AAA Chooses Chevy Volt as a Top Commuter Car

AAA today announced that the Chevrolet Volt is among the best commuter vehicles in the United States. Experts from the membership-based travel organization evaluate hundreds of vehicles each year based on comfort, performance and fuel efficiency.

 

The Chevy Volt, a four-passenger, plug-in electric vehicle, was praised by AAA for its handling, exceptional quietness, and great acceleration. AAA said the Volt “sidesteps range anxiety with a gasoline engine on board to run a generator.” The organization also pointed to a feature in the Volt that allows a driver to force operation of the gasoline engine, ideal for a commute that starts on a highway, where gasoline power is more efficient, and ends in a city, where battery power is more cost effective.

The one criticism offered by AAA about the the car as a commuter vehicles was a tight rear seat in the four-seat Volt, making it impractical for some carpools.
The Volt was named a top commuter vehicle in the compact vehicle category that also included the Toyota Prius (and Prius V) and the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI. The Volt is the most efficient of the three—but is also the most expensive with consumers paying an average price of $38,871 (2.8 percent less than the MSRP) according to TrueCar, a pricing partner to AAA.

AAA reported that 86% of Americans rely on their vehicle to get to and from work every day. The average commute is 25 minutes each way. "Many Americans are spending several hours every week in their vehicle to get to and from work," said John Nielsen, director of AAA automotive engineering and reepair. "Having a vehicle that is reliable, fuel-efficient and comfortable can really make a difference in your everyday routine."

In addition to the Toyota Prius, which is offered as a plug-in hybrid, AAA named the Ford Fusion a top commuter car in the sedan category. The Ford Fusion Energi, a plug-in hybrid version of the vehicle, went on sale last month.

Source : PluginCars, by Brad Bernam, March 26, 2013

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.

Source : AutoBlogGreen, by Sebastian Blanco, March 25th, 2013

Can Big Rental Companies Succeed in Car-Sharing?

With Avis Budget Group Inc. closing its deal for Zipcar Inc. Thursday, the next challenge will be how to incorporate–without dumbing down–the technology driving the upstart’s success.

Avis Budget Group Inc., along with Enterprise Holdings Inc. and Hertz Corp., are all moving into the space defined by Zipcar, lured by urban consumers who embrace an easier rental experience where vehicles can be rented by the hour.

The market has grown to a nearly a $400 million business in the U.S., according to Avis. By acquiring Zipcar, Avis now owns the technology underpinning Zipcar’s success. But Avis will need to be careful about how it integrates Zipcar’s software, or it might end up stripping out all the business management processes and user experience that makes the service convenient and user friendly.

Traditional car rental companies entering the car sharing market have the back-end infrastructure for managing large fleets, said Ratika Garg, industry analyst for automotive and transportation at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. But, they’ll have to develop better user experiences for customers, she said.

Zipcar’s mobile and web-focused rental engine embraces a spontaneous rental experience light years from the block-long rental lines found at many airport-based incumbent rental agencies.


Source : The Wall Street Journal, by Rachael King, March 15th, 2013

VW launching at least six plug-in hybrids after 2014

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will play a big role in the moves the Volkswagen Group is making towards increased e-mobility starting in 2014. Oliver Schmidt, general manager engineering and environmental office for Volkswagen Group of America, speaking at the recent SAE 2013 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium, said the automaker will be launching at least six plug-in hybrid models across its brands.

Schmidt was somewhat vague about details on the six PHEVs. At least two will be Volkswagen models – a plug-in hybrid version of the European Passat and a plug-in hybrid Golf. Some will be Audis, though how many wasn't specified. He did say, "Then in '14 and beyond the products that we want to do are plug-in hybrids for the bigger Audis."

Currently, VW is producing five hybrid models that could see plug-in versions – the Touareg and Jetta from Volkswagen, the Porsche Cayenne S and Panamera S and the Audi Q5. There are two more hybrids in pre-production – the Audi A6 and A8, Schmidt said, though he didn't specify whether any of these seven hybrid models will have plug-in hybrid counterparts.

Two recently unveiled plug-in hybrid concept cars could be among the seven Schmidt mentioned? TheVolkswagen XL1 concept was shown at the Geneva Motor Show and VW has promised a limited production run of 250 units, at least. The Volkswagen CrossBlue SUV concept (pictured) was on display at the Detroit Motor Show.

Green Car Congress points out that Volkswagen's MQB (Modularen Querbaukasten, aka Modular Transverse Matrix) will play a part in developing plug-in hybrid technology. MQB standardizes engine component parameters used by the automaker in engines across its brands and vehicle classes. So, for example, theVolkswagen Golf now has the same orientation and assembly position whether it uses a gasoline or diesel engine. This standardization will also simplify the development of alternative powertrains such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids. The CrossBlue highlights the evolution of technologies that will play a role in future MQB-based electrified vehicles, Schmidt said.

Source : AutoBlogGreen, by Jon LeSage, March 18th, 2013