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GM investing $325 million at MI plant for electric vehicle component production

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GM Warren plant

General Motors has announced that it will invest $325 million to support new electric vehicle component production at its plant in Warren, Michigan. Currently, the plant's 679 employees build transmissions for the Lambda family of crossovers - the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia - as well as the Chevrolet Malibu sedan. This new investment is expected to create or retain 418 jobs.

In its official statement, GM is vague about saying exactly what will be produced at the Warren facility. According to manufacturing manager Gerald Johnson:

"While we aren't sharing many details about this product, I can tell you that this investment demonstrates how GM, working with our UAW partners, continues to innovate and bring new electrification solutions to our customers."

As of this writing, timing of the new project has not been disclosed. Hit the jump for GM's official release.

Continue reading GM investing $325 million at MI plant for electric vehicle component production

GM investing $325 million at MI plant for electric vehicle component production originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM investing $325 million at MI plant for electric vehicle component production

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GM Warren plant

General Motors has announced that it will invest $325 million to support new electric vehicle component production at its plant in Warren, Michigan. Currently, the plant's 679 employees build transmissions for the Lambda family of crossovers - the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia - as well as the Chevrolet Malibu sedan. This new investment is expected to create or retain 418 jobs.

In its official statement, GM is vague about saying exactly what will be produced at the Warren facility. According to manufacturing manager Gerald Johnson:

"While we aren't sharing many details about this product, I can tell you that this investment demonstrates how GM, working with our UAW partners, continues to innovate and bring new electrification solutions to our customers."

As of this writing, timing of the new project has not been disclosed. Hit the jump for GM's official release.

Continue reading GM investing $325 million at MI plant for electric vehicle component production

GM investing $325 million at MI plant for electric vehicle component production originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bright Automotive to build van in former Hummer plant

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The production lines at the AM General Corp factory in Mishawaka, Indiana used to crank out the Hummer H2. Now they're set to produce a vehicle that may not quite have the same intimidation factor, but does have a high degree of practicality. In the process, about 300 workers could find new jobs.

Bright Automotive has annouced an agreement to use the plant to produce their IDEA plug-in hybrid cargo van. The IDEA is expected to deliver about 40 miles on electricity, then switch over to gasoline power, giving the delivery van a range similar to that of the Chevy Volt. However, Bright expects the IDEA to do even better than the Volt when running on gas, returning about 40mpg.

However, the agreement that Bright announced is only one step in the process. The company is still seeking funding, including a loan from the Department of Energy, along with tax abatements from the local county.

As a light commercial van, the IDEA could be an ideal solution for delivery routes, vending service, catering... any number of situations where such vans are used. Bright is also expecting to sell a number of its vans to state and local governments. AM General already has some experience assembling electric vehicles. Its Michigan plant assembles the EV version of the Ford Transit Connect van, which is the IDEA's direct competitor.

Bright Automotive to build van in former Hummer plant originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bright Automotive to build van in former Hummer plant

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The production lines at the AM General Corp factory in Mishawaka, Indiana used to crank out the Hummer H2. Now they're set to produce a vehicle that may not quite have the same intimidation factor, but does have a high degree of practicality. In the process, about 300 workers could find new jobs.

Bright Automotive has annouced an agreement to use the plant to produce their IDEA plug-in hybrid cargo van. The IDEA is expected to deliver about 40 miles on electricity, then switch over to gasoline power, giving the delivery van a range similar to that of the Chevy Volt. However, Bright expects the IDEA to do even better than the Volt when running on gas, returning about 40mpg.

However, the agreement that Bright announced is only one step in the process. The company is still seeking funding, including a loan from the Department of Energy, along with tax abatements from the local county.

As a light commercial van, the IDEA could be an ideal solution for delivery routes, vending service, catering... any number of situations where such vans are used. Bright is also expecting to sell a number of its vans to state and local governments. AM General already has some experience assembling electric vehicles. Its Michigan plant assembles the EV version of the Ford Transit Connect van, which is the IDEA's direct competitor.

Bright Automotive to build van in former Hummer plant originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Phoenix Roadster weaves bamboo into biodegradable vehicle

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Bamboo offers plenty of advantages over traditional manufacturing materials. Besides being a fast-growing plant that can be produced in a range of environments, bamboo can be impressively strong and rigid. Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue and German product designer Albercht Birkner have teamed up to create a new concept that aims to explore the possibilities of bamboo in modern vehicle manufacturing. The Phoenix Bamboo Car is hewn from bamboo, steel and nylon, and it took the concept's workers 10 days to complete the vehicle's assembly.

The shell is woven to maintain the appearance of a leaf, and the designers say that the average life span of the project is projected to be around five years. That may seem short, but the designers say that the time period is approximately how long current car owners keep a vehicle.

The project does seem to have some details to sort out, however. We shudder to think of the overall environmental product impact of out-right replacing a vehicle every five years instead of allowing it to soldier on in the used market, and there are certainly safety concerns to be weighed as well. Still, the Phoenix Bamboo Car is a beautiful design, and we certainly wouldn't mind seeing manufacturers use a higher volume of renewable materials in their products.

Phoenix Roadster weaves bamboo into biodegradable vehicle originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Phoenix Roadster weaves bamboo into biodegradable vehicle

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Bamboo offers plenty of advantages over traditional manufacturing materials. Besides being a fast-growing plant that can be produced in a range of environments, bamboo can be impressively strong and rigid. Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue and German product designer Albercht Birkner have teamed up to create a new concept that aims to explore the possibilities of bamboo in modern vehicle manufacturing. The Phoenix Bamboo Car is hewn from bamboo, steel and nylon, and it took the concept's workers 10 days to complete the vehicle's assembly.

The shell is woven to maintain the appearance of a leaf, and the designers say that the average life span of the project is projected to be around five years. That may seem short, but the designers say that the time period is approximately how long current car owners keep a vehicle.

The project does seem to have some details to sort out, however. We shudder to think of the overall environmental product impact of out-right replacing a vehicle every five years instead of allowing it to soldier on in the used market, and there are certainly safety concerns to be weighed as well. Still, the Phoenix Bamboo Car is a beautiful design, and we certainly wouldn't mind seeing manufacturers use a higher volume of renewable materials in their products.

Phoenix Roadster weaves bamboo into biodegradable vehicle originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smith Electric will build EV trucks in New York, files $125m IPO

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Smith Electric Vehicles is making moves. Following a formal IPO submission to the SEC (complete with many pretty color pictures), the electric truck manufacturer announced it will build the all-electric trucks in a most unlikely place: New York City. Specifically, the Bronx.

Smith expects to create up to 100 jobs there to build the Newton by the time production starts in the second half of 2012. The truck has a range of up to 150 miles and Smith says it has, "an average annual operating cost that is one-third to one-half that of conventional diesel trucks with comparable gross vehicle weights." Smith is also happy to mention state plug-in incentive "vouchers of up to $20,000 per vehicle," but it doesn't list prices for the Newton on its website (at least, not that we could find). The truck is available with different-size battery packs. The New York location will be Smith's second in the U.S., and "will not affect production or job levels at Smith's headquarters in Kansas City, MO." Smith has already sold trucks to the U.S. Marines, Staples, AT&T and more.

As for that IPO, Smith is looking to raise $125 million. That is ambitious, especially considering that the company missed its 2011 sales targets. It originally said it would sell 1,000 vehicles this year, but the company's SEC filing clearly states that, "Over the twelve months ended September 30, 2011, we sold 320 vehicles, and as of October 31, 2011 we have an order backlog of 120 vehicles and have allocated nearly all of our estimated 540 production slots through July 2012." So, not quite 1,000, but also not quite zero.

Continue reading Smith Electric will build EV trucks in New York, files $125m IPO

Smith Electric will build EV trucks in New York, files $125m IPO originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smith Electric will build EV trucks in New York, files $125m IPO

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Smith Electric Vehicles is making moves. Following a formal IPO submission to the SEC (complete with many pretty color pictures), the electric truck manufacturer announced it will build the all-electric trucks in a most unlikely place: New York City. Specifically, the Bronx.

Smith expects to create up to 100 jobs there to build the Newton by the time production starts in the second half of 2012. The truck has a range of up to 150 miles and Smith says it has, "an average annual operating cost that is one-third to one-half that of conventional diesel trucks with comparable gross vehicle weights." Smith is also happy to mention state plug-in incentive "vouchers of up to $20,000 per vehicle," but it doesn't list prices for the Newton on its website (at least, not that we could find). The truck is available with different-size battery packs. The New York location will be Smith's second in the U.S., and "will not affect production or job levels at Smith's headquarters in Kansas City, MO." Smith has already sold trucks to the U.S. Marines, Staples, AT&T and more.

As for that IPO, Smith is looking to raise $125 million. That is ambitious, especially considering that the company missed its 2011 sales targets. It originally said it would sell 1,000 vehicles this year, but the company's SEC filing clearly states that, "Over the twelve months ended September 30, 2011, we sold 320 vehicles, and as of October 31, 2011 we have an order backlog of 120 vehicles and have allocated nearly all of our estimated 540 production slots through July 2012." So, not quite 1,000, but also not quite zero.

Continue reading Smith Electric will build EV trucks in New York, files $125m IPO

Smith Electric will build EV trucks in New York, files $125m IPO originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carlos Ghosn says Nissan Leaf is a top priority

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nissan leaf production

After the devastating earthquake in Japan earlier this year, what was at the top of Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn's list of things to do? Make sure production of the all-electric Leaf got back on track.

This important point was revealed in an article in the New York Times about Ghosn's recent talk in New York about the five big crises that recently caused various amounts of trouble for the automaker. In no particular order, they are the earthquake/tsunami, flooding in Thailand, economic troubles in both the U.S. and Europe and a yen that is too strong.

Two ways that Nissan is making sure the Leaf will be better isolated from future crises is that the EV will be built in both the U.S. and the UK. Ghosn also wants a cheaper Leaf, telling the Times, "But the batteries [for EVs] are still too heavy and expensive. The evolution of the battery is extremely important for development in the 21st century." Since a Leaf produced around the world would be protected against economic and environmental trouble in any one area and because it is also immune to fluctuations in gas prices, Ghosn called it, "the anti-crisis weapon." That, my friends, could be the start of a meme.

Carlos Ghosn says Nissan Leaf is a top priority originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carlos Ghosn says Nissan Leaf is a top priority

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nissan leaf production

After the devastating earthquake in Japan earlier this year, what was at the top of Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn's list of things to do? Make sure production of the all-electric Leaf got back on track.

This important point was revealed in an article in the New York Times about Ghosn's recent talk in New York about the five big crises that recently caused various amounts of trouble for the automaker. In no particular order, they are the earthquake/tsunami, flooding in Thailand, economic troubles in both the U.S. and Europe and a yen that is too strong.

Two ways that Nissan is making sure the Leaf will be better isolated from future crises is that the EV will be built in both the U.S. and the UK. Ghosn also wants a cheaper Leaf, telling the Times, "But the batteries [for EVs] are still too heavy and expensive. The evolution of the battery is extremely important for development in the 21st century." Since a Leaf produced around the world would be protected against economic and environmental trouble in any one area and because it is also immune to fluctuations in gas prices, Ghosn called it, "the anti-crisis weapon." That, my friends, could be the start of a meme.

Carlos Ghosn says Nissan Leaf is a top priority originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ducks live in reused Chevy Volt battery covers and other intersting tidbits from GM

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gm plant grand blanc

It's Turkey Day here in the U.S., so why not a post about ducks? Well, a post that mentions ducks, at least.

It turns out that old Chevy Volt battery covers are being reused as wood duck nesting boxes at GM's Milford, MI Proving Ground. That's just one of the wildlife-friendly tidbits that GM talks about in its announcement that six new GM facilities have been given Wildlife Habitat Council certification "for creating or enhancing wildlife habitats on their grounds." This puts GM's total at 21, which it says is the most among all automakers.

Here are more examples of GM new efforts to make little creatures happy on places where it does the dirty work of producing vehicles: nesting boxes for Eastern Blue Birds have been installed at the Arlington, TX Assembly plant; trees have been planted and local school children helped "creating habitats for amphibians and small mammals" at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario and lots of educational programs have taken place at various sites. You can see the full list after the jump. Now, go enjoy that bird.

Continue reading Ducks live in reused Chevy Volt battery covers and other intersting tidbits from GM

Ducks live in reused Chevy Volt battery covers and other intersting tidbits from GM originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ducks live in reused Chevy Volt battery covers and other intersting tidbits from GM

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gm plant grand blanc

It's Turkey Day here in the U.S., so why not a post about ducks? Well, a post that mentions ducks, at least.

It turns out that old Chevy Volt battery covers are being reused as wood duck nesting boxes at GM's Milford, MI Proving Ground. That's just one of the wildlife-friendly tidbits that GM talks about in its announcement that six new GM facilities have been given Wildlife Habitat Council certification "for creating or enhancing wildlife habitats on their grounds." This puts GM's total at 21, which it says is the most among all automakers.

Here are more examples of GM new efforts to make little creatures happy on places where it does the dirty work of producing vehicles: nesting boxes for Eastern Blue Birds have been installed at the Arlington, TX Assembly plant; trees have been planted and local school children helped "creating habitats for amphibians and small mammals" at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario and lots of educational programs have taken place at various sites. You can see the full list after the jump. Now, go enjoy that bird.

Continue reading Ducks live in reused Chevy Volt battery covers and other intersting tidbits from GM

Ducks live in reused Chevy Volt battery covers and other intersting tidbits from GM originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trust says Old GM shorted property cleanup funds by $13.5M

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General MotorsA special trust called RACER was created last year to clean up 89 contaminated sites left behind by the old General Motors in 14 states. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, GM was meant to provide $625.2 million (an earlier report in the Detroit News indicated $773 million) to pay for cleaning, and did so with with $49.9 million in cash and the balance in Treasury Bonds.

Those Treasury Bonds should have been worth $575.3 million, but a lawyer for the RACER trust says they were only worth $561.8 million when they were remitted to the trust. That's a $13.5 million gap that the trust would like filled, and it is asking the judge to compel Motors Liquidation (old GM) to hand over the money, or to take that money from remaining Motors Liquidation assets and place it in escrow by December 11.

The bonds have become more valuable since they were given to the trust, but the trust's lawyers maintain that current value has no bearing on the amount they were due as stated in the judge's ruling. Motors Liquidation is trying to dissolve by December 15, and at this point it isn't clear if it even has the $13.5 million, or the inclination to pay.

Trust says Old GM shorted property cleanup funds by $13.5M originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trust says Old GM shorted property cleanup funds by $13.5M

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General MotorsA special trust called RACER was created last year to clean up 89 contaminated sites left behind by the old General Motors in 14 states. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, GM was meant to provide $625.2 million (an earlier report in the Detroit News indicated $773 million) to pay for cleaning, and did so with with $49.9 million in cash and the balance in Treasury Bonds.

Those Treasury Bonds should have been worth $575.3 million, but a lawyer for the RACER trust says they were only worth $561.8 million when they were remitted to the trust. That's a $13.5 million gap that the trust would like filled, and it is asking the judge to compel Motors Liquidation (old GM) to hand over the money, or to take that money from remaining Motors Liquidation assets and place it in escrow by December 11.

The bonds have become more valuable since they were given to the trust, but the trust's lawyers maintain that current value has no bearing on the amount they were due as stated in the judge's ruling. Motors Liquidation is trying to dissolve by December 15, and at this point it isn't clear if it even has the $13.5 million, or the inclination to pay.

Trust says Old GM shorted property cleanup funds by $13.5M originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM gets garbage out of Fort Wayne plant by putting it right back in

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The details of exactly how clean car manufacturing facilities are in the U.S. are, to be honest, not entirely clear. Claims of being "landfill free" or "zero waste" seem pretty easy to throw out there, but there is bit of a grey area with these terms since some companies burn some waste to create energy, which doesn't seem to be in the spirit of leaving behind literally no waste.

With that being said, let's look at GM's new announcement that its Fort Wayne Assembly Plant, which is where the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks are built, is the company's "first U.S. landfill-free assembly plant." GM says this designation means that Fort Wayne Assembly "reuse(s), recycle(s) or convert(s) to energy all the waste created in its daily operations." One cool way this happens is that pads that soak up oil and water are not only used multiple times but are, when they just can't do it any more, captain, turned into air deflectors used in the Silverados and Sierras. Packaging materials are recycled into headliners, too.

All told, GM says it has 79 "landfill-free" manufacturing facilities around the world. We'll be more impressed when automakers start touting their "zero virgin products" and "100 percent renewable energy" facilities. The Fort Wayne efforts are steps in the right direction, though, that's for sure.

Continue reading GM gets garbage out of Fort Wayne plant by putting it right back in

GM gets garbage out of Fort Wayne plant by putting it right back in originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM gets garbage out of Fort Wayne plant by putting it right back in

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The details of exactly how clean car manufacturing facilities are in the U.S. are, to be honest, not entirely clear. Claims of being "landfill free" or "zero waste" seem pretty easy to throw out there, but there is bit of a grey area with these terms since some companies burn some waste to create energy, which doesn't seem to be in the spirit of leaving behind literally no waste.

With that being said, let's look at GM's new announcement that its Fort Wayne Assembly Plant, which is where the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks are built, is the company's "first U.S. landfill-free assembly plant." GM says this designation means that Fort Wayne Assembly "reuse(s), recycle(s) or convert(s) to energy all the waste created in its daily operations." One cool way this happens is that pads that soak up oil and water are not only used multiple times but are, when they just can't do it any more, captain, turned into air deflectors used in the Silverados and Sierras. Packaging materials are recycled into headliners, too.

All told, GM says it has 79 "landfill-free" manufacturing facilities around the world. We'll be more impressed when automakers start touting their "zero virgin products" and "100 percent renewable energy" facilities. The Fort Wayne efforts are steps in the right direction, though, that's for sure.

Continue reading GM gets garbage out of Fort Wayne plant by putting it right back in

GM gets garbage out of Fort Wayne plant by putting it right back in originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW's Chattanooga plant awarded LEED Platinum status

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Today, Volkswagen's manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, TN was officially named a Platinum LEED-certified facility. This makes VW the first automaker to reach the notoriously difficult highest level of LEED certification.

Situated on a former brownfield site, VW's Chattanooga plant is where the new 2012 Passat (aka Motor Trend's 2012 Car of the Year) is built. The facility was clearly designed from the ground up to have as little environmental impact as possible. To name just a few examples, the factory roof collects rainwater that is used to flush toilets, floor tiles are made out of recycled glass bottles and the LED lights in the parking lot contribute minimal light pollution. Oh, and there are many, many robots at work here. That may not be specifically green, but it is impressive.

We will soon post a detailed report from Chattanooga on the efforts that VW made to seriously green up the way it build cars - and how what it learned in Tennessee will be put into action around the globe. Until then, you can learn all about LEED certification for new buildings in this PDF from the U.S. Green Building Council and read VW's PR after the jump.

Continue reading VW's Chattanooga plant awarded LEED Platinum status

VW's Chattanooga plant awarded LEED Platinum status originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW's Chattanooga plant awarded LEED Platinum status

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volkswagen chattanooga plant

Today, Volkswagen's manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, TN was officially named a Platinum LEED-certified facility. This makes VW the first automaker to reach the notoriously difficult highest level of LEED certification.

Situated on a former brownfield site, VW's Chattanooga plant is where the new 2012 Passat (aka Motor Trend's 2012 Car of the Year) is built. The facility was clearly designed from the ground up to have as little environmental impact as possible. To name just a few examples, the factory roof collects rainwater that is used to flush toilets, floor tiles are made out of recycled glass bottles and the LED lights in the parking lot contribute minimal light pollution. Oh, and there are many, many robots at work here. That may not be specifically green, but it is impressive.

We will soon post a detailed report from Chattanooga on the efforts that VW made to seriously green up the way it build cars - and how what it learned in Tennessee will be put into action around the globe. Until then, you can learn all about LEED certification for new buildings in this PDF from the U.S. Green Building Council and read VW's PR after the jump.

Continue reading VW's Chattanooga plant awarded LEED Platinum status

VW's Chattanooga plant awarded LEED Platinum status originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen justifiably proud of LEED Platinum status in Chattanooga

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vw chattanooga plant robot

Nestled in the hills outside Chattanooga, TN squats a large, brand new Volkswagen plant. Fresh and shiny, the collection of buildings houses the people and robots that turn delivered parts and materials into brand-new 2012 Passats, the first of which was just sold to a young man in the tech industry in California. VW is having good success with the sedan, with year-to-date sales up nearly 60 percent over 2010 numbers. But this story isn't about the cars. It's about the building that makes the cars.

VW recently announced that its Chattanooga plant was awarded LEED Platinum certification. Building or retrofitting a building to get LEED status isn't all that difficult, if you're just aiming for a lower-level award. To reach the highest level, Platinum, you need to put in a fair bit of work to score enough points (at least 80) on the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) rating system. This system (detailed in this PDF) is incredibly complicated. For example, a company can get one point for limiting "disruption and pollution of natural water flows by managing stormwater runoff" or two points for reducing "ozone depletion and support[ing] early compliance with the Montreal Protocol while minimizing direct contributions to climate change." There are 117 pages of this stuff. While planning the plant, Volkwagen's team combed through them to find ways to make sure the plant would be up to snuff.

VW isn't the only automotive player in the LEED game in the U.S. Honda has 11 certified "green buildings" in North America, the most of any automaker, and companies like Audi and Toyota encourage dealers to get the LEED out. But VW can be justifiably proud of the accomplishment in Tennessee, since the facility is the "only automotive manufacturing plant in the world to receive the Platinum certification."

Continue reading Volkswagen justifiably proud of LEED Platinum status in Chattanooga

Volkswagen justifiably proud of LEED Platinum status in Chattanooga originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen justifiably proud of LEED Platinum status in Chattanooga

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vw chattanooga plant robot

Nestled in the hills outside Chattanooga, TN squats a large, brand new Volkswagen plant. Fresh and shiny, the collection of buildings houses the people and robots that turn delivered parts and materials into brand-new 2012 Passats, the first of which was just sold to a young man in the tech industry in California. VW is having good success with the sedan, with year-to-date sales up nearly 60 percent over 2010 numbers. But this story isn't about the cars. It's about the building that makes the cars.

VW recently announced that its Chattanooga plant was awarded LEED Platinum certification. Building or retrofitting a building to get LEED status isn't all that difficult, if you're just aiming for a lower-level award. To reach the highest level, Platinum, you need to put in a fair bit of work to score enough points (at least 80) on the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) rating system. This system (detailed in this PDF) is incredibly complicated. For example, a company can get one point for limiting "disruption and pollution of natural water flows by managing stormwater runoff" or two points for reducing "ozone depletion and support[ing] early compliance with the Montreal Protocol while minimizing direct contributions to climate change." There are 117 pages of this stuff. While planning the plant, Volkwagen's team combed through them to find ways to make sure the plant would be up to snuff.

VW isn't the only automotive player in the LEED game in the U.S. Honda has 11 certified "green buildings" in North America, the most of any automaker, and companies like Audi and Toyota encourage dealers to get the LEED out. But VW can be justifiably proud of the accomplishment in Tennessee, since the facility is the "only automotive manufacturing plant in the world to receive the Platinum certification."

Continue reading Volkswagen justifiably proud of LEED Platinum status in Chattanooga

Volkswagen justifiably proud of LEED Platinum status in Chattanooga originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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