Featured Threads Archive
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Except for: GM Calls Self-Driving EVs Industry First
Source: http://wardsauto.com/technology/gm-calls-new-batch-self-driving-evs-industry-first?NL=WAW-04&Issue=WAW-04_20170613_WAW-04_476&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2&utm_rid=CPENT000000095975&utm_campaign=12200&utm_medium=email&elq2=a8aa2934bdb04d8ab383fdb8572c3441
ORION TWP., MI – General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra says the automaker makes history today by becoming the first company to apply mass-production techniques to autonomous vehicles with the rollout of 130 self-driving next-generation Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles.
However, the Bolt EVs will not being going into the hands of everyday Americans. That day remains far into... -
Bricked Toyota in the news
Have we gone too far?
Family loses irreplaceable keys on holiday, forced to abandon van in Victoria - British Columbia - CBC News
One thing we've done: attached a small luggage tag with email and phone number to the fobs. -
Honda drive sounds interesting
Source: Green Car Congress: Honda launches 2017 Accord Hybrid; 2nd generation two-motor hybrid powertrain
Engine block, crankshaft and pistons. The engine has a displacement of 1993cc. Cast-in iron cylinder liners provide long-lasting durability.
Cylinder head and valvetrain. The Accord Hybrid 4-cylinder engine has a lightweight cylinder head that is made of pressure-cast aluminum alloy. A silent chain drives dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. The cam drive is maintenance free throughout the life of the engine.
i-VTEC valve control system. The Accord Hybrid’s 2.0-liter DOHC 16-valve i-VTEC engine uses an advanced valve-control system to combine high power output with high fuel efficiency and low emissions.
High-efficiency dual bed catalytic converter. A key contributor to the Accord Hybrid’s excellent emissions performance is a single dual bed catalytic... -
Edmunds on elimination of federal tax credits
Source: https://static.ed.edmunds-media.com/unversioned/img/industry-center/analysis/EV_Report_April17.pdf
Federal tax credits for EVs are a part of broader set of EPA policies, which require congressional approval to adjust. So the Trump administration may not eliminate them prematurely but is unlikely to extend these credits. Without these credits, this market is likely to crash. While President Trump did not address federal EV tax credits speci cally in his 2018 budget blueprint released last month, he proposed the elimination of funding for the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program, which would have assisted future EV production.
Without these credits, this market is likely to crash.
Georgia case study
What happens when subsidies go away
The state of Georgia witnessed tremendous success with EV sales... -
More Fleets Choose XL Hybrids' Plug-In Hybrid F-150
More Fleets Choose XL Hybrids' Plug-In Hybrid F-150
June 05, 2017
More Fleets Choose XL Hybrids' Plug-In Hybrid F-150 - Top News - Green Fleet - Top News - Automotive Fleet
Photo of XL Hybrid Ford F-150 courtesy of Ford Motor Co.
![[IMG]](proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.automotive-fleet.com%2Ffc_images%2Fnews%2Fm-xlhybrids-xlp-fordf150-1-2.jpg&hash=8189a567ba6c5813febf69fe14ffdc95)
XL Hybrids, Inc., a provider of connected fleet electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets, announced new fleet customers that intend to purchase its XLP plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) upfit solution for Ford F-150 pickup trucks. The Fleet-Ready technology is the industry’s first ship-thru upfit... -
Audi mild-hybrid systems
Looks like Audi's jumping on the mild hybrid boat: Green Car Congress: Audi’s mild-hybrid systems: 12V for 4-cylinders, 48V for 6- and 8-cylinders
So, basically, there's a few interesting things going on here.
First off is that they're apparently moving almost... -
Buick eAssist
After five years with Chevette, a rented GEO Metro, watching the EV1 fiasco, and Saturn, I am not a fanboy of GM but they have occasionally done good:
Light Electrification Leads 2018 Buick LaCrosse Updates
DETROIT — The Buick LaCrosse expands its technological credentials by adding eAssist light electrification for the 2018 model. The combination of an electric motor with Buick’s latest 2.5L four-cylinder engine delivers quiet, refined and spirited efficient performance backed by the value and customer experience expected of Buick.
This new eAssist system, when coupled with the four-cylinder engine, has a 19 percent increase in city fuel economy compared to the LaCrosse’s advanced V-6 and leverages a compact lithium-ion battery pack to provide select benefits found in fully electric vehicles, such as torque-assisted launch,... -
Dashboard summary May 2017
Model 05/15/17 04/15/17 03/15/17 02/15/17 1 Prius Liftback 6064 5802 5798 5418 2 Fusion Hybrid 5671 4509 5865 4939 3 Transit Diesel* 4830 4025 4258 3621 4 RAV4 4070 3516 3497 3080 5 Niro Hybrid 2660 2939 2704 2143 6 Accord Hybrid 1976 1787 1843 1867 7 Prius Prime 1908 1819 1618 1362 8 Golf Sportwagon Diesel 1819 1417 9 Volt 1817 1807 2132 1820 10 Model X* 1800 900 2500 800 11 Ioniq Hybrid 1752 1297 327 1 12 Camry Hybrid 1711 1513 1658 1333 13 Model S* 1700 1200 3100 1700 14 Bolt 1566 1292 978 952 15 Highlander Hybrid 1514 1663 1587 1339 16 Leaf 1392 1063 1478 1037 17 Passat Diesel 1147 769 18 Prius C 1121 1161 1385 1372 19 Fusion Energi 1000 905 1002 837 20 C-Max Energi 950 720 662 639 21 Jetta Diesel 937 637 22 Prius V 929 926 960 892 23 C-Max Hybrid 880 720 671 676 24 Sonata 848 1115 1082 1471 25 CT200h 825 794 841 458 26 RX 400 / 450 h 747 615 713 507 27 Colorado Diesel 666 753 722 663 28 MKZ 588 509 605 570 29 i3* 506 516 703 318 30 Malibu Hybrid 493 409 372 534 31 3-Series Plug in 475 260 365 144 32 ES Hybrid 467 356 448 330 33 X5 433 291 397 275... -
EVs continue to get cleaner.
The Union of Concerned Scientists has updated their paper on how clean EVs really are in each region in the U.S.
New Numbers Are In and EVs Are Cleaner Than Ever - Union of Concerned Scientists
This one has a fun active map where you can compare the previous update with 2012 data vs 2014 data.
In MN, the average EV runs as cleanly (Greenhouse Gas wise) as a car that gets a combined 51mpg!
Being a Minnesota resident, I was very happy to see this and hope to see continued improvements.
Interestingly, a couple of regions actually lost ground.
Weighted by sales data, EVs have reached about 73mpg (CO2-wise) in the U.S. -
Ceres Power - Solid State Electrolyte Fuel Cells
A word of caution after the YouTube:
I am reminded of how NiMH batteries became a dead-end because the patents were held too tightly. Available for data centers, NiMH licenses all but banned them for transportation. Yet Toyota managed to get in before the curtain came down to the success of the Prius. Unintended, this increased the efforts in LiON batteries which are rapidly relegating NiMH to a footnote of history.
The problem is "Ceres" is limiting who can get access to their technology. In the USA, Cummins who also have a significant investment in ICE powered systems. Cummins advertises their interest in this technology for data center power ... the same grave of NiMH battery systems.
If history repeats itself, it means inspiration and investment of other, natural gas fed, fuel cell technologies. Trying to partner with "big companies" is the death of the technology until it become irrelevant. Here is the CEO of Ceres reading their last... -
Novel idea from the Hyundai Ioniq
Novel idea. Wish our Prii had this feature:
"If you should accidentally leave a light on or something plugged in and the battery gets drained, there's no need for a jump-start. Just push a button on the dash and the car's big onboard battery pack will quick charge the 12-volt portion of the battery. No more calling AAA for a jump or dragging out jumper cables and hoping for a kind Samaritan to help you, and no replacing the heavy 12-volt battery every couple of years." - from cars.com website -
Automotive Grade Linux in 2018 Camry
Might Toyota consider activating Android Auto & Apple CarPlay? Looks like a step in the right direction.
"Because Toyota was one of the first to work on the project, it's had a heavy influence in AGL's development and direction." -
Daimler Battery Plans
Source: Daimler Spends $1.15B Building Two EV Battery Plants | TheDetroitBureau.com
With investments in electric vehicles and batteries continuing to climb in the industrial world, Germany’s Daimler AG has broken ground for a new 500-million-euro battery factory near Dresden that is being described as one of the largest and most modern plants of its kind in the world.
. . .
“The battery factory in Kamenz is an important component in the implementation of our electric offensive. By 2022, we will have more than ten purely electric passenger cars in series. We also continue to drive forward the hybridization of our fleet. Under the EQ brand, we are creating a holistic ecosystem for e-mobility,” said Zetsche, who was accompanied to the ground-breaking ceremony by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
. . .
Moreover, Daimler has assumed that the proportion of electric...
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