Automakers Cross The Thin Green Line
By Samir SyedNovember 17, 2007 - 17,055 views
A marketing guru once told me that many companies sell themselves based on their weakest attributes. By playing up what the market perceives as their limitations, the company seeks to reverse “misconceptions” which prevent greater popularity. The strategy is what Hitler called “The Big Lie:” a falsehood of such size and splendor that no one can believe that someone had “the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.” This explains why Ford Canada used the slogan “Quality is Job 1” while building the Tempo and Escort. It also illuminates automakers’ greenwashing.
Automakers Cross The Thin Green Line editorial continued »
Posted in Editorials | Green | 26 comments 
The Truth About The Green Car of the Year
By Adrian ImontiNovember 16, 2007 - 45,410 views
There’s something deliciously ironic about slogging through one of LA’s infamous rush hours to attend a “green” cars award ceremony. The multi-lane Harbor Freeway plays host to a long slow dance of cars and semis, tailpipes steadily churning out brownish plumes into a blue sky. The dominant hue is not green but red: the omnipresent brake lights mocking California’s long-abandoned promises of fast, efficient personal travel. It’s almost enough to persuade a driver to ride the bus. Like me, most just crank on caffeine and escape boredom via the stereo, instead.
The Truth About The Green Car of the Year editorial continued »
Posted in Editorials | Green | Media | 85 comments
Why NYT Scribe Tom Friedman is Wrong. Again.
By Robert FaragoNovember 10, 2007 - 44,444 views
Once again, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has addressed automotive issues. This time, Friedman weighs-in on the ultra-cheap car being posited for the rapidly-growing Indian market. The gist of Friedman’s proposal: tax the stuffing out of the cheap car and put the money into mass-transit. Like most of Friedman’s auto-related rants, this one combines a handful of valid points, a couple of keen observations, a soupcon of knee-jerk utopianism and enough muddled thinking to make it impossible to support his views.
Why NYT Scribe Tom Friedman is Wrong. Again. editorial continued »
Posted in Editorials | Green | Media | 85 comments
Detroit’s Future: X Marks the Spot
By Sajeev MehtaAugust 14, 2007 - 23,099 views
Creativity thrives in times of chaos and transition. Dada was born in World War I. Punk Rock arrived in the strife-torn streets of 1970s New York City. Automotive engineering– the art of bringing order to chaos– also fits this template. German automakers did some of their most innovative work in the turbulent years immediately after WWII. And now that environmental regulations and changing business conditions have upset the international automotive applecart, we’re looking at another explosion of engineering creativity. Ground zero for some of this work: the alternative propulsion experiments of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) collegiate branches.
The name of this game is Challenge X - Crossover to Sustainable Mobility. The contest challenges fledgling engineers from 17 American universities to design, build and test a hybrid vehicle architecture based on a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. They must utilize alternative fuels to reduce the vehicle's energy consumption while maintaining standard-issue performance, utility and safety.
The Challenge X’ timeline is modeled after GM’s development cycle. SAE students have four years to turn Chevy’s hunk of charcoal (sorry Equinox lovers) into an eco-friendly gem. For those readers who suffer from ADD, here are the Challenge X Cliff Notes:
Year one: teams devise theories, build models and create simulations for a new, more mpg-friendly Equinox powertrain. Year two: the judges determine which teams get the keys. The teams take delivery of their high tech kit, and attempt to install it into their prototype. Years three and four: they refine their handiwork and restore their eco-modded Equinox to “near showroom quality.”
If you think the Chevy Equinox is another forgettable CUV, you may be right. But you haven’t driven the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Challenge X variant, christened Moovada. A Movado watch for bovines? Hey, they’re engineers (they probably don't know what I'm talking about). Speaking of which… Geek alert! If you’re not technically inclined, you might want to skip the next two paragraphs.
The Moovada is a split-parallel hybrid holstering a GM 110 kW 1.9-liter CIDI engine (found in the Fiat Punto-D) coupled to a GM F40 six-speed manual transmission. The rear axle is powered by a Ballard induction motor/gearbox powerlimited to 59 kW by the 44-module (317 volts nominal) Johnson Controls’ nickel-metal hydride hybrid battery pack. The vehicle is fueled by B20, which has a lower GHGI impact than conventional diesel fuel.
The hybrid controller is a Motorola MPC555 based Powertrain Control Module (PCM) embedded controller with 38 inputs, 28 outputs and dual CAN bus capability specifically designed for automotive applications. Wisconsin is utilizing ANSI C language for code development and MotoTron development tools for programming the controller.
Simply put, the team’s five groups (each responsible for a different vehicle system) have engineered a new powertrain package for the Equinox that delivers both fuel efficiency and entertainment. That’s right: it’s fun to drive.
Forget about the 36mpg and super-duper clean emissions. The Challenge X Equinox from the “Eat Cheese or Die” state delivers smooth and seamless power that combines golf cart-like torque with the progressive power of a diesel mill. The shifter is as wonderfully flickable as the clutch is progressive. Using Challenge X-specific Michelin tires, the Equinox not only corners with precision, it provides a quiet and comfortable ride.
Aside from the electric motor’s straight-cut cogs doing their best impression of an M-22 Rockcrusher running down the dragstrip, the Equinox behaves as well as any CUV, with a much more enjoyable powerband. Ladies and gentlemen, The University of Wisconsin-Madison team nailed it.
And now they’re perfecting it. The team is rebuilding the Moovado’s exhaust system, refining the controls system and repackaging the batteries. They’re modifying both Equinox’ interior and exterior to reflect a more "consumer acceptable" vehicle. And then, of course, there’s more testing and calibration, to assure the Moovado's performance, economy and ride quality.
Ten years ago, I was in their shoes. Back then, my team was fitting a Chrysler minivan with propane propulsion. Looking into the team members' eyes brought it all back, and puts everything in perspective. They work as a team for a common goal under a common budget. They believe in their product and their eco-friendly mission: take what GM builds and improve it for the environment– without sacrificing comfort, convenience or credibility.
Just think what these manager/creator/mentors could do at GM if the people who make cars got to “make” cars. It could happen. In these desperate days, when GM has finally realized that plug-in hybrids and other new tech could be their last, best hope for survival, GM’s engineers may once again assume their rightful place at the head of the development table.
Meanwhile, the kids are alright.
Posted in Editorials | Fuel Economy | Future Vehicles | Green | Hybrid | News Blog | 53 comments
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers Prez Defends Org’s CAFE Stance
By Dave McCurdyAugust 4, 2007 - 15,595 views
As president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, representing BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen, I can speak firsthand about the radical transformation that has been taking place within this global industry. For starters, let me be especially clear on this particular item: automakers support increasing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. In fact, today’s auto industry is currently advocating for the largest CAFE increase in U.S. history.
The Alliance supports an unprecedented 30 percent to 40 percent CAFE increase over the next 15 years. We believe it’s time to end the debate. We urge Congress to act now, so we can continue with the hard work needed to further our efforts to improve fuel economy. To find the basis for an argument that the auto industry feels otherwise, one would have to dig pretty deep into the archives.
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers Prez Defends Org’s CAFE Stance editorial continued »
Posted in Editorials | Green | 37 comments
CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) Regulations Must Die… Still
By Justin BerkowitzJune 25, 2007 - 19,832 views
The United States operates special courts to deal with taxes and bankruptcies. The issues are considered too complex and specialized for regular courts to adjudicate. So if the judiciary accommodates its own intellectual shortcomings, why can’t Congress do the same? The branch of the government with the lowest approval ratings (a whopping 25 percent according to this week’s Newsweek poll) spent this week contemplating an issue it does not, cannot fully comprehend: CAFE standards.
CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) Regulations Must Die… Still editorial continued »
Posted in Editorials | Green | 75 comments
The Toyota Prius Tips In at the Tipping Point
By Robert FaragoJune 10, 2007 - 23,675 views
The Toyota Prius hybrid has been the high-mileage low-emissions darling of the chattering classes and their Hollywood pals for some time. Now, suddenly, sales have shot up, and it seems that the Prius is about to become a mainstream motor. While the little eco-warrior that could still doesn't account for a significant fraction of Ford F-150 sales, the question remains: is the Prius' recent sales surge a fluke?
The Toyota Prius Tips In at the Tipping Point editorial continued »
Posted in Editorials | Green | Sales and Marketing | 70 comments
The Toyota Prius Pays Off; What Happens Next?
By Paul NiedermeyerJune 10, 2007 - 22,033 views
In 1993, Toyota began developing a radical gas-electric hybrid vehicle called the Prius. With gasoline at historic lows, internal company documents gave the concept a five percent chance of commercial success. In May 2007, the Prius was America's sixth best selling passenger car, with 24k units. Toyota also just passed the one-million-hybrids-sold milestone. Toyota deserves a raspberry for the worst internal forecasting ever, and an award for one of the most successful new-car launches in automotive history.
The Toyota Prius Pays Off; What Happens Next? editorial continued »
Posted in Editorials | Green | Technology | 52 comments
Pilgrims’ Progress: GM, Ford and Chrysler’s CEOs Have a Capitol Idea
By Frank WilliamsJune 7, 2007 - 8,882 views
On Tuesday, Detroit's top execs made another pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. The Detroit News reported that the troubled troika all arrived at Capitol Hill in fuel-efficient vehicles as a "symbolic gesture." Mulally belted across the Beltway in a Ford Escape hybrid. Wagoner wheeled up in a hybrid Saturn Aura. And LaSorda made the scene in a flex-fuel Town & Country minivan. Of course, none of these vehicles are their makers' most frugal cars. However, we can't have America's automotive aristocrats getting off their avgas-sucking private corporate jets and jumping into a run-of-the-mill Aveo, Focus or Caliber, now can we?
Pilgrims’ Progress: GM, Ford and Chrysler’s CEOs Have a Capitol Idea editorial continued »
Posted in Editorials | Green | Industry | 56 comments
California’s “Solo-Carpool” Hybrid Exemption is a Really Dumb Idea
By Alex DykesMay 15, 2007 - 16,923 views
In January, Gary “Mr. Roadshow” Richards of the San Jose Mercury News argued that hybrid cars with one occupant should be allowed in California carpool lanes because they reduce congestion, gasoline usage and smog. Richards was deploying the exact same argument used to justify the passage of California statute AB 2628 which allowed “solo-carpools” in the first place. Here’s a simple question about the logic employed: was the California Assembly on peyote when they cooked up this crap?
California’s “Solo-Carpool” Hybrid Exemption is a Really Dumb Idea editorial continued »
Posted in Editorials | Green | 77 comments
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