Freescale Chips On Chevy, GMC Hybrids

By Anthony Fontanelle

General Motor Corp. in partnership with Freescale Semiconductor Corp. will be promoting improved fuel efficiency by using innovative chips. Freescale chips will be used in Chevy and GMC hybrids to pave the way for a green makeover.

According to reports, Freescale chips that control the combustion and electric engines as well as the transmission in the new Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids have produced a 50 percent increase in mileage over their counterparts. The hybrids are efficient for both city and highway. To note, they can tow a 6,000-pound cabin cruiser. The hybrids are now arriving at Valley Chevy and GMC dealerships.

John Hartley, Internet sales manager at Midway Pontiac GMC in Phoenix, said there is considerable interest in the vehicles. However, the production of the hybrid sport utilities is currently limited.

The increase in fuel efficiency is attributed to the automaker’s two-mode hybrid transmission that is operated by Freescale’s advanced microcontroller technology.

"The automotive industry is a very significant part of Freescale's business," said Tony Massimini, an analyst with research company Semico Research Corp. "And the hybrid market is becoming very important part of the U.S. car business."

The Austin, Texas-based supplier of microcontrollers found in American cars, is determined to improve the offers of automakers in the industry. And its cutting-edge products are expected to make it happen.

Kevin Klein, vice president of marketing for Freescale's automotive group, said that a current luxury car can contain over 100 chips that control everything from disc brakes to parking-assistance radar. He added that automotive chip sales now amount to about a third of Freescale's $5.7 billion in annual revenue.

The innovative technology offers two driving modes. Using the first driving mode, the vehicle can operate at low speed and with light loads in three ways: electric power only, engine power only or in any combination of engine and electric power, reported The Arizona Republic. The second mode, meanwhile, is used primarily at highway speeds. This mode provides full eight-cylinder engine power when road conditions require. It can be employed when passing other vehicles, climbing a steep grade or pulling a trailer. Additionally, a refined control unit settles which mode the vehicle should use.

"With the introduction of the world's first full-size hybrid SUVs, GM is pioneering a niche in the automotive market that's in step with today's growing concerns about the environment and global warming," said Paul Grimme, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale's Microcontroller Solutions Group. "We're proud that Freescale technology is helping make these innovative, fuel-efficient SUVs a reality in the market."

GMC Sierra Goes Green For 2009

By Anthony Fontanelle

Quite obviously, vehicles are gradually shifting to an environmentally friendly nature. Cars have started the trend and the gas-guzzling vehicles are expected to follow. Wiping the gas-sipping image, General Motors Corp. will be offering a green version of the Sierra truck for the 2009 model year. The hybrid version of the GMC Sierra will be launched at this year’s Chicago Auto Show.

General Motors has been working on hybrid versions of its sport utilities. Now, the technology is infecting the truck segment. According to the automaker, the 2009 hybrid version of the Sierra will offer customers the power of a hefty six-litre engine, a 25 percent slash in fuel consumption and a 6,100-pound towing capacity.

"The Sierra Hybrid represents GMC's commitment to engineering excellence, delivering a fully functional truck that offers a significant improvement in fuel economy," said Jim Bunnell, GMC general manager. "Sierra Hybrid will deliver fuel economy that is expected to be the best in the full-size pickup segment, exceeding the current mileage leader - the non-hybrid Sierra."

The Detroit-based automaker said that the Sierra Hybrid will allow owners to realize a fuel savings even when the truck is fully loaded or towing a trailer. The hybrid truck, which features stability control system, trailering package and locking rear axle, will be sold on crew-cab bodied trucks in two and four wheel drives.

Like its famous sibling, the Chevy Silverado, the Sierra truck is now available with the automaker’s two-mode hybrid system. The 6.0-liter V8 is mated to the automaker’s Electrically Variable Transmission, which combines two electric motors into the transmission housing. The electric motors are powered by a 300-volt hybrid battery pack under the backseat.

Light modifications entertained by the Detroit automaker include a number of exterior changes. The word "hybrid" is spelled out on the rear window, windshield and on both sides of the 2009 Sierra. Also, the truck gets hybrid badges on the front fenders and tailgate.

The hybrid truck boasts of more substantial changes including the low-rolling-resistance tires that are wrapped around 18-inch aluminum GMC wheels. Additionally, the front air dam is deeper and the truck comes with a tonneau cover to enhance aerodynamics.

The 2009 Sierra Hybrid is set to go on sale during the fourth quarter of this year. It will join its siblings Chevy Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade to bolster General Motors’ full-size truck lineup. The truck is specially engineered to compete with Ford F-150, Dodge Ram and Toyota Tundra.

Honda taking the Hybrid Challenge

By Anthony Fontanelle

Honda Motor Co., the largest engine-maker in the world and the second largest automobile manufacturer in Japan, is taking the tough hybrid challenge against another Japanese auto giant – in fact, the second largest auto maker in the world – Toyota Motor Corp. in hybrid technology.

In 1999, Honda brought the first gas-electric hybrid – the Insight - to America. Unfortunately, it was soon overshadowed by the Toyota Prius, today’s top-selling hybrid in the world. But still, Honda is trying to catch up ever since.

After eight years playing second behind Toyota, Honda has decided to push its limit in hybrid technology.

According to Honda president Takeo Fukui, the company is investing heavily in hybrids. He claims that the race “has just begun”. He mentioned that the first phase of the technology was all about cultivating green image. The next phase will focus on making the vehicles more affordable and fuel efficient. He said that Honda, so far, has two cars in the pipeline that are likely to challenge Toyota’s eco-supremacy.

Fukui said that about 79 percent of the gas-electric vehicles that rolled out of American showrooms last month were from Toyota. Only about 10 percent were from Honda. The fact was due to the discontinuation of the Insight and Accord hybrid production.

Fukui predicted that hybrids will cover approximately 10 percent of Honda’s sales by 2010. To attain that goal, Honda will need to have 400,000 hybrids sold annually. But, it may not be enough to catch up, considering that Toyota is planning to sell 1 million hybrids a year within the first half of the next decade.

Toyota Prius is a tough player, the toughest actually. It accounted half of the hybrids sold in America last month. Toyota sold 167,000 units of them in the first 11 months of the year – compared with 32,610 units of hybrid Civics, Accords and Insights.

Fukui admits the mistake of offering hybrid versions of Honda’s best-selling cars rather than designing a new car. He said that it is because “until now, it has been an image-based competition, not a business-based competition”.

Another point of defeat for Honda is the pricing, not with the Acura CL coil springs or other individual parts, but with the entire hybrid vehicle. Toyota Prius costs $21,100, while Honda Civic hybrid costs $22,600. Thus, Fukui said, “The price needs to be reasonable and fuel efficiency higher so the (premium) the consumer pays can be returned in a short period of time.”

Honda will offer a subcompact hybrid in 2009, Fukui confirms. It will be provided with a smaller, lighter engine for improved fuel economy and lower price than the Civic hybrid. The company is also planning to launch a hybrid sports car based on the CR-Z concept, which has been unveiled earlier this year at the Tokyo Auto Show and will also be features at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It is also investing $425 million for a new research center, which will focus on developing the “next generation” of automobiles, including hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles such as the FCS Clarity.

US Hybrid Sales Picking Up

By Anthony Fontanelle

With the increasing price of gasoline and the awareness to the growing threat of global warming growing, more and more automakers are developing eco-friendly vehicles. Unlike in the past when green vehicles are only developed and not mass produced, automakers today are marketing hybrid vehicles. The demand for these hybrid vehicles is increasing according to a study conducted by R.L. Polk & Co. The report showed that for the first seven months of the year, new hybrid sales increased by 49 percent on the United States.

According to the study, the increase in hybrid vehicle sales in the country is fueled by the demand for fuel efficient cars in the Midwest. R.L. Polk & Co reported that of all the fifty states, Oklahoma has the largest increase in new hybrid vehicle sales. The auto information and marketing company reported further that 143 percent more hybrid vehicles were sold in the state of Oklahoma for the first seven months of 2007 compared to the same period last year. The state of Hawaii though declined to provide hybrid sales data for the study.

Overall, the study reported that from January to July this year, 215,997 new hybrid vehicles were sold in the United States auto market. For the same period, the number of these green vehicles sold totaled 144,721. This increase is surely good news to environmentalists who are lobbying for automakers to revamp their lineup to include more environment friendly vehicles such as hybrids.

This study will also be additional ammo for groups calling for more models of green vehicles. The fact that the demand for green vehicles is sharply increasing means they can lobby automakers to create more green cars. On the part of automakers, this will show them that the demand for hybrid is increasing and if they want to capitalize on this trend, they should develop more hybrid vehicles. The increase in hybrid sales also means that wholesale auto parts for such vehicles will also increase.

In the Midwest region, R.L. Polk & Co. reported that sales for the first seven months of 2007 is 57 percent higher than hybrid sales figure for the same period last year. The iconic Toyota Prius and the Toyota Camry Hybrid are the best selling hybrid vehicles in the region according to the report. In the Western region of the United States, new hybrid sales increased by 52 percent from January to July this year. In the Northeast, sales increased by 49 percent. And in the South, sales jumped by 42 percent.

Lonnie Miller, the director of industry analysis for R.L. Polk said that hybrid vehicle sales are one bright spot in the United States auto industry. While demand for new vehicles is down as a whole, hybrid sales are still going up. In fact, Miller expects that more than 300,000 units of hybrid vehicles will be sold this year in the country to compose more than 2 percent of the total vehicle sales in the country. Last year, R.L. Polk reported that 254,545 hybrid vehicles were sold.

Green Buses To Hit Montreal

By Anthony Fontanelle

Montreal will go green as it paved the way for new hybrid buses en route for next year. Canada’s second most-visited city will introduce first hybrid electric-diesel transit buses in early 2008. The project will be backed by higher levels of government.

The Montreal Transit Corp.'s board of directors recently approved a financing deal with the federal and Quebec governments that will launch a $5.6 million-worth project.

The province will foot half the cost of the eight hybrid buses that are to be road-tested throughout 2008, using some of the money it receives on Montreal's behalf from a cut of the federal gasoline tax, MTC treasurer Luc Tremblay said.

The buses, made by Nova Bus of St. Eustache, will emit far less greenhouse gases because they are powered by a blend of electric power and a diesel engine, MTC executive director Yves Devin said.

“The MTC will pump biodiesel - fuel made with some organic material - into the hybrids to further curb pollution emissions,” Devin added. “The agency wants to see how they work this winter before buying more.”

The hybrid buses will be equipped with a diesel engine and an electric transmission box, which acts as transmission, generator and electric motor. Batteries, which are stored on the bus's roof, recharge when the vehicle brakes.

Although the price tag on a hybrid bus is $700,000 - $200,000 more than on a standard, low-floor MTC bus - there will be savings on gasoline and parts because the hybrids' engines and brakes will get less wear, Devin said. Their start date is being negotiated with Nova Bus, he added.

According to Autos Canada, the MTC will test hybrids on 66 The Boulevard, 80 Park Ave., 103 Monkland Ave., 105 Sherbrooke St., 162 Westminster Ave., 165 Cte des Neiges Rd., 166 Queen Mary Rd., and 535 Park Ave./Cte des Neiges Rd.

The routes are on busy thoroughfares and have frequent stops - ideal for the hybrid bus, Nova Bus spokesperson Nadine Bernard said. "The more stop-and-go you do, the more energy gets stored in the batteries," Bernard added.

As the bus accelerates when leaving a stop, electric power predominates, she said. At high speeds, the diesel engine takes over. In between, the bus is powered by a blend of both.
Hybrid buses use 19 to 28 per cent less fuel than a regular bus, said Serge Carignan, the MTC's director of studies and development. The MTC's 1,600 buses burn 45 million litres of fuel a year.
MTC vice-chairperson Marvin Rotrand, a city councillor, said that he is so convinced of the benefits of hybrid vehicles, he wants the city to oblige the taxi industry to switch, too. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered his city's 13,000 taxis to operate on hybrid engines by 2012, the report added.

"We'd love that," said Daniel Di Massimo, the director of development for Montreal-based Diamond Taxi, the largest cab company in the province. “But unlike New York and elsewhere, taxi firms in Quebec don't supply cars,” he said. “Drivers here own their vehicles, and requiring all of them to buy hybrids "would cause a revolt."

But Di Massimo predicted cabbies will come around to hybrids with time as they realize the potential cost savings.

According to watchers in the industry, with the rise of green vehicles in Canada, it is not impossible that the territories roads will be filled with green machines in the near future. Auto parts such as the brake booster Canada, engines tailpipes, and the like are now being enhanced to cater to the mileage regulations and respond to environment concerns.

Dust To Dust Study Refuted

By Anthony Fontanelle

It can be remembered that last week, a study conducted by CNW Marketing Research reported that hybrid cars are not as green as they appear to be. The study focused on the amount of energy a vehicle would need in its lifetime. The result of the study conducted over two years shows that hybrid cars uses up more energy than conventional gasoline engined vehicles.

In fact, the study claims that compact and midsized SUVs consume less energy than hybrid vehicles. More interestingly, the Hummer is considered ‘greener’ than hybrid cars. When the eco-friendliness of cars is concerned, environmentalists and points to the gas-guzzling capability of the Hummer. But with the result of the study conducted by CNW gives Hummer lovers an argument in the ongoing battle of words.

Environmentalists though have found an ally in Dr. Peter H. Gleick of the Pacific Institute. Dr. Gleick recently published his study entitled “Hummer versus Prius: ‘Dust to Dust’ Report Misleads the Media and Public with Bad Science”. The said paper refuted the study published by CNW Marketing Research.

According to the result of Dr. Gleick’s study, the ‘Dust to Dust: The Energy Cost of New Vehicles From Concept to Disposal’ uses poor assumptions. The data pointed out by Dr. Gleick, which shows that the study conducted by CNW Marketing is erroneous, is the usable life of a Prius and the Hummer.

According to the expert, the original study put the usable lifespan of a Prius at only 11 years while the Hummer’s lifespan was placed at 35 years. This disparity in lifespan is also being argued by Prius owners. With the reliability that Japanese automakers are known for, it is indeed surprising that the Toyota Prius was given an expectancy of only 11 years while the Hummer H1 was given an expectancy as high as 35 years.

Another figure being questioned by Dr. Gleick’s study reflects the seemingly erroneous lifespan of the vehicles in question. The original study released by CNW Marketing shows that in its lifetime, the Prius covers about 109,000 miles while for the Hummer H1, it was placed at 379,000 miles.

The disparity is being questioned especially by Prius owners who have already covered more than the 109,000 miles assumed by CNW Marketing. The paper released recently by Dr. Gleick does not necessarily show that the Prius uses less energy than conventional vehicles but it points out that the public should be aware of the fact that the study conducted by CNW Marketing may have some erroneous data.

According to CNW, the reason why hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius use more energy in their lifetime is that they are more complex than conventional vehicles. A hybrid uses a powertrain that includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by a battery pack. The presence of the electric motor alone means that it has more parts thus more energy is being used up in the production of these auto parts.

Another concern is the material used in the manufacturing of hybrid car batteries. Nickel, a major component of the Prius’ battery pack, is mined in Canada and shipped to China than to Japan. During the transportation of the said material, petroleum fuels are used by cargo ships and trucks. The study conducted by CNW took this into consideration.

Meanwhile, Hummer H1s even with Hummer car covers uses considerably fewer auto parts than advanced hybrids. This debate though is far from being over even with the ‘dust to dust’ study being refuted.

'Highway to the Future'

By Kaye Leery

Toyota, maker of the once famous Toyota Matrix parts, is bringing the "Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience," to Livingston, Montana for the Northern Rockies Sustainability Fair. It is a nationwide tour that is designed to provide consumers with a firsthand opportunity to experience automotive hybrid technology.

In January 11, 2007, the tour debuted at the San Jose International Auto Show. It is now traveling to more than 150 events across the country during the next 18 months. Through a number of interactive educational exhibits and test drives, consumers will have an opportunity to test Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system and learn about hybrid technology.

Celeste Migliore, Toyota's National Manager for Advanced Technology Vehicles, said that most people have heard of hybrid technology and probably have a shallow idea of how it works, but only a few have actually driven a hybrid and or taken an up-close look at its operation. According to Migliore, the tour allows consumers to learn more on the technology behind this system and the benefits derived from hybrid vehicles.

Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience functions like a mobile museum to the environment as well as to alternative fuels. The exhibit will be situated at Sacajawea Park from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 14.

Within the exhibit, there are four distinct interactive learning areas. One is the "Alternative Fuels: Fueling the Future”. It identifies the differences in the different types of alternative fuels and how they are produced. Next is the "Environment and Resources: Small Steps, Big Difference”, which shows attendees what they can do to make a difference to the environment. The third one is "The Prius Driving Experience", which feigns the current Hybrid Synergy Drive technology allowing visitors to interact with system while on-screen instructions offer driving tips, and the last one is the "Hybrid Technology: Not All Hybrids are Created Equal" exhibit which gives visitors a better understanding of the different hybrid technology options on the market and how hybrids benefit the consumer and the environment as well.

Other than those, the exhibit provides attendees the chance to get behind the wheel of the Prius, Camry Hybrid and Highlander Hybrid for them to experience Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system.

Not only interesting educational activities are offered by the hybrid experience. It is also designed to eliminate its own environmental impact. As a matter of fact, Toyota will plant more than 50,000 trees in honor of those visiting the experience in lieu of the National Arbor Day Foundation. These trees will help repay the "carbon footprint" of the trucks which are transporting the tour across the country and will continue to have a positive impact on the environment as years pass by.

Please visit http://www.toyota.com/highway for more information or the schedule of events. Experience hybrid!

Why Is Prius The Much-Loved Toyota?

By Anthony Fontanelle

Why is the Toyota Prius much-loved? One answer may be that Prius shoppers want everyone to know that they are driving a hybrid. But there are numerous reasons to add to the list.

Only a third of Prius owners cited that reason just three years ago, according to CNW, which tracks auto shopping trends. “I really want people to know that I care about the environment,” said Joy Feasley of Philadelphia, the owner of a green 2006 Prius. “I like that people stop and ask me how I like my car.” Dan Becker, the head of the global warming program at the Sierra Club added, “The Prius allowed you to make a green statement with a car for the first time ever.”

This spring, over half of the Prius owners surveyed by CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore., said that the main reason they bought their car was that it makes a statement about them.

Mary Gatch of Charleston, S.C., picked the car over a hybrid version of the Toyota Camry after trading in a Lexus sedan. “I felt like the Camry Hybrid was too subtle for the message I wanted to put out there,” Gatch said. “I wanted to have the biggest impact that I could, and the Prius puts out a clearer message.”

Unlike the original Prius buyers, who wanted to be first with its innovative technology, the latest owners are far more conscious of foreign oil dependence and global warming, said Doug Coleman, Toyota’s product manager for Prius. “Consumer knowledge and consumer awareness is changing,” Coleman said.

Prius sales for the first six months of the year increased 93.7 percent from last year, to 94,503, and the Japanese automaker has already sold close to as many Prius cars as it did in all of 2006.
The Toyota Prius was first embraced by famous celebrities and remains in trend long after most cars have lost their hum. Owners have included Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Billy Joel, and Larry David. David has bought three, including one for his role in the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Now Prius drivers are typically found in cities on the East and West Coasts, and in college towns like Ann Arbor, Mich., and State College, Pa. “You can’t drive across town without seeing half a dozen of them,” said Peter Darnell, a software engineer and Prius owner in Westford, Mass., north of Boston. Darnell admits to feeling smug this year when gasoline prices spiked above $3 a gallon. But that was not the main reason he purchased a Prius. “I have to admit that I’m a granola-crunching liberal, and I really liked the idea of minimizing the impact on the environment,” Darnell said.

Corey Confer, the general sales manager at Joel Confer Toyota in State College, said that he had received calls from as far away as Key West, Fla., from buyers looking for a Prius. His dealership advertises an $800 discount on each vehicle. A number of dealers in the West are adding $2,000 premiums.

Nationwide, Prius sales increased dramatically in May, when gasoline prices rose over $3 a gallon. Worldwide, Toyota has sold over one million Prius cars. Toyota was alarmed to see Prius sales even out last year. But before gas prices hit record levels, Prius sales were climbing again.

Toyota executives have said that they plan to offer a hybrid version of everything the company sells worldwide, perhaps as soon as 2010. That fact could make a fanatic forget about the most fascinating Volkswagen Touareg part. Japanese press reports said that the Japanese automaker may even build Prius into a separate brand, with basic and sporty Prius models.

Hybrids: No.1 Item On Many Consumers' List

By Anthony Fontanelle

The automotive industry is bombarded with financial crises. One of which is the rising gasoline prices. And in times like this, one would think purchasing cars would be the last thing consumers would do. But that is exactly what they are doing. As a fact, most consumers’ list has hybrids as the first item.

Kevin Volk, the general manager at Bob Moore Saturn, said that hybrid sales have increased in the past week. "People are really trying to come in and get out of their gas guzzlers,” he said. "During Memorial Day, we were in a position where we had to go out of our market in search of hybrids.”

Volk said that sales for the fuel-friendlier vehicles have grown 25 percent in the last month, an increase he attributes to the fact that people have been paying as much as 41 cents more for a gallon of gasoline than they were a month ago.

Paul Taylor, the spokesman for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), said that hybrid car sales are up 86 percent nationally as compared to this time last year. "People do take a greater interest in hybrids when the gas prices increase,” Taylor said.

Mike Fowler attributes hybrid sales increase to the number three. "Three dollars a gallon seems to be that magical number,” said Fowler, the chief executive officer of Fowler Toyota in Norman. "Once you hit $3, people start really getting concerned; it seems like people start paying closer attention.”

Astra’s Saturn washer pump may not be the deciding factor. Although driving a hybrid may save consumers money in the long-run, getting into one quickly may be more expensive than anticipated. Taylor said that it takes about four years for consumers to recoup the price of a hybrid in fuel savings.

Mike Wicker, the general manager of Joe Cooper Ford, said that most customers have done the math and know when a hybrid is the right investment for them. The increase of hybrid sales has increased the number of hybrid cars Joe Cooper Ford receives from the factory. Its inventory of hybrids is larger, doubled over the last year, Wicker said. The days of selling one or two hybrids a month are over, Wicker added. "Now they are sold before we even get them.”

Megan Vance Ochs, the general manger of John Vance Auto Group, said that consumers are opting for General Motors vehicles with active fuel management, which allows the engine to turn off half the cylinders under light-load conditions.

"These are really better solutions for this part of the country,” Vance Ochs said. She said that hybrids, while they are capable of saving on fuel, are better suited for stop and go driving under 25 miles per hour. "We are too spread out for that,” she said of the region's layout. Cars that can take either gas or ethanol also have become popular buys during the recent gas price increases, Vance Ochs said. "The manufacturers are coming out with some good solutions,” she said.

Federal Agencies Expands Hybrid Fleet

By Anthony Fontanelle

Three federal agencies in Kansas recently added hybrid vehicles to their fleet. The hybrid vehicles included in the fleet of the federal agencies are the 2007 Saturn Aura Green Line vehicles. Two units of the hybrid car were already delivered to different federal agencies in Kansas.

Two units of the 2007 Saturn Aura Green Line were delivered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 in Kansas City, Kansas. One of these will be used by the EPA while the other is for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) office in Kansas City, Missouri. The third vehicle will be delivered to the GSA fleet in Kansas City, Mo.

Romell Cooks, the regional administrator for the NHTSA’s Central Region, was given the keys to the hybrid Aura. “While safety of the motoring public is a key concern of the NHTSA, we are equally concerned about the fuel efficiency of our passenger cars and light trucks,” said Cooks. “These types of vehicles will make a difference.”

Aside from the three hybrid vehicles, the GSA has ordered 50 units in all of the Saturn Aura Green Line. The vehicles will be delivered by GSA to different federal agencies across the country. The Aura Green Line became an obvious choice for the federal agencies in Kansas City Kansas due to the fact that these vehicles were built in General Motors’ assembly facility in Kansas City, Kansas.

The deliveries of the hybrid vehicles is in connection with the Executive Order 13423 signed by President George Bush which mandates federal agencies to increase the use of alternative fuel vehicles on their fleet by ten percent every year. To date, GSA’s fleet management division has already delivered 3,581 units of alternative fuel vehicles and 20 biodiesel vehicles to federal agencies.

Administrator John Askew accepted the keys to the Saturn center shoulder seatbelt-equipped Aura Green Line for EPA Region 7. Askew has this to say after receiving the hybrid car: “Using fuel efficient vehicles like the Saturn hybrid we’re receiving today just makes sense. Not only does it protect the environment by reducing emissions, but using less fuel strengthens our energy security.”

Meanwhile, GSA’s Heartland Region Administrator Bradley M. Scott has this to say: “GSA is proud to join EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as government leaders in using and supporting environmentally friendly vehicles, and we look forward to providing energy efficient vehicles and alternative fuel-use cars to more federal agencies in the future.”

Aside from mandating a ten percent increase in alternative fuel vehicle use, the Executive Order also directs federal agencies across the country with more than 20 motor vehicles to reduce petroleum fuel consumption by as much as two percent every year. The directive will stand until the year 2015.

The Aura Green Line is the hybrid version of the current North American Car of the Year. The Saturn Auras delivered by GSA to the three federal agencies are seen as a good step for the government to take in the present situation. Environmentalists have been lobbying for the widespread use of alternative fuel vehicles because these vehicles are more environment friendly than conventional vehicles which run on petroleum fuels. The Saturn Aura Green Line, according to General Motors, has a fuel mileage of 35 miles per gallon. That figure means that federal agencies will be consuming less fuel as compared to none-hybrid vehicles.

Ford Hybrid Plan Beyond 2008 Still Unclear

By Lauren Woods

Ford Canada recently insisted that they are still in the process of preparing the Oakville plant for the production of hybrid versions of two crossover SUVs. The announcement came after Ford indicated that they have already abandoned the plan for producing hybrid versions of the Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKX.

The Canadian arm of the Dearborn-based car manufacturer also announced that the production of the Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKX Hybrids will commence by 2010. Ford Canada also denied that its parent company has scrapped the plan entirely.

“Nothing has changed on Edge and MKX, which we announced a while ago to be hybrid versions,” says Lauren More, Ford Canada’s vice president for public affairs. “Those plans remain in place and on track,” More pointed out.

FoMoCo, on the other hand, kept mum about the announcement from Ford Canada. “We're not going to confirm anything beyond that,” said Jennifer Moore, a spokesperson for the Ford Motor Company.

It can be remembered that Ford announced in early 2006 that they are planning to produce hybrid versions of the Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKX at the Oakville assembly facility. During the announcement though, Ford declined to set a date when the production of the hybrid crossovers will commence.

The production of hybrid vehicles for Ford is part of its turnaround plan to bring the company back to profitability. The demand for fuel efficient and environment friendly vehicles has been increasing and by providing car buyers with what they want, Ford hopes to generate substantial profit. Last year, the company posted a loss of $12.7 billion - the most that it has lost in its lengthy history.

Talks about the cancellation of the production of the crossover hybrids surfaced after a source commented that Bill Ford backpedaled on his pledge to produce 250,000 hybrid vehicles before the turn of the decade. The company chairman was quoted to have saying that the goal is “too narrow” for the company to achieve its ultimate goal of protecting the environment. Hybrid vehicles consume less fuel and produce less greenhouse gas.

According to the source, it is Ford’s decision that the company focus instead on the development of engines that will run on alternative fuels. Common alternative fuels being developed today as substitute to petroleum fuels are ethanol, hydrogen and biodiesel. These alternative fuels are cleaner than petroleum fuels and came from renewable resources. “Our strategy going forward is not to wed ourselves to a single technology,” said Ford.

While the production of the hybrid Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKX are still in question, Ford announced that they will be pushing through with the production of the Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan Hybrids. The hybrid versions of the sedans will be produced starting this fall. The company previously introduced the Ford Escape Hybrid in 2004.

Ford shifting its focus on the development of vehicles with alternative fuel capability means that the vehicles they have planned with a hybrid version will be put on hold. This development if it is indeed true would mean that a version of the MKX with better fuel efficiency than a Lincoln cold air intake-equipped gasoline MKX would be put off indefinitely.

But if Ford is shifting its focus on the development of alternative fuel-powered vehicle means that they are still committed to the production of environment friendly vehicles.