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Filed under: Diesel, Toyota, European Union

Click for a complete picture gallery featuring the three models

At the upcoming Paris Motor Show, Toyota will introduce three new models to try and conquer European hearts: Toyota’s third-generation flagship Avensis model, the production-ready iQ and the Urban Cruiser. Each of these model has at least somethinig that’s slightlyt green that Toyota can highlight: for the Avensis sedan, Toyota promises low CO₂ emissions (current Avensis offerings include a D-Cat clean diesel version) with excellent performance - exactly which powertrains will sit under the hood will be announced before the end of the year. We’re quite familiar with the iQ, the 3-meter long 4-seater with CO₂ emissions of just 99 g/km at the bottom end and the
world’s first curtain shield airbags installed behind the rear seats. The Urban Cruiser is getting Toyota’s 1.4-liter D-4D diesel (also seen in the Yaris and the Auris) which has CO₂ emissions of 133 g/km for the AWD version.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota to show its three new low-CO₂ models for 2009 in Europe

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Filed under: Diesel, Ethanol, Hybrid

The Detroit Grand Prix is back at the city’s Belle Isle Park this Labor Day weekend and Saturday’s activities will be dominated by the Detroit Sports Car Challenge. The Sports Car Challenge is the 9th race of the 2008 American Le Mans Series. We spoke to ALMS President Scott Atherton this morning about the series’ green racing efforts. According to Atherton, the response to the Green Challenge that will debut at the Petit Le Mans at the beginning of October has been outstanding. The Peugeot 908s are coming back to challenge the Audi R10s again in the top dog ALMS class. The big news is yet to come though. The Green Challenge will run throughout the season starting in 2009. Atherton revealed that at least two manufacturers that are not currently involved in ALMS are seriously looking at joining the series specifically because of the Green Challenge. Unfortunately he wouldn’t say who those manufacturers are but if I had to guess, I’d say Toyota and Nissan would be the top candidates.

When the Green Challenge was first announced at the Detroit Auto Show last year, Honda’s John Mendel told us that that Acura would be looking at alternative powertrain options in the future as well. The Acura team will be holding a press conference tomorrow to discuss their future ALMS plans. We’ll be there to let you know what they say. Can you say Acura diesel?

[Source: American Le Mans Series]

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Filed under: Diesel, GM, Opel, UK

Click for high-resolution pictures of the Astra ecoFlex

GM’s brand in the United Kingdom, Vauxhall, has launched the Astra Ecoflex version. As with the array of green signatures created by all European automakers (see: Bluemotion, Ecomotive, Eco2, Airdream…), the Vaxuhall Ecoflex takes a standard Astra, and greens up the base diesel engine while adding tweaks to the car to lower CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption. The good news is that the engineers not only managed to get the 1.7 CDTi engine to produce only 119 g/km of CO₂ while keeping mileage at 62.8mpg Imperial (52.3mpg U.S. or 4.5 l/100 km) but they increased the engine’s power from 100 to 110hp. Other improvements include a 30kg (66 pound) reduction in kerb weight, lowered suspension to improve aerodynamics, modification of the front air intakes and a drag-reducing lower engine compartment panel. Engineers also reduced the power steering pump’s idle speed and fitted low rolling-resistance tires. Prices start at £16,340.

Vauxhall is preparing two additional ecoFlex models for 2009: a 109g/km Corsa 1.3 CDTi good for nearly 69mpg Imperial (57mpg U.S. or 4.1 l/100 km), and a low-emissions version of the new Insignia sedan. Full press release after the jump.

[Source: Vauxhall]

Continue reading Vauxhall launches the Astra ecoFlex

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Filed under: Diesel, Etc., USA

Nope, this isn’t a map showing the temperature that gas flows out of the nozzle into our car’s tank to boost the myth that it’s better to fuel early in the morning. No, this is a U.S. map (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) that shows color-coded gasoline prices (by county): the redder the color, the more expensive the gallon of gas while the greener the color, the cheaper the gas is. If you go to the site and zoom in on the map, you can drill down to the municipality level. Zoom in again and you’ll end up with color-coded gas stations. My search found gas over .20/gal for Regular gas in Washington state, and under .12 near Dallas. The interactive map lets you even choose four different fuel types: regular, medium, premium and diesel, although E85 and biodiesel additions would have been a nice touch. Thanks to John and Larry for the tip.

[Source: Gasbuddy]

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August 20, 2008
ForbesAutos.com

With soaring gas prices prompting more Americans to look for alternatives at the pump, the federal government is extending tax credits to the option least favored by drivers: diesel.

The Alternative Motor Vehicle tax credit previously available to hybrid buyers under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 will now be offered on certain diesel vehicles.

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August 18, 2008
Los Angeles Times Up to Speed Blog

In certain circles, albeit rather gear- and green-oriented ones, this is a very exciting day. No, not because of the 94 to 105 kg men’s Olympic weightlifting final, but because as of today, diesel is officially back.

Volkswagen begins delivery today of its 50-state legal Jetta TDI, the first “clean diesel” vehicle to be sold in the U.S. (Yes, that means here in California too!) It’s presumptively the first of a flood of European-made diesels to hit every one of our states, including some exciting numbers by Mercedes-Benz.

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Filed under: Diesel, Volkswagen

The VW Polo BlueMotion is one of the most fuel efficient internal combustion vehicles available on the market in Europe with CO₂ emissions of just 99 g/km and consumption of 48/74 mpg on the European driving cycles. Volkswagen has never offered the Polo in the U.S. market because when it was affordable (due to exchange rates) there wasn’t much demand for such cars here. More recently, when the company could have used such a car here with rising fuel prices, the weak dollar has made it prohibitively expensive. Jim Motavalli has driven the Polo in Europe and wants one here. Will we ever get to see it? According to VW spokesman Jim Gill, we won’t get the current generation Polo. However a redesigned version is a couple of years off and if fuel prices continue to climb the company would consider it. Now that a new plant for VW is being built in Tennessee, the company certainly has the option of building such cars here at lower cost than importing them from Europe. We shall see.

[Source: New York Times]

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