Volvo finds a way to turn body panels into batteries [w/video]

One of the problems with designing an electric vehicle is figuring out where to fit the battery pack. Volvo – as a part of a European Union research project – is working on a way around this issue by replacing standard parts with lightweight components that double as batteries on both conventional and plug-in vehicles. The image above shows one such piece on a Volvo S80. While looking like nothing more than a carbon fiber plenum cover, the piece is actually a battery pack that can store and supply enough energy for the car's entire 12-volt power system.

The parts are made by sandwiching super capacitors (which can charge faster than standard batteries) in between layers of carbon fiber. They can then be formed to replace numerous body panels such as the decklid, roof or door panels. Volvo says that the replacing the body panels and batteries with these nano batteries can help reduce the vehicle's weight by as much as 15 percent. It has taken more than three years just to design the batteries, so there's no telling when, or if, we'll ever see this technology used on a production vehicle. Scroll down for a video and press release on Volvo's innovative battery technology.

Hertz adds Tesla Model S to Dream Cars fleet.

The Tesla Model S is slowly infiltrating our rental car and chauffeured lives, having already gone to Las Vegas with Zappos as a taxi and San Francisco with car-sharing service Get Around. Now a lot more people will have the chance to get into one with its inclusion in the Hertz Dream Cars fleet, joining 19 petrol-powered rockets like the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Mercedes SLS AMG and SRT Viper. What's more, in case you missed it when it was new, the Tesla Roadster will join its sibling in the Dream Cars corral.

Although the Dream Cars are available in 35 markets, the Teslas will only come to two: San Francisco and Los Angeles airports. The rental Model S gets the 85-kWh battery with a range of 265 miles, and appears to be the P85 Performance model since Hertz lists a 0-to-60 mile per hour time of 4.2 seconds.

You can read more about it in the press release below, and if your vacation plans include California, this could give you a chance to get into a Model S faster than someone who buys one.

Algae Biomass Organization says biofuels getting cleaner and cleaner.

Algae-derived biofuel burns cleaner than petroleum fuels and is often less resource-intensive than first-generation biofuels. That's the conclusion the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) reaches from the first-ever study that analyzed results from an existing algae-to-energy demonstration scale farm.

Algae biofuel can reduce vehicle lifecycle CO2 emissions 50 to 70 percent compared to petroleum fuels when using an Energy Return on Investment (EROI) model. "With significant emissions reductions, a positive energy balance, nutrient recycling and CO2 reuse, algae-based fuels will be a long-term, sustainable source of fuels for our nation," Mary Rosenthal, ABO's executive director, told Hybrid Cars.

The study, with the easy-to-remember names of, "Pilot-scale data provide enhanced estimates of the life cycle energy and emissions profile of algae biofuels produced via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL)," comes from a new peer-reviewed paper published in Bioresource Technology. Authors of the study did a lifecycle analysis of an algae cultivation and fuel production process currently used at pre-commercial scales by Sapphire Energy.

Field data for the study came from two of Sapphire's New Mexico facilities – one in Las Cruces and the other in Columbus – that grow and process algae into Green Crude oil. Sapphire's Green Crude can be refined into gasoline, diesel or jet fuel. Once the fuel reaches commercial scale, it's expected to produce biofuels with lower greenhouse gas emissions and EROI comparable to first-gen biofuels. That EROI is also expected to be close to petroleum and three times higher than cellulosic ethanol. The findings also give Sapphire's system kudos for recycling nutrients and producing significant energy savings during the process.

First-gen biofuels in the US are made up mostly by corn-based ethanol, which makes up to 10 percent of "normal" gasoline and, in some cases, up to 15 percent. The flex-fuel-vehicle specific E85 is made up of 85 percent biofuel and 15 percent petroleum product.

Ford will drop MPG rating for C-Max Hybrid

Aaaaaand that's that. After lawsuits and more lawsuits over the fuel economy rating for the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, Ford will officially announce tomorrow that it will drop that rating. The company has tried software updates to try and get the C-Max Hybrid MPG level to where it was supposed to be, but has now admitted defeat in that fight in what Automotive News calls "a rare and potentially costly move." Ford is currently not making any statements on the issue but we should know a lot more tomorrow morning. For what it's worth, there isn't any specific mention of the Fusion Hybrid, but there's certainly a chance that car will also be down-rated.

The current rating for the car is 47 miles per gallon, across the board, something Ford was happily trumpeting over and over in the public space, comparing the car to the Prius V. Of course, we've heard complaints since at least October 2012 that 47 mpg is an unlikely number to hit from various sources. Also in 2012, Kia and Hyundai admitted it, too, had inflated MPG numbers. The companies said "honest mistakes" and "human error" during in-house testing caused those problems. We assume we'll hear some sort of reason for the C-Max's problem numbers from Ford tomorrow. The big question is: what will the new numbers be. Any guesses?

Roadster batteries likely to perform better than Tesla predicted

Once the epitome of EV cool, the Tesla Roadster has kind of taken a back seat to the new electric vehicles in the market it helped spawn. Turns out, even in the background, the Roadster has things to teach us. Or, at least it does to the experts at Plug In America who recently took a closer look at the EV's battery pack.

See, in 2006, when the Roadster was new, Tesla said the Roadster's 53-kWh lithium-ion battery pack – good for 244 miles of range when new – would have 70 percent of its capacity after five years or 50,000 miles. With plenty of "old" Roadsters on the road, PIA studied four percent of the packs out there today and discovered (PDF) that the packs have an "average of 80- to 85-percent of capacity after 100,000 miles driven." The numbers were self-reported to PIA's website by Roadster owners in a project that started in January.

The numbers come from PIA's chief science officer, Tom Saxton, who conducted the first-ever independent assessment and announced the results at the recent Teslive Tesla users conference. According to a statement, he said, "Our study also found no discernable effect of climate on battery-pack longevity. Roadster owners in hot climates are not seeing noticeably different battery capacity profiles than owners in moderate climates." Last year, PIA surveyed Nissan Leaf owners and discovered that hot climates were affecting the packs more than expected. Surveys on the first-generation Toyota RAV4 EV and Tesla Model S are underway.

Average new-car fuel economy figures continue record pace.

Manufacturers are making more efficient cars and trucks; we've known that to be true for some time. Nearly every new car has some sort of trick to eke a few extra miles out of every gallon of fuel. Whether that be turbocharging, active aerodynamics or hybrid technology/electrified powertrains, the fact is that our vehicles are more efficient than ever before.

Thanks to a recent study by TrueCar, we've got fresh quantitative data to support the above statements. For the fourth month in a row, we've seen an improvement in national fleet fuel economy. We Americans are 0.7 miles per gallon more efficient than we were last month, and our cars are 1.6-mpg better than at this time last year. That said, we're still down on 2013's high, which was set back in January at 24.5 mpg.

Not only does this reflect the improved technologies in our vehicles, but it demonstrates a changing mindset among consumers, who are purchasing more efficient vehicles despite the relative stabilization of fuel prices. Every fuel-efficient model sold drives its manufacturers fleet average up.

The top three brands among mainstream manufacturers aren't a huge surprise. Hyundai, which offers 10 models with four-cylinder engines (including the excellent Elantra range) took the top spot, while the diesel and turbocharged models from Volkswagen finished just 0.8 mpg behind Hyundai's 27-mpg average. Honda is further back in third, thanks to its remarkably efficient four-cylinder engines. American makes didn't fare as well, with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler all finishing below the 23.7-mpg industry average. This isn't a huge surprise, though, as the Detroit Three are responsible for the vast majority of eight-cylinder pickups and muscle cars sold in the US.

What on earth is Audi doing with E-Tron?

If we take a quick look back in history, we realize that the first time Audi mentioned the name E-Tron to the public was all the way back in 2009. Back then, the name was applied to an entire concept car, called simply the E-Tron, which was an R8 converted to an electric vehicle with a big battery pack and some powerful electric motors. It was a supercar for the plug-in set, and it went over so well that Tony Stark drove one in Iron Man 3 this year. With that kind of publicity for the marquee E-Tron, it's confusing that the E-Tron name has been applied to a seemingly endless stream of concepts, test vehicles and rumors over the past four years. At least a dozen, by our count.

There was the original R8 E-Tron, an A3 Sportback E-Tron (EV and PHEV versions), the R18 E-Tron Quattro racecar, an all-electric A2 E-Tron concept, an A6 L E-Tron PHEV that was shown off in Beijing and rumors of A4 and Q7 E-Tron Quattros. Then we had the E-Tron spyder concept and the city E-Tron concept, as well as news of an A5 E-Tron Quattro plug-in hybrid. And then there's the A1 E-Tron plug-in hybrid that is being tested in Germany. Got all that?

Audi is finally getting ready to take the E-Tron name out of the movies and the auto show circuit and start putting plug-in cars in customer driveways. As it gears up for the launch of the first E-Tron – the A3 Sportback E-Tron, coming in 2014 – we flew to Berlin to find out what's taken so long, and what's coming next.

Berlin is a city that welcomes alternatives. Leaving aside the city's embrace for different lifestyles and a wide variety of artists, transportation in Germany's capital is certainly "go as you are." Everywhere you go in Mitte (downtown), you see car-sharing vehicles (electric and gas-powered options from companies like BMW's DriveNow and Daimler's Car2Go as well as lots of the Citroen C-Zero, aka the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, from Multicity). The public transportation network gets my vote for the best in the world. If you're biking through town – and there are bike paths everywhere – the chorus of start-stop engines firing up when a stop light turns green is astonishing. Add in the known European love for diesels and the fact that many vehicles burn autogas (liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG), you can see how Berlin moves in many different ways. The big question of the week, though, was whether Berlin and, of course, the rest of Germany/Europe/the world is ready for plug-in vehicles.

French car-sharing service Autolib will make US debut in Indianapolis

Green car enthusiasts may have assumed that French electric car-sharing service Autolib would show up stateside in a city like San Francisco, Austin or Portland, but notoriously green Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard had other ideas.

Led by Ballard, the racing city reached an agreement for Autolib to make its US debut in the Indiana capital as early as next year, Inside EVs writes. Autolib, which is owned by French conglomerate Bollore may have as many as 500 vehicles in the Indy car-sharing fleet and will invest about $35 million in the project.

Late last year, Mayor Greg Ballard signed an executive order that will push the city to replace its fleet with all hybrids and plug-in vehicles by as early as 2025. Replacing Indianapolis's police fleet with plug-ins is estimated to save about $10 million worth of fuel annually.

Last October, the European Investment Bank (EIB) loaned Bollore about $100 million to expand the car-sharing service through Paris. Autolib debuted in Paris in the fall of 2011 with its electric "Bluecars," charging users the equivalent of between $6 and $11 per half hour as well as an annual membership fee of about $200.

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EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future, is a three-year collegiate engineering competition and the only program of its kind.

The competition's mission is a vital one: offer an unparalleled hands-on, real-world experience to educate the next generation of automotive engineers. The competition challenges 15 universities across North America to reduce the environmental impact of a Chevrolet Malibu without compromising performance, safety and consumer acceptability.

Established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM), EcoCAR 2 builds upon a successful 23-year history of DOE Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) that exemplify the power of public/private partnerships in providing invaluable experience and training to promising, young minds entering the North American job market. EcoCAR 2 follows the widely acclaimed competition series EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge.

Shaped by the greatest design changes in the history of the automotive industry, EcoCAR 2 requires students to explore a variety of powertrain architectures focusing on electric drive vehicle technology. EcoCAR 2 teams will utilize a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, donated by General Motors as the integration platform for their advanced vehicle design.

During the three-year program EcoCAR 2 teams will follow a real-world Vehicle Development Process (VDP) modeled after GM's VDP. The VDP serves as a roadmap for the engineering process of designing, building and refining their advanced technology vehicles. Following a VDP will give the teams an opportunity to improve their vehicles efficiency while retaining consumer acceptability, performance and safety.

Fiat hopes sex sells with 500e: "Stop Global Warming, Start Global Hotness"


In the 1983 Chevy Chase film "National Lampoon's Vacation," sexiness (at least of the female variety) was personified by Christie Brinkley driving a Ferrari 308 that got about 15 miles per gallon. Nearly three decades later, Fiat brand chief Olivier Francois is pitching a kinder, greener sexy.

Speaking at the Los Angeles Auto Show Wednesday afternoon in front of a screen that read "Stop Global Warming, Start Global Hotness," Francois used every innuendo he could find to put distance between what he called the "busy, shiny, goofy, blocky" aspects of green living and the battery-electric Fiat 500e that the Italian automaker will start selling in California by mid-2013. He then showed a clip of a couple of test drivers take the 500e out on a racecourse only to get derailed mid-track by an impromptu make-out session. Another 500 ad featured a clever scorpions taking the top off a supermodel.

"Isn't ugliness the worst kind of pollution," Francois asked rhetorically in front of images that included the nearly-triangular EV the Kewet Buddy. You can watch this all unfold below.

The 500e will have a 111-horsepower motor that Fiat says will deliver at least an 80-mile single-charge range. The model will also have three color packages and an interior with electric orange accents for those that can't contain themselves. As for pricing, Francois, when asked after his presentation, maintained the company's silence on the subject.

Mercedes accidentally reveals S-Class plug-in hybrid on the way.

Putting a bank of batteries into the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is not a new idea – the S500 Vision Plug-in Hybrid concept was unveiled in Frankfurt in 2009, after all – but actually adding a cord to a production version sure is – at least in public. We don't know how long Daimler has been considering making a plug-in hybrid version of the S-Class, but Australian media outlets are reporting that such a vehicle was accidentally disclosed during a recent presentation in Germany.

Motoring and Car Advice both say they saw a graphic of a "W222 S-Class PHEV" that showed a dash indicator of remaining battery range. There was also a "graphic drivetrain schematic featuring an electric motor sitting behind a conventional engine and a battery pack positioned in the boot," writes Car Advice. Despite this, there is, of course, no guarantee that any such vehicle will ever make it to market. And, as we asked years ago when we reviewed the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, who is it for?

A M-B spokesman in Australia, Jerry Stamoulis, told Motoring that, "The reality is that there is a lot of spec still to be confirmed; the car is so far away for us. It's (the mainstream S-Class is due here) in December – and if there were plug-in hybrid variants there's no guarantee that they're actually available from launch anywhere in the world." It'll take a while to see if showing off the image was a mistake or a leak to gauge interest, but we admit we like this tease.

Volkswagen to use CO2 as future refrigerant for air conditioning systems.

Another German automaker has rejected the air conditioning refrigerant that's scheduled to be adopted by global automakers in 2017. Earlier this month, Volkswagen lined up with Daimler and BMW to support Daimler's findings from last year that the new refrigerant, called HFO-1234yf, can become flammable.

Volkswagen says it will be rolling out its own carbon-dioxide-based air conditioning systems. The European Union wants to have HFO-1234yf, which was designed by Honeywell and DuPont, replace the coolant currently in use, HFC-134a to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and its global warming potential. Daimler engineers discovered HFO-1234yf could spark a fire under the hood, with the potential to destroy the car and emit highly toxic gas while burning.

An automotive working group – the Cooperative Research Program – was formed last year to study the matter. Daimler conducted its own flammability tests and became concerned enough about vehicle safety to leave the working group, along with BMW. Volkswagen's Audi division also expressed concern and is now part of Volkswagen's decision to join ranks with its German allies and dismiss adoption of HFO-1234yf as the new refrigerant.

European Union Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani appears unwilling to accept the decision by Germany's "Big 3" automakers or a written request from German ministers asking for a temporary suspension of the new EU law. While Tajani said he would listen, he also said that he would begin infringement proceedings against any member state that did not comply with the new rules. "Since there was some information from Germany there was a problem, I am obliged to ask for information, but it's not giving them time. I am not weak," Tajani told Reuters.

There's no word yet what other agencies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency may do about it. Honeywell and Dupont would be holding a billion-dollar monopoly starting in 2017 if HFO-1234yf goes through. They're bound to support Industry Commissioner Tajani's decision.

DOE still has $16.6 billion left in ATVM loan program.

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) is questioning why Department of Energy (DOE) loan funds are not paying out as planned. The participation hurdle is high, and there's about $16.6 billion in green vehicle loan appropriations going unused, the GAO found.

The funds come from DOE's 2005 Loan Guarantee Program and its Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program from 2007. These programs were a directive from Congress, but now House and Senate lawmakers on the powerful appropriations committee are hearing about the programs stalling out. The GAO report also told legislators that the DOE hasn't "closed on a loan or loan guarantee or conditionally committed to do so under either program since September 2011."

The GAO had interviewed applicants for the loan programs to evaluate the DOE's performance and found that it the "costs of participating outweigh the benefits." Those costs include a "lengthy and burdensome" application and review process and lots of documents needed to apply. The failure of the solar energy company Solyndra was also mentioned as making participants skittish about working with DOE and the Obama administration. It's not just green car money that's sitting unused. There is $34.8 billion left in various renewable energy project loans, but here, at least, there are 13 "active" applications.

The DOE might be finished issuing funds through the programs automotive. While the funds don't have an expiration date, DOE says it will continue to receive applications and it doesn't plan to use the remainder of the appropriated funds.

Ford, Nissan, Tesla and Fisker did receive ATVM program funds. Tesla is doing well enough to pay the loan off early but Fisker had its funding cut short and is not in a good position to pay it back any time soon.

EPA finds 2012 fuel economy was highest ever, 23.8 mpg

The average fuel economy for a new car in the US made a record single-year jump, according to new data from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Fleetwide fuel economy rose a record 1.4 miles per gallon to an all-time high of 23.8 mpg, the EPA says. During the past five years, average new-vehicle fuel economy went up 16 percent while emissions decreased 13 percent. Check out the EPA's press release below and find further information here.

The numbers reflect the fact that the number of US hybrid and diesel models has doubled in the last five years, thanks to automakers expanding their line-ups. Last year, alt-fuel vehicle sales jumped 63 percent to more than 540,000 vehicles, while plug-in vehicle sales roughly tripled to about 50,000 vehicles.

The EPA report echoes similar findings from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), which earlier this year said fleetwide fuel-economy advanced 1.3 miles per gallon to a record 23.8 MPG. And UMTRI said in a separate report early last month that January's average new-vehicle fuel economy continued to increase to a monthly record of 24.5 miles per gallon.

David Friedman, the senior engineer and deputy director of the Union of Concerned Scientists' Clean Vehicles program, said in a statement that the progress is good, but more needs to be done. "With high gas prices the new norm, the average model year 2011 vehicle will cost its owners almost as much to fill up over its lifetime as it did to purchase it," he said. "Consumers need more options to shield themselves from the high cost of gasoline."

Obama calls for spending $2 billion in oil lease revenues on clean vehicles

President Obama wants to know how many clean cars $2 billion can buy. In an announcement expected later today, the President is expected to ask Congress to use $2 billion that the government has raised from allowing oil and gas exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf to fund clean energy transportation. That means plug-in vehicles, better batteries, biofuels and compressed natural gas vehicles.

Obama will reportedly make the announcement at Argonne National Laboratory, a site already known for automotive innovation, including the development of an omnivorous engine and, with General Motors, improved batteries. The President previously mentioned taking oil and gas money and putting it into an "Energy Security Trust" fund in his State of the Union speech last month. The money would come from offshore oil drilling leases and would be spread out over 10 years. There would not be any expansion of offshore drilling (or a change in the administration's position on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) to raise the money. The end goal, as we've heard so many times before, is to "protect American families from spikes in gas prices and allow us to run our cars and trucks on electricity or homegrown fuels," according to White House documents.

Of course, just because the President asks for something doesn't mean Congress will go along. As the The Detroit News notes, the President asked for $650 million for battery and vehicle research last year but Congress only approved $330 million. Also, there are still many billions of Department of Energy loan money left over from the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan (ATVMP).

The Game buys four Fisker Karmas for himself, friends

With friends like The Game, who needs Geely? The Los Angeles-based hip-hop artist (née Jayceon Terrell Taylor) recently bought a Cranberry-hued Fisker Karma extended-range plug-in vehicle for himself, then purchased three more of the $100,000 vehicles for his buddies.

The Game posted the news on his Twitter feed last week, calling Fisker "The most amazing NEWEST American car company." The rapper, who also posted some pictures to prove it (check them out below), follows Leonardo diCaprio (Fisker's first customer in 2011), Al Gore, Colin Powell and Justin Bieber as celebrities who've ponied up for the car.

Fisker's hoping some Chinese automakers take a similarly optimistic view of the Karma. The company, which hasn't produced vehicles in about seven months, had almost two thirds of its $529 million US government credit line frozen and is subject to acquisition bids. So far, Dongfeng Motor Corp. and Volvo parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group have reportedly expressed interest in the California-based company. Of course, with yesterday's resignation by co-founder Henrik Fisker, what happens next is anyone's guess.

This car "folds into itself" to fit into tight spaces. We're getting closer to George Jetson's car that folds up into his briefcase.

Looks like Fisker is being courted by another Chinese company.

What do you think about Chinese companies buying up technology that was developed with American subsidies?

The Department of Energy is giving out $20 Million in grants for anyone who thinks they can develop an EV capable of a 250 mile range and a $30,000 sale price.

COME ON PEOPLE LETS DO THIS!

Kia to launch electric Soul in 2014. Check out the details.

With US based production, Nissan was able to radically lower the 2013 Nissan Leaf starting price to $28,800 MSRP, and with tax incentives the price falls below that of the Toyota Prius.

The 2014 Chevy Spark EV, to be unveiled at the LA Auto Show, is shaping up to be a very fast electric car, that will be the first to support the SAE DC Fast Charging system, which will give it a 20 minute recharge time.

Today Tesla Motors unveiled the Supercharger network. A nationwide network of fast electric car charging stations which can be used for....FREE!

Cars that talk to each other, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, could reduce or eliminate traffic jams, traffic accidents, increase the efficiency of driving, reducing fuel use, and usher in a wave of robotically driven cars, if a test in Ann Arbor Michigan goes as planned.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg laid out a big goal for NYC during his 12th and final State of City address – add 10,000 public parking spots reserved for electric vehicles with 2,000 of them offering charging stations. Today, the city only has 100 public charging stations in place, and 120 stations for the city's fleet of EVs. Only 30 more government stations would be added under the mayor's proposal.

Take the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell, stretch it and take off the wheels then make it float and you've basically got the just-unveiled Cigarette AMG Electric Drive Concept. Powered by an all-electric powertrain that offers 2,200 horsepower and 2,213 pound-feet of torque (and uses "numerous components" taken from the not-quite-as-yellow SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive), the sleek concept is being called the "world's most powerful electric drive powerboat." What that means is a top speed of over 100 miles per hour from four 60-kWh lithium-ion batteries and two banks of six liquid-cooled, permanent-magnet synchronous electric motors. And the 240 kWh of total energy should provide plenty of juice out on the water.