2015 Lexus NX Compact Crossover Model Revealed: Accident Or Not?

Remember the Lexus LF-NX, the jaw-dropping concept for a new compact crossover from Toyota'sluxury brand?

It's been making the rounds at auto shows since last fall, scaring small children in many cities.

Well, looks like Lexus will dial down the styling considerably when it hits the showrooms later this year as the 2015 Lexus NX.

We know this because at a Society of Automotive Analysts presentation before the Detroit AutoShow earlier this month, Toyota CEO Jim Lentz mentioned the LF-NX concept--but the image on the accompanying slide was not the concept.

Instead, it was a toned-down version--and very likely the production version that we've long known would be coming, at least somewhat based on the redesigned 2013 Toyota RAV4.

The image comes to us courtesy of AmericanJR, who uploaded Lentz's entire presentation to YouTube on video (via Autoblog).

The LF-NX Concept is powered by a 2.5-liter Atkinson four-cylinder engine mated to the usual Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system, using a pair of motor-generators and a battery pack--though whether it uses traditional nickel-metal-hydride or newer lithium-ion cells was not specified.

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2014 Ford Focus

Ford's sales of its two Energi plug-in hybrid models climbed steadily throughout 2013, and now it appears the company will add a third model to the Energi family for 2015.

If rumors are correct, the 2015 Ford Focus Energi will add a plug-in hybrid model to the existing gasoline and battery-electric versions of its compact hatchback and sedan.

Its existence was first mentioned by Autocar, which noted it as an addition to a range of updated 2015 Focus models. The British magazine said only that it would use the same 2.0-liter engine as the C-Max Energi.

We did a bit of asking around, and confirmed that Ford has been quietly talking to fleet managers and others about the potential new model.

Company representatives, our source said, have quoted an electric range of 25 miles--up from the 21 miles rated for the C-Max and Fusion Energi models--and a price of about $27,500. (That could be a fleet price, however, with the actual retail price a few thousand dollars higher.)

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VL Destino Faces Uncertain Fisker Future For Its Non-Electric Karma

Engine swaps are one thing; complete powertrain replacements are another.

But if your business is yanking range-extended electric running gear out of a stunning-looking car from a now-bankrupt company, and replacing it with Corvette power, there are two ways you can go.

Swaps, new cars

You can wait for the limited universe of Fisker Karma owners--about 2,000 or so--to need new powertrains, or you can buy unfinished bodies from the company itself and sell them as brand-new Destinos.

Detroit-based VL Industries is pursuing both approaches. But the uncertainty around the ultimate fate of Fisker Automotive requires the company, as an executive told us, "to stay friends with everyone" in the process.

Last Friday, a bankruptcy-court judge in Delaware ordered that the bankrupt Fisker be auctioned off, rather than approving the prearranged sale to Hybrid Technology Holdings that Fisker itself pushed for.

That decision followed after a last-minute bid by Chinese auto-parts conglomerate Wanxiang, which now owns A123 Systems, Fisker's supplier of lithium-ion battery packs for the Karma.

Hybrid Tech then raised its bid to $55 million, from $25 million, indicating that perhaps the remains of the company are worth more than first thought.

Destino convertible nee Karma Sunset

At this week's Detroit Auto Show, VL unveiled a concept for a possible second VL Destino model, a two-door hardtop convertible with a retractable folding top, which it presented as the Destino Red Concept.

VL cofounder and marketing executive Gabe Villarreal confirmed to Green Car Reports that the vehicle shown in Detroit was the actual concept shown in 2009 as the Fisker Karma S--later dubbed the Sunset--with new panels to give it the Destino look.

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Which Is Greener: Flying Or Driving To Your Destination?

Few transport methods are truly green, requiring the input of fuel at some point in the process to generate the energy required to move.
Flying is often derided as one of the worst, given the spectacular amounts of fuel aircraft can burn through. But are they any worse than cars? Indeed, could they be better for those cross-country trips?
The University of Michigan's Transport Research Institute has drawn up a report looking into exactly this scenario, and has come up with a surprising conclusion--for the most part, it's greener to fly than drive.
In fact, for cars to be a more efficient means of moving people about, average fuel economy of light-duty vehicles would have to increase by around 50 percent, or average passenger numbers would need to double.
In the report, Making Driving Less Energy Intensive Than Flying, author Michael Sivak analyzes the amount of energy needed to transport a person in the U.S. a given distance, either in a light-duty vehicle or on a scheduled airline flight.
While automobiles have generally become more efficient over the decades, the airline industry has leapfrogged road transport as the greenest way of moving people about.
Popular Mechanics cites a table in the report showing the energy intensities of flying between 1970 and 2010.
Back in 1970, airline travel used twice the energy per passenger to move people about. But by 2000, energy use per passenger had decreased below that of driving, and today it's 57 percent less energy-intensive.
To restore the balance, according to the report, the current fuel economy of the entire fleet of light-duty vehicles would have to increase from 21.5 mpg to 33.8 mpg, or average passenger numbers would have to increase from 1.38 persons to at least 2.3.

                                                                                             Full article Here

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Toyota Hybrid Sales Top 6 Million Vehicles Globally, And Counting

It almost goes without saying, but Toyota loves its hybrids--and, seemingly, so do the world's car buyers.

The Japanese automaker said it had sold 6,072,000 hybrids as of December 31, 2013, breaking the 6 million-unit barrier.

A particularly strong 2013 helped push Toyota over the top, with global hybrid sales of 1,279,000 units, compared to 1,219,000 for 2012.

Toyota sold approximately 358,000 hybrids in North America last year, compared to 344,000 the year before. It's sold a total of 2,302,000 hybrids in North America since the first-generation Prius was launched here in 2000.

                                                                                                                     Full Article

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Bankruptcy Judge Orders Remains Of Fisker Auto To Be Auctioned

After a court hearing on Friday, the fate of Fisker Automotive is even more up in the air, and as uncertain as ever.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross ordered a competitive auction of Fisker's assets, according to theAssociated Press, after a last-minute bid by Chinese auto-parts conglomerate Wanxiang.

Gross rejected investor Hong Kong-based Richard Li's $25 million bid for the company, which Fisker itself wanted the court to approve.

Those funds from Li's investor group--Hybrid Technology Holdings--would have gone directly to the U.S. Department of Energy to pay off a portion of Fisker's outstanding $168 million low-interest loan.

Hybrid then planned to take control of Fisker using a $75 million credit bid based on what it claimed it was owed as Fisker's senior secured lender during the automaker's ongoing bankruptcy.

The group has also offered an additional $2 million in cash, and to waive fees it claims it would be owed as Fisker's lender.

However, Hybrid has shown no interest in building cars at the former General Motors Boxwood Road plant near Wilmington, Delaware that Fisker had secured.

The News Journal reports that the investor group had considered selling the plant to pay off creditors.

Wanxiang's plans.....Read Full Article

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China lifts ban on foreign consoles

China has temporarily lifted its 14-year-old ban on foreign-made game consoles, opening up a hugely lucrative market to gaming giants such as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

The relaxation Tuesday by China's State Council, which originally flagged the idea last year, permits "foreign invested enterprises" to manufacture games consoles within Shanghai's free trade zone and sell them in the world's second-largest economy.

But the products would still be subject to inspection, the Chinese government said, and the games are likely to remain under strict censorship.

China originally banned foreign consoles in 2000 citing concerns that violent games could have a detrimental effect on the mental health of young people. Instead, gamers have been brought up on a diet of PC games which makes up two thirds of the revenues generated in the country's gaming market. Nonetheless, despite the prohibition, games consoles have been on the illegal "grey market" for years – often at a deep discount.

Big opportunity for console makers?

The liberalisation of the laws could pave the way for major players to gain a foothold in the Chinese gaming markets, which raked in revenues of around $14 billion in 2013, up 38 percent from the previous year, according to China's game industry body. The U.S. gaming industry brings in double this at $38 billion..........

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ome NewsElectric Cars2014 Cadillac ELR Software Gives Hints Of Future Voltec Uses 2014 Cadillac ELR Software Gives Hints Of Future Voltec Uses

General Motors' Voltec drivetrain, the range-extended plug-in setup used on the Chevrolet Volt and the new 2014 Cadillac ELR, is among the most advanced drivetrains on the roads.

That's not to say there isn't room for greater improvement though, and that's exactly what GM is doing.

In fact, as Charged EVs reports, there are far more differences between the drivetrain used in the Volt and the newer ELR than the on-paper figures give them credit for--and developments found in the ELR are only likely to make future Volts and other Voltec vehicles even more efficient.

Befitting Cadillac's more upmarket image, GM engineers have endowed it with a little more power and a few extra features over the Volt on which it's based--including a paddle system on the steering wheel for increasing or reducing braking regeneration.

But under the skin, it's advancements in the electric motor, the control systems and software that really separate the two vehicles.

According to Tim Grewe, Cadillac ELR powertrain Chief Engineer, GM upgraded "everything" in the ELR, compared to the Volt. The drivetrain layout and hardware are largely the same, but detail changes to the control systems are where the real work has taken place.

For example, engineers have found a way of using the harmonic oscillation of electrical pulses from the inverter to boost the motor's capabilities.

Grewe describes it as "third harmonic injection", though it's also known as pulse width modulation, and allows GM to push the electric motor harder without unwanted noises and vibrations.

Precise control of the magnets in the motor has also allowed the team to liberate more performance and efficiency without generating unwanted heat. more

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Electric Cars To Replace NYC's Iconic Horse-Drawn Carriages

New York City has a new mayor, which means it's time for some changes.

Specifically, Bill de Blasio wants to change how tourists get around Central Park.

At a news conference shortly before his inauguration, de Blasio said he wanted to replace Central Park's iconic horse-drawn carriages with electric cars, according to NBC (via The Verge).

De Blasio said he would move "quickly and aggressively" to eliminate the carriages, which he views as "inhumane" to the horses that pull them and "not appropriate to the year 2014."

The proposed replacement for these horse-drawn conveyances isn't a sleek and modern Nissan Leaf, however, but a purpose-built vehicle designed to look like a 1910s touring car.

According to USA Today, de Blasio hopes to convert drivers of the horse-drawn carriages to drivers of the new alternative vehicles.

New York's new mayor is joined in his quest to rid Central Park of equine transportation by animal-rights activists, who believe the horses are treated badly by their drivers.

About 4,500 people have signed a petition on the website of animal-rights group NYCLASS, calling for the replacement of horse-drawn carriages with the retro-styled electric cars.

If New York decides to use electric cars to shuttle tourists around Central Park, there should at least be plenty of places to charge them.

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Mazda Plans Next-Gen SkyActiv Engines For Even Better Gas Mileage

Mazda's Skyactiv fuel-efficient gasoline engines are already getting good real-world results, but the company isn't resting on its laurels.

Instead, the Japanese automaker is already working on the next two generations of its Skyactiv engine line, ready to power its future vehicles.

Set to debut in 2020, Automotive News reports the next-gen Skyactiv units will deliver a 30 percent improvement even in relation to today's gas-sipping units.

That's quite a target, and suggests some seriously impressive gas mileage. Today's Skyactiv 2.0-liter gasoline unit returns 30 mpg in the city, 41 mpg highway and 34 mpg combined in the 2014 Mazda 3 with an automatic transmission.

While some hybrids are capable of more, it's enough for the Mazda 3 to out-punch rivals like the Ford Focus SFE or Chevrolet Cruze Eco--as well as beating the smaller, lighter and smaller-engined Mazda 2 subcompact by up to 6 mpg on the highway.

A 30 percent improvement could see highway mileage of 53 mpg, and combined economy in the mid-forties--with no hybrid systems or diesel engines required.

European standards

The new engines are expected to debut around 2020 and are largely a response to incredibly strict European emissions standards for new cars.

By 2020, automakers selling in Europe are expected to have fleet-wide CO2 figures of no more than 95 grams per kilometer--the equivalent of 57 mpg in a gasoline vehicle, or 65 mpg in a diesel.

By 2025, standards will be even stricter at 65 g/km, or around 83 and 95 mpg for gasoline and diesel models respectively.

While electric vehicles and hybrids are likely to be more widespread and help to reduce fleet-wide emissions by this time, internal combustion vehicles won't have disappeared entirely--and new technologies are required to make them as frugal as possible.

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