Rendered Speculation: Chevrolet Volt-based Saab Fashionista

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Saab, Rendered Speculation

At this point, it’s not a certainty that Saab or even parent company General Motors will still be in the car business in the year 2012, but let’s not let that tidbit get in the way of an interesting concept car. Authored by Mayeul Walser, a fourth year design student at Creapole-ESDI, the Saab Fashionista is a 2+2 sport coupe that is reportedly inspired by the designs of Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel.

More importantly, this concept is based on the underpinnings of the Chevrolet Volt, which means there’s a range-extended electric powertrain hiding under its shapely bodywork. Since it only exists on paper, Walser took some liberties by ditching the eco-friendly drivetrain’s stock four-cylinder engine and replacing it with a more powerful V6.

In reality, a more powerful internal combustion engine wouldn’t make the Fashionista any faster than the Volt since the electric motor is the only power source driving the front wheels. No matter, it’s an interesting concept nonetheless. We especially like the nine-spoke blade-like carbon fiber rims.

[Source: Mayeul Walser via Carscoop]

Rendered Speculation: Chevrolet Volt-based Saab Fashionista originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hybrid Cars Tax Credit and Hybrid Car Benefits – Newsoxy.com
Hybrid cars are all about alternative energy and fuel efficiency, and the government is using these cars to promote new incentives to reduce carbon emissions. There are new laws for plug-in electric drive vehicles which can offer car owners a credit

Solar electric hybrid vehicles visit White House for Earth Day – San Francisco Examiner
Some of the most promising electric and hybrid cars are being engineered and produced in cities not called Detroit, Tokyo or Stuttgart. And Earth Day — today — April 22 — is a great day to show them off to the US Congress and the White House

China Aims to Lead the Electric Car Revolution – ?? ????
TIANJIN, China – Chinese leaders have adopted a plan aimed at turning the country into one of the leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years, and making it the world leader in electric cars and buses after that

Seattle partners with Nissan on EV program – CNET News
The City of Seattle has partnered with Nissan North America to promote the development of an electric vehicle charging network in anticipation of Nissan’s release of its highway-legal EV, Renault-Nissan Alliance and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels

Roundarch Technology Amps Up Tesla’s Model S – PR Inside
Roundarch : , a digital agency focused on designing and building enterprise class Web sites, Web applications and next-generation “screen-based” experiences, announces its involvement in the launch of Tesla Motors’s : Model S : – an all

Four-seater electric car launched – Channel 4 News
The UK’s first four-seater electric car, with a range of 60-70 miles, has been launched. But the 60mph vehicle, called the Citroen C1 ev’ie, will set purchasers back £16,850. Made in Bedfordshire by the Electric Car Corporation (ECC), the car is

5 Current Electric Cars You Can Buy – San Francisco Examiner
Electric car awe. It usually comes up in a conversation: “How many purely electric cars are there on the U.S. market today?” So the early 2009 challenge is on, what 5 electric vehicles EV are currently available on the market right now? The gist is

New motor giant emerges – Stuff
SHANGHAI SHOW: A new city car for popular Chinese brand Chery. RIICH M1-EV: A plug-in electric car from the Chinese which, in theory, can drive 120km on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery. I’m yelling down the Nokia, not in a fit of silicon

Is the Future of Electric Cars in China? – Time
Like drowning men grasping the only piece of buoyant driftwood in sight, top executives from the world’s beleaguered auto industry arrived in Shanghai this week for the city’s 2009 auto show, unveiling their newest brands in the only car market in

GM’s Volt mistake – St. Petersburg Times
Story Tools WASHINGTON — General Motors has announced a plan to stave off bankruptcy that includes cutting 21,000 jobs, reducing its dealer network and eliminating its Pontiac division. “I’m a believer in dealing with reality,” GM chief executive

Affordable Housing Developers Convene in L.A. to Discuss Green – Earthtimes
WASHINGTON , April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — There are roughly 99 million occupied permanent housing units in the United States , of which nearly 6 million are federally assisted. As the Congress and Obama Administration begin to consider ground

MI Districts Join Renewable Energy Purchase Initiative – The Journal
Clean Green Energy (CGE) announced that eight more high school districts in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula have signed long-term power purchase agreements for integrated renewable energy systems at their schools as part of the Project EverGREEN Schools

UK Government green goals face failure – Times Online
Government plans to generate more than a third of Britain’s electricity from green energy sources, such as wind and solar power, by 2020 are doomed to failure without a dramatic increase in state support, according to a leading energy research group

INVESTING IN RENEWABLES – Der Spiegel
European renewable-energy players such as Enel Green Power and Iberdrola Renovables look to take advantage of stimulus spending with US projects. As the White House hammers out how to spend some $80 billion in stimulus money aimed at kick-starting

Vail Resorts, WhiteWave Foods on EPA’s green-energy top-50 list – Denver Business Journal
Colorado’s Vail Resorts Inc. and WhiteWave Foods Co. are on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ‘s latest list of the nation’s 50 biggest consumers of “green” energy. Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN) ranks No. 25 and WhiteWave is No. 35. Both Broomfield

Obama’s ‘Cap and Trade’ Plan Likely Will Raise Energy Prices for – CNS News
(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama’s “cap and trade” plan is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that allegedly contribute to global warming. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, told

NDP wrong about ‘green power’ projects – Abbotsford News
The B.C. New Democratic Party’s proposed energy policies stated in their election platform would slam the brakes on the generation of new green power and jobs in British Columbia. The NDP is wrong in stating BC Hydro is not permitted to build new

Europe’s green energy vision puts UK in dark – Times Online
It is a dazzling vision of a clean energy future. An entire continent powered by solar panels, wind and wave turbines, geothermal and hydroelectric power stations — and all stitched together by a European “supergrid” stretching from the

California Bill to Turn Waste Into Energy Passes First Key Hurdle – Best Syndication
(Best Syndication News) SACRAMENTO — Assembly Bill 222, introduced by Assemblyman Anthony Adams (R-Hesperia), which would encourage, enable and expedite the production of advanced, non-food derived biofuels, green electricity, and other biomass

AutoblogGreen for 04.29.09

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

	First Drive: Chevrolet Volt powertrain mule We get our chance to really see what GM’s been up to these last 28 months, and we’re impressed.		Ford Fusion hybrid hypermiles, goes 1,445 miles on a single tank In other news, America’s bladders give a collective shiver today.
	Shai Agassi talks about Better Place, $20,000 EV, batteries extra The man with the battery-swap vision keeps forging ahead – and who wouldn’t with a plan to sell everyone an electric car?	Other news: Ferrari 599XX may not have hybrid powertrain now, likely will in the future Elon Musk to show the Tesla Model S on Letterman Wednesday night Spy Shots: Mission Motors TTXGP entry snapped at Infineon

AutoblogGreen for 04.29.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UPDATE: Ford Fusion Hybrid travels 1,000 miles with 1/3 tank left, team still going

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Green, Ford

The team that set out this past weekend to cover 1,000 miles on a single tank of gasoline succeeded and then some. When the team of race drivers, engineers and hyper-milers crossed the 1,000-mile mark a little after 9:00 am on Monday morning, there was still more than a third of a tank left. Over 47 hours of running the team led by NASCAR driver Carl Edwards and including record braking hyper-miler Wayne Gerdes averaged over 80 mpg.

The plan is to drive the bone stock Fusion until the tank runs dry. Along the way team members are running public clinics to help teach people how to drive more efficiently, even if they can’t necessarily match the antics of Gerdes, while simultaneously raising money for the Juvenile diabetes Foundation. While it’s obviously possible to achieve these kinds of lofty mileage numbers in the Fusion, it isn’t something most people will do on a regular basis, but Ford set out to prove it could be done and the team succeeded. Kudos.

Continue reading UPDATE: Ford Fusion Hybrid travels 1,000 miles with 1/3 tank left, team still going

UPDATE: Ford Fusion Hybrid travels 1,000 miles with 1/3 tank left, team still going originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AutoblogGreen for 04.28.09

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

	Is mobility sustainable? Not the way we’re running it today The future of the automobile is small and shared, no two ways about it.		Norway still considering a ban on all cars powered by fossil fuels Unless you’ve got biofuels, a plug or something else fancy in the tank, forget it (maybe).
	EEStor “permittivity” follow-up by someone who knows New phrase alert: “Hype Maintenance.” For more info, see ZENN Motors.	Other news: Buy a villa, get a free Tesla Roadster Tesla Motors buying Long Beach Boeing building? GM ends Saturn brand in restructuring; PHEV Vue, we hardly knew ye

AutoblogGreen for 04.28.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlas America and Atlas Energy Resources Agree to Merger – Oilvoice.com
Atlas America, Inc. and Atlas Energy Resources, LLC jointly announce that they have executed a definitive merger agreement, pursuant to which a newly formed subsidiary of Atlas America will merge with and into Atlas Energy, with Atlas Energy

Work under way on Wrexham energy firm’s ‘super-green’ HQ – Evening Leader
CONSTRUCTION work has started on a new “super-green” headquarters for a company involved in wind energy. Read Construction Holdings Ltd, of Wrexham, has just broken ground on the £1.7 million development for West Coast Energy Ltd at Mold, which will

Developing “Green” Plastics: Brazil in the Lead – Environmental News Network
Brazil is a world leader when it comes to renewable energy: some 45% of the South American nation’s total energy supply is produced using renewable resources, and it has yet to get serious about developing its wind power resources. That compares to 7

Christina Larson’s blog – Foreign Policy Blogs
Over at  The New Yorker, Evan Osnos has been writing about China’s “green-tech space race”   with the United States. PotentialTwitter version: Bushies, asleep at switch, drunk on oil, missed boat.”   Meanwhile, guess who’s taken up the emerald

2009 elections – WSLS
Clinton and gubenatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe hit on jobs and green energy in Richmond. Duo due in Roanoke at 12:15 p.m. The three men seeking the Democratic nomination for governor stopped in South Richmond last night to discuss jobs, education

Green energy jobs coming to Deming – Deming Headlight
A series of facilities aimed at creating “green” self-sustaining communities across the globe are coming to Luna County. The Viable International Technology Associates Corporate Cooperative Network (VITA CCN) is planning to break ground on the VITA

AutoblogGreen for 04.27.09

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

	2010 Prius has plenty of tech, but doesn’t talk to your iPod A solar roof, automatic parallel parking ability, and 50 mpg. But forget about accessing playlists.		U.S. Cash for Clunkers deal likely Compromises still need to be made, but your old junker will probably soon be worth a lot more to trade in. Photo: dave_7, CC2
	VIDEO: Driving a Tesla-powered Smart Put the advanced electric drive system from a Tesla into a fortwo and this is what you get. Watch.	Other news: Childhood asthma. Another reason to quit carbon Mazda delivers Norwegian-spec RX-8 Hydrogen RE A peek at the truck stop of the future

AutoblogGreen for 04.27.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now Gordon is going all-electric – Daily Mail
True to his policy of solving every problem by throwing bad money after good, Gordon launches a £250m plan for an electric car in every garage, or at the very least a 13-amp plug. And this is only the beginning of Gordon’s mind-boggling, earth

Honda Insight Hybrid Cars Offers 43 MPG To Honda Drivers – Newsoxy.com
American Honda Motor Co., Inc is one of many car manufacturers looking forward to enticing hybrid buyers by offering an affordable car with better fuel economy. The 2010 Honda Insight is one of those special cars which offers up to 43 miles per

Hybrid Cars 2010 Marks New Era For Hybrid Transportation – Newsoxy.com
The Ford Fusion Hybrid has a starting price of $23,975 and its cousin, the Mercury Milan, is priced at $21,180. The important distinction which separates Ford is that their hybrids can run up to 47 miles per hour in pure electric mode. The two

Lexington plugs in to battery research – Lexington Herald-Leader
Although U.S. universities and laboratories are among the leaders in testing ways to build more efficient batteries for electric cars, the country is getting collectively whipped by Asian firms when it comes to building them. Nearly all lithium-ion

Mom-to-be hit by car while fleeing bear is OK – Napa Valley Register
DENVER – A pregnant woman who was fleeing a bear when she was struck by a slow-moving car said she would honor the euthanized animal by giving her baby the middle name “Bear.” Ashley Swendsen, 26, said she thought the bear followed her more out of

Electric cars pose challenges – Akron Beacon Journal
President Barack Obama and others are calling for a boom in electric vehicle production, which seems simple enough on the surface: Build the cars and plug them in. If only it were that easy. When a Chevrolet Volt is plugged into a 240-volt outlet, it

ROCKVILLE, Md. – One Rockville company is looking to the past for the – WJLA
Genovation cars is serious about recycling, converting gas-powered 2001 Ford Focuses into electric cars. The gas tank has been replaced with rechargable batteries. While launching a car company at a time of dismal vehicle sales may seem gutsy

Electric car plan in ‘wilderness’ – BBC News
Electric or hybrid powered vehicles are being considered by a remote Highlands community in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. The transport would be used on the Knoydart Peninsula, which is described as Britain’s last wilderness. About 44

University of Warwick creates Formula 3 bio-racer

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Researchers at the University of Warwick in England have embarked on an ambitious project to create the most environmentally friendly race car the world has ever seen. Not only must the car be green, it must also be competitive with other vehicles in its racing class. The result is known as the WorldFirstF3 racer.

One of the building blocks of the bio-racer is recycled carbon fiber that was provided by a company called Milled Carbon. Bits like the steering are made from carrot-based plastic and the side mirrors are molded from a polymer derived from potato starch. Other components, such as the wiring harness, are fashioned from recycled aluminum and plastics.

Powering the green racecar is a 2.0-liter turbodiesel from BMW that will run on biodiesel, waste vegetable oil or even waste from chocolate factories. Yum! The car’s designers say it’s geared to hit 140 mph and suggest that it wouldn’t cost any more than any other race machine to build.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

University of Warwick creates Formula 3 bio-racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University of Warwick creates Formula 3 bio-racer

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Researchers at the University of Warwick in England have embarked on an ambitious project to create the most environmentally friendly race car the world has ever seen. Not only must the car be green, it must also be competitive with other vehicles in its racing class. The result is known as the WorldFirstF3 racer.

One of the building blocks of the bio-racer is recycled carbon fiber that was provided by a company called Milled Carbon. Bits like the steering are made from carrot-based plastic and the side mirrors are molded from a polymer derived from potato starch. Other components, such as the wiring harness, are fashioned from recycled aluminum and plastics.

Powering the green racecar is a 2.0-liter turbodiesel from BMW that will run on biodiesel, waste vegetable oil or even waste from chocolate factories. Yum! The car’s designers say it’s geared to hit 140 mph and suggest that it wouldn’t cost any more than any other race machine to build.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

University of Warwick creates Formula 3 bio-racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University of Warwick creates Formula 3 bio-racer

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Researchers at the University of Warwick in England have embarked on an ambitious project to create the most environmentally friendly race car the world has ever seen. Not only must the car be green, it must also be competitive with other vehicles in its racing class. The result is known as the WorldFirstF3 racer.

One of the building blocks of the bio-racer is recycled carbon fiber that was provided by a company called Milled Carbon. Bits like the steering are made from carrot-based plastic and the side mirrors are molded from a polymer derived from potato starch. Other components, such as the wiring harness, are fashioned from recycled aluminum and plastics.

Powering the green racecar is a 2.0-liter turbodiesel from BMW that will run on biodiesel, waste vegetable oil or even waste from chocolate factories. Yum! The car’s designers say it’s geared to hit 140 mph and suggest that it wouldn’t cost any more than any other race machine to build.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

University of Warwick creates Formula 3 bio-racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AEP earnings fall 37 percent – Longview News-Journal
American Electric Power, the parent company of Southwest Electric Power Co., said Friday its first quarter earnings fell 37 percent as the weak economy has hurt demand for electricity, especially among its industrial customers whose usage fell 15

Fuel-cell cars have a long way to go – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Not a sound escapes when the ignition is turned on. No carbon dioxide rolls from the exhaust — ever. Yet the inside and outside are no different than other vehicles on the road. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, such as General Motors Corp.’s retooled

Passenger Cars – Chicago Tribune
Kia took the wraps off its Soul Hybrid at the Shanghai Auto Show. The car shown is said to look much the same as the concept unveiled at the Paris Motor Show (shown here), which had a 1.6-liter gasoline engine matched with a 20-horsepower electric

Republicans say nuclear power, not renewable energy, is way to lower – Minneapolis Star Tribune
WASHINGTON – The U.S. should build 100 more nuclear plants rather than spend “billions in subsidies” for renewable energy if it is truly committed to lowering electric bills and having clean air, the Republicans say. In the party’s weekly radio and

The Long Beach Grand Welcomes Electric Vehicles, Part II – San Francisco Examiner
With Commuter Cars showing off their Tango, the green lap around the track and the Ford Fusion hybrid and the up and coming Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid, PHEV, the Grand Prix had much to offer. Commuter Cars, With A Twist . I had time to talk with

Biden: $300M from stimulus will go for clean cars – Associated Press
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing that $300 million in federal stimulus money will go to cities and towns to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles. Speaking at a maintenance facility for Washington’s Metro

Nissan celebrates Earth Day with a new electric vehicle announcement – San Francisco Examiner
Nissan has made the rumors official — it will introduce zero-emission vehicles in the United States next year and mass market them globally in 2012. It’s one of two green headlines from Nissan today, Earth Day. The other one is the introduction of

Republicans push nuclear energy to lower costs – AOL
WASHINGTON -The U.S. should build 100 more nuclear plants rather than spend “billions in subsidies” for renewable energy if it is truly committed to lowering electric bills and having clean air, the Republicans say. In the party’s weekly radio and

Labour’s £5,000 sweetener to launch electric car revolution – Guardian Unlimited
Consumers are to be offered incentives of up to £5,000 to purchase an electric car under government plans to be unveiled today that will also see the creation of electric car cities across the UK and the launch of large-scale experiments with ultra

Plan to boost electric car sales – BBC News
Motorists will be offered subsidies of up to £5,000 to encourage them to buy electric or plug-in hybrid cars under plans announced by the government. It is part of the government’s £250m plan to promote low carbon transport over the next five years

My money’s on China to produce world-changing electric car – Globe and Mail
Once in a while an invention comes along that changes the world: Gunpowder. Printing press. Steam engine. Telegraph. Telephone. Model T Ford. Television. Computers – first mainframes, then PCs. The Internet. And now – maybe – the electric car. I’m

Fuel-cell cars have a long way to go – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Not a sound escapes when the ignition is turned on. No carbon dioxide rolls from the exhaust — ever. Yet the inside and outside are no different than other vehicles on the road. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, such as General Motors Corp.’s retooled

New cars lose 65% of value in three years – This is Money
New £2,000 car scrapping payments may be a false economy, with many new cars losing up to 65% of their value within the first three years, according to research. Not so shiny now: New cars have lost up to 65% off their original value after just

Obama plug-in car goal may be short-circuited – MSNBC
GM plans to release an extended range electric plug-in called the Chevrolet Volt in limited numbers in late 2010. WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s campaign pledge to put 1 million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015 is fraught with

Chrysler developing electric sports car for 2010 – CNN Money
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — A battery-powered 268-horsepower two-seat sports car is in line to become Chrysler LLC’s first electric car, provided the carmaker lives to see another day. To survive, help is needed from Italy’s Fiat but, as negotiations

AEP earnings fall 37 percent – Longview News-Journal
American Electric Power, the parent company of Southwest Electric Power Co., said Friday its first quarter earnings fell 37 percent as the weak economy has hurt demand for electricity, especially among its industrial customers whose usage fell 15

Cars run on natural gas – Burlington Free Press
SOUTH BURLINGTON — A borrowed Honda Civic GX zipped our family down Interstate 89 to Waterbury, up steep hills and along a rutted dirt road to the start of a hiking trail up Hunger Mountain. We drove the car to buy groceries, visit friends, pick up

University of Warwick creates Formula 3 bio-racer

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Researchers at the University of Warwick in England have embarked on an ambitious project to create the most environmentally friendly race car the world has ever seen. Not only must the car be green, it must also be competitive with other vehicles in its racing class. The result is known as the WorldFirstF3 racer.

One of the building blocks of the bio-racer is recycled carbon fiber that was provided by a company called Milled Carbon. Bits like the steering are made from carrot-based plastic and the side mirrors are molded from a polymer derived from potato starch. Other components, such as the wiring harness, are fashioned from recycled aluminum and plastics.

Powering the green racecar is a 2.0-liter turbodiesel from BMW that will run on biodiesel, waste vegetable oil or even waste from chocolate factories. Yum! The car’s designers say it’s geared to hit 140 mph and suggest that it wouldn’t cost any more than any other race machine to build.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

University of Warwick creates Formula 3 bio-racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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