AutoblogGreen's Most Popular Posts of 2010— Autoblog Green

There are multiple ways to gauge popularity on the Internet. As we wrap up our work for 2010– and look forward to a new year of amazing advances (and probably a fair share of setbacks) in the green car workd for 2011– we wanted to see which posts were the most popular on AutoblogGreen this past year. As we did, we learned that you like videos (so do we) and also those clean diesel vehicles. The variety of topics in the Top Ten posts tell us that ABG readers enjoy all sorts of fuel-saving vehicles and technologies, which is just how we like it.

We don't have a way to filter posts by number of comments, but here are a few of the most-commented-on posts of 2010. (We get it, you like to talk about Fox News. We like it, too.)

• Fabio schools Fox's hyper-skeptical Neil Cavuto on electric cars
  
• Opinion: Why early electric vehicle adopters deserve tax credits
• Michigan Governor says Limbaugh hating on the Volt"un-American"{w/video}
• Rightwing pundits attack the Volt, which forces Fox to change definition of who's"rich"
• Video: Fox News reportedly refusing to air ad denouncing dependence on foreign oil
• Fox News attacks first Nissan Leaf owner, engages in a lot of hate

But, if we go simply by actual page views, AutoblogGreen's top ten list looks like what you will findafter the jump...

{Source Image: Wong Maye-E/AP}

10. Former Bears coach Mike Ditka promotes electric cars at Chicago Auto Show in Orlando

That's not Mike Ditka in the picture, but hedidappear at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in Orlando, FL to promote theGlobal Motor Services, Inc.line of electric vehicles last February. Yeah, we lost track of man and company after that, too.

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9. Passat BlueMotion enters record books after going 1,527 miles without refueling



The first of many diesel surprises on the list, you enjoyed reading about a serious bladder buster: theVolkswagen PassatBlueMotion that went for a long drive on French roads at that's 74.8 mpg without refilling the 20.4 gallon tank. How long? Enough to set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled by a production passenger car on a single tank of fuel.

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8. 2,487.5 mpg! Catchy headline unneccessary



Another amazing mpg rating, but this one wasn't for the long distance. Instead, we're talking about seriously maximizing every bit of energy you've got on board your vehicle. At the 2010Shell Eco-marathonAmericas in March, students from Laval University in Quebec, Canada managed to squeeze 2,487.5 miles per gallon from their lightweight efficiency racer. The only way they could've topped that would have been if the whole race had been downhill.

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7. Volkswagen bik.e replaces spare tire with electric mobility device {w/video}

VW bik.e– Click above towatch the video

We take the"auto"part of AutoblogGreen only semi-seriously, because there are a lot of great and efficient vehicles out there that we think our readers will be interested in. TheVolkswagenbik.e is a good example of this, combining elegant European design with zero-emission motoring. The two-wheeler was unveiled atAuto China 2010, which proves that we're not the only ones who like to expand the definition of what an"auto"can be.

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6. Beijing 2010: Chevrolet Volt MPV5 crossover revealed

Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept– Click above for high-res image gallery

We don't think Chevy will actuallyunveil a Volt-based Amp crossover in Detroit, but if GM wants to know what's popular, then it might want to seriously consider expanding the Volt family to include a wagon-y, five-door hatch like the MPV5 that it displayed at theBeijing Motor Show. We could live with the 32-mile battery-only range (compared to the Volt's 40) if we could have a bit more interior room. You?

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5. Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles {w/video}

2010 Plug-in Prius Prototypes– Click above towatch the video

Maybe the popularity of this post has a bit to do with how badly we want our cars to improve, since the somewhat disappointing result of"just"62 miles per gallon in aplug-in Priushybrid– when the normal version gets 50+– wasn't that well received. A short time later,Fully Charged managed to get 83 mpg. That post wasn't as popular, and shows that sometimes you need to stick around to hear all sides of the story.

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4. Audi responds to Green Police criticisms over Super Bowl ad

Audi Green Police Campaign– Click above towatch the video

Here's one of those head-scratcher stories.Auditried to make a big green splash at the 2010 Super Bowl with a comedic ad featuring theGreen Police. Sadly, some people drew a connection between this fictional group of law enforcers and theOrdnungspolizei, which was Nazi's standard police force (because they were sometimes referred to as the green police). Audi needed to clear the air by saying it had talked to Jewish leaders and had cleared the ad. That's all fine and good, but we still think a simple name change to Eco Police or something like that would have worked just as well without the negative connotations.

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3. Review: 2010 Audi A3 TDI, diesel with a healthy dash of sport

Audi A3 TDI– Click above for high-res image gallery

Proving that an in-depth look at what it's like to live with an efficient vehicle is still worth a read, our Number 3 spot went to a review of the 2010 Audi A3 TDI. When you combine"entry-level Audi"with clean diesel power, you get a car we'd be happy to drive on a regular basis. You can find out why when youread the original post


2. Obama's heavy limo doesnotget a hybrid drivetrain

Cadillac Presidential Limousine–Click above for high-res image gallery

When you're the leader of the free world, saving fuel is not your top priority. Sure, you candirect the federal government to buy hybridsandtake time to promote American technology in Europe, but your own car needs to be safe, not green. That's the situation with President Obama's limo, which isbasically a diesel-powered tank. Obama apparently wanted a hybrid drivetrain, but the Secret Service nixed that idea because the extra-heavy limo wouldn't be able to move with a hybrid inside.

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1. Volkswagen announces new 1.2L three-cylinder diesel; should push new Polo to 71 mpg

Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion– Click above for high-res image gallery

Sometimes, you don't want to know about what might happen or what might be available someday and you just want to know what kind of technology you can get today. Even with all of the plug-in hype in 2010, diesels really made an impact on AutoblogGreen readers, who pushed our post on a most economical Volkswagen Polo– 71 mpg!– to be our top post of the year. Plug-ins stand poised to hit the sceneen massein 2011, and we are already wondering what kinds of posts readers will react to the most in the coming year. Stick around and find out, won't you?

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Happy New Year!

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Video: Toyota Prius Cozy is a total stitch— Autoblog Green

Toyota warms up the Prius with a cozy– Click above to watch videoafter the jump

No matter what part of the country you live in, there's a good chance temperatures are a bit colder than you might like. Whether that's 65 degrees in Arizona or negative numbers in the mid-west, it's the time of year for extra layers. You know what else gets cold? Your car. To remedy this,Toyotadecided to get a bunch of crochet pros together and have them knit a cozy... for aPrius.

We really can't add anything else here... grab some coco, put on the holiday sweater your grandmother bought for you andhop the jumpto view the clip.

{Source:YouTube}

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42 years of waiting, and working, for an electric car pays off— Autoblog Green

Right to left, Ron Gremban, Felix Kramer, Andy Frank

For a long time, the plug-in vehicle scene was small enough that a few handshakes and introductions were all that was needed to meet most of the people involved. This will be forever gone in 2011, when tens of thousands of people get a plug-in vehicle of their very own.

As a follow-up to thepost last weekabout CalCars' Felix Kramer and Ron Gremban and the"father of the plug-in hybrid,"Andy Frank, taking deliveries of their newChevy Volts, we have an expanded version of Gremban's remarks from the ceremony. Imagine that: A ceremony for delivering three plug-in vehicle. These sorts of things are important now and mark the end (well, an important next step, at least) of a very long road, but they will also soon become a thing of the past. Check out Gremban's comments after the jump.

CalCars' Ron Gremban Welcomes the Chevy Volt
By Ron Gremban, Technology Lead, The California Cars Initiative (CalCars.org)

Yesterday, in a historic event at Novato Chevrolet, my colleagues Felix Kramer, Dr. Andy Frank, and I got the key fobs to the Volts we've had on order ever since we could order one. Ours are all among the first; mine is #24 off the assembly line! Here's a written version of my remarks at that happy event.

GM did an outstanding job engineering this vehicle, and it shows, inside and out. The Volt is arguably the most technologically advanced vehicle on the road today. My first impressions are that GM didn't just build an electric car, it built a flagship. It is all GM representatives have claimed it to be, and more. First, of course, it is the world's first mass-produced Plug-in Hybrid or PHEV (GM prefers to call it an Extended-range Electric Vehicle or EREV to differentiate it from the many upcoming plug-in hybrids that will require internal combustion engine participation for full performance).

Though its PHEV capabilities are enough to make it the most special and important car GM has produced in a century (more on that later), I also found it far more refined and more of a joy to drive than any other car I've owned, including both my converted plug-in Prius and my once-beloved BMW 535i that I drove for 242,000 miles. And it has amenities galore, including internet connectivity rivaling that of my Android phone.

Soon I will write a Volt review that covers topics and perceptions the many, many other reviewers have not yet reported on, as well as a comparison of the various PHEVs I have driven– but not today. Felix told his story of how he got here and where he's going very, very well at -- seehttp://www.calcars.org/photos-plugins-arrive.htmlfor photos and coverage. Here in brief is mine.

If I were a novelist, I might start with,"It was a dark and stormy night..."42 years ago when I was one of three exhausted Caltech students driving past the finish line at MIT in Boston after 8 3/4 days and nights of continuous driving and charging, from Caltech in Pasadena, CA. We were young and enthusiastic proponents of electric cars to help solve the horrendous smog, due to gasoline cars, then smothering Los Angeles and other cities. But the auto manufacturers weren't listening, so it took decades of painful, forced, incremental steps to get the much cleaner but still polluted air we enjoy today.

After heading up R&D for the Sebring-Vanguard Citicar, an early Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) that appeared during the Arab oil embargo in the early '70s, I went on to do other engineering–on television special effects switchers, stock and bond trading systems, and photovoltaic solar energy systems– until Toyota came out with the 2004 Prius, the first strong and very successful hybrid. I met Felix, who had the vision of turning one into a plug-in hybrid– not because it would be cool to own, but as a tool to demonstrate that an existing mass-produced car was already capable of driving on electricity rather than gasoline, to show the advantages and promise of PHEVs, and to build public awareness and grass-roots pressure on government and the auto manufacturers to actually mass-produce plug-in vehicles. I also met Andy, who had, with his students at UC Davis, been building plug-in hybrids for decades.

Thus began a marriage (so to speak) born in heaven: Felix and I teamed up. I bought a Prius (Felix already had one) and led a bunch of enthusiastic volunteers, working in my garage to turn mine into a PRIUS+. We didn't know if driving a Prius on grid electricity was possible, but together we tried and failed before succeeding in November 2004. Our first version had proprietary technology from a private company, EnergyCS, but over time we came up with our own very different method for which we could put complete how-to instructions online in the public domain, which we did in partnership with the Electric Automobile Association, in a wiki at http://www.eaa-phev.org. With Felix' spectacular public relations expertise, our Prius conversions made even more waves than we had hoped for. For months, our efforts got national and even international media attention. We let Members of Congress and their staff in Washington, D.C, drive these plug-in conversions just as the automakers' CEOs were called on the carpet at the White House.

Over time, environmental organizations like the Sierra Club that had had misconceptions about electric cars realized that EVs are cleaner than gas-guzzlers even on electricity generated from coal, and that they get cleaner over time as the electric grid gets cleaner. Other promotional and lobbying organizations such as Plug In America, Set America Free, and Plug-in Partners jumped in and often out-publicized us, greatly expanding the reach of our message. Working together, we helped raise public awareness of the immediacy and benefits of plug-in vehicles.

Two years after our first conversion, GM stunned the Detroit Auto Showwith the Volt concept prototype. Whether or not our efforts contributed to GM's inspiration, they no doubt helped set the stage for the public and media excitement that propelled GM into actually designing and building the Volt. We were thrilled, and are even more so now, after the company stuck to its plan through thick and thin -- even bankruptcy -- and today is delivering this terrific car in what will soon be five-digit quantities.
It took 42 years, auto manufacturer bankruptcies, global climate change, impending peak oil, an influential movie ("Who Killed the Electric Car?"), tremendous grass-roots enthusiasm, and serious governmental incentives to get to today's deliveries of the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid, done by a re-emergent U.S. manufacturer.

Just days before, I also witnessed the delivery of the first Nissan LEAF, the world's first mass-produced pure electric vehicle. Both vehicles are major milestones in the electrification of transportation. Just as the IBM PC and the very different Apple Macintosh that followed it were both critical to launching the tsunami of personal computing that followed, leading to today's potent mix of personal empowerment through billions of GUI-based devices, these two vehicles with very different electric propulsion systems are together poised to open the public's eyes to the personal joys as well as social advantages of electric vehicles.

But this isn't the end, it's just the beginning. With both peak oil and climate change staring us in the face, we will be unable to keep our civilization intact and our planet livable without far more major changes to business as usual. After a decade, hybrids had reached just 3% of the U.S. new car market, and 1% of the cars on our roads! The Volt and the LEAF are truly desirable clean vehicles whose time has come, but their kind will not quickly become the norm without displacement of incentives from fossil fuels to renewables throughout the global economy, a process that, especially in the U.S., has barely begun and may now be stalled.

With today's entrenched-interest politics, none of this will happen until a shot of awareness– of the physical realities that climate science and international energy organizations point to, and of impending economic as well as environmental catastrophes inevitable without major change– shakes the public to its very core. Katrina didn't do it; the BP disaster didn't do it; tales of extreme climate and resulting environmental catastrophes from Russia to Pakistan haven't done it. What will it take, and what can we do, individually and collectively, to help out? I don't have an answer except to keep on telling our stories, focusing on possible solutions, and emphasizing facts over fiction.

So...even if EVs achieve 10 times the penetration rate that hybrids have seen, it will take at least 15 years to make a dent in either energy security or greenhouse emissions, which is why CalCars is now promoting (athttp://www.calcars.org/ice-conversions.html) en-masse conversion of the biggest gas guzzlers on our roads today into plug-in vehicles of all types. Such a program could be economical while saving a decade and much vehicle manufacturing energy compared to crushing and rebuilding. But people are as skeptical of this today as they were of PHEVs six years ago, so once again we at CalCars have a huge mountain to climb. Well, we did it once...

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Debate over electric car viability revived in Canada— Autoblog Green

There's been an interesting discussion going on in the Canadian media this month about the value of electric cars there.

It all started with a column called"Shocking truth of electric cars"that was very critical of plug-in vehicles written by Gwyn Morgan, who questioned whether the vehicles are right for Canada and if they are even green in the first place. Morgan also asks"Will there be enough electricity?"and answers:

Even the staggering electricity rate increases announced by Ontario would not generate nearly enough power to handle a large auto-recharge load, nor could already stretched power grids handle it, either. Hydro-Québec recently said its distribution grid could accommodate a meagre 1,000 car plug-ins.

In other provinces, costly retooling of power generation, mainline transmission and local distribution grids would be required.

Basically, Morgan is skeptical of cars powered by electrons. And we have a hint why that might be, given that Morgan is the retired, founding CEO ofEncana Corp., a natural gas company.

In response, Al Cormier– the president and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada– wrote a post titled"Electric Cars Do Make Sense for Canada"that sees"the road ahead for electric cars is indeed relatively easy in Canada compared to other nations"and goes one to say that low electricity costs, plentiful electric supply and that:

On a national scale, 500,000 electric vehicles would only add a demand increase of two per cent on the grid. And, if these vehicles are charged in off-peak periods, which technology will encourage, the extra supply needed is zero. Market penetrations will be considerably below 500,000 for the first years. It is agreed that a concentration of electric vehicle owners on a street may require upgrades to local transformers, but this is a small, affordable and manageable task.

The question isn't whether or not Canada can handle plug-in vehicles (it can) but why it's taken so long. The picture above shows, according toToronto Historya crowd looking at electric automobile in accident on Glen Road Bridge in 1912.

{Source: | Image:Toronto History– C.C. License 2.0}

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Hyundai will debut Sonata Hybrid ads at Sun Bowl— Autoblog Green

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid– Click above for high-res image gallery

TheHyundai Sonatais already popular with automotive diehards,making the 2011 Car of the Year short listandtaking the top spot in the informal Autoblog poll. Now, the question arises as to how Hyundai will introduce theslightly delayed,$25,795*hybrid version to the world? The answer is through ads that will be broadcast first during the upcoming Sun Bowl on December 31. The eco-friendly hybrid, which gets 35/40 miles per gallon, city/highway, will go on sale this January and is Hyundai's first hybrid vehicle.

The first ad, called"Anachronistic City,"tries to make the best of Hyundai's late-on-the-scene hybrid entry, suggesting that it's quite common to improve from the first generation of an innovative product. Take that,PriusandInsight. Hyundai Motor America's president and CEO, John Krafcik, said in a statement that:"The spot makes a point about how all technology evolves. Hybrid Sonata capitalizes on the learnings of hybrid models that have come before it, and advances the technology so that it's practical and affordable for a broader consumer audience– not just early adopters."The campaign of eight ads was created by Innocean Worldwide Americas.

Gallery:2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

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{Source: Hyundai Motor America}

PRESS RELEASE

Sonata Hybrid Marketing Debuts on Hyundai Sun Bowl Broadcast

Campaign Kicks Off January Showroom Introductions for Hyundai's First Hybrid Model

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 27, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2011 Hyundai Sonata lineup– a finalist for 2011 North American Car of the Year– gets an eco-friendly boost in January with the infusion of the brand's first-ever hybrid model. Sonata Hybrid's introduction to Hyundai showrooms will be supported by a national marketing campaign debuting on college football's Hyundai Sun Bowl, Dec. 31 on CBS. Hyundai Motor America's agency of record, Innocean Worldwide Americas, developed the new Sonata Hybrid campaign.

The first 30-second Sonata Hybrid spot, titled"Anachronistic City"acknowledges that Sonata is not the first hybrid to market, but rather the smart challenger of conventional, early-generation hybrids. Sonata Hybrid represents a sophisticated evolution of the technology, wrapped in a more appealing package. A variety of early-generation devices– all innovative in their time– are woven throughout the spot including 1880s-era high wheel bicycles, mid-century typewriters, a blimp that resembles the Hindenburg, 1980s-era cell phones, a"portable"record turn-table, black-and-white TVs, silent movies, a folding camera and jiggle belt gym machines.

"The spot makes a point about how all technology evolves. Hybrid Sonata capitalizes on the learnings of hybrid models that have come before it, and advances the technology so that it's practical and affordable for a broader consumer audience– not just early adopters,"said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America."Like the 2.4-liter direct-injected Sonata and the 2.0-liter Sonata Turbo launched earlier this year, Sonata Hybrid demonstrates Hyundai's unique approach melding innovative technologies and emotional design into products more and more people want to put in their driveways."

Sonata Hybrid delivers a segment-leading 40-mpg highway fuel economy rating, higher than any other mid-size sedan, hybrid or non-hybrid. In city driving, Sonata Hybrid delivers 35 mpg, yielding a 37 mpg combined city/highway rating from the EPA. Sonata Hybrid's fuel economy is powered by the industry's first application of third-generation lithium polymer batteries which are more space efficient, lighter weight and offer higher energy density than existing nickel-metal hydride and pending lithium-ion applications.

The all-new Sonata was the first mid-size car to receive a five-star crash test rating under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's new, more stringent 2011 system and received an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick honor, placing it in a safety position unsurpassed in the industry. In keeping with Hyundai's simplified approach to product packaging, Sonata Hybrid comes in just two flavors from the factory– the very well-equipped Sonata Hybrid at $25,795, and the incredibly well-equipped, tech-feature-packed Premium version at $30,795.

Hyundai's title sponsorship of the Sun Bowl, played in El Paso, Texas, includes eight total 30-second spots. In addition to Hybrid Sonata debut advertising, Hyundai will include ads featuring the two other Sonata powertrains– the standard 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection model and the 2.0-liter turbo model. And the Hyundai Holidays campaign will continue on the Hyundai Sun Bowl featuring music from YouTube sensation Pomplamoose.

2011 Sonata models will tally 200,000 combined sales in 2010– all produced by Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery, Ala. The 2011 North American Car of the Year winner will be announced at the North American International Auto Show on Jan. 10 in Detroit.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5-years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.

Journalists are invited to visit our news media web site: www.hyundainews.com and follow us on twitter at twitter.com/hyundai

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Report: GM may let Euro drivers switch Opel Ampera to gas power to save batteries— Autoblog Green

2011 Opel Ampera– Click above for high-res image gallery

The2011 Chevy Voltmade major media waves when it was first revealed that its engine could power the drive wheels under certain circumstances. According to a report from HeadlineAuto in the UK,General Motors' European division is actually considering a switch for theOpel Ampera(the Volt's more attractive European cousin) that would allow the driver to control how the drivetrain operates.

For instance, when driving longer distances, such as when traveling from city to city, the driver could potentially switch the car into its so-called charge sustaining mode so that the gasoline-powered engine would run constantly in order to maintain a full charge of the battery. Then, after the speeds slow back down and the driver re-enters an urban area, the car could be put back into its normal battery-first mode.

At this point, this report appears to be little more than speculation based on statements made by GM's Lars Peter Thiesen, who is overseeing the process of tuning the Opel Ampera for the European market. There's currently no reason to believe that GM would make such a modification to the U.S.-spec Volt.

Gallery:Opel Ampera

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{HeadlineAuto UK– Sub. Req.}

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Report: Mazda mulling addition of plug-in hybrid, electric car— Autoblog Green

Starting in 2013,Mazdawill become the second manufacturer, afterNissan, to make use ofToyota'sHybrid Synergy Drive technology. In March, Mazdasigned a licensing agreementwith the hybrid behemoth and hopes that with a supply of hardware– presumably including transmissions, power electronics and battery packs– spilling in from Toyota, it will be able to launch its own hybrid in three year's time. However, for Mazda, gas-electrics are reportedly only one part of the advanced vehicle equation.

According to a report fromBloomberg, Mazda's chief executive officer, Takashi Yamanouchi, told media contacts in Tokyo that the automaker's plans, beyond 2013, could include the debut of a plug-in hybrid and an electric car. Mazda has not officially announced that it will produce either model and will apparently assess the market before making a final decision. However, it seems likely that Mazda, in an attempt to keep pace with the upcoming eco-car launches from competing automakers such as Toyota,HondaandNissan, will decide to give at least one of the two options a green light. Get it? Green light? Oh, we're hilarious around here aren't we?

{Source:Bloomberg}

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Democrats and Republicans agree on higher gas taxes, just not in public all the time— Autoblog Green

Senator Alan Simpson (left) and Erskine Bowles (right), Co-Chairman of the Deficit Reduction Commission

There is a sport in Washington D.C. that comes around like deer season every year: the gas tax debate. And stepping into the clearing this week with brown overcoats and deer antler hats are some former legislators and government officials– none of whom have to run for office– who are recommending a 15-cent additional federal gas tax starting in 2013 to help trim the federal budget deficit.

This measure has about as much chance of getting through the new Congress as a proclamation that would make Earth Day a national bank holiday. Still, given the fact that the Feds have laid a claim to my nine-year old son's unborn children's piggybanks, it's worth a few minutes to air out the subject.

The co-chairman of the bipartisan deficit reduction commission, former Clinton Administration official Erskine Bowles and former Republican Senator Alan Simpson, have called for a sweeping set of reforms in the way of taxes, spending cuts and elimination of a myriad of tax credits and deductions to which we have grown accustomed– mortgage interest for one.
The 15-cent per gallon hike in Federal gas taxes is paltry by European standards, but would be used specifically for transportation infrastructure improvement: roads, bridges, etc.

Continue reading...

Gas taxes are the single most unpopular tax an elected official can foist upon a voter according to elected officials. A couple of years ago, I had lunch with Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) who has held the Southeast Michigan seat since Eisenhower was President. Seriously. He agreed that it was a smart and sound policy, but one that"kills you with the voters."Of course, that discussion was about a headline-grabbing, heart-clutching $1.00-a gallon hike in the tax. The commission is only talking about a 15-cent additional tax. In today's pump reality, that means gas would go from about $3.00 a gallon in Michigan where I live to $3.15.



If you figure ten gallons of gas a week, or even 20, is purchased by most Americans who drive their cars regularly, that comes to $1.50 to $3.00 a week. I know this subject inflames passions, but I'm hard pressed to find a person with enough money to be actually driving a vehicle in the first place who also can't absorb an additional $1.50 to $3.00 a week.

But that's not the point, you say? The point is that tax-and-spend liberals will spend and spend and spend while they keep heaping new taxes on our backs. That's probably true, though, both parties are guilty of hiking taxes over time without addressing spending. Seriously.

The point, though, is that a gas tax is– *gulp•– a good tax. If, as the commission suggests, the gas tax hike is targeted for infrastructure improvement, that's a lot of improved roads and bridges, and a lot of jobs. As someone who recently had a flat tire and bent wheel from a Rt. 80 pothole, and a $500.00 bill to go with it, I think this is a good idea.

While I'm not keen to embrace Europe's $7.00-per gallon-plus system, it's hard to argue against the facts that European roads put their U.S. counterparts to shame. And the European Union is not overburdened with gas guzzler SUVs driven by sole drivers they way we are in the U.S. On the contrary, in Europe, a Ford Focus is a family car. That idea may not play well in rural Georgia, but I'm confronted by the reality that I don't see European families out demonstrating against having to buy Focuses and Toyota Corollas for families of four.

You know who else has been for higher gas taxes? George Bush and Dick Cheney.

You know who else has apparently been for higher gas taxes? Ford CEOAlan Mulallyand Ford chairman Bill Ford, former General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, former Chrysler CEO Tom Lasorda. And, hold on to your hats... George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

According to two sources who were in the room in a March 2007 meeting with Detroit CEOs, Bush and Cheney both agreed that while higher gas taxes were a good idea for both deficit reduction and driving the sale of high fuel economy vehicles, they ultimately dismissed such moves for political, not rational, reasons. And neither would admit to supporting it in public.

Lee Iacocca may have said it best when he said the reason Americans are so violently opposed to higher gas taxes is that after the publicity around it is used by one political side or the other, the voter is reminded of the tax two or three times a week when they gas up and watch the dial spin higher and higher.

To be fair, Bowles and Simpson aren't completely without allies on the Hill. Tom Carper of Delaware, a Democrat, and George Voinovich of Ohio, a Republican, wrote to President Obama's commission on reducing the federal debt, proposing the measure. They suggest that 10 cents of the increase go toward paying down the debt, and the rest toward transportation infrastructure. Of the two, only Carper is running for re-election. Voinovich, a Republican from Ohio (where my tire blew on the pothole) is retiring.

10 cents of the increase would go towards deficit reduction, the remaining 5 cents toward infrastructure.

The overall deficit reduction plan looks smart, but completely unfeasible, politically, in its entirety. To simplify and to lower individual and corporate tax rates, the co-chairmen's plan eliminates or scales back $1.1 trillion in tax breaks, ranging from the popular deduction on mortgage interest to charitable givings, both of which would be replaced with 12 percent nonrefundable tax credits available to all taxpayers. The changes, the co-chairmen claim, would allow the corporate tax rate to drop from 35 percent to 26 percent and for the six existing individual tax brackets (currently ranging from 10 percent to 35 percent) to be boiled down to three: 8 percent, 14 percent and 23 percent.

Those numbers look, on the surface, compelling, and as if they would attract anti-tax Republicans to the bargaining table. But don't count on it. For every member of Congress who would vote for a bill containing a gas tax, there is an opponent in the next election who will make an ad superimposing their face on a gas pump dial spinning out of control.

David Kiley, the author of this post, is an award winning journalist, covers the auto industry from Ann Arbor, MI. He has followed the industry for 25 years, and held posts including Detroit Bureau Chief forUSA Todayand senior correspondent forBusinessWeek. He is also the author of two books on the industry:Getting The Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall and Comeback of Volkswagen in America{John Wiley and Sons 2001}, andDriven: Inside BMW, The Most Admired Car Company in the World{Wiley, 2004}.

{Images: Mark Wilson and Justin Sullivan/Getty}

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Sao Paulo public transit to add 50 Scania ethanol-fueled buses to fleet— Autoblog Green

Come next May, the public transit system in Sao Paulo, Brazil will be a bit greener thanks to the addition of 50 Scania buses designed to run on pure ethanol. The people haulers are part of the first wave of an initial fleet of 200 ethanol-fueled buses. Sao Paulo operates more than 15,000 public transport buses and has set its sights on converting each and every one of them to renewable fuel models by 2018. With biogas in limited supply, ethanol will likely the dominant biofuel used in the buses. For Scania Group, the only manufacturer of heavy-duty buses with ethanol-powered engines, this must be music to the company's ears.

Melker Jernberg, senior vice president and head of buses and coaches at Scania Brazil, details ethanol's role as a renewable fuel source, stating:

The use of ethanol as a vehicle fuel is the best example of what can be done here and now in sustainable development work. Ethanol accounts for 90 percent of the renewable fuel available in the world. By delivering ethanol buses to São Paulo, Scania is helping to strengthen Brazil's leading position in reducing climate impact.

{Source: Scania Group}

PRESS RELEASE

Brazil invests in the environment with Scania ethanol buses

São Paulo, Brazil− with its many millions of inhabitants− is taking another step towards sustainable development. The city's mayor, Gilberto Kassab, announced yesterday (25 November) that Scania ethanol buses will become part of the public transport system. The first 50 buses will go into service in May 2011.

The city's mayor, Gilberto Kassab, at the right and Scania Latin America's President Sven Antonsson signed the contract of the delivery of the first 50 ethanol buses to the city.

"The use of ethanol as a vehicle fuel is the best example of what can be done here and now in sustainable development work. Ethanol accounts for 90 percent of the renewable fuel available in the world. By delivering ethanol buses to São Paulo, Scania is helping to strengthen Brazil's leading position in reducing climate impact,"says Melker Jernberg, Senior Vice President and head of Scania Buses and Coaches.

There are a total of some 15,000 public transport buses in São Paulo. One official environmental target is that all such buses should operate on renewable fuels by no later than 2018.

"Since the supply of biogas is limited, ethanol will be the dominant biofuel. This means there is very large potential for Scania, which is the only manufacturer of heavy-duty buses with ethanol-powered engines,"says Wilson Pereira, head of sales of Buses and Coaches at Scania Brasil.

Scania is receiving the ethanol bus order after a few years of field trials in São Paulo, coordinated by experts with links to the University of São Paulo and with participation by ethanol suppliers, bus bodybuilders, operators and São Paulo transport authorities.

"The initiative has shown that ethanol-powered buses are ready to operate in Brazil, immediately helping to replace the use of fossil fuel with a renewable source and offering a tremendous advantage in emission reduction,"says Wilson Pereira.

­The new Scania buses will operate in São Paulo, where transport authority SPTrans is aiming at an initial fleet of 200 ethanol buses.

All buses will be manufactured in Brazil. Chassis assembly will take place at Scania's production unit in São Paulo and bodywork will be done by a local company.

Brazil is the world's largest producer of ethanol fuel and has long experience in producing and using biofuels in a sustainable way. The ethanol is made from cane sugar and has been used since the 1980s as fuel for cars and other vehicles with petrol-fuelled engines. Successful public policies on land management have allowed a steadily increasing output of bioenergy and other agricultural products, while deforestation rates in the Amazon are continuously decreasing.

Scania started to develop ethanol buses in the mid-1980s in close cooperation with the Stockholm regional public transport company Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL). Two decades of regular full-scale operation in tough urban conditions show that ethanol-power is a fully proven bus technology. There are no operational drawbacks as long as the scheduled maintenance requirements are followed. The buses are completely standard, using regular Scania components.

For further information, please contact Hans-Åke Danielsson, Press Manager, tel +46 8 553 856 62

Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. A growing proportion of the company's operations consists of products and services in the financial and service sectors, assuring Scania customers of cost-effective transport solutions and maximum uptime. Employing some 32,000 people, Scania operates in about 100 countries. Research and development activities are concentrated in Sweden, while production takes place in Europe and South America, with facilities for global interchange of both components and complete vehicles. In 2009, net sales totalled SEK 62 billion and net income amounted to SEK 1.1 billion. Scania press releases are available on www.scania.com (http://www.scania.com/)

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Video: 2011 Nissan Leaf assembly process detailed— Autoblog Green

2011 Nissan Leaf assembly– Click above to watch videoafter the jump

Earlier this week, we rolled out atime-lapse video of the assemblyof the2011 Chevrolet Volt. In that video,General Motorstook us inside its Detroit-Hamtramck plant to watch its plug-in hybrid undergo the transformation from bodyshell to aready-to-roll vehicle. In the all-too-brief clip, GM attempted to capture the complex steps of assembling the Chevy Volt but, as many of our commenters pointed out, failed to provide a detailed look at the intricate technologies that differentiate the Volt from more conventional vehicles.

In an attempt to be as fair as possible, it's only fitting that we also showcase the assembly of the2011 Nissan Leaf. This video, shot inside Nissan's plant in Oppama, Japan, captures the production of the Leaf in painstaking detail.Hit the jumpto watch the Nissan Leaf as it comes together right before your eyes.

{Source: Nissan viaYouTube}

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First Chevy Volt charity auction has 12 days to go, but it's already up to $180,000!— Autoblog Green

How much is thatChevrolet Voltin the window? If you're talking about thefirst available production model that's up for auctionto help the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, it'll cost you close to $200k. Even though the auction started at $50,000, the current high bid is $180,000, placed by someone called Barritzboy, and there are still 12 days left to bid. Given that the proceeds from the auction will all go to support math and science education in Detroit, there's really no upper limit here, so bid it up, folks. Get the details on the auctionhere. One semi-interesting tidbit, the auction says,"With a fully charged battery, Volt can drive for an initial electric range of 35 miles."None of that25-to-50 mile stuff.

If you can't afford to buy a Volt forTesla Roadster+ money, you can still try and predict how much this first car will go for. Have at it in the poll below:

How high will the first Chevy Volt auction go?

Not above $250,000$250,001 - $300,000$300,001 - $350,000$350,001 - $400,000$400,001 - $450,000$450,001 - $500,000Over half a million, yo

{Source:Charity Buzz}

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Video: Assembling the 2011 Chevrolet Volt— Autoblog Green

Assembly of the 2011 Chevy Volt– Click above to watch videoafter the jump

Through the miracle of time-lapse videography,General Motorshas brought us inside its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to watch as it constructs the2011 Chevrolet Voltplug-in hybrid. In what seems like mere seconds, theVolt rolls off the line ready to hit the road.

Though actual assembly of Chevy's plug-in takes a bit longer than a couple of minutes, the time lapse imagery manages to capture the highlights of the process and piece it all together in an easy-to-watch clip. It's worth pointing out that the Volt travels down the same line as Cadillac models and undergoes an assembly process that's nearly identical– aside from its battery pack install– to that of a more conventional vehicle.Hop the jumpto watch the Volt progress from a steel shell to a complete vehicle in less than two minutes.

{Source: General Motors}

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