Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act revives “Cash for Clunkers” scrapping plan in U.S.

March 18, 2009 at 11:42 am

(Source:  Autobloggreen)

 It’s rare for the Detroit 3 automakers, the UAW and various politicians to agree on anything meaningful, but that’s exactly what appears to be happening after Rep. Betty Sutton of Ohio (D) introduced a bill in Congress called Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save bill (CARS Act) that revives the so-called “Cash for Clunkers” plan. This bill would offer consumers up to $5,000 to trade in a vehicle that’s at least 8 years old in exchange for a new one built in the United States that gets at least 27 mpg if it’s a car or 24 mpg if it’s a truck or SUV. The total payout would be based on the new vehicle’s mileage rating.

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are all supporting the bill, as is the United Auto Workers union. Vehicles built in either Canada or Mexico would need to get at least 30 mpg and would be eligible for up to $4,00.
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GM Fights Back: Volt Battery Pack “Hundreds Less” than $1,000/kWh

March 4, 2009 at 6:22 pm

(Source:  GM’s Fast Lane Blogs, via TreeHugger )

gm chevy volt electric car photo

GMScryve Corporate Social Responsibility Rating Defends the Volt’s Designgm chevy volt electric car photo
A recent Carnegie Mellon University study (pdf) challenged the real-world gasoline savings and cost effectiveness of plug-in hybrids like the Chevy Volt. GM’s Vice President Global Program Management, Jon Lauckner, who has been involved in the Volt project responded on the company’s blog. Find out what he had to say below.

All-Electric Range

The first thing is the electric range of the car. Somewhat strangely, the CMU study found that “for urban driving conditions and frequent charges every 10 miles or less, a low-capacity PHEV sized with an AER (range) of about 7 miles would be a robust choice for minimizing gasoline consumption, cost and greenhouse gas emissions.”

7 miles? Really?

Well, Jon Lauckner responds:

I’ll cut to the chase; for starters, the study’s endorsement of plug-in vehicles with only a “token” electric-only range (seven miles) overlooks the inconvenience of recharging for the vast majority of drivers (approx. 90 percent) with a daily commute that exceeds seven miles. I mean, honestly, how many customers are going to stop every seven miles and wait at least 30 minutes (if a car has a high-capacity charger like the Volt with the same level of electrical energy to match it) for their battery to be recharged? […] And, if customers don’t recharge during the day, these “token” plug-ins will run primarily on gasoline. How is that consistent with reducing green house gas emissions and our dependence on petroleum?

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Tough Test Emerges as Administration Aims to Bolster Automakers, Cut Pollution

March 4, 2009 at 12:36 am

(Source: Washington Post)

In the viability plans General Motors and Chrysler submitted to support their federal aid requests, the companies pledged to try to meet new fuel economy standards. 

GM said that within six years its cars would average 38.6 miles per gallon. Chrysler proposed 35.4 mpg.WARNING : Oil Addiction - causes climate change, funds violent extremism, damages health, reduces wealth!Pollution!

Yet whether those levels will be enough to meet new federal fuel efficiency standards is unknown because even as the Obama administration is trying to revive the American car industry, it is simultaneously drafting tougher fuel economy standards of the kind that many in the industry had said were bad for business.

If the administration opts for tougher rules, it could make its own auto rescue efforts more expensive and more complex.

Balancing the two goals — saving the industry and the environment — has emerged as a test of the administration’s aims. And the decisions the president’s auto task force must make in the coming weeks give it broad leverage to shape not only the industry’s finances but its product lines.

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GM = Got Milk? Or Got Moolah?

February 27, 2009 at 12:11 am

(Source: Jalopnik.com).

TransportGooru adores the creative thinkers at Jalopnik and Gizmodo.  And here is what our lovely friends at Jalopnik have to say about GM’s state of affairs, with a funny twist.

Jalopnik would like to hear your thoughts.  So, if you got a minute to spare, register your comments here.  Also, you are seriously encouraged to drop your comments under this post as well.