2020: More e-bikes in China than cars in US 100 million electric vehicles strong and growing fast Back as the Internet bubble was beginning to froth, I remember some very smart people making the argument that no one was ever going to challenge Microsoft without government intervention. The government didn’t need to create competition, I argued, the marketplace would take care of the problem and the Internet would lead the way. Like the Internet, electrification is also an inevitable game changer, but just as Microsoft misjudged the Internet revolution, so too might major automakers and the government miscalculate the plug-in revolution. In fact, China might have already biked its way into total plug-in domination. Companies with the size and power of a Microsoft almost inevitably become complacent. The Big 3 certainly have had their share of such arrogance, although the recent recession did temper this losing attitude to some extent. Even Toyota fell into the same elitist trap, only to be reinvigorated by the entrepreneurial spirit of Elon Musk and Tesla. Yet, even Musk might have misjudged the electric revolution. As Americans, we arrogantly assume the rest of the world is inevitably going to become more like us. Why? We’re a pretty dysfunctional bunch. We have so much, yet we use it so unwisely. We excel most at consumption and waste — even when it comes to our plug-in vehicles. Certainly, others want to consume more, even waste more, but they still have different expectations. Likewise, the Chinese auto market might never go through an SUV craze such as America experienced back in the 90’s. In fact, they might never buy the big is better American automotive mantra. In places like China, big is often a pain in the butt, even if you can afford it. A plug-in electric bike, or e-bike, on the other hand, fits China’s transportation background, and it’s simply more functional and far cheaper than a car, especially one of American size. That doesn’t mean the Chinese, and other emerging markets, won’t want cars. They probably will, but they’ll have no problem adapting to much smaller and lighter vehicles than most Americans, even Europeans, would consider. In fact, China can create a new mold for transportation...

The wrong kind of range extended plug-in through 2025? Leaf, Plug-in Prius, and Volt all bad by design? Not surprisingly the California Air Resources Board unanimously passed its Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) program for the technological requirements to meet emission requirements from 2015 – 2025. Under the plan, for instance, 1 out of 7 cars, or 15 percent of car sales, must be zero emission vehicles by 2025. While the aggressive goals are an interesting conversation in and of themselves, what’s perhaps even more interesting is the new kind of plug-in that CARB is now expecting automakers to develop, the BEVx. Apparently, as far as CARB is concerned, technologies such as the Nissan Leaf, the Toyota Prius plug-in, and the Chevy Volt, just aren’t good enough. As a result, the BEVx is a plug-in electric vehicle that offers an auxiliary power unit, or APU, that provides a gasoline powered range extending unit. However, this concept varies greatly form the Chevy Volt, another range extended electric vehicle. Unlike the Volt, the APU is not intended to provide long range or full power. It’s essentially the most minimal emergency option — cheapest — for dealing with range anxiety. Think of it as an emergency limp mode. Ultimately, through 2025 CARB anticipates that both the costs of of zero emission vehicles and limited range will prevent the ACC’s goals of 1 in 7 plug-in sales by 2025. Thus, they propose that a BEVx can be the solution. Interestingly, automakers already aren’t very supportive of CARB, and now that CARB is developing automotive concepts that it expects automakers to embrace is only going to create even more tension I’m sure. Regardless, I can’t help but wonder, is CARB really that smart? For instance, the wave generator hybrid offers a potentially cheap way to radically change the market place. While such a technology doesn’t provide zero emissions, if such a technology powered all light transportation vehicles in California by 2025, might it not achieve more than ACC, both faster and cheaper? And if not a wave hybrid, isn’t is possible that some other disruptive technology could significantly disrupt the industry in the next 13 years? Maybe not, but should CARB be at all...

In the age of cruise-missile assassinations of U.S. citizens without a trial, a Supreme Court victory for civil liberties and freedom is a welcome aberration. Yesterday, a unanimous court ruled in U.S. v. Jones that police don’t have the authority to put GPS tracking devices on vehicles unless they get a warrant first. Yes, you’ve read that right: Until now, the government could and often did mount GPS units on cars and track them without any court’s permission. Hold off on the celebratory burnouts, however. Even though the unanimous decision appears to be a sweeping condemnation of warrantless vehicle tracking by the government, disagreement among court members about  why it was illegal guarantees we’ll have much more surveillance in the near future. Five of the nine justices said that the government had acted inappropriately and violated the Fourth Amendment—which guarantees our right to be free from unlawful search and seizure—merely because police officers tracked a vehicle by  making physical contact with it, without a warrant and without permission. This is clearly insane. The other four justices offered much better reasoning, saying that what the police did was illegal because, regardless of physical contact, they tracked a vehicle for a month without court-given permission in the form of a warrant. Nonstop, detailed, long-term police surveillance is a search, regardless of whether the police physically touch your vehicle to set it up. And this sort of tracking should require a warrant. These aren’t difficult for police to obtain, and the warrant requirement is in fact waived in true emergency situations. Make no mistake about it: With the Supreme Court’s decision effectively limited to physical installations of tracking devices on cars, federal and police agencies will be spying on people using other means and without warrants. They’ll flip on OnStar tracking, and they’ll use the GPS embedded in your Audi’s data link. In the future, law enforcement very well could wirelessly download your nav system’s data. Or they might wirelessly eavesdrop on your car’s conversation with the dealership’s computer system in the service bay. Whether or not an agency even notifies OnStar or the dealer or T-Mobile (which provides the data hookups...

A new report by the National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board finds that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) acted appropriately in discontinuing its investigation of unintended acceleration claims with Toyota vehicles. However, the Research Council finds it “troubling” that NHTSA could not readily address public safety concerns in this matter. The long-awaited report follows a wave of consumer complaints with Toyota and Lexus vehicles purporting that the cars accelerated without driver input—at times despite claims of the driver pressing the brake pedal. While preceded by other cases and even recalls, the issue received national attention after a fatal accident in August, 2009, involving an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer driving his family in Lexus ES. Floor-mat entrapment was later found to be the cause, with a non-original, all-weather mat to blame. In the months that followed, several large-scale recalls were issued to address probable factors related to unintended acceleration, including floor mat replacement, floor mat anchors, gas-pedal modifications to reduce mat entrapment risk and address potential sticking, and software updates to enable smart-throttle brake override as a precaution on certain late-model vehicles. NHTSA determined that misapplication of the gas pedal, mat entrapment, and sticking pedals were the culprits and not electronic throttle problems, corroborated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) after a 10-month investigation . The Research Council notes that electronic throttle control systems, thought by some to be a root cause for unintended acceleration, are “simple and mature technologies.” It expresses concerns with how NHTSA will monitor and respond to defects in more complex systems, both on the road today and those coming in the future. The report calls for NHTSA to be strategic in addressing the challenges its safety rules and future technologies present, suggesting it use an advisory committee to help keep the government agency on the leading edge. In addition, the reports calls for a review of Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) with the aim to improve it’s ability to identify and address problems with increasingly...

Filed under: Latest News Rumours of Proton’s financial woes are widespread and largely accurate. The company’s in trouble. The Malaysian government has decided to sell its 43% stake in the company to DRB-Hicom for a rather hefty $410million. Last year Proton recorded a 76% drop in profits and was rumoured to be selling Lotus to make up some of its losses. DRB-Hicom, owned by billionaire Syed Mokhtar, already hold several automotive interests. The company assembles vehicles for the likes of Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz . Of its eight assembly plants, four are for the automotive industry. It seems that as far as sales go, DRB-Hicom is a good place for Proton (and its subsidiaries) to go. The deal will give the company another two plants and which see production of 350,000 units a year. But what about Lotus ? Is the Hethel-based firm safe? In a statement released this morning nothing has changed: “As far as we are aware, this situation changes nothing for Lotus, Proton’s support in our development remains very strong and our focus, as always, is on the delivery of the business plan.” So fear not, as far as we know plans for the new Esprit are still at full chat and the company is in no danger at all. Similarly, if you want to buy a Gen2 there shouldn’t a Saab-like supply problem any time soon. A result all round, then. Source: Bloomberg   See the original post: Proton to be sold More: Proton to be sold

Filed under: Latest News Celebrity motoring Lawyer Nick Freeman , best known as ‘Mr Loophole’, has come unstuck in his own car. He might have got big names such as Jeremy Clarkson and David Beckham off motoring offences, on minor technicalities, but even that couldn’t stop him receiving a fine. The 55-year-old, Cheshire-based father-of-two was driving his £200,000 Bentley Azure along the M1 when he was stopped. It was only then, that the police national computer alerted officers to his lack of an MOT on the blue car. Freeman blamed his garage for the MOT being out of date, by saying that they hadn’t sent him a reminder. This excuse didn’t wash with the police and he still had to pay the £60 fine.   Read the original post: Mr Loophole gets £60 fine for no MOT See the rest here:  Mr Loophole gets £60 fine for no MOT

In the dark ages of motor­sports, relatively minor accidents were often fatal. Case in point: Patrick Jacque­mart’s 1981 head-on collision into a dirt bank at Mid-Ohio while testing his Renault 5 Turbo IMSA GTU racer. Even though damage to the car was minor, Jacquemart died from a basilar skull fracture—a break in the bones at the base of the skull resulting in severe brain trauma. Keep Reading: The Physics Of: How the HANS Device Saves Lives – Feature Here is the original: The Physics Of: How the HANS Device Saves Lives See the original post:  The Physics Of: How the HANS Device Saves Lives

Filed under: Consumer According to research by the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) , the price petrol stations pay for diesel increased by nearly 4.5p per litre between December 19 and January 5. This increase was of course passed on to the motorist in the form of an average 141p per litre price at the pumps, this hike almost reaching last Mays peak of 143p per litre. Experts from the RMI believe that the price could go as high as 145p per litre in a matter of weeks. This would sharply increase the cost of driving for diesel owners, which account for a quarter of all cars on the road in Britain. These hikes could also lead to higher food prices in shops and slow down the UK’s dwindling economic recovery, as most hauliers carrying goods around the country use diesel in their vehicles. The reason for the increase is mainly down to growing tensions between Iran and the western world over their nuclear intentions. With the EU trying to force an embargo on crude oil supplies and Iran responding by threatening to blockade the Straits of Hormuz by which up to 40% of the world’s oil supply is shipped. Commenting on these developments, Brian Madderson, Chairman of RMI petrol said: “This is a very worrying development but not entirely unexpected. “I wrote to the Chancellor on 2 January highlighting the serious supply issues ahead and enclosing a report ‘The case for reform of fuel taxation’ as it is the Government’s only direct control over rocketing fuel prices which are undermining society and our economic recovery.”   See the rest here: Diesel prices reach record high Read the original:  Diesel prices reach record high

Filed under: Formula One The government of Valencia will ask F1 chief executive to amend the current contract for the port city’s street grand prix. “Major events are no longer possible in the way that we have understood until now,” said the government’s vice president Jose Ciscar in media reports published by EFE and EP news agencies. He is referring to Spain and Europe’s worsening economic crisis, albeit acknowledging that asking Ecclestone for more favourable terms “could result in a penalty”. When asked if the penalty might cost Valencia more than simply fulfilling the current contract, Ciscar admitted he has not read the fine print. But during a press conference, he said Valencia is working hard to cut costs amid rising debt and revealed that a “complete and thorough review” of major events will be conducted. He said part of that review will include a letter to Ecclestone. Ciscar agreed that the grand prix has “significant value” to Valencia but he said he nonetheless wants to “sit” with the organisers to “renegotiate”. El Pais newspaper said Valencia pays 21 million euros per race to Ecclestone’s office. The current contract runs until 2014. “There are contracts that are signed and we have become accustomed to fulfilling what we agreed. But at the same time everything is subject to revision and we don’t rule anything out,” Ciscar insisted.   Originally posted here: Valencia to ask Ecclestone for lower F1 race fee View post: Valencia to ask Ecclestone for lower F1 race fee

Filed under: Latest News The Department for Transport (DfT) will ask a panel of experts as early as Spring to consider introducing a new offence of driving with an illegal drug in your system. The announcement was made after road safety charity Brake and Direct Line revealed that one in nine young drivers (11%) has driven whilst under the influence of drugs in the past year. Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: “Britain has some of the safest roads in the world but we know how important it is to tackle the menace of drug driving. “That is why we are putting together a panel of experts to give us advice on the technical aspects of introducing a new offence of driving with an illegal drug in your body. The panel will look at how such an offence could be defined as well as considering whether it is possible to set levels for the impairing effects of specific drugs.” According to Brake, researchers in France found taking cannabis almost doubles the risk of being involved in a fatal car crash while mixing cannabis with alcohol increased crash risk 16-fold. Comprising of academic and scientific experts as well as members of the Home Office and Department of Health, the panel will specifically look at how drugs such as MDMA, cocaine, cannabis and opiates impair the body in a similar system to the current blood alcohol level used for drink driving. Legal obtained drugs will also be reviewed to gauge what limits should be put in place for drivers. Brake is urging the government to change the current loophole whereby driving whilst on drugs is only an offence if the police can prove you are impaired. Ellen Booth, Brake senior campaigns officer, said:”The risks of driving on drugs are huge, and the consequences devastating. We need all drivers to pledge to never mix drugs and driving, and we need the government to follow through with its commitment to tackle this problem. “The longer this takes, the more lives will be violently and tragically lost.”   Read more from the original source:  Government panel will tackle drug driving Read more from the original source:  Government panel will tackle drug driving

Filed under: Humour The Trabant , was seen by many as an integral part of the fall of the Berlin Wall in East Germany. Outclassed by the more more modern cars of the west, its main selling point was that it had room for four adults and luggage. However, despite a light body, which was made from materials such as paper, performance was not a strong point. Well, this racer appears to have rectified this, by removing the smoky two-stroke and slotting in the engine from a Suzuki GSX-R750 sport bike. The result which I’ll call a Trabzuki, is a handful that seems very fast. Watch this tiny and strangely square car, with around 150bhp, as it tears up this makeshift autocross track below:   Original post: Trabzuki tears up the autocross track Read more:  Trabzuki tears up the autocross track

You know how we had been saying Honda offers almost no vehicles of interest to enthusiasts? There are some noises that they could be looking to change this. Acura is going to debut a new NSX concept at the Detroit Auto Show that will preview a production car. It will feature a new hybrid version of Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive that uses electric motors. We’re intrigued at the possibilities the system offers. At the Tokyo Auto Show, Honda showed off the EV-STER concept, a lightweight roadster. The EV-STER clearly looked like just a concept thrown out to please auto show crowds, not a prospect for production. Certainly a lot of details and the interior design are not ready for production. German car magazine Auto motor und Sport says that after receiving a lot of positive feedback about the EV-STER though, the company is giving it a green light for production. If true, it is a promising development. The concept is a pure electric vehicle, but the production vehicle could offer a gasoline engine or hybrid system. We think offering just a traditional ICE in the car would be a good option. Lightweight, with a low amount of displacement, it would achieve good fuel economy numbers as well as offering a zippy driving experience. As for a hybrid, look at how Honda’s last hybrid “sports” effort, the CR-Z fared. Not too well. That car has been characterized as a disappointment, as it just isn’t a worthy successor to the CR-Z. Hopefully Honda approves this project. The last sports car at Honda was the S2000. Word is that the EV-STER’s styling will heavily influence future Honda and Acura performance products. If the EV-STER is cheap, if it is really produced and if it offers a compelling engine option, this could be an exciting development. That is a lot of ifs though….. Related posts: 9th Generation Honda Civic Debuting at Detroit Auto Show Effects of Japan Earthquake on the Auto Industry US Government Propose New Auto Safety Laws After Toyota Recalls Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts See the original post here: Honda EV-STER Concept Gets Greenlight for Production?

Rear-wheel drive Cadillacs! Those are the ones we like. While the Cadillac XTS looks impressive, for enthusiasts the Cadillac ATS is the car to wait for. The 2013 ATS is our most anticipated (along with the 2013 Lincoln MKZ) debut at the North American International Auto Show. Regardless of whether it topples the BMW 3-Series (don’t bet on it), its great to see a new competitor on the block. Cadillac has just announced more details about one of the ATS’ engine options, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. A four-cylinder Cadillac? Yes, times are changing. It is a forward-looking move that presages a switch to the availability of four-cylinders in the segment. BMW is doing the same thing with the 3-Series. A few years ago we might not have been sure about it, but these cars are small and for those looking for good economy and power, a four-cylinder can do the job nicely. It isn’t as if they don’t generate impressive horsepower figures. Just make sure the V-6 is an option for those who want it. The 2.0-liter unit puts out an impressive 270 horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque, utilizing a twin-scoll turbocharger with 20 pounds of boost, direct injection, variable valve timing and a air-to-air intercooler. The engine makes 135 horsepower per liter, which Cadillac says is the best out of all its competitors. Other engine options in the ATS will include a 3.6-liter V-6 at the top end and a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder as the base engine. No word yet on power outputs of either engine, and it appears the 2.5-liter may be an international-only offering. Take into account the upcoming V-8 powered V-Series and the ATS will be offered with a total of four engines spanning 4-, 6- and 8-cylinders. How is that for variety? The ATS can’t get here soon enough. Related posts: 2013 Cadillac XTS, CUE To Debut at LA Auto Show Next Month Cadillac XTS Premieres at 2011 LA Auto Show Auto History’s Biggest Safety Feature Follies Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Read the original post: 2013 Cadillac ATS Will Offer 2.0-Liter Turbocharged Four-Cylinder

A total of 115 vehicles have earned the 2012 Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) including 69 cars, 38 SUVs, 5 minivans and 3 pickups. Eighteen new models make the list this year including the Acura MDX , Acura TL , Acura TSX , BMW X3 , Buick Verano , Honda Accord , Honda CR-V , Honda CR-Z , Honda Fit , Honda Insight , Honda Pilot , Honda Ridgeline , Mercedes-Benz M-Class , Scion xD , Subaru Impreza , Toyota Camry , Toyota Prius V , and Toyota Yaris . Earning the Top Safety Pick designation means a car has performed well in all of the Institute’s tests, including front, side, rollover, and rear crash tests. IIHS rates cars in all these tests on a scale of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor. All vehicles that earn the Top Safety Pick award need to score a Good in all these tests. Those vehicles rated good for rollover have roof strength that is twice as strong as what the federal government recommends, although a new federal roof crush standard will begin with 2013 models. Honda has improved in the IIHS tests this year and now has 10 more Top Safety Pick models than last year due to upgrades in their roof structure which provides better rollover protection. Toyota and its Scion and Lexus brands have the most winners with 15 models for 2012, General Motors with 14, Volkswagen/Audi with 13 and Ford/Lincoln and Honda/Acura with 12 each. Injuries and deaths from motor vehicle crashes are a serious problem. In 2010, 32,885 people died in vehicle fatalities. Front, side, and rollover crashes make up a large part of the deaths. While rear-end crashes typically aren’t fatal, they result in a large portion of injuries and insurance claims. The Insurance Institute’s crash test evaluations are an important tool to help consumers choose a safe vehicle that can help reduce the risk of death from vehicle crashes. For a full list of the 2012 winners and to see a list of past winners dating back to 2006, the first year of the Top Safety Pick Awards, see the IIHS website . To find out more on how the IIHS and the government conduct crash tests, see Crash test 101 . Also check out our guide to vehicle safety . To see how your vehicle fares, browse our video library of more than 300 IIHS crash tests . To aid with vehicle...

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today recommended a complete nationwide ban on the use of all portable electronic devices in vehicles even with Bluetooth connectivity, with the exception of portable GPS navigation and calling 911. The recommendation is likely to continue the discussion in Congress and within the states as to what role the government should play in setting laws that ban cell phone use behind the wheel, and how best to address this safety problem. The recommendation stems from the NTSB’s report on their investigation into a 2010 accident in Missouri involving two school buses, which killed two people and injured 38 others. The Board concluded that the cause of the accident was due to texting by the 19-year-old driver of a pickup truck who set off the chain of events that led to the deadly pileup. According to NTSB, the driver sent 11 texts in the 11 minutes before the accident, including one “right before impact.” The NTSB recommends that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) use high visibility enforcement to support the bans, as they did in their distracted driving pilot program in Syracuse, NY, and Hartford, CT, last year and as they do to enforce seat belt and drunk driving laws. The agency also recommends that cell-phone companies develop features that disable the functions of portable devices by drivers when vehicles are in motion, allowing them only to be used in emergency situations. Further, they want technology to be able to distinguish driver and passenger seating positions. Just last week, NHTSA released their 2010 vehicle fatalities report and noted that distracted driving caused 3,092 deaths and that 66 percent of drivers answer the phone behind the wheel and continue to drive. Currently, just 10 states and the District of Columbia ban talking on a hand-held cell phone. Texting is banned for all drivers in 35 states and the District of Columbia. For more on distracted driving, see our special section . Go here to see the original:  Federal investigative agency calls for complete cell-phone ban for drivers