Volt and Leaf Year-End Sales Deliveries

• GM delivered 326 Chevrolet Volts in December.
• Nissan delivered 19 Leafs during the same month.
• Both new models went on sale last month.

General Motors Corp. says it delivered 326 of its Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid sedans, while Nissan Motor Co. tells us it delivered 19 of its groundbreaking battery-electric Leaf hatchbacks to U.S. buyers.

The automakers say that production and deliveries will ramp up now, with GM promising 25,000 Volt deliveries in the U.S. by the end of the year and Nissan shooting for about 15,000 in the U.S. and 25,000 globally by years' end.

GM got the jump on Nissan in terms of December sales volume because it is building the Volt at home, in its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, while Nissan must ship all Leafs from Japan until the Leaf assembly facility it is building at its Smyrna, Tennessee, manufacturing campus comes on line in 2012.

VW & Audi in dispute over Electric Vehicle strategy

The sparks are flying in Germany as Volkswagen and Audi are fighting over the brand's EV strategy.

Details are sketchy, but the Financial Times Deutschland is reporting Audi wants to develop electric vehicles independently of Volkswagen. This hasn't made the parent company happy as sources have indicated VW has "frowned upon" Audi's "anarchist project."

The real problem seems to be Audi's refusal to drop the Wankel engine from the A1 e-Tron. If Audi keeps the engine, it would be a costly move as Volkswagen doesn't build a rotary engine and they'd be forced to develop it with another partner - possibly Mazda.

As we have previously reported, the A1 e-Tron features a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery which powers an electric motor that produces a continuous 45 kW (61 PS / 60 hp) and 150 Nm (111 lb-ft) of torque. It can travel up to 50 km (31 miles) on electricity alone, before a Wankel engine activates to recharge the batteries.

Source: Financial Times Deutschland

Ford Focus electric car makes debut at electronics show, not car show

Ford says it will unveil the battery-power Focus, going into production late this year, on Friday at the big Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, not at the Detroit auto show next week.

The Detroit show, officially the North American International Auto Show, is the most prestigious car show in the U.S. because it gets the most support from automakers and draws the biggest media crowd. Of course, that means automakers have to work oddball angles to stand out among the clamor at the NAIAS. Using the CES is Ford's answer.

The Focus EV is based on the not-yet-launched 2012 gasoline Focus small car, meaning that Ford didn't have to create a unique electric-car chassis.

Focus EV is expected to have a battery range of about 100 miles. That's the same as the Nissan Leaf electric that went on sale last month.

French Government Planning to Prolong Electric-Car Incentives Beyond 2012

France will prolong electric-car incentives beyond 2012, Industry Minister Eric Besson said at a press conference in Paris today. He said the reduction of the bonus on electric cars will be gradual.

“There will be no abolition of the bonus after 2012,” he said.

Source: Bloomberg

Electric Motorsport: Trophée Andros Alpe d'Huez 2010

The last race from the Trophée Andros Electrique round at Alpe d'Huez.

Each EV racer is rear wheel drive, weighs just 800 kg and is equipped with a 90 Kw (122 hp) Siemens 3 phase AC electric motor with 200 Nm of torque powered by a Lithium Ion although battery pack.

Toyota Prius replaces Corolla as the bestselling vehicle in Japan

Toyota's Prius Hybrid has remained the top selling car in Japan for the 19th consecutive month since the 3rd generation model went on sale.

Toyota sold more than 315,000 units of its Prius gas-electric hybrid in Japan in 2010, making the car Japan’s bestselling vehicle for a single year to replace Toyota’s Corolla for the first time in 20 years.

The previous annual record marked by the Corolla was about 300,000 units of sales in 1990. On the back of the government's subsidies and tax incentives for environmentally friendly cars, the Prius sold strongly also with its high gas mileage and relatively cheap price compared with conventional hybrid cars.

Prius sales through November last year totaled 297,563 units. As of Dec. 28, Toyota marked another 18,000 units of sales, marking record sales of new vehicles in Japan for a single year.

In December alone, the Prius is estimated to have remained the best seller for the 19th consecutive month. Honda’s Fit compact car, which added a hybrid model in October, is estimated to have sold about 15,000 units in December

Ferrari Boss Blasts 'Green' Formula One Engine Rules

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says the proposed Formula One engine changes for 2013 are "a bit pathetic".

In December the World Motor Sport Council approved plans to drop the current normally-aspirated 2.4-litre V8 engines for energy-efficient 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbos.

The new system is set to run in conjunction with KERS, which will make its return to the sport in 2011 after a one-year absence.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has already voiced his displeasure at the proposed engine regulations and now di Montezemolo has also expressed his discontent.

"We will not be building any (four-cylinder engines) for our street cars," he told Auto Motor und Sport.

"For the top class of racing it sounds a bit pathetic. Why couldn't we have a V6 turbo? We should not confuse affordable with cheap."

Di Montezemolo hopes to delay the introduction of the new rules but admits that he would need support from the other teams to make that happen.

He added: "If there is the slightest possibility to delay the four cylinder, I will look for it. We see a chance. We need unity."