Interesting news from Asia today: Chinese automaker BYD — the current apple of Warren Buffet’s eye — has revamped its rollout schedule for an all-electric U.S. vehicle. Late last year, BYD said it would launch the car by 2010, but the company recently waffled a bit, pushing back the schedule to 2011. Now the drop date is back on track for .. Read the original: BYD Back On Track To Enter U.S. Market With An EV In 2010

Ah, the moment so many greenies have been waiting for: The EV version of the Smart two-seater is starting series production. Soon, you’ll be able to buy a city car fitted with a highly efficient lithium-ion battery and a 30 kW electric motor is fitted at the rear axle. As with all electric motors, it’s got lots of torque and all of it is available form essentially zero RPM. In the case of the electric Smart, that means 120 Newton meters of torque that are immediately available. The smart fortwo electric drive is aimed at ease of use. It can be plugged into any normal household socket and charged the way you’d get juice into your iPod. And it’s cheap too. In Germany, for example at current exchange rates, a full charge costs around two Euros, or about three bucks. Once charged, you can get 115 kilometers of range (about 65 miles), which, as Smart puts it is “more than enough for city traffic.” As of now though, you can’t buy a smart fortwo electric drive (the little guys full name, apparently in all lower case for unexplained reasons), they are initially being leased to customers in Berlin. After Berlin, the roll out market, then it’s on to other cities in Europe and the USA, from 2012 it will be “available to anyone interested,” which I assume means you can by one outright. Smart had already tested an EV version of their already popular fortwo in 2007 in London, and the customer reaction was very positive from the get-go. So, the 30 kW electric motor has more than enough grunt to motivate the little guy. Putting down 120 Newtonmetres of torque from no RPMs, the smart fortwo electric drive accelerates from 0 – 60 km/h in 6.5 seconds, which is just as quick as its gas engined brethren. Unfortunately the maximum speed has been limited to 100 km/h, which Smart says is “a suitable speed for the city. ” Maybe, but I bet you can circumvent that limiter. And I bet you could get a bunch of smart fortwo electric drives and start a one make racing series. That might be fun to watch. And it could be a good thing to have a Saturday support series for, say, the IRL. Roger Penske is the North America importer for Smarts, but I’m just speculating on a hypothesis. The Smart press release:...

Between its merger with Chrysler and the European launch of its 500C convertible, Fiat has been big news lately, but “big” isn’t big enough for the company’s marketing team. To drive home that point, Fiat is dragging a giant-sized, 5:1 scale model of the 500C across Europe. Obviously, it doesn’t do much for those wanting a test-drive, but .. Read more from the original source:  Fiat’s Giant 500C: Too Big For Europe, Just Right For U.S.

You’re no plug-in, Ford hybrid Today, Toyota is facing a battery shortage for its hybrid cars . By next year, however, Toyota might have enough batteries to produce 1 million hybrids per year. Aside from Honda, no other automaker will produce even 100,000 hybrid vehicles per year until lithium is developed. Even then, many automakers might skip hybrids, instead preferring to put their lithium technology into limited production plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. However, if Toyota swapped its NiMH batteries for Enerdel’s lithium batteries, for instance, it could produce either 100,000 electric vehicles or one million Prius hybrids . And, without question, 1,000,000 Prius hybrids would have a significantly greater effect on both foreign oil dependency and global warming. Considering that plug-in vehicles could be 3 decades or more from achieving at least 20 percent marketshare, why is America’s lithium focus only upon plug-in vehicles? Without question, tax credits for plug-in vehicles are a worthy expenditure. Still, why only plug-ins? Why not put lithium into as many vehicles as possible? Ultimately, wouldn’t lithium hybrids lead to a much quicker and dramatic effect on America’s foreign oil dependency and carbon footprint? Shouldn’t that be the driver of any battery-powered tax credit? View original here:  What’s wrong with tax credits for hybrid cars?

In less than a decade, MINIs have become, if not ubiquitous, at least a frequent sight on American roadways. Not surprisingly, some fans may now be looking to set themselves apart from MINI masses, which may explain why MINI is producing a special Rally Edition Clubman S, decked out in midnight black paint and silver racing stripes. The most .. Read the original:  Special ‘Rally Edition’ MINI Clubman S Heading To America

Back in May our own Bengt Halvorson brought us the first impressions of a European-spec 2010 Golf TDI through American eyes, and now Volkswagen has released pricing information and fuel efficiency figures, helping to complete the picture of what will be on offer this year. Starting at $21,990, the TDI isn’t as cheap as some of its Golf .. Read more here:  2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Priced From $21,990, hits 40 mpg

If you’ve got a clunker you’ve been meaning to trade in, you’d better take the rest of the day off, ’cause the whole Cash-for-Clunkers program winds up at 8 pm tonight. Here’s our checklist of steps for anyone who’s still hoping to get those $3,500 or $4,500 rebates for a new car that gets at least 22 miles per gallon (for $3,500) or at least .. See the original post: Want Clunker Cash? Stop Reading, Call Your Dealer, It Ends Today

Since nearly every shot of the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has been of that hideous orange color, here are some shots of it in more subdued tones. Not bad eh? For an actual discussion of the truck itself, Engineering Editor Jay Kavanagh has prepared a full post-drive report. As expected, it does not suck, and the truck isn't bad either.  First Drive: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Originally posted here: First Drive: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Stop by AmericanTrucks.com and check out their large inventory of ford diesel exhaust. Read more here:  First Drive: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

General Motors Company’s board declined to name Canada’s Magna International as the winning bidder for Opel this past Friday. Sources familiar with the matter said that that the board had decided to ask for more information from the German government on state financing available to complete a deal. “The GM board of directors met today to discuss options for Opel. No decision was taken,” GM spokeswoman Karin Kirchner said late Friday. One of the sources said that GM directors asked Berlin what financing would be available to back a rival bid for Opel by Brussels-based financial investor RHJ International. Interestingly enough, it was reported last month that many GM executives are upset about losing Opel and are hoping for a deal with RHJ in hopes that GM could one day repurchase control over the German brand. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that a decision was “urgently” needed for the Opel’s future. Klaus Franz, Opel’s labor leader, called on GM to pick a buyer for Opel this week, and threatened “spectacular measures” if the company did not make a decision. “We have been calm so far, listened diligently and made comments, but that is over now. If nothing changes from General Motors’ side by the end of this week, then we will be active, and there will definitely be spectacular measures from us,” he said in a statement. – By: Stephen Calogera Source: Reuters Original post:  GM fails to pick Opel winner, labor leader threatens action over delay See more here:  GM fails to pick Opel winner, labor leader threatens action over delay

A few shots of what could be the 2011 Hyundai Sonata have surfaced on the Web. Hyundai-Blog says its photos show the new Sonata during a photo shoot. The pics–one of which is shown here–indicate an ever-more sophisticated look for Hyundai’s mainstream four-door sedan. The current car shown below will get a brief 2010 model-year run before .. Excerpt from:  Spy Shots: 2011 Hyundai Sonata

Tucked away on Volkswagen’s website are pricing figures for the Mark VI Golf and GTI that will arrive on American shores for 2010. The folks at Autoblog noticed them hiding in plain sight over the weekend. For the 2010 model year, the Golf is once again branded as a Golf (let’s just forget about that Rabbit thing, shall we?). Hatches with a 2.5-liter gasoline engine start at $18,190 for three doors and $19,890 for five doors. Stepping into the 2.0-liter TDI turbo-diesel models requires $22,690 with three doors and $23,290 with five. (Part of the price differential is due to increased standard equipment on TDI trims.) Volkswagen also says the Golf TDI will get 29 city/40 highway mpg under EPA testing. Pricing for the new GTI will start cheap, too: stickers are $23,990 for three-door models and $24,590 for the five-door. All GTIs use a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine good for 200 hp. Fuel economy will reportedly be 21 city/31 highway mpg. Click over to VW’s site to check out the pricing and specs for the Golf and GTI . No related posts. Read more here: 2010 VW Golf and GTI Pricing Posted Read more: 2010 VW Golf and GTI Pricing Posted

Maserati is set to unveil the third model (third prong, if you will) in their line-up at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The GranCabrio, as you might expect from the name is a convertible version of their excellent GranTurismo. The Maserati GranCabrio, just like the GranTurismo S, will be powered by their smooth 4.7-liter V8 producing 433 horsepower. Maserati is sticking with a canvas top, which while generally not as attractive as retractable hardtops, is lighter, cheaper, and keeps with tradition more so than the rigid alternative. You won’t be driving this around with the top up anyway. I had the opportunity to drive the Maserati GranTurismo last year during World Class Driving , and I was very impressed with how pleasant the car is to drive. A very high quality interior and smooth power delivery made the GT an excellent cruiser, so a convertible version as the next logical step makes sense. You’ll start seeing ads for the 2011 GranCabrio this winter, and expect to see them in showrooms next Spring as a 2011 model. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but expect it to be somewhere around $130,000. I’ve never been a fan of Maserati’s styling – I think the Quattroporte is butt-ugly, but the GranTurismo and now the GranCabrio I think are gorgeous. I hope Pininfarina continues along these sexy and aggressive designs, because Maseratis are excellent cars. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to drive a GranCabrio next year. © Gearhead Media – Please visit Automoblog.net for more great content. Read more:  2011 Maserati GranCabrio Unveiled

Big seven-seat crossovers with near-luxury nameplates: who can keep track of them all? TheCarConnection.com, that’s who. In the past few weeks, we’ve spent time in nearly all the vehicles in this niche promising lots of personal space, lots of longing stares and lots of passenger-distracting gadgets. There’s the Volvo XC90, the Buick Enclave, .. Here is the original post: Compared: 2010 Lincoln MKT Vs. Acura MDX

Please plan to join Tim Lee, group vice president of global manufacturing and labor relations, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, August 26, to discuss what GM is doing to focus on the customer where it all begins — the plant floor. From assembly to powertrain to stamping, Tim champions the product and customer-driven culture for the people who make GM’s great cars and trucks. Looking forward to hearing from you. – Sherrie Childers Arb, Communications Director, Manufacturing and Labor Relations webchat with Tim Lee See more here:  Webchat: Building Great Cars and Trucks for Our Customers

As far as electric-vehicle news coming out of Japan goes, we’ve already seen Nissan’s LEAF and have heard that Toyota is working on very powerful lithium-ion batteries – but what about Japan’s No.2 automaker Honda Motor Co.? According to a report by Nikkei business daily, Honda is planning to produce an electric-car to debut in the U.S. market by 2015. Sources told the publication that a prototype of the Honda electric-vehicle will debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show in Octobers. Nikkei said that the car is expected to be around the size of a minicar. Honda, which has been really quiet on lithium-ion battery powered electric-vehicles, recently said that it prefers fuel-cell technology as the “ultimate zero-emission car. ” Honda FC Sport (2008 LA Auto Show) : – By: Kap Shah Source: Reuters             View post:  Honda to offer electric-car in the U.S. by 2015, concept coming in Oct. Read the original post: Honda to offer electric-car in the U.S. by 2015, concept coming in Oct.