As a candidate, Barack Obama promised to try and get . In his State of the Union address in 2011, he and proposed turning the $7,500 tax credit into a point-of-purchase rebate. That hasn’t yet happened, but in the President’s proposed budget that was released this week, Obama took another stab at promoting plug-ins: upping the maximum credit to $10,000.
To go along with pushing PHEVs, the budget calls for cutting more subsidies that Big Oil currently enjoys. Of course, the President’s political opponents that would divide America. Others are entirely.
Getting to a million plug-ins in four years will be tough. Last year, the top two plug-ins, the and the , sold just 17,345 units, . Add in sales of the and the new , and that leaves 980,000 or so to go. Do you think an extra $2,500 off the price of the car – plus more models to choose from – will do the trick?
Chicago Auto Show recap, Tesla Model X, BMW M6, Toyota Prius C
Episode #269 of the is here with Chris, Dan, and Sebastian Blanco. Topics include a quick recap of the Chicago Auto Show, some chatter about the Tesla Model X and BMW M6, and we finish up with the Toyota Prius C. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #269:
In the Autoblog Garage
Hosts: , ,
Runtime: 01:08:32
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If the prevailing opinion of a new design can be judged by initial sales, then the jury is in on the . They like it. They really, really like it. From the time the electric crossover was driven out on stage at Tesla Design Studios late Thursday night/early Friday morning until Valentine’s Day four days later, says it has received over $40 million worth of reservation love.
What that means is that over 500 people have plunked down a significant amount of cash – $5,000 for regular production version or $40,000 for a Signature package – to reserve a vehicle that won’t even begin serious production until 2014. Think about that for a moment. Nobody, except a lucky few employees, has even driven the X prototype. Hell, barely anyone has ever taken the wheel of the , with which it shares its platform.
While some of the orders did come from people switching their Model S reservation to the X, Tesla says sedan sales weren’t cannibalized. In fact, the company says, sales of the S saw a boost of 30 percent following the big event.
Another indication of sentiment for publicly traded companies like Tesla Motors () is its stock price. If you panicked and sold off shares a month ago when the price plunged 20 percent on , you may want to begin kicking yourself now. (Go ahead, we’ll wait.) From that $22.79 low, it has climbed to $33.17 (as of this writing). Now, we’re not financial experts, but that would seem to indicate that the market likes the company’s outlook.
Make your way to read the press release and, if you were unable to see the live presentation of the Model X on Tesla’s website, we have that official footage waiting there as well.
Judging by the recent spate of i8 , is cranking away on the plug-insupercar to make sure its primped and ready for its on-sale date in 2014.
However, one thing appears to be missing: the glass panel that extends down past the coupe’s belt line. That same design element – – probably won’t make it to the i8’s little EV brother, the i3, either.
But one element that appears to be making the leap from concept to production is the i8’s butterfly doors. We’ve seen them on both the and , not to mention . Now we have photographic proof that the i8’s doors will flip up and out, similar to the Enzo and past McLarens (both the F1 and SLR). And since the doors appear to open just passed the roof, BMW won’t have to resort to the same explosive charges has to employ on the .
We record Episode #269 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below. We’re joined by Sebastian Blanco tonight, so now’s your chance to pepper us with those Green-focused questions and topics. Check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #269
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is struggling with the rising yen, so much so that the automaker has been shifting vehicle production . That’s bad news for laborers in Japan, but it works out in favor of the American workforce in Princeton, Indiana.
That’s because Toyota has announced that it will hire 400 more workers and spend $400 million to ramp up production of the popular . Toyota plans to ship off the extra production to buyers in countries like Russia and Australia. The plant expansion and additional jobs will enable the Princeton plant to crank out 50,000 additional Highlander models each year.
Toyota plans to complete the upgrades to the Princeton facility by late 2013. Hit the jump to read over the Toyota press release.
A California woman last week, receiving nearly $10,000 in damages after getting lower-than-advertised fuel economy in her Hybrid. Early next week, we may have a better idea of how many people intend to follow her lead.
A key deadline arrives Saturday that affects all U.S. residents who bought a Civic Hybrid between 2003 and 2009. Those owners are considered part of a class-action lawsuit regarding the fuel-economy issue – unless they opt out of the case by Saturday.
Owners who opt out will not be entitled to the expected settlement of up to $200 and a coupon off their next purchase. But opting out preserves their right to go it alone in court, as Heather Peters did, and seek a more substantial payout.
In order to opt out, owners must send a certified letter to the settlement administrator postmarked no later than tomorrow. More information can be found at hchsettlement.com.
Automakers, legal experts and consumer-rights advocates are all keeping an eye on what happens in the class-action suit, both in terms of how the case is settled and how many people forgo a smaller settlement with the intent of filing individual cases.
There’s something undeniably enthralling about watching a vehicle perform outside of its intended element. It’s why we love seeing semi tractors weaving their way around a road course and rally cars bashing down a rock-strewn desert path. It’s also why watching a Formula car dash around the snow-covered Nürburgring paints a big ol’ smile on our faces.
When winter weather recently set in on Green Hell, Andy Gulden, the chief instructor for the Nürburgring Driving Academy went out to have a little fun. After a quick tire change, Gulden and the Formula racer were happy as could be flicking around the infamous track.
Gulden doesn’t hold back on the accelerator as he tackles the course, either. Fortunately for us, he was kind enough to strap a few cameras to the car before he rolled out of the garage. The resulting video is a look at the Nürburgring as you’ve likely never seen it before. to check out the clip for yourself.
Toyota’s new doesn’t look like a math problem, but that’s what it is.
Hidden behind its attractive hatchback body and Toyota Synergy Drive hybrid powertrain, the Prius C is just a bunch of numbers. Numbers like the car’s miles per gallon rating, its MSRP, how many can be produced and how many Toyota hopes to sell. ran these numbers through its “Do we build it?” formula, which is what caused the Prius C to come into being, but the good news is that this smallest of Prii adds up to more than what was put into it, and even introduces a bit of fun to the appliance-like Prius driving experience. Not much, mind you, but enough that its target audience – young people who want to buy the most efficient gas-powered vehicle on the market today – should take notice.
Here are some of the calculations that Toyota is making for its new Prius family. Instead of selling 136,463 “normal” as it did last year (down from 140,928 in 2010), the Japanese automaker believes that three new models – the , the smaller C and the – will push cumulative Prius sales up to 220,000 in 2012 and then go up from there.
Last year, Toyota’s group vice president for U.S. sales, Bob Carter, said he expects the Prius to be the automaker’s number one nameplate by 2020. Sure, the Prius continues to sell well in green car circles and has been the best selling car in Japan for a year and a half, but for Carter’s statement to come true, the Prius family would have to outsell the almighty . Think about that. Think about the ambition – and challenge – behind those words. This is the equation that the Prius C needs to solve.
It’s amazing what a little regulation can do for an industry. In the past four years, the fuel economy of new vehicles has improved by an average of 14 percent, according to a new study by the University of Michigan. This increase comes on the heels of big hikes in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, which . Since then, , and .
The Michigan study showed that the average fuel efficiency of 2012 light-duty vehicles on the market was 21.5 mpg, up from 18.9 in 2008. Adjusted for the vehicles that are actually purchased, the number is even higher, with 2011 coming in at 22.5 mpg. Researchers say that shows that consumers are buying models with better fuel economy.
The biggest efficiency improvements over the past four years came from diesels, which jumped 9.8 mpg, likely as a result of more diesel passenger cars being offered. Hybrids, oddly enough, saw their average fuel economy drop by 3 mpg’s, no doubt because of a number of larger and thirstier hybrids hitting the market, like the .
The all-electric crossover was unveiled at a red-carpet, velvet-rope style event at the TeslaDesign Studios in Hawthorne, CA tonight, with company co-founder Elon Musk confirming that the Model X will start production late next year and that full production is expected in 2013.
With luminaries such as California Gov. Jerry Brown in attendance and a post-announcement concert by Foster the People, Musk presented a CUV that, as , has so-called “” doors that are similar to those of the old gull-wing vehicles but bend in the middle, allowing them to be opened in tight spaces while offering better access to the rear and third row of seats. Musk said the Model X, which is expected to be priced similar to the $57,500 Model S sedan set to debut this summer, can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, or 0.2 seconds quicker than a . The vehicle, which Musk says can seat “seven real adults,” actually has front and rear electric motors that instantaneously shift power from one to the other to maximize traction, Musk said. He added that the CUV’s turning radius was comparable to that of a .
Musk, speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,000 people, touted the Model X as having, “more room than a minivan, more style than an SUV and more performance than a sports car.” Indeed, with no internal combustion engine, the vehicle has substantial rear cargo space behind the third row of seats as well as a “frunk” in front of the car (which provided the evening’s only glitch with a sticky latch. See video of that ). Musk said that the “frunk” has the same storage space as the rear cargo area of an . Musk should know, since he owns one.
Musk also said Telsa will start deliveries of the Model S sedan – upon which the X is based – “no later than July” and will start taking online reservations for the Model X at noon Pacific time Friday. Tesla is expected to produce between 10,000 and 15,000 Model X units a year starting in 2014.
Here it is, the Tesla Model X, the CUV prototype version of the Model S.
We’ll have more details live from California soon, but here’s what we know at the moment. The Model X can hit 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, will , and it has those cool “falcon” gullwing-like doors.
With the batteries housed in the same low skateboard as the S, the X has a lot of space. Since the CUV doesn’t need a combustion engine, there are actually two trunks: one in front and one in the back. This means, Elon Musk said at the unveiling today, that the Model X can fit seven people and their luggage. The X will also feature all-wheel drive and come with a range of battery options, but . The X is heavier than the S and will therefore offer around 10 percent less range from the same 40-, 60- and 85-kWh battery packs that the S uses. It’s price will begin around $50k after tax credits, but will rise close to $90k with the largest battery pack and all the trimmings ordered.
Tesla will start taking reservations at noon PST February 10th (i.e., later today). Oh, and Tesla is going to offer a fourth model, to be revealed in around two years. More to come.
The true jewels of most auto shows are often hidden, requiring a bit more legwork to find. During our third pass of the , we stumbled upon a display from the . Tucked away in a corner behind low aluminum railing, we found a stunning full-size two-door hardtop: the 1954 Mercury XM 800 Concept.
When it was first introduced at the 1954 , the XM 800 made quite an impact. Mechanically speaking, it was fitted with a 312 cubic inch engine rated at 270 horsepower. A Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, sending power to the rear wheels, was standard. Its design was noted for an expansive greenhouse offering passengers an almost 360-degree outside view. Benson Ford, running the Lincoln-Mercury Division at the time, pushed for the XM-800’s basic design to be added to the Mercury lineup. The plan to move forward was only extinguished because the automaker switched gears to work on Edsel.
The fiberglass XM 800 traveled extensively in 1954 and 1955, making appearances at most major car shows and special exhibitions (including the Chicago Auto Show). It even had a featured role in Hollywood, appearing in the 20th Century Fox production Woman’s World. In the late 1950s, the concept car was gifted to the University of Michigan’s Automotive Engineering Lab to be used for training and design inspiration. Ten years later, the Mercury ended up in storage outside a barn on a farm in central Michigan. Thankfully, the deteriorating concept car caught the eye of an enthusiast who purchased it and began a 20-year frame off, nut-and-bolt restoration.
Today, the 1954 Mercury XM 800 is considered to be one of the most significant concept cars ever produced. It recently sold at the RM Auction for $429,000. Check out the for its interesting history and our gallery for some beautiful design.
Remember when we said that the (worst name ever) shown in Tokyo was basically the next ? We weren’t lying. The 2013 Outlander will debut next month at the , and has released the first photo of the new crossover. What’s more, the fancy PX-MiEV II concept apparently wasn’t a vaporware showcase; Mitsubishi says that a plug-in hybrid version of the Outlander will join the roster later in 2012.
The Euro-spec Outlander launches this summer with 2.0-liter gas and 2.2-liter turbodiesel power, three seating rows, and an eco-driving coach feature designed to help drivers eke out the best possible fuel economy. Furthermore, the diesel version will offer an automatic start-stop feature to help maximize efficiency and minimize emissions.
Available driver aids include Forward Collision Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, and Adaptive Cruise Control systems. There’s not much else to tell right now, other than that Russia gets the new Outlander first, followed by a global rollout that includes North America. to read the press release, and click the image above to see a larger version.
During the , said the new would . Today, we learn that this is like a lesson from Obi-Wan: what Toyota told us was true, from a certain point of view.
The base level Prius C One’s MSRP is indeed $18,950, but that doesn’t include a $760 destination charge, and you can easily spend north of $23,000 for the top-of-the-line Prius C Four. Still, that’s a raging deal for a car estimated to get a fuel economy rating of 53/46/50 miles per gallon (city/highway/combined) from the EPA. As Toyota is quick to point out, those numbers make the C the, “highest rated city fuel economy of any vehicle without a plug.”
As you might have surmised, there will be four trim levels for the Prius C and, unsurprisingly, some of the best features are only available on the upper ends. The Four, for example, is the only version that has fog lights and that can be optioned with 16-inch, eight-spoke alloy wheels (all others make due with 15-inchers). Also, neither the One, Two or Three can be equipped with an important cold-weather feature: heated front seats. At least things like automatic climate control, Bluetooth phone controls and remote keyless entry all come standard. The Prius C goes on sale in March. Full details in the press release .
It’s not like we needed any more reason to like the , but went ahead and debuted the Track’ster concept at the anyway. The Track’ster is a three-door, all-wheel-drive, 250-hp version of the cute and quirky urban Soul that we hope gets green lights all along its road to production. That’s wishful thinking, but follow along to find out why we want the Track’ster made so badly.
The Track’ster eschews a back seat in favor of a “fully integrated equipment tray and spare-tire well.”
To date, the Soul has been anything but a performance machine. The Track’ster changes that in a big way by eschewing not only a pair of doors, but also the back seat in favor of what Kia describes as a “fully integrated equipment tray and spare-tire well.” This tray is designed to house helmets, race suits, gloves, tools and all the accoutrement that goes with being a serious track rat.
The idea for the Track’ster is to run what your brung, so while the car itself carries everything you need to race, it also needs to move with enough hustle that you’re not embarrassed behind the wheel. To that end, Kia has fitted the concept with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 250 horsepower that gets dissected by a six-speed short throw manual transmission and further divided among all four 19-inch wheels by an all-wheel-drive system.
Despite the lack of rear doors, the Track’ster sports a wheelbase nearly an inch longer than the Soul and a 75.5-inch rear track that stretches nearly five inches wider. Likewise, its braking system is also extra strength with 14-inch Brembos clamped by six-piston calipers up front and 13.6-inch discs with four-piston calipers in back. Of course, the interior has also been done up for concept duty, but not so much that it’s outside the realm of possibility.
The Track’ster is one of those concepts that occupies a space just near enough reality that we believe it, or something like it, could be be produced if the proletariat buying regular old Souls screamed loudly enough. Let us just say, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
has no interest in pursuing down diesel, according to Autocar. The publication spoke with Ola Kallenius, chairman of the board of management at Mercedes-Benz AMG, who said the company explored the idea of performance diesels in the past and found the concept too fraught with compromises to be worthwhile. Kallenius said gasoline engines have obvious advantages when it comes to weight, sound, agility and response. The AMG guru also pointed to the fact that the company’s modern performance engines have borrowed considerable diesel technology, including direct injection and turbocharging, to reach their current power and efficiency levels.
In a separate report, Kallenius was quoted as saying it would be wise to grow the AMG brand after the success of the coupe and roadster. Rumors have indicated a machine capable of giving the a run for its money around the world’s race tracks may be in the cards, but Kallenius said no final decision has been made about growing the performance arm’s ranks just yet. Still, the boss didn’t outright nix the idea, so there’s some glimmer of possibility there, however thin.
When spending big dollars on a Super Bowl ad buy, companies would do themselves well to remember that the successful spots aren’t just the ones being talked about the next day. The ads that more eyeballs actually saw while watching the game were also worth their weight in focus groups.
For the second year in a row, General Motors is claiming that it aired the most watched ad during the most watched event in U.S. TV history. We are speaking of the 30-second spot entitled “” featuring the that aired during the game’s most tense moments, right after the official two-minute warning was reached. The time was 9:37 PM EST and, according to analysis by Kantar Media, more people were watching NBC’s broadcast at that time than any other.
And since this year’s Super Bowl was again viewed by another record audience – 111.3 million viewers in the U.S., not to mention over a billion worldwide – the ATS ad therefore becomes the most watched advertisement on television in U.S. history.
We said this is the second time that GM has claimed this crown. The first was To see the two most watched spots in U.S. television history back-to-back, just .
This isn’t good. The Associated Press is reporting that has stopped production of the and laid off 26 Delaware employees and 40 contractors in California. The carmaker is reportedly looking to conserve cash while attempting to renegotiate loans granted by the Department of Energy.
Fisker originally signed on for a $529 million loan, of which only $193 million has been received. Fisker reportedly cannot get at the remaining funds, which are earmarked for the delayed , because the automaker failed to meet Karma sales targets that were a condition of the loan. A few days ago, Fisker for the $100,000 Karma to a still very lofty 10,000 units in 2012.
Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher told the AP that the automaker is hoping for a speedy resolution to its cash crunch. We hope so too, or Fisker could be in a heap of trouble.
If you’ve been following the story of the soon-to-be-revealed , you’re likely aware that the all-electric crossover is said to be and (at least as an option). Also, if is any indication, it should be pretty svelte.
What you might not know is that the feature likely to garner the most initial attention are its unique doors. Specifically, “falcon” doors. While we suspect front passengers will gain entrance to the vehicle in the traditional way, the rear portals will be decidedly different. CEO Elon Musk intimated as much when , “The most interesting view of the Model X is really with the doors open.”
So, what are falcon doors? Having seen photos of the Model X, Theo O’Neill of Wunderlich Securities explains that they “lift up and fold – like the wing of a bird,” pivoting from the top. Apparently, this will help the Model X achieve its “functionality of a minivan” mandate, allowing easy access to attend to child car seats and such.
Though we can really only begin to decide whether this configuration is a stroke of genius or too clever by half after the official reveal on February 9 at 8:00PM, we suspect some of you might already be forming opinions. Feel free to share with the rest of the class in the comments.
