Last year, Audi announced it was killing off plans to offer a hybrid Q7 in the U.S. and several months later the automaker exacted the same fate on its little brother the Q5. Now, word comes from Wolfgan Hatz, head of powertrain development for the Volkswagen Group, that Audi will begin offering a hybrid version of the Q5 in the States late next year.

Hatz makes it clear in his interview with Automotive News that the Audi Q5 hybrid aims to compete with the Lexus RX450h and the forthcoming BMW X6 hybrid, but it’s not part of a full-scale assault on the luxury gas-electric CUV set. According to Hatz, diesel technology makes more fiscal sense due to the costs associated with developing a hybrid system — somewhere between three to four times more — when compared to adapting a standard drivetrain to accommodate a diesel. Naturally, Hatz hopes that once development of the hybrid setup is complete it can proliferate throughout the Audi lineup. The 2011 Q5 will initially be launched in the U.S. and if it proves to be a success, hybrid Q5s could be sold in Europe.

[Source:Autoblog]

In the market for a fuel-sipping mid-size sedan? Now, and for a limited time only, buyers of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid will be eligible for the $3,400 federal tax credit for hybrid vehicles. Late last year, Ford hit the magic 60,000 limit on individual hybrid sales that’s been imposed by the Feds, so the tax credit for all of the Blue Oval’s hybrid machines will be halved beginning on April 1st. Beginning in October, the credit will again be cut in half to $850 and the entire amount will be gone starting January 1st of 2010.

Tax credit or not, the 2010 Fusion Hybrid’s EPA rating of 41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway bests the Toyota Camry Hybrid by a whopping eight mpg in the city and two mpg on the highway. For what it’s worth, hybrid tax credits for Toyota (and Honda, for that matter) have already expired.

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

PRESS RELEASE:

2010 FORD FUSION HYBRID QUALIFIES BUYERS FOR HIGHEST AVAILABLE FEDERAL TAX CREDIT – $3,400

DEARBORN, MICH., Jan. 28, 2009 – Customers eager to purchase America’s most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid, can take advantage of a $3,400 tax credit from the federal government.

Buyers of a new 2010 Fusion Hybrid or Mercury Milan Hybrid this year will qualify for the $3,400 tax credit, the highest credit amount ever offered for hybrids purchased or placed in service after Dec. 31, 2005. The Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Hybrid, the most fuel-efficient SUVs in America, continue to qualify for a $3,000 tax credit, the highest available tax credit of all hybrids on the road today.

Fusion Hybrid’s class-leading 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, which tops the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway, helped Fusion garner the significant credit amount, which is based on a vehicle’s potential fuel efficiency. Stacked together, Fusion’s fuel savings and tax incentive can help significantly offset the premium to the customer for hybrid-electric technology over a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle.

“Hybrids are an important part of our strategy to deliver the best or among the best fuel economy with all of our new products, and the Fusion and Milan Hybrids have set the pace for the company, as well as our competitors,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “We’re glad to see our government help promote these advanced, clean fuel-efficient vehicles to the consumer.”

Technological innovation, like the development of Ford’s hybrid systems, is a core value as the company drives for leadership in quality, safety, fuel efficiency and in-car connectivity. A new study this week by The Patent Board™ – the world’s leading patent analyst – found that Ford outperformed all other automakers in the quality and significance of its technology patents. The 2010 Fusion, Milan and their respective hybrid models set new standards for technology innovation with 119 U.S. patents.

Hybrid Hot Sheet
To deliver 700-plus miles on a single tank of gas, Fusion Hybrid travels up to 47 miles per hour in pure electric mode, faster than the Camry and all other hybrids currently on the road. In addition, the system’s Intake Variable Cam Timing (i-VCT) allows the hybrid to more seamlessly transition from gas to electric mode and vice-versa, delivering a near imperceptible hybrid driving experience to the customer.

Other advanced hybrid systems that contribute to Fusion’s fuel-economy leadership include:
• A smaller, lighter nickel-metal hydride battery, which produces 20 percent more power than Ford’s previous hybrid system.
• An enhanced electronic throttle control, which reduces airflow on shutdowns, reducing fueling needs on restarts.
• A regenerative brake system that recovers and stores nearly 94 percent of energy normally lost through friction in braking.

The 2010 Fusion Hybrid also debuts Ford’s SmartGauge with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster that helps coach drivers on how to optimize the fuel efficiency of their vehicles.

Ford’s Growing Hybrid Fleet
The 2010 Fusion and Milan Hybrids join the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Hybrids, doubling the company’s hybrid product offerings and volume.

The 2009 Escape and Mariner Hybrid FWD models qualify for a $3,000 tax credit; 4WD models $1,950. Owners of previous model-year Escape and Mariner hybrid models may also qualify for varying credit amounts from $1,950 to $3,000. The credit is only available to the original purchaser of a new, qualifying vehicle.

Tax Credit Update
Customers who purchase a Ford or Mercury brand hybrid by March 31, 2009 will remain eligible for the full tax credit amounts. Beginning April 1, 2009 customers who purchase a hybrid will only be able to claim a partial tax credit as described in the table above.

Since Ford Motor Company reached the 60,000 vehicle threshold in the 4th quarter of 2008, the tax credit amounts are reduced by 50 percent beginning in the second quarter of 2009 and by an additional 25 percent beginning in the fourth quarter of 2009. No tax credit amount is available for hybrids after March 31, 2010.

[Source:Autoblog]

Looks like green might replace red as the most popular color at Ferrari. The supercar manufacturer just added a whole roof-full of photovoltaics atop its Engine Mechanical Machining facility in Maranello. Those solar panels should cut Ferrari’s outside power needs, reducing the amount of energy the company draws from the grid by about 210,000 kWh a year and could result in a 25-30% reduction in CO2 emissions.

The solar cells are the latest move in Ferrari’s plan to improve environmental sustainability. They’ve already increased the natural ecological areas inside and outside the production and management facilities. Ferrari has also added an additional 200 trees to the 165,000 square meters of green space on campus in just the past six months. The system uses 1,075 Mitsubishi solar modules, but that doesn’t mean you can tease Ferrari owners by saying that they drive something powered by a Mitsubishi motor.

[Source:Autoblog]

Look! It’s a Chevy Volt in someone’s driveway. While this scene isn’t likely to occur in reality until some time in late 2010, General Motors apparently wants you to start dreaming about it now. We’re dreaming about buying the home in the background of the image above, but for the sake of this post let’s focus on the high-profile series hybrid parked in the drive. GM just released a bunch of new high-res images that show the Volt interacting with the world that exists beyond the photo studio. The extended-range electric vehicle looks like a high-tech, futuristic and, most importantly, real sedan when seen staged against the backdrop of suburbia, in front of a coastal village and hanging out under some palm trees. Check out the Volt’s new glamour shots in the gallery of high-res images below and let us know if one will be in your driveway come 2011.

[Source:Autoblog]

There’s a firestorm of controversy surrounding the Tesla Roadster and its most recent set of options and pricing details. Apparently, a number of Roadster reservation holders who had already placed hefty deposits (as much as $50,000 dollars) on the Tesla, had locked in their orders and picked their options recently received letters and phone calls informing them that they were unlocked from their orders and their spot in the line was in jeopardy if they didn’t re-option their rides. What’s more, the new set of choices included many pricey bits that had previously been standard, along with a price increase for options that were already available. After all is said and done, a new Tesla Roadster with the same set of features that had previously been standard is now $6,700 more expensive than before.

Perhaps the biggest omission from the current base set of specifications is the High Performance Charger that allows the electric car to be quickly recharged in as little as 3.5-hours. Without the optional HPC, which now costs a whopping $3,000, it could take all night to replenish the Roadster’s battery pack. Another previously standard component that is newly optional are the set of forged alloy wheels, which are now a $2,300 upgrade. Tesla claims that the extra money is necessary to become instantly profitable. Regardless, many owners are understandably upset with the extra surcharge, especially after receiving notification that their orders had been locked for production. Thanks for the tip, Ron!

[Source:Autoblog]

esla hasn’t released any more details on the Roadster Sport, but it has released a handful of renderings depicting what the Elise-based EV will look like when it goes on sale in June.

As a refresher, the Tesla Roadster Sport is an upgrade package that includes a new hand-wound stator that increases torque, resulting in a claimed 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds – 0.2 seconds faster than the standard model. Adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars are fitted underneath and a set of grippy Yokohama Advan A048s – the same tires mounted on the Elise/Exige – are wrapped around dark finish Tesla wheels. Tesla includes unique “sport” badging to the Roadster and pricing has been set at $128,500 in the U.S. Customers that have already placed an order for the standard Roadster can upgrade to Sport trim, but until we hear some revised skid pad numbers, get an independent confirmation on the 0-60 time and go for a drive, we’ll keep our opinions about the validity of the Sport model to ourselves.

Hit the jump for the press release.

PRESS RELEASE

SAN CARLOS, Calif.–Tesla Motors Inc. began taking orders today for the Roadster Sport, a high-performance sports car based on the world’s leading all-electric, zero-emission vehicle.

The Roadster Sport does 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, compared with 3.9 seconds for the standard Roadster. It comes with a hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque. In addition to Yokohama’s Ultra High Performance tires, the Roadster Sport has improved suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars that will be tuned to the driver’s preference.

The Roadster Sport starts at $128,500 in the United States and €112,000 (excluding VAT) in Europe. Deliveries begin in late June.

“This car can beat nearly anything in its price class – yet it is twice as efficient as compact hybrid sedans,” said Michael van der Sande, Tesla’s senior vice president of global sales, service and marketing. “If you refuse to compromise on performance or the environment, the Roadster Sport is your only option.”

The Roadster Sport is the first derivative of Tesla’s proprietary, patented powertrain. San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla plans to begin producing the all-electric, zero-emission Model S five-passenger sedan in 2011.

Tesla has delivered more than 150 Roadsters to customers, and about 1,100 people are on the waiting list. Customers who haven’t taken delivery may upgrade to the Roadster Sport.

“The Roadster Sport embodies Tesla’s spirit of continuous improvement,” said CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. “The Roadster has been a great success, but no one at this company remains satisfied with the status quo.”

[Source:Autoblog]

We’ve heard scads of rumors over the past year that General Motors plans to bring a Volt-based Cadillac to market, and it looks like we’ll be seeing a concept of the new E-Flex Caddy at the Detroit Auto Show.

According to a report by BusinessWeek, the two-door coupe concept will use the same range-extending EV drivetrain as the Chevrolet Volt, although there’s no word on whether the Caddy concept will send power to the front or rear wheels. BW sources say that the vehicle is smaller than the CTS and will feature a bolder exterior design than the CTS coupe. We’ll be on hand in Detroit beginning this Sunday to see the Caddivolt concept in person, if it decides to show up.

[Source: BusinessWeek]