A couple of weeks ago, we reported that GM would be building a new small car at the Lordstown OH plant where they now build Cobalts and Pontiac G5s. Wards reveals the mystery car: the next-gen Chevy Optra, replacing the Cobalt/G5. The Optra (AKA Daewoo Lacetti, Suzuki Forenza and Buick Excelle) will be produced at GM-Daewoo's plant in Gunsan, Korea starting toward the end of this year. Production will transfer in Ohio in 2010 "pending conclusion of GM's negotiations to obtain state and local investment incentives from Ohio authorities." The U.S.-spec Optra will feature a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with "considerably upscale" and "sporty" styling. It'll be joined by a redesigned Aveo (Daewoo Gentra) in an "entirely new portfolio of Chevrolet small and compact vehicles." In a move akin to the "Chevy Classic," "Malibu Classic" and "Silverado Classic" games GM's played in the past, the Gunsan plant will continue to produce the current Optra "for certain export markets" along with the "dramatically different" new model. That "dramatic difference" better include dramatic improvements in materials and build quality if Chevy expects to sell it in what's becoming a highly competitive small car market. 

Toyota recently declared that it would begin building Camry Hybrids in Melbourne, potentially reversing the industry's decades-long decline. The announcement vindicated the Australian government's half-billion dollar initiative to encourage local production of full-sized eco-friendly cars. PM Kevin Rudd and the Victoria provincial government each cut a $35m check to Toyota in return for its promise to build 10k Camry Hybrids per year. Win-win for all concerned, right? And then Toyota Australia spokesman Mike Breen opened his big mouth. Breen told The Australian an inconvenient truth: Toyota would have built Camry hybrids in Melbourne with or without the taxpayer-funded incentives. This prompted howls of outrage from the opposition, claiming the handout "amounts to nothing more than a $35m photo opportunity for the prime minister." Of course, Toyota has since backpedaled, disingenuously demurring that "Toyota's decision to build a hybrid Camry in Australia was based on various business considerations… however, the Governments' support was a critical factor in securing local production." Ford and GM reps are sure to learn the lesson when they meet with Australian Industry Minister Kim Carr this week; there's still $465m in taxpayer dross to be hustled Down Under.

Ignoring completely how they got to 2.8 children, once a family is a family of 5 (or more) third rows become almost a certainty. Look, I only have one sibling, and we would have beaten each other to death on road trips if not for the third row of my family's various full-size GM wagons. I bring this up because 1) gas is over $4.00 a gallon (just about $5 per here in LA) and is never going down and 2) the Ford Flex will be on the market real soon. Let's get the numbers straight. The FWD Flex is rated at 17/24 and the AWD version will deliver 16/22. Comparable to the competition and a words better than the essentially dead body-on-frame goliaths Americans have loved so dearly for the past decade. But, is it enough? Will large families just be cramming the brood into the back of Aveos and Yari? Or are the Flex and similar vehicles (CX9, Pilot, Acadia) still viable as family haulers?

When GM's FastLane blog was first unleashed on suspecting surfers, we dismissed it as a PR exercise without, well, balls. PR puff pieces accompanied by camp followers' comments made it an exceedingly anodyne place to spend one's surfing time. Well it seems that some of the site's backwaters are getting pretty rough. KixStart drew our attention to an old post (February) about the Chevrolet Cobalt— a car whose excellence escapes just about anyone who's ever driven a Honda Civic. It starts with "Charlie" sticking it to the Cobalt vs. the Corolla but good. GM Powertrain's Dave Lancaster answers by ignoring all complaints (mpg, weight, speed) except Charlie's kvetch about the Cobalt's need for premium go-juice (recommended not required). It's the usual prevarication, but the comments includes a nightmare Cobalt customer non-satisfaction story, posted today. The tale ends with "I have vowed never to own or recommend a GM product again." Heady stuff. But is GM listening? And if they are, would they have deleted this comment? Will they? Over to you, Christopher Barger…

Tesla Chairman Elon Musk recently told Fox Business Network [via just-auto.com, sub] that the EV startup has inked a deal with Daimler. With its Roadster safely at "good-enough" status (says them), the California firm is turning its attention to its planned WhiteStar sedan. With full-EV and serial hybrid versions of WhiteStar planned, Tesla needs some help with the various technical elements– such as an internal combustion engine. "We have a deal right now with Daimler," boasts Musk. But like much of Tesla's efforts (transmission, batteries, deliveries), the details haven't quite been ironed-out. "[The deal is] still in the early stages," Musk admits. "We have a small deal that could potentially lead to a very big deal." Autoblog speculates that WhiteStar's serial-hybrid ICE could use a Daimler-sourced SMART three-banger. But just as there are no Roadsters available for delivery at Tesla dealerships (or anywhere else), there's no firm info on this hook-up, including its actual existence. 

KFOR News (the only station to come through the antennae in my apartment) reports that Oklahoma City has the cheapest gas prices in the nation, at $3.61 a gallon. They also warned that I needed to fill up my tank ASAP, as gas prices were surely to rise (and meth dealers don't come out early in the morning). So, leaving my skyscraper cum glass walled apartment, I went to the local station to pay just $3.63 a gallon. An Acadia driver next to me looked at my loaner Volvo S40 and said, "I bet that thing gets great gas mileage". "Not really" I replied, "it only gets about 3mpg better than your Acadia" (27 vs 24 Highway). He was shocked, which made me wonder at what other misconceptions have been brought on by the current oil crises. My favorite has been "Oklahoma has the cheapest prices because we pump our own oil, for the entire state!" At least most of the Oklahomans I have talked to are very informed about current market conditions and prices and what affects them, which gives me hope for the rest of the general populace's direct understanding of energy issues. If not the current political debate on the subject. 

[click here for a national gas price widget] 

With the autoblogosphere going ape over Toyota's hybrid three-fer, ToMoCo reps are tamping down the hype. Advanced Technology Group guru Bill Reinert tells Automotive News [sub] to chillax on the mpgs. "When we see the (claims of) 100 mile-per-gallon stuff, not everybody's going to get 100 miles per gallon." Toyota isn't backing away from its 40-mile, EV-only range for its forthcoming plug-in hybrids. But Reinert warns "the demands of real-world driving, such as rapid acceleration on freeway entrances, could dramatically reduce the all-electric range of plug-ins… just as some consumers have been disappointed by the real-world mileage of regular hybrids, plug-ins may not live up to those high hopes." Meanwhile, GM's "moon shot" plug-in electric – gas hybrid Hail Mary appears to run solely on media attention. In Jonathan Rauch's feature in the Atlantic Monthly, GM PR maven Steve Harris reveals that the Volt project came about because "The PR guys want something more sexy and dramatic, a singular point for our message. This issue of the environmental image was hurting the company substantially." Which will be as nothing compared to the hit to GM's rep if or when the Volt fails to meet its expected launch date or [as yet unspecified] price point.

A dealer reports: "Ford just re-released 'Employee Pricing' on their Ford Trucks (plus up to $3500 cash back). GM just released up to $4000 additional owner loyalty bonus cash on their trucks and SUVs (in addition to the up to $2000 already on the hood). Normally, these incentives give the dealer enough cash to throw at trade-ins to at least make a deal possible. Not profitable. And not painless for the customer. Merely do-able. Well, it ain't enough. In our meetings with manufacturer marketing teams and dealer advisory committees (where the smell of fear is palpable), the stories from the field are apocalyptic. One salesman stood up. 'I had a customer with a two-year-old Expedition. Crazily-enough, he wanted a new F-150. I tried everything, every trick in the book, and I couldn't put a deal together. And he was my BROTHER!' (Read: I was taking a loss, he was taking a loss, and the numbers were cutting us both so bad we couldn't deal). Another meeting, another dealer. 'I brought a year-old GMC Denali to auction. Priced it at rough wholesale book, minus seven grand. I was prepared to accept any offer up to 10 grand behind rough wholesale book. I was taking to take a tremendous beating to unload it. And it didn't sell. Didn't get an offer of any kind.' (Read: You can't give 'em away. Wait; you cannot PAY people to take them.) Now that the wealthy (who can afford the beating) and the quick-movers (who have already glutted the market) are in their Civics, Camrys and Accords; consumers in full-size trucks and SUVs are pretty much owners-for-life. And dealers, who must move new metal, can't do anything to help them. Not even if it's their brother."

That's the headline on the press release sent by EPIC, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. Apparently, "Motorists are frustrated and angry about high gas prices. Everyone is feeling the pinch at the pump, which really underscores our need for biofuels," claims Toni Nuernberg, EPIC's exec director. "As gas prices continue to skyrocket, we must continue the push for the only current transportation energy option we have today-biofuels." Yes, well, by their own admission, EPIC's Royal "we" represents little more than the ethanol industry and wishful thinking. In a not-so-epic EPIC survey on gas prices, only 11 percent of 1004 online (opt in) respondents said they were "taking action to use and support [emphasis added] non-oil based energy." Some 47 percent they'd "like to" and a whopping 43 percent "no, I have not considered this." Anyway, I called Robert White, EPIC's Deputy Director, to ask how soaring gas prices worked in his members' favor. I was surprised to discover EPIC disagrees with the AAA; E85 is cheaper than regular gas! But wait, there's more…

How's that for a mouthful? Driving and brittle diabetes are a dangerous combination, and affected individuals can't necessarily feel their sugars bottoming out, a condition called hypoglycemic unawareness. Recently available technology now allows for wireless transmission of near real-time sugar readings to glucometers and devices such as Blackberries. At the American Diabetes Association meeting this week, medical device manufacturer Medtronic unveiled a mashup of glucometer and Lincoln MKZ. It's not clear whether or not FoMoCo was part of the venture, but at least it wasn't a crashmobile such as the Hertzvette.

Okay, so the rumors were wrong and the UK's car magazine was right. The European Focus RS will not have all wheel-drive or 350 horsepower. Ford's officially official announcement: the hot hatch Focus RS will have 278 horses and 295 lb ft of torque from the same turbocharged straight five found in the Focus ST (222 hp), Volvo S40 T5, S-Max, and all manner of other cars. Like the Mazdaspeed3 and Opel Astra OPC, the ponies are harnessed to the front wheels. While this should still be a very entertaining car to drive [for Europeans], it's not the stat-sheet blowing hot hatch we hoped for. And the numbers arrive during the same week as the Lancer Ralliart and Mitsubishi Sportback specs. Ouch. Well not entirely. While the Evo has a high profile in Europe, it's not thought of as the hatchback of choice (until now, it wasn't a hatchback at all, really). The Focus is one of the go-to cars for mainstream buyers. And we conclude this post with the obligatory "it's not coming to America or Canada." Damn!

Those lucky bastards over at Edmunds Inside Line (Robert would call them collaborators) have already got their mitts on the Lancer Ralliart apparently, and with the news of the model released yesterday they posted their review today. Some interesting info that was previously unclear: the engine has a single scroll turbocharger, versus the twin scroll unit on the Evo; also, there is not going to be a traditional three pedal version (dual clutch auto standard and exclusive transmission). EIL did not perform instrumented testing, but estimates 0-60 to be on par with the WRX and Mazdaspeed3, and price was also not released, but will probably clock in somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000. Worry not, though; we at TTAC will be driving and reviewing the Lancer Ralliart ASAP.

TTAC burned a lot of metaphorical midnight oil trying to make heads or tails of plug-in EVs. Thankfully Ford's mouthpiece Mark Fields is here to set us straight about our energy independence, via the "It's important to note most battery supply is currently being developed in Asia," Fields told the Detroit News. "For those looking to plug-ins to answer our energy security concerns, we must ensure a domestic battery supply. Moving from imported oil to imported batteries clearly would not address this growing concern." I'm struggling to remember if that's a masked-man fallacy, a package deal fallacy of just plain old Ignoratio elenchi. Luckily (for Ford) politicians are completely immune to all forms of logic. If Fields keeps making arguments like this, Detroit might get the $500m of our tax dollars they so desperately crave for battery R&D. But, spades being spades, he's confusing the issue. At least.

The Scotts invented Free Masonery, Scotch and Golf. They then kicked back, cursed the English and watched their American cousins play with the world. Until now. Edinburgh-based Artemis is claiming that they've doubled an internal combustion powered car's mileage. Their new tech– officially launched in 2005– replaces the port and swash plates in a typical slushbox with hydraulics and a computer-controlled solenoid valve system. According to cleantech.com, a "third party" compared a brace of BMW 530is. One sported a five-speed manual, the other Artemis's hydraulic hybrid system. The HEDDAT equipped Bimmer achieved 41.1 mpg (Euro city cycle) and 39.6 mpg on the highway (Euro highway cycle). The system also reduced all-important CO2 emissions by 30 percent. Instead of storing regenerative energy in a battery, hydraulic hybrids store the power hydraulically. That makes "charging" faster. Discharging, too. Also, the harder you drive, the more energy gets stored for later. Exactly the opposite of an electric hybrid, where hard driving tends to create much more energy than can be fed into the battery. Artemis is also claiming their HEDDAT system is cheaper and more durable than an electric hybrid. Artemus has already inked a deal with Bosch to get the Digital Displacement system into on-highway vehicles.

Two new hybrids to be precise, in addition to a redesigned Prius. Automotive News [sub] reports that all three vehicles will debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. One of the new mystery hybrids will be a Toyota and the other will be a Lexus. We'll go ahead and speculate that the Toyota will in fact be a production version of the FT-HS sports car hybrid we saw at last year's Detroit spectacle. As for the Lexus, we're stumped. Maybe an IS variant? The massively anticipated third-gen Prius will soldier on with the same old nickel-metal hydride batteries for now. But come the hyper-magical automotive year 2010, the Prius will switch to lithium ion batteries. Panasonic — they build ToMoCo's batteries — will start whipping-up the lithium ion electro-juice containers in 2009. Cars powered by the same tech in your cell phone should hit dealers you know when (2010). Not to be outdone, Honda has promised four all-new hybrids by 2015 (guess they didn't get the 2010 memo). Nissan's gone on record promising to begin making lithium ions next year. Discounting GM and Chrysler's two-mode hybrid behemoths and The General's belt-assisted has-beens, and the Ford Escape Hybrid, it's up to the Hail Mary Chevrolet Volt to meet the hybrid onslaught. What are the chances?