China: 60,000 new-energy vehicles to trial-run in 11 cities

China has decided to put 60,000 new-energy vehicles on trial run in 11 cities in the next few years as part of the pilot project of developing its eco-friendly, fuel-efficient alternative-energy auto industry, said sina.com today.

Science and Technology Minister Wan Gang said earlier this week that China's auto industry now has the capability to develop and make alternative-energy vehicles to cut pollution and save fuel. In the coming three years, China will choose another 11 cities as pilot bases for the trial-run of 60,000 domestically made new-energy vehicles in public transportation, public services & facilities and postal services.

Currently, there are only small numbers of alternative-energy vehicles in trial service in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wuhan, Zhuzhou and some other Chinese cities. During the Beijing 2008 Olympics in August, Changan, Chery, FAW-VW, Shanghai-VW, Dongfeng, and Foton provided nearly 600 new-energy vehicles to serve the global sports event. They include fuel-cell, all-electric and hybrid taxis, buses and other courtesy sedans that achieved zero-emission at and around the Olympic avenues.

China's EV (electric-vehicle)-oriented automakers, now only in a very small number, are required to reach the annual production of 500 new-energy vehicles by late 2009 and their total annual output should hit 10,000 units by 2010 for each of the designated cities to have enough EVs for trial operation. At the same time, the vehicle standards, quality and stability will be strictly observed to meet the new-energy vehicle requirements.

The Chinese government has invested at least 800 million yuan ($117.2 million) in developing the EV industry. The government will support auto makers' research in the area through financial assistance and preferential policies, and will also give subsidies and tax breaks to individual and corporate buyers of alternative-energy vehicles, said a finance ministry official recently.

Source: Gasgoo

None of the big carmakers will miss the 2009 Geneva Motor Show

The auto business will be completely represented at the next Geneva International Motor Show in spring 2009. The planners of the Show are elated that all of the key auto producers will be putting their vehicles on display despite the disturbing developments in the business in the past couple of weeks. Hall 3 was acquired through special arrangement to permit specialists to display their most current designs in the realm of electric and other alternative means of propulsion.

The 79th Geneva International Motor Show will run from March 5 – 15, 2009 at the GENEVA PALEXPO. Presently, all of the areas for booths have already been assigned and the seven exhibition halls are completely booked, and besides all these is a further 20 prospective exhibitors are to be found on the waiting roll. A “Green Pavilion” will be completely devoted to vehicles that run on electricity and other forms of alternative propulsion systems.

The organizing team leaders have designed a fresh display setup for Hall 3. It will be completely set aside for exhibitors presenting only electric and other alternatively propelled vehicles. Founded on the premise that these new technologies warrant a broader introduction, both beginning specialists and established companies in these areas will have an equal prospect to present the products of their research to the world.

Source: 4wheelsnews.com

Total Lithium-Ion battery sales forecast to double by 2012 to US$13.1B

Market researcher Fuji-Keizai Co. forecasts that global sales of rechargeable batteries for all applications will surge 43% from 2007 to ¥3.61 trillion (US$37.9 billion) in 2012, led by a doubling of lithium-ion battery sales.

Sales of lithium ion batteries are seen growing to ¥1.25 trillion [US$13.1 billion] in 2012, about 2.1 times as high as 2007 sales. In addition to use in inexpensive notebook personal computers and power tools, these batteries are expected to be utilized in electric cars and hybrid vehicles.

Sales of dry cells and other non-rechargeable batteries are expected to grow 22% from 2007 to 1.48 trillion yen in 2012. The percentage of alkaline dry cell batteries sold will likely increase from around 70% in 2007.

Source: Green Car Congress

The Big Three become the Big One?!

When the twin towers were destroyed on September 2001 America’s iconic landscape underwent a shocking, instantaneous change on an unthinkable scale. Everything Americans believed in was irredeemably altered.

The plight of the so-called Big Three car corporations – Ford, GM and Chrysler – is surely going to lead to a similarly seismic shock, but this time it will be different because it should not come as any kind of surprise.

Years of mismanagement, union bullying, poor product and a defiance of the need to embrace change has left each of the Big Three horribly exposed. And now they’ve come to judgement day, on which they stand before Congress to beg for a public bailout, are they contrite or humble? Are they heck.

With a withering arrogance that defies the overarching reality, they front up in their private jets to demand money with menaces – the threat in this case being the loss of potentially three million jobs in their own organisations and the businesses which supply them. But you have to ask: if the government gives them the cash, what will they do with it? GM alone has squandered $5billion in just one quarter of 2008, so it’s hardly a safe pair of hands.

An industry insider told us this week that he believes the outcome of the crisis will be the merging of the Big Three under one name – American Motors Inc? – owned by the government. Tens of thousands of jobs will be lost, but millions will be saved too, and the new auto giant can get on with the business of building cars that people actually want.

And if you think Americans are proud, patriotic and ignorant, and would wail at such a loss of treasured brands, you’re wrong – research shows an overwhelming view that the Big Three have had their chance and blown it. The majority actually resent their incompetence.

Like the New York skyline, the American motorscape is about to change forever.

By Greg Fountain

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So how bad is it for the Big Three? Pretty terrible. GM lost $15.5bn (£8.7bn) in the second quarter of 2008. All three regularly post monthly sales figures down 30 percent on the same month last year. They’ve been hit by a genuine double-whammy. First, the economic downturn has seen almost all the car makers' sales slump by single figures. But high oil prices have hammered the Big Three particularly hard; the bulk of their sales and profits in their home market are in the big, thirsty SUVs and pick-ups that US consumers are deserting in droves for smaller cars from Toyota and Honda.

Source: Car magazine blogs

Toyota, Nissan reduced global output in October 2008

Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. cut global production last month as the intensifying financial crisis stifled car sales.

Toyota's output fell 15 percent to 700,146 vehicles, and Nissan's production dropped 18 percent to 278,581 vehicles in October, the companies said in separate statements Thursday. Honda Motor Co. said global output rose 1.4 percent to 368,245 units.

Toyota said last week it will almost halve U.S. output of Sienna minivans, slow the speed of one of two assembly lines in Georgetown, Ky., and extend its Christmas-New Year shutdown at U.S. plants by two days. Nissan on Oct. 31 said it will cut global output by at least 200,000 vehicles by March 31.

Japanese carmakers "are facing a severe situation in which supply is not being balanced by demand," said Tatsuya Mizuno, Tokyo-based director at Fitch Ratings, which Wednesday downgraded Toyota's debt rating to AA. "More adjustments will be necessary."

Toyota's domestic output fell 17 percent to 341,948 vehicles, and its overseas production fell 13 percent to 358,198 units. Toyota's New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. joint-venture plant with General Motors Corp. will also eliminate indefinitely one of two production shifts for Tacoma small pickups from Jan. 5.

On Thursday, management and trade unions said Toyota will close a factory in northern France for two weeks during December and will slash production from the plant next year due to falling demand.

Management at the factory, which produces the small Yaris model near the town of Onnaing, told employees Monday of the new working arrangements and plan to cut output.

Output will halt from Dec. 22 to 26, Dec. 29 to Jan. 2 and March 2 to 6 and daily output will be cut from 1,098 vehicles at present to 879 on Feb. 2.

Honda on Nov. 21 said that it is trimming production plans at U.S. factories by 18,000 more units, bringing the total cuts to 50,000 since August. Honda's overseas production dropped 0.2 percent to 242,111 vehicles.

Honda will also cut output at a plant that makes Accord sedans in Saitama Prefecture by 40,000 units from this month, as well as production of models including Civic compacts and CR-V sport utility vehicles at a factory in the U.K. by 21,000 units from February.

Nissan's October overseas production dropped 22 percent, and its domestic output fell 11 percent.

Source: The Japan Times

European regulations could outlaw ultra-wide high-performance tires

New regulations in Europe could outlaw ultra-wide high-performance tires and it may be catastrophic for fast cars! There is a plan by the European Commission to limit tire rolling resistance to 10.5kg per ton by the year 2014, in an attempt to reduce vehicular emissions of CO2 by 5%. At present, only half of the tires on sale would meet the terms of the new law.

The law would like to reduce tire resistance to 12 kg/ton by 2012, and then 10.5kg/ton two years later in 2014. Since faster cars require larger rubber to accommodate their power, these will be the first to face the restrictions in 2012. To make yourself an idea about what tires supercars use, take a look at this list: Bugatti Veyron / 365mm; Ferrari Enzo / 345mm; Lamborghini Murcielago / 335mm; Porsche Carrera GT / 335mm; Maserati MC12 / 325mm.

Source: 4wheelsnews.com

Electric vehicles to be tested for Postal Services in Japan

Japan Post Service Co Ltd (JP) will start a field test of electric vehicles (EVs) for its postal service and other business activities.

When the Toyako Summit took place in July 2008, the company used EVs for postal service in the area around the conference site. Some usage conditions, however, influenced the amount of power that the EVs used, it said.

This time, JP will use different types of EVs for its postal service and other activities to verify their mobility, economic performance and contribution to environmental protection activities, for example.

Furthermore, the company will summarize the requirements for a postal service vehicle, such as automotive structure and roadability in various geographic and climatic conditions, with a view to asking for the cooperation of automotive manufacturers in the development of the car.

In the field test, JP will use Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd's "Subaru Plug-in Stella Concept" for its collection and delivery service, and Mitsubishi Motor Corp's "iMiEV" for other business activities.

The Plug-in Stella Concept, after its rear seats are replaced with some shelves, will be deployed to the JP Yokohama Port office in Kanagawa Prefecture for about a year from Dec 2, 2008. JP will examine the vehicle's drive performance in collection and delivery, including its roadability when carrying loads.

The iMiEV will be stationed at JP Ginza office for about two months from Dec 3. The vehicle will be used to visit its client companies, and JP will determine to which region the company can introduce it in view of its capabilities including roadability.

In addition to those EVs, JP will employ four EVs for mail collection from mailboxes and two EVs, which were converted from four light trucks it is currently using. The company will monitor the performance of the iron Li-ion secondary battery mounted on the light trucks, which will be used mainly for collection and delivery.

Source: Tech-On

Impressions from iMiEV, Mitsubishi's electric car

On sale in Japan next year, in Europe the year after that and in the United States, well, eventually.

The iMiEV was one of several EVs at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where Chrysler showed off its three electric prototypes, BMW promised to put the battery-powered Mini-E in 500 driveways within months and Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn became the latest industry exec to say the future belongs to cars with cords. The show, which continues this week, offered the strongest evidence yet that EVs are slowly entering the mainstream and the iMiEV is among the vehicles getting them there.

Mitsubishi holds no illusions that the iMiEV is the end-all, be-all of eco-friendlier motoring. With its diminutive size, limited range and love-it-or-hate-it looks, the iMiEV isn't for everyone. "We know it's a niche vehicle," company spokesman Maurice Durand told us. "It's an urban EV. But it can be a viable alternative for many of the world's drivers."

Durand put us behind the wheel of an iMiEV and turned us loose on the streets of Los Angeles, where we found the Lilliputian ride is just what you want in city car.

We only got 30 minutes in the driver's seat, but it was enough time to impress us. The iMiEV is quick, nimble and roomy enough for four adults. The asynchronous motor produces instantaneous torque and puts out 47 kW (about 64 horsepower), which is more than enough to push the 2,300-pound car beyond the speed limit. You aren't going to blow the doors off anything faster than, say, a Chevrolet Aveo, but you'll have no trouble keeping up with traffic.

The car has three "speeds," which might more accurately be called "modes." Drive provides full power. "Eco" tempers that by 10 percent. And "B" maximizes the regenerative braking to recover as much kinetic energy as possible and maximize battery life. Speaking of, the 16-kWh lithium-ion battery has a range of about 70 miles. We just heard some of you groan, but it's worth noting most daily commutes are less than 40 miles. Plug the car into a 110-volt household outlet and it'll recharge in 12 hours. Plug it into a 220-volt and you're good to go in half that.

Mitsubishi won't say when the iMiEV is headed to the United States, but it's handing four of them over to California utilities Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric for real-world testing. The iMiEVs headed to SoCal Ed's Electric Vehicle Technical Center will arrive this week, joining 300 other EVs in what is the largest electric fleet in America.

"We look at how these technologies interact with the grid — what are the load impacts, how do we manage the load and how do we manage the grid more efficiently," Edward Kjaer, SoCal Ed's director of electric transportation, told Wired.com. "We'll do dynamic vehicle testing on the road and we'll do battery testing. We'll assess how well the vehicle connects to the system, the efficiency of the charging and how best to manage charging."

The iMiEV will need some work before it can hit the road here in the United States. For one thing, it'll need more bracing to pass federal side-impact tests, and boosting the range will make the car more palatable to road-trip-lovin' Americans.

What's it gonna cost? A lot. The battery is the main hurdle, and Durand says the target for the Japanese market is "under $30,000." Ardent EV lovers and early adopters may not have a problem forking over that much, but that price won't play in Peoria even with the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs.

So what's with the name? The little EV is an electric version of the "i," Mitsubishi's gas-powered Kei car. MiEV is an acronym for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle.

Source: Autopia

Japanese University reveals structure of new Li-Ion battery electrode material

A Japanese research group clarified the crystal structure of lithium iron silicate (Li2FeSiO4: lithium, iron, silicon and oxygen), a promising material for positive electrodes of Li-ion secondary batteries.

The structure was revealed by the group led by Atsuo Yamada, an associate professor at Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering of Tokyo Institute of Technology. It used techniques such as high resolution powder X-ray diffractometry (HR-XRD) based on high-intensity synchrotron radiation.

"Contrary to our expectations, we found that it has a one-dimensional, chain-like coupled structure composed of FeO4 and SiO4 tetrahedrons that rotate gradually and regularly in a long cycle," Yamada said.

The basic crystal structure of Li2FeSiO4 provides an important clue for designing positive electrodes with Li2FeSiO4, which consists only of abundantly available "ubiquitous elements." In other word, the research group paved the way for more affordable Li-ion secondary batteries.

The Li-ion secondary batteries currently mounted in mobile phones and notebook PCs mainly use lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), which contains rare metal cobalt, for the positive electrode. In fear of short supply of raw cobalt, an alternative materials have been sought for some time. In addition, it has been pointed out that LiCoO2 generates oxygen gas (O2) in high temperature environments because of its low thermal stability.

Under these circumstances, it has been required to develop a positive electrode made of inexpensive ubiquitous elements for use in large-capacity batteries such as in electric vehicles, power storage systems, etc, for which cost is more important than energy capacity per volume.

Recently, A123 Systems, a Massachusetts-based venture firm, developed and commercialized a Li-ion rechargeable battery that uses lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4; P = phosphate) for the positive electrode. The battery has already been utilized in electric power tools, hobby products, etc and is being imported into Japan for use in radio-controlled model planes and other products.

Compared with LiFePO4, which has an olivine-type crystal structure, Li2FeSiO4 is expected to realize a higher energy capacity of Li-ion secondary battery because it contains two lithiums. But the analyses of its crystal structure have not shown much progress so far.

The research group prepared a sample of Li2FeSiO4 by sufficiently mixing the powders of starting materials such as LiCO3, FeC2O4·2H2O and SiO2 and baking the mixture in an argon atmosphere for six hours at 800°C

"We made efforts to avoid a side reaction and increased the grain diameter to several hundred nanometers," Yamada said.

The group analyzed the sample powder by powder X-ray diffractometry, TEM-based electron diffractometry and other methods to clarify its complicated crystal structure. The structure thus revealed agreed well with the results of an electron density analysis, according to the group.

As a compound, Li2FeSiO4 is more stable than the pervasive LiCoO2 because the bonding force between Co and O is stronger in Li2FeSiO4.

"Li2FeSiO4 is superior to LiCoO2 not only because the combustion-supporting property, which allows the dissociation of oxygen atoms into oxygen gas at high temperature, is lower but also because the stability as a battery material is higher," Yamada said.

The latest achievement was part of the "R&D of Storage Systems for Smooth Connection to Supply System" conducted under the program called "Strategic R&D of Next Generation Storage Systems for Practical Use," which is promoted by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

The crystal structure of lithium iron silicate (Li2FeSiO4) analyzed by the research group. The diagram shows a superlattice structure on which the position and the electron density of each constituent element are indicated. (Diagram courtesy of Atsuo Yamada)

The one-dimensional chain in the crystal structure, which is composed of FeO4 and SiO4tetrahedrons: (a) expected model, (b) one-dimensional chain analyzed by the group; FeO4 and SiO4tetrahedrons are located regularly in a rotating manner, (c) Structure diagram illustrating the basic lattice structure and the superlattice structure indicative of the crystal characteristics. (Diagram courtesy of Atsuo Yamada)

Source: Tech-On

Asahi Kasei & Mitsubishi Plastics strengthening Li-Ion battery separator operations

Asahi Kasei Corp. and Mitsubishi Plastics Inc. said separately that they will strengthen their operations for lithium-ion battery separators.

Asahi Kasei will invest 9 billion yen [US$94.2 million] to double production capacity by spring 2010 at two domestic sites—an existing plant in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture, and a facility under construction in Hyuga, Miyazaki Prefecture. This will bring annual output capabilities to roughly 200 million sq. meters. Asahi Kasei, the global leader in this field, intends to boost its market share to 60% from the current 50%.

The Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. unit will spend 1 billion yen [US$10.5 million] to start mass production of such separators at its Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, plant next summer. Output capacity will come to 12 million sq. meters a year.

Source: Green Car Congress

Battery capacity reportedly the chief obstacle for Germany's electric car goal

Batteries with limited storage capacity are the main hurdle to Germany's goal of putting 5 million electric cars on its roads by 2030, the Bloomberg news service reported today, citing the country's transportation and environment ministers.

Europe's largest car market wants at least 1 million electric cars on the road by 2020 and 5 million a decade later, environment minister Sigmar Gabriel said today in Berlin. Germany currently has about 55 million cars operating nationwide.

Germany lost its leadership in battery technology half a century ago and "desperately" needs to regain that expertise for electric car demand to rise, said Gabriel, echoing comments by transport minister Wolfgang Tiefensee.

Vehicles require a range of 124 to 180 miles without a recharge before technology can meet the demands of drivers, they said.

"The challenges are enormous," Tiefensee said. "But we need electric vehicles to reduce our dependence on oil."

Road transportation accounts for almost a fifth of global carbon-dioxide emissions, which are blamed for contributing to rising temperatures, and carmakers are looking for ways to make driving less harmful to the planet.

Emissions from Germany's transportation sector have risen more than 4 percent since 1990 while the country's overall CO2 output has declined.

Source: Green Car Advisor

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European Commission proposes €5B green cars initiative

The European Commission presented a €200 billion (US$257 billion) Recovery Plan—equivalent to 1.5% of European GDP—to pull Europe’s economy out of its current crisis. One of the elements of the plan is a €5 billion (US$6.4 billion) “European green cars initiative”.

The plan will use a wide range of policies and instruments. The co-ordinated fiscal stimulus of around €200 billion comprises around €170 billion (1.2% of GDP) from Member States, and around €30 billion (0.3% of GDP) as EU level action within the EU budget and from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The stimulus will stay within the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of the full flexibility offered by the Pact.

The Recovery Plan includes detailed proposals for partnerships between the public sector—using Community, EIB and national funding—and private sectors to boost clean technologies through support for innovation. In addition to the European green cars initiative, the Plan proposes a European energy-efficient buildings initiative worth €1 billion; and a factories of the future initiative estimated at €1.2 billion.

The European green cars initiative would involve research on a broad range of technologies and smart energy infrastructures essential to achieve a breakthrough in the use of renewable and non-polluting energy sources, safety and traffic fluidity.

The partnership would be funded by the Community, the EIB, industry and Member States’ contributions. In this context, the EIB would provide cost-based loans to car producers and suppliers to finance innovation, in particular in technologies improving the safety and the environmental performance of cars, e.g. electric vehicles.

Demand side measures such as a reduction by Member States of their registration and circulation taxes for lower emission cars, as well as efforts to scrap old cars, should be integrated into the initiative. In addition, the Commission will support the development of a procurement network of regional and local authorities to pool demand for clean buses and other vehicles and speed up the implementation of the CARS21 initiative.

Source: Green Car Congress

...Toyota producing iQ convertible?!

Japanese Best Car magazine has revealed that Toyota is going to put in production the smallest four-seater convertible. The car will be based on the iQ's underpinnings and will compete with Smart Fortwo cabrio.

Source: Best Car

Honda scraps 2009 Detroit Auto Show press events

Honda Motor Co., Japan’s second-largest carmaker, said it won’t hold press conferences to promote new models at the Detroit auto show in January as the U.S. industry struggles to survive.

“We’re not going to be doing ‘traditional’ product unveilings in Detroit,” Kurt Antonius, a spokesman for the Tokyo-based company’s U.S. unit, said in an interview today. Honda will still display its latest cars and trucks, he said.

While Honda won’t hold a formal press conference during the show, the “production” version of its new Insight hybrid will be displayed for the first time at the show and company executives will attend, Antonius said.

Honda’s move makes it the biggest automaker to pare its plans for the North American International Auto Show, the main U.S. forum for new vehicles. Nissan Motor Co., No. 3 in Japan, said yesterday the company is conserving funds by skipping Detroit in January and the Chicago show in February.

The Asian brands are mired in the industrywide slump that cut U.S. auto sales by 15 percent through October. U.S. automakers led by General Motors Corp. are seeking $25 billion in federal loans to help stave off a financial collapse.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Japan’s fifth-largest automaker, said last week it wouldn’t attend the Detroit show, following similar decisions by Suzuki Motor Corp., Ferrari SpA, Land Rover and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s Rolls-Royce. Porsche SE abandoned Detroit in 2007.

Source: Bloomberg

Honda president downplays BYD electric car

Shanghai, November 25 (Gasgoo.com) In a recent interview by auto163.com, Honda President Takeo Fukui said he didn’t think highly of BYD’s research and development of electric cars.

Speaking of the electric vehicle (EV) development, Fukui said as the EV technology is still not mature, it is impossible to push out the electric cars now. The key point is it is hard to solve the problems of battery, especially for the extension of battery life. The existing electric cars now can only reach as far as 100 km, reflecting a difficult situation for mass production and commercialization.

Fukui said he didn’t expect BYD’s research and development of electric cars to be good. Apart from that, Fukui showed his confidence in the Chinese auto market in 2009. He noted that despite the global financial crisis, Chinese auto market will maintain a 5% growth next year as a direct result of the overall economic growth in China.

Compared to Europe and some other neighboring countries, China was relatively less affected by the financial crisis. Fukui predicted that the Chinese auto market will see sales volume at around 9.4 million units for this year.

Honda will continue to put emphasis on the Chinese market and also increase investment in China in the coming years, Fukui said.

Source: Gasgoo

World debut for new Mazda 3 hatchback at the 2008 Bologna Motor Show

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of the all-new Mazda 3 (known as Mazda Axela in Japan) 5-door hatchback at the Bologna Motor Show on December 3, 2008. The second generation Mazda 3 5-door hatchback follows on the heels of the 4-door sedan version, currently on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The all-new Mazda 3 5-door hatchback adopts the same characteristics as its sedan counterpart, offering sporty driving and a dynamic design, together with top class environmental and safety performance.

Environmental-friendly qualities were top of mind during development, including efficient powertrains, Mazda typical lightweight engineering and amongst the best in class aerodynamics.

All gasoline engine versions of the new Mazda 3 will offer even further advanced environmental performance, including the world’s first vehicle catalyst to be constructed with single nanotechnology. This new development enables Mazda to reduce its use of scarce resources such as platinum and palladium.

The new engine lineup has been tailored for European customers and now includes the newly developed 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine, just launched in the Mazda 6, in addition to the existing 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre gasoline engines and the 1.6-litre turbo diesel. The new 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine is a high-performance clean diesel powerplant with top class output, fuel economy and refinement. It will be offered in two variants, a high power version with a maximum output of 185 PS, and a standard power version with a maximum output of 150 PS. Both have outstanding clean emissions performance and comply with the Euro Stage 5 regulations. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are also greatly improved compared to the current 2.0-litre version.

Source: Mazda Global site

Honda begins leasing FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle in Japan

TOKYO, Japan, November 25, 2008– Honda Motor Co., Ltd. began leasing the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle in Japan, delivering the first vehicle to the Ministry of the Environment. This transaction follows directly upon a completed lease to the Ministry of the FCX fuel cell vehicle, predecessor to the FCX Clarity. Initially, Honda plans to lease the FCX Clarity in Japan only to governmental agencies and certain corporate entities. Honda has leased the vehicle in the US since July 2008.

Designed as a dedicated fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity is powered by the Honda V Flow fuel cell stack. Thanks to the innovative layout of the fuel cell power plant, the FCX Clarity offers superior design, packaging and driving performance. Emitting no CO2 in operation, the FCX Clarity offers not only the ultimate in environmental responsibility but also real-world performance and appeal. The combined sales plan for Japan and U.S. calls for about 200 units within three years.

Source: Honda World News

Portugal and Renault-Nissan Alliance implement zero emission mobility for 2010

LISBON (Nov. 22, 2008)—The Government of Portugal and the Renault-Nissan Alliance today announced a comprehensive partnership to deliver zero emission mobility to Portugal from 2010. The plan will utilize electric vehicles supplied by the Alliance, and will leverage an extensive charging network that will be built across Portugal over the next three years.

In July, Portugal became the first European country to establish a partnership directly with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to explore zero emission mobility. The goal was to address concerns such as global warming, dependence on oil and sustainable mobility. After four months of discussion and analysis, Portugal today became the first European country to sign a final agreement with the Alliance for implementing a zero emission mobility program.

“We realized early on that zero-emission mobility goes far beyond the vehicle itself,” said Carlos Tavares, executive vice president of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “It requires extensive collaboration with government and other partners to ensure success.”

The plan calls for 1,300 vehicle charging locations to be operational by the end of 2011, with 320 of those locations already in place in 2010.

Portugal will also offer incentives to electric vehicle purchasers, including an income tax credit for individuals and corporate tax reductions for fleet purchases of electric vehicles. The tax incentives, which begin in late 2010, will last at least five years.

The Government of Portugal is also mandating that 20% of public fleet vehicle purchases be zero-emission, starting in 2011.

Additional measures, such as reduced parking rates, preferential access and financing subsidies are being studied further. Public awareness and educational activities, including electric vehicle demonstrations, will begin in 2010.

The measures were announced at Portugal Tecnológico 2008 in Lisbon, one of the country’s most important technology exhibitions sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation. Nissan’s Denki (Japanese for “electric”) Cube is on display at the six-day exhibition. This concept vehicle features the same lithium-ion battery technology that will power Nissan’s new electric vehicles.

“Portugal is a global leader in renewable energy. The next step is to make Portugal a pioneer in zero emission mobility. Electric vehicles offer major benefits to our society by reducing imports of fuel, improving energy security, reducing CO2 emissions and offering a reliable and secure alternative towards sustainable mobility,” said Portugal’s Prime Minister José Sócrates.

“We commend you on these efforts,” said Tavares. “You are strengthening Portugal’s position as an environmental model for Europe and the world.”

The Renault-Nissan Alliance, which aims to be the global leader in zero-emission mobility, will bring electric vehicles to Portugal in early 2011, making Portugal one of the first countries to be supplied with electric vehicles from the Alliance. In 2012, Nissan and Renault will mass-market electric vehicles globally.

The Alliance has announced similar direct zero-emission mobility partnerships with Kanagawa Prefecture and Yokohama City in Japan, the State of Tennessee, Monaco and the French utility giant EDF.

Source: Nissan News Bureau Europe

New Nissan Cube USDM video

Sneak Peak of New Prius #8...

In continuing with the Prius Team official releases of the new Prius, here is photo #8.

Source: PriusChat.com

Cube: The Japanese “box” car phenomenon

Including its supporting industries and ranging from engine manufacture to creating the interfaces between cars and people, the auto industry is involved in a very broad swathe of manufacturing, and it is a direct player in the effort to reduce carbon emissions. Japan is one of the world's top manufacturers in the industry, with eight different car makers and a home market where the car has become a familiar tool and an integral part of day-to-day life.



The most straightforward way to reduce the impact of cars on the environment is to make smaller cars. Simplicity is the starting point for Japanese aesthetics, and Japan has a distinct category of mini-vehicles—also known as light cars, kei cars, or micro-cars.

Japanese culture has made huge strides in Europe and US over the past decade: manga, anime, Evos, WRXs and GT-Rs, sushi. But what about Japanese car design and, in particular, Japan's peculiar fascination with the car as a box? Space, utility and all the simple logic of a packing crate were some of the defining factors behind the creation. That and the ability to carry family and/or friends around in a roomy, comfy, five/seven seat cabin.



The Cube was conceived around the concept of 'my room'. Spend any time in Japan and you find you never really have enough space, whether at home, on the tube, in shops, on the street, wherever.



“There are many reasons why boxy designs are popular in Japan,” says Shiro Nakamura, vice-president of Nissan design and ultimate styling boss.



“The first is functionality: the desire to make full use of limited available space” (In Japan, the logic is that square is the best shape for packing the most stuff in).



“Then there's emotion: many customers in this market are not looking for "speed" in design but something more moderately paced,” adds Nakamura.



Let's not forget, meantime, that many Japanese simply love the rationality of square designs. When you look at a typical Japanese urban street with its many tall, flat-sided buildings, square windows and signs, aesthetically, these boxy cars fit right in.



That's why the Cube looks the way it does with very few curves to its outer panels and that brilliant asymmetrical back door as that further renegade touch. According to Stephen Clemenger, a British designer in Tokyo, the Cube is different because it was conceived much more as a product design than a typical car project.



Pratap Bose, a designer with DaimlerChrysler's advance studio in Japan, picks up on this. “I think the Cube is a perfect example of an "anti-car." It doesn't pretend in any way or form to be one. In fact, it is closer to an appliance in its design conception and execution. If you look at the rear door, for example, it is not a hatch but a deep door which looks and opens like those seen on refrigerators!”



“So I feel the younger generation especially in Japan find this tool or mobility appliance almost like an iPod. At the same time, Nissan's executed it in a refined and stylish way with asymmetric glass areas, cool front grilles, interesting colours and trims and so on.”



Forget dreaming about Ferraris and Porsches. Mobile phones, the net, music, socialising, snowboarding etc, this is their new world order. In a car, they also want something edgy and visually different, also roomy, practical (and crucially, affordable).



The interior truly feels vast (especially the space above your head) and visibility through the huge front screen is amazing. Now you can see why Japan's young blades see it not just as workaday transport but also as an extension of their living room, a place where they can hang out with friends, or perhaps lock themselves in and not even go anywhere.



How much of this formula will work in USA and Europe is the big question. Shiro Nakamura on the other hand is typically upbeat. “Boxy designs such as the Cube have not been the most popular in the west but perhaps there is an emerging group of younger car buyers who are not confined to preconceived notions and are looking for something out of the norm.”

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Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (TYO: 7201 , NASDAQ: NSANY), which formerly marketed vehicles under the Datsun brand name, is a Japanese automobile manufacturer. The company's main offices are located in the Ginza area of Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Nissan plans to move their headquarters to Yokohama, Kanagawa by 2010; the headquarters will start construction in 2007.



The company marketed vehicles under the Nissan and Datsun brand names until 1983, when the Datsun brand name was dropped. Nissan used to be Japan's second largest car company after Toyota, but it has dropped to third in size after Honda. Due to financial problems throughout the 1990s, the French manufacturer Renault bought a controlling share in the company and installed Carlos Ghosn as president, the first non-Japanese person to run a Japanese car company (Mazda was run by an American, Mark Fields and by Briton Lewis Booth and Mitsubishi was run by a German, Rolf Eckrodt).



Under Ghosn's "Nissan Revival Plan" (NRP), Nissan has rebounded in what many leading economists consider to be one of the most spectacular corporate turnarounds in history, catapulting Nissan to record profits and a dramatic revitalization of both its Nissan and Infiniti model line-ups. In 2001, the company initiated Nissan 180, capitalizing on the success of the NRP. Ghosn has since been idolized as a national hero in Japan as a symbol of the strength of the currently ailing Japanese economy, with Ghosn and the Nissan revival story prominently featured in Japanese manga and popular culture. His achievements in revitalizing the Japanese company have been noted by Emperor Akihito, who awarded him the Japan Medal with Blue Ribbon in 2004.

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Sources: 4Car, Website of Japan Car Exhibition, Nissan Cube's US microsite

Live photos of Nissan Cube USDM from 2008 LA Auto Show - Part 2

Here are some more photos of the new Nissan Cube from 2008 LA Auto Show, enjoy this little awesome car!!!

I would like to thank Ava Milton for sending me those!

Automobile names Takeo Fukui MOTY

Honda is one of the few automakers that's demonstrated studied restraint during the recent SUV boom. There is the Pilot, which is a big ol' thing, but it's also as efficient as something that size can be, with unit-body construction, and an engine that shuts off three of its six cylinders whenever possible. The company also has a long history of making small cars that aren't penalty boxes, and amazingly clever engineering. It should be little surprise, then, that the man at the helm is an engineer by trade, deftly maneuvering the automaker into whatever endeavors hold promise, popular fashion be damned. Takeo Fukui worked on the company's CVCC engines early on in his tenure, and his respect for the vision of Soichiro Honda has netted him the title of Man Of The Year from Automobile magazine. The new focus on fuel efficiency (though today, oil is under $50/barrel for the first time in three years) has made Honda seem oddly prescient for its steadfast manner.

Source: Automobile via Autoblog

Japan's automakers are zooming ahead in the eco-car race to market.

In large part, Japan's lead in green-car technology is an outgrowth of its old austerity. Japan was obsessed with energy efficiency long before global warming made it a worldwide obsession. For decades Japanese companies have struggled to cope with their oil-poor country's sky-high energy costs by placing a premium on energy-saving technologies, and it has paid off. Even old Japanese industries are cutting-edge in cutting energy costs. Japan continued to make batteries long after U.S. rivals quit, and now makes the most efficient batteries in the world. Japanese steelmakers have ceded ground to cheaper emerging-market rivals but are still unsurpassed in the fine niche art of making superlight steel for car bodies. The hidden strength of Japanese smokestack industries helped create its green cars, and now the success of those cars is pushing more and more Japanese industries—electronic-motor and control-unit producers, all sorts of material companies—to innovate faster.

The focus on green cars reveals the kind of industrial vision that Japan is often criticized for having lost decades ago. Toyota launched the G21 Project, which ultimately produced the Prius, back in the 1990s, when oil prices were low and America's love of SUVs was still growing. The idea was to create a model car for the 21st century, and counter Toyota's reputation for "boring" vehicles. Toyota simply saw the long view before others, assuming that the petroleum-based economy was becoming unviable for a variety of environmental and economic reasons, according to Noriyuki Matsushima, analyst at Nikko Citigroup in Tokyo.

Honda's new FCX Clarity feels like a perfectly ordinary car—which may well be the most shocking thing about it. Slip behind the wheel and press the pedal, and the car accelerates with satisfying punch. But after a few minutes of cruising, you'll notice that something's missing. The only engine noise is a whir so faint that you can actually hear the tires swishing along the asphalt. That's because the Clarity is a hydrogen-fuel-cell car, one of the most advanced in the world. It's the first to be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency here in the United States, and the first to be delivered to retail customers (though on a leasing basis). As for CO2 emissions, the only exhaust is a trickle of water. And perhaps most important is what stands behind it: a factory that's ready to produce thousands of the vehicles once the market is ready. Most of Honda's competitors, by contrast, are still bringing concept cars to the auto shows.

The Clarity is just one of a number of next-generation green automobiles that are beginning to come off assembly lines in Japan. Such vehicles have been around for years, but almost always as one-off utopian designs or experimental models that were designed mainly to attract good press. Now Japanese automakers are entering the green-car mass market, in many cases years before their competitors. Nissan plans to introduce an electric vehicle to the United States and Japan by 2010. Toyota is road-testing a plug-in hybrid it plans to launch in 2009. (There's unconfirmed buzz that it may use solar power as well.) Mazda will offer the world's first hydrogen-gasoline hybrid in Japan by next March. All these companies are benefiting from close cooperation with electronics manufacturers, component makers and suppliers that are helping to push Japan to the forefront of green-car technologies. "Globally, Japanese companies are definitely at the top right now," says Mike Omotoso, an analyst for J.D. Power and Associates.

It's impossible to tally the direct economic effect of the green-car race, but it's huge and likely to grow. The Prius is already the world's most popular green car. By 2015, Goldman Sachs expects the hybrid-vehicle market (including plug-in hybrids) to grow to 2.5 million, up from 500,000 in 2007, with Toyota and Honda in the lead. Analysts say plug-in hybrids, which run on a battery alone for a short range, are the vehicles that will gradually ease drivers out of the gasoline age. Goldman analyst Kota Yuzawa says hybrids could account for 5 to 10 percent of operating profits for Honda and Toyota in 2010. Toyota is already seeing benefits as its costs of producing the Prius, now in its second decade, drop sharply.

Virtually every car company in the world is ramping up intriguing green-car projects. GM plans to debut the plug-in hybrid Volt in 2010, but it is coming up from behind against Japanese rivals that work in often-exclusive national supply networks, as they have for decades. Japanese carmakers aim to protect their edge by joining forces with makers of electronics and batteries. Toyota's joint venture with Panasonic (which is majority-owned by the car company) has already made it one of the world's leading battery companies. Similarly, Nissan recently increased its stake in its joint venture with the battery firm NEC. A.T. Kearney's Eiji Kawahara says that even if Japan does not come up with the next big breakthrough in battery design, the technology for putting it into mass production will likely be Japanese.

Mitsubishi's new electric car, the i MiEV, offers another illustration of why Japan leads. Until now, many electric vehicles have been limited by range, meager acceleration and long charging times. The four-door i MiEV boasts a range of 100 miles per each full charge (compared with 25 for a GM Volt), and, as a recent test-drive around Tokyo showed, its pickup in urban traffic rivaled a gas-powered car. Other new electric vehicles—like Tesla's much-hyped roadsters—may offer even better performance. But in stark contrast to Tesla—an innovative but tiny start-up—Mitsubishi is reaping the benefits of a tie-in with leading Japanese battery maker GS Yuasa that has the two companies preparing for mass production of state-of-the-art batteries by the end of 2009. Already the i MiEV's battery weighs in at a mere 450 pounds (compared with 1,000 pounds for Tesla's model), and the effect on cost is dramatic. Mitsubishi plans to start selling i MiEVs in Japan at the end of next year for a price of about $28,000 (after planned subsidies of about $10,000)—compared with a cool $100,000 for a Tesla. Mitsubishi also says it's close to perfecting "quick charge" devices that would bring the battery up to 80 percent of capacity in half an hour—letting drivers recharge their cars in the supermarket parking lot while shopping.

The secret to making better batteries lies less in incremental innovation—something the Japanese are traditionally good at. Japanese battery makers and automakers have been collaborating since the late 1990s. Both sides use the word suriawase, meaning "coordination and integration." Slowly but surely, these relationships are coming together to give Japan an edge. Though Ford and GM have been loudly touting hybrid vehicles of their own, those are estimated to be much more expensive, and U.S. manufacturers are already turning to the Japanese for batteries that offer the necessary staying power. Batteries are only one part of a green automotive-components industry, which also includes electric motors, inverters and the like, which Japan already dominates. Some analysts estimate the market for hybrid components alone could triple to $5 billion by 2012, and reach $9 billion by 2015. "Japan now has a huge potential to become a world supply center," says Yozo Hasegawa, author of "Clean Car Wars."

Source: Newsweek