It's time to say adios to the classic yellow Ford Crown Vic. In May 2007, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans to transform the city's ubiquitous yellow cab fleet from the old school Ford Crown Victorias to all hybrids. For the past couple of years, a variety of hybrid vehicles have been gradually infiltrating the fleet and generally performing well. Ford Escape hybrids have become a common site on the streets of Manhattan. Under the new rules, starting this October all new cabs coming into the fleet will be required to get 25 mpg in the city with that number jumping to 30 mpg in 2009. That essentially means the end of the Crown Vic. The city has now reached agreement with Nissan, Ford and GM to supply a steady stream hybrid vehicles for taxi use. Nissan will offer up 200 Altima hybrids every month while Ford and Chevrolet will provide 50 each of its Escape and Malibu hybrids every month. These 300 vehicles per month will ensure that there are sufficient supplies to meet the turnover needs of the fleet over the next several years and replace the entire fleet by 2012.

[Source: New York Times]

At the New York Auto Show last week we had our first opportunity to actually go for a drive in one of Ford's new plug-in hybrid Escapes. Last year Ford announced a partnership with Southern California Edison to build and test twenty plug-in hybrid Escapes. SCE will be using the crossovers in their fleet to evaluate performance, durability and mileage. They will also be testing out vehicle-to-grid technology using the Escapes. For our drive, Chief Engineer Greg Frenette accompanied us on a half hour drive around Manhattan, mostly in stop and go traffic. We also had an opportunity to open it up a bit on the West Side Highway.

The Escape that Ford brought out to Manhattan was the first of the twenty prototypes being built for the program over the next year and a half. According to Frenette as they build the vehicles they will be changing as the company learns from the previous iterations. The current model is based on the 2008 Escape Hybrid with the 2.3L four cylinder. Future vehicles that will be built starting this summer will use the upgrades planned for the 2009 models including the new 2.5L engine. The primary mechanical changes for this unit involves swapping out the standard 2kWh nickel metal hydride battery pack in favor of a 10kWh lithium ion pack along with a charger and a plug mounted in the left front fender. Aside from that, most of the changes are in software with different calibrations to optimize the use of the lithium battery. Continue reading about the plug-in Escape after the jump.


[Source: Ford]

About a month ago Hybrid Technologies sent out press release that they were slashing the price of their electric vehicle conversions. For some time now, they have been offering up MINI Coopers, Chrysler PT Cruisers and even Crossfires among others. The flaw in the plan however was the pricing. There have been questions about actual performance and how many vehicles the company has actually delivered. The one independent test that we are aware was a battery powered Chrysler PT Cruiser the company provided for testing as a New York City Taxi. That one ended badly after only a few months in service when the car was unable to approach the claimed range and it performed poorly in cold weather. Well, some of the staff from Hybrid Technologies were on hand with a few of their vehicles at the New York Auto Show this week and I managed to get answers (sort of) to a few questions. Their MINI conversion is now priced at $57,500 and they have built two prototypes for testing. However, to date none have been ordered by potential customers. As for their latest offering, a converted Toyota Yaris called Liv Wise, priced a slightly more reasonable $39,500, HT claims to have gotten fifteen serious inquiries and they are attempting to firm up the first order. Once an order is confirmed they will deliver a car within four months. So apparently people are looking for actual demonstrated capability at an affordable price when it comes to electric vehicles and conversions of existing cars may not be the way to get there.

[Source: Hybrid Technologies]

Click the Saleen S5S Raptor

A quarter century after Steve Saleen started building heavily modified high performance Ford Mustangs, the company that still bears his name, if not his direct involvement, unveiled a new concept car at the New York Auto Show. The S5S Raptor is the second ground-up design from Saleen following the S7R that debuted several years ago. The Raptor is the first car from Saleen specifically designed to run on ethanol. During the presentation CEO Paul Wilbur emphasized the use of cellulosic E85, which several cars in the American Le Mans Series are running this season. The Raptor is powered by a new supercharged 5.0L V-8 that produces 650hp when running on biofuel. Saleen is following many other high performance tuners and builders in switching to E85. It allows them to tune the engines for higher performance without having to use expensive high octane racing gasoline blends. The Raptor is currently a concept, but Saleen is evaluating potential customer interest before deciding whether to proceed with production. If Saleen does proceed it could be available within two years at approximately $185,000.


[Source: Saleen]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Scion Hako Concept

First, the quote: "Will we have a truck in our lineup? Does it make sense to have a hybrid powertrain? Is a subcompact roadster the answer? Or will an SUV ever be viable for us. We don't know the answers but we're very open-minded." That quote comes courtesy of Jack Hollis, vice president for Scion. So, Scion is considering a hybrid, huh? That's an interesting thought, considering the low price-point that Scion operates in. Surely, a hybrid Scion would be pushing into Prius territory price-wise, which might be inconsistent with Scion's image. Whatever the case, we sure hope that the hybrid wouldn't be anything like their new Hako concept. Wow, is that sucker ug... eh, interesting looking.

In other related news, Hollis mentioned a Scion pickup. That's something worth considering, we think, and it's an idea that's been thrown around before. Ideally, we'd like to see Scion axe the Hako, make a real coupe to replace the aging tC and consider a hybrid drivetrain for that machine; test the waters for a compact unibody pickup and reduce the weight of the xB, making it more in line with the original model. Alas, nobody asked us.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Click the Kia Koup for a high res gallery
Kia just officially unveiled their latest concept at the New York Auto Show, the Koup. As we already showed a little earlier this morning the Koup is a front wheel drive coupe that exhibits Kia's latest styling direction. The look isn't hugely original, but it is clean and very nicely proportioned. Of course as is requisite on any concept car with sport pretensions, the Koup has plenty of carbon fiber trim including the mirror housings, the wheels and at strategic locations on the inside. The really important stuff remains under the hood, where the 2.0L turbocharged and direct injected engine resides. In this concept the engine is rated at 290hp, and 289lb-ft of torque. Kia PR Director Alex Fedorak said that they are working on DI and turbo engines and there is a good chance such engines will appear in upcoming Kia's since they are a cost effective way of getting good power with lower fuel consumption.



[Source: Kia]

Click the Kia Koup concept for a high-res gallery

After all the embargo breaks that typically occur during the run up to big auto shows, Kia actually managed to drop a real surprise here in New York. The Kia Koup concept that is debuting here is a front wheel drive four seat coupe. This concept is the first vehicle from Kia to use a new turbocharged direct injected four cylinder engine. The 2.0L engine is rated at 290hp and 289lb-ft of torque. The design of this car points to something that will likely be produced and GTDI engines are almost a certainty in the next couple of years. It would be no surprise to see a GTDI four cylinder replacing V-6s in applications like the next generation Sorento, Optima and Sedona. The Kia press release is after the jump.

click the Hako concept for a high-res gallery

Apparently Scion got the message from fans of the first generation xA and xB when the replacements grew larger and heavier. Today they debuted a new concept called the Hako Coupe at the New York Auto Show. The Hako was created by Toyota's Tokyo design team with an eye on vintage American design. Frankly I think it just looks weird. Nonetheless it is smaller and it sounds like Scion is seriously considering this thing for production as a new addition to the lineup. At 145.7in the Hako is 9in shorter than the xD although Toyota didn't give any other technical details. The interior is packed with all kinds of techno goodness such as video cameras and interfaces for ipods and other gadgets. Scion made a point of mentioning that they wanted a polarizing design that wouldn't necessarily appeal to everyone, but those who like it would love it.


[Source: Scion]

Click the Denki Cube for a high res gallery.

As part Nissans Green 2010 program, they announced today that they will be going for a new low next year. Sometime in 2009 Nissan will launch the next generation Cube in the US market as an entry level model below the Versa. The Cube should be be a nice replacement for who missed the style of the original Scion xB, when the bigger second gen model debuted last year. Nissan didn't give any other details on the new car but they did have a pair of current Japanese market models on display. They also showed off one of their prototype electric cubes. The Denki Cube uses new laminated lithium ion batteries from Nissan's joint venture with NEC. The batteries are stashed below the floor and rear seat. The Nissan press release is after the jump.



[Source: Nissan]

Click the TSX for a high-res gallery

Acura took the wraps of the all-new TSX today at the New York Auto Show, although we already saw it with Honda badges at the Geneva Auto Show a couple of weeks ago. The TSX will almost certainly be the first Acura model to get Honda's new 2.2L diesel four cylinder next year. Unfortunately, Acura decided not to officially announce it here in New York, although it was shown in Geneva. For launch, the TSX gets an updated 2.4L gasoline four cylinder with 201 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy is rated at 21/30/24mpg city/highway/combined with the 5-speed automatic. The TSX is also available with a 6-speed manual transmission. The new model is also about 2.4 inches longer providing more room inside. The Nav system that is part of the technology package now features automatic traffic re-routing based on data from the Acura-Link telematics system.


[Source: Acura]

Click the new Maxima for a high-res gallery of 60+ photos

Almost a year ago, Nissan announced that they would introduce their first U.S.-market diesel engines in 2010 in the Nissan Maxima. While we still have a while to wait for the new fifty-state legal diesel V-6 to turn up, the car that will carry it is debuting this week in New York. The 2009 Maxima is the first new production Nissan to carry the design language that debuted on the Nissan Forum concept at the Detroit Auto Show.

The bodywork of the new Maxima has a look that Nissan describes as "liquid motion." The look is livelier than the current model, which has something of a slab sided, sharp edged style. The hood has a wave-like appearance with a trough on either side of the center bulge while the fenders are more prominent than the old car. For its launch this summer the Maxima will be available with Nissan's 3.5L gasoline V-6 paired up with the Xtronic continuously variable transmission driving the front wheels. The new diesel is a 3.0L V-6 being jointly developed by Renault and Nissan that will be fully Tier 2 Bin 5 compliant. After it debuts in the Maxima, it will almost certainly be added to other Nissan models and a higher-performance version will go into Infinitis.


[Source: Nissan]

click to enlarge and see our high-resolution gallery.

The all-electric Subaru R1e will be seen on the streets of New York City more and more in the coming months, thanks to the expansion of a testing program that now includes the New York Power Authority (NYPA). The NYPA will be getting two of these very nice-looking vehicles to test, similar to what's being done in Japan. How do we know they're nice looking? Well, the galleries from Geneva were one way, but now we've seen it in the metal, and we are impressed. Very. This car should be made available, and soon.

Episode 20 of the AutoblogGreen Podcast has us recapping Geneva mere days before we head to New York. There were lots of exciting things over in Switzerland, and we touch on a few of them. Th!nk's new Ox will be a Tesla-magnitude achievement if it hits the market doing what the company says it will. GM rolled out the new version of its mild hybrid system that will be propagating across virtually all models in all brands to help boost CAFE. Better efficiency for about half of what a sat nav option costs? We'll take it. Speaking of hybrids, there was a lot of talk from BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen ,and others about upcoming Euro-branded hybrids, and diesel hybrids at that. Mercedes will debut li-Ion batteries in a production hybrid, while Toyota has yet to see a compelling argument for diesel hybrids. Rest assured that if people want it, Toyota will build it, though. Before closing, we look forward to the couple of things we know about in New York, like the debut of the Acura TSX/Honda Euro Accord which will sport a 50-state legal diesel, and the Automotive X-Prize folks will be holding a press conference, as well. 32 minutes this time around. Stay tuned, we'll surely be abuzz when we return from New York.

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Coca-Cola Enterprises plans to add 120 hybrid trucks to its fleet in the US over the next year. The company currently uses two hybrids in the Bronx, NY fleet and plans to add another three to the Bronx fleet in December. Coke's president and CEO, John Brock, and New York Major Michael Bloomberg said a few words at the ceremony introducing the five trucks to the Bronx fleet and NY1 has a short video of the event.

Mayor Bloomberg said, "Sustainable business practices will save businesses money in the long run. That's why we're seeing support for converting the taxi fleet to hybrids, major rental companies like Hertz converting their fleets, and it's why a leader in product distribution like Coca-Cola Enterprises has made this commitment."

Mr. Brock said "Coca-Cola Enterprises has long been responsive to the needs of our local communities, and the expansion of our hybrid-electric fleet in the Bronx demonstrates our commitment to Mayor Bloomberg's call for local industries to be proactive in the search for alternative fuel sources."

According to the press release, Coke did intensive research and design with their suppliers to create the International 4300 truck, with Eaton Hybrid Technology. The truck uses a motor/generator, working with the transmission and a 340 volt battery, to get 32 percent increased fuel efficiency and the trucks can drive on electric power only below 30 MPH. The trucks also saves fuel by not idling at stop lights.

Coke is the largest marketer, distributor, and producer of bottled and canned liquid nonalcoholic refreshment. The Bronx sales center has 90 trucks servicing 8,700 customers in Manhattan and the Bronx, delivering more than 8 million cases of product annually.

What a great early Christmas gift from Coke. I'd like to buy the world a Coke hybrid truck.

Related:

• Wal-Mart receives its first Peterbilt hybrid big rig
• Toyota's Hino Trucks reportedly bringing hybrid trucks to Australia

[Source: Coke press release, NY1]

Remember the study that said "if Americans were to utilize one of the latest eco-friendly motor scooters for just 10 percent of their everyday travel, they could potentially reduce national fuel consumption by 14 million gallons of gasoline per day and decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 324 million pounds per day?" Well, in an effort to make that a reality, Piaggio, through their Vespa brand's Vespanomics marketing strategy, is making an effort to make free scooter parking legal in New York. To make this happen, Piaggio Group has "instituted free parking for two-wheel vehicles in Edison ParkFast garages", at the following locations:

• Chinatown -- 174 Centre Street, between Hester and Canal Streets
• Midtown -- 412-422 W. 33rd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues
• Theater District -- 1120 Avenue of the Americas, near 44th Street
• Tribeca -- 15-21 Worth Street, between Worth Street and West Broadway

Not living in New York, I don't think that this will help me any, at least not in the short term. Long term, however, Piaggio's hope is that if a demonstrable number of scooters park for free at their sponsored locales, New York might see the need to take action on the matter and open other areas up without prompting from Piaggio. And if New York makes those changes, other cities may follow suit. Not too much help in Toledo, but it's a start! If you'd like to add your name to the list of those who think this is a good idea, click here.

[Source: Piaggio, Vespanomics]