[Peakoil] Fwd: Hybrid Cars Newsletter (050): Hybrid Safety, Toyota EV Position, Rare Metals

Tue Sep 8 22:43:01 UTC 2009

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Bradley Berman - HybridCars.com" <brad at hybridcars.com>
> Date: 9 September 2009 6:16:54 AM
> To: tony at tony-barry.emu.id.au
> Subject: Hybrid Cars Newsletter (050): Hybrid Safety, Toyota EV  
> Position, Rare Metals
> Reply-To: <bounce-live-964886999-60615130 at ezinedirector.net>
>
> ~~~ Hybrid Cars Newsletter: Issue No. 0050 ~~~
> Moderator: Bradley Berman [brad at hybridcars.com]
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> IN THIS ISSUE:
> Prius and Insight Hybrids Earn Top Safety Awards
> Top safety ratings from the top hybrids dispel the myth that high  
> fuel efficiency requires a compromise for safety’s sake.
>
> Exclusive: Toyota Explains Its Position on Electric Cars
> “If we had a technology that was ready today…we’d do it,” said  
> Toyota’s Doug Coleman. “We’re trying to get to that point in the  
> future.”
>
> Best Answers to the Riddle of 230 MPG
> What is the real mpg for the upcoming Chevy Volt? What is the sound  
> of one hand clapping?
>
> GM Pulls Plug on Buick Plug-in Hybrid
> Two weeks after announcing a plug-in hybrid Buick crossover SUV, GM  
> executives changed their mind.
>
> Shortage of Rare Metals for Hybrids Is Overblown
> China is talking about tightening grip on rare earth metals used in  
> hybrids. Will it slow down hybrids? Experts say no.
>
> Automakers Race to Design Car-to-Grid Communications
> Plug-in cars will be grid-connected electric devices on wheels. But  
> how will the car “talk” to meters? We speak with Ford’s Greg Frenette.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Greetings, Hybrid Car Enthusiasts,
> As Prius-style conventional hybrids continue to prove their ability  
> to deliver reliable, safe and efficient transportation, the auto  
> industry is pushing forward with plug-in hybrids and electric cars.  
> Which models make sense? Should we ditch MPG as a measurement? How  
> will drivers control charging? Do we have the raw materials to  
> supply a new industry? Some companies are boldly moving forward,  
> despite uncertain answers to these and other questions. Others, most  
> notably Toyota, are cautious. We speak with insiders and share what  
> we learned in HybridCars.com’s newsletter number 50.
>
> No need to wait for next month’s newsletter. Get the news and  
> discuss it online by following us on Facebook:
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/HybridCarscom/134218412523
>
> And Twitter:
> http://twitter.com/HybridCarsCom
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Prius and Insight Hybrids Earn Top Safety Awards
> http://www.hybridcars.com/safety/prius-and-insight-hybrids-earn-top-safety-awards-25992.html
>
> The Honda Insight and Toyota Prius received the Insurance Institute  
> for Highway Safety's “Top Safety Pick” award based on front, side,  
> and rear crash testing. The rating dispels the myth that high fuel  
> efficiency always requires a compromise for safety’s sake. To earn  
> the Insurance Institute’s "Top Safety Pick," a vehicle has to earn  
> good ratings in all three tests. It also must offer electronic  
> stability control, which comes standard on all Prius models and on  
> the Insight EX model. It's available as on option on the less  
> expensive Insight LX.
>
> The IIHS gave top safety designations to 10 out of the 27 small cars  
> that were tested. Other small cars with the top safety rating are  
> the 2010 Kia Soul, 2009 Subaru Impreza, 2009 Scion xB, four-door  
> 2009 Honda Civic, 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer, 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit,  
> 2010 Toyota Corolla and two-door 2009 Ford Focus. "The latest  
> results show that consumers who want good fuel economy can also get  
> a high level of safety," said institute spokesman Russ Rader.  
> "Because there are so many small cars that test well, there's no  
> reason to settle for a small car with less-than-stellar safety  
> ratings."
>
> Also check out the next wave of hybrid cars coming from Japanese  
> carmakers:
> http://www.hybridcars.com/news/next-wave-japanese-hybrids-heading-us-26067.html
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Exclusive: Toyota Explains Its Position on Electric Cars
> http://www.hybridcars.com/news/exclusive-toyota-explains-position-electric-cars-26031.html
>
> It appears that every automaker in the world has caught electric car  
> fever, save one: Toyota, the one best known for green cars.
>
> A few weeks ago, the New York Times declared, “Toyota has fallen  
> behind in the race for the all-electric car.” Toyota’s response?  
> “Our hair is never on fire. We’re not looking around at the latest  
> PR articles, and saying oh my gosh, we have to change our plans  
> because somebody said this or that,” explained Doug Coleman, U.S.- 
> based Prius product manager at Toyota. “We’re pacing ourselves in a  
> way that we think that we can be competitive in a few years time for  
> a market that makes sense for both us and the customer.” Jana  
> Hartline, Toyota’s environmental communication manager, added, “Our  
> outlook has never been to be the first to market. We want to be the  
> best to market.”
>
> In an exclusive interview with HybridCars.com, we asked Coleman and  
> Hartline to explain Toyota’s position on plug-in hybrids and  
> electric cars. “We’re listening to all perspectives, but we’re  
> making our own judgments based upon our own data and our own  
> forecasts.”
>
> Costs for the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid are running much higher than  
> anticipated—forcing the sticker price from the high $20,000 range to  
> beyond $40,000. General Motors is betting the farm that, at some  
> uncertain point in the future, it will be able to reduce those costs  
> as it ramps up production.
>
> Toyota is not yet ready to make the same bet. “If we had a  
> technology that was ready today. IIf we had the battery at a  
> performance and quality and durability and price point that we could  
> put into a car and mass manufacture it for some market and both  
> sustain our business and provide value to the customer, we’d do it,”  
> Coleman said. “We’re trying to get to that point in the future.”
>
> Get the details:
> http://www.hybridcars.com/news/exclusive-toyota-explains-position-electric-cars-26031.html
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Best Answers to the Riddle of 230 MPG
> http://www.hybridcars.com/gas-mileage/chevy-volt-and-riddle-of-230-25994.html
>
> Taking its place right next to other great existential riddles—such  
> as “What is the sound of one hand clapping?"—GM’s claim that the  
> Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid will get 230 mpg left journalists  
> bewildered.
>
> GM executives said they used a preliminary EPA methodology to  
> determine the mpg of the Volt, which uses only electricity for  
> approximately 40 miles, then uses gasoline to recharge batteries  
> until the vehicle can be recharged with more electricity. But the  
> EPA has not finalized its procedure, has not tested the vehicle, and  
> is not claiming responsibility for the 230-mpg figure.
>
> Here are our favorite candidates for the best explanation of a  
> number that defies explanation. We hope it clears up everything.
>
> "Under the rationale that GM says the EPA applied to the Volt, an  
> all-electric car such as the upcoming Nissan Leaf or existing Tesla  
> Roadster would have an official rating of 'infinity miles per  
> gallon.'"
> - John O'Dell, Edmunds.com Green Car Advisor
>
> Nuclear-Powered Cars
> "If the Volt were powered mostly by a windmill or a nuclear reactor,  
> it would also get great gas mileage, since the fuel would be coming  
> from some other source."
> - Rick Newman, US News and World Report
>
> Check out other explanations:
> http://www.hybridcars.com/gas-mileage/chevy-volt-and-riddle-of-230-25994.html
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> GM Pulls Plug on Buick Plug-in Hybrid
> http://www.hybridcars.com/news/gm-pulls-plug-buick-plug-hybrid-26027.html
>
> General Motors announced on Aug. 19 that it has canceled plans for a  
> Buick plug-in hybrid crossover. The company cited poor feedback from  
> media, dealers, and consumers to the proposed model, which was  
> unveiled two weeks earlier. Both the conventional and plug-in hybrid  
> versions of the Buick crossover have been canceled.
>
> General Motors vice chairman Tom Stephens wrote on GM’s FastLane  
> Blog: “The Buick crossover we showed received consistent feedback  
> from large parts of all the audiences that it didn’t fit the premium  
> characteristics that customers have come to expect from Buick." He  
> added, "We decided that the important plug-in hybrid technology  
> would be applied to another vehicle, at no delay, that we’ll discuss  
> in the very near future."
>
> GM says it will use the plug-in hybrid powertrain for another  
> vehicle that will debut in 2011. The plug-in hybrid system was  
> originally intended for the Saturn Vue crossover, but those plans  
> were canceled when GM sold the Saturn brand.
>
> Read more:
> http://www.hybridcars.com/news/gm-pulls-plug-buick-plug-hybrid-26027.html
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Shortage of Rare Metals for Hybrids Is Overblown
> http://www.hybridcars.com/news/shortage-rare-metals-hybrids-overblown-26072.html
>
> China is tightening its grip on its rare earth metals, which may  
> derail production of hybrid and electric cars, according to the New  
> York Times and Bloomberg. Hybrid cars use rare metals, especially  
> neodymium for magnets in electric motors, and lanthanum in nickel  
> metal hydride batteries. But experts we spoke with questioned the  
> level of alarm.
>
> Prabhakar Patil, CEO of battery-maker Compact Power and former chief  
> engineer of Ford’s hybrid program, sees the rare earth supply  
> concern as “not very high,” when compared to other factors that  
> could limit production of hybrids and electric cars. Patil believes  
> that if supplies or prices for rare earth metals become an issue,  
> car companies will work around a shortage by using induction motors  
> and power electronics. He admits that there will be a penalty in  
> terms of size, cost, and efficiency of motors. “But it is not a show  
> stopper,” Patil told HybridCars.com.
>
> Jack Lifton, an independent Michigan-based strategic metals expert,  
> believes there could be “a gap” in hybrid and electric car  
> production in the future—but only if new North American production  
> of rare earth metals does not come on board as expected, and auto  
> engineers fail to plan for a shift to magnets and motors that  
> require fewer or no rare earth metals.
>
> Read more:
> http://www.hybridcars.com/news/shortage-rare-metals-hybrids-overblown-26072.html
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Automakers Race to Design Car-to-Grid Communications
> http://www.hybridcars.com/types-systems/automakers-race-design-car-grid-communications-26070.html
>
> Ford is scheduled to introduce the all-electric Ford Focus in 2011  
> and the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid in 2012—but the system to control  
> how and when the car is charged is still early in development. “The  
> clock is ticking,” Greg Frenette, Ford manager of battery electric  
> vehicle applications, told HybridCars.com. “We have data to  
> generate, information to absorb, and decisions to make.”
>
> In an interview with HybridCars.com, Frenette described what the  
> system can do:
> “On the navigation screen, the driver can tell the vehicle, for  
> example, that even though the vehicle is plugged in and it’s 5 p.m.— 
> I don’t want to pay the kind of electric rates that are prevalent at  
> that time. Don’t accept the juice until the rates are lower, or I  
> need to have a full charge by 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. It’s all menu  
> driven. There’s going to be that level of control and communication  
> between the vehicle and the meter that gives consumers some options.”
>
> He suggested that the system will monitor battery state of charge  
> from the road, inform customers about nearby charging stations, and  
> get tied in with an iPhone app. But rapid charging is another matter:
> “You can’t just charge batteries at any level without some sort of  
> impact on safety, battery life, reliability and durability. We all  
> have to abide by the same laws of physics. When forced to do that,  
> and do it in an economically responsible manner, you find out pretty  
> quickly who is just talking and who has serious proposals out there.”
>
> Read the entire interview:
> http://www.hybridcars.com/types-systems/automakers-race-design-car-grid-communications-26070.html
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> WRAP-UP
> Thanks for checking out the 50th issue of our newsletter. Our first  
> newsletter was sent out five years ago. Can you imagine what hybrid,  
> plug-in hybrid, and electric cars we might be talking about in Issue  
> 100, five years from now? Getting from here to there will be a fun  
> and wild ride.
>
> Happy Driving,
> Bradley Berman
> brad at hybridcars.com
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> The Hybrid Cars Newsletter is a free email-based newsletter  
> discussing the latest news and information in the world of hybrid  
> gas-electric vehicles.
> Subscribe and unsubscribe at http://www.hybridcars.com/newsletter.html
>
> Feel free to forward this email in its entirety to anyone you think  
> might be interested.
>
>
> [Change Subscription]   [Cancel Subscription]
>

Phone:02 6241 7659, Mobile:04 3365 2400, Skype:antonybbarry
Email:tony at Tony-Barry.emu.id.au, antonybbarry at gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/people/Antony-Barry/1386242004
http://tony-barry.emu.id.au

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://act-peakoil.org/pipermail/peakoil/attachments/20090909/f24ef441/attachment-0001.html 