So begins the Detroit News' recent editorial on John McCain's recent flippity-flop on California emissions regulations. And though industry gentlemen prefer McCain, the DetNews' critique is centered not so much on McCain's flip as his flop. After all, McCain originally supported California's right to set its own standards before coming around to support the industry-backed opposition to CARB– before flopping back to the federalist camp at a recent appearance at GM's Warren Technical Center. That has the Detroit News going after McCain on a host of industry-related issues. Calling his proposal for a $5k consumer tax credit for zero-emissions cars a "giveaway scheme" sounds good, and is certainly founded on strong economic principles.  McCain's proposed $300m prize for an advanced EV battery is similarly lambasted. Which is all well and good, except that the Detroit News would rather find itself dead in a ditch than hold its industry backers up to the same standard. Haven't  Ford's Mark Fields and Chrysler's Jim Press been pressuring the government for production incentives for EVs? Hell, didn't Slick Rick even ask Obama for the very consumer incentives that the Detroit News derides? But as hard as it tries to portray Detroit as just wanting to be left alone by the government, DetN fails to apply its free-market logic to the industry it pimps. With this flip-floping attack, the industry's paid rhetoricians have inadvertently exposed their critique of John McCain as the intellectually bankrupt hypocrisy it really is. You stay classy guys.

My local Land Rover dealer is the first car dealer in the country to buy carbon offsets for the first 50k miles of every new and used Landie they sell, in hopes of tempting green types into their Chelsea tractors. Now it seems that Land Rover has decided to offer more, erm, sustainable options for environmentally-minded ute lovers.  LR is showing a new range of diesel hybrid engines at the London Auto Show. Motor Authority reports that Land Rover's new electric rear axle drive (ERAD) consists of a rear-axle mounted 25w electric motor which can power all four wheels in parallel with a four-cylinder diesel engine. The powertrain also includes a Crankshaft Integrated Starter Generator (CISG) mounted in the dual-clutch transmission, which acts as a supplementary motor for adding torque to the driveline and also for starting the main diesel engine. Both the ERAD and CISG can be used for regenerative braking, and together account for a 20 percent reduction in carbon emissions. The ERAD/CISG system is still in early development, and is not expected to debut for several years. In the meantime, Land Rovers are expected to get stop-start technology as early as next year. Which hopefully means that Land Rover of Portland can end its gimmicky greenwashing campaign sooner rather than later.

Bioethanol is so last year. Biomass Magazine (yes, there really is such a publication) reports the latest research in biofuels is directed at producing "green hydrocarbon fuels.' While biodiesel is becoming relatively commonplace, it's based on oils derived from plants and animal fats. Green hydrocarbon fuels are second-generation biofuels made from the same biomass materials used for bioethanol, with several advantages. Since they're chemically identical to the petroleum-based fuels, they carry the same amount of energy. Unlike ethanol, no vehicular modifications are required, AND they can use the current fuel delivery infrastructure. The down side: the process to produce the fuels is much more complex than either petroleum or ethanol production, requiring the conversion of the biomass to bio-oil before the refining process can begin. Researchers are working to simplify the solution, but it'll still be a few years before there'll be a bountiful supply of biogas– at least the kind that isn't produced by a diet of burritos and beer.

Shelby Supercars (SSC) recently grabbed the title of fastest production car in the world (and the respect of Jay Leno) with its 1k+ hp "Veyron-performance-made- in-the-USA-at-half-the-price" Ultimate Aero. Even so, SSC knows that a world record and fifty-unit-per-year production do not a viable car builder make. And since the Ultimate Aero can plow through a gallon of gas every 15 seconds at full boost, SSC figures a cleaner, greener model is in order. The SSC blog reports that the Ultimate Aero EV replaces the standard 1183hp twin-turbo V8 with a 500hp electric motor. They claim that the watt-guzzler will "feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging." Huh. Tesla has a bank account full of Silicon Valley venture capital and more media coverage than a panty-free Britney Spears. But they still can't get a transmission to handle their Roadster's low-down EV torque. And SSC expects to waltz in and handle even more 0 rpm torque with its standard carbon clutch and six-speed tranny. Whether it evolves into a Tesla-killing masterpiece or an overly ambitious flameout, this project is just too crazy not to keep an eye on. [Hat Tip to El Jalop]

Common sense is not so common, Voltaire opined. [FYI, Like Cheryl Sarkisian LaPiere, François-Marie Arouet's decision to trade his given name for something a tad more memorable is entirely understandable. That said, God knows what he would have made of the song "Half Breed."] But common sense is also lousy journalism, which TTAC abhors (amost as much as "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves"). So when I spied "Rookie and rusty cyclists hit streets… and hospitals" in The Atlanta Journal Constitution, I looked for some statistical verification for Thomas Stinson's theory that high gas prices have lead to stupid cyclists have lead to more injuries. Silly me. "Hard data aren't available." Aren't they? Never mind, there is some killer anecdotes (so to speak). "Horrified by his first $70 trip to the gas station, Schatz drove to a bike shop last month, plunked down $2,500 on a new touring bicycle and began two-wheel commuting from his Grant Park home to his office in West Midtown… The pluses included conservation and fitness as well as frugality — until the morning he went airborne above traffic on West Marietta Street. Hit by a car, he broke both elbows. Afterward he asked himself, 'This is what I get for trying to save the environment?'" I'm an avid cyclist, but I gotta say it: yes.  

The automotive industry is the global leader in greenwashing. Whether through highly-touted donations to activist groups, misleading advertisements or assorted implausible claims, automakers will do most anything (or in some nothing) to seem eco-friendly. The New York Times reports that the ad men are worried that many consumers can discern now disingenuous environmental claims from environmental action. The Grey Lady traveled to Cannes for an annual ad industry knees-up, and found that green claims are being dialed back to the point reflecting reality. Forget morality, it's one of those impact deals. "After 18 months, levels of concern on any issue tend to drop off," said Jonathan Banks, Nielsen UK's business insight director. Another problem: watchdog groups are fact checking green claims. Britain's A.S.A. and the America's F.T.C. are looking into tightening eco-ad standards. How long before automakes can't advertise highway mpgs?

Well, you can't accuse either side of the political spectrum of hanging around while gas prices have opened-up the debate on America's energy policy, or lack thereof. While President Bush has removed the executive order against off-shore drilling (over to you congress), former Vice President Al Gore has asked Americans to help foot the bill for a ten-year, three trillion dollar "moon shot" effort to switch to "clean" electricity from solar, wind and geothermal power. While this is an extremely inconvenient solution for coal mining states that leaves pro-nuclear partisans in the cold, I mention Al's plan here because it's implicit that the transition would enable a nation of plug-in hybrids or pure EVs. Hey, what about hydrogen? Big Al made no mention of water vaporware. But The Boston Herald reports that a group of scientists have priced-out a U.S. switch to hydrogen-powered vehicles at $200b. No mention was made of the energy source for the fuel, but apparently the the Committee on Assessment of Resource Needs for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies have bigger fish to fry (deep freeze?). "The cost of platinum is approximately 57 percent of the fuel-cell stack costs and represents the greatest challenge to further cost reductions," the study said. "Future platinum supply is a critical issue in forward projections of fuel-cell costs." If it's not one thing, it's another.

Edmunds Inside Line has dropped some cash for spy photos for Honda's new Prius-fighting dedicated hybrid model. And it seems that IL and Honda are in the same boat: they've both dropped good money on something that looks identical to a Prius. Go ahead and follow the link for actual photos, or you can just feast you eyes on any image online of a current Prius, because you're basically getting the same thing either way. KGP photography caught the forthcoming Honda Hybrid undergoing hot weather tests in California's Death Valley, going head-to-head with Honda's Civic Hybrid and a current Prius. They say the new Honda is larger than a Prius and will be a global model, though its name and performance details remain under wraps. Expect its finalized looks to be very close to the fuel-cell FCX Clarity, itself something of a dead ringer for the Prius. It's obvious that Honda wants a model that screams "saving the planet" as it drives by. Still, one can't help wondering whether a hybrid Fit (the standard version of which faces high demand from eco-types) wouldn't have achieved a similar statement with a more flexible package and more familial resemblance.

With the traditional SUV well and truly toasted, automakers are going back to the drawing board to tempt consumers back into their AWD profitmobiles. Sales numbers indicate that two-mode hybrid SUVs do not return sufficient mileage to justify their high prices. Resurrecting the segment will require even more sophisticated technology. At least that's what Nissan reckons. The automaker's displaying its vision for THE SUV OF THE FUTURE! Yes, it's a fuel-cell-powered version of its X-Trail Ute. The Evening Standard reports that Nissan unveiled its alt power concept at London's Imperial College. The FCV X-Trail represents the pinnacle of Nissan's 12-year fuel cell development program. The fuel cell is 40 percent smaller than afore, motorvating the FCV X-Trail up to 300 miles on a tank of hydrogen. The hydrogen-battery electric drive is good for up to 93 mph in EV-like silence.Of course, the research model cost millions of dollars to develop and assemble. According to Nissan spokesfolks, "the cost of the system is still too high for mass production." Nissan engineers promise to sort all that shit out [paraphrasing] by 2015. Unless of course battery development outstrips hydrogen-based technology. Which it probably will.

"Everyone" knows that electric vehicles (EVs) are going to be a big part of America's long-term transportation mix. Unfortunately, the sector is currently dominated by either largely hypothetical super-expensive roadsters, far-off Hail-Marys and glorified golf carts (e.g. Zap's Xebra). At the mo, Chinese EVs are the most viable of the three for everyday use. While their classification as low speed vehicles (LSVs) helps the not-so-crashworthy vehicles circumvent strict safety standards, it limits the EVs to a 25mph top speed AND restricts them to roads with 35mph speed limits or below. The Tennessean reports that their legislature has joined Montana and Washington in lowering the regulatory bar for EVs. Starting July 1, Tennessee's LSVs are allowed to drive up to 35mph on roads with up to a 40mph top speed. The law reclassifies electric LSVs as medium speed vehicles (MSVs) if they are physically able to reach the 35mph top speed (which, ostensibly, excludes golf carts). Some 211 qualifying EVs have been registered in The Volunteer State so far. If more states adopt higher speed limits for EVs, there may be enough market demand to justify investment in more capable, versatile and SAFE battery-powered vehicles.

Automotive News [sub] reports that the plug-in electric – gas hybrid Volt will be sold as a Chevrolet in the U.S. only. When they go on sale in Europe in 2012, they'll have different styling and wear Opel and Vauxhall badges– even though they'll be built on the same assembly line in Michigan. So why, with GM's push to make Chevy their "global" brand, are they rebadging the Volt for their Euro-brands? GM claims Opel and Vauxhall have larger dealer networks than Chevy. But let's face it… with Chevy's image as a bargain-basement brand in Europe and their current offerings of rebadged Daewoos, how many people would consider buying a high-tech, high-priced electric hybrid at a Chevy dealership in Europe? About as many as would consider buying a Corvette at one. Which is why Corvette is marketed in the Eurozone as a separate brand with Hummers and Cadillacs, and why Volts will become Opels and Vauxhalls. Stimt?

You want to talk about high gas prices? Hertz used to charge its customes $7.99 a gallon to refuel a car. In an interview with The New York Times, the rental car company's chairman and chief executive says Hertz has modified the charge to stop gouging their customers [paraphrasing]. "We are now reducing that to the pump price, which is $4 or so, plus a one-time fee of $6.99," Mark P. Frissora reveals. "We also have a fuel-purchase option. In the past, if you elected to buy the tank of gas in advance, we charged a 10- to 20-cent premium on that tank. But now we give a 15-cent discount to whatever the price is at the pump." Hertz is hoping new customers will cover the lost revenues. But what about the old biz, the vacationeers facing pump shock? "In general, gas prices going up is not a positive thing. However, it is not nearly as negative as you might imagine in rental car land. Typically, the rental car itself and gas are no more than 10 percent of the overall cost of a vacation. We are finding that people aren’t cutting vacations right now. You would think that with gas prices being high, there would be a deterioration, but we haven’t seen that." Yet. In other news, Hertz has just 3k Priora in its Green Fleet; Toyota's hyrbid's residuals are safe. For now. 

We've been pointing out for some time that lighter cars are more fun to drive and more eco-friendly than, uh, heavier cars. Enter the Lotus Eco Elise show car. The Lotus boys have still managed to shave another 70 lbs. from the donor Elise S' 1896 lbs. frame (ouch). And really, that's the sales pitch. Sure, the body panels are made of hemp-based composites (smoke 'em if you got 'em), there are photovoltaic panels on the roof (to power what?), the paint is water-based (woo-hoo!) and its production has more environmental credentials than Greenpeace. But the buzzword-laden materials and production techniques wouldn't mean a thing if this Lotus couldn't take wing. While other manufacturers struggle to reinvent the internal combustion engine, Lotus is simply following founder Colin Chapman's dictate and adding lightness. But not luggage. Nope. Not a bit.

While top 5 and top 10 lists are the crack of the automotive nickel press (cheap, low quality, likely to give you brain damage and felonious), Autoweek's Top 5 Fuel-Efficient Cars You Actually Want to Drive" is just too asinine, too absurd not to pass on to TTAC's Best and Brightest. Not only do they choose bad cars (that, according to Autoweek, bring a smile to your face), but their stats are largely incorrect.  

— 2008 Tesla Roadster (Exotic)   
        – $109,000 MSRP   
        – 220 miles per charge (256 mpg equivalent)    
        – 0-60 in 3.9 seconds

Oh, it's exotic alright. So exotic, it's not in production and you can't buy one. Autoweek should know better than to swallow the load from Tesla’s PR department. The Tesla isn’t in full production, the range is completely unverified, they are likely going to be selling for way over the $109,000 sticker. Then again, Autoweek’s list is “cars you want to drive” and in fact, we all do want to drive the Tesla. 

— 2008 Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro (Weekend Warrior)        
    – $49,000 MSRP (estimated)         
    – 44 mpg (hwy)         
    – All-wheel drive handling

Does Autoweek know something Audi doesn’t? This model wasn’t confirmed for US production. Audi is bringing a 3.0-liter V6 diesel for the A4 and Q5/Q7, but the TDI four-banger is VW only for now. If they want to go off on the European cars tangent, that’s fine, but in such a case I’m going BMW 120d.

  — 2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC (Executive Sedan)
     – $53,075 MSRP
     – 32 mpg (hwy)
     – 210 horsepower, 400 lb-ft of torque

  — 2008 MINI Cooper (Cheap Thrills)
     – $18,700 MSRP
     – 37 mpg (hwy)
     – 2546 lbs and go-kart handling

They were bound to get two out of the five right. But you still have to ask yourself if the diesel price premium actually makes sense over a Benz E350, which unlike the oil burner, is available with 4Matic. There’s no denying the diesel Benzes are wonderful. And as for the Cooper, it’s a gem.

  — 2008 Lexus RX 400h (Family Fun)
     – $42,980 MSRP
     – 27 mpg (city)
     – 84.7 cubic feet of available cargo space

The only “family fun” thing about the Lexus RX hybrid is parking it on a set of train tracks and walking home. This is a terrible vehicle, with observed mileage guaranteed to be much lower. Also, just try finding one without the $6000 navigation package.

In a move bound to raise howls of protest from the Chevy Volt's cheerleaders, GM (along with nine other manufacturers) has asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to lower the 4.5 percent annual increases in the CAFE standards projected between 2011 and 2015. To justify the request, GM stated they won't have enough Volts and Vue plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) on the road by 2015 to meet the more stringent standards. GM "strongly discouraged" any assumptions that their PHEVs would impact their corporate fleet average. Their NHTSA filing flatly stated "GM's game-changing (extended range electric vehicle) technology should be treated as a low-volume application." (Only GM could use "game changing" and "low volume" in the same sentence.) How low is "low volume"? The Detroit News reports GM plans to build fewer than 200k Volts in the first five years (40k per year average). To make matters worse– for the U.S. PHEV crowd– GM says many of those will be exported. Of course, this all assumes GM will start producing Volt and PHEV Vues in late 2010 as promised. So now, it's put up or shut time. The sad thing is that GM will do neither.