Like that indecisive companion desperately trying to find just the right outfit, the 2012 Civic would probably have been a more entertaining date had it just stuck with what it was wearing initially.
The Lexus LF-Gh Concept from this year’s New York Auto Show is slowly making the journey from pure conceptual creation to full-on production car, albeit, in the form of the GS sedan.
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NYC Chevy Volt Police Car – Click above for high-res image gallery
As much as the average driver doesn’t really have to worry about “range anxiety” during a normal driving day, we will grant you that an electric police car that could run out of juice during a car chase is a bad idea. That last scene in Blues Brothers wouldn’t have been all that impressive and crash-y had all those cop cars shifted into limp mode at some point. On the other hand, pure EVs can work wonders in reducing a city fleet’s fuel use, and so can most certainly find a home in urban areas. Yesterday, NYC’s Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, announced a best-of-both-worlds addition to his city’s fleet:
50 hatchbacks (some to be used as police vehicles)
10 all-electric cargo vans
10 all-electric Navi-star “E-star” utility trucks
Part of , the plug-in vehicles will join 360 other EVs in the city’s fleet as a component of an effort to reduce emissions and to have the Big Apple “lead by example,” Bloomberg said. Nine different city departments – including FDNY, NYPD and the Department of Environmental Protection (see the whole list ) – will use the vehicles, all in “non-emergency duties” for now. NYC’s plug-in vehicle fleet now stands at 430 vehicles and is being called the “largest municipal electric vehicle fleet in the country.” Hey, Chicago or Seattle or LA or whoever… step up, would ya?
2012 Fisker Karma – Click above for high-res image gallery
The first will be delivered by the end of this month and, , film star Leonardo di Caprio will get the keys to Karma numero uno. Al Gore and Colin Powell will be taking delivery of their plug-in Fiskers soon thereafter, according to .
tells the British magazine that five Karmas roll down the lines at Valmet Automotive in Finland a week now. The automaker says production will rise to 300 units a week starting in November and, with 3,000 pre-orders tallied, Fisker estimates the Karma is sold out until early 2012.
Here’s where the report gets fresh. The UK-based news outlet says that sedan, and versions of the Karma will eventually be produced and that the shooting-brake model will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. Autocar continues by speculating that Fisker’s plug-in, dubbed “,” will be offered in the same three bodystyle variations as well.
2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE – Click above for high-res image gallery
According to a new report from Ward’s Auto, a top Mitsubishi executive says a plug-inhybrid version of its is bound for the U.S. in 2013.
at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi touts the hybridized crossover’s “environmental and on-road performance,” as well as its electrified powertrain, which combines a 1.6-liter gasoline-powered four-cylinder and the necessary hybrid hardware to a lithium-ion battery pack.
The Outlander Sport plug-in hybrid will mark Mitsubishi’s second electrified offering in the States. First up is the battery-powered 2012 i hatchback, which is slated to .
Beyond those two models, Mitsubishi says that will launch globally before the end of 2015.
Lotus Evora Type 124 – Click above for high-res image gallery
has a lot planned for the coming years, but before its next generation sports cars comes along, rumor has it some significant revisions are planned for the current .
Among the 147 upgrades reportedly planned are a revised interior, a new exhaust and a sharper transmission. Convertible and plug-inhybrid versions are also reportedly under consideration, but Lotus is said to have another trick up its sleeve.
Taking a page out of the “more power, less weight” playbook used on the likes of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, and , a hardcore Evora GT4 or Type 124 racer for the road could be in the cards. In the process, the 345-horsepower supercharged V6 in the current Evora S could get tuned up to 400 hp. Those are some changes we could get behind.
The addition of pedestrian warning systems on sometimes near-silent vehicles like the electric and hybrid has been the , but with the that requires hybrids and plug-in vehicles to emit an audible sound to warn nearby pedestrians, like it or not, these noise-making systems will soon become standard on all electric-drive autos sold in the U.S.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it has taken the first steps toward proposing regulations to “protect unsuspecting pedestrians” from accidents involving near-silent vehicles. Says U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood:
America’s streets must be safe for everyone who uses them. As we improve the environment with cleaner cars, we must also consider how it affects those on bikes and on foot.
The NHTSA is beginning to lay out its proposed regulations for pedestrian warning systems. This may take some time, but eventually the agency will evaluate noise-making systems and publish its recommendations in the . At that time, the public will have 30 days to submit comments on the NHTSA’s proposed rules.
Ahead of that, feel free to cast either a Yea or Nay vote on noisemakers in general in our informal poll below.
[Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]
During a recent dealer meeting held by in Las Vegas, the Japanese automaker reconfirmed that the launch of the is still on track for this fall, that the Prius C will be headed our way in early 2012 and that the , along with the , are coming sometime next year, as well.
But it was Toyota’s confirmation that the electric Scion iQ will hit U.S. dealerships in 2012 that caught us by surprise. Why’s that? Prior to this announcement, Toyota had not officially committed to a launch date for the electrified iQ. Now, it seems, the all-electric Scion iQ will be America-bound in less than 18 month’s time.
Toyota’s electrified minicar, with its estimated range of 50 miles, will face fierce competition from vehicles like the , ” , and, if , its 100-mile rated electric. With electric vehicles already having been condemned for not hitting advertised range ratings, one has to wonder if Scion’s electric will be a success in the States. Of course, the battery-powered Scion iQ’s MSRP has yet to be announced and the vehicle’s price is sure to influence potential buyers one way or the other.
Plug-in Prius Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
has been showing off its plug-in hybrid Prius since it at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Japanese automaker is getting ready to deliver the 2012 production version, and we just found out that over the prototype versions we’ve seen so far.
The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle boasts two unique features; a selectable EV driving mode, and the ability to apply recaptured energy to the electric-only driving range.
The selectable EV driving mode will be quite useful for trips requiring the use of a highway or that cover longer distances than simple in-town errand running. This will allow Prius PHEV drivers to conserve energy for electric-only jaunts. A button will allow you to turn the EV mode on or off.
Any run-of-the-mill hybrid uses regeneration to replenish the battery. In the protoptye PHEVs, no more energy can be recaptured and stored for later use than the regular non-plug-in model. That means there was no way to extend EV-only range without plugging back in. On the production version of the Prius PHEV, the car will be able to take advantage of that regenerated energy, and extend the time the car can spend in EV mode.
Earlier today, the United States Senate rejected an amendment that would have put an end to the $6 billion in .
Introduced by Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), the amendment was unable to martial the 60 votes needed to end debate in the Senate, failing in a 40-in-favor, 59-against procedural vote as members of both parties joined in opposition to the measure.
Coburn, considered by most as a conservative Republican, framed the elimination of ethanol subsidies as a way to slash the nation’s deficit. Coburn stated:
Eliminating the ethanol tax earmark and tariff would be a big step toward restoring fiscal sanity in Washington. Ethanol is bad economic policy, bad energy policy and bad environmental policy.
On Coburn’s side were environmental advocates who have long questioned the ecological benefit of ethanol, claiming that it simply takes too much energy to produce the corn-based fuel.
In opposition stood the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), a group headed by conservative Grover Norquist. The ATR lobbied against the amendment on grounds that the elimination of a tax break should only be considered if it’s offset by tax cuts.
The federal ethanol tax subsidy, , is set to expire on December 31, 2011. This failed amendment would have put an end to the subsidy almost immediately.
Ford Cancels 7-Seat C-Max, 2012 VW Beetle Pricing, Maybach’s Fate, Ford Ordered To Pay $2B To Dealers
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Episode #234 of the Autoblog Podcast was our second live go-round, and we hope it was as much fun for our listeners as it was for us. We’re working hard on refining the experience as we move forward, so please chime in with your feedback about how we could make it better! Chris, Dan, Zach and Chris Paukert cover the cancellation of the Ford C-Max seven seater, pricing information for the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, what may become of Maybach and Ford’s imbroglio over commercial truck prices to dealers. We wrap up with a a full-on interactive podcast with listener feedback in real time.
Hear how it went down live, or catch it as it happens next week at our , as well as the traditional ways we’ve always offered. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #234:
In the Autoblog Garage
Hosts: , , , Runtime: 01:24:32
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Episode #234 of the Autoblog Podcast will be streamed live via (audio only) for those of you with time at 10PM Eastern tonight. Our Q&A Module is below for you to submit questions and comments beforehand, and during the show, our UStream channel’s chat window is the place to be for interacting with the crew. We’ve picked some discussion topics, but tangents are probably where you’ll have us head. Use the forum below to drop us your own feedback and questions, or vote on your fellow readers’ submissions to help determine what else we discuss this evening. You can subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast .
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While the battery-powered certainly has some limitations – like two seats instead of four and a real-world driving range that’s – it seems that the vast majority of Mini E drivers have adapted to the vehicle’s shortcomings and are extremely pleased with their electrified rides.
In conjunction with , the University of California, Davis Plug-inHybrid and Electric Vehicle Research Center compiled testimony from a subset of “more than 40″ of the 450-odd drivers who took possession of their Mini Es back in June of 2009.
Among other things, the year-long survey revealed the following:
All of the respondents agreed that electric vehicles are fun to drive and practical for daily use
Respondents claims that the Mini E met 90 percent of their daily driving needs
71 percent of respondents drove less than 40 miles a day; 95 percent drove less than 80 miles a day
88 percent of respondents showed a strong interest in buying a plug-in vehicle within the next five years
By the end of the lease period, Mini E drivers overwhelmingly thought that the electricity used for charging their vehicle should come from renewable energy sources.
More importantly and perhaps a deal breaker for some, several of the Mini E lessees “adapted their driving around the capabilities of the vehicle.” For example, the due to running the heater or A/C led some drivers to make do without those comforts. Would you be willing to make such sacrifices?
Mini Rocketman Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
The 2011Geneva Motor Show was , including the , a pint-sized two-door that . claims that intends to launch a production Rocketman based on ’s front-drive platform and its eco-conscious . We shall see if that pans out to be true.
When If the Rocketman enters the production schedule, it would reportedly slot in below Mini’s current three-door hatchback and add one more vehicle to the automaker’s expanding portfolio of plug-ins. According to , Mini would equip the Rocketman with a structure similar to that found on the BMW i3. Meaning that the Rocketman would sport a carbon fiber passenger cell, mated to an aluminum chassis. Furthermore, the British magazine claims that the i3’s electric powertrain would “slot neatly into the Mini, too, although power would be sent to the front wheels, rather than the rears.”
Electric won’t be the Rocketman’s sole powertrain option, as turbocharged gas and diesel three-cylinder engines are expected to be offered too. If there’s any truth to this rumor, we can expect the Mini Rocketman to arrive in 2014.
2012 Ford C-Max – Click above for high-res image gallery
Turns out Americans won’t be getting another crack at a Euro-style mini minivan. has officially canceled for its for the United States. Fans of small-in-stature MPVs may still be able to find what they are looking for in the , but definitely not in Ford dealerships.
The retraction of the seven-seater means the U.S. market will be left with the . These vehicles eschew the minivan-spec sliding side doors in favor of four regularly hinged portals and a rear hatchback. The Hybrid is expected to boast better than 41 miles per gallon on the highway, while the plug-in Energi promises to boast 500 miles of driving range from its battery and gasoline engine combined, along with better fuel efficiency than the . We look forward to verifying those claims.
Ford is keen to point out that the C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi (yep, spelled with an ‘i’) models will be built alongside its and at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. Why is that important? Assuming all goes to plan, Wayne will be the first plant in the world to produce gasoline-powered vehicles, full-electric vehicles, hybrid and plug-in hybrids under the same roof.
If you’d like, you’re free to peruse the official press release , which is not surprisingly focused much more on the two promised green-mobile five-seaters than on the death of the seven-seater. Now, if you’ll excuse us for a moment, we’re going to don our solid-black Sunday Bests and mourn the passing of Ford’s planned seven-seater. Poor thing never even had a chance…
$32,998. That’s the price that has announced for the i-MiEV in Canada when the little space egg goes on sale there . (That’s $33,891 U.S. at today’s exchange rate).
Yes, Canada will get the i-MiEV, and not the that (seen in the gallery below). The Canadian i-MiEV will be available in two trim levels: standard and premium. There’s nothing all that exciting about the standard version (A/C, heated driver’s seat and remote keyless entry) but the premium package adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 15-inch alloy wheels and an improved stereo, along with navigation (full details ) for $35,998 ($36,972). Both versions are targeted to have a range of 135 kilometers (84 miles) and have a 130 km/h top speed (81 mph).
The i-MiEV is no stranger to Canada, having spent time in in 2010. Oh, and the coast-to-coast reference in the image above? We think that this is a pretty clear reference to the Clean Across Canada Tour that Mitsubishi took the electric jellybean on last year. Read more about that plug-in adventure .
One last thing – ABG reader Keith R came up with this interesting table of price differences between the U.S. and Canada for three of the best-known plug-in vehicles (not factoring in the exchange rate), and it makes for interesting reading:
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Standard $27,990 (U.S.) vs. $32,998 (CAN) = +17.9 percent
Premium $29,990 (U.S.) vs. $35,998 (CAN) = +20 percent
SV $32,780 (U.S.) vs. $38,395 (CAN) = +17.1 percent
SL $33,720 (U.S.) vs. $39,995 (CAN) = +18.6 percent
Over the past few years, has teased us with that the automaker’s next-generation A2 may be offered with an electric-only powertrain, or maybe with some type of plug-inhybrid option.
Back in March, the rumormill blazed with reports that the upcoming “state-of-the-art” A2 will tip the scales at a scant 1,800 pounds. Here’s hoping such a low weight target doesn’t imply that Audi’s use of unobtanium materials will interrupt the debut of the A2.
New rumors have popped up that Audi will unveil its European-only electric A2 e-tron concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this September. We’ll believe it when we see it.
According to internet buzz, deciding on powertrains to pack into the compact A2 and setting an aggressive weight target has pushed back the vehicle’s launch until… well, sometime before the end of this decade.
“They are trying like hell to resurrect . Well, I might as well tell you, you might as well sprinkle holy water. It’s over.”
So says CEO Dan Akerson, speaking to reporters from The Detroit News. Fightin’ words to be sure, though it seems the suits at Lincoln, Ford’s luxury brand that competes with here in the United States, have declined to comment on Akerson’s statement.
The dismissal of the Lincoln brand seems especially interesting given Akerson’s reported take on the current state of Cadillac. Akerson is said to believe that Cadillac isn’t yet where it needs to be, saying the brand needs another 12 to 24 months of gestation. By that time, there ought to be bookends to the current in place in the form of the (smaller) and (larger, replacing the and ).
Still, Akerson doesn’t expect to “blow the doors off” Cadillac’s competition, saying instead that “they will be very competitive.” We’d think Caddy would be aiming squarely at something more like “class leading,” but what do we know?
The GM CEO also weighed in on alternative powertrains, suggesting that the plug-in extended-range electric will be “old, old technology and old news” five years from now. “In the next 10 years,” he said, “this company has to break the code on advanced propulsion and that’s going to be a multifaceted solution.”
That multifaceted solution will apparently include dual-fuel engines that run on either compressed natural gas or gasoline along with various hybrids and electric drivetrains. What we won’t see, though, are a ton of vehicles running on ethanol or hydrogen. Interesting sentiments (though we don’t necessarily disagree), considering that GM currently has scads of machinery that’s E85-capable and has made it through its fourth generation of hydrogen fuel cell technology.
For the rest of the tidbits uttered by Akerson, check out on The Detroit News.
Fisker Karma at Monaco – Click above for high-res image
The may have been driven for “a couple of laps” by Prince Albert of Monaco in late May, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to hit dealerships in the U.S. anytime soon. In fact, word is the of the plug-in has been pushed back again. Sort of.
According to , Roger Ormisher, Director of Global Communications for , says that the “first dealer [demonstrator vehicles] and customer cars will arrive on these shores in July.” Of course, that means the automaker will log zero sales in May and, as Ormisher told GCR, “probably not June either.” Previously, that:
We will start shipping cars to retailers and importers in both U.S. and Europe to arrive during May/June and the first deposit holders will be in their cars in the June/July timeframe.
Let’s hope this is the last of the Karma’s already numerous delays.
2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
The has , and new tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program prove that the earlier results were not a fluke. The Volt scored a five-star overall safety rating, which is the highest-possible score in NHTSA’s new and more strict safety tests for 2011 model year vehicles.
says that a comprehensive system of safety features – specifically the StabiliTrak electronic stability control system and a bunch of air bags – helped the Volt become the first electric vehicle to get five stars.
The “first” part might be simply because NHTSA has not yet tested a . , and we expect the all-electric hatch will match ’s plug-inhybrid for safety – . Until then, we can view with fascination the Chevy Volt crash videos .
Toyota Prius C spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
In addition to the larger (which we for the first time), is working on a smaller version of its illustrious hybrid, previewed by the from this year’s . Our trusty spy photographers have just spotted the first Prius C prototypes running about, and while the original concept was a decidedly sporty-looking thing, the production model’s design seems to have been softened a bit.
Because the Prius C is so much shorter than the standard hatch – about 20 inches has been chopped from its overall length – our spies believe that these prototypes ride on either a brand-new chassis or on modified underpinnings. Under the skin, we expect the Prius C to use a 1.5-liter hybrid powertrain, or perhaps a version of the 1.8-liter unit found in the larger Prius.
Regardless, Toyota has long said that the Prius C will be the most efficient non-plug-in hybrid on the market when it launches next year, with prices expected to fall around the $20,000 mark. Get ready, and . This one’s coming right for you.
![58e44 infiniti mseries 1911101044049241600x1060 Official: NHTSA assessing pedestrian warning systems for hybrid and electric vehicles [w/poll]](http://theautoblog.ru/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/58e44_infiniti-mseries-1911101044049241600x1060.jpg "Official: NHTSA assessing pedestrian warning systems for hybrid and electric vehicles [w/poll]")
