BendGovernment

35 mpg CAFE into law? 86 mpg Honda Insight..No problemo!

December 19, 2007
Now it's pen-on-paper official:

Let's just be thankful that the 35 mpg standard survived all the backing down. And the Detroit News mentions this: **a measure in the bill that will provide at least $90 million annually for battery research to make plug-in hybrids a reality.**

Somehow I thought the PHEV money had been stricken. Hey, it's nice to be wrong. While the 35 mpg number won't kick in until 2020, the bill mandates changes starting with the 2011 model year. My, that's soon.
========== AutoblogGreen.com

PHEVs are a reality, only not in large scale production yet. There is a thriving business in converting the Prius and other makes from hybrid to PHEV. = TG

Labels: auto, Bush, CAFE, hybrid, hybrids, law, mpg, President Bush, sign

This is the interesting end part of a CBC article about the woes of American auto makers and future plans.

cbc.ca/news/background/autos/bigthree.html

Will GM and Ford be able to turn it around? The automakers, of course, say yes. Analysts say they'll need to chop vehicles, models or brands that are unprofitable (much as GM announced the phase-out of its Oldsmobile brand in 2000). They'll also need to modernize an outdated dealer network and boost investment in their remaining plants and products.

As part of that investment, GM announced a $2.5 billion program in March 2005 to upgrade plants and boost research and development in Ontario. In November 2005, DaimlerChrysler said it would invest $768 million to upgrade and modernize its Ontario operations.

======= Gradually, ever so gradually ===== TG

And, as industry aficionados gathered in Detroit for the 2007 North American International Auto Show, GM announced it was working on a lithium-ion battery that would significantly boost the gas mileage of hybrid sport utility vehicles. GM's Saturn Vue Green Line gets about 13.5 kilometres per litre on the highway. The new battery could more than double that to 30.

=== Li is misleading =meaning, pay royalty to large format NiMH patent holder, Chevron? See TonyGuitar.blogspot.com === TG
Update While Chevron holds the *large format* NiMH patents for North America, Exxon-Mobile make the Lithium Ion seperator film,[like a thin white plastic], backbone of the Lithium battery. Exxon-Mobile $39 billion$ *06 profit.

Meanwhile, Canadian and American automotive journalists chose Saturn's Aura and Chevrolet's Silverado as the car and truck of year. The Aura beat the Honda Fit and Toyota Camry for the award. The Silverado was picked over the Ford Edge and Mazda CX-7 crossovers.

The honours have been handed out annually since 1994. Japanese and European brands have taken top marks seven times. With this year's wins, North American carmakers have also come out on top seven times.

=== Hint, buy American. Malibu, Impala and Cobalt are good value.= TG

Labels: auto, battery, electric vehicle, future, GM, hybrid, new, NiMH

Is government ready for EV [Electric Vehicle] Era?

New super power cells like the ones being developed by Eestor will usher in the new EV era of quiet reliable and non-polluting transport. The EV wave is well under way.

http://TonyGuitar.blogspot.com

Big oil and Big auto did lobby the US government to reverse stringent California emission standards in 1993. The result was all of GM*s EV-1 leased Evs were recalled and crushed at a secure GM site in Arizona.

Dilemma: Above all, Canadian and US governments want to be re-elected.

Has government looked ahead and developed a tax income model for Evs that will provide the huge cash flows that oil and gas provide for government today? Not much room for that when 8 cents of hydro power pays for 250 km of travel.

Has government thought up a transition plan for the massive unemployment coming in the oil and gas distribution and auto-mechanical manufacturing sectors?

Government re-election is very doubtful if future plans are not carefully designed and carried out.
This future planning for Evs is an urgent priority for many reasons, not the least of which is removing the fire from a fast moving terrorist movement financed through oil revenues to

http://tinyurl.com/yk3hgb

countries like Iran, Pakistan , Saudi-Arabia, Indonesia, and soon, Venezuela.

Oilwars.blogspot.com

Labels: auto, battery, car, electric vehicle, EV, hybrid, hydrogen, power