Indian Electric Cars to be Exported to Europe

Source: Reuters [Nov 14, 2002]

NEW DELHI, Nov 14 (Reuters) - India's first electric car, launched last year with hopes of wooing buyers with its low running costs and non-polluting tag, will be exported to Britain and Europe, a top company official said.

Chetan Maini, managing director of Reva Electric Car Co Ltd, told a news conference he had sealed a deal with London-based Going Green Ltd, to market 250,000 battery-powered Reva cars over the next 10 years.

"Since our launch in July 2001, we have seen over 300 cars on the roads of India and now the response is coming from the overseas market," Maini said.

Reva is already sold in Nepal and Malta and is currently being tested in China, Hong Kong, the United States and Switzerland, Maini said.

The two-door car was first introduced in the southern Indian city of Bangalore in July 2001 and the national capital in May this year.

Company officials said the car had an operating cost of 0.40 rupees (0.8 cents) a kilometre, lower than conventional cars which cost upwards of 1.8 rupees. The electric car can drive 80 km (50 miles) on a single charge.

"The best thing about the car is it is maintenance-free. There is no leaking oil and no exhaust and fuel filters to be changed," Rimple Dipak, the first Reva buyer in Delhi, told Reuters.

The showroom price of the Reva ranges from 263,473 rupees ($5,459) for the basic version to 318,032 rupees for the top model. ($1 = 48.262 rupees)
http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news131102-02

'What Would Jesus Drive?' Campaign Targets SUVs

Groups urges drivers park their SUVs and drive less polluting cars.

Source: AP [Nov 13, 2002]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Car buyers in four states will soon hear a religious appeal to their environmental conscience:

What would Jesus drive?''

A Pennsylvania-based environmental group is planning television advertising in North Carolina, Iowa, Indiana and Missouri to urge consumers to park their pollutive SUVs - Jesus would prefer a cleaner auto, the group contends.

Economic issues are moral issues. There really isn't a decision in your life that isn't a moral choice,'' said the Rev. Jim Ball, executive director of the Evangelical Environmental Network, which is sponsoring the

What Would Jesus Drive?'' campaign.

The Wynnewood, Pa.-based group will begin running television ads this month in eight cities to urge consumers to park their sport-utility vehicles and to buy fuel-efficient cars. The ads contend that the devout ought to consider the SUVs' effect on the earth.

But it's a small voice in a sea of SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks - last year they accounted for half the new vehicles sold in the United States. The average fuel economy for all 2003 model cars and passenger trucks dropped to 20.8 miles per gallon, reflecting what automakers and many buyers say is a higher priority on comfort and family needs than conserving gasoline.

Automakers say they'd be happy to sell more fuel-efficient vehicles if that's what Americans wanted to drive.

If people would be demanding tailfins on cars, we'd be making tailfins on cars. But people aren't demanding tailfins,'' said Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a coalition of 13 companies that produce most of the country's vehicles.

People want power. Consumers want power.''

Ball and a network of like-minded mainline Christians and Jews hope to alter those buying habits.

Global warming and smoggy air worsened by vehicle exhausts threaten the health of humans, plants and animals worldwide, and the faithful are called to preserve God's creation, Ball said in a telephone interview.

We think he is Lord of our transportation choices as well as all our other choices,'' said Ball, an ordained American Baptist minister.

When you need a new car, you should buy the most fuel-efficient one that truly meets your needs.''

The Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign plans to send mailings this month to 100,000 congregations and synagogues discussing the relationship between fuel economy and religious teachings about stewardship and justice.

The campaign is a joint effort of the National Council of Churches and the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life.

The organizations plan a Nov. 20 news conference in Detroit, where they have requested meetings with executives from the Big Three automakers and the United Auto Workers' union, campaign director Douglas Grace said.

The groups plan to frame their arguments in moral - as well as economic - terms by promoting hybrid and fuel-cell powered vehicles, as well as other fuel-saving technologies. Hybrids run on both gas and electricity, and use less fuel than traditional engines. Fuel cells, a technology developed to power space vehicles, makes energy from a chemical reaction with no harmful emissions.

We're trying to show the technology is there, that consumers are interested in it, and they're interested in buying American,'' Grace said.

The Big Three - Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG - plan to mass market SUVs and pickups with hybrid technology starting next year. Toyota and Honda began selling a limited number of hybrid cars this year.

Bell said the e-mails and meetings will be supplemented this month by TV ads running in Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C.; Fort Wayne and South Bend, Ind.; Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa; and Springfield and Kansas City, Mo.

On the Net:

Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign: www.protectingcreation.org

November 22, 2002 By Jean Halliday

DETROIT (AdAge.com) -- Invoking images of divine power as well as the scourge of terrorism, two new ad campaigns attack the national consumer passion for gas-guzzling vehicles.

Two separate groups -- the Evangelical Environmental Network in Philadelphia and the newly formed nonprofit SUV Ad Campaign in Los Angeles -- are preparing to field TV ads that portray the wildly popular vehicles as a threat to the Earth and national security.

Eight metro markets

The Evangelical Environmental Network, a group of 23 religious organizations led by the Rev. Jim Ball of suburban Philadelphia, plans to launch a 30-second TV spot in eight metro markets in four states Dec. 2. The theme is "What would Jesus drive," posing the moral dilemma of what's the best vehicle to drive to preserve the Earth. The line is a takeoff of the popular Christian saying, "What would Jesus do?" Zimmerman & Markman, Santa Monica, created the spot.

Media Strategies, Denver, is handling the $65,000 buy in Charlotte and Greenboro, N.C.; Kansas City and Springfield, Mo.; Cedar Rapids and De Moines, Iowa; and Fort Wayne and South Bend, Ind. Pacy Markman, a partner and co-founder of Zimmerman & Markman, said those markets were picked because the religious group is growing in those areas. The high cost of media in larger cities would gobble up the available budget, he added.

The group on Nov. 20 called on General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. in Detroit to discuss the topic. The meetings didn't resolve any issues, but at least opened a line of dialogue, a group spokesman told AdAge.com.

Patriotic anti-SUV spots

Separately, the Los Angeles-based SUV Ad Campaign expects to start shooting anti-SUV spots with a patriotic flavor in the coming weeks.

Syndicated columnist Arianna Huffington, one of the campaign's organizers, said $35,000 has been raised through small donations to fund production. She said more money is being sought for media buys. Bill Hillsman, president of Northwoods Advertising, Minneapolis, prepared the media plan.

The proposed pair of TV spots tie the gas-guzzling SUVs to terrorism. The storyboard for one commercial shows a variety of SUV drivers behind the wheel. One says, "I funded a terrorist training camp." Another ends with a wide shot of bumper-to-bumper traffic and the copy line "the biggest weapon of mass destruction is parked in your driveway."

Suzuki unveils hybrid electric one-seater, plans 2-seater

FIRMS TO AID RESEARCH ON GLOBAL CLIMATE

By Glennda Chui Mercury News Posted on Tue, Nov. 19, 2002

Stanford University is launching what could be the biggest private effort ever to develop technologies to combat global warming -- in collaboration with companies whose lifeblood has been the very fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.

The new Global Climate and Energy Project, which will be formally announced today, will spend $225 million over the next decade to find the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, using money from ExxonMobil, General Electric and other companies involved in energy development and use.

The project holds enormous potential for developing technologies that can be of real use to industry, scientists and environmentalists said. But they also cautioned that the project would need true independence, without constraints from its private funders. The largest contributor, ExxonMobil, has tried to undermine some global warming research in the past.

Stanford will direct the project, hold title to any resulting patents and control the release of research results, which officials said would be distributed to scientists and the public. About half the work will be done on campus, the rest at institutions throughout the world.

The researchers will work with the sponsoring companies, which will provide

commercial insights and expertise'' in addition to money, the university said.

Lynn Orr, a petroleum engineer who is stepping down as Stanford's dean of earth sciences to direct the project, said it is unusual in its breadth.

It's a collaboration on what I think is one of the grand challenges of the century -- supplying the energy it will take to provide good lives to a growing world population, and at the same time do it in a way that protects the planetary systems we depend on,'' said Orr.

We're focusing on all the technologies we can think of, not a specific set,'' he said. Among the technologies to be studied are hydrogen fuel and wind and solar power.

He said the university first approached Schlumberger, a global company involved in oil and gas exploration. It agreed to kick in $25 million.

General Electric has pledged $50 million, and E.ON, Europe's largest privately owned provider of energy services, has indicated its intention to donate $50 million.

The biggest single donor is ExxonMobil, which has pledged up to $100 million over the next 10 years. Its participation could mark a turnaround for the oil giant, which has been among the leaders in the oil industry in opposing laws to combat global warming worldwide.

Before their merger, Exxon and Mobil were major contributors to the Global Climate Coalition, an organization that worked to discredit science that indicated global warming is occurring and is caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels. The coalition is now defunct, and the existence and human causes of global warming are now widely accepted.

The company's participation in the Stanford project got mixed reactions from people involved in environmental and global change issues.

I absolutely believe that people can see the light, and I'm hopeful,'' said Stephen Schneider, a Stanford biologist who has been involved in global change research.

They have a major impact on the world, and if they've finally decided to do something positive, I'm pleased.''

Others said that the gesture would be an empty one unless ExxonMobil and other corporate sponsors take steps to start reducing greenhouse emissions now.

We welcome ExxonMobil's exploration of renewable and other safe energy sources, but we're concerned that the company is failing to set goals to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions,'' said Peter Altman, national coordinator of Campaign ExxonMobil, a group of shareholders that has been pressuring the company to do that.

They're asking us to gamble away another five or 10 years while they pursue business as usual,'' he said.

Wil Burns, a senior affiliate with the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security in Oakland said,

I think it's hard to argue against them giving this kind of money, especially if it turns out that Stanford is truly autonomous.''

But I think it's incumbent on Exxon to stop trying to undermine international initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol,'' he said.

Otherwise it strikes me as being at cross purposes at least, and cynical at most.''

ExxonMobil officials could not be reached for comment.

Orr said the contributing companies will have a committee that reviews the project's budgets and can

respond to proposals from us to release funding in broad areas.'' But the firms will have no say in awarding individual grants, he said; that will be up to the project directors.

He said the companies and the university are putting the finishing touches on agreements. The first grants should be awarded early next year.

Contact Glennda Chui at gchui@sjmercury.com or (408) 920-5453
http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/021125/autos_chrysler_1.html

Chrysler to roll out diesel SUV, hybrid pickup Monday

November 25, 4:22 pm ET By Justin Hyde

Chrysler President Dieter Zetsche said Chrysler would sell a Jeep Liberty SUV powered by a Mercedes diesel engine in the second half of 2004 that will have up to 30 percent better fuel economy than a gasoline-powered model.

Zetsche said Chrysler will build about 5,000 diesel Liberty models to see how well American consumers accept diesels. Chrysler already sells diesel-powered Jeeps in Europe, but has to tweak the Liberty slightly to meet U.S. standards.

"This diesel Liberty is an opportunity to test customer acceptance of modern, clean-burning diesel technology," Zetsche said during a conference in New York.

U.S. automakers, facing tougher government rules on fuel economy, have been touting diesel engines as a way to improve efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut U.S. dependence on imported oil. While diesels get better fuel economy than gasoline engines, they also produce more nitrous oxide, a component of smog, as well as particulates that have been linked to lung disease.

In Europe, diesels account for roughly 40 percent of all new vehicle sales, thanks to tax incentives and low-sulfur diesel fuel, which allows automakers to better control emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered U.S. oil refiners to begin producing low-sulfur diesel fuel in 2006, a regulation oil companies have been fighting.

American automakers have also been loathe to roll out diesels in the United States for fear of rejection by consumers who remember Detroit's diesel experiments of the 1970s and 1980s, which were renown for their noise, smell and lack of reliability.

Chrysler research found that only about 6 percent of buyers were interested in diesels. Zetsche also said Chrysler would not be able to raise the Liberty's prices to cover all the extra cost of the diesel.

"Obviously, to change the image of diesels in the customer's mind is a heroic challenge, and we don't know what is possible," Zetsche said. "We hope we'll have a positive surprise about the demand."

HYBRID SHUFFLE

Bernard Robertson, Chrysler's senior vice president of engineering technology and regulatory affairs, said the company had cancelled a hybrid vehicle slated to be built in 2003 that would have used electric motors to provide all-wheel-drive.

Two years ago, Chrysler said it would offer its hybrid system as an option on its Dodge Durango SUV that could provide a 20 percent boost in fuel economy. But the Durango was delayed after testing found the hybrid system did not perform as well as planned. While Chrysler tested the system on other vehicles, Robertson said the fuel economy and all-wheel-drive benefits were not enough to offset the extra cost.

"We liked the idea, but the execution just got a bit more expensive than we had intended," Robertson told Reuters.

To keep its pledge to build a hybrid in 2003, Chrysler accelerated the Dodge Ram Contractor's Special hybrid pickup truck by a year. The Ram hybrid uses a different system than the Durango, placing an electric motor between the gasoline engine and the transmission. It also features an electrical panel that drops down from the side of the truck, allowing it to do double duty as a low-cost generator.

That model, and a similar proposal from General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM - News) ,have drawn the attention of the U.S. Army, which sees combat versions of hybrid trucks helping to reduce its fuel demand. Chrysler officials said while they had originally planned about 5,000 hybrid Rams a year, an army contract could boost output substantially.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F - News) is planning to introduce a hybrid Escape SUV late next year and GM is planning on rolling out a hybrid pickup in 2004.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/11/24/BU165294.DTL

Chuck Squatriglia, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, November 24, 2002

©2002 San Francisco Chronicle.

The hybrid cars zipping around the United States are small economy cars packed with a lot of expensive technology.

Toyota's Prius and Honda's Insight and Civic Hybrid -- the only hybrids currently available -- mate electric motors with internal combustion engines to deliver unsurpassed fuel economy and low emissions.

Hybrids work on the simple idea that adding an electric motor allows the engine to be smaller. But getting the two to work requires lots of hardware. In addition to a motor and engine, hybrids have generators, batteries and, sometimes, specialized transmissions.

Honda and Toyota took different approaches to the technology because each had different goals. Honda sought maximum fuel economy while Toyota wanted to minimize emissions.

In the Insight, the engine and motor drive the rear wheels through a five- speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission. The system mates the engine and motor where the flywheel is found in a conventional car.

The motor assists the engine and cannot propel the vehicle. It provides additional power under acceleration, starts the car and captures energy while braking to help recharge the batteries.

The aluminum two-seat coupe delivers around 60 mpg. It has a 1-liter, three- cylinder engine that produces 67 horsepower. The engine is mated to a 13 horsepower electric motor. Together they produce 91 foot-pounds of torque.

The Insight goes from zero to 60 mph in about 11 seconds.

"You just point it and 'Pow!' it goes," said Jack Zepp of Sausalito, who has owned two Insights. "The acceleration is more than adequate. I've had it over 90 (mph), and I'm confident the car would do 100."

The car is also nimble.

"It's fun to drive," Zepp said. "It's like a '63 MG."

The Civic Hybrid -- identical to the popular Civic sedan except for its drivetrain -- has a 1.3-liter engine rated at 85 horsepower. The engine and motor produce 105 foot-pounds of torque, and the car delivers 51 mpg.

The Toyota differs from the Hondas in that its 44-horsepower electric motor propels the car up to about 15 mph. Then a 1.5-liter, 70-horsepower engine kicks in. The motor and engine work together for around-town driving. The engine works alone at highway speeds.

The car comes only with a continuously variable automatic transmission. It has the same interior and trunk space as a Toyota Corolla. It goes from zero to 60 mph in 12.8 seconds and gets about 52 mpg.

Although it's not as quick or nimble as the Hondas, Prius owners said the car has enough oomph.

"We take it over Highway 17," said John Pearse of Santa Cruz, who has driven his Prius to San Diego, Oregon and Utah. "It has plenty of power. We love it."

Although hybrid technology so far has only shown up in economy cars, auto industry analysts expect it to appear in everything from SUVs to sports cars soon.

Ford plans to offer a hybrid version of its Escape SUV next year. It is expected to have a system similar to the Honda's.

Acura recently announced it might build a 400-horsepower hybrid sports car that delivers 42 mpg. Although some experts expressed doubts about hybrid sports cars, others said the idea makes perfect sense.

"What the hybrid does is give you an electric motor to boost the power of the gasoline engine," said Csaba Csere, editor of Car & Driver magazine. "If you add it to a regular engine, you've got all kinds of extra power to play with."

And that's always a good thing.

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia csquatriglia@sfchronicle.com

Chuck Squatriglia, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, November 24, 2002

Hybrid automobiles, those eco-friendly gas- and electric-powered cars that get outstanding mileage, aren't just for greenies anymore.

The technology, which mates the century-old internal combustion engine with modern electric motors to deliver high fuel economy and low emissions, will be the Next Big Thing, automotive experts say.

At the moment, consumers can choose among only three hybrid cars -- two Hondas and a Toyota, but auto industry analysts expect the technology to appear under the hoods of everything from econoboxes to sport utility vehicles and sports cars beginning next year.

Electric vehicles are all but dead. Complicated and expensive fuel-cell technology is still a decade or two away from viability. So, for the nonce, automakers see hybrids as the best way to meet tightening emissions regulations and consumer demands for improved fuel economy.

"Hybrids are here to stay," said Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal, which chronicles environmental automotive trends. "Virtually every automaker is looking at hybrids, and we'll see increasing numbers of them coming on the market."

Buyers for these cars seem to be already there.

Although only a small fraction of the 17 million new cars sold in the United States last year, hybrids have gained a sizable chunk of the market since Honda introduced the Insight to America in 1999.

Honda is selling about 2,000 hybrid versions of its Civic sedan each month since unveiling it in March. The company said 10,000 Insight coupes have hit the road since 1999.

Worldwide sales of the Toyota Prius topped 100,000 last month -- one-third of them in America -- and company officials said they can't make the car fast enough to meet demand.

Toyota and Honda are miles ahead of their competitors, but other manufacturers have entered the race. Ford will eventually introduce a hybrid version of its successful Explorer SUV, and General Motors will follow with a hybrid pickup in 2004. Chevrolet, DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi, Nissan and even Fiat are frantically developing hybrids.