Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mitsubishi, Japan

If you want to take a taxi in Tokyo, you now have an electric option. At least if you are in the Otemachi, Marunouchi or Yurakucho districts between the daytime hours of 8:30 and 5:30. The Hinomaru Limosine Company is adding a pair of Mitsubishi i MiEVs to its fleet, making it the first in Japan’s capitol to offer an electric vehicle for hire. The fare will be the same 710 yen ($7.85 at today’s rate) for the first two kilometers (1.24 miles) as the company’s other taxis, though they will principally be driven by women able to provide their customers with local area and tourist information. They will also feature a pleasant aromatic oil to help you relax. No, really.

While they may be the first in Tokyo, they will not be the last. Although not on the road yet, another company and Better Place have been working since January to prepare cars and a battery-swapping station for a similar scheme. The ZeRO TAXI service, in the meantime, will be officially launched this Thursday with a ceremony at the Mitsubishi building in Marunouchi followed by some complimentary drives for the attending media.

[Source: Hinomaru Limosine Company via Green Car Congress]

Mitsubishi i MiEVs to become taxis in Tokyo originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Transportation Alternatives, Legislation and Policy, USA

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

Bid to block California’s A.B. 32 emission standards funded by big oil originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, UK

Having just celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, it’s pretty obvious that the whole “Irish I had a beer” thing is a pretty lame stereotype. Maybe the opening of the first on-street electric car chargers in the country will help people see there’s more to Ireland than leprechauns and green beer. Ah, who are we kidding?

Still, the chargers are coming. The Irish electric utility Electricity Supply Board (ESB) is helping to install four curbside chargers in Dublin that will be operational by the end of the month. That’s not a whole lot, but ESB says that it will install 1,500 across the country in the next 30 months, according to the Irish Times. These are quick-chargers, taking between one and two hours.

Why this ambitious rollout? Planning for the future. The head of the ESB’s electric vehicle division said in December that he thinks the “vast majority” the cars in Ireland will be replaced by electric vehicles by 2035. ESB is in partnership or talking to Renault-Nissan, Peugeot-Citroen and Mitsubishi and wants to bring around 2,000 electric vehicles to Ireland by the end of 2011.

[Source: Irish Times]

Irish we had more electric car chargers originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Green Daily, Lightweight

The name John DeLorean is synonymous with the automotive industry. From his days at General Motors, where he turned Pontiac into the automaker’s de facto performance division with the creation of the GTO, and, therefore, the muscle car genre in general, to his days running his eponymous car company that gave us the classic stainless steel gullwing wedge that became an iconic time machine through the magic of the movies, DeLorean was at the forefront of the industry for three decades.

Sadly, John DeLorean died in March 2005. We’ll never know what exactly he may have had in store to bring DeLorean Motor Company back to the market, though a telephone call two weeks before his death gives us a few clues. Apparently, DeLorean was planning to relaunch DMC with a new take on the classic DMC-12, complete with an engine from Renault with an optional hydraulic hybrid drivetrain and carbon fiber panels to keep it all lightweight and efficient.

The above information comes courtesy of our sister site AOL Autos’ Maintenance Editor Tom Torbjornsen, who had planned an interview with John DeLorean that was to take place one week after his death. Torbjornsen pieced together information from a conversation he had with DeLorean and his “best guess at what [he] thought John might have said based on [their] conversation.” It’s an interesting read, and you can check the whole thing out by clicking here.

[Source: AOL Autos]

What could have been: DeLorean had reportedly been planning hydraulic hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota

2007 Prius rated most dependable compact car in J.D. Power survey originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, MPG, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep

The artist engine formerly known as Prince Phoenix has officially hit the assembly lines at the Chrysler Group’s plant in Trenton, MI. The first version of the mill, which now bears the Pentastar moniker, displaces 3.6 liters and will see its first production application in the engine bay of the brand new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Expect this all-aluminum, 60-degree, dual-overhead cam (with variable valve timing) powerplant to see lots of use in the near-term future - Chrysler boasts that the Pentastar V6 will replace seven current V6 engines. In the new Grand Cherokee, the Pentastar will put out 280 horsepower (a 22 percent increase) at 6,400 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque (an 11 percent improvement) at 4,800 rpm.

Just as importantly, Chrysler tells us that the new engine will be 11 percent more fuel efficient than the unit it replaces and that it will run on either regular 87-octane gasoline or E85. This family of engines represent a $730 million investment, and the 822,000-square-foot Trenton facility will be able to produce more than 400,000 engines per year. See the complete press release after the break.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler kicks off production of Pentastar V6 engine, touts fuel efficiency improvements

Chrysler kicks off production of Pentastar V6 engine, touts fuel efficiency improvements originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in

Considering that hybrid vehicles - an established technology - comprise less than three percent of U.S. new vehicle sales, the fact that 26 percent of Americans would consider an electric vehicle (EV) for their next purchase probably sounds pretty good. However a survey of 1,752 adults conducted by Consumer Reports showed that 72 percent were unlikely to consider an EV. At this point, aside from a small number of people that can afford a Tesla Roadster and those with limited requirements that can use an NEV, there are no affordable EV choices anyway.

It also remains to be seen how those consideration numbers will change once people see what EVs actually cost. Nissan, Ford and General Motors will all be releasing electric vehicles (or ER-EVs) over the next 18 months but none of those companies have given any firm indication of what the vehicles would cost. Estimates range from the $25,000-40,000, but no one is certain if that will include the cost of a battery and whether it comes before or after tax subsidies.

One fifth of respondents indicated they would not pay a premium for an EV while another fifth said they would pay up to $5,000 extra. The median premium that people would pay was only $2,068. Given that hybrids typically cost $3,000-5,000 extra than standard gasoline vehicles and that EV batteries remain very expensive, it seems that any hopes of getting EVs into double digit market share in the next few years would be a long shot at best.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Survey says: Only one-quarter of Americans would consider an electric car originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in

There are four big reasons why Hawai’i is an ideal electric vehicle market: no real range anxiety, a lot of eco-minded citizens, current high energy costs, lots of solar potential. We’ve been saying as much since 2006. Since then, there has been some progress made: a partnership with Better Place in 2008 and the first public charging station that opened up earlier this year. This year’s First Hawaiian International Auto Show shows that the electric car movement is still moving forward in the islands. For example, a sponsor is the Hawaiian Electric Co., which will be on hand “touting the coming age of electrics.” A Tesla Roadster and a Mini E will also be on display. Good signs in a state that is dependent on petroleum for 90 percent of its energy. The Honolulu Advertiser says that one prediction estimates up to 10,000 of the state’s million vehicles could be electric in five years. In ten years, that already ambitious number could climb to 43,000. Yowza.

Some groups have been working to bring electric vehicles to Hawai’i a long time. We posted a two-part series on those efforts here and here.

[Source: Honolulu Advertiser]

Report: Hawaii could have 10,000 electric vehicles in five years originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Diesel, Etc., Hybrid, Transportation Alternatives

Cleaner emissions? Well, that depends on what exactly you are measuring and what you are comparing it to. In the case of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) bus seen here, the answer would probably surprise the 5,385 voters on Fail Blog that gave it a resounding thumbs down.

Sure, it looks dirty with all that ugly black smoke bellowing from the rear exhaust stack, but the hybrid people mover boasts the following statistics: 14% improved fuel consumption, a 56% decrease in nitrogen oxide, an ozone precursor, and a 96% decrease in particulate matter compared to a standard bus. All good things, no?

Still, we did indeed chuckle when we first glanced at the pic, especially with the arrow that points directly to the source of the smoke screen. Thanks for the tip, Wes!

[Source: Fail Blog]

It’s Friday: Cleaner emissions? Maybe, maybe not originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., MPG, SMART

If you are looking to take your Smart fortwo to the next level of personalization, then some snazzy new exterior stickers are just for you. Combine the stickers with newly released Brabus interior and exterior accessories and your Smart car is sure to stand out.

The new art stickers represent yet another way to customize one of the most customizable vehicles available. The art stickers are available in six different motifs that range from sporty to trendy to flowery. Each motif will suit a different taste and make every Smart unique. The adhesive foil stickers are applied to the tridion safety cell of the vehicle and provide a “look at me” factor that some owners may be fond of.

If stickers don’t suit your taste, you can choose one of the new Brabus accessories to customize your Smart. On the inside, Brabus offers an eight piece, carbon fiber look dress up kit. On the outside, Brabus now offers a light emitting diode daytime running light kit and a LED third brake light kit.

All of the artsy stickers and accessories can be purchased from and installed by your local Smart dealer. Customization does not come cheap. The stickers retail for over $300, the carbon trim comes in around $400, daytime running lights set you back another $750, and that third brake lamp comes in at a bargain-basement $175.

[Source: Daimler]

Customize your Smart with stickers and Brabus accessories originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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