As it’s not a hybrid, the MINI Roadster might not seem like a car that shoppers for alternative energy vehicles would fancy. This was also said about the standard MINI Cooper, yet the Cooper’s most cross-shopped car is none other than the Toyota Prius. Could the Roadster continue this trend?

Those who would consider a MINI vs. a Prius are probably less interested in the amazing fuel economy of the Prius (though it’s certainly a factor) and more impressed by the car’s look and the image it portrays. These “lifestyle buyers” are exactly the sort of shopper that would also consider purchasing a MINI Roadster.

Fuel economy numbers have yet to be released for the Roadster, but if they’re anything like the Coupe, expect digits in the high 30s on the highway – not in Prius territory, but again, this unlikely competitor is not only about fuel efficiency.

Motivation

In base form the Roadster is powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine making 121 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 114 pound-feet of torque at 4250 rpm. It gets a 0-60 time of 8.7 seconds, but in true MINI fashion will likely feel faster. Despite some added weight, surprisingly, acceleration is improved over the convertible Cooper model, due in part to sportier gearing.

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By Jeff Cobb

We’ve heard from naysayers that electric and other zero emissions vehicles are not the “future,” and from advocates who say they are.

Of course no one knows the actual future, but if today the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approves its proposed “advanced clean air rules” as it is expected to, zero-emissions vehicles could become far more commonplace nationwide.

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The "unnatural relationship" between the Obama administration and US carmakers in the wake of the 2009 auto bailouts may have led to a delay in disclosing a potential safety defect in Chevrolet Volts, Republican lawmakers claim in a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee report. Some Republicans questioned whether the US government's 32-percent ownership stake in General Motors means that it cannot be "an effective regulator."

Specifically, US Representative, Darrel Issa (R-CA), stated "This unnatural relationship has blurred the lines between the public and private sector as President Obama touts the survival of General Motors as one of the top accomplishments of his administration. On a policy level, this relationship raises serious questions about whether or not the administration is too heavily invested in the success of GM to be an effective regulator."

Today's hearing—titled "Volt Vehicle Fire: What did NHTSA know and when did they know it?"—stems from the Volt fire incidents and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) handling of the issue. Republicans assert that both General Motors and the NHTSA delayed disclosing info related to the first Volt fire until after Bloomberg News broke the story.

The NHTSA opened a formal investigation in late November and closed it in mid-January, concluding that "no discernible defect trend exists" and that "modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts."

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By Larry E. Hall

Compare the Lexus HS250h!

If you're thinking about buying a Lexus HS250h, you might also consider an Audi A3 TDI or a Lexus HS250h. Compare these vehicles.

By Larry E. Hall

The GMC Yukon Hybrid – and its counterpart the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid –were the first vehicles to utilize the advanced two-mode hybrid powertrain developed jointly by General Motors, BMW and the then DaimlerChrysler. This full-size SUV launched a new breed of larger vehicles that are significantly greener than their gas-powered versions.

Available with either two- or four-wheel drive, there are two trim levels available. The base Yukon Hybrid has a starting price of $51,610 for the 2WD model; $54,420 for the 4WD. The lavishly appointed Yukon Denali Hybrid 2WD starts at $58,925; the 4WD at $61,770. Other than an updated touch-screen navigation radio that includes a USB port and the ability to record broadcast audio, there are no changes to the Yukon Hybrid for model year 2012.

Powertrain

The core of the Tahoe Hybrid’s powertrain is GM’s 6-liter Vortec V8 with cylinder deactivation technology. In other words, this engine can shut down four of its eight cylinders when the additional power is not needed. That saves fuel. Beyond the engine, there’s a 300-volt battery that hides below the second-row seats. The vehicle’s two electric motors are housed within the transmission.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

What's up with the sales, orders and reservations of the Nissan Leaf? Nissan loudly trumpeted the 20,000 reservations it originally collected back in September, 2010 and Nissan's Mark Perry recently told AutoblogGreen that, since then, that number has climbed to around 26,000. Where do things stand today? That's not exactly simple to figure out. Here's what we know:

• Number of accepted Leaf reservations: 26,000
• - Number of Leaf models sold: 10,000
• - Number sold in January: 800 (estimate)
• - Number sold in February: 800 (estimate. Perry recently said these two months were sold out or nearly sold out)
• - Number of people who haven't had a chance to order because they live in a state where the Leaf is not yet for sale: 2,000 (according, again, to Perry)
• - Number of people who cancelled (unknown)
• = 12,400 people or so

Nissan's Katherine Zachary tells Autoblog that the company doesn't share cancellation data, so it's not possible for outsiders to know exactly how many of the 12,400 have raised and then lowered their hands. Zachary added, "We have new people coming into the process every day, so it's really a moving target." Still, somewhere out there, there could be 12,000 people who are patiently waiting to snatch up Nissan's 2012 Leaf production. Even if 50 percent of them cancelled, that still leaves many months of strong sales coming for Nissan in the U.S. this coming year, even as production ramps up.

One thing that Zachary was willing to share were the colors chosen by buyers for model year 2012 Leaf orders. They are:

• Brilliant Silver - 24%
• Blue Ocean - 23%
• Glacier Pearl - 21%
• Cayenne Red - 19%
• Super Black - 14%

Given that Blue Ocean was the Leaf's "Launch Color," we're a bit surprised to see it being outsold by silver, if only just. If you were going to order a Leaf (or if you have), what color would it be? Take our poll below.

View Poll

A word on Nissan Leaf sales, orders and reservation numbers [w/poll] originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, MPG, Legislation and Policy, USA

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is holding meetings that could put the hammer down on getting more zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) on the road - or so it seems at first glance.

CARB, which always looks far down the road, is discussing how it will change the ZEV program that concerns the model year 2018 vehicles and beyond. The proposal (PDF, but watch out: it's 670 pages that are not searchable!) could force automakers to add half a million pure electric or fuel cell vehicles and another 900,000 plug-in hybrids by 2025, writes the New York Times. Overall, CARB's proposal would increase the market segment of advanced clean cars from four percent in 2025 to up to 15 percent. CARB is also asking for more hydrogen stations to be built.

That may all sound good, but there's another side to the story, one that's a big loophole. Plug In America is calling on its members to oppose a portion of the proposal that could actually reduce the number of ZEVs on the roads in the future. Comparatively, anyway. In a letter to the DOE and EPA, CARB Chair Mary Nichols wrote:

California commits to propose that its revised ZEV program for the 2018-2021 MYs include a provision providing that over-compliance with the federal GHG standards in the prior model year may be used to reduce in part a manufacturer's ZEV obligation in the next model year.

The details are that, for every two grams per mile of GHG overcompliance, an automaker could "cut the number of pure electric-drive vehicles [it has to offer] by as much as 50% over the 2018 to 2021," writes Plug In America, which also calls it a "sweetheart deal" and "a bad deal for California and for the United States." PIA writes that Honda, Hyundai and Toyota lobbied for this overcompliance language. We'll keep following this one.

CARB's new ZEV mandate revision could add 1.4m more advanced green cars, while creating a big loophole originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Ford, Washington DC Auto Show

For the second year in a row, Ford drove off with the Green Car Journal Green Car Vision award at the Washington Auto Show, this time with the C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle. In 2011, Green Car Journal (GCJ) editor Ron Cogan handed the award to Ford's Sue Cischke for the Focus Electric. This year, the retiring Cischke was on hand once more to accept the award (look at this picture compared to the one above. It's déjà vu all over again), a fine cap on a long and ambitious career.

GCJ's decision will likely not sit well with our readers, who overwhelmingly picked the Tesla Model S to win this year. Our unscientific poll had the Model S winning with 83.6 percent of the vote, followed by the BMW i3, (6.5 percent), the Cadillac ELR (5 percent), C-MAX (2.9 percent) with the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell picking just 1.9 percent to take up the bottomw spot out of the five nominees.

Each year, GCJ's Green Car Vision award goes to a "green vehicle" that is not yet available on the market, but does show a possible way forward to increase fuel efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions or in some other way have a lower environment impact. The 2010 Green Car Vision award was won by the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt won in 2009. Speaking at the press conference today, Cogan said the C-Max can meet the utility requirements of a wide variety of drivers because the interior space and powertrain are both versatile.

Ford C-Max Energi wins 2012 Green Car Vision Award originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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