Turning up the heat on the Volt:
General Motors engineers are already engaging in hot-weather testing of the upcoming Chevrolet Volt to make sure it can survive in all parts of North America. Volt prototypes are currently being tested at GM’s Yuma, Ariz., proving grounds. There, the cars are left to bake in the desert sun for several hours as vehicle temperatures approach 175 F, then engineers cycle all of the Volt’s electrical systems, ensuring they can stand up to the most extreme conditions. GM says the Volt is performing well and has yet to show any signs of fatigue during real-world driving cycles. GM is also focusing on cold-weather testing in Sweden.
I’ll take a charger with my car, please:
General Motors is giving away 4,400 free home charging stations to the first group of Chevrolet Volt buyers in the United States. Through the program, Volt buyers will receive a 240-volt home charging station and, for most customers, the program will also cover installation.Although the Volt can be topped up using a standard 120-volt outlet, the 240-volt charging station dramatically cuts the charging time. Offering free charging stations appears to be gaining popularity as Ford announced in June that it would give out 4,600 in conjunction with the launch of its Transit Connect EV van.
Extending the “range” in Rover:
Land Roverhas officially unveiled a revised Range Rover for the 2011 model year and it features a number of small tweaks, as well as a big change in the powertrain department with the addition of a new 4.4- liter diesel engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The new engine averages 30.1 mpg in combined city/highway driving, which makes it the first Land Rover model to top the 30-mpg mark. The company is making a big move into smaller-engine technology and plans to launch gas/electric hybrids and possibly a battery-powered electric vehicle in the next three years.
Hybrids, more turbos for Ferrari:
Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari president and chairman,
recently announced that the Italian automaker has big plans to add hybrid gas/electric powertrains over the next few years to several models. However, he has finally given specifics of the application of hybrid technology for the Italian automaker. “The future for Ferrari is hybrid for the 12 cylinder and new [turbocharged] technology for the eight cylinder. Within three to four years we will be ready with a V12 hybrid,” said Montezemolo, according to UK magazine Auto Express. This implies that all of Ferrari’s best models will be hybrids. For the V8-powered Ferraris, Montezemolo said turbocharging will allow the company to user smaller-displacement engines and then “boost” them when additional power is needed.
The state of leading the hybrid nation:
California will lead North America in its commitment to provide incentives for people developing or buying gas/electric hybrid vehicles. According to the Wall Street Journal financial newspaper, California is funneling $200 million a year through 2015 into low-emission vehicles, including: subsidizing more than 5,000 charging stations that should be online by 2012; seeking to have 7,500 electric vehicles and 25,000 plug-in hybrid cars on its roads by 2014; expecting to grow that number to 60,000 EVs and 85,000 plug-in hybrids by 2017; and offering a $3,000-$5,000 rebate to noncommercial buyers of a low-emission vehicles and up to $20,000 to buyers of low-emission commercial vehicles.
Jetta goes for hybrid power:
Volkswagen used the launch of the 2011 Jetta to announce that it is planning to introduce a hybrid version in 2012. “VW as a brand takes the electrification of the automobile very seriously, and we have a longtime strategy for growing that business,” VW project strategist Toscan Bennett told The New York Times newspaper. “The Jetta hybrid is our first entry in that strategy.” VW hasn’t revealed many specifications about the upcoming model, although speculation is that the powertrain would use a four-cylinder gasoline engine rather than a turbo-diesel as its starting point.
Tags: Shift
