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IHS Automotive forecasts global production of plug-in vehicles to rise by 67% this year

« IHS Automotive forecasts global production of plug-in vehicles to rise by 67% this year Global electric vehicle production forecast for 2014. Source: IHS Automotive. Click to enlarge. Driven by tighter emission standards in Europe, worldwide production of plug-in electric vehicles(PEVs)—including both battery-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models—will increase by 67% this year, according to IHS Automotive, driven by Polk. The jump in the PEV market this year contrasts with an expected 3.6% rise in global manufacturing of all motor vehicles expected in 2014. Total production of PEVs is projected to rise to more than 403,000 this year, up from slightly more than 242,000 in 2013. Growth will accelerate sharply from the […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Toyota Output Sets Industry Record

Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it produced more than 10 million vehicles world-wide last year, making it the first auto maker to post annual output above that threshold. The record volume comes as the Japanese car maker is setting its sights on exceeding that same number in vehicles sold this year–which would also be an industry record–counting on solid demand in the world’s two biggest auto markets, China and the U.S. Toyota has rebounded after several tough years, encompassing the 2008 recession, several large global recalls and production disruptions following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The company said it produced 10.12 million vehicles globally in 2013, up 2.1% from the previous year. Higher output in the Americas and Europe offset sluggish production in its home market. Output in Japan fell 3.9% to 3.36 million, though still higher than the three million level the company aims […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Hydrogen cars arrive in Washington — but are we ready for them?

How soon you’ll see them on the roads in our region remains to be seen, as auto manufacturers, fueling companies and policymakers look for ways to tackle serious challenges that now stand in the way — not the least of which is where do you refuel with hydrogen. “It’s coming, this is the next wave, and from what some of the manufacturers are saying, it’s an even better bet than some of the alternatives already on the market,” said Kevin Reilly, owner of Alexandria Hyundai and chairman of the Washington Auto Show . “Now all we need is the infrastructure to make it a viable option for drivers.” What are the advantages? Manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda and Hyundai — the latter of which will soon begin selling its first hydrogen-powered vehicle in parts of California where fueling stations already exist — say this new propulsion system tackles the […]

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CMU researchers find controlled charging of PHEVs can cut cost of integration into electricity system by 54-73%; higher benefits with wind power

CMU researchers find controlled charging of PHEVs can cut cost of integration into electricity system by 54-73%; higher benefits with wind power In a new study published in the journal Applied Energy , Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) researchers found that controlled charging of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) reduces the costs of integrating the vehicles into an electricity system by 54–73% depending on the scenario. More specifically, controlled charging can cut the cost of integrating PHEVs approximately in half. The magnitude of these savings is ~5% to 15% higher in a system with 20% wind penetration compared to a system with no wind power, and the savings are 50–60% higher in a system that requires […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Americans Driving Down Their Driving Miles

Americans Driving Down Their Driving Miles We may be witnessing a historic change in our driving habits. Americans love their cars and love to drive their cars. With each American traveling on average less than 10,000 miles a year  and the country as a whole nearly  three trillion total vehicle miles traveled per year  (VMT), we are hands down the champs at racking up the miles . But of late, something remarkable and, for many, unexpected has been happening. It’s not so much that our automobile love affair has ended, rather that maybe, just maybe, it’s not quite as hot and heavy as it has been. (See related story: “ U.S. Teenagers Are Driving Much Less: Four Theories About Why .”) Driving Habits Switching Directions And what is the evidence for this cooling of the passion between American drivers and their wheels? Exhibit A is the graphic below showing U.S. […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Toyota Pledges to Top U.S. Push to Double Fuel Economy by 2025

Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) , the world’s biggest seller of hybrid-electric vehicles, vowed to surpass U.S. rules intended to double fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions . Automakers agreed in 2011 to a plan by President Barack Obama targeting an industrywide increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, to 54.5 miles per gallon of gasoline by 2025. Increased sales of hybrids and other alternative-powered autos will help Toyota comply with that rule, said Bob Carter , the automaker’s U.S. senior vice president. “The 2015 to 2025 CAFE regulations will require automakers to significantly reduce emissions and increase fuel economy across their fleet of vehicles,” Carter said in prepared remarks at Deutsche Bank AG’s auto industry conference in Detroit yesterday. “That won’t be easy, but at Toyota we plan to exceed these new standards.” The U.S. efficiency push has brought dozens of new hybrids, plug-in cars, electric vehicles and […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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New Vehicle Registrations Fell for the Successive Straight Year in 2013

;European car sales fell for the sixth straight year in 2013, despite a pickup in registrations in the final months of the year that sparked hope of a broader recovery in the region. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, known as ACEA, said Thursday that 11.9 million new cars were registered in the European Union last year, a decline of 1.7% compared with the previous year. The performance marks the industry’s worst year since ACEA began collecting EU data in 2003. A moderate recovery of car sales in the second half of the year gathered pace in December, according to the ACEA data, but wasn’t strong enough to pull the industry into positive territory for the year. In December, new car registrations rose 13% to 906,294 vehicles—the strongest rate in the month of December since 2009 but still one of the lowest showings to date, ACEA said. Registrations also grew […]

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Ford says more cars are not the answer to cities’ problems

Drivers deserted the big three US brands and their once-popular sport utility vehicles in favour of smaller cars from Asian and European marques ©Getty Drivers deserted the big three US brands and their once-popular sport utility vehicles in favour of smaller cars from Asian and European marques Ford Motor , which pioneered the affordable mass-produced motor car, is looking to play a bigger role in building public transport vehicles or integrating cities’ transport systems as it grapples with the growing challenge of helping people move around the world’s traffic-choked cities. Alan Mulally, Ford’s chief executive, said questions of “personal mobility” and “quality of life” were some of the “most important and exciting developments” around the world and simply providing more and more cars was “not going to work”. Mr Mulally’s comments at a Detroit auto show event offer a rare insight into a senior auto executive’s thinking about the […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Ford’s Aluminum F-150 Marks New Era

When Ford Motor Co. unveils its new, aluminum F-150 pickup truck on Monday, it will do more than reveal a critical new product. It will mark a new era for the auto industry in which successfully managing big technological risks will separate winners from losers. Six years after the financial crisis, oil prices have stabilized and the U.S. auto industry has rebounded from depths not seen since the […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Ford's Aluminum F-150 Marks New Era

When Ford Motor Co. unveils its new, aluminum F-150 pickup truck on Monday, it will do more than reveal a critical new product. It will mark a new era for the auto industry in which successfully managing big technological risks will separate winners from losers. Six years after the financial crisis, oil prices have stabilized and the U.S. auto industry has rebounded from depths not seen since the […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple