| Chevy Volt gets 93 mpge rating from EPA But also 37 mpg and 60 mpg. |
By 2025, a 300-mile range EV could become a reality. |
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| from an aggressive little company Talk about an uphill drive. |
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How far will Volkswagen go to dominate the marketplace? The all-new Jetta is a good indication.
Most major automakers don’t have to worry about having a shell land in the middle of their boardroom. But the news out of the Korean peninsula makes it clear this is a very serious, very real possibility for the folks who run Hyundai and Kia.
Lotus’ new line-up may be tough to understand, so here’s your definitive cheat-sheet.
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After yesterday’s 99 miles per gallon (equivalent) EPA rating for the , had to be eager to get the numbers for the from the government – if for no other reason than because these efficiency stickers are the last thing .
Today, GM shared the official numbers with the world, and they range from 37 miles per gallon to 93 mpge (equivalent) combined to 60 mpg “composite.” Sixty mpg composite is a “combined, combined” number, and will be completely different for everyone. You might want to think of it as a lifetime figure, since it accounts for both electricity and gasoline consumed. Oh, and it’s also best in class for compact cars. The Volt’s official electric-only range will be 35 miles, but GM, like Nissan, has been giving a range recently of 25-50 miles recently. The Volt now has an official total range of 379 miles, with 344 miles of that being extended range (i.e., gas) driving. As Tony DiSalle, Chevrolet product marketing director, said, “If you try to boil it down to a single number, it gets quite difficult.”
Doug Parks, Chevrolet Volt Global Vehicle Line Executive, said he is “quite pleased” with the numbers and understands that it is a complicated story to tell. GM and the EPA worked together to come up with this label to figure in all of the different modes that impact the vehicle’s efficiency. We’ve heard that the 2011 Volt will have a temporary EPA label, but Parks told us that what you see above will likely be what we see in next year, saying “Our intent was not to do something that was a one-year deal. Our hope is that this is very similar to the path that everyone will go down in the future. We tried to make the label look as similar as it can to next year.”
So, what about that . Well, that was a different way to calculate things. “230 by itself was never intended to be a composite number,” Parks said.
[Source: GM]
1,200 hp. 268 mph. $2.58 million. And worth every single penny.
Chris, Dan and Alex recap the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, Top Gear USA’s first episode and the return of the Holden Commodore as a Chevrolet.
The first installment of our in-depth look into the future of Lotus Cars.
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Episode #205 of the Autoblog Podcast features the monthly appearance of Alex Nunez. Chris, Dan and Alex recap the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, Top Gear USA’s first episode, the return of the Holden Commodore as a Chevrolet, and it all wraps up with your questions and feedback at the hour and a half mark. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #205: LA Recap, Top Gear USA, and Chevy Zetas
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Runtime: 1:31:35
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Car and Driver has just released its annual list of top 10 vehicles for 2011. Populated by plenty of familiar faces like the , and , this year’s 10 Best won’t bring too many surprises to the table. The newcomers to the crowd won’t exactly raise any eyebrows, either. The , and (the did make it ) are all solid, common-sense picks in our eyes.
Of course, some of the old guard had to fall off to make room for the new metal, and as such, the , and are nowhere to be found.
It’s worth noting that the inclusion of the Chevy Volt marks the first time that an electric-powered car has ever made the cut, though it’s unlikely to be the last. Check out our gallery of the winners below, then to have a look at the full press release.
Gallery:
[Source: Main Image: Car and Driver]
We’ve found the best way for the Griswold clan to smoke Christy Brinkley’s Ferrari 308 GTSi.
Despite the hue and cry of the Twitterverse, the first episode of Top Gear USA wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t great, either. But is it worth your time?
All you need to know about the all-new RS3: 340-hp inline five, quattro all-wheel drive and front tires that are 10mm thicker than the rears…
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As far as we know, the first production models are . , though, has received the details on what the government agency has rated its all-electric at, and it looks good: a combined rating of 99 miles per gallon (equivalent) which breaks down into 106 city/92 highway. The official EPA range for the car is 73 miles, which (we know it ), and the annual electric cost is estimated at $561. The Leaf is the first vehicle to get this new label, Nissan spokesperson Katherine Zachary told AutoblogGreen that 99 mpg puts the Leaf way in front into the “best” fuel efficiency rating for mid-size vehicle class. It’ll be interesting to see how Nissan uses this in upcoming advertisements, especially since the company has called the car a compact in the past.
So, how does the EPA calculate mpg for an electric car? Nissan’s presser says the EPA uses a formula where 33.7 kWhs are equivalent to one gallon of gasoline energy. Also, the EPA determined the Leaf’s efficiency is 3.4 miles per kWh, another number you can easily beat while driving, as the driver info screen can prove. Since the Leaf has a 24 kWh battery pack and can go, officially, 73 miles, then, the EPA says, it could theoretically go 99 miles if it had a 33.7 kWh pack (and everything else about the car remained the same). Make sense?
Maybe, but the car will also have another label from the Federal Trade Commission that it applies to all alternative fuel vehicles. That sticker will show that the Leaf gets 96 to 110 miles of range, so don’t trust everything you see. Check out Nissan’s official press release after the jump for more details.
Gallery:
Photos copyright (C)2010 Damon Lavrinc / AOL
[Source: Nissan]
Episode #205 of the Autoblog Podcast records tonight, and we’ve got some things to talk about. Drop us your own feedback and questions below if you think there’s anything we’ve missed, or vote on your fellow readers’ submissions to help determine what we discuss this momentous evening. You can subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already to hear your question answered.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #201
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A fountain of tears was shed when the sedans bit the dust along with their parent brand. The Poncho-fied Holden Commodore was one of our favorite rides – particularly in its delicious, LS3-powered GXP guise with a six-speed stick. As you know, Holden is once again ready to export Zeta-based sedans to the U.S. in the form of the new long-wheelbase Chevy Caprice police cruisers, but civilian variants are not part of the program. This brings us to the , which reports that a new export agreement to send standard-wheelbase Holden VE Commodores back stateside as Chevrolets may be on the horizon.
Drive quotes General Motors engineer Al Oppenheiser as confirming that negotiations are indeed underway, while a second unnamed GM source told the website that it’s a done deal. A Holden spokesman told Drive that in terms of exports, the focus is presently on the Caprice PPV, but added that other deals are being pursued. There’s good reason to be hopeful. GM North America President Mark Reuss was the boss at Holden in 2008 and 2009, and clearly knows just how good the product is.
The G8 won widespread praise during its brief tenure, and the lack of a legit sport sedan is a glaring hole in Chevy’s otherwise comprehensive lineup. It’s also important to remember that thanks to the Pontiac G8, most of the development to federalize the Aussie four-door has already been done. It would likely not take much to get the current ready for a U.S. encore. Hell, if it actually happens, maybe this time GM could even go through with the ute introduction, too. Naming the Chevy version would be a snap, after all.
Fingers crossed, everybody. Thanks to TriShield for the heads-up!
Gallery:
[Source: ]
The is only a short time away from having a home at dealerships across the country, but like many media outlets, Motor Trend has been thoroughly testing GM’s halo car for some time. In fact, MT has been so impressed with the Volt that it just recently name the extended range EV its . That’s a big deal for and its newest darling, but not everyone is happy with the magazine’s choice. In fact, outspoken radio show host Rush Limbaugh recently weighed in with not only a bit of criticism for this decision.
This isn’t the first time Limbaugh has been less than favorable in his opinion of the Volt. As you may recall, back in July. This time, however, Limbaugh questioned Motor Trend’s credibility, and in order to make sure both sides of the argument are well-represented, MT’s Todd Lassa has . Here, Lassa’s main point was to reinforce why the Volt won this award, though a few shots are Limbaugh were made, as well. Lassa called the Volt “the biggest automotive technological breakthrough since… I don’t know, maybe the self-starter,” and then went on to hammer Limbaugh and fellow political pundit George Will for not understanding what makes the Volt so significant. The sleeves are rolled and the claws are out, folks. Head over to MT to read the response for yourself.
Gallery:
[Source: ]
NADAguides has officially picked its Car of the Year for 2011, and the choice may surprise you. While the , and have been big media mongers this year, NADAguides shunned those stars in favor of the . According to , the newest Tri-Shield beat out 10 other would-be winners on the basis of fuel economy, price and performance, among other attributes. This isn’t the first time that the 2011 Regal has gotten a nod from NADAguides, though. The sedan also won a Car of the Month award from the organization back in September.
General Motors has been raking in the trophies this year, with the picking up Car of the Year wins from both and , as well as being named today at the 2010 LA Auto Show. The good press is likely music to the company’s ears as its . for the full press blast.
Gallery:
Photos by John Neff / Copyright (C)2010 AOL
[Source: General Motors]
The battle for law enforcement domination rages on. A gaggle of would-be police cruisers showed up at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for public testing recently, and of all the competitors, the Taurus-based Ford Police Interceptor with its twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine managed to turn the quickest lap time of the bunch by beating out the V8-powered forces from and . It also ran from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds. Ford isn’t saying exactly which other cars were on hand for abuse, but we can probably guess they were the and .
The new 3.7-liter V6-powered , which is based on upcoming , also managed to turn a lap time that was a full two seconds quicker than the new law enforcement . Both vehicles were laden with a 400-pound cargo box at the time.
Ford’s standard 3.5-liter V6 held its own during the competition, too – beating out the rest of the V6-equipped enforcers in handling, braking, acceleration and lap time tests. Ford says that in addition to performance and durability, the Interceptor also brings impressive fuel economy to the table – offering up to 20-percent better economy than the outgoing Crown Victoria.
How’s that for a change from the ? for the full press release.
Gallery:
Gallery:
Live photos by Steven J. Ewing / Copyright (C)2010 AOL
[Source: Ford]
| Car of the Year title Another sign the electric car era is here. |
Partnership with big OEMs will pay off in Tesla’s important second model. |
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| i takes the stage It’s not an i-MiEV. |
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The drove off with the at the this morning, beating out tough competition from the and ending a two-year diesel powertrain reign (at the 2008 show, the was ; last year, the ). The other finalists for this year’s award, given out by Green Car Journal, included the , and the .
The Natural Resources Defense Council’s said during the ceremony that “the environment means business.” To be globally competitive, automakers need highly-efficient vehicles to compete and, “what this means is that green vehicles are going to go mainstream.” The Green Car of the Year award embodies this change. When it was first given out in 2006, it was sort of tacked on at the end of the LA Auto Show. Today, as it was in ‘09, the ceremony was a highlight of the show.
Last year, Green Car Journal editor Ron Cogan made a point to mention the five vehicles up for consideration were notable because they were mainstream vehicles that were already available. This year, only three of the candidates are currently on dealer lots. With the high tech involved in the Leaf and Volt, though, we’re okay with the slight delay in availability.
If you were rooting for the Leaf, don’t worry too much. Today, that car from TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk over in the UK. Still, in the U.S., the Green Car Journal award is the big one, and we want to know if the Volt claiming the first Green Car of the Year award of the electric era – and if there’s one message we’re heard here in LA this year, it’s that we’re really in the electric era now – make sense to you. Let us know in the comments below.
[Source: Green Car of the Year]
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The first batch of production are ready to ship, they’re just waiting on the EPA to issue an official . global product chief Tom Stephens told that the required sticker certifying the Volt’s miles per gallon rating is expected “any day,” and that’s a requirement before the vehicles can head out the door.
As a few weeks ago, when the 2011 Fuel Economy Guide was released by the EPA and DOE, the Volt just missed being included in the publication because, as the EPA stated, “no 2011 model year electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have completed testing as of publication of this list.” The was again listed as the most fuel efficient available in the U.S., but we’ll soon be able to see where the Volt stands in terms of official fuel economy.
The Volt, named the , can run 25 to 50 miles on battery only and an additional 310 miles when assisted by the gasoline engine. GM is pushing through with its plans of producing 10,000 Volts through 2011 and 45,000 in 2012.
Gallery:
[Source: - Sub. Req'd]
One could be excused for thinking that the definition of urban luxury might be the , but apparently the hive mind at most luxurious division have other thoughts on the subject. In fact, it seems is thinking the exact opposite. To wit, take a gander at the Urban Luxury Concept that’s being debuted at the 2010 LA Auto Show.
As would seem appropriate for a car intended for urban confines, this Caddy concept features rather small exterior dimensions, but the automaker claims that it’s large inside with seating for four occupants. Wheelbase comes in at a hair over 97 inches and overall length measures 151 inches. Width is listed at 68.1 inches and height at just under 57 inches.
Ingress and egress takes place through a pair of scissor doors that extend outward and rotate forward when opened – supposedly a boon for tight urban parking spaces. The rest of the exterior carries the brand’s Art and Science motif to new levels and could sort of be described as a or drawn with nothing but a straight edge. We wouldn’t call it pretty, but striking would certainly be an apt descriptor.
Interior space is recovered by the lack of the expected gauges and control surfaces. Instead, we have projectors and a slew of capacitive touch screens that glow Tanzanite blueish-purple. There’s a hide-away right-hand touch pad and the back of the folding passenger seat converts into an Orbit Baby SmartHub.
Power comes from a 1.0-liter turbocharged three cylinder engine (perhaps the unit that was originally planned for the Chevy Volt?) that makes up part of a hybrid drivetrain. GM claims the system would provide a completely theoretical 56 miles per gallon in the city and 65 mpg on the highway.
To get the full story of the Urban Luxury Concept, you really need to take a look at our high-res image gallery below, and you’ll also find the complete press release .
Gallery:
[Source: Cadillac]
Earlier this morning, Chevrolet let loose with of the just ahead of the car’s official debut at the LA Auto Show. The droptop pony car hasn’t been a secret for some time now, but this is our first real look at a standard production model.
Perhaps it’s because the concept version debuted nearly four years ago in Detroit or because we’ve seen dozens of spy photos, but for some reason, the hardly seems like a new car. The front end is essentially unchanged from the coupe, so if you like the hardtop then you’ll likely enjoy the looks of the convertible, as well. Even so, the folks at are excited about having a second model to help improve their sales lead over the , and we’re sure that they’ll soon be popping up all over the place in warmer states and rental car fleets across the country.
It was a typically warm Southern California day without a cloud in the sky, and we would have loved to take the out for a spin. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to get behind the wheel just yet, but we did take plenty of photos that can be found in the high-res gallery below. You can also hit the jump for the official press release from in case you missed it this morning.
Gallery:
Photos copyright (C)2010 / AOL
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