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Our spy photographers managed to spot something curious (and decidedly hilarious) recently. General Motors has been busy testing what would appear to be Chevrolet Volt models with massive 20-inch wheels and tires in place of the low-rolling resistance pieces on the stock plug-in.

Why? Guesses are slim at the moment, but one hypothesis is that this is actually our first glimpse at a Cadillac Converj test mule. That vehicle will make use of an altered version of the Voltec drivetrain found in the Chevrolet, albeit bolted to flashier wheels. The luxury hybrid has been an on-again-off-again affair for General Motors since the concept first rolled across the stage at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Last we heard, the Converj is on track for launch in either 2013 or 2014. If true, now would be the time to begin working out any engineering bugs on the rumored Voltec 1.5 system. With luxury buyers more willing to hand over stacks of cash for new technology, the Converj could make quite a bit more sense to buyers than the Volt. Or bolting chrome dubs to a hybrid, for that matter.

Is this dub-rockin’ Chevrolet Volt actually a Cadillac Converj in disguise?

Found in translation?

Demand for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid vehicle in the U.S. has been up and down over the car’s first 16-odd months, but executives at General Motors’ Opel division in Europe are saying that the Ampera, the Volt’s European twin, is getting some good attention.

The Ampera has received more than 7,000 orders, leading Opel executives to believe that the Ampera will hit its 2012 sales target of 10,000 units, website Plug In Cars is reporting, citing Enno Fuchs, Opel’s e-mobility launch director.

Opel started shipping Amperas to customers last month, saying that most of those owners previously owning high-end cars from automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. General Motors is hoping the Ampera will be better received in Europe than the Volt has been here in the States, where it has become a political lightning rod. Earlier this month, GM said it would shut down Volt production for five weeks – starting this week – in order to thin-out dealer inventory of the car. And last year, GM missed its sales goal of 10,000 units, selling just 7,671 units. GM makes both the Volt and the Ampera at the same plant in Hamtramck, MI.

Still, the Volt showed signs of more life last month when the model moved 1,023 units, up from 603 vehicles in January. The Volt and Ampera were also recently named the 2012 European Car of the Year. Last October, Opel bumped the Ampera’s 2012 sales target to at least 10,000 from 8,000 after Opel had received more than 6,000 paid reservations.

Chevy Volt sister car Opel Ampera gets 7,000 pre-orders, may hit 2012 sales target

Infiniti’s rival to the BMW 3 Series is known by just one letter – that letter, of course, being G – but the range is expanding beyond the solitary G35 that had been the mainstay of the line for years. The G35 was succeeded by the G37 (pictured above) and recently supplemented by the smaller-displacement G25, but emerging reports indicate that Infiniti has a whole raft of new versions on their way.

The report from Car and Driver is bolstered by tell-tale trademark applications for the nameplates G35h, G30t and G22d. The numbers tell us something, but it’s the lower-case letters that follow which really indicate what to expect. The G35h, then, could seemingly adapt the hybrid powertrain currently found in the M35h, coupling a 3.5-liter V6 with electric assist. The G30t suggests a turbocharged engine is in the pipeline, though it’s too early to tell if the spool would be fitted to a four- or six-cylinder engine. Finally, a G22d could join the range of diesel models which Infiniti currently offers in Europe.

We’ll have to wait and see if and when the Nissan premium marque rolls out these model variants on its mainstay line of sedans, coupes and convertibles, but the trademark filings at least give some guidelines to our anticipation.

Infiniti files for G35h, G30t and G22d trademarks

There’s not a whole lot to say about the Fisker Nina teaser image that the company just dropped into our inboxes, it’s largely just a way to say the real thing will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in a few short weeks. In the thick, stylized lines offered here, we see hints of the Karma and not a whole lot more.

So we went looking in the archives. We’ve heard the Nina plug-in hybrid will be about the size of a BMW 5 Series and be powered by a BMW four-cylinder engine. We’ve also heard production is supposed to start by the middle of 2013 and that three variants will be available by the end of 2014. Those are reports from the past and we know how things change in the green car world. We’ll have to see what Fisker tells us in New York when it offers up “a business update and a glimpse of our future” to know for sure. What are your thoughts?

Fisker teases Nina plug-in hybrid, full reveal coming in New York

Audi may be looking to fill the void between the A4 Avant and Q5 with a new model, according to Automobile. The company hasn’t nailed down a name just yet, but reports suggest the vehicle will be a crossover version built on the underpinnings of the A4. That means a taller ride height, more commanding seating position and room in the rear for additional cargo. Specifically, the German automaker is aiming for the deep pockets of households with two incomes and no children as well as retirees with some extra cash to blow.

The company may call the creation the A4 Superavant or A4 Avantissimo, but no decision has been made just yet. Either way, Audi probably doesn’t want the crossover to resemble a minivan. Just ask Mercedes-Benz how well that works out.

Designers are reportedly paying special attention to elements like the rear overhang, total vehicle height and the proportion of glass to sheetmetal to keep that image at bay. There’s even some word that the vehicle will arrive with a plug-in hybrid variant, complete with the same 226-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a 35-horsepower electric motor snugged into the transmission.

Either way, we can expect the genre-straddling model to do battle with BMW’s forthcoming 3 Series Gran Turismo, which will hopefully look – and sell – nothing like the larger 5 Series Gran Turismo. Style it with the same grace and sense of proportion that marks out the A7 and nobody gets hurt, ‘k?

Audi at work on A4 Superavant?

News of an impending automotive debut, especially one as big as the next Chevrolet Impala, generally come straight from the mouths of the automakers. Interesting, then, that the New York Auto Show’s Facebook page is the first bit of confirmation we’ve seen that the 2014 Impala will be making its worldwide debut in The Big Apple.

All we have to go along with that confirmation is the teaser image you see above (click on the pic to enlarge), so we can’t glean too many details just yet. We can see a Hofmeister-esque kink in the C-pillar, strongly accented in chrome trim, along with the well-known leaping impala emblem.

Past that, recent spy photos have revealed that the front-wheel-drive Impala will boast plenty of passenger room from its Epsilon-II architecture, the same guts that underpin the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac XTS. We’re also expecting GM’s well-regarded 3.6-liter V6 underhood, along with a possible turbocharged four and e-Assist hybrid setup.

This news comes on the heels of last week’s announcement by General Motors that it plans to replace the Impala in its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series effort with a new nameplate that will also see a production model offshoot, leading to renewed speculation that the automaker will not only sell a new full-size Impala, but potentially a large rear-wheel drive sedan to offer as well, possibly based on the company’s Zeta platform that underpins the Holden Commodore and recently introduced Chevrolet Caprice PPV law enforcement special.

The 2012 New York Auto Show is slated to kick off on April 4, but in the meantime, feel free to go over the teaser above with a fine-toothed comb, and stay tuned for any more details we find ahead of its debut.

UPDATE: GM has confirmed the Impala with the issuance of a press release and official image. In addition, it has confirmed that a revamped 2013 Traverse crossover will also bow in New York. The Traverse will be available with GM’s new front, center-mount airbag first revealed in the updated Buick Enclave, the Traverse’s twin. See the official release after the jump and note the addition of a Traverse interior image above.

Continue reading New York Auto Show confirms 2014 Chevy Impala debut via Facebook [UPDATE]

New York Auto Show confirms 2014 Chevy Impala debut via Facebook [UPDATE]

Automotive News reports Porsche is hard at work on a plug-in hybrid version of its Panamera. According to unnamed sources, the vehicle is likely to begin production in 2014 and will be destined for the U.S. market. The move is part of a larger plug-in offensive from Volkswagen. VW owns 49.9 percent of Porsche and plans to debut electrified versions of its Audi Q7 and A3 as well as the European Passat. Those vehicles will reportedly trickle to market between 2014 and 2015. An all-electric Golf is also due in 2013.

Volkswagen has already made it clear the company believes the future of green driving lies in diesels and plug-in hybrids, saying the latter combines the best elements of electric propulsion and internal combustion without the compromises of a hybrid. So, why introduce plug-ins in the automaker’s luxury brands? Volkswagen claims high-end buyers are more likely to take long trips, and thus need the range-extending capability of an internal combustion engine as well. Us? We think it’s easier for well-heeled buyers to absorb the technology’s cost premium in their already higher MSRPs.

Porsche Panamera to get plug-in model for 2014?

Strategic Vision has announced its 2011 Total Value Index (TVI) awards, and Volkswagen of America has earned its position at the top of the podium. Hyundai Motor America placed second, with Ford Motor Corporation taking third place overall. According to Strategic Vision, its Total Value award is calculated based on explicit owner statements on hundreds of (weighted) attributes with regards to immediate and expected (long-term) economic factors such as warranty, technical innovation, standard equipment, fuel economy, and so on. The company says that the current economic crisis, rising fuel costs and affordability concerns make its TVI very relevant to today’s consumers.

“An important ‘time marker’ in this year’s study is that for the first time in over ten years, American manufacturers lead the number of Total Value winners, with eleven segment leaders. This is an important milestone toward the ‘domestic comeback,’” says Chris Chaney, the company’s vice president and head of automotive research. He also notes that consumers find perceived value in alternative fueled vehicles, pointing out that the Chevrolet Volt, Honda Civic Hybrid, Nissan Leaf and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid all led their respective segments.

The Total Value Awards have been presented by Strategic Vision annually since 1995. The 2011 TVI was calculated from 68,088 buyers (of the 325,000 total who responded during 2011) who purchased models during September 2010 to June 2011. The Volkswagen CC (an updated 2013 model of which is shown above) earned the Total Value award in its Large Car segment.

Continue reading Volkswagen tops Strategic Vision Total Value Index

Volkswagen tops Strategic Vision Total Value Index

“This is most definitely not a Prius.” So says ex-Autoblog staffer Damon Lavrinc in a story written for Wired. The non-Prius-esque vehicle to which he’s referring? The Porsche 918.

We know all about the concept and how it stole the show at the at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. We know that interest in the plug-in hybrid supercar was so strong that Porsche pulled out all the stops to get the vehicle into its production plans as soon as possible. We know it will cost $845,000 and be able to hit 60 miles per hour in a scant 3.1 seconds. What we hadn’t known until now, though, is how far along into its development Porsche’s team of engineers had gotten.

It seems there are currently three 918 development mules in existence, and Lavrinc got to ride shotgun at the Nardo Test Track in one of them. Though it was limited to half its available power – full power being a generous 770 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque with an overboost offering up to 700 lb-ft for short periods – it was still an exciting ride, and it’s telling that Porsche was confident enough in its Franken-mule to allow anyone to go on record this far ahead of September 18, 2013, the car’s official launch date.

We suggest you head on over to Wired to peruse the full article, and feel free to mosey on back to let us know what you think of the 918’s potential.

Development of Porsche 918 supercar progressing nicely

You can buy a bunch of information for $107,000.

Consumer Reports is learning all sorts of things about the Fisker Karma now that it has purchased one for testing, only to have it die with less than 200 miles on the odometer. After 48 hours in the dealer’s repair shop – under warranty – the car is back in the CR fleet and is starting to get put through its paces.

With that public breakdown making waves, CR discovered that lots of Karma owners have been reporting their own issues with their new and expensive plug-in hybrids. Things like needing a new differential after less than 1,000 miles, a car shutting itself off at 35 mph and lots of trouble with the shifter. Most of these reports were put up by owners on FiskerBuzz. Of course, before CR got its Karma, the company issued two recalls, one for a software glitch and another for battery issues.

So, with all the problems, how does CR like the Karma on the track? The design is “simply stunning,” it says, but the range-extending gasoline engine is loud when the 22-kWh battery is depleted. And the Fisker’s SUV-like 5,395-pound weight doesn’t help with handling. On the inside, CR says the touchscreen is also less than ideal, with a grayscale look and plenty of menu flipping that “makes MyFord Touch look like a brilliant design.” Ouch.

Then there’s this:

Just this weekend, for example, the speedometer and energy meter display disappeared when driving, on top of having several other rogue warning indicators appear last week. It is expected we’ll be revisiting the dealership soon. We’ve had cars in the past that have been troublesome, but never anything like this.

You can see what CR wrote about the car here and check out their new video review after the jump.

Continue reading Consumer Reports finally posts Fisker review, finds litany of owners suffering from bad Karma

Consumer Reports finally posts Fisker review, finds litany of owners suffering from bad Karma

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a safety recall of the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, but this campaign comes with a twist. NHTSA announced on its website that Sonata Hybrid models produced between December 2, 2010 and March 7, 2012 are being recalled due to a seatbelt issue. NHTSA announced that the rear center belt, which incorporates a release mechanism that detaches both the lap and shoulder portion at the lower anchor point, doesn’t meet safety standards.

Of the 14,728 units potentially covered under the recall, Hyundai will repair the 1,633 Sonata Hybrid models currently sitting on dealer lots. But here is where the catch comes into play: The government agency says Hyundai plans to file a petition for a recall exemption for those vehicles already delivered to their owners because it believes the action is “inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety.” Hyundai will not have to send out recall notices to the 13,095 Sonata Hybrid models already on the road until after the petition has been resolved. Hit the jump to read over the NHTSA press release.

Continue reading Hyundai to petition NHTSA over 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid seatbelt recall

Hyundai to petition NHTSA over 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid seatbelt recall

The inaugural 12 Hours of Sebring was held 60 years ago in 1952. Ferrari was the first to build a dynasty of overall wins, followed by Ford, then Porsche, then Nissan, and today we live in the era of Audi. With its main rival, Peugeot, having pulled out of endurance racing altogether this year, the only manufacturer that could prevent Audi from claiming its tenth overall victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring was Audi itself.

That was unlikely to happen, especially considering that Audi chose to field three teams, each driving the very capable R18 in the car’s last appearance before being replaced by the R18 Ultra and R18 e-tron quattro. Yes, the result in the fastest LMP1 class was a forgone conclusion, and Audi delivered, claiming the first and second steps of the podium. The winning R18 was car #2 driven by Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish. Kristensen, who holds the record for most overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also now has a record six overall victories at Sebring. It was Capello’s fifth win at Sebring and McNish’s fourth. The team of veterans completed 301 laps of the 5.4-mile track and amazingly finished with no evidence of body contact with another car.

Continue reading 12 Hours of Sebring celebrates 60 years with exciting finish

12 Hours of Sebring celebrates 60 years with exciting finish

Toyota is pretty sure that its expanded Prius family will drive up sales of the world’s best-selling hybrid, and the early sales returns indicate that the company is right, right, right.

After the Prius V sold about 8,400 units in the U.S. in the first ten weeks, the smaller, cheaper and more efficient 2012 Toyota Prius C is also getting a lot of attention. Toyota announced today that the C sold 1,201 units in just the first three days it was on sale. That’s enough to make it “one of Toyota’s fastest-selling vehicles,” according to the automaker, which also pointed out that those three days of sales is more than either the Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt sold all last month.

If anything, those 1,201 sales are not as impressive as the C managed in Japan (where it is badged ‘Aqua’) – Toyota obtained 120,000 orders in the first five days it was on sale, though it isn’t immediately clear how many units have actually been sold. So far, the newly expanded Prius family has sold almost 10,000 units in the U.S. through the first half of March. This certainly points to the Prius franchise doing well in 2012. Last year in the U.S., Toyota sold 136,463 examples of its Prius Liftback (it sold 140,928 in 2010) and expects to sell 220,000 Prius models of all types here this year.

Continue reading Toyota Prius C outsells monthly totals of Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf in three days

Toyota Prius C outsells monthly totals of Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf in three days

General Motors has gone on record to oppose a Washington State bill that would impose a fee of $100 per year on electric-vehicle drivers.

GM Regional Director Howard Lenox, Jr. wrote a letter on March 6 to Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire stating that the automaker, which makes the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid, is against such a bill. The state is proposing the fee as a way for EV drivers to compensate for the gas taxes that they otherwise wouldn’t be paying. The letter was posted on GM’s The Future Is Electric blog.

“A fee which singles out electric vehicles will be a disincentive to the growth of the electric vehicle market in Washington State,” Lenox wrote in the letter. “As a practical matter, there are so few vehicles on Washington’s roads today that their impact in replacing fuel tax revenues will, for now, be negligible.”

While drivers of the Volt actually wouldn’t be subject to such a fee because its onboard generator is gas-powered, GM appears to be looking ahead as the automaker looks to electrify more of its fleet to meet more stringent greenhouse-gas emissions requirements.

Last month, Washington State passed Senate Bill 5251, which was introduced by Mary Haugen, the Senate’s transportation committee chairwoman. The fee, which is subject to a vote by the state’s House of Representatives, is estimated to add as much as $1.9 million to the state’s coffers by 2017. Arizona, Oregon and Kansas are among other states looking at instituting fees that specifically target electric vehicle drivers.

What do you think, should states enact taxes on EVs to recover lost gas tax revenue? Vote in our poll below, then have your say in Comments.

View Poll

GM says Washington State’s proposed electric car fee has “no merit” [w/poll]

Heather Peters really, really doesn’t want anyone to settle with Honda. Peters is the woman who went her own way earlier this year, suing Honda in small claims court in Torrance, CA instead of joining a class-action lawsuit against the automaker over allegations that the company promoted misleading fuel economy numbers for the Civic Hybrid, model years 2003 to 2009. She was recently awarded $9,867 in damages, significantly more than the $100-$200 the 200,000 Civic Hybrid owners involved in the class action suit are expected to net (their lawyers stand to make $8.5 million). Because of that perceived unfairness, Peters is going in front of Superior Judge Timothy Taylor in San Diego today to ask that the class-action settlement be cancelled.

According to the Associated Press, Peters is using her small claims winnings – which Honda said it will appeal – to prove that the settlement is unfair to the Civic Hybrid owners that had thus far agreed to the deal. Around 1,700 owners decided not to take part in the settlement and there is reason to believe Taylor is at least slightly sympathetic to their cause. He recently extended the deadline for state attorneys general – who called the original settlement deal unfair – to respond to Peters’ winnings.

The original Civic Hybrid class action case arose out of the claims of John True, who sued Honda in 2007 because, he said, the automaker misled him about the car’s fuel economy. When we interviewed him back in 2007, who knew the turns this story would take?

Honda Civic Hybrid small claims lawsuit winner trying to stop class-action suit

The 2013 BMW 7 Series has an appointment for some cosmetic surgery, according to a report in Car & Driver. The restyle will be minimal, with detail changes around the fascia going just far enough to let other 7 Series owners know that you have the latest model.

A more substantive change could occur under the skin of the ActiveHybrid 7, however. It’s nearly $13,000 more expensive than it’s non-hybrid counterparts but doesn’t make an equally hard-to-ignore case for efficiency: the ActiveHybrid 750i has 55 more horsepower than the standard car, but is rated at 17 city / 26 highway versus 15 city / 22 highway. Speculation is that the ActiveHybrid 7 could get the six-cylinder powertrain from the ActiveHyrbrid 5 to improve its green credentials.

BMW 7 Series getting mid-cycle updates for 2013

As we said when we first drove the Volkswagen Golf Blue-e-motion, Volkswagen is taking its time getting into the all-electric game. Given the tremendous ups and downs that electric vehicles and EV start-up companies are going through, maybe making sure you have a car where everything is working smoothly – to say nothing about getting the infrastructure in place - isn’t such a bad idea. And it now seems like VW is confident enough in its Golf EV, which is undergoing testing in California, to push up its estimated release date from 2014 to late 2013.

Sure, technically, that could be a difference of just one day, but we don’t think that’s what VW of America president Jonathan Browning meant when he confirmed next year’s U.S. release date with Automotive News. Late 2013 is also when the car will go on sale in Europe. A plug-in hybrid Golf is supposed to go on sale in 2015.

Even though VW is getting ready to move into electric vehicle territory, it is well behind other automakers. Perhaps that’s why it is also a bit less optimistic about the potential success of plug-ins. The automaker expects just three percent of its new vehicles to be EVs or hybrids by 2018. You can read our second spin in the Golf blue e-motion here.

Volkswagen confirms late 2013 launch date for all-electric Golf

A design studio and contract manufacturer, when Pininfarina builds a car it’s typically under another brand’s auspices. That could change, however, with the Cambiano.

Unveiled just last week at the Geneva Motor Show, the 680-horsepower plug-in hybrid coupe concept – which we had the opportunity to examine close-up in the ramp-up to the show – is being considered for limited production.

If built for public consumption, the Cambiano is tipped to ditch the concept’s diesel turbine in favor of a more conventional electric powertrain with its range extended by a diesel engine. If Pininfarina were to build just ten examples, the pricetag on each would amount to about 1 million euros (approximately $1.3 million at today’s conversion rates) but if ramped up to 70 or 75 units, each would fetch around 400,000 euros (about $525,000).

Pininfarina mulling limited production run of Cambiano PHEV concept

Geneva Motor Show Recap

Episode #273 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan hosts and is joined by Autoblog Executive Editor Chris Paukert and Zach Bowman. Topics range far and wide around our recap of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #273:

• Geneva Motor Show recap

In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Hyundai Accent
2012 Honda Civic Hybrid
2012 BMW 740i

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Zach Bowman

Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com

Review the show in iTunes

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #273

Autoblog Podcast #273

Odyne Systems is known for making big honking hybrid vehicles, things like the Dueco work truck we first saw in 2008. At the 2012 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis this week, Ford is showcasing the biggest plug-in hybrid vehicle with a J1772 connector that we know of: a PHEV F-750. Yes, that’s a big one.

Odyne adds its plug-in architecture to work vehicles after the fact. The liquid-cooled 346V lithium-ion battery from Johnson Controls that’s used in the system isn’t that outrageous – only 14.2 kWh – but a converted truck can get two packs installed for extra energy at the work site. Aside from 120- or 240-volt exportable AC power, the plug-in hybrid powertrain provides launch assist and recaptures energy through regenerative braking. The battery packs can also power the truck’s electronics to reduce idling.

With 28 kWh worth of batteries and a Level 2 charger, Odyne says a full charge takes just five hours. The hybrid system adds about 1,600 pounds, which we think is for a two-pack set-up. Johnson Controls has invested in Odyne, and the company works with Remy Motors on its powertrains.

Ford says the PHEV F-750 can save up to 1,750 gallons of fuel a year compared to a non-plug-in version, which adds up quickly when you’ve got $4 gallons of diesel. Odyne’s Louise Hermsen told AutoblogGreen that the cost for the PHEV conversion can be up to $100,000 depending on options, and it is available now. In fact, she said 15 plug-in hybrid F-750s have been delivered already because, even though $100,000 is not cheap, “the whole equation hinges on what kind of fuel use reduction they’re going to achieve. Making the decision to go with a hybrid takes a lot of data collection.”

Odyne has been selling hybrid truck conversion kits for years, but most of them on the road are the older, lead-acid models. The company introduced the advanced li-ion system last June and has been working with customers to make them operate best for each individual situation. Odyne can modify the truck’s software remotely as data comes in on how the trucks are being used, too (for example, how much time they spend at the job vs. on the road). Even with a vehicle this big, you want to keep track of every little thing.

Ford, Odyne introduce monster F-750 plug-in hybrid work truck