AutoblogGreenhttp://www.autobloggreen.comAutoblogGreenhttp://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/feedlogo.gifAutoblogGreenhttp://www.autobloggreen.comen-usCopyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.autobloggreen.com/category/podcasts/rss.xmlAutoblogGreenACORE 2008: Thomas Friedman destroys his own argument, calls out GM's greenwashinghttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/acore-2008-thomas-friedman-destroys-his-own-argument-calls-out/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/acore-2008-thomas-friedman-destroys-his-own-argument-calls-out/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/acore-2008-thomas-friedman-destroys-his-own-argument-calls-out/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Following James Woolsey at today's American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Phase II Renewable Energy National Policy Forum, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman gave the keynote address. Now, Friedman has some good ideas sometimes (and drops the ball at others), but his presentation today just made it clear that he's not always the smartest guy in the room.

Friedman started by giving us a preview of an upcoming Sunday column (so keep it under your hat) where he's been thinking about Tom Brokaw's book "The Greatest Generation" and how his generation will be seen by those that follow. Will they become bubble generation? Will a kid today write a book about "how my parents saved themselves from their mistakes by charging it to my VISA card"? The world's troubles have been on his mind of late - he did just write Hot, Flat and Crowded after all - and his talk was a retelling of that book's main points.

Friedman is really, really good at rhetoric and public speaking. He knows when to slam the book shut for dramatic effect, when to throw in an "Oh, shit!" to get your attention, when to pause and look at the crowd (like Woolsey's speech, ACORE will be streaming Friedman's talk here and/or here within 48 hours). But, for me, his talk fell apart halfway through. I'll explain why after the jump.

Continue reading ACORE 2008: Thomas Friedman destroys his own argument, calls out GM's greenwashing

ACORE 2008: Thomas Friedman destroys his own argument, calls out GM's greenwashing originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>friedmanthomas friedmanThomasFriedmanSebastian BlancoThu, 04 Dec 2008 19:53:00 ESTEDTA 2008: Dueco Hybrid Power truckhttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/edta-2008-dueco-hybrid-power-truck/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/edta-2008-dueco-hybrid-power-truck/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/edta-2008-dueco-hybrid-power-truck/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click above image for high-res image gallery of the Dueco hybrid truck

For big jobs, only a big hybrid will do. This is where the Dueco/Odyne plug-in hybrid (PHEV) trucks come in. These heavy duty vehicles can save 5-10 gallons of fuel a day, according to Dueco, and that adds up quickly, even with sub-$2 gallons of gasoline. The savings come from the stored electrical energy that can power up the " aerial lifts, digger derricks and other hydraulically powered equipment" that the rigs are outfitted with. The climate control system is run off the battery system as well, so these trucks don't need to idle - getting 0 mpg - at the work site. When in motion, the hybrid system provides launch assist and can store captured braking energy.

Not all is perfect with these trucks. The Dueco PHEV needs a three-phase, 240-volt outlet to recharge at the end of the day and Dueca says (PDF) that they expect the batteries to need replacement once during the life of the vehicle.

Gallery: EDTA 2008: Dueco Hybrid Power truck


[Source: Dueco]

EDTA 2008: Dueco Hybrid Power truck originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>duecoedtaodynephevplug-inplug-in hybridPlug-inHybridSebastian BlancoThu, 04 Dec 2008 18:01:00 ESTEDTA 2008: This is how ChargePoint's public electric car charging station will workhttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/edta-2008-this-is-how-chargepoints-public-electric-car-chargin/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/edta-2008-this-is-how-chargepoints-public-electric-car-chargin/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/edta-2008-this-is-how-chargepoints-public-electric-car-chargin/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above image to see a step-by-step gallery of the Chargepoint ystem

Back in May, California-based Coulomb Technologies announced the "smartlet" public electric vehicle charging system. At this week's EDTA conference in Washington, DC, Coulomb has a working prototype on display (it was charging a converted Prius from Green Gears) and we got a step-by-step explanation of how the system will work.

Basically, each subscriber will have an RFID card that talks to the Smartlet. By holding the card, which will have a picture of a key on it, to the space on the charging station where the lock icon is, the system realizes who's plugging in their car and gets ready to charge it. By plugging in your cord and making the connection, a few things happen. First, the system notes that a connection has been made. If this connection is stopped before the owner returns with their card (either by an accident or vandalism), a text message or email is sent to the owner notifying them of the disruption. This will prevent someone else from coming up and stealing your juice by putting the cord into their own car. The plug door on the smartlet locks to prevent accidential disruption and accidents. This door only unlocks when you return with your card, at which time the charging stops and you're on your way. See what we mean in the gallery below.

Gallery: EDTA 2008: ChargePoint Smartlet Station


[Source: Coulomb Technologies]

EDTA 2008: This is how ChargePoint's public electric car charging station will work originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>CoulombCoulomb TechnologiesCoulombTechnologiesSebastian BlancoThu, 04 Dec 2008 17:01:00 ESTJim Woolsey fires up DC crowd with his pro-plug-in hybrid talk http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/jim-woolsey-fires-up-dc-crowd-with-his-pro-plug-in-hybrid-talk/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/jim-woolsey-fires-up-dc-crowd-with-his-pro-plug-in-hybrid-talk/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/04/jim-woolsey-fires-up-dc-crowd-with-his-pro-plug-in-hybrid-talk/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



While most of the media attention in DC today is focused on the CEO hearings, over in the Cannon Building on The Hill, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is holding its long-planned Phase II Renewable Energy National Policy Forum. The big name speakers were former CIA head James Woolsey and New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman (we'll cover his talk in a bit).

Woolsey opened his morning talk with the traditional jokes (see here) and then moved into pretty much the same speech we heard at the Santa Monica AltCar Expo in 2006 and AFVi in 2007. Woolsey may be beating the same drum he's been beating for a long time, but it's a drum that gets heard. The trouble is, it's not a complete picture of the problems with oil. For one thing, Woolsey says that we're all responsible for funding dictators and countries that are not exactly friendly to the US because we keep buying their oil. True. But who do we import the most oil from? It's not Saudi Arabia or Venezuela. It's Canada. Apparently, we're all culpable in funding hockey teams across the great white north. (This post continues after the jump)

Continue reading Jim Woolsey fires up DC crowd with his pro-plug-in hybrid talk

Jim Woolsey fires up DC crowd with his pro-plug-in hybrid talk originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>acoreAmerican Council on Renewable EnergyAmericanCouncilOnRenewableEnergyciajames woolseyJamesWoolseySebastian BlancoThu, 04 Dec 2008 14:56:00 ESTEDTA 2008: The View from Congresshttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/03/edta-2008-the-view-from-congress/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/03/edta-2008-the-view-from-congress/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/03/edta-2008-the-view-from-congress/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



It was very likely because of who the audience was, but all the panelists at today's "View from the Hill" seminar at the EDTA show agreed that electric drive is the way to go for the future of the American car. Congressional staffer JJ Brown, from Senator Orrin Hatch's (R-UT) office, Pat Bousliman, the natural resources adviser to the Senate Finance Committee, and Mike Carr, counsel to the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee (he also works for Senator Bingaman, D-NM), spoke about how lawmakers view the options for moving America to cleaner sources of energy. The overall message was that Congress will do what it can to affect change, but that Congress is looking for help from the outside - like the people in the room, for example.

Brown said that Senator Hatch realizes that, "We cannot have an anti-oil policy on the Hill right now." Members of Congress know that ethanol is not a silver bullet, and electric drive is a "great answer" to the problem of oil dependency, but it's exactly that oil that is available right now and will therefore continue to be supported.

Carr added that lawmakers don't want to be in the position of trying to pick the winning technologies - when they've tried to do so in the past they've made mistakes (*ahem*ethanol*cough*). Still, there will be a new comprehensive energy bill started up in the new Congress, Carr said. This is where the EDTA members, and others, can help with their input. We'll certainly be watching to see what the now-Democratically-controlled Congress and President-elect Mr. Change can craft.

EDTA 2008: The View from Congress originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>congressenergy billEnergyBillorrin hatchOrrinHatchsenatesenatorSebastian BlancoWed, 03 Dec 2008 17:32:00 ESTAt Witz' End: What Auto CEOs Should Have Saidhttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/01/at-witz-end-what-auto-ceos-should-have-said/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/01/at-witz-end-what-auto-ceos-should-have-said/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/01/at-witz-end-what-auto-ceos-should-have-said/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Shouldn't those auto/government hearings have been reversed?

Did it occur to anyone else that those oh-so-painful auto CEO/government hearings should have been the other way around?

Instead of the heads of America's three remaining automakers groveling, begging and enduring live public floggings trying to sell their case for government loans to get them past the global economic crisis and credit freeze that government greed, corruption and incompetence has created, shouldn't they have been vein-popping outraged and angry? Shouldn't they have pointed accusatory fingers at that sorry collection of arrogant, auto-ignorant Senators and Congressmen who got them into this mess and demanded their assistance?

Shouldn't they have looked those pompous public-trough pinheads straight in the face and demanded to know why investment firms, banks and big insurance get hundreds of billions of taxpayer bailout dollars no questions asked while what's left of America's once-mighty manufacturing muscle begs for loans totaling 1/28 of that initial $700 billion Wall Street bailout? Where were the public humiliation hearings and newly viable business plans for those guys?

(post continues after the jump)

Continue reading At Witz' End: What Auto CEOs Should Have Said

At Witz' End: What Auto CEOs Should Have Said originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>auto execauto execsAutoExecAutoExecsceosfeaturedhearingsGary WitzenburgMon, 01 Dec 2008 12:01:00 ESTCongressional plan for green Detroit could be financially fatalhttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/30/congressional-plan-for-green-detroit-could-be-financially-fatal/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/30/congressional-plan-for-green-detroit-could-be-financially-fatal/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/30/congressional-plan-for-green-detroit-could-be-financially-fatal/#commentsFiled under: ,



We're from the government and we're here to help. Those words strike fear into the hearts of conservatives anywhere. Right now those words probably should be terrorizing those hoping for a loan deal for the Detroit automakers as well. Before and after Congress declined to provide quick passage to loan package until the carmakers put a forward a plan, many people wanted to attach strings to the deal requiring the three companies to transform their fleets with a green lineup.

To a large extent this was already in process before the situation turned into a full blown crisis this fall. Product plans at Ford and General Motors (nobody really knows what's happening at Chrysler) had already been completely revamped over the last 18 months as the price of fuel skyrocketed. Most of the future "gas guzzlers" had been canceled or put on hold while more efficient cars were fast tracked. The programs that were moving forward were meant to be both greener and profitable. All of this was being driven by the market, specifically high gas prices, not CAFE. So, what's a good proposal for Congress to implement? My thoughts are after the jump.

[Source: Detroit News]

Continue reading Congressional plan for green Detroit could be financially fatal

Congressional plan for green Detroit could be financially fatal originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bailoutbridge loanBridgeLoancongressfuel taxfuel taxesFuelTaxFuelTaxesSam AbuelsamidSun, 30 Nov 2008 15:32:00 ESTTop 10 Future Green Collector Carshttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/25/top-10-future-green-collector-cars/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/25/top-10-future-green-collector-cars/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/25/top-10-future-green-collector-cars/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



There will always be a market for older cars, After all, people tend to look back on vehicles that were available during their youth with rose-colored glasses. Evidence of such can be seen every day as hundreds of classic muscle cars change hands, oftentimes at prices over a hundred-times the car's original asking price. In many cases, the legend of the vehicle easily surpasses its reality, and we'd expect nothing less from the diehard green segment. Instead of fondly recalling completely unreachable quarter-mile times and dusting competitors from stoplight to stoplight, perhaps we'll think back on (totally unreachable) 100 mile per gallon hybrids from the early 2000s.

In fact, the trend has already begun, with our tenth spot taken by a car that was often derided by the media but beloved by a small but vocal group of fans when it was new. Values for this particular machine have already skyrocketed in just the last year, so its place as a future collectible is all but a given. What car are we talking about? Click here to begin the journey.

Top 10 Future Green Collector Cars originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredtop tentop ten collectibletop ten collectible green carstop ten green carstop ten listTopTenTopTenCollectibleTopTenCollectibleGreenCarsTopTenGreenCarsTopTenListJeremy KorzeniewskiTue, 25 Nov 2008 20:08:00 ESTABG chats with SmartUSA president David Schembri about EVs, diesel, micro-hybrids and morehttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/25/abg-chats-with-smartusa-president-david-schembri-about-evs-dies/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/25/abg-chats-with-smartusa-president-david-schembri-about-evs-dies/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/25/abg-chats-with-smartusa-president-david-schembri-about-evs-dies/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



One of the newest cars to drop into the US market is the Smart ForTwo. A decade after its European debut, the two-seat city car finally arrived stateside after several abortive attempts by both its parent company Daimler and independent distributors. This time around Daimler worked with a US distributor set up by serial entrepreneur and race team owner Roger Penske to create SmartUSA. At the LA Auto Show last week we sat down with SmartUSA president David Schembri to discuss the company's first year in the American market and where they are going.

When it launched, SmartUSA set a target of 20,000 annual sales in this country. Given that this car is definitely a niche product, that relatively modest goal was probably wise. As it turned out, it was actually fairly conservative. Smart delivered the first US-spec ForTwo to a customer in Manhattan on January 16 of this year and the 20,000th example earlier in November "to a couple in their mid-fifties, empty-nesters," as Schembri described them, in Dallas TX. Not bad for a car that has received decidedly mixed reviews from both media and prospective buyers in this country. Read on past the jump for more of what Schembri talked about.

Gallery: 2008 smart fortwo

Continue reading ABG chats with SmartUSA president David Schembri about EVs, diesel, micro-hybrids and more

ABG chats with SmartUSA president David Schembri about EVs, diesel, micro-hybrids and more originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dave schembriDaveSchembrifortwosmartsmart fortwosmart fortwo cdismart usaSmartFortwoSmartFortwoCdismartusaSam AbuelsamidTue, 25 Nov 2008 11:08:00 ESTLA 2008: A GEM with a fireball and official custom linehttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/24/la-2008-a-gem-with-a-fireball-and-official-custom-line/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/24/la-2008-a-gem-with-a-fireball-and-official-custom-line/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/24/la-2008-a-gem-with-a-fireball-and-official-custom-line/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click above for high-res image gallery of the Fireball GEM

So, there's an LA-based custom car service called Fireballed that provides all sorts of vehicles to those who want to experience the "Automotive Hollywood Lifestyle." Designer "Fireball" Tim Lawrence makes some crazy vehicles - see these examples - and so we were somewhat surprised to see a fairly standard GEM e4 in this booth at the LA Auto Show last week. As far as I can tell, the only addition is a Fireball sticker on the door panel. There was no one in the booth to ask if there were any underhood enhancements, so I'm left with the question of what was this GEM doing there?

Whatever the reason, this is a good chance to talk about Chrysler's newly-announced MY line of GEM vehicles, which allow for easier custom options. Perhaps Fireball Tim was just waiting for an easier-to-change GEM to work his magic.

Gallery: LA 2008: Fireballed GEM


[Source: Green Car Congress]

LA 2008: A GEM with a fireball and official custom line originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>fireballgemla auto showla auto show 2008LaAutoShowLaAutoShow2008Sebastian BlancoMon, 24 Nov 2008 19:01:00 ESTLA 2008: CSULA's Super Eagle II gets 853 mpghttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/24/la-2008-uclas-super-eagle-ii-gets-853-mpg/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/24/la-2008-uclas-super-eagle-ii-gets-853-mpg/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/24/la-2008-uclas-super-eagle-ii-gets-853-mpg/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for high-res image gallery of CSULA's supermileage ride

Far from the major automakers' glitzy unveilings - which, granted, were less crazy than in past years - at the LA Auto Show, the CSULA Supermileage Vehicle sits like an alien's egg on some red carpet in the basement of the LA Convention Center. This sleek bubble is powered by a single-cylinder 2 hp engine and can reach a top speed of 63 miles per hour. The supermileage part? This thing gets an astounding 853 mpg and is of the same family - totally unpractical, hyper-efficient experiments - as the 2,843 mpg winner of the Shell Eco-Marathon. CSULA's engineering and technology students have done a fine job with these yellow wheels and see-through top. My favorite part is the water bottle bungee corded to the top (you can see it more clearly in this picture). Anyone know what that's for?

Gallery: LA 2008: CSULA Super Eagle II


UPDATE: changed all mistaken references from UCLA to CSULA.

LA 2008: CSULA's Super Eagle II gets 853 mpg originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>hypermileagela auto showLaAutoShowuclaSebastian BlancoMon, 24 Nov 2008 16:27:00 ESTEditorial: A simple way to reduce SoCal pollution and fuel consumptionhttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/22/editorial-a-simple-way-to-reduce-socal-pollution-and-fuel-consu/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/22/editorial-a-simple-way-to-reduce-socal-pollution-and-fuel-consu/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/22/editorial-a-simple-way-to-reduce-socal-pollution-and-fuel-consu/#commentsFiled under: ,



As I spent several days in Los Angeles, CA last week I came to several realizations. First I never want to live there. While air quality has dramatically improved since the 1960s, the geography of the region means that it will never be as good as other places. Since the 1960s, California politicians and regulators have continually tightened emissions standards to the point where more than 99 percent of the pollution produced by cars and trucks in those days has been eliminated, and yet they want to go further.

Now they want to regulate CO2 which is a de facto way of limiting fuel consumption. While I am all for reducing consumption of fossil fuels, the reality is that cars and trucks last a long time. If, starting today, every car sold in California had zero emissions, it would still take more than 20 years to turn over the entire vehicle fleet. Actually given the current economic situation and rate of car sales it would probably take a lot longer than that. For the foreseeable future, people will be keeping their cars even longer, meaning that if we want to reduce emissions we have to find another way. Fortunately there is one. Read on after the jump to find out.

Continue reading Editorial: A simple way to reduce SoCal pollution and fuel consumption

Editorial: A simple way to reduce SoCal pollution and fuel consumption originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>editoriallos angeleslos angeles trafficLosAngelesLosAngelesTraffictraffic lighttraffic light timingtraffic lightsTrafficLightTrafficLightsTrafficLightTimingSam AbuelsamidSat, 22 Nov 2008 19:55:00 ESTLA 2008: HH2 display is downstairs, folks http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/21/la-2008-hh2-display-is-downstairs-folks/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/21/la-2008-hh2-display-is-downstairs-folks/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/21/la-2008-hh2-display-is-downstairs-folks/#commentsFiled under: , ,



The tireless promoters of the HH2 hydrogen system are in the basement of the LA Convention Center this week, not too far from the Intimate EV. Four vehicles, only one that was actually outfitted with the HH2 materials, are sitting in the tuner hall awaiting visitors. If you go, you'll be full in the mix of information and told that the system costs just $500 $899 and can be installed in any vehicle built after 1960 (and even some previous cars). There are also clip art posters of the Twin-H Hydrogen Power device. In fact, visiting the booth is kind of like looking at the company's website. A lot of all caps, a few typos, and plenty of claims of incredible benefits from putting a little water into a box under your hood. We won't repeat ourselves in full, but will say again that these systems don't work. Instead of visiting, it's perhaps a bit safer to check out the claims in our gallery below.

UPDATE: The proprietors of the HH2 booth have issued a response to this post. Read it below.

Gallery: LA 2008: HH2 booth

Continue reading LA 2008: HH2 display is downstairs, folks

LA 2008: HH2 display is downstairs, folks originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>hh2hydroelectrichydroelectricpowerSebastian BlancoFri, 21 Nov 2008 14:05:00 ESTLA 2008: Intimate electric vehicle is "the quiet car"http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/21/la-2008-intimate-electric-vehicle-is-the-quiet-car/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/21/la-2008-intimate-electric-vehicle-is-the-quiet-car/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/21/la-2008-intimate-electric-vehicle-is-the-quiet-car/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


get intimate with the Quiet Car by clicking above

Charging up the basement of the LA Convention Center this week is the Intimate electric car, a bright red slope with the tagline: "The Quiet Car." Show workers were still unwrapping the tiny vehicle when we happened by, but that didn't stop us from taking some pictures. That blue rectangle by the door handles is just tape, don't worry.

In any case, we discovered that the two-seat Intimate is a bare bones EV, a project of L/E Automobiles, LLC. It'll most likely be regulated as a neighborhood electric vehicle (notice the four wheels?) but the website doesn't come out and say it. What it does say is that the Intimate BEV "will be developed and built in Van Nuys, California," supposedly here in late 2008. Target range is 30-60 miles on a 6-8 hour charge and it'll push you along at 40 mph. Don't want to be going too fast when you're getting intimate, right?

Gallery: LA 2008: Intimate EV - The Quiet Car

LA 2008: Intimate electric vehicle is "the quiet car" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>intimateintimate bevintimate electric carintimate evIntimateBevIntimateElectricCarIntimateEvlele automobilesLeAutomobilesnevquiet carQuietCarSebastian BlancoFri, 21 Nov 2008 11:58:00 ESTMiles EV highway speed sedan, first official rendering http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/miles-ev-highway-speed-sedan-first-official-rendering/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/miles-ev-highway-speed-sedan-first-official-rendering/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/miles-ev-highway-speed-sedan-first-official-rendering/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click to enlarge

Back in 2007, this car was called the Javlon XS500. Then it got shortened to just XS500. Now, the all-electric sedan that Miles EV wants to bring market in 2010 or so is called, well, nothing yet. A highway-speed sedan that Miles hopes to sell 9,000 of in 2010 is visually just what you see above, but there are running prototypes in the states today. The estimated cost is under $40,000 (before government incentives) and the top speed is 85 mph. Range = 150 100+ miles. [my mistake on writing w/o listening back to the interview]

While in LA for the auto show this week, we managed to slip out to Santa Monica and visit the Miles EV offices for chat with president and CEO Kevin Czinger. We'll bring you the full details of that chat soon, but for now, what do you think of the look?

[Source: Miles EV]

Miles EV highway speed sedan, first official rendering originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>breakinghighway speedHighwaySpeedmiles evmiles sedanMilesEvMilesSedanSebastian BlancoThu, 20 Nov 2008 20:03:00 ESTLA 2008: AFS Trinity booth http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/la-2008-afs-trinity-booth/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/la-2008-afs-trinity-booth/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/la-2008-afs-trinity-booth/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Not sure if this is exactly the LA Auto Show booth that AFS Trinity refused two weeks ago, but it might as well have been. Instead of their false claims of 150 mile per gallon equivalent hybrids here at the show, we have, well, nothing. As I said, we're more than willing to accept their claims that their plug-in hybrid technology is solid, but there's no need to BS us with your big numbers. See ya next time.

LA 2008: AFS Trinity booth originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>afs trinityafs trinity hybridAfsTrinityAfsTrinityHybridSebastian BlancoThu, 20 Nov 2008 16:20:00 ESTLA 2008: Green Car of the Year is the Volkswagen Jetta TDIhttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/la-2008-green-car-of-the-year/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/la-2008-green-car-of-the-year/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/la-2008-green-car-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Green Car of the Year

8:45 am - So, the choices for the 2009 Green Car of the Year are:

  • BMW 335d
  • Ford Fusion hybrid
  • Saturn Vue 2 Mode hybrid
  • Smart ForTwo
  • Volkswagen Jetta TDI

The ceremony should start in a few minutes. Then we'll know who wins this thing.

8:48 am - Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal - the people behind this whole event - takes the stand. He says that meaningful impact will only come with big fuel efficiency gains "across the board."

8:50 am - since we don't liveblog many events on AutoblogGreen, I'll explain that all you need to do to see the immediate updates is to refresh the page a lot (hit F5 or click reload). I'll post the winning car as soon as it's announced, so click early and often :)

8:52 am - To be considered, a car must be introduced after January 1, and the GCJ jury gives precedence to models young in their lifespan.

8:54 am - the winner is a diesel

8:55 am - it's the Jetta TDI! Nice.

9:03 am - that was over quickly. More pictures in a minute.

9:34 am - Gallery added and there's a press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2009 Green Car of the Year: VW Jetta TDI

Continue reading LA 2008: Green Car of the Year is the Volkswagen Jetta TDI

LA 2008: Green Car of the Year is the Volkswagen Jetta TDI originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>breakinggreen car journalgreen car of the yearGreenCarJournalGreenCarOfTheYearjettajetta tdiJettaTdila auto showla auto show 2008LaAutoShowLaAutoShow2008tdivolkswagenvwSebastian BlancoThu, 20 Nov 2008 11:42:00 ESTLA 2008: Porsche RS Spyder all boxed uphttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/la-2008-porsche-rs-spyder-all-boxed-up/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/la-2008-porsche-rs-spyder-all-boxed-up/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/20/la-2008-porsche-rs-spyder-all-boxed-up/#commentsFiled under: , ,



From the company that brought you the Boxster, may we present you a car in a box: the 2008 Porsche RS Spyder was all caged up in a glass fence at the Porsche room at the LA Auto Show. Thankfully, cameras can shoot through Porsche's defenses and so we can get a good view of the ethanol sticker on the rear.

On a more serious note, this is the race car that uses a direct injected version of the 3.4L V8 that puts out 385 Nm and 503 horsepower. The car won a LMP2 class race earlier this summer and the 12 Hours of Sebring, Porsche's first outright win in two decades. And after all that, the car has to sit behind a glass wall.

Gallery: LA 2008: Porsche RS Spyder

LA 2008: Porsche RS Spyder all boxed up originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>porscheporsche rs spyderPorscheRsSpyderrs spyderRsSpyderSebastian BlancoThu, 20 Nov 2008 08:09:00 ESTLA 2008: 2010 Lexus RX 450h live unveilinghttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/19/la-2008-2010-lexus-rx-450h-live-unveiling/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/19/la-2008-2010-lexus-rx-450h-live-unveiling/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/19/la-2008-2010-lexus-rx-450h-live-unveiling/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click above for our high res gallery

Ten years after introducing the "car-based luxury utility vehicle segment," Lexus unveiled its latest hybrid, the 2010 RX 450h, today at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The second-gen RX 450h uses a 3.5 liter V6 gas engine (Atkinson cycle) and an upgraded inverter for a total of 295 hp in a luxury SULEV package. It's so luxury you can read the blindingly bright heads-up display even in direct sunlight, Lexus claims. Available with FWD or part-time all-wheel drive, the RX 450h gets XX mpg. No, that's not a typo. Lexus isn't saying that the mileage or the price is for this new model, but we'll find out by spring 2009 at the latest. That's when this new hybrid goes on sale. Press release after the jump.

Gallery: LA 2008: Lexus RX 450h


Gallery: LA 2008: Lexus RX 450h press photos


Live photos copyright (C)2008 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Lexus]

Continue reading LA 2008: 2010 Lexus RX 450h live unveiling

LA 2008: 2010 Lexus RX 450h live unveiling originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>la auto showLaAutoShowlexuslexus 450 hlexus 450hLexus450hrx 450 hrx 450hRx450HSebastian BlancoWed, 19 Nov 2008 18:09:00 ESTLA 2008: Nissan Altima Hot Rod hybridhttp://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/19/la-2008-nissan-altima-hot-rod-hybrid/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/19/la-2008-nissan-altima-hot-rod-hybrid/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/19/la-2008-nissan-altima-hot-rod-hybrid/#commentsFiled under: , ,


click for a gallery of the Altima hybrid race car

Before the doors officially opened at the LA Auto Show this morning, we spotted the Nissan Altima Hot Rod, our old friend from SEMA. With nothing much to do but awit for the doors to open, we snapped a few shots and marveled at the slick leaf-shaped dual exhaust pipes. The leaf logos emblazoned in the hood were another not-so-subtle touch to let everyone who sees this car know that it's green (just look at the paint job). Ready for E85 and with a solar panel on the roof, this is one green race car. More details here.

Gallery: LA 2008: Nissan Altima Hybrid Racecar

LA 2008: Nissan Altima Hot Rod hybrid originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>altimaaltima hybridAltimaHybridnissan altimaNissanAltimaSebastian BlancoWed, 19 Nov 2008 16:17:00 EST