PressPortal Automotive News

Honda Civic GX is America's Greenest Car for the 7th Year

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:02:00 PST

Four Honda vehicles earned recognition from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) as among the “greenest vehicles of 2010” with the natural gas Civic GX car earning the title of American’s greenest vehicle for the seventh consecutive year, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced.

Mazda Premiere of Eco-Friendly and Powerful Next Generation ‘SKY-G’ and ‘SKY-D’ Engines

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:43:00 PDT

Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of its next-generation engine line-up and automatic transmission at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show, to be held from Saturday, October 24 through Wednesday, November 4, 2009.

Audi Showcases Efficiency from A to B

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:28:00 PDT

Following the successful premiere of its extraordinary E-tron electric vehicle at Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), Audi is also proving the efficiency of its combustion engines with the start of a long distance ‘Efficiency Challenge’ covering 4,182 kilometres through Europe in nine days. Travelling literally from A to B, the tour starts in Å on the Lofoten archipelago in Norway and finishes in Bée in northern Italy. Audi is using the drive to showcase the efficiency of a broad range of its vehicles. 120 journalists and customers of the brand will take part in the drive in 20 cars from five model series.

Nissan North America Exports First Engine to Japan

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:23:00 PDT

Nissan plant in U.S. starts production on engine for Infiniti QX56 manufactured in Japan Nissan’s powertrain assembly plant in Decherd, Tenn., today produced the first engine that will be exported to Japan for assembly in the next-generation Infiniti QX56 luxury fullsize sport utility vehicle. This marks the first time a Nissan plant in the United States has exported an engine to Japan.

Mazda Delivers Two Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid Vehicles to Hiroshima Government Authorities

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:29:00 PDT

Mazda Motor Corporation today delivered one Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid each to the City of Hiroshima and Hiroshima Prefecture government authorities in western Japan. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is Mazda’s latest hydrogen rotary engine (RE) vehicle that uses hydrogen as a fuel and features a unique hybrid system. Including the first lease of a Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to the Iwatani Corporation in May 2009, Mazda has now delivered three hydrogen hybrid vehicles to fleet customers to date. The City of Hiroshima and Hiroshima Prefecture each had a rotary engine RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle delivered in April 2006, making this the second hydrogen-fueled model that has been handed over to the local government authorities.

“Green Technology in Fascinating Cars for Discerning Customers”

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:01:00 PDT

“No other premium auto maker has such good overall prerequisites as we do to fulfil the entire bandwidth of expectations from sustainable mobility for today and tomorrow,” this is the conclusion delivered today by Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, at the Mercedes-Benz press conference at the 63rd International Auto Show in Frankfurt.

AUDI AG: 100 New Jobs in Electromobility

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:59:00 PDT

In the run-up to the International Motor Show IAA, Rupert Stadler, CEO of AUDI AG, announced this evening: “We are currently hiring an additional 100 engineers for the ePerformance* development project.” That will boost the number of newly hired specialists at Audi this year to 400. “We are thus investing in future technologies and once again confirming our commitment to ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, underscored Stadler.

Hyundai Joins Industry Leaders to Urge Action on Hydrogen Infrastructure

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:38:00 PDT

Hyundai Motor Company, the world’s fifth-largest automobile group, joined leading global automakers to urge governments, energy companies and other organisations to develop easily accessible and affordable hydrogen infrastructure to ensure the successful introduction of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) into the global marketplace.

Mercedes-Benz Partners in Hydrogen Roll Out - “H2 Mobility”

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:25:00 PDT

On Thursday 10th September, leading industrial companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Berlin with the participation of the German Minister of Transport, Wolfgang Tiefensee. The agreement intends the evaluation of the setup of a hydrogen infrastructure in Germany so as to promote serial production of electric vehicles with fuel-cell. This marks a major step towards the commercialization of such locally emission-free vehicles.

Back to the Future: the Mercedes-Benz 190 D BlueEFFICIENCY

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:25:00 PDT

From the outside it looks just like a 20-plus year-old Mercedes 190, tens of thousands of well-preserved examples of which can still be seen on Germany's roads. Pressing the accelerator tells a different story: equipped with the ultra-modern OM651 common-rail engine developing 150 kW, the Mercedes 190 D BlueEFFICIENCY shows the full potential of this new four-cylinder diesel engine.

MINI E Test Drivers Sought in the UK

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:02:00 PDT

MINI has begun inviting pioneering drivers in the UK to field trials of the first electric-powered MINI. Twenty prototype cars are destined for British roads and drivers can apply online. Each MINI E will be available to lease for six months from December this year. A second round of applications will then be invited in 2010, allowing a further twenty drivers to lease an all-electric MINI for a six month period.

Ford Unveils ‘Intelligent’ System for Plug-in Hybrids to Communicate with the Electric Grid

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:15:00 PDT

Ford Motor Company announced today that it has developed an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that “talks” directly with the nation’s electric grid.

Honda’s Green Purchasing Approach

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:41:00 PDT

In keeping with its focus on sustainability, Honda Motor Co. has introduced Green Purchasing Guidelines across its Japanese operations to minimise the environmental impact of its procurement processes. Honda’s Green Purchasing Guidelines cover actions and target outcomes across its products, production and policies and are implemented as part of a cooperative effort with the company’s supplier network.

Renault-Nissan Alliance Partners with the Government of Victoria Australia for Zero-Emission Mobility

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:37:00 PDT

The Renault-Nissan Alliance (the Alliance) and the State Government of Victoria in Australia have formed a partnership to explore the development of a Zero Emission Vehicles program.

Nissan Debuts "Intelligent" Fuel Saving

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:11:00 PDT

European motorists are being shown how to drive more economically in a unique project designed to help reduce fuel bills and lower CO2 emissions. The Nissan Intelligent Driver Project (NIDP), an eight-month study of drivers in the United Kingdom that began this month, uses satellite navigation systems, mobile phone technology and advanced vehicle telematics to analyse driving habits and suggest ways of improving fuel economy. Reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 are the two main targets behind the project.

Ford Australia Invests $230 Million in New Fuel-Efficient Engines for Locally Produced Vehicles

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:05:00 PDT

Ford Australia announced today it is investing $230 million to improve the fuel efficiency and environmental impact of its Australian-made models, including the first global application of Ford’s advanced 2.0-litre 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine in a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the Ford Falcon.

Nissan's New Navigation System Emphasizes Safer, Greener Driving

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:57:00 PDT

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has announced an enhanced automotive navigation system design that utilizes intelligent transportation system (ITS) infrastructure and other advanced technology to promote safer and greener driving. The new navigation system – the world’s first to incorporate ITS information in a production vehicle – will debut on the next generation Nissan Fuga, which goes on sale in Japan in late 2009.

Audi Confirms Commitment to Modern Diesel Engines for Australia

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:48:00 PDT

Audi Australia Pty Ltd has this week introduced three new super-efficient turbo-diesel engines to its Australian model line-up, confirming the company’s commitment to modern diesel technology, known as TDI. A fourth highly-efficient direct injection petrol (FSI) engine rounds out the list of new low-consumption cars now available for Australian customers. A total of 21 Audi vehicles are now available with average fuel consumption of 7 litres/100km or less. Three of the four new Audi model variants are priced below $75,000 and are entirely exempt from the Federal Government’s ‘green clause’ exemption to the Luxury Car Tax, with the fourth, also below 7 litres/100km, benefiting significantly.

Nissan Introduces New Dual Injector System for Improved Fuel Efficiency in Small-Displacement Engines

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:18:00 PDT

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the development of a Dual Injector system designed to improve fuel efficiency in small-displacement gasoline engines. The new fuel delivery system, the first of its kind in the world*1, uses an injector for each port rather than one per cylinder – speeding up fuel vaporization, reducing the amount of unburned fuel and reducing hydrocarbon emissions. Nissan will introduce the new system in production vehicles starting early in fiscal 2010.

Hyundai Launches World’s First LPI Hybrid Electric Vehicle

feeds@pressportal.com.au — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:13:00 PDT

Drive)’ gear that maximises fuel efficiency by reducing sharp fluctuations in the torque, increasing the use of electric motor assist and electric charge regeneration when the brakes are applied. Available in three trim levels, Elantra LPI HEV will be priced at 20.5 million won (AUD$20,395^) for the entry level HDe-I model and will top out at 23.2 million won (AUD$23,079^) for the HDE-III model. Prices include South Korean government consumption tax exemption which has a maximum benefit of 3.1 million won (AUD$3,084^).