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Bob Lutz: Destino is the Fisker Karma people will actually want

Posted Jan 18th 2013 11:28AM

Bob Lutz has had grandiose performance luxury car dreams before – Cunningham C7, anyone? – but the VL Automotive Destino that was just unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show was certainly a surprise, even to long-time Lutz-watchers. As a reminder, the Destino is a Fisker Karma with a 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 V8 transplanted from a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Plug? Gone. High-tech lithium-ion battery? Sold back to Fisker.

"I just heard so many people say, I love the Fisker Karma but I'm not going to buy it because I don't want that electric drivetrain."

For now, the Destino project remains small. Bob Lutz tells AutoblogGreen that VL Automotive has so far purchased eight Karmas, and two have been turned into finished engineering prototypes. Fisker says a total of 20 have been ordered. Still, Lutz believes this is a car with an audience. "I just heard so many people say, I love the Fisker Karma but I'm not going to buy it because I don't want that electric drivetrain with the four-cylinder engine," he said. "So, when you think about it, for a car in that category, here's this ultra-luxurious, super-low, super-sporty, beautifully designed four-door sedan. Probably ten percent of the possible customers want that in an electric form with a four-cylinder."

To satisfy the other 90 percent Lutz envisions, VL Automotive buys the Karmas and then removes the battery pack (carefully setting it aside) at VL Automotive's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan – not far from Lutz's old job at Chrysler. "We were able to run the driveshaft right down the battery tunnel and we had to make a modification where the battery tunnel ends and the rear firewall starts, because the Corvette transaxle intruded somewhat, so we had to make a little aluminum doghouse that's welded to the vertical rear panel," Lutz told us. "They had a gas tank, but there's all this room left over." In the future, the conversions will be even easier, since VL will buy glider chassis direct from Valmet, in Finland, Lutz said.

From Fisker's point of view, buying the Karmas whole is actually a good thing, Lutz believes. "[Fisker] has had incredible hard luck," he said, "And with the battery supplier not producing batteries, they're actually glad if we buy new ones and ship the batteries and the electrical back to them for a credit – that permits them to build more cars."

That's a nice, symbiotic relationship, but Roger Ormisher, Fisker's senior director of global corporate communications & PR, confirmed to AutoblogGreen that this project is not a joint partnership or strategic alliance. He added:

Fisker believes that it [Destino] speaks to the appeal of the Karma and its stunning, award-winning design that coachbuilders are wanting to take our cars and modify and customize them. We join many famous brands in automotive history that have been the subject of customization and modification.

When the Destino becomes available, the price is expected to be around $180,000.

Related GalleryVL Automotive Destino: Detroit 2013

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Fisker Karma production stoppage reaches 6 months, company claims "sufficient supply"

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 17th 2013 6:59PM

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One result of the litany of problems that Fisker Automotive suffered in 2012 – floods, fires and recalls – was a production stoppage of the plug-in hybrid Karma that has already lasted six months. Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher told AutoblogGreen that the delay was due to an attempt to renegotiate the Valmet production contract and A123 Systems's bankruptcy proceedings.

He said:

Valmet traditionally shuts down for Scandinavian summer break from mid July to mid August. When they returned, our new management team wanted to renegotiate the contract with them and during this period, A123 started to enter bankruptcy. We took the prudent decision to conserve our battery stock and we already have sufficient supply of Karmas through Q1 of this year. By that time we hope to have renegotiated our battery supply with A123's new owners Wanxiang.

Despite that conservation of batteries, the truth is that Fisker isn't getting new batteries from A123 right now. One interesting side effect of the Destino project, Bob Lutz told AutoblogGreen, is that Fisker could get some battery packs back when they are taken out of already-built Karmas and, one day, put them into new vehicles. In August, Henrik Fisker said that Fisker had build "about 1,900" Karmas. Apparently, that's a comfortable enough margin, for now.

Related GalleryFisker Karma by GS Automotive Art

News Source: Reuters, Fisker

Image Credit: Gijs Spierings

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GM's Reuss: Next-gen Chevy Volt will be "thousands of dollars" cheaper

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 17th 2013 5:57PM

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Following the news of the massive price drop for the Nissan Leaf, hearing GM North America President Mark Reuss tell the media that GM will take out "thousands of dollars" from the next-generation Chevrolet Volt isn't exactly a surprise. In fact, we've known for a long time that plug-in cars will get cheaper and cheaper as the technology evolved. It's just nice to hear a GM bigwig sing it loudly for the press.

Speaking at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit this week, Reuss said that the reduced costs will be the result of better battery pack design and better electric motors. This will help the next Volt, obviously, but Reuss went further and said, "We will see the day when we have an affordable electric car that offers 300 miles of range with all the comfort and utility of a conventional vehicle."

The Volt sold a total of 23,461 units in 2012, despite taking a political shellacking during the presidential campaign (and before). Reuss said the plug-in hybrid is "going to sell even more, and the next generation will be even better." We don't know yet exactly what it's going to look like, but we have heard it will be "a little more monochromatic, a little more road-hugging."

GM's plug-in vehicle strategy includes not only updating the Volt but also the all-electric Chevy Spark and the just-revealed (in production form) Cadillac ELR. All told, GM is getting ready to sell 500,000 electrified vehicles by 2017, but that number includes non-plug-in vehicles like those with eAssist. If prices keep dropping the way Reuss implies, 500,000 shouldn't be too high a hurdle.

Related Gallery2013 Chevrolet Volt: Quick Spin

News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.

Detroit

1967 Toyota 2000GT Solar Electric Vehicle

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 16th 2013 6:45PM

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1967 toyota 2000gt solar electric car detroit 2013

Q may have packed James Bond's cars with plenty of killer tech (get it?), but the 1967 Toyota 2000GT you see above has got it's own bad boy secrets. Well, if bad boys like zero-emission electric vehicles.

Weighing just 1,460 kilograms (3,218 pounds), this modified 2000GT is all-electric under the skin – and on the skin in some areas. A high-performance solar panel embedded into the hood and a transmission solar panel sits in place of the rear glass. These feed energy into to a 345-volt, 40-kWh lithium-ion battery which, in turn, powers a 120-kW electric motor. Together in the stylish 2000GT, this powertrain is good for a top speed of over 200 kilometers an hour (124 miles per hour).

The car is on display at the Detroit Auto Show this week, but we fist caught wind of it a year ago when a video popped up showing the work of Japan's Crazy Car Project. Since then, some powertrain components have been upgraded (it used to have a 35-kWh battery). You can see the original video of the car in action here.

Related Gallery1967 Toyota 2000GT Solar Electric Vehicle

Detroit

Lexus IS 300h teases American audience in Detroit

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 15th 2013 6:11PM

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Here's the key line from today's announcement about the 2014 Lexus IS300h, the hybrid version of the new IS: it will "be available in Europe, Japan,and select international markets." In other words, you can see it at the Detroit Auto Show, but you won't be able to buy it here.

William Kwong, public relations specialist for Lexus, told AutoblogGreen that it just wouldn't make sense to sell the IS300h to American. "Because the IS300h is an entry-level luxury hybrid and we already have two – the CT200h, a sporty type vehicle, and the ES300h, the entry level luxury – we kind of have that covered," he said. Since not all markets offer all models, there is still room for the IS300h – the first IS to have the Lexus Hybrid Drive – in some places.

Thanks in part to stricter CO2 regulations in Europe and Japan, Kwong said that when there is a hybrid and non-hybrid version of a Lexus model in those markets, the hybrid makes up around 80 percent of the sales. In the US, it's more like 15 percent. "The ES, RX and GS, it's usually 15 percent or less, so it didn't make good business sense to bring in a third entry-level hybrid, because it's almost in the CT territory," he said.

The IS300h will use a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine and is expected to go on sale in the middle of 2013. In some places, anyway.

Related Gallery2014 Lexus IS 300h: Detroit 2013

Detroit

Bob Lutz-approved Via X-Truck offers 800 hp, 100 MPGe

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 15th 2013 11:47AM

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Give Bob Lutz a little bit of time and a big idea, and he will create for the world "the kind of vehicle I would like to own." That's what he called the X-Truck concept – from the Lutz-affiliated Via Motors – which debuted at the Detroit Auto Show. If you're thinking that the X-Truck (and Via's other offerings, the Presidential SUV and the VTRUX Van) looks a little like a Chevrolet vehicle, well, it certainly does. It's a converted 2013 Chevy Silverado, after all. The X-Truck, though, has been deeply modified inside and out. The truck now has a plug-in hybrid powertrain underneath while the outside was redesigned by Lutz and his team to look a little meaner and beefier while still offering the "fuel economy of a Prius." The changes include custom running boards, fender flares and modified wheels. It's also been raised five inches. A built-in iPad not only communicates information to the driver, but can also communicate with the service department to solve problems.

No official EPA numbers have been released, but Via says its vehicles will get "over 100 mpg in typical local daily driving." As Bob Lutz puts it, "Wouldn't it be great if someone built a truck that drives like the Volt?" It's got lots of power, too. The standard Via powertrain used by each of its vehicles includes a 402 horsepower electric motor. The X-Truck has two of them.

To supplement the 24-kWh, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack, Via's vehicles use a gas engine as a generator. In the case of the X-Truck, that means a 5.3-liter V8 from GM. The previously planned V6 generator was scrapped, in part because of availability and in part because the V8 is actually more efficient in this situation because the V6 would have to be worked harder, George Prokos, the service/warranty manager of field operations at Via, told AutoblogGreen.

Via vehicles get around 35 miles of all-electric range.

Via vehicles get around 35 miles of all-electric range. When the battery is depleted to 20 percent state-of-charge, the generator kicks on to both provide traction and charge up the pack. When the battery is back up to 25 percent, the generator turns off. "The only way you can tell [the engine turns on or off] is by watching the iPad," Prokos said.

Via also talked a bit more about its relationships with Pacific Gas & Electric and Verizon, both of which are using Via vehicles in their fleets. PG&E said in a statement that the Via trucks and vans, which have an optional onboard inverter to provide 110- and 240-volt power, "offer PG&E the potential to provide mobile, on-site power to help manage electric outages and minimize disruptions for customers." Via and PG&E have been working together since 2008.

Prokos said the vehicles unveiled in Detroit point to a new consumer direction for the company, since both the X-Truck and the Presidential (a converted Suburban) might one day be sold to regular folks who desire a big PHEV. You know, like Bob Lutz. "As far as I know, no one else has a four-wheel drive, jacked-up plug-in truck," he said. "The idea is to give the consumer something a little different than the other extended-range vehicles that are out there."

Related GalleryVia Motors X-Truck: Detroit 2013

Detroit

Tesla Model X makes auto show debut in Detroit

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 14th 2013 10:23AM

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Tesla isn't holding its Detroit Auto Show press conference until tomorrow, but there's a new Model X on the stand today. This one is white – and, in a nice touch, it's simply called "white" – and has an updated interior and new wheels. We doubt those wheels will ever make it to production, since they have carbon fiber spokes that are pure flair, not structural.

Inside, the surfaces, materials and colors are updated from the silver/gray model unveiled almost a year ago, with black and white featured in alternating fashion. The big touch screen in the dashboard is the same as in the Model S, but it "floats" (as you can see here) instead of being flush (see this). What we hadn't noticed before is the tight squeeze third-row occupants will feel on their knees (see this).

Tesla representatives told AutoblogGreen that this Model X is an updated design prototype, not even a beta version (the first beta is expected in 2014). That said, the minor evolution that we see here is getting closer to what the production model will look like.

Speaking of tomorrow's press conference, we were told it will mostly be a review of what Tesla accomplished in 2012, even though some of the numbers we're most interested in (i.e., sales) won't be revealed until February. Still, we did hear that the way pre-orders and production rates are going, Tesla is on track to sell 20,000 Model S vehicles in 2013. That's calendar year 2013, by the way, which for Tesla matches the Model Year. We like it when companies keep things simple.

Related GalleryTesla Model X: Detroit 2013

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Federal green car fleet buys more Hyundai hybrids as overall number goes down

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 10th 2013 6:57PM

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The Obama administration made a big deal about how it had a long-term plan to green up the federal vehicle fleet back in early 2011. Even with that big target, the overall number of hybrids is going down. And, after spending time buying fuel-efficient US cars, the Obama administration has been turning more to hybrids from foreign automakers – just like the general public – rather than fuel sippers from Ford or General Motors.

According to a Bloomberg report that used data from the General Services Administration, the overall number of hybrid and electric vehicles the US government bought last year went down by a third to just 1,801 vehicles. Over half of them (54 percent) were from Hyundai, Toyota and Mitsubishi. The number one vehicle by volume? The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The US government also purchased vehicles like the Mitsubishi i and the Toyota Prius. Among US civilian buyers, Toyota claimed the four most popular hybrid spots and the Sonata was fifth.

The stated plan is for the Federal government to only buy alt-fuel vehicles by 2015, but the numbers and percentages of the fleet have been dropping. Bloomberg's numbers show that the Feds bought 8,139 alt-fuel vehicles in 2009, 6,467 in 2010 and then 2,645 in fiscal 2011. The early number were buoyed by stimulus spending.

Related Gallery2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: Review

News Source: Bloomberg

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2013 Nissan Leaf changes include lower-cost trim, faster charger [w/video]

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 9th 2013 10:32AM

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For the new model year, Nissan is applying lessons learned from two years of selling the Leaf electric vehicle – and seeing what the competition is doing – to offer a lower-price trim line as well as faster charging and new, upper-level options.

The 2013 Nissan Leaf line grows from two trim lines – the SV and SL – to include the new, lower-cost S grade. Precisely what that lower price is, has not yet been revealed, but we think that information might come out at the Detroit Auto Show next week. What we do know is that the reduced price is due, in part, to domestic production. Instead of shipping every Leaf from Japan, Nissan has started making the EV and its batteries in Smyrna, TN, as you can see in the video below.

To keep up with faster-charging competitors like the Ford Focus Electric, the Leaf is finally getting a 6.6-kW onboard charger. This has been expected for a long while, and it's most welcome because it will cut the time it takes to charge the Leaf in half, down to four hours from empty to 80 percent full. This will be standard on the SL and SV trims. The Leaf S will use a 3.6-kW charger unless you spring for the 6.6-kW option. These updates and others mean expected increases to the vehicle's range, but that number will have to wait until closer to when the 2013 Leaf goes on sale later this year.

Nissan also says the 2013 Leaf has better regenerative brakes and some refined touches like "leather-appointed seating" and new exterior colors. There is also a new "B" drive mode for harsher regen braking and an "available hybrid heater system" for better heat in cold weather. You can read more about it below.

Related Gallery2013 Nissan Leaf

News Source: Nissan

Tesla Model ST wagon rendered, would you like one?

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 8th 2013 7:52PM

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tesla model st render by Theophilus Chin

Theophilus Chin has been known to wagonize a vehicle or two with his computer skills, so the fictional Tesla Model ST wagon seen above is not a total surprise. Chin took the exquisite shape of the Model S and left the front end pretty much alone. In the back, though, Chin created a station wagon for the plug-in generation, complete with a practical (if range-affecting) roof rack.

We know Tesla is officially working on new models, starting with the Model X CUV, which is based on the Model S, and then a third-generation platform and a next-gen Roadster. As good as Chin's rendering looks, the Model S already has a frunk (front-end trunk) and plenty of storage room in back already. So, does a Model S wagon even make sense? Would Europeans eat these up? How about Americans? How about you?

Should Tesla offer a Model S wagon?
Yes.	1101 (68.4%)
No.	410 (25.5%)
I'm not sure.	98 (6.1%)

Related GalleryTesla Model ST Rendering by Theophilus Chin

News Source: Theophilus Chin

Image Credit: Theophilus Chin

Official

NHTSA: Under 18 mph, electric vehicles will need to make "alert sound"

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 7th 2013 5:45PM

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It's been a long time coming – remember the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010? – but the proposed rules for the noises that electric or hybrid vehicles have to make at low speeds have been released (get them here in PDF). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the proposed rules today in response to some requests for the noises to be generated to alert vision-impaired pedestrians.

Most current plug-in vehicles have a sound that can be triggered by the driver to alert people, but the rules would require vehicles that don't have their liquid-burning engine running to emit a sound that will "enable pedestrians to discern vehicle presence, direction, location and operation" when traveling at speeds under 18 miles per hour. NHTSA estimates that 2,800 pedestrian injuries will be avoided because of the rule, which represents "35 equivalent lives saved."

The proposed rules affect hybrid and electric vehicles, but the agency thinks that only hybrid vehicles will really be affected with actual cost and technology, since manufacturers are already putting sounds into EVs (and upcoming hydrogen fuel cell vehicles). NHTSA thus figures that, "the incremental number of light vehicles that have to add an alert sound system for costing purposes for MY 2016 is ... 671,300." The average cost per vehicle, NHTSA says, would be around $30.

Each manufacturer will be able to choose the sounds its cars make, as long as it follows the rules. That means it needs to change based on vehicle speed and the vehicle needs to make noise when idling, too. You can hear sample sounds from NHTSA here and read the official announcement below. A 60-day comment period starts today, and if everything goes smoothly, a three-year phase-in period might start in September 2015.

Related Gallery2011 Toyota Prius

News Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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2013 Fiat 500e gets 116 MPGe (combined) and 87-mile range

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 4th 2013 6:29PM

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2013 Fiat 500e - front three-quarter view

The all-electric 2013 Fiat 500e probably won't turn a profit, but that doesn't mean Fiat and Chrysler engineers haven't done a good job ramping up the hatchback's fuel economy numbers. Chrysler has just announced that the little EV has been rated at 116 Miles Per Gallon Equivalent (MPGe) combined. The EV will get 122 MPGe in the city, and highway efficiency is rated at 108 MPGe. As for range – which of course varies greatly in the real world – the official number is an impressive 87 miles.

To compare, other small EVs have been rated this way (combined/city/highway):

2013 Smart ED: 107/122/93 MPGe and a 68-mile range
2013 Scion iQ EV: 121/138/105 MPGe and a 38-mile range
2013 Honda Fit EV: 118/132/105 MPGe and a 82-mile range
2013 Mitsubishi i: 112/126/99 MPGe and a 62-mile range
2012 Nissan Leaf: 99/106/92 and a 73-mile range

That means that the 2013 Fiat 500e has (for now, at least) more range and highway MPGe than any other vehicles in its class. Some larger EVs can go further, of course. The official EPA fuel consumption rate is 29 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 miles thanks to an efficient 111-horsepower electric motor. Charging the 24-kWh battery should take less than four hours from a 240-watt Level 2 source. The EV goes on sale, in California, at least, in the second quarter of 2013, and we already know the car will get a sexy introduction to the masses.

Related Gallery2013 Fiat 500e

News Source: Chrysler

Breaking

More layoffs at Coda Automotive

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 4th 2013 5:02PM

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Details are sparse, but it appears the bad news is continuing at Coda Automotive. The company sent the following statement to AutoblogGreen today:

On Friday, January 4th CODA furloughed a number of employees as the Company takes necessary action to bolster its financing and better position the business going forward. The Company has kept in place a sufficient number of staff to keep the Company operational and remains committed to the continued development and distribution of its products. During this period, CODA will continue to provide service to its dealers and customers. While unfortunate, we are confident this temporary action will allow the Company to strategically direct resources towards critical operations and put the Company on a more sustainable path.

In mid-December, Coda laid off around 15 percent of its workforce, or about 50 people. At the time, Coda said the layoffs were intended to "better position our business going forward" and that "We remain committed to the continued development and distribution of our products." Apparently, and we await more details on today's action, the company did not let enough people go to reach this "better position."

Related Gallery2012 Coda Sedan: Quick Spin

News Source: Coda Automotive

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Elio Motors buys old GM plant in LA, plans to build 84-mpg, $6,800 trike [w/video]

By Sebastian Blanco RSS feed

Posted Jan 4th 2013 12:26PM

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The story of Elio Motors goes back many years, but it has managed to stay well below the radar, mostly because there hasn't been much news. This has changed.

Back in 2009, a reader pointed out that Elio was looking for DOE funds, but since then we haven't hears much about the company that apparently thinks the Corbin Sparrow is a good vehicle to copy. This week, it was announced that Elio has reached an agreement to buy an old General Motors plant near Shreveport, LA and is now taking reservations. Elio claims it will hire 1,500 workers by April to build funky-looking, three-wheeled, high-efficiency vehicles. How efficient? The company website talks about 84 miles per gallon for a price of just $6,800. We've heard a ton of promises in the green car world in the past, but those numbers are certainly noteworthy – should they ever be reached.

The plant in question is the GM Shreveport Assembly and Stamping plant in Caddo Parish and the Detroit Free Press says Louisiana will likely provide some financial help to get the non-union shop started. The first deliveries of the tadpole-style vehicle (possibly called the Trikke) are supposed to take place in July 2014. Company SEC documents (available here) show that last year, Elio raised $150,00 (out of a hoped-for $10 million). The car will come with a three-year, 36,000 mile warranty.

The Elio trike will apparently be available with either a manual or automatic transmission and have some creature comforts like airbags, air conditioning and ABS brakes. That's much more than most motorcycles (which is what the Elio technically will be) but not as much as many cars today. Elio also says it expects to get five-star crash ratings, but motorcycles don't get crash tested in that way, so we're not sure what this means.

There are two videos about Elio below.

Related GalleryElio Motors

News Source: Detroit Free Press, WAFB, Shreveport Times, Shreveport Times

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California Coda dealer drops all-electric Sedan price to $25,000