal. It’s a welcome alternative from Ford’s frugal-but-less-fun line of hybrids to be sure.

In addition to the 1.0 liter three-banger and 3.5 liter V6, four-cylinder EcoBoost engines range from 1.6 to 2.3 liters in displacement, and the new 2.7 liter “Nano” EcoBoost V6 delivers a healthy 325 horsepower, as much as some competitor’s V8 motors. Like the 1.0 liter engine, Ford has made it so it can easily tune its EcoBoost engines for either fuel economy or performance, which allows cars like the 40 MPG Focus SFE to share a platform with the 320 horsepower Focus RS, both powered by EcoBoost engines. Even the Ford Mustang can be had with a four-cylinder turbo again.

Production has rapidly increased over the past three years, as it took until 2012 for Ford to build the first half-million EcoBoost motors, though there are those who say you get far more “Boost” than “Eco” for your money. But for Ford, EcoBoost has been a huge success that has allowed the automaker to bounce back in a big, big way.

China’s BYD Introducing Performance Hybrids To Lineup

The fortunes of China’s many automakers great and small seem to change with the seasons, and BYD is one of the many companies struggling to assert dominance over the world’s largest car market. To set itself apart from competitors, BYD is reportedly working on a performance plug-in hybrid and electric car that will hopefully inject some excitement into its lineup.

BYD is desperately seeking a means to prop up its plummeting stock shares, which have risen and fallen with an unpredictable Chinese car market. In 2012 BYD didn’t even sell 500,000 units, despite having sold more than 600,000 vehicles in 2011, causing its stock price to sink 75% and empowering rumors that the automaker could go 100% hybrid and electric. There are even plans to sell BYD’s E6 EV here in America, but only through fleet purchases.

Super-investor Warren Buffett owns some 10% of BYD, and sales in 2013 have been on the rise, though there is still intense competition for China’s growing new car market. Sales of BYD’s hybrid and electric cars have fallen far short despite big group buys by local governments, but the automaker is still well-positioned should the Chinese market make a break for greener cars, the options will be decidedly more fun than in previous years.

The BYD Tang plug-in hybrid will mate a 2.0 liter turbocharged gas engine with an electric motor allowing the sedan to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. The same powertrain will debut in the BYD S7 SUV first though, and a pure electric performance car will offer even more performance.

Powered by batteries alone, the BYD E9 will supposedly go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, about on par with the Tesla Roadster, though once again any other specifications are up in the air. Hopefully though these new green performance vehicles give BYD’s designers the wherewithal to break out of a design language that borrows all the worst parts from the most boring vehicles of the 1990s. With other Chinese companies rolling out powerful performance hybrids and EVs of their own, BYD needs to differentiate itself in a big way if they ever hope to make a move into the U.S.

If the automaker plays its cards right, America’s wealthy elite might one day buy their own Chinese hybrid supercar while the rest of us ride BYD’s electric buses.

Source: China Car Times 

Ford adds 3-cylinder, 1.0L EcoBoost engine and 8-speed transmission to lineup; new hybrid transmission in 2012

Ford is adding a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine—the first three-cylinder engine Ford has built for a regular production car—and an new eight-speed automatic transmission to its line-up. Ford had previewed the small EcoBoost turbocharged gasoline direct injection unit, and had confirmed it for production, at Auto China 2010 in Beijing.

Ford also said that its next generation of hybrid vehicles, including a new plug-in hybrid that will launch next year, will have a Ford-engineered transmission that will be built in Michigan.

“The 1.0-liter engine is a little dynamo.”

—Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development

The new 1.0L 3-cylinder EcoBoost was designed at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the US, the company’s global center of excellence for small-capacity engines. Engineers focused on improving thermal efficiency and reducing friction of the engine’s internal moving parts, especially during warm-up—the time when an engine emits higher levels of CO₂ and other pollutants.

The new engine introduces many new technologies that could someday be part of the DNA of future Ford engines, said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of Global Powertrain Engineering. The 1.0L unit features:

• An offset crankshaft that helps improve fuel economy.

• An advanced, Ford-designed split cooling system that allows the cylinder block to warm up before the cylinder head. Faster cylinder block warm-ups save fuel, especially in cold weather.

• An exhaust manifold cast into the cylinder head. The one-piece assembly lowers the temperature of the exhaust gases. This enables the engine to run in a wider rpm band with the optimum fuel-to-air ratio. The new design also saves weight and allows the engine to operate more smoothly.

• EcoBoost technologies, such as turbocharging, direct injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT).

Final calibrations of the new EcoBoost 1.0-liter are under way. Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development, said the new engine will deliver horsepower and torque outputs equivalent to or better than most normally aspirated 1.6-liter gasoline engines.

A study by Delphi Powertrain presented at the SAE 2010 World Congress in Detroit concluded that a 3-cylinder turbocharged gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine—such as the 1.0L EcoBoost—offers an optimal combination of cost, lower emissions and reductions in fuel consumption for the most cost-sensitive vehicle segments.

The new three-cylinder engine will be available globally in the company’s small cars. It will also play an important role in North America.

Consumers are telling us they want to buy affordable vehicles that get many more miles per gallon. Our new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will give consumers looking for hybrid-like fuel economy a new, more affordable choice.

—Derrick Kuzak

Ford US small car sales
Ford’s two all-new small cars combined had US sales of 29,423 in May, up 74% versus a year ago. It was Ford’s largest small car month since May 2008.
Fiesta sales were 7,120, and Focus sales were 22,303, up 32% versus a year ago.

First seen in the Ford Start concept car that debuted at Beijing in 2010, the engine more recently made its European debut in the Ford B-MAX at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. More technical and application details for the new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will be released in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.

Ford is on track to deliver on its promise in 2006 of offering EcoBoost on 90% of its North American lineup by 2013 and to be producing 1.5 million EcoBoost engines globally. The next vehicles to get EcoBoost engines, Edge and Explorer, arrive late this summer.

With our global family of EcoBoost engines, we’ve replaced V8s with V6s and V6s with four-cylinders—with no loss of performance and with impressive fuel economy improvements. The new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will come in at the lower end of the global range and will take the place of a four-cylinder engine, again with no loss of performance or refinement. Above all, drivers win because this new engine is specifically designed and engineered for terrific fuel economy.

—Derrick Kuzak

Two new Ford transmissions. The new eight-speed automatic is currently under development. The eight-speed transmission will feature:

• Ford’s next-generation clutch controls;
• An input torque sensor, which measures torque coming into the transmission. The sensor enables faster selection of the proper gear, reduces hunting and helps smooth out shifts;
• Actuators built into the case for tighter, more precise control of hydraulic pressure; and
• Closed-loop control.

More details on production and applications will be released at a later date.

Another new Ford transmission to be installed in hybrid vehicles starts production late this year at Van Dyke Transmission Plant in suburban Detroit. Full volume production is slated for the first quarter of 2012.

By next spring, Ford expects to be manufacturing more hybrid transmissions in North America than any other automaker or supplier. The new transmission replaces a unit currently made in Japan that is used today in Ford and Lincoln hybrids.

As with the new eight-speed, the new hybrid transmission is Ford-designed, Ford-engineered and Ford-built. It’s an e-CVT or electronic continuously variable transmission. The new hybrid transmission will offer improved performance over the current unit. The current Ford Fusion Hybrid can reach a top speed of 47 mph on electricity and go as far as one mile.

Source: Green Car Congress

Are Hybrid Vehicles the 8-Tracks Of the Car World

By Jonathan Welsh

"General Motors Departed EV1 outshines today's electric cars.
"I recently read a report that found people are surprisingly open to the idea of owning hybrid or electric vehicles. According to a Capital One Auto Finance survey, 34% of respondents said they were likely to buy such a car next time and 54% said they will own one eventually.

"This sparked a long family discussion of what we might be driving in five or 10 years. The conclusion: We'll skip hybrids and try to hold out for electrics.

"I'm no technology hound, but I try to skip interim products because, let's face it, they make us feel like suckers for ever believing they were end-alls or even worth our time. I'm talking about more than just 8-track tapes and laser video discs. I know plenty of people who are kicking themselves for ordering DSL Internet service instead of waiting for fiber-optic.

"I think today's hybrids will turn out to be the DSL of the auto world — clunky and outmoded. As electrics get better, with longer range and shorter charging times, more people will start looking past hybrids the way they looked past cassettes after CDs came along. Electric cars available today, like the battery-powered Mini Cooper I recently tried out, aren't ready for prime time, but they're close enough that I'm willing to wait awhile.

"I doubt the wait will be long. Look how quickly the alternative- fuel movement has sorted itself out already. When was the last time you heard anyone talking about hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles? How about flex fuel and the E85 ethanol-gasoline mix? They are still out there, but not as serious players. Unless you're a corn farmer, ethanol is an all-around disappointment. And fuel cells? Tell me — who wants to drive around with a tank of pressurized hydrogen?

"Electrics are simpler and make sense for most drivers. My wife and were convinced of this early on, about 10 years ago, after driving aGeneral Motors EV1 that we rented in Los Angeles. It was during the last big push for electric cars that fell short. The EV1 never made it to mass production. It's too bad, because the electrics I have driven recently like the Mini and Chevrolet's Volt don't hold a candle to the EV-1. Why was it able to go 130 miles on old-fashioned nickel-metal hydride batteries while today's electrics struggle to go 80 or 90 miles on advanced lithium ion cells? Oh, don't get me started.

"Let's just say that we'd be farther along if GM had the foresight to fund the EV-1 instead of, say, the Hummer program or all those years of life support for hapless Saturn. Now the industry is catching up to where the EV-1 was a decade ago. When it gets there, I'm going shopping."

http://blogs. wsj.com/drivers- seat/2010/ 04/25/are- hybrids-the- cassette- tapes-of- the-car-world/

GM Pulls Plug On NUMMI Joint Venture

It looks like it is NUMMI no more. In 1984, General Motors and Toyota set up a joint venture and created NUMMI, or New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated. The creation spawned the Pontiac Vibe.

However, since the announcement of Pontiac's demise, the big wigs at GM see no further need for keeping the plant open. There have been many rumors that Toyota would help GM produce a Prius-like vehicle, but no one can validate this. GM's official stance is that they are not working with Toyota and instead are working diligently on their hybrid offerings. None of GM's hybrids operate like a Prius, however.

As part of General Motor's bankruptcy reorginaztion they are designating assets as either "old or new" GM. NUMMI has fallen into the old GM category and thus will be left in the bankruptcy dust.

One has to wonder if this is yet one more bad decision by GM management. What do you think? Is this move good or bad for GM?

2010 Toyota Prius Pricing Clarified

Are you as confused as I am concerning the pricing of the model year 2010 Toyota Prius? Good. This will clear everything up and show us in black and white exactly what we will get for which price.

The pricing change is a direct result of the Honda Insight competition and could be called the first ever hybrid price war! Ah, competition is always a good thing and now we have a choice of dependable hybrid vehicles for a reasonable price. There is only one thing missing in the equation. A plug with which we can recharge the hybrid battery.

From Green Car Congress:

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc., announced manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) today for the all-new 2010 Prius midsize hybrid (earlier post), scheduled to go on sale beginning in late May at Toyota dealers nationwide. The third-generation Prius will be available in one grade with a starting MSRP of $21,000. The Prius will be offered with five levels of standard equipment combinations, ranging up to a top-end MSRP of $27,270.

The MSRPs for the Honda Insight, which Toyota considers a prime competitor for the new Prius, range from $19,800-$23,100.

Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division, sees the most popular model starting at an MSRP of $22,000 (the Prius II)—the same price as the current base model. A new base model (Prius I) with a lower level of standard equipment is scheduled to be available later this year. It is designed to appeal to the most cost-conscious businesses and consumers.

2010 Prius Levels
Level	Standard equipment	MSRP
Prius I	To be released at a later date.	$21,000
Prius II	1.8L Atkinson cycle engine P195/65 R15 all-season tires with alloy wheels & covers Smart Key (driver’s door) and Push Button start EV, Eco, and Power modes Multi-Informational Display AM/FM/MP3 CD player with six speakers and satellite radio capability and auxiliary audio jack Cruise control STAR Safety System and active front headrest Seven airbags including driver knee airbag Four-wheel disc brakes Tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and HVAC Controls with Touch Tracer Display Six-way adjustable driver seat Auto up/down on all windows Color-keyed foldable power heated side mirrors	$22,000
Prius III	In addition to Prius II: JBL AM/FM/MP3 six-disc CD changer with eight speakers Integrated satellite radio capability Hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth wireless technology	$23,000
Prius IV	In addition to Prius III: Three-door Smart Key system Leather-trimmed interior Heated front seats with driver lumbar support Driver and front passenger water repellant windows Plasmacluster ionizer	$25,800
Prius V	In addition to Prius IV: 17-inch alloy wheels and P215/45 R17 tires LED headlamps with auto leveling and washers Integrated foglamps	$27,270

Optional equipment includes:

• Navigation Package ($1,800, Prius III, IV, V)
• Solar Roof Package ($3,600, Prius III, IV)
• Advanced Technology Package ($4,500, Prius V)

Toyota to Develop Yaris Sized Hybrid to Compete With Insight

The Toyota Yaris - Destined to be a Hybrid




The green car race between Toyota and Honda is heating up.

Toyota Motor Corp. plans a new small hybrid car to take on the Insight, the inexpensive Honda hybrid that just reached the United States.

The small gasoline-electric car being planned will be a low-priced spinoff of the Toyota Yaris, said Akihiko Otsuka, chief engineer of the redesigned, third-generation Toyota Prius.

"We are developing a low-priced hybrid vehicle like Honda's Insight," Otsuka said. "We are going to compete by expanding our hybrid-vehicle lineup to smaller hybrids, in the class of the Vitz [sold in Japan] and Yaris." He did not say when the small hybrid would debut, but it could arrive as early as 2011, according to Japan's Nikkei business newspaper.

Toyota's plan is the clearest sign yet that it is worried about the inroads that its domestic arch rival is making into small, low-priced hybrid vehicles. The Honda Insight, which starts at around $20,000, is selling briskly in Japan and will be followed by a hybrid version of the Fit compact.

Cheaper than a Prius By contrast, Toyota's third-generation Prius has a bigger engine and many options common to premium cars. The current, second-generation Prius, at around $22,000, already is more expensive than the Insight. The updated model is expected to be even pricier when it arrives in May in U.S. showrooms. Otsuka said the small hybrid being developed will be cheaper than the Prius. Toyota's hybrid strategy calls for bringing more core technologies in-house, he added. The electric motor and inverter for the Prius currently are manufactured by Toyota. The company also is developing its own lithium ion batteries so it won't be overly reliant on its joint venture with Panasonic for power packs, Otsuka said. The Prius uses nickel-metal hydride batteries supplied by Panasonic EV Energy Co. But future green cars are seen switching to lithium ion because they are lighter and more powerful. Honda is teaming with Japanese battery maker GS Yuasa Corp. to develop its lithium ion power packs. The Insight uses nickel-metal hydride batteries from Sanyo. Better aerodynamics Otsuka said the top priority in developing the new Prius was to boost fuel efficiency, not reduce the price. Through countless overhauls, he achieved a preliminary EPA fuel economy rating to 51 mpg city/48 highway, up from 48/45 mpg for the 2009 Prius. Foremost among the improvements is better aerodynamics. The new Prius has a drag coefficient of 0.25, the slickest in Toyota's lineup. That compares with 0.26 for the current Prius. That difference alone delivers a 1 percent increase in overall mileage, Otsuka said. The latest Prius also gets a 1.8-liter gasoline engine, up from the current generation's 1.5 liters, so it can get better fuel efficiency at higher speeds. While the new Prius shares the same name as its predecessor, it has a new platform it shares with the Auris, which replaced the Toyota Corolla hatchback in Europe. The new Prius also shares more parts with the Auris than with the second-generation Prius. "The Auris platform was designed so it could also carry a hybrid system," Otsuka said. "By making it flexible, it can accommodate future overseas production and reduce costs." Source : Automotive News

GM's Battery Strategy and Approach to Future Volt Generations

The 2010 Chevy Volt





General Motors has revealed its strategy for the future and its commitment to the electrification of the automobile. This article examines the current state of the Volt battery and how GM will "reuse" components and use them across a wide variety of vehicles. Then, GM explains the future of the battery and what we can expect in second and third Volt iterations.

From Green Car Congresss:

Three key General Motors executives involved with the Chevrolet Volt this week held a media briefing on the state of GM’s battery pack strategy for the Chevrolet Volt and its current Gen 1 pack as well as subsequent generations (Gen 2 and Gen 3) of battery packs destined for the underlying Voltec platform. They also delivered an update on the progress of the Volt’s development cycle.

Executive Director of Global Engineering–Hybrids, Electric Vehicles, and Batteries Robert Kruse, Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer Andrew Farah, and Director of Global Battery Systems Engineering Denise Gray took turns describing work completed so far as well as next steps for the project.

GM is emphasizing the role of thermal management and control systems in the overall pack and vehicle performance. Click to enlarge.

Kruse took particular care to note that, while having an excellent battery cell is important, the cell is just the starting place. GM views its value-add to the overall pack—and hence to the vehicle—as the thermal management and electronic controls. That rationale lies behind the company’s determination to manufacture the modules and packs for its vehicles in its own plant. (Earlier post.)

Kruse said that GM has developed all the software, electronic controls and pack engineering in-house, and that the process will continue with the portfolio into the future. GM regards the ability to do so as a core competency, and GM therefore made the strategic decision to have that capability inside the company.

Undertray of the Volt, showing the integration of the T- shaped battery pack as a structural element. Click to enlarge.

The current state of the Volt. More than 30 mules—similar-sized Chevrolet vehicles that have been modified to accept Volt powertrains—are already up and running, with another 50 expected to be built and put through their paces by the summer.

The team reiterated its commitment to the Volt’s 40-mile all-electric range (AER), especially as compared to a vehicle with the attendant costs of a battery pack with a several-hundred-mile all- electric range, but said that no commitment had yet been made on the business model (e.g. sale or lease) that will be employed for the Volt’s 16 kWh battery pack when the vehicle goes on sale November 2010, a date to which GM remains “confident and committed,” according to Kruse.

Undercarriage of the Volt during the 35 mph crash test. The battery pack is the orange T-shaped element. Click to enlarge.

A 35 MPH frontal crash test has already been conducted on at least one Volt mule to the satisfaction of the company, with particular emphasis given to the integrity of the battery pack during the test. Kruse also emphasized GM’s preference for fast charging as opposed to the “battery swap” model promoted by Better Place, which would require a significantly different chassis design and which Kruse termed “problematic”.

“We began in January 2007, we are on track, and I think in some places we have accelerated our learning,”" commented Denise Gray, who runs GM’s battery development labs, which the company says are the largest in the country. “We spent all of 2008 evaluating cells.”

Despite current market conditions, GM is still aggressively developing talent from within the company, with fifty engineers currently enrolled in a “learn while you earn” program related to the Volt, and another 50 expected to be transferred to the program this summer.

While officials emphasized that they are satisfied with the chemistry, thermal management, controls, and performance of the vehicle’s current battery pack, costs per kWh remain high, and development beyond the current pack is primarily focused on cost reduction. Gray noted that the costs of battery-powered personal electronics have declined sharply and expressed optimism that the transport sector might see similar gains. Each of Volt’s 200-plus battery cells will initially be produced in South Korea by LG Chem. However, GM plans to move battery production to the US as soon as possible.

Although the team declined to specify a cost per kilowatt-hour for the Volt during the briefing, Jon Lauckner, Vice President of Global Program Management, rebuffed speculation earlier this month, writing on the GM Fastlane blog (earlier post) that the current Volt battery pack is “many hundreds of dollars less” than the US$1,000 per kWh cited in a recent Carnegie Mellon study, and that “new concepts” promise to move the cost to as low as $US 250 per kWh.

Remarking that “I’m only going to do this job once,” Kruse mentioned another cost-cutting measure: the decision to design the global platform to more stringent European Union recyclability standards.

Gen 2, Gen 3 and Reusability. GM, said Kruse, is “thinking long term with our EV strategy.”

We are making a significant investment in vehicle electrification in the Volt, the Voltec powertrain and the battery itself. We believe that vehicle electrification is the future of the industry...and that master of battery technology is key to us and our success. We still have a lot of work to do. We are very encouraged by what we have done so far, and are gaining optimism with experience and exposure.

Because of our commitment, we have resources working on Gen 2 and Gen 3 [battery packs] while we are still launching the Gen 1 system. That speaks to our long-term commitment to vehicle electrification.

—Bob Kruse

GM’s “reuse” strategy. Click to enlarge.

The primary motivation for the Gen 2 and Gen 3 systems is to reduce cost, to make it more viable for the mass market, Kruse said. The GM team did not engage in a deeper discussion of the potential relative contribution of cells, thermal management and controls to reducing the cost in Gen 2 and Gen 3, but Kruse did say that “as we get close to production, we’ll take the cover off of the T pack, and you’ll see the sophistication and elegance of design.”

Kruse did outline what GM is calling its “reuse” strategy in the battery area—i.e., the ability to apply cells, modules and packs across different vehicles:

• Cells. Cells of the same specification will be widely applied in a range of vehicles.

• Modules. Cell modules will be used across a class of vehicles/applications.

• Complete packs (including controls). Complete packs will be applied across vehicles within a architecture. The Volt pack, for example, will be applied in the Opel Ampera.

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid




Ford has announced a base price of $27,270 for its new 2010 Fusion Hybrid sedan. Basic features like dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights, keyless entry, power windows, mirrors, and locks, capless refueling, traction control, and ABS are all standard equipment. Also included is a six-speaker stereo, eco-responsible seats, 17-inch wheels, traction control, and a reverse sensor.

Ford has high hopes for the Fusion hybrid, which can operate on the electric power at up to 47 miles per hour. The hybrid features a 2.5-liter inline-four with 155 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque bolted up to a CVT transmission.

The Fusion uses a beefier NiMH battery pack and can travel up to 47 mph in electric mode. The Ford Fusion's strongest selling point will be is city mileage rating of about 40 mpg, which is only topped by the Toyota Prius. All car makers should strive for better city mileages as the majority of commutes entail this type of driving.

Ford has collaborated with design consultant group Ideo to create a new system to monitor fuel economy and other information. The system, clumsily dubbed SmartGauge with EcoGuide, is a reconfigurable gauge cluster made up of a large, centrally located analog speedometer flanked by two 4.3-inch LCD displays. Four default layouts can be chosen as a basis of customization, from a bare-bones look at vital vehicle stats to an information-laden view designed for—and with the help of—hypermilers. Why Ford wants to promote the dangerous driving techniques involved with hypermiling, I'm not sure.

The SmartGauge displays are bright and easy to read, but I worry that this is another step toward total driver distraction. One such distraction is a display featuring a tree branch that grows more leaves as the vehicle is driven in what’s determined to be an environmentally friendly manner. Drive like a hooligan, though, and you’ll kill the tree. This hokey, literal interpretation of efficient driving can be turned off or substituted for a more useful gauge, but it will be interesting to wipe out whole forests once you drive the car.

Again, there is one feature that Ford forgot to add, namely a plug. This car could have been designed infinitely better with the ability to plug in at home and recharge the battery pack. Given a 10 to 15 mile all-electric range and its top speed of 47 mph, imagine running all your errands without the gasoline engine ever starting.

This car will be a winner for Ford and hopefully, they will produce enough of them to meet demand.

A Look at The 2010 Toyota Prius

The 2010 Toyota Prius



The Toyota Prius is the most successful hybrid vehicle of all time. It is so successful that it makes a profit for the Toyota Motor Company. Toyota realizes this fact and they are constantly trying to refine their product and make it more appealing to the masses.

The 2010 model is new for the Prius and includes some nice changes. The new Prius will be somewhat longer (around 3 inches), maintains the same height and also maintains the four doors and hatchback. One of the biggest improvements is the addition of a 1.6 liter four cylinder engine, which will increase horsepower and increase fuel efficiency. It is officially rated at 50 mpg, which is a significant increase over the current model, which is rated at 46 mpg. The only thing missing from this car is a plug and a bigger battery for driving in electric mode.

Toyota considers the 2010 Prius to be the fourth generation and a fully loaded model will top $30,000. This may present problems as the new Honda Insight will start with an MSRP of $22,000.

Will the Prius continue its strong sales showing? Which would you prefer, the 2010 Prius or the 2010 Insight?

Honda Will Price New Insight Less Than $20,000

Here is some of the big news for today. The Honda Insight will have an MSRP less than $20,000 here in the US. Initially, the target was to be $18,000 when the vehicle was first announced. All in all, this is still a very competitive price point considering the Toyota Prius will be more than $25K.

From Green Car Congress:

The all-new 2010 Honda Insight goes on-sale 24 March with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $19,800 for the entry-level Insight LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced.

The five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system comprising a 1.3-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine and a 10-kW electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon. The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist) to further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

The Insight’s IMA system has the capability to operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed cruising conditions. It can also provide cylinder deactivation during deceleration and an idle-stop feature when the vehicle is stationary. With a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range exceeding 400 miles. Models for sale in California and states that have adopted the California Air Resources Board (CARB) ZEV standards receive an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) emissions rating.

The Insight EX with additional features starts at $21,300.

Honda Insight Sales Off To A Blazing Start in Japan

The 2009 Honda Insight





Can the Japanese keep up this sales pace? They have sold 10,000 units to date, which is double their monthly target. Apparently, the Japanese love their Honda Motor Company and consider the new Insight to be a valuable purchase. The Japanese economy is in the same boat as the rest of the world, so these sales figures are somewhat surprising.

Can these sales figues be maintained? The US sales premiere is scheduled for April.

From the Nikkei:

The environmentally friendly Insight “had a buoyant marketing start,” although Honda and other automakers have been hit by the global economic woes, a Honda official said...Consumers appear to have been attracted to the Insight due to its affordable sticker price, industry analysts said.

But it remains unclear whether orders for the Insight will continue growing at the pace Honda has enjoyed so far, given the current state of the Japanese economy, the analysts said.

Japanese Consumers Will Get Tax Break on Hybrids and Electric Cars

Here is a great idea; Give the buyer a much needed tax break. Japan will now let hybrid and electric car buyers receive a waiver on all taxes associated with the purchase. The United States offers consumers a tax refund instead of a tax break. The difference is in the financing of the automobile. The total price of the automobile in Japan would be roughly $1,600 less as opposed to the US, where the buyer usually has to finance the taxes. I like the Japanese model, how about you?

From Nikkei:

Normally, people purchasing new cars pay the automobile acquisition tax, which is equivalent to roughly 5% of the car’s price, and three years’ worth of the weight tax. This means a person buying a 2 million yen [US$21,700] car that weighs 1.3 tons has to pay a total of 146,700 yen [US$1,600] in taxes.

If the car is a hybrid or an electric vehicle, the taxes will be waived completely starting in April if the bill takes effect as planned. Other types of environmentally friendly cars will also receive 50-75% tax reductions depending on their fuel economies and exhaust emissions.

The New Honda Insight to Go On Sale in Japan Friday

The 2009 Honda Insight




Tomorrow, Friday, February 6th is the big day for Honda's new Hybrid, the Insight as it makes it debut in Japan. The new car is expected to start at ¥1,890,000 (~US$21,100) which will make it the lowest cost hybrid on the market. Finally, there is a competitor to the popular hybrid king, the Toyota Prius. I have always wondered why no other automaker bothered to challenge the Prius, since it has been so successful. Could that be one reason the Detroit 3 are in such dire straights, because they refused to offer a hybrid like the Prius?

Fuel efficiencies are somewhat confusing as the Japanese rate their vehicles differently than in the US. For example, the Insight hybrid is rated as delivering 26 km/L (61 mpg US, 3.8 L/100km) in JC08 mode and 30 km/L (70.6 mpg US, 3.3 L/100km) in 10•15 mode. In the US, the Insight offers an estimated EPA combined fuel-economy rating of 41 mpg US (17.4 km/L, 5.7 L/100km). Apparently, in the US, we only have one mode. 41 mpg is not quite as high as the Prius, but certainly close enough. The value of these cars is in their high city mileages. Driving around town, the engine can shut off when idle and the battery pack can help with the low speed propulsion. Virtually all four-door sedans in the US achieve less than 25 mpg in the city, which is simply not good enough.

At an MSRP five to six grand less than the Prius, look for the Honda Insight to take off in sales. Honda is known for producing quality vehicles and I expect this one will be no exception.

A Review of the New Honda Insight Hybrid

In the last post, we mentioned the all new Honda Insight Hybrid and I thought it would be good to publish a review. The Insight will be a direct competitor of the Toyota Prius with comparable fuel economy and a lower sticker price. I am surprised that it has taken auto manufacturers so long to come up with a competitor to the vaunted Prius, but the wait was worth it considering the value that Honda's Insight will provide. This offering could very well be the car of the year and will be affordable to the masses, which is what it will take to get the hybrid vehicle technology in everyone's garage.

From MSNBC.COM:

During boom times, value can go out of style, as dedicated followers of fashion pursue the latest trends and jockey for position in the social order with their accoutrements.

Whether it is outsized McMansions or blinged-out SUVs, when the economy is expanding, more consumers feel entitled to show off a bit. Advertisements cater to such impulses, counseling people that they deserve to treat themselves to something special.

Increasing interest in value should make the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid a popular choice, whenever people decide to start buying cars again. Once people open their wallets, they will likely do so with a mind to maximize their value, and the Insight will be waiting for them.

“We have a great deal of confidence that the Insight is the right car at the right time,” said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of logistics for American Honda.

Some might say that value is synonymous with fuel economy. But while efficiency plays a part — because we don’t want to get hijacked at the pump next time prices swing north of $3 — value for car consumers has more to do with purchase price and practicality.

That’s why tiny fuel-efficient cars like the original two-seat Insight have sold poorly, and it’s also why many shoppers who liked the combination of spaciousness and efficiency in Toyota’s Prius were put off by its price — now around $23,500.

Honda’s goal in designing the 2010 Insight was to find the value sweet spot, and it looks like they’ve hit it. The Insight marks the best intersection yet of the plots for price, efficiency and practicality.

Engineers accomplished this by designing a hybrid system with a priority on cost rather than maximum efficiency, scoring more bang for the buck than glittering technology showcases that no one can afford. They wrapped it in a five-door hatchback body that packs maximum cabin space into minimal physical size.

Many more hatchbacks are likely to come to market in the next few years, as consumers respond rationally to the design’s inherent flexibility, but in the meantime Insight drivers can appreciate the ability to fold down the rear seats and slide in large objects from the hatch’s load floor.

While Honda engineers sought a rational balance between cost and efficiency in the Insight’s hardware, they included software aimed at making the car more efficient by coaching the driver to go light on the gas pedal.

Honda The Insight’s dashboard color display changes to indicate relative efficiency without distracting the driver’s attention.

While the Prius and other hybrids have long featured video displays of fuel economy worthy of a Mario Brothers video game, Honda recognized the benefit of a simple approach: The color of the speedometer display changes to indicate relative efficiency without distracting the driver from the task of driving (the Insight’s speedometer is high-mounted at the base of the windshield, so that a driver can notice the color while still looking down the road).

The greener the display, the greener the driving. Floor it, and the speedometer quickly shifts to blue — this gives the driver a clear indication that he’s not driving as efficiently as he could. (I felt blue was sort of benign. A nice angry red might well have been aesthetically jarring, but it would have delivered an even more unmistakable message.)

The Insight’s onboard computer doesn’t stop with fuel economy. It not only shouts driving suggestions in real time like a soccer parent on the sidelines, it also keeps track of every detail like an obsessive baseball statistician.

US Sales of Gasoline-Electric Auto Sales Drops 9.9%

Here is some more bad news as concerns the auto industry. 2008 saw a decline of hybrid vehicles totaling nearly 10%. When gas prices skyrocketed, hybrid sales increased and Toyota Prius's actually sold for more than the MSRP. Now that gasoline is less than two bucks a gallon, prices have dropped. Further complicating matters is the global economic bust created by unscrupulous banking practices. Now automakers are up against the ropes and are torn between offering hybrids or promoting less expensive gas guzzlers.

Here is the main question; "What would you as a consumer do?" Considering the low price of gas and the premium price tag on a hybrid vehicle, are you going to spend more for the new technology? Apparently, car buyers are staying home and are not willing to commit to a new car purchase. Let's hope that our economy reverses course soon and hope that car manufacturers deliver reasonably priced alternative energy cars and trucks. The Honda Insight is one such vehicle and is expected to sell for 18 to 20 thousand MSRP.

From Automotive News:

U.S. sales of gasoline-electric hybrids fell 9.9 percent in 2008, after rising with gasoline prices early in the year and falling along with fuel costs and a collapsing auto market at the end.

Automakers sold 315,761 hybrids last year, 2.4 percent of the total vehicle market.

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. again sold about three of every four hybrids in the United States, despite new entries from General Motors. The segment-leading Toyota Prius reflected the topsy-turvy year: It tallied 91,440 sales in the first half and 67,444 in the second.

U.S. Hybrid Vehicle Sales
		2008	2007	% change
Chrysler LLC		81	-	-
Ford Motor Co.		19,522	25,108	-22.2%
General Motors		14,439	5,175	179.0%
American Honda		31,495	35,980	-12.5%
Nissan N.A.		8,819	8,388	5.1%
Toyota Motor Sales		241,405	275,779	-12.5%
TOTAL		315,761	350,430	-9.9%
Source: Automotive News Data Center, companies and National Renewable Energy Laboratory

"At $1.50 a gallon, the American public is not willing to pay for fuel-saving technology," GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said at last week's Detroit auto show.

American Honda Motor Co. and Toyota each sold 12.5 percent fewer hybrids last year than in 2007.

Ford Motor Co., No. 3 in hybrid sales behind Honda, suffered the greatest decline, down 22.2 percent. GM nearly tripled sales to 14,439 after adding hybrid versions of the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Malibu and Tahoe. Honda sold one hybrid for every eight Toyota delivered.

Fuel prices changed habits

Consumers changed their buying habits when gasoline prices passed $3.50 a gallon in April, Fin O'Neill, president of the market research firm J.D. Power and Associates, said in a speech last week in Detroit. After topping $4 in July, fuel prices tumbled to an average of $1.62 per gallon last month.

The sliding cost of gasoline coincided with a global financial crisis that squeezed credit and dragged vehicle sales to 25-year lows in the fourth quarter.

Hybrids weren't immune. Prius sales in November and December plunged more than 45 percent, prompting Toyota to delay plans to build the car in the United States.

The abrupt shift in Prius demand shows that fuel-efficient vehicles lose some appeal when gasoline prices are low, AutoNation Inc. CEO Mike Jackson said Wednesday at the Automotive News World Congress. A government that mandates fuel efficiency should use a fuel tax to encourage consumers to buy energy-saving vehicles, he said.

"Cheap gasoline combined with fuel efficiency mandated by the government is an economic and environmental disaster for America," Jackson said. "When the cost per mile driven goes down, people buy bigger, faster" cars and trucks, he said.

But consumers do want fuel-saving technology, other speakers told the World Congress.

'Catching up'

"North America is catching up with the rest of the world -- particularly the North American consumer -- on the importance of these things," said Harold Krivan, president of the consulting firm Sawgrass Solutions LLC.

For now, automakers need to bring green technology's cost in line with its value to consumers, said Andrew Brown Jr., chief technologist at Delphi Corp.

"People want the technology, but it's got to be economical," Brown said. "That's the challenge in the industry now: to get the cost of those components down."

Most of the figures for hybrid sales come from automakers; the National Renewable Energy Laboratory provides estimates for Nissan, along with the 2007 totals from GM that were used to calculate its gains for last year.