Is Fisker really going to make 60 Karmas a day next year?

December 23, 2011, 5:26 am

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Fisker

There are some numbers about the Fisker Karma we're already well aware of: it gets 112 mpg (according to the TÜV) and 52 MPGe or 20 mpg in charge sustaining mode (if you go by the EPA's numbers). The company has said it will make 15,000 of the luxury plug-in hybrids in 2012, but there are a few numbers that we'd like to know more about. Specifically, early sales numbers. Do they match up?

According to BusinessWeek, Fisker has sent 225 Karmas to its dealers so far and there are another 1,200 "in the pipeline." That's far less than the 3,000 Karmas that the company said in September that it would deliver by the end of 2011. Henrik Fisker told BusinessWeek, that the company is currently making 25 Karmas a day, with a target of 60 a day next year. If we assume that would mean 60 new cars every weekday, that'd be 15,600 Karmas built in 2012, which would be pretty much on target. Now, does that seem possible or likley or reasonable to you?

Is Fisker really going to make 60 Karmas a day next year? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Fisker really going to make 60 Karmas a day next year?

December 23, 2011, 5:26 am

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Fisker

There are some numbers about the Fisker Karma we're already well aware of: it gets 112 mpg (according to the TÜV) and 52 MPGe or 20 mpg in charge sustaining mode (if you go by the EPA's numbers). The company has said it will make 15,000 of the luxury plug-in hybrids in 2012, but there are a few numbers that we'd like to know more about. Specifically, early sales numbers. Do they match up?

According to BusinessWeek, Fisker has sent 225 Karmas to its dealers so far and there are another 1,200 "in the pipeline." That's far less than the 3,000 Karmas that the company said in September that it would deliver by the end of 2011. Henrik Fisker told BusinessWeek, that the company is currently making 25 Karmas a day, with a target of 60 a day next year. If we assume that would mean 60 new cars every weekday, that'd be 15,600 Karmas built in 2012, which would be pretty much on target. Now, does that seem possible or likley or reasonable to you?

Is Fisker really going to make 60 Karmas a day next year? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW promises 25% cleaner manufacturing around the world by 2018

December 29, 2011, 11:31 am

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Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Volkswagen

When we visited Volkswagen's manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, TN a while back, we were told it would be model for other company plants around the world. That's just what an announcement today puts into effect.

Expanding on its "Bluemotion" tagline for its more efficient vehicles, VW's cleaner factory initiative is called "Think Blue. Factory." The target numbers are as follows: by 2018, the "environmental impact" of every VW plant will be reduced by 25 percent compared to, we think, 2010 numbers. What does "environmental impact" mean? VW says it especially includes "energy consumption [in megawatt-hours per vehicle produced], waste volumes, air-borne emissions, water consumption and carbon dioxide emissions" and that the numbers will be measured, it seems, by pooling all "environmental activities" at VW plants around the globe.

The change isn't being done out of a simple bit of kindness to the earth. Instead, Werner Neubauer, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand with responsibility for Components, said in a statement that, "sustainable, efficient production is a clear competitive advantage." It could also be fun, as the Volkswagen Energy Cup will have an annual "Think Blue. Factory." day in the coming years. Considering that VW has it heart set on big goals - to be the world's number one automaker, for example - reaching them in a less environmentally impacting way is a good thing.

Continue reading VW promises 25% cleaner manufacturing around the world by 2018

VW promises 25% cleaner manufacturing around the world by 2018 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW promises 25% cleaner manufacturing around the world by 2018

December 29, 2011, 11:31 am

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Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Volkswagen

When we visited Volkswagen's manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, TN a while back, we were told it would be model for other company plants around the world. That's just what an announcement today puts into effect.

Expanding on its "Bluemotion" tagline for its more efficient vehicles, VW's cleaner factory initiative is called "Think Blue. Factory." The target numbers are as follows: by 2018, the "environmental impact" of every VW plant will be reduced by 25 percent compared to, we think, 2010 numbers. What does "environmental impact" mean? VW says it especially includes "energy consumption [in megawatt-hours per vehicle produced], waste volumes, air-borne emissions, water consumption and carbon dioxide emissions" and that the numbers will be measured, it seems, by pooling all "environmental activities" at VW plants around the globe.

The change isn't being done out of a simple bit of kindness to the earth. Instead, Werner Neubauer, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand with responsibility for Components, said in a statement that, "sustainable, efficient production is a clear competitive advantage." It could also be fun, as the Volkswagen Energy Cup will have an annual "Think Blue. Factory." day in the coming years. Considering that VW has it heart set on big goals - to be the world's number one automaker, for example - reaching them in a less environmentally impacting way is a good thing.

Continue reading VW promises 25% cleaner manufacturing around the world by 2018

VW promises 25% cleaner manufacturing around the world by 2018 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford wants to dry up water use by 30% by 2015

January 2, 2012, 5:35 am

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Filed under: Etc., Manufacturing/Plants, Ford

There's a surprising amount of water in pretty much everything - first-gen biofuels, anyone? - and Ford thinks it makes sense to get some of that precious liquid out of the process of making vehicles. Thirty percent, to be exact.

That's the target that Ford recently set for global water reduction, per vehicle, by 2015. It's just the latest in a reduction effort that has been going on since 2000, when the company started its Global Water Management Initiative. Ford claims it's already reduced the water used per vehicle by 49 percent between that year and 2010. The 30 percent reduction target is going to be compared to the company's 2009 levels.

How does the water get cut? By using something called Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) machining (aka dry-machining) and by paying special attention to ways to treat and reuse "wastewater," to cite two examples Ford offers. Dry-machining, "lubricates the cutting tool with a very small amount of oil sprayed directly on the tip in a finely atomized mist, instead of with a large quantity of coolant/water mixture." The end result? Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water that don't need to be sent through a Ford factory.

When looked at overall, Ford cut its water use by 62 percent between 2000 and 2010, which equals 10.5 billion gallons. That number can be looked at in a number of ways, including the amount in 15,909 Olympic pools, a billion five-minutes showers and other quirky comparisons that are available after the jump.

Continue reading Ford wants to dry up water use by 30% by 2015

Ford wants to dry up water use by 30% by 2015 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford wants to dry up water use by 30% by 2015

January 2, 2012, 5:35 am

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Filed under: Etc., Manufacturing/Plants, Ford

There's a surprising amount of water in pretty much everything - first-gen biofuels, anyone? - and Ford thinks it makes sense to get some of that precious liquid out of the process of making vehicles. Thirty percent, to be exact.

That's the target that Ford recently set for global water reduction, per vehicle, by 2015. It's just the latest in a reduction effort that has been going on since 2000, when the company started its Global Water Management Initiative. Ford claims it's already reduced the water used per vehicle by 49 percent between that year and 2010. The 30 percent reduction target is going to be compared to the company's 2009 levels.

How does the water get cut? By using something called Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) machining (aka dry-machining) and by paying special attention to ways to treat and reuse "wastewater," to cite two examples Ford offers. Dry-machining, "lubricates the cutting tool with a very small amount of oil sprayed directly on the tip in a finely atomized mist, instead of with a large quantity of coolant/water mixture." The end result? Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water that don't need to be sent through a Ford factory.

When looked at overall, Ford cut its water use by 62 percent between 2000 and 2010, which equals 10.5 billion gallons. That number can be looked at in a number of ways, including the amount in 15,909 Olympic pools, a billion five-minutes showers and other quirky comparisons that are available after the jump.

Continue reading Ford wants to dry up water use by 30% by 2015

Ford wants to dry up water use by 30% by 2015 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan will make four-cylinder engines for Mercedes' 'Baby Benz' in Tennessee

January 12, 2012, 6:54 am

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Filed under: Etc., Manufacturing/Plants, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Renault, Daimler

Nissan reached an agreement to make four-cylinder engines at its Tennessee plant for Mercedes-Benz, marking a continuation of a collaboration launched in 2010 between Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG and the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Nissan will start making four-cylinder powertrains for Mercedes-Benz starting in 2014 and will expand production to as many as 250,000 engines a year, Daimler said in a recent statement. The engines will be for Mercedes-Benz's North American C-Class vehicles, which will be built at Daimler's Alabama plant.

Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance began collaborating in 2010 that in a move that gave Daimler a 3.1 percent stake in Renault and Nissan and gave Renault-Nissan a 3.1 percent share of Daimler. That partnership includes combining design efforts for Daimler's Smart and Renault's Twingo two-seat vehicles. In addition, Daimler will supply batteries for the Twingo battery-electric vehicles, while Renault-Nissan is building electric motors for Smart's EVs.

Mercedes-Benz is expanding its efforts to make four-cylinder vehicles in order to meet progressively more stringent U.S. fuel-economy and greenhouse-gas emissions standards. Among the 14 largest vehicle makers in the U.S., Daimler had the second-worst fleetwide fuel economy to Chrysler for the 2010 model year, according to the U.S. environmental protection agency.

Continue reading Nissan will make four-cylinder engines for Mercedes' 'Baby Benz' in Tennessee

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Chevrolet introduces new Ecologic window sticker, coming first to Sonic

January 27, 2012, 10:45 am

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Filed under: Etc., Manufacturing/Plants, MPG, Chevrolet

At the Washington Auto Show today, Chevrolet introduced a sticker.

Okay, the new Ecologic environmental labels that will be coming to all new Chevy vehicles - starting with the 2013 Sonic - is a lot more than just an adhesive piece of paper. Last year, the EPA revamped its mileage stickers, and GM has realized that many people like more information about the environmental impact of the vehicle they may be buying. GM North America President Mark Reuss said at the show that, "Customers want companies to be honest and transparent about their environmental efforts and sustainability goals, and rightly so." This is why the information on the labels will be verified by the independent organization Two Tomorrows. The label campaign will be backed up with a website that includes "more information on the audit process and environmental features for each vehicle with an Ecologic label."

What's on the labels? Information about the car from its time "before," "on" and "after" the road. This means that environmentally friendly steps that GM uses in the manufacturing process (before), steps taken to improve fuel economy (on) and information on how much of the vehicle can be recycled at the end of its life (after). You can see a detailed example of the Sonic sticker by clicking on the picture above. Since Ecologic is going to be on all Chevy models, we'll admit we're interested to see how GM finds the eco side of the Camaro ZL1.

Continue reading Chevrolet introduces new Ecologic window sticker, coming first to Sonic

Chevrolet introduces new Ecologic window sticker, coming first to Sonic originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford will cut landfill waste, water use at Europe factories

February 1, 2012, 5:02 am

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Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Ford, Carbon Offset

Ford Motor Co. said it will cut landfill waste from its European factories by 70 percent and reduce water use by 30 percent within five years, all part of a plan the U.S. automaker has to cut its overall environmental footprint.

The water reduction alone - 1.3 billion liters a year, or about 1,100 liters per vehicle produced - will cut Ford's costs by about $3 million, the automaker said in a statement Tuesday. Meanwhile, each vehicle will generate about three pounds of landfill waste in 2016, down from about 11 pounds last year.

Ford is targeting factories in the UK, Spain, Germany and Belgium for such improvements. Ford of Europe has already cut landfill waste by 40 percent and water use by 37 percent in the past four years.

Earlier this month, General Motors put out its first sustainability report since emerging from bankruptcy in 2009 and said it met many of its goals to reduce its environmental impact and carbon footprint by cutting landfill use, boosting recycling efforts and reducing water use. Specifically, GM said more than 80 of its plants are landfill-free, while the automaker's factories recycle 92 percent of its waste.

Continue reading Ford will cut landfill waste, water use at Europe factories

Ford will cut landfill waste, water use at Europe factories originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fisker lays off employees, renegotiating with DOE on loans *UPDATE

February 7, 2012, 4:24 am

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Fisker

This isn't good. The Associated Press is reporting that Fisker Automotive has stopped production of the Fisker Karma (*UPDATE: Not true, says Fisker PR: "We are currently producing 20-25 Karmas a day and will continue to do so.") and laid off 26 Delaware employees and 40 contractors in California. The carmaker is reportedly looking to conserve cash while attempting to renegotiate loans granted by the Department of Energy. *UPDATE: We have gotten a statement from Fisker about the situation, which you can find after the jump. The Karma is not mentioned, just work on the Delaware plant, which is supposed to one day build the Nina.

Fisker originally signed on for a $529 million loan, of which only $193 million has been received. Fisker reportedly cannot get at the remaining funds, which are earmarked for the delayed Nina project, because the automaker failed to meet Karma sales targets that were a condition of the loan. A few days ago, Fisker lowered its sales expectations for the $100,000 Karma to a still very lofty 10,000 units in 2012.

Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher told the AP that the automaker is hoping for a speedy resolution to its cash crunch. We hope so too, or Fisker could be in a heap of trouble.

Continue reading Fisker lays off employees, renegotiating with DOE on loans *UPDATE

Fisker lays off employees, renegotiating with DOE on loans *UPDATE originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM shutting down Chevy Volt production for five weeks

March 2, 2012, 2:10 pm

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Chevrolet

Even with the new HOV-eligible 2012 Chevrolet Volt models heading to California and sales up in February, General Motors has reportedly decided to shut down production of the plug-in hybrid for five weeks because of overall sluggish sales. With a 150-day supply of Volts sitting on dealer lots around the country, this shut down will temporarily lay off 1,300 employees.

What's perhaps even more interesting is that this shut down comes after a lengthy "holiday" retooling break that only ended in early February. The upcoming shut down is scheduled to last from March 19 to April 23. As a GM spokesman told MLive, "We're matching our production levels with demand and building to market."

GM shutting down Chevy Volt production for five weeks originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen will invest more than $55 billion to cut vehicle, factory emissions

March 6, 2012, 10:56 am

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Manufacturing/Plants, Volkswagen

Volkswagen AG announced this week that it will spend more than $55 billion over the next four years reducing carbon emissions from both its vehicles and factories, as the German automaker looks to increase sales by boosting its credibility as an environmentally friendly vehicle maker. You can see the beginnings of this plan in the company's Chattanooga plant, which we visited late last year.

VW said that "well over two thirds" of the 62.4 billion euros ($82.5 billion U.S. at current exchange rates) it will invest through 2016 will be earmarked towards making more fuel-efficient vehicles as well as more ecologically friendly factories worldwide. The company, which unveiled its plan at the Geneva Motor Show this week, estimated that its 2015 model-year vehicles will, on average, have 30 percent lower emissions than the 2006 model-year vehicles, and that each new generation of a model will boost fuel efficiency by at least 10 percent compared to the previous version.

In addition to vehicle improvements, VW wants to cut factory-generated greenhouse-gas emissions by 40 percent by the end of the decade, and will invest about $800 million on renewable-energy sources like wind, solar and hydroelectric.

Volkswagen made the announcement as it starts sales if its Up! supermini vehicle in Europe, and is showing off four variations of that model in Geneva this week. The automaker hasn't announced any plans to sell the model in the U.S. Last month, VW started testing a battery-electric version of its Golf hatchback in the San Francisco Bay Area while announcing plans to sell a Golf plug-in hybrid in 2015. VW will unveil a Golf PHEV concept vehicle at the Paris Motor Show this September, according to Plug In Cars.

For the 2010 model year, the most recent year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released fleetwide fuel-economy statistics for, VW's U.S. fleet averaged 24.6 miles per gallon, the third-best among the 14 largest vehicle makers in the U.S. market.

Continue reading Volkswagen will invest more than $55 billion to cut vehicle, factory emissions

Volkswagen will invest more than $55 billion to cut vehicle, factory emissions originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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America's RV capitol rebounds but number of Think EV workers drops to just two

March 7, 2012, 4:44 pm

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Th!nk (Think)

Remember when the U.S. capital of RV production, Elkhart, IN was going to escape the doldrums that the decline of the motor home industry brought on by shifting over to building electric cars? Not so fast. As NPR reports, rising demand for RVs has helped boost employment in Elkhart, IN, while the number of workers at the factory building Think electric vehicles has dwindled to just two.

The town has benefited from RV sales that jumped more than 60 percent between 2009 and 2011 to about 250,000 units. Such increased demand has helped offset the effect of the failure of Think, whose parent company went bankrupt. Think at one time estimated that it would employ more than 400 people in Elkhart, which is about 150 miles north of Indianapolis and had an unemployment rate of about 20 percent when Think first announced its plans to make EVs there. When we visited in late 2010, things were looking so positive.

Think only reached a peak of 25 workers and is now down to two. There are about 120 Think EVs sitting at the Elkhart factory, with another 32 in various stages of completion, according to NPR.

Norway-based Think went bankrupt last June despite the fact that it had received a $118.5 million grant from the federal government. That bankruptcy helped drive investor and lithium-ion battery maker Ener1 into bankruptcy in late January. That company said in late February that it would emerge from bankruptcy this month.

America's RV capitol rebounds but number of Think EV workers drops to just two originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan will double Tennessee workers for Leaf, battery-pack ramp-up

March 9, 2012, 4:52 am

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Nissan

Nissan will almost double the number of workers at its factory in Smyrna, TN, within the next year in part to ramp up production of both Nissan Leaf electric vehicles and battery packs, HybridCars reports.

Nissan will add 1,300 workers specifically for the battery packs and for the Leafs, which will start being built in the U.S. later this year. The Japanese automaker has invested $1.7 billion upgrading the plant, which will include a 1.3-million-square-foot facility dedicated to making battery packs. In all, Nissan will employ about 6,000 at the factory by early next year.

With the improvements, Nissan's plant in Smyrna, about 25 miles southeast of Nashville, will be able to produce as many as 200,000 Leafs and 150,000 battery packs a year. Last month, Nissan sold 478 Leafs in the U.S., marking a sevenfold increase from a year earlier though down from the 676 Leafs sold in January. In 2011, Nissan sold 9,674 Leafs, slightly less than the company's target of 10,000 units for its first full year of U.S. sales.

Nissan will double Tennessee workers for Leaf, battery-pack ramp-up originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan will expand Leaf dealer network in Europe tenfold this year

March 12, 2012, 11:54 am

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Nissan, Europe/EU

Nissan will increase the number of European car dealers carrying Leaf electric vehicles tenfold - to 1,000 - by the end of the year and will sell the car in two dozen European markets by 2013, all part of the Japanese automaker's plan to boost Leaf sales overseas.

Nissan, which sells the Leaf in 14 European markets and will have 700 dealers selling the car by the end of April, will also install charging stations in all 1,000 European dealers and will give 400 quick-charging stations to various communities in an effort to broaden the EV-charging infrastructure throughout the continent. Such quick-chargers, which cost about 10,000 euros ($13,260 U.S. at today's exchange rate), can recharge a Leaf to 80 percent capacity in about a half hour.

Nissan will also start Leaf battery production in the U.K. by this June and will work with sister company Renault at developing a system where Leaf owners can resell their cars' batteries so that they can be used in a so-called "second life" as power-storage devices for the grid.

The company said earlier this week that it would almost double the number of workers at its Tennessee factory within the next year in part to accelerate production of both Nissan Leafs and battery packs. Last year, Nissan sold 9,674 Leafs in the U.S., just missing its target of 10,000 units for its first full year of domestic sales. Europe accounted for about 696,000 Nissan vehicle sales last year, or 15 percent of the 4.67 million vehicles the company sold worldwide in 2011.

Continue reading Nissan will expand Leaf dealer network in Europe tenfold this year

Nissan will expand Leaf dealer network in Europe tenfold this year originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lithium-ion battery costs to fall by a third by 2017 as demand jumps

March 16, 2012, 2:00 pm

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants

The cost for lithium-ion batteries used in electric-drive vehicles will fall by about a third between now and 2017 as battery-production technology improves, lithium supply increases and battery packs are sold in higher volumes, green-technology research firm Pike Research said in a report released this week.

Lithium-ion battery packs for electric vehicles will fall to an "installed price" of about $523 per kilowatt hour, Pike predicts. Meanwhile, the firm estimates that global revenue from lithium-ion batteries specifically used for transportation will jump to $14.6 billion in 2017, up from $2 billion last year.

"The market for Li-ion batteries will be driven primarily by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles, which require much larger battery packs than hybrids," said John Gartner, research director at Pike Research, in a statement.

Lithium-ion batteries present a classic chicken-or-egg issue with electric-vehicle adoption because battery costs need to decrease in order to yield the lower sticker prices that will entice more shoppers to consider buying EVs and hybrids. Conversely, battery packs need to be produced in high volumes in order to get costs to fall.

Even so, demand for electric-drive vehicles is expected to rise over the next few years as fuel prices increase and automakers offer a wider choice of plug-ins. Pike Research optimistically predicted last year that cumulative global sales of plug-in vehicles will reach 5.2 million units in 2017, up from 114,000 vehicles in 2011.

Estimates of battery costs have varied as automakers and tech analysts have looked into ways to make them less costly. The Nissan Leaf EV's battery pack has been reported to be as cheap as $375 per kilowatt hour, while Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said last month that battery costs may fall to less than $200 per kilowatt hour "in the not-too-distant future."

Continue reading Lithium-ion battery costs to fall by a third by 2017 as demand jumps

Lithium-ion battery costs to fall by a third by 2017 as demand jumps originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota increasing Prius C production to meet high demand at home and abroad

March 19, 2012, 10:01 am

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Filed under: Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Toyota, Japan

When we last asked Toyota representatives about the production capacity of the 2012 Prius C, we were told the company's Iwate, Japan plant could make up to 30,000 units each month. That sounds like a lot, but Toyota is currently sending just 20 percent - 6,000 a month - to the United States.

Back in December, when the car went on sale in Japan, the company received 120,000 orders in the first five days it was on sale. As we noted last week, Toyota also sold 1,200 Prius C units in the first three days it was on sale in the States. The baby Prius may not be as popular here as it is at home, but 6,000 a month sure doesn't seem like it's enough.

The C is made at just one plant, one run by Toyota's Kanto Auto Works Ltd. affiliate in northern Japan. A strong yen and all those Japanese orders means that the C models that do get made are mostly delivered to the home country instead of exported. Toyota originally planned to produce just 20,000 Cs a month, and is now looking to go over even the 30,000 level. By increasing efficiencies at the plant and moving production of non-Prius C models (specifically, the not-available-in-the-U.S. Toyota Ractis) from Iwate to other plants, the unspecified increase should be in place by the middle of this year. Thus far, there is no official talk about making the C at other plants.

Toyota increasing Prius C production to meet high demand at home and abroad originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite rumors, Volvo not ceasing electric C30 production plans

March 26, 2012, 12:00 pm

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Volvo

Dutch website NU recently reported that Volvo expects low demand for its C30 Electric, and therefore it decided to stop building the mostly electric car (it has a small, ethanol-burning heater to keep passengers warm). The original source for this information was a story in the Belgian newspaper The Age that cited Volvo's government affairs director, Anders Kärrberg. Turns out, this isn't quite right.

First, Volvo has always said the C30 Electric is a limited program. When the company started making the attractive EV in last summer, the public plan was to make just 250 units. So, the fact that the automaker is getting ready to finish up building the 250 units and then reevaluate the situation is not a surprise.

We asked Volvo's Malin Persson about the situation, and she told AutoblogGreen that "[it has] never been our aim to continue with production of C30 Electric for a longer period of time." She added that:

• [Volvo Car Corporation] will not end the production of the C30 Electric - but it has always been a project limited in numbers and time.
• Approximately 200 cars have been built from the first generation, another 50 remain to be built before summer.
• In the second generation, starting after the summer, 100 cars will be built in cooperation with Siemens and with Siemens technology.
• The know-how and experience VCC has gained and will gain from the C30 Electric project will be extremely valuable when taking decisions about the way forward when it comes to electric cars.

So, instead of reporting that Volvo is stopping C30 Electric production, the reality is that 100 vehicles has been added to the build order. How aggressively Volvo continues to push on with electric technology beyond its C30 program - in something like the XC60 plug-in hybrid - remains to be seen. Kärrberg told The Age that Volvo thinks EVs will only make up one percent of the market in the next eight years, thanks to expensive batteries and a hodgepodge of government incentives.

Despite rumors, Volvo not ceasing electric C30 production plans originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coda shelves plans for Ohio battery plant because of DOE inaction

March 29, 2012, 2:08 pm

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Coda Automotive

In this case, the federal government sneezes, and central Ohio catches a cold.

That's the take from the Columbus Dispatch on the decision by electric-vehicle maker Coda Automotive to shelve plans to build a Columbus, OH, battery factory.

Coda said about two years ago that it would build the factory, which would've supported more than 1,000 jobs in the area. It said at the time that "Construction of the facility is contingent upon finalizing an incentive package with the state of Ohio and the approval of an application for a Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan (ATVM)." Guess what didn't happen?

Los Angeles-based Coda has been hamstrung on the proposed investment because the DOE has not yet responded to the loan request, which was filed around two years ago. Parts for the Coda Sedan are made in China, while the EV is assembled in Northern California.

Earlier this month, Coda sold its first models to California buyers. The company, which opened its Los Angeles headquarters late last year, sold its first Sedan ten days ago and was recently given an official range of 88 miles from the EPA.

Coda shelves plans for Ohio battery plant because of DOE inaction originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Improving Chevy Volt sales leads GM to shorten summer shutdown

April 4, 2012, 5:54 pm

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Chevrolet, GM

Just the other day, we heard that General Motors might extend its traditional two-week summer shutdown to three weeks for the Chevrolet Volt. But, after record Volt sales last month, we wonder how the calendar looks in Hamtramck now. We wonder because we are hearing reports that the current shutdown - originally scheduled to run for five weeks, from March 19 to April 23 - will be shortened by a week. GM originally decided on the hold to reduce supply that had grown too large because of soft demand.

Don LaForest, the chairman of the United Auto Workers bargaining committee at the Hamtramck plant where the Volt is made, told Talking Points Memo that GM is "adding a week of production back in." The Detroit News reports that GM President of North America Mark Reuss said the same thing Wednesday during the New York Auto Show. Reuss said, "We're doing it because we sold a lot."

Increasing sales numbers (GM sold 2,289 Volts in March - well over double February's 1,023-unit total) come at a time when some of the right-wing attacks on the plug-in hybrid appear to have calmed down. LaForest told TPM that his union workers have been confused about these criticisms. "I don't think Newt or Mitt have said a single negative thing about the Nissan Leaf," he said. "They're attacking our car to get at the President. But our car is going to change the way America does business. It's a breath of fresh air."

Improving Chevy Volt sales leads GM to shorten summer shutdown originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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