U.S. Department of Energy funding for Chevy Volt on hold

Filed under: Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green, Chevrolet, GM, Earnings/Financials

Aside from the bridge loans supplied to GM by the federal government, GM had applied for $10.3 billion from the Energy Department. Of that amount, $2.6 billion was meant to be devoted to building the Chevy Volt and two derivatives of it, as well as a third hybrid model. May is when the Energy Department will begin approving those loan requests.

But because the company itself hasn’t passed the financial viability test in order to simply survive, the administration has put GM’s $10.3 billion request on hold. The government deadline for GM to prove financial viability is June 1, and since it will probably take all of that time, GM can’t look for any other cash assistance to continue product development until that matter is resolved.

GM says that the government decision won’t stop the Volt from going on sale in November 2010. Outside analysts suspect that GM plans to pay for the Volt with money from other programs.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

U.S. Department of Energy funding for Chevy Volt on hold originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three get LEED accreditation – Iowa City Press-Citizen
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Feds to buy over 17,000 D3 fuel-efficient vehicles?

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green, Chrysler, LLC., Ford, GM

As part of the Obama administration’s $787 billion stimulus package, the federal government plans to spend $300 million to replace its current fleet of vehicles with more fuel efficient models. About $285 million will be used to purchase some 17,600 new vehicles from the Detroit 3 automakers by June 1. Each new vehicle will be required to manage at least a 10% improvement in overall fuel efficiency to be considered for purchase.

The first wave of orders will be for 2,500 hybrid sedans and will be finalized on April 15th (perfect timing – there ought to be a big influx of tax money coming in, right?). At the moment, we’re not sure how the 2,500 sales will be broken down amongst the three automakers. We do know, however, that Ford’s Fusion Hybrid is the most efficient midsize sedan available and Chrysler doesn’t currently offer anything to compete.

According to a White House statement, swapping the government’s current fleet for more fuel efficient models will save 1.3 million gallons of fuel per year and lower carbon emissions by 26 million pounds.

The remaining $15 million will be used for pilot programs focusing on “commercially available compressed natural gas and hybrid buses, and all-electric vehicles.” President Obama said that this action will end up “[saving] the government significant money over time.” Of course, it’s also sure to have a positive impact on the collective pocketbooks of the American automakers. See the official White House press release after the break.

[Source: Detroit News]

Continue reading Feds to buy over 17,000 D3 fuel-efficient vehicles?

Feds to buy over 17,000 D3 fuel-efficient vehicles? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Green car backers watching too – San Jose Business Journal
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Nissan, Renault to provide China with electric cars – Forbes
BEIJING, April 10 (Reuters) – Japan’s Nissan Motor Co and France’s Renault said on Friday they will supply electric cars to China, the world’s largest auto market. The Franco-Japanese alliance will provide the Chinese government with a comprehensive

Electric cars would stop inversion – Utah Chronicle
Every winter it happens, and every winter we whine and moan about it, but do nothing. It’s depressing, dreary, and it’s entirely our fault. The inversion. Temperature inversions are a natural occurrence in valleys like the Salt Lake Valley and

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Fisker plans lower-cost model, may compete with Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

It’s probably a bit premature to be talking about future models from Fisker, considering the automaker’s plug-in Karma and Karma S have yet to hit the market, but that’s never stopped us before, right? According to Russell Datz, head PR man at Fisker Automotive, “One of the future products we have is something that is significantly less than what will be on the market first,” though it may still “be a step above” the Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S.

That’s not a ton of information to go by, unfortunately. The Chevy Volt is expected to come in around $40K or so in late 2010 when it’s finally released (hopefully), and the Tesla Model S will cost at least $10K more than that. For comparison, the Fisker Karma will carry a starting sticker of $87,900. In other words, there’s plenty of room between the base price of a Volt and the base price of a Karma. Where the lower-cost model from Fisker would fall in that range is anybody’s guess.

[Source: Inside Line]

Fisker plans lower-cost model, may compete with Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fisker plans lower-cost model, may compete with Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

It’s probably a bit premature to be talking about future models from Fisker, considering the automaker’s plug-in Karma and Karma S have yet to hit the market, but that’s never stopped us before, right? According to Russell Datz, head PR man at Fisker Automotive, “One of the future products we have is something that is significantly less than what will be on the market first,” though it may still “be a step above” the Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S.

That’s not a ton of information to go by, unfortunately. The Chevy Volt is expected to come in around $40K or so in late 2010 when it’s finally released (hopefully), and the Tesla Model S will cost at least $10K more than that. For comparison, the Fisker Karma will carry a starting sticker of $87,900. In other words, there’s plenty of room between the base price of a Volt and the base price of a Karma. Where the lower-cost model from Fisker would fall in that range is anybody’s guess.

[Source: Inside Line]

Fisker plans lower-cost model, may compete with Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AutoblogGreen for 04.09.09

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

	It’s huge, yellow and outrageous. Meet Counter Balance How do you describe a vehicle that cannot be properly described and show one that cannot be properly photographed?		The surprising non-surprise: Scion iQ in New York We knew it was coming, but we didn’t know we’d like it this much.
	CARB grants $6.8 million for four hydrogen refueling stations California sees merit in paying $1.7 million each for four public H2 pumps.	Other news: Zero Motorcycles sets electric motorcycle endurance record New York 2009: Mercedes-Benz ML 450 hybrid can go 34 mph on batteries New York 2009: Mercedes E250 Bluetec concept would get 28/39 city/hwy rating

AutoblogGreen for 04.09.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spectra Energy Partners to Acquire Ozark Gas Transmission and Ozark – Oilvoice.com
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Google to Share Data Center Efficiency Details at Uptime Institute’s – Businesswire.com
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W2 Energy 4 Ton Plant Generates Significant Interest in South East – MSN MoneyCentral
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Big oil resists lure of going green – The Money Times
Washington — U.S. President Barack Obama’s drive to create a clean energy future has little more than token support from the world’s oil giants, industry observers said. “In my view, nothing has really changed,” with a new administration that

REPORT: Renault’s reinvigorated Gordini line to go electric?

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Euro, Green, Hatchbacks, Renault

Reports of Renault’s plan to relaunch the decades-old Gordini moniker just got a lot more interesting. The first model from the French automaker is due in 2010 and will be based on the Twingo hatchback, with the Gordini version slotting just above the already available Renaultsport model. Following closely thereafter will be performance-oriented versions of the Clio and Megane Coupe. Sounds good so far, right? Here’s where things take an entirely unexpected turn.

According to a report by What Car?, the fourth Gordini model will be an electric hot hatch about the size of the Clio. This electric supermini will seat up to five occupants and is currently slated for production in 2012, at which time it will be joined by at least three more EVs from Renault and its corporate partner, Nissan.

Pricing for the Clio-sized EV is expected to begin where the current model leaves off at around £14,000, and the batteries will be leased for around the same price per month as diesel fuel. Renault also reportedly has plans to launch charging stations where drivers can have their battery packs pulled and exchanged for fresh units, just like at a gas station. Alternatively, the cars will sport a plug to enable charging any standard wall outlet.

[Source: What Car?]

REPORT: Renault’s reinvigorated Gordini line to go electric? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E-Mon’s New Web-MonTM Energy Monitor Provides Internet Browser-Based – Consumer Electronics Net
E-Mon, LLC , the electric submetering market leader and manufacturer of the widely installed E-Mon D-Mon product line, today announced Web-Mon TM , an internet-enabled energy monitoring device that provides energy data via any standard internet

DONG Energy Announces Installation of the first Round 2 Offshore Wind – Oilvoice.com
DONG Energy announce that the first turbine was installed last week at the company’s Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm project in the Thames Estuary off the East coast of England. It is the first turbine to be installed in the entire Round 2 of

New Kansas law aims to attract green energy firms – Forbes
A new Kansas law taking effect next week is designed to attract firms manufacturing equipment for solar and wind energy production. The new law will permit the state to issue up to $5 million in bonds to help such firms. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius pushed

Empire State Building to go “green” – Reuters UK
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Empire State Building is going “green” in a model project that will save about $4.4 million a year on energy. Completed in 1931, the Art Deco building immortalized in the film “King Kong” has been named by the American

Balancing Renewable Energy Projects & Public Lands Stewardship – Huffingtonpost.com
America is on the verge of a renewable energy gold rush. Hundreds of applications for wind and solar projects have been filed on public lands. I think this is long overdue. We need sustainable energy to help us reduce global warming pollution, and we

Two NYS School Districts Begin Their Energy Efficiency Projects With – MSN MoneyCentral
Atlantic Energy Solutions, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: AESO) is pleased to announce that they are moving on to the next phase of their energy efficiency project with the Eldred School District, and completion of the project is expected ahead of schedule

BioCentric Energy Holdings, Inc. Defines Algae Pro Photobioreactor – MSN MoneyCentral
BioCentric Energy (PINKSHEETS: BEHL) today released their PowerPoint presentation clearly defining the production, harvesting solution and expanding worldwide applications that are attainable using BioCentric’s patented closed loop Algae Pro