Toyota Prius Sales Inquiries in Japan Rise 1 Month After Recall

Toyota sales inquiries for its Prius hybrid vehicle in Japan jumped 45 percent from the week following a recall of the model, according to an industry survey published today.

The Prius, recalled on Feb. 10, had a daily average of 116 requests for price estimates in the week ended March 22, compared with 80 a week after Toyota recalled the model to fix a brake-software glitch, Autoc one K.K., an Internet auto dealer based in Tokyo, said in a statement.

“The impact from the recall was temporary,” Autoc one said in the statement. The model had an average 102 inquiries a day in the week before the recall, according to Autoc one.

Japan sales of the Prius surged almost six-fold in March to 35,546 units making it the country’s best-selling model that month helped by government incentives. Prius was Japan’s top selling car in the year ended March 31.

Industrywide, the number of daily average inquiries for all carmakers’ models in Japan fell to 4,698 during the week ended March 22 from 5,156 during the week ended Feb. 8, Autoc one said.

First Look: FedEx Express All-Electric Delivery Truck

These days, seemingly every company on the planet is looking to apply an environmentally friendly sheen to its operations, and FedEx is no different. Although emissions-free cargo planes are still a faraway dream, FedEx has begun to assess how to green up its delivery vehicle fleet, and not surprisingly, an all-electric truck is part of its evolving plan.

As FedEx Express vice president John Formisano puts it, the electric truck represents a huge investment in the package delivery giant's future. The truck's original concept and design was championed by Modec, a U.K. outfit specializing in zero-emissions commercial vehicles. While Modec built 10 pilot vehicles for FedEx Express use in London last year, Navistar has supplied the first few models on this side of the pond. The first formal U.S. test bed is Los Angeles, where we were recently on hand to scope out FedEx's project.

Out on city streets, you get used to the one-and-done design of today's urban delivery trucks. But FedEx's new EV truck is decidedly different. It features a distinctive cab design that looks modern, clean, and more compact than the standard FedEx truck. The smoothed front end offers generous amounts of forward and all-around visibility. The driver enters and exits through a side door located directly behind the passenger seat, more akin to a bus than the delivery vehicles we know today.

Inside, the simple appointments remind us of the still evolving nature of the electric-vehicle segment. The steering wheel is accompanied by little more than a gear selector, a center-mounted graphical gauge cluster on the dashboard, and a no-frills center stack. All lighting is converted to LED to reduce power consumption while air conditioning -- an extraneous burden on full-electric vehicles -- is left off the features list (we bet FedEx's L.A. test crew was thrilled to hear that). The seats are in an advantageous, high position and not at all uncomfortable.

Surprisingly, the two side windows are power-assisted and a rearview-camera monitor is mounted just above the windshield. The cargo hold, albeit cluttered during our visit, is fitted with full-length shelving running from the cab to the aft doors.

During the ride-along with FedEx Express chief engineer Keshav Sondhi, we found the power delivery to be straight out of the electric-vehicle playbook: copious amounts of low-end torque, a top speed of 50 mph, and the omnipresent EV whine. The electric motor is powered by an 80-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that is reportedly capable of traveling 100 miles with regenerative braking. Full recharge time is pegged at eight hours and recharging would take place during off-peak hours to minimize the burden on the electric grid. FedEx will be installing special recharging stations on-site to accommodate the four upcoming trucks.

We asked Patrick, a local driver with 21 years of experience under his belt, for his thoughts on the new BEV. After succinctly describing his own experience as being "like butter," he praised the excellent visibility, citing drivers' general preference to avoid reversing unless absolutely necessary during deliveries. Steering and handling were also high points as a tight turning circle is a must for busy urban settings.

If you're a FedEx shareholder, you might be worried about the costs associated with the still-developing technology. Without releasing exact figures, Formisano deftly disclosed its new truck costs "multiples" of a conventionally powered vehicle with comparable capacity. The higher price is mainly attributed to the liquid-cooled battery pack, which costs roughly the same as a "large import luxury sedan." Battery replacement cycles have not been determined and supplier A123 Systems will be responsible for determining the appropriate lifespan further down the road.

In order to further evaluate its investment, four production trucks are on the way to L.A. in May. Five trucks are also headed to Paris and if FedEx is to understand the strength of its EV technology, we can be assured it will continue looking for new ways to advance its already impressive step towards an emissions-free and fuel-efficient future.

Daimler and Renault-Nissan announce joint venture

The motor industry consolidated further today as the Mercedes Benz group Daimler joined the Renault-Nissan alliance.

The car giants have agreed to take stakes in each other and work together to jointly develop new cars. Daimler wants to crack the small car market — reckoned to be the growth sector of the coming years. With Daimler looking to develop electric cars, the move could be good news for Nissan's plant in Sunderland. Nissan has named Sunderland as its leading European hub for the manufacture of the lithium-ion batteries which will power its and Renault's electric cars

The tie-in will involve Mercedes, Nissan, Smart, Renault and Infiniti working together on new models. Both partners are at pains to stress that the tie-in will not effect their brand identities, saying they will use the partnership to drive down costs on shared parts, but continue to engineer in specific parts to ensure differing characteristics of their products.

Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of Daimler, said: "Our skills complement each other very well. Right away, we are strengthening our competitiveness in the small and compact car segment and are reducing our CO2 footprint - both on a long-term basis.

"We know that we can make brand-typical products based on shared architectures. The individual brand identities will remain unaffected."

Renault-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn added: "This agreement will create lasting value for the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler as we work on broadening and strengthening our product offering, efficiently utilising all available resources and developing the innovative technologies required in the coming decade."

The aim is to make what a Daimler insider described to Autocar as “billions of euros in annual savings for both sides”.

A similar deal between Daimler and BMW broke down last year due to differences in engineering philosophy on small cars and engines. BMW will now seek closer working ties with PSA.
At the heart of the Daimler/Renault co-operation is Project Edison - an initiative to create a platform to underpin the next Smart Fortwo, Forfour and the Renault Twingo. These models will use a rear-engine/rear-wheel drive layout, while the Smarts will also feature today’s Tridion safety cell, which is considered a unique selling point for the Smart brand.

The new Smart Fortwo, the Smart four-seater and the new Renault Twingo are scheduled to be launched from 2013 onwards. The Smart plant in Hambach, France will produce the two-seaters, while the Renault plant in Novo Mesto, Slovenia will build the four-seaters. From launch, these cars will be available with electric drive variants.

The second major component of the deal will be drivetrain sharing. Project Edison will include an electric powertrain based on the Smart ED, and there will be a range of new three and four-cylinder petrol and diesels to be uses in Mercedes, Smarts, Renaults and Nissans.
Ranging from 1.2 to 1.8 litres, the engines will be engineered by Daimler and built by Renault. They will be used in cars such as the next A and B-class, as well as forthcoming Clios and Meganes.

Daimler will also pass its current petrol and diesel engine technology to Infiniti. This would result in Daimler supplying Renault with V6 and V8 petrol and diesel engines as well as a new automatic transmission to replace today’s seven-speed 7G-Tronic unit for use in future Infiniti models.

Although not part of the initial co-operation, Daimler sources reveal Renault’s Ghosn is also investigating using Mercedes-Benz’s new front- and four-wheel drive MFA (modular front antrieb) platform set to underpin the new A- and B-class for a proposed entry-level Infiniti model.

The companies will also collaborate on light van projects. As part of this deal, Renault-Nissan will make its diesel engine and transmission technology available for use in the Mercedes Vito.
As part of the deal, Daimler will take a cross-shareholding of 3.1 per cent in Nissan and Renault. Renault-Nissan will take the same stake in Daimler.

It's not known how this will effect Daimler's 10% stake in Tesla Motors.

BMW and SGL to Build Carbon Fiber Plant in U.S.

SGL Group and BMW Group jointly announced today at an event in Seattle that their joint venture, SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers LLC, will build a state-of-the-art carbon fiber manufacturing plant in Moses Lake, WA. During the initial phase, US$ 100 million will be invested and 80 local jobs will be created.

The new facility is an important element of both companies’ strategy to commercialize viable manufacturing of ultra light weight carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for use in future vehicle concepts. The fibers manufactured at Moses Lake will be used exclusively for BMW Group’s upcoming Megacity Vehicle. In February of this year, BMW Group announced that this new vehicle for urban mobility – set to be launched before 2015 under a BMW sub-brand – will be assembled in Leipzig, Germany. Now, a key piece of the Megacity Vehicle has a base in the USA.

In line with BMW and SGL’s leading roles in sustainable business operations, the decision to build the carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake was based primarily on the availability of renewable clean hydropower and competitive energy costs in the state of Washington. Favorable infrastructure conditions, existing utilities, a skilled labor force and ease of working with the local government were also contributing factors in selecting Moses Lake as the location.

”This new plant in Moses Lake is a milestone in the use of carbon fibers for large scale production in the automotive industry,” said Robert Koehler, CEO SGL Group. “It will be the world’s most cost efficient carbon fiber plant using state-of-the-art technologies. This significant investment further underlines our commitment to the U.S., where we already operate carbon fiber and composite materials plants. The manufacture of carbon fibers is a core business for SGL Group and together with our partner BMW Group, we will ensure that carbon fibers play a revolutionary role in lightweight automotive construction.”

“ We consider carbon fiber a cutting-edge material. Our joint efforts will make sustainable mobility possible in urban environments. Acting sustainably is part of our corporate strategy. Our focus includes the whole value chain. Therefore, the energy demand for producing carbon fiber will come from environmentally friendly hydropower,” said Friedrich Eichiner, Member of the Board of Management, Finance, BMW AG. “Lightweight construction is a core aspect for sustainable mobility improving both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, two key elements of our EfficientDynamics strategy. With using CFRP components in our Megacity Vehicle, we take sustainable mobility a step further. By combining the know how of SGL Group and our expertise in manufacturing CFRP components, we will be able to produce carbon fiber enhanced components in large volumes at competitive costs for the first time. This is particularly relevant for electric-powered vehicles such as the Megacity Vehicle“.

The production of CFRP involves several work stages. The raw material needed to manufacture carbon fibers, a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based precursor, will be produced by a joint venture between SGL Group and the Japanese company Mitsubishi Rayon (MRC) in Otake, Japan. In the next step, the facility in Moses Lake will convert the polyacrylic fibers into the actual carbon fibers. These fibers are then processed into light weight carbon fiber fabrics at a second joint venture site in Wackersdorf, Germany. The CFRP parts and components will then be made from these fabrics at the BMW Group Plant Landshut, Germany. The assembly of the Megacity Vehicle will take place at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig, Germany where currently a range of BMW 1 Series and the BMW X1 are being built.

SGL Group and BMW Group have cooperated for many years in the area of carbon fiber composites and have combined their core competencies to industrialize the automotive use of carbon fibers in a joint venture founded in October 2009.


SGL Group contributes its know-how in high performance materials and its experience with carbon fiber based materials. As the only European carbon fiber and composite materials manufacturer, the company covers the entire value chain. BMW Group contributes its know-how in light weight automotive design and manufacturing and draws on its many years of experience with carbon fiber reinforced components for the BMW M brand and its race cars.

The joint venture operates through two companies, one based in the USA (SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers LLC) and the other in Germany (SGL Automotive Fibers GmbH & Co KG). SGL Group holds 51% of the shares and the BMW Group 49%.

Toyota Prius number one in Japan 11th month in a row

Toyota's Prius hybrid was Japan's top-selling car in March for an 11th straight month despite global recall woes, an industry group said Tuesday.

Toyota Motor Corp., reeling after recalls over issues that included braking problems with the Prius, sold 35,546 units of the petrol-electric vehicle in Japan last month, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

"The recall woes did not appear to dent demand for the Prius. Despite the recall trouble, the automaker cannot keep up with surging demand for the Prius," said Toshiki Miyake, a spokesman for the association.

Consumers were choosing the Prius with the help of tax breaks and government subsidies for environmentally friendly vehicles, Miyake said.

Toyota's Prius was also the top-selling car in Japan in the fiscal year to March 2010, with sales quadrupling from a year earlier to 277,485, the association said.

The Prius, now in its third generation since its 1997 introduction, is the best-selling gas-electric hybrid in the world, with a total of 1.7 million units sold worldwide, according to Toyota. It is so popular in Japan that it still has a six-month waiting list after almost a full year on the market.

Rival Honda Motor Co.'s fuel-efficient FIT was in second place in March sales in Japan, with 23,076 units sold, the association said. The FIT also was No. 2 for the fiscal year with sales of 173,154.

Chevrolet Volt Passes Production Milestone

Validation of the production process for the Chevrolet Volt passed a major milestone on March 31, when the first pre-production Volt rolled off the line at the Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant.

These pre-production versions of the Volt will not be sold at dealerships, but will be used to assure all steps in the production system will meet the quality targets set by the Volt engineering team.

Assembly workers will build more pre-production Volts in the coming months. These vehicles will be examined by manufacturing engineers as the plant prepares to build retail models later this year.

“We have a very experienced workforce at this plant and through all of their preparation and training workers here have been given the privilege to take GM into the future with this car,” said Detroit-Hamtramck plant manager Teri Quigley.

The Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range delivers up to 40 miles of pure electric driving before an engine-generator kicks in to sustain the battery charge and seamlessly extends the range to about 300 additional miles.

Closer look at the technology in the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid

Following the first race victory for the new Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid we thought it might be interesting to have a closer look at the Porsche/Williams hybrid system. Porsche have uploaded a CGI cut-away animation of the system which gives us some idea of how it works.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid has two 60kw (80 hp) water cooled electric motors connected to the front wheels via reduction gears. The motors are in a single enclosure sharing a common cooling system. Their shafts of each motor are separate to allow for differential function between the two front wheels which is most likely a software differential.

We have to speculate a little about the actual operation of the system as Porsche have not provided full technical details. The video shows a standard 911 RS with a manual transmission and the Front Wheel Drive electric KERS system operating under the control of a steering wheel mounted 'boost' or 'push-to-pass' button.

(click for larger image)

As the system used is based on the still-born Williams F1 flywheel KERS system it might be safe to assume it operates in a similar fashion to F1 KERS where a mild amount of regeneration occurs during braking until the storage system is full to capacity. With the flywheel at it's maximum speed of 40,000 rpm, brake regeneration would stops which, as in F1, randomly changes the brake balance of the car. The bit we would like more information on is how Porsche deal with this sudden change in brake bias front to rear when braking on the limit in a race situation.

The flywheel generator is a carbon fiber flywheel driven by an electric motor and stores energy mechanically as kinetic energy. It's can store up to 120 kj and releases it electricity for short bursts of around 6-8 seconds as a push-to-pass boost button.