Car Blog

The Hertz Corporation has announced that Hertz On Demand, the global car sharing club, and IBM are together piloting a program in Germany to advance electric vehicle (EV) mobility and user adoption through intelligent recharging solutions. In a special agreement, Hertz On Demand in Germany will supply electric vehicles to the car share fleet used by IBM employees to drive between Stuttgart Airport and the company’s campus in Ehningen, about 30 km away.

Initially the electric cars provided by Hertz will be charged using decentralized generation of electricity on the IBM campus. The charging stations will be operated with intelligent IBM software that optimizes the usage of generated power by renewable energies. Furthermore, the software balances demand and availability of electricity power to prevent load peaks.

The companies are using this program as a field test to gauge acceptance and practicability of the electric vehicle and the intelligent recharging infrastructure usage. Upon success of the pilot program, they intend to add further electric vehicles to the Ehningen campus, as well as to extend the project to other IBM sites. Read the rest of this entry »

IBM announced that it has teamed with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) on a new pilot project that will allow communication between electric vehicles (EVs) and the power grid.

This project will demonstrate and test an electric vehicle’s ability to receive and respond to charge instructions based on the grid condition and the vehicle’s battery state. With visibility into charging patterns, energy providers will have the ability to more effectively manage charging during peak hours and create consumer-friendly programs to encourage electric vehicle adoption.

The energy requirements for electric vehicles will challenge the current power grid as plug-in vehicle counts continue to grow to an expected 2.9 million worldwide by 2017. This project has the potential to ease the infrastructure and consumer concerns associated with the mass adoption of EVs, by adding another layer of agility to the EV charging process. This level of intelligence will help make charging seamless for consumers, while ensuring the electricity source is reliable and the infrastructure is stable.

This demonstration combines grid and vehicle data to create an individualized charging plan for Honda’s Fit EV battery electric vehicles (BEV), using IBM’s cloud based software platform. By utilizing the existing in-vehicle communications system in the Honda Fit EV, the electric vehicle can interact with utilities and the grid, creating a direct channel for sending and receiving usage information that could improve local grid management. Read the rest of this entry »

Zipcar and American Honda Motor Co. announced that Honda has become a Zipcar preferred vehicle manufacturer with a focus on hybrid and electric vehicles. The agreement will give Zipcar members access to Honda’s most technologically advanced, lowest emission vehicles, making an already transformational service even more sustainable.

The agreement will include the expansion of Honda’s Insight hybrid, the all-new CR-V compact SUV, as well as  the introduction of Fit EV battery electric vehicles (BEV) this fall and Accord Plug-In Sedans, a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) version of its popular Accord Sedan, to select Zipcar locations beginning in early 2013.

Zipcar’s platform is ideal for the inclusion of these types of vehicles as it allows urban dwelling tech-savvy drivers to get first hand experience with the new technology and to share those experiences with their networks. It also helps Zipcar respond to member preferences, which consistently rank Honda vehicles as among the most favored. Read the rest of this entry »

Battery Electric Model Honored at Washington Auto Show

Green Car Journal’s annual Green Car Vision Award was presented to Ford today at the Washington Auto Show. Honoring the Ford Focus Electric vehicle that will come to market late in 2011, the Green Car Vision Award celebrates an industry-leading, environmentally focused vehicle that is in its early stages of commercialization or in demonstration programs, but not yet on sale.

“The groundwork that Ford has laid with such advanced and sensible technologies as EcoBoost, hybrid drivetrains, and ethanol flexible-fuel vehicles has shown an understanding of what it takes to bring fundamental change to the marketplace, without sacrificing the features and the driving enjoyment that is so important to new car ownership,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “The Focus Electric is an extension of this philosophy.”

Based on the all-new 2012 Focus global car platform, the Focus Electric was designed from the ground up to be efficient, attractively packaged, and meet the needs of the mass market with the safety, comfort, and stylish features expected of the brand’s conventional models. It’s powered by lithium-ion batteries and offers a projected 100 mile all-electric driving range. It can be charged in three to four hours with a 240 volt home charger.

This year, Green Car Vision Award™ finalists included the Ford Focus Electric, Honda Fit EV, Mitsubishi i, Toyota RAV4 Electric, and Volvo C30 DrivE electric. For the first time in the history of this award, all candidates featured electric drive.

Ford revealed two next-generation hybrid vehicles – including its first production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle – at the 2011 North American International Auto Show, bringing consumers more choice, versatility and style for high-mileage family-friendly vehicles.

Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid and C-MAX Hybrid are based on the new Ford C-MAX five-passenger multi-activity vehicle, and each will offer high mileage and low emissions as well as distinctive body design and a flexible interior. The plug-in hybrid and third-generation full hybrid leverage Ford’s global C-car platform, acclaimed powersplit architecture, next-generation driver information features and advanced lithium-ion battery systems.

“C-MAX Energi and C-MAX Hybrid will be perfect for families looking to maximize their hybrid car experience,” said Nancy Gioia, Ford director of Global Electrification. “Thanks to the versatile interior, these cars are going to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers who need room to grow.”

C-MAX Hybrid is targeted to deliver better fuel economy than the 41 mpg Ford Fusion Hybrid, the most fuel-efficient sedan in America today. It builds on the success of the critically acclaimed powersplit architecture Ford uses in its current hybrids, allowing it to operate in fuel-saving electric mode beyond 47 mph.

Both the C-MAX Energi and C-MAX Hybrid models will be built alongside the all-new 2012 Ford Focus and Focus Electric at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. The plant’s production is powered in part by one of the largest solar energy generator systems in the state. The C-MAX Energi and C-MAX Hybrid vehicles sold in Europe in 2013 will be built at Ford’s plant in Valencia, Spain, starting in 2013. Read the rest of this entry »

Petrol-powered company cars could almost be obsolete in 10 years, according to a new study by Lex Autolease with 300 finance chiefs and company car drivers.

Two exclusive surveys, conducted for the UK’s largest leasing company, reveal that early adopters of hybrid and electric vehicles could sound the death knell for petrol.

Less than 5% of both groups polled believe that petrol cars, once the staple choice of business drivers, will outsell other fuel types in a decade’s time. In contrast, 8 out of 10 business drivers (78%) and two thirds of FDs (65%) are confident that hybrid or electric vehicles (EVs) will become the most popular company car choice.

Chris Chandler, principle consultant at Lex Autolease, says: “Diesel has already overtaken petrol as the fuel of choice in the fleet sector, which is renowned for being an early adopter of new vehicle technologies. But, clearly, there is an expectation that the move away from petrol will accelerate as hybrids and EVs now begin to attract greater market share.

“10 years is less than three company cars away for most business drivers, so these options are being looked at by finance chiefs and drivers with a greater degree of seriousness than many believed, even within the industry. Employees are readied for change and the business benefits are becoming more and more apparent to financial stakeholders too.” Read the rest of this entry »