Filed under: Trends, Hybrids/Alternative, Sports/GTs, Green, Videos, Dodge
A few days ago we showed you some pics of the Dodge EV concept at a local car show in Southern California. It appears that the Dodge-branded, battery-powered Lotus Europa made a few other stops in the area as well, one of which was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Alongside the EV, the Dodge boys were displaying, among other things, a Challenger SRT-8. Well, one thing led to another and before long a battle between ’60s retro muscle and modern electric power was underway. Lucky for us, someone was there with a video camera to capture the fraternal pissing match. This impromptu drag race doesn’t give us any clear indication of times, but you can definitely see the EV’s advantage of light weight and instant-on torque from a stop. The concept electric vehicle jumps ahead at the start, but the Challenger hangs on. Just when the big HEMI seems to be getting a full head of steam, however, they run out of space. We’ve embedded the video for you after jump. Check it out and let us know how you think this battle would play out on a real 1/4 mile drag strip.
[Source: ALLPAR]
Continue reading VIDEO: Dodge EV vs. Dodge Challenger
VIDEO: Dodge EV vs. Dodge Challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Trucks/Pickups, Chevrolet, GMC
Click above for high-res image gallery of the Pontiac G3
One day before the press converge on the LA Auto Show, General Motors has released pricing on its 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid, 2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid and the 2009 Pontiac G3. The full-size hybrid pickup trucks each feature GM’s patented two-mode hybrid drivetrain with a 6.0-liter V8 under the hood. Assisted by an electric motor, the trucks are rated to tow up to 6,100 pounds. Fuel economy is impressive for a pickup — they are rated at 21 mpg city and 22 mpg highway (2WD) when unladen. The base price for the Silverado is ,995 (including a 5 destination charge). The Sierra barely undercuts it with a starting price of ,365 (including 5 DFC). Production on the pickups starts in December, with delivery to dealers starting in early 2009. If trucks aren’t your thing, pricing on the all-new Pontiac G3 hatchback will squeak in at ,995 (including 0 DFC), making it the least expensive car in Pontiac showrooms. While you’ll drive home in air-conditioned comfort sipping fuel at 32 mpg on the highway, don’t expect much in the way of driving excitement.
[Source: General Motors]
Continue reading GM prices Silverado Hybrid, Sierra Hybrid, and Pontiac G3
GM prices Silverado Hybrid, Sierra Hybrid, and Pontiac G3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green, Celebrities
Rocker Neil Young has managed to create his own electric car out of an old Lincoln convertible. That’s awesome, and we congratulate Young on the amazing accomplishment. But as far as his ideas on how to fix Detroit, it seems that the singer’s plan has a few loose screws. Mr. Young suggests that the Feds give Detroit the money it needs to survive on the condition that the three remaining automakers stop building cars with gas-powered engines… right now. This, as you would imagine, presents a problem, considering that cars aren’t all that useful if they can’t provide actual transportation. Young’s got a solution to that problem too: each automaker must convert one plant to assemble “re-power kits” that would allow these cars to be retrofitted as “self charging electric vehicles.”
That sounds nice, doesn’t it? The only problem is that “self charging” EVs don’t exist. Batteries need power from somewhere, generally an outlet that gets its juice from the electrical grid. Furthermore, Young’s plan doesn’t actually account for how the car’s would be charged or where all the “transitional rollers’” batteries would come from. It’s a nice thought, but one that is entirely impossible at the moment.
[Source: Huffington Post via Autofiends]
Neil Young has the solution to Detroit’s woes originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
Everyone’s got advice for Detroit these days, from President-elect Barack Obama to Neil Young. Meanwhile, GM is still trying top get a 100 mpg sticker for the Volt and the Auto Alliance says fuel efficiency takes a back seat to OEM survival. Don’t forget to follow AutoblogGreen on Twitter for the green side of the LA Auto Show this week.
AutoblogGreen for 11.18.08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In October, Stephen Casner and his wife Karen toured the Lotus factory in England as their Roadster rolled off the assembly line. They took delivery at the Menlo Park store three weeks later. Stephen, who has written several other blogs about Tesla, describes the tour and his first impressions with the car.
Stephen Casner spent 25 [...]
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Green, Plants/Manufacturing
Back in July we told you that Fisker had tabbed Valmet Automotive to build its upcoming Karma. Now we get word that all of the contracts have been finalized and production looks certain. Valmet will be doing all of the engineering and manufacturing for the Karma, that sexy new four-door plug-in hybrid sports sedan designed by ex-Aston Martin designer, Henrik Fisker. Production should start about a year from now, in late 2009. The first cars should show up Stateside, with European deliveries following soon after, in early 2010. The companies are planning an annual production of about 15,000 cars worldwide.
The k sedan uses lithium ion batteries, and owners should expect about 50 miles of driving before the gas engine ever kicks in. Range should rival the Chevy Volt at 350 miles per charge. Unlike the Volt, however, the Karma will have a top speed of 125 mph, and a 0-60 time of about 5.8 seconds. Even with the price of gas plummeting, we think Fisker should have little trouble selling 15,000 of these beauties a year, even at k. Full press release after the jump.
[Source: Valmet Automotive]
Continue reading Fisker sends Finland good Karma
Fisker sends Finland good Karma originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Dodge
Click above for hi-res gallery of the Dodge EV in the wild
While a lot of the legwork was done for them by Lotus, we still have to give Chrysler a little credit for getting an electric vehicle prototype on the road so quickly. When we first saw the Dodge EV a couple of months ago, it looked like it was ready to roll, with a Tesla-like blend of Lotus platform and electric powerpack. Soon after we heard that the car was likely to make it to production, with a delivery date that would challenge the Chevrolet Volt. While it had appeared that Chrysler was way behind its domestic rivals in developing an electric car, we know that through their GEM subsidiary, Chrysler has actually accumulated a lot of EV expertise and become the nation’s leading electric car seller in the process.
The Dodge EV is essentially a Lotus Europa, but uses lithium batteries and a 268 hp electric motor in place of the standard 2.0L four cylinder engine and transmission. It promises a range of 150-200 miles and a 0-60 time of under 5 seconds. It’s a full-blown, plug-in EV, just like the Tesla Roadster, and should require a 4-hour recharge from a 220V outlet or 8 hours on a 110. To help launch Chrysler’s new ENVI electric car division, the Dodge EV has been traveling the show circuit, but today we spotted it at one of our favorite local cruise-ins.
It attracted quite a crowd. Not surprisingly, many folks at the show mistook it for a Lotus until they saw the Dodge badges. Even then a lot of people figured it was some type of joint venture between the two firms. Most were amazed to learn the car might be in Dodge showrooms by 2010. Try as we might we couldn’t wrestle the keys from the Chrysler reps. Hopefully the car and the company make it through our current economic crisis so we can sample one when they hit the streets.
Photos copyright (C)2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.
Dodge EV takes to the streets originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google on Thursday joined a smart-grid trade association that promotes energy efficiency in the power grid and home-energy monitoring.
The group, called Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition (DRSG), includes companies that manufacture networked electricity meters and software for sharing information between consumers and utilities.
Google is increasingly active in …
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