The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) considers the 2014 Smart ForTwo Electric the ‘greenest’ car in the U.S. market. The car topped the organization’s Greenercars.org 2014 Environmental Scores list with a 59 out of 100 score, the highest ever for the program. Also on the ‘greenest’ list, in descending order: the Toyota Prius C; Nissan LEAF; Toyota Prius; Honda Civic Hybrid; Lexus CT200h; Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid; Mitsubishi Mirage; Honda Civic Natural Ga;, Honda Insight; Smart ForTwo Convertible/Coupe; and the  VW Jetta Hybrid.

How does this work? Greenercars.org assigns each vehicle a ‘Green Score’ that incorporates lifecycle greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions. Changes were made to the methodology this year to more accurately quantify environmental impacts, including updates to evaporative emissions estimates; in-use emissions of methane and nitrous oxides; and gasoline, diesel, and natural gas ‘upstream’ emissions. Vehicles not intended to achieve significant sales volumes are not eligible for spots on the “Greenest” list.

 

Opportunity charging can be a pretty big deal to electric car owners. Topping off at public charging stations, or for that matter at chargers available at the workplace, can considerably extend electric driving range. This can help relieve range anxiety or simply deliver the additional battery power needed for longer drives. But this strategy depends on a charger being available.

For years, EV owners have expressed frustration whenever drivers of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles park in an EV charging spot, thus blocking access to a charge. There’s even a term for it – being ‘ICEed.’ Now there’s a new twist. With the number of electrics on the road far surpassing the number of public or workplace chargers, EV owners are now squabbling among themselves as they jockey for their position at an available charger. Enter a new term – ‘charge rage.’

That’s what’s happening when an EV owner sees another EV at a charger and believes it has already topped off and is now simply hogging the charging opportunity. Or charge rage could also occur when an EV driver really needs a charge to get to where they need to go, and other EVs are simply plugged in and an obstacle to their mobility. What’s happening is frustration, unkind words, and often enough one EV owner unplugging another’s car so they have access to a charge.

There’s no easy to answer to this other than a huge infusion of new chargers. There’s movement by some charging manufacturers to institute a charge reservation program. Some companies are also taking reservations for workplace charging, encouraging EV owners to unplug and move out of a charging space once they’re adequately topped off. There is no instant answer. What there is, simply, is a challenge that has not been adequately considered. It will be interesting to watch this unfold.

Ford unveiled its automated Ford Fusion Hybrid research vehicle last month, a technology-packed vehicle intended to help pave the way toward autonomous driving. Now Ford is expanding its research efforts with the high-tech Fusion through new collaborations with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. This work will support Ford’s Blueprint for Mobility, which envisions a future of autonomous functionality in the years ahead.

While the automated Fusion Hybrid research vehicle uses many of the same technologies already found in the standard model, it also adds such high-tech features as four LiDAR sensors to generate a real-time 3D map of the car’s surrounding environment. Research with MIT will use advanced algorithms to help predict where moving vehicles and pedestrians could be in the future, thus providing a better sense of surrounding risks and enabling the vehicle to plan a path to avoid these risks. Ford’s work with Stanford will explore how the car’s sensors could see around obstacles. The goal of its multi-faceted collaborative work, Ford says, is to provide automated vehicles with ‘common sense.’

VW’s e-Golf is coming to U.S. highways at the end of this year and will be available in select states. Powered by a 115 horsepower permanent magnet AC electric motor developing 199 lb-ft torque, the e-Golf is said to accelerate from 0-62 mpg (0-100 km/h) in about 10.4 seconds and offer an electronically limited 87 mph top speed. Driving range should vary between 70 to 90 miles depending on driving habits and environmental conditions.

The e-Golf’s lithium-ion battery is integrated in the center tunnel and within a space-saving frame in the vehicle floor beneath the front and rear seats. The battery accounts for 700 pounds of the e-Golf’s 3090 pound curb weight. Charging with a 120 volt outlet is accomplished in about 20 hours, although a 220 volt garage or public charger will bring the batteries to a full state of charge in less than four hours. Rapid charging at a fast-charge station could bring the e-Golf to 80-percent of charge in 30 minutes.

 

Batteries remain the electric car’s most pervasive challenge. After decades of research and development plus billions of dollars of investment, an energy-dense and affordable electric car battery remains elusive. Automakers are acutely aware of this as high battery costs can mean significant losses on every unit sold.

Ford is aiming to meet the challenge head-on with a new $8 million battery lab that’s now operating at the University of Michigan. The goal is to develop smaller and lighter batteries that are also less expensive to produce, resulting in more efficient and affordable battery electric vehicles with greater driving range.

The automaker’s existing battery labs focus on testing and validating production-ready batteries. This new effort will address batteries earlier in the development process, serving as a stepping-stone between the research lab and the production environment. The new lab includes a battery manufacturing facility supporting pilot projects, testing, and state-of-the-art manufacturing to make test batteries that replicates the performance of full-scale batteries.

Battery development is in its infancy and this kind of research is critical, says Ford, as is the need for new chemistries to be assessed in small-scale battery cells that can be tested in place of full-scale production batteries, without compromising test results. The automaker points out that in the span of 15 years, the industry has gone from lead-acid to nickel-metal-hydride to lithium-ion batteries, and it’s too early in the battery race to commit to one type of battery chemistry.

 

The long-awaited 2014 Cadillac ELR will emerge early in 2014 at a cost of $75,995, appropriate for high-end luxury cars but no doubt a bit steep for many looking forward to a step up from Chevy’s Volt. Still, there’s a lot here to justify the cost. Featuring a dramatic design and luxury touches throughout, this extended range electric coupe surrounds driver and passengers with handcrafted leather, authentic wood grain, and chrome trim. A Cadillac driving experience is promised as a matter of course.

Powering the ELR is electric drive energized with a T-shaped, 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. All-electric drive is good for about 35 highway miles, although that’s dependent on driving conditions. After that the ELR’s 1.4-liter gasoline engine-generator produces electricity to power the car over 300 total electrically-driven miles. When operating on battery power the car is expected to offer 82 MPGe fuel efficiency.

Among its many standard features are Cadillac CUE with Navigation displayed via an eight-inch capacitive-touch screen, LED exterior lighting, Lane Departure Warning, Safety Alert Seat, and Forward Collision Alert. A driver can temporarily generate electrical energy from the ELR’s forward momentum via a Regen on Demand feature controlled with steering-wheel paddles.

Four driving modes include Tour, Sport, Mountain, and Hold. Tour is the default mode while Sport offers a more responsive driving experience. Mountain mode maintains battery charge in hilly terrain. Hold mode allows selecting when to use battery power or the ELR’s gas-powered generator.

 

How is biodiesel doing these days? Apparently pretty well. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that this past May, biodiesel production reached a record level of 111 million gallons, with this total coming from 116 active biodiesel plants with total operating capacity of 2.2 billion gallons per year.

Some 449 million gallons was produced during the first five months of 2013, an increase of 17 million gallons from the same period the previous year. Biodiesel created during this period consumed 3,427 million pounds of feedstocks, with an average 7.6 pounds of feedstock for every gallon of biodiesel produced. Soybean oil represented 1,838 million pounds, or about 54 percent of the total.

Most biodiesel fuel is blended with conventional petroleum diesel fuel and used for transportation. For comparison, biodiesel accounted for less than 2 percent of U.S. distillate fuel oil product supplied during the first five months of 2013.

Biodiesel blending for motor fuel is supported by federal mandates under the Renewable Fuel Standard program. EPA sets annual targets for the use of biodiesel and other biofuel categories, such as advanced and total biofuels, which can also be satisfied through additional biodiesel use. Biodiesel blenders are currently eligible for a federal tax credit of $1 per gallon blended.

Teaming up can be a good thing, especially when the goal at hand involves significant and disruptive change. That’s what is involved in bringing transportation into an envisioned hydrogen age, a  goal for normally petroleum-focused automakers that are working hard toward this zero-emission future. Many automakers have had dynamic hydrogen vehicle development programs in motion for years now, and in some cases decades. Strategic partnering has been a part of this, most notably between auto manufacturers, hydrogen fuel providers, and the federal government

Now, two leading hydrogen vehicle developers – Honda and GM – have agreed to jointly develop next-generation fuel cell systems and hydrogen storage technologies. This partnership will leverage the significant advancements each of the companies has already made in their hydrogen vehicle programs, sharing expertise, common sourcing strategies, and economies of scale. Together they hold more than 1,200 fuel cell patents.

Each automaker has also shown significant progress in putting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road. GM, for instance, launched its ‘Project Driveway’ fuel cell demonstration fleet in 2007, placing 119 fuel cell vehicles in fleet service and accumulating three million miles along the way. Honda began leasing its FCX fuel cell hatchback in 2002 and then developed its very sophisticated FCX Clarity limited production sedan, which has been leased to select consumers in the U.S.

How this will influence Honda’s plan to launch a successor of its FCX Clarity in the U.S. and Japan in 2015 remains to be seen, or GM’s as-yet unannounced timeline for introducing its first production fuel cell vehicle to the market. What we do know is this new alliance is aiming at creating an advanced and more capable next-generation fuel cell system that will also be more affordable than those available today, plus improved hydrogen storage technologies, with an eye toward the 2020 time frame.

Challenges with advanced batteries have cropped up with automakers, aircraft manufacturers, and laptop companies alike in recent years. One of the most notable has been thermal runaway issues with lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries, the most advanced battery technology now in widespread use in transportation and consumer electronics. While appropriate engineering fixes have been made to move advanced battery power forward and ensure safety, problems still occasionally occur.

The latest involves Zero Motorcycles, which is recalling certain 2013 FX electric motorcycles manufactured from January 28 through May 21 of this year, plus 2013 XU motorcycles manufactured form January 16 through May 20 of this year. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), a manufacturing defect with the sealant material in the battery may allow water to penetrate the battery and contact the cells.

NHTSA says this may lead to corrosion of the cells, possibly resulting in a rapid temperature increase and off-gassing of the cells’ electrolyte that may cause a burn to the rider. Zero is remedying this by replacing the battery modules in affected models free-of-charge. This follows a recall of certain 2012 model Zero electric motorcycles last year due to insufficient weatherproofing, which the agency reported may short circuit the battery management system when subjected to wet conditions and possibly cause the motorcycle to inadvertently lose power.

It should be pointed out that conventional gasoline powerplants and fuel systems have suffered their share of recalls over the decades involving cars, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles. Alternative fuel vehicles have also had the occasional challenge, such as natural gas storage issues in GM’s natural gas pickups in the early 1990s. As always, the importance is in identifying the problem, effecting an engineering remedy, and moving on.

Lightweighting vehicles is a big deal. The lighter the car, the less relative energy required to move it down the road. This thinking has been influencing car design and manufacturing for some time now as automakers strive to make models with higher fuel efficiency, but the momentum has increased because of the much higher mpg that will be required from automakers in the years ahead. Now, each and every part of a car is examined for lightweighting potential and new answers are emerging all the time.

Take the new ultra lightweight car door solution devised by ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel and mining company and supplier to many auto manufacturers. In a world where lightweight aluminum, plastics, and other materials vie for roles once exclusively played by steel, it’s no wonder that steel companies have a vested interest in illustrating how advanced steel can continue to dominate.

ArcelorMittal’s lightweight car door example demonstrates that using steels and technology currently available, a 27 percent weight and cost saving can be achieved without compromising safety and structural requirements. But it gets better. The company also points out that its global research and development team has identified that even greater door weight savings of up to 34 percent is achievable with new advanced high strength steels and technology that will emerge during the next few years.

How important is this? The current 27 percent weight reduction of a baseline C-segment door using high strength steels and ultra-high strength steels decreases weight from about 40 pounds to 29 pounds. Considering that automotive weight savings is typically measured in grams, this is a significant weight reduction for a single automotive application.

Mercedes-Benz says it will be bringing Car-to-X technology to the highway by the end of this year, enabling the exchange of information between similarly-equipped vehicles as well as between vehicles and traffic infrastructure. The move is part of Daimler AG’s ‘Intelligent Drive’ strategy’ that will make use of Car-to-X communication to alert drivers of potential traffic hazards so appropriate action can be taken to avoid accidents at an early stage.

Car-to-X technology expands the scope of existing vehicle sensors, such as radar or camera systems, reducing blind spots and enabling drivers to see around corners or beyond obstacles. According to Daimler, the goal is to expand the telematic horizon with ready-to-market base technology now that will enable a new generation of driver assistance systems to be developed in the future.

Safety and convenience are primary targets for Daimler’s Car-to-X technology. By using precise information on traffic conditions available via Car-to-X communication, the technology can also help improve traffic flow by controlling traffic lights. Plus, looking forward, the technology will also help further development of Daimler’s autonomous driving functions.

Mercedes’ Drive Kit Plus, in combination with a smartphone and the automaker’s Digital DriveStyle app, will provide simultaneous transmission and reception of information. Daimler says it is using a mobile communication-based approach because it promises to offer the quickest way to deploy this future technology and exploit the safety potential of Car-to-X technology. Importantly, a modular approach means that retrofitting Car-to-X technology to many Mercedes-Benz models is possible.

Available next month in California and Oregon, the new 2014 Spark EV 1LT can now be leased for as low as $199 per month for 36 months. Requiring a nominal $999 due at lease signing, which includes a security deposit but is exclusive of tax, title, and registration, now makes this small Chevy EV an affordable option for new car buyers interested in electric transportation.

The Chevy Spark EV's MSRP starts at $27,495 but is as low as $19,995 when factoring in an available $7,500 federal tax credit. Other state and local tax credits may be available to bring the price down further. Chevy says that compared to the average new gasoline-powered vehicle, the Spark EV can save drivers an average of $150 per month in fuel costs.

Driving range is an EPA estimated 82 miles, similar to that of other small EV models. Its combined fuel economy equivalent is rated by EPA at 119 MPGe. Charging with a Level 2 240-volt charger takes about seven hours and a 120-volt convenience charge cord comes standard, although charge time is considerably longer. Chevy points out that the Spark EV is the first electric vehicle on the market to offer an option to be charged via the recently approved SAE combo charger for DC Fast Charging, which will enable the Spark EV to recharge up to 80 percent of its capacity in 20 minutes. Of course, that’s when DC Fast Charging stations become available.

In-vehicle connectivity is well looked-after with Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system, which includes a seven-inch touch screen and integration with third-party apps and features such as Siri Eyes Free, Pandora, and BringGo navigation. These features require the user to purchase third party apps separately on a compatible smart phone. The Spark EV RemoteLink application, which requires a smart phone and OnStar subscription, provides an array of desired functions including charge status, scheduled charge timing, interior temperature pre-conditioning, and the ability to send a text or email for charge reminders.

A variant of the highly functional and efficient NV200 cargo van will be sourced by GM as a Chevy product offering for the 2015 model year. This is in response to the need for a small van in the Chevy lineup to fill increasing fleet needs in that segment.

The current Nissan vehicle’s cost of ownership is among the lowest in the class due to low running costs, high engine efficiency, and a safety structure that helps to minimize crash damage. It’s powered by an efficient 2.0-liter, 131 hp four-cylinder engine rated at a combined 24 mpg.

The NV200 is currently sold in worldwide markets by Nissan and is an important commercial product for the company. Designed to be ‘right size’ for small business owners and fleet operators desiring more efficient work vans, the compact cargo van is said to be an easy transition for business owners transitioning from passenger vehicles.

Called the Chevy City Express, the new GM van will be differentiated from the Nissan product upon which it’s based with Chevy-specific design cues. The new model will begin sales in the U.S. and Canada in the fall of 2014. A target prices has not yet been announced.

Honda’s efforts in creating a showcase Honda Smart Home US goes beyond the expected attributes of zero-carbon home life. It includes, as one might expect, a mobility component that adds electric vehicle ownership as part of the mix. Honda is building its zero-carbon home on the campus of U.C Davis, located near California’s capital of Sacramento where so much clean and green legislation comes to life. So, no surprise here. Construction and project overviews are included at a dedicated Honda Smart Home US website.

The driving force of this project is the state of California's goal of requiring all new residential construction to be ‘zero net energy’ by the end of this decade. Honda says its concept home will use high-efficiency HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) and lighting systems designed by UC Davis, enabling the home to use less than half the heating, cooling, and lighting energy of a similarly sized new home in the Davis area. The result is a home that will generate on average more electricity from on-site renewable power sources than it will receive from its electric utility provider.

An array of other energy-saving technologies are being integrated in the home including a solar power system that will provide enough energy for the home and for daily commuting in an electric vehicle like the Fit EV. A Honda Energy Management System also incorporates smart-grid technology that actively manages energy use and communicates with the homeowner and utility provider. This allows the home to maximize energy efficiency while responding to the needs of the electrical grid in real time. Many passive energy-saving and sustainability features are being incorporated into the showcase home.

In addition to the HVAC system, UC Davis energy research centers are focused on designing high-efficiency, cost effective solutions to major home energy loads. A particularly interesting project focuses on direct solar photovoltaic-to-vehicle charging, which would reduce losses associated with DC-to-AC and AC-to-DC conversion and substantially improve charging efficiency. PV-to-EV charging would also decrease EV-related CO2 emissions by avoiding the carbon associated with grid electricity production.

Really, there should be no doubt which automaker holds the distinction as the most prolific marketer of hybrids in the business. It’s Toyota, pure and simple. This company’s brilliant strategy for its Prius hybrid has evolved into a success story that other manufacturers can only envy.

So the news that nearly two million Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles have been sold in the U.S., and five million worldwide, is not earth shattering. It’s expected. And the company is justifiably proud.

According to Toyota, its global fleet of nearly 20 hybrid vehicles is estimated to have decreased some 34 million tons of CO2 emissions because of its fuel efficiency and electric operation, compared to gasoline-powered vehicles. Obviously, there’s strength in numbers. Toyota and Lexus hybrids represent 70 percent of the U.S. auto industry’s total hybrid sales. Hybrids also account for 16 percent of overall Toyota/Lexus sales globally and locally. With total industry hybrid sales now about 3 percent of the U.S. new car market, the picture will clearly only get better.

Of the 19 hybrid models and one plug-in hybrid now sold in 80 countries and regions around the world, a dozen are sold in the U.S. These include the Prius Liftback, Prius v, Prius c, Prius Plug-in, Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, Lexus CT 200h, ES 300h, GS 450h, LS 600h, and RX 450h. Three of these models are now manufactured in North America with a fourth, the Highlander Hybrid, joining in soon. Toyota says that it will introduce 18 new hybrid models between now and the end of 2015 and expects its global hybrid sales to be at least a million units a year during that same period, with a third of these sold in the U.S.

BMW will be debuting its Concept Active Tourer plug-in hybrid concept and clean diesel 328d model at the upcoming 2013 New York International Auto Show. Featuring a three-cylinder gasoline engine and electric motor, the Concept Active Tourer is expected to achieve up to 95 mpg. It features a composite glass roof using suspended particle device technology that allows a driver the ability to darken or lighten the roof at will.

For the near-term, the 328d speaks to the expanding clean diesel movement in the U.S. as automakers increasingly look toward this high-efficiency propulsion technology to meet federal mpg goals and consumer desires for more efficient vehicles.

Powered by a TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder engine, the BMW 328d delivers 180 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, a combination capable of propelling the four-door sedan from 0 to 60 mph in a sprightly 7.2 seconds. Fuel efficiency is expected to be upwards of 40 mpg. Actual EPA estimates will be revealed closer to the model’s launch.

This combination of efficiency and power is important to the brand, as BMW buyers have come to expect performance levels that support the company’s well-known claim, ‘the ultimate driving machine.’ Offering a four-door 328 sedan that accomplishes both well will position the 328d very competitively in an expanding clean diesel market in the States.

Given the many fuel-efficient models on the market today, you’d think that the auto industry is clearly heading in the right direction. Now, a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency verifies this, quantifying the fuel and CO2 emissions savings achieved by this sustained effort, reversing a slight downward trend in 2011.

EPA’s annual ‘Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2012’ report shows an overall 16 percent improvement in fuel efficiency values between 2007 and 2012 with a commensurate decrease in CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent. Underscoring the momentum underway, the report also points to a significant one-year increase of 1.4 mpg alone in 2012 for cars and trucks.

Data show a reduction in 2012 vehicle CO2 emissions to 374 grams per mile combined with an average fuel economy increase to 23.8 mpg. That’s important. According to EPA, those are the largest annual improvements since the agency began reporting on fuel economy.

As we’re aware – and as EPA points out – these improvements are due to a greater number of higher mpg vehicles available to consumers and automaker use of more fuel efficient technologies. Plus, of course, automakers are already selling models that can meet more stringent future mpg and CO2 emissions standards. Happily, we expect that trend to continue.

The 2014 Infiniti QX60 premium crossover lineup will include a new gasoline-electric hybrid variant, giving this automaker three advanced ‘Direct Response Hybrid’ models in its U.S. lineup. Slated for its U.S. unveiling at the New York International Auto Show, the new hybrid offering will join Infiniti’s Q70 Hybrid – currently badged as the M Hybrid – along with the Q50 Hybrid.

While not necessarily a high mpg vehicle, the new Infiniti QX60 Hybrid still achieves a 24 percent increase over non-hybrid QX60 models, with projected combined city/highway mpg of 26 mpg. That numbers is expected to have the best seven-passenger fuel efficiency in the segment, says Infiniti, with no sacrifice in performance.

Power is provided by a 2.5-liter supercharged engine and 15 kW electric motor that produce a net 250 horsepower, which the automaker claims is equivalent to the power of a 3.5-liter V-6 while providing four-cylinder fuel economy. This power is channeled through an advanced continuously variable transmission. Infiniti’s one-motor/two-clutch system enables either front- or all-wheel drive. Energy is supplied by a compact lithium-ion battery located beneath the third-row seat. Regenerative braking partially recharges the battery.

The QX60 was originally launched as the Infiniti JX35 early last year. It offers high levels of family functionality with three-row seating for seven passengers and appealing styling. Infiniti is making it straightforward for luxury crossover buyers to step up to hybrid power with a reasonable $3,000 premium for the hybrid variant.