GM's Wagoner heading to Congress in Malibu Hybrid

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Etc., Government/Legal, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Chrysler, LLC., Ford, GM

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Malibu Hybrid

While it won't get him there as quickly (or as luxuriously) as a Gulfstream corporate jet, GM CEO Rick Wagoner will drive to Washington this week in a Chevrolet Malibu hybrid to ask for taxpayer-funded bridge loans. Last month, Wagoner, Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Chrysler LLC CEO Robert Nardelli, all received some serious flak from both lawmakers and the public when they arrived in Washington via three separate private jets while begging for $25 billion in federal money. All are expected to take alternate forms of transportation this time around, with Mulally already announcing plans to drive a Ford Escape Hybrid. Simple math says Wagoner's Malibu hybrid should only burn about 15 gallons of fuel during the 520-mile trek from Detroit to Capitol Hill, costing the automaker about $30 in gasoline (compare that to the estimated $10,000 cost of the jet one-way). It should be quite the road-trip.

[Source: Google/AP]

GM's Wagoner heading to Congress in Malibu Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Fisker Karma

Just one short year after Fisker debuted its plug-in hybrid Karma show car at the Detroit Auto Show, the house that Henrik built will be returning to the Motor City to debut the production version of its ambitious project. Fisker says the production model, which is shown above in this just-released official pic, will only vary slightly in design from the show car, including a different upper grille that's a bit larger towards the outer edges and a larger lower air intake. The exhaust pipe from the internal combustion engine will also exit from an odd place: behind the front wheels. We'll also get our first view of the Karma's production interior in Detroit next month.

Fisker announced last month that it had chosen General Motors' turbocharged, direct-inject 2.0L four-cylinder as its ICE of choice, and after sampling that engine in the Chevy Cobalt SS Turbo, we're very eager to see what it will do in a hybrid set-up designed to make one very large luxury saloon move like the wind. Combined with the hybrid system's 22.6 kWh electric motor, the drivetrain as a whole is said to produce 408 horsepower and propel the car to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and onto to a top speed of 125 mph. What sounded like vaporware 365 days ago is starting to take form, and we'll be on hand in Detroit next month to bring you more.

Gallery: Fisker Karma

[Source: Fisker]

Continue reading Detroit Preview: Production Fisker Karma will debut in Motown

Detroit Preview: Production Fisker Karma will debut in Motown originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford, Earnings/Financials

In just a few short days, Ford and its two cross-town rivals will be required to lay down a plan before Congress that points a clear path towards profitability and global competitiveness. These days, any automaker's future will involve plenty of greenery, and as the first of the three automakers to submit its comprehensive business plan to the lawmakers in DC, Ford's plan includes electric vehicles slated for launch starting in 2010. First up will be a new electric van for commercial use, followed in 2011 by a new electric sedan. Other highlights include U.S. versions of the European-designed automobiles that are currently making their way across the pond, the sale of all its private jets, further plant closings and continued negotiations with the UAW.

So, what kind of money are we talking? The Blue Oval's plan calls for a bridge loan of $9 million to be made available, though it hopes it doesn't need it. You may remember that Ford bet Henry's farm already when Mulally first took office at the automaker, so it's already got a load of financed cash on hand to weather the current stormy climate through 2010. What's more, Ford hopes to get $5B of loans under the already-promised $25B for fuel efficient cars. On the negative side, the plan suggests that a bankruptcy of either General Motors or Chrysler would be enough to cripple Ford's operations. Barring that, even with a forecast of flat sales of 12.5 million units per year for the next three years for the U.S. auto industry, Ford believes it's on its way back to profitability as early as 2011. Check out the Blue Oval's official press release detailing its proposed plan to Congress after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford claims to be back in black by 2011, release EV sedan same year

Ford claims to be back in black by 2011, release EV sedan same year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

click to visit AutoblogGreen

If using less fuel and working towards an petroleum-free future just makes too much sense for you, then rest assured that there are some greenies who like the absurd. Case in point: the treadmill bike. Another example, killing high performance cars because of their tires.

Oh, and this is what the auto CEOs should have said.

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AutoblogGreen for 12.02.08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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