General Motors has all but bet its future on the Chevrolet Volt, but the government says the range-extended electric vehicle won't save the beleaguered automaker.

"While the Volt holds promise, it likely will be too expensive to be commercially successful in the short- term," President Obama's auto task force said in its assessment of GM's restructuring plan.

The panel soundly criticized the restructuring plan GM submitted as part of its request for a federal bailout, saying it relies on unrealistic and overly optimistic projections. The task force believes GM can become a competitive automaker, but only by shaking up its management - which is why Obama essentially fired CEO Rick Wagoner - and accelerating its restructuring.

"A great deal of progress needs to be made," the panel said in its five-page summary (.pdf) assessing GM's proposal, "and GM's plan contemplates initiatives that will take many years to complete."

Among them is the Chevrolet Volt, which the White House calls too little, too late and too expensive.

Continue reading "Feds Say The Volt Won't Save GM" »

Specialty glass and plastic manufacturer Romag has developed the PowerPark, a carport with a photovoltaic roof that harnesses solar energy as a power source for plug-in cars.

Already available in the United Kingdom, Romag's Kevin Webster told Wired.com that the PowerPark is designed for parking lots where electric vehicles may someday competing for coveted spots to plug in. "Interest has been received from supermarket chains, schools, airports, train stations, hospitals, [and] commercial office buildings in the UK, Middle East and Far East," he said.

The first PowerParks have been installed in Romag's headquarters, with additional installation sites planned for the UK. Those of us in the US who will be lucky enough to drive Volts, Teslas and Fiskers might get an emissions-free charge of our own. "The US would be an excellent market for the canopy," Webster told Wired.com

Continue reading "Solar Carport Gives Plug-ins a Charge" »

There's a sucker born every minute, and they're all buying the "hotelicopter" story, ahem, flying around the blogosphere.

Several websites, including some that should know better, are reporting that a guy named Alvin Farley has spent five years converting the world's largest helicopter into the world's first flying hotel. The modified Soviet Mil V-12 helicopter is 137 feet long and features 16 cabins and two suites decked out with queen-size beds, heated toilets and whirlpools. The flying five-star hotel makes its inaugural flight June 26.

Thing is, the story has a few holes big enough to fly the Hotelicopter through.

Continue reading "Hotelicopter Hoax Flies Over Bloggers' Heads" »

The Obama administration, as part of the government's ongoing bailout of the auto industry, has ushered General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner out of the building and replaced him with board member Fritz Henderson.

The president, in an address this morning, said Wagoner's ouster was not a reflection on his stewardship of the beleaguered automaker but "rather a recognition that it will take a new vision and new direction to create the GM of the future." Considering GM's stock plunged from around $90 a share to less than $3 a share since Wagoner moved into the corner office eight years ago, maybe the ouster was a reflection of his leadership.

Still, the move stunned a lot of people, with Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm speaking for them when she called Wagoner "a sacrificial lamb." But Wagoner, who is known for optimism, remained upbeat.

"GM is a great company with a storied history," he said in an e-mail to employees. "Ignore the doubters, because I know it is also a company with a great future."

Continue reading "Obama Tells GM Boss, 'You're Fired'" »

The ethanol industry is taking a beating from the bad economy, with big producers like VeraSun and Valero shuttering factories and filing for bankruptcy. Those left standing are pleading with the feds to increase the amount of ethanol that can be blended with gasoline, arguing it will boost demand, produce thousands of jobs and hasten the arrival of viable cellulosic ethanol.

Ethanol producers want the Environmental Protection Agency to raise from 10 percent to 15 percent the amount of ethanol blended with gasoline, saying it would increase demand for their fuel by 6 billion gallons annually. Automakers are leery of the idea, arguing it could damage some vehicles, and the EPA hasn't said how it will respond.

We've all heard the arguments against ethanol derived from corn and other food crops, but ethanol producers claim boosting its viability will hasten the arrival of viable cellulosic ethanol produced from wood chips, switchgrass and other biomass.

"In order to have a second generation of ethanol fuel, you have to have a first generation," Bob Dinneen, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, told Wired.com. "I assure you that corn-based ethanol will not serve as a barrier to the success of cellulosic ethanol. But it must also be understood that while the two fuels are dependent on one another, they are also on two different tracks to success."

Continue reading "More Corn Ethanol Could Boost Cellulosic Ethanol" »

It's taken 10 years, but Richard Jenkins has at long last achieved his dream of setting the land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle. The British engineer climbed into the land yacht he calls the Ecotricity Greenbird and peeled off a 126.1-mph run across a California desert Thursday to take his place in the record books.

His record-setting dash eclipsed the previous benchmark, which American Bob Schumacher set a decade ago, by almost 10 mph. It also continued a British tradition for speed that dates to the 1920s, when Sir Malcolm Campbell set several records on land and sea.

"It has been an incredibly difficult challenge," Jenkins said in a statement issued Friday. "Everything came together perfectly and the Greenbird stepped up to the mark and performed amazingly. I am absolutely delighted."

Continue reading "Freaky Speeder Rides the Wind to World Record" »

What to do you do when you want your Sea-Doo to Sea-Don't? If you're on the new ultra-high end GTX Limited iS 255, you just hit the brakes.

The latest personal watercraft from Bombardier Recreational Products has a new feature called Intelligent Brake and Reverse (IBR). If the watercraft is going forward, a squeeze of the brake lever reverses the motor and slows it down. Once it stops, another squeeze puts it in reverse. According to Bombardier, it "offers whole new level of safety and control." We think it's perfect for dodging manatee on the Intracoastal Waterway.

But how do you let other riders know that you're going to suddenly stop? One new technology begs another, and there's now a market for jet ski brake lights.

Continue reading "Brakes on a Boat Take a Jet Ski to Jet Stop" »

This week FedEx kicked things up a notch in its battle with Congress, threatening to cancel orders for as many as 30 Boeing 777 freighters if the House proceeds with a bill making it easier for FedEx employees to unionize.

FedEx says the shift would create such financial uncertainty that buying new planes would be impossible. Archrival UPS argues that the move would level the playing field in the competitive package delivery biz, and unions say it would improve the working conditions of nearly 300,000 employees. And Boeing is caught on the side, with a $3.75 billion deal hanging in the balance of an argument it has nothing to do with.

At issue is a proposal wending its way through Congress that would change the way labor relations are managed at the company. Right now, FedEx falls under the auspices of the Railway Labor Act, which makes it tough to unionize and requires drawn out arbitration before employees can legally strike. If Congress has its way, FedEx will instead be covered by the more worker-friendly National Labor Relations Act.

FedEx says that's a big problem.

Continue reading "FedEx Blackmails Congress, And Boeing Is Stuck In the Middle" »

The Chevrolet Volt is approaching a major milestone as General Motors prepares to build the first production prototypes, cars that "look, taste, smell and feel" and, of course, drive like the range-extended electric vehicle GM promises to put in showrooms by the end of next year.

The General will start building the first of these cars, known in the industry as integration vehicles, on June 1 and they'll be tooling around within a couple of weeks. So far all we've seen are Malibu and Cruze test mules. The cars we'll see next month will be the real deal.

"These will be the first vehicles to both look like the production Volts and be powered by the Voltec propulsion system," spokesman Rob Peterson told us.

That's significant, because production prototypes are the cars that get shaken down, beaten up and tested more thoroughly than Lance Armstrong to make sure they meet GM's quality standards and federal safety regulations. Building the cars also irons out any kinks in the manufacturing process so the assembly line runs smoothly.

It offers convincing evidence that GM is on track to deliver its first range-extended EVs by November, 2010.

Continue reading "We'll See A Chevrolet Volt By June" »

Los Angeles — Tesla Motors' Model S is a stunningly beautiful car that that builds upon the cachet of the Roadster and proves the company is serious about pushing electric vehicles into the mainstream.

Company CEO Elon Musk compared the luxury and practicality of his car to the BMW 5 series and Mercedes Benz CLS sedans and said history will place it alongside the Ford Model T. His car, he said, is that important and will play a similar role in reshaping the auto industry.

"This is one of the most historic cars," Musk said moments before pulling a black sheet off a silver prototype of the Model S, which the company all but swears will be in driveways by the third quarter of 2011. "We are trying to accelerate the EV revolution and get us off oil."

Musk's hyperbole aside, the Model S is as important to the company as it is gorgeous to behold. Getting it built will prove Tesla is more than a niche player, help push EVs into the mainstream and give Tesla a strong position in the emerging electric-car market. But perhaps more than that, a seven-passenger sedan with a range of up to 300 miles will prove EVs can be sexy and practical.

"It's fantastic. Fantastic," said Chris Paine, director of the film Who Killed the Electric Car. "A lot of people ask if electric cars can be practical. This car is definitely practical. It's a remarkably important car. This car shows that it can be done and it will be done."

The Model S will have a list price of $57,400, but the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs and plug-in hybrids will bring that down to $49,900.

But bringing the car to market by 2011 won't be easy, and Tesla has no time to lose. General Motors, Ford and Nissan are among the major automakers promising to have EVs on the road by then, and Tesla also is facing competition from a growing number of startups, including Fisker Automotive.

Musk isn't worried.

Continue reading "First Look at Tesla's Stunning Model S" »

Things aren't going all that well for Cessna and it's eagerly anticipated SkyCatcher light plane program.

During a test flight last week, a prototype of the plane crashed while in a planned "rapid and disorienting spin" designed to test its ballistic recovery system. Initially, this system was unable to pull the SkyCatcher out of the spin, and by the time the plane was stabilized it was flying too low for the pilot to safely parachute out, a mandatory protocol. He landed it with damage to the nose and landing gear and emerged safely, but the plane was totaled minutes later when winds on the ground reinflated the plane's parachute and dragged it a half mile into a fence.

It's the second spin-related crash of a SkyCatcher in six months. In September, a test plane was destroyed when the pilot, unable to control the plane, deployed his parachute and floated to safety.

According to James Swickard, intelligence editor at Business & Commercial Aviation Magazine, manufacturers push their planes hard during testing. "When you're testing a new plane, you expect problems," he told Wired.com. "And in my opinion spin testing is the most hazardous test that a plane goes through."

Continue reading "Test Plane Crashes Don't Deter Cessna" »

LOS ANGELES — Tesla Motors just pulled the sheet off the much-anticipated Model S, a gorgeous electric car that company CEO Elon Musk says will carry seven people and deliver up to 300 miles on a charge.

Musk likened the sedan to the BMW 5-series and Mercedes Benz CLS sedans, and said it will usher in an era of stylish, practical and relatively affordable electric cars when it starts rolling off a Southern California assembly line by the third quarter of 2011.

"This is a historic car," Musk said moments before pulling a black sheet off a silver model at Space-X, his aerospace venture in Los Angeles. "We're trying to accelerate the EV revolution and help get us off oil."

Continue reading "S Is For Stunner: Tesla Reveals New Model S" »

Looks like Smart is experimenting with car sharing, or cars on demand, and they're choosing the most interesting places to test it out. After a successful trial in Ulm, Germany, Smart is looking to bring on-demand use of its car to Austin. You know, in Texas. Yes, the same Texas with all the steers, BBQ, cowboys, Bush family members and general vehicle xenophobia. There must be some sort of Teutonic logic behind all of this.

Continue reading "Smart car2go, From Ulm to Austin" »

A team of apprentices at Mercedes-Benz have combined 19th century design with 21st century propulsion to create the F-Cell Roadster, a hydrogen fuel-cell concept that isn't so much a car as a rolling timeline of automotive history.

Mercedes says the F-Cell "uniquely combines state-of-the-art technologies with the history of vehicle construction" with a fuel cell powering a reinvention of the iconic 1886 Benz Motorwagen, the first car ever built. Examples of the "everything new is old again" theme include carbon-fiber seats with hand-stitched leather covers, a tiller-style joystick and a vintage-looking flat front that also channels Mercedes' Formula One heritage.

The retro-futuristic design is enough to make us forget that fuel cell technology is about as relevant as Keith Olbermann in an Obama administration.

Continue reading "The Past Is Present in This Fuel-Cell Mercedes" »

This is the Vulca S. You probably won't ever see one, let alone drive one, because it's more exclusive than a VIP room at the Pink Elephant and you need an AIG bonus to afford one.

The Vulca S is the first car entirely designed and built by Italian coachbuilders Faralli & Mazzanti. Just ten - that's right, ten - will be built, every one of them by hand over the course of 11 months. During that time, customers will stay at the coachbuilder's private villa in Tuscany so as to oversee every aspect of construction.

You know a car that rare will have some impressive hardware, and the Vulca - named for the Etruscan sculptor - does not disappoint.

Continue reading "You Are Not Worthy Of This Car" »

We weren't exactly jumping for joy when the Obama administration named Illinois Congressman Ray LaHood as Secretary of Transportation. We didn't know if he had the vision needed to rethink and revamp our transportation system. Two months in, we're still not sure.

In his first months on the job, LaHood has rolled out ideas and proposals for a range of different transportation issues. Some are inspiring, others less so, but one thing many of them have in common is that they're partnerships with other government agencies. In some cases, the Department of Transportation (DOT) will take a backseat, something LaHood himself has admitted. While we appreciate the advantages of a team approach, we're also concerned that without a strong, highly visible leader leading the DOT, transportation issues might become buried underneath the other challenges facing the administration.

Since taking over as Secretary, LaHood has done some good things. He's looking for money to end a three year pay dispute with air traffic controllers. He's trying to fix the Mexican trucker mess before it turns into a bigger issue. He showed up at the National Bike Summit sporting a bicycle brooch and promising to fight for "livable communities," and he's formed an oversight committee to ensure that his share of the stimulus isn't spent on thousand dollar shovels or worksite omlette stations.

Continue reading "Loose Lips LaHood Turns Timid on Transportation Policy" »

The hybrid war between Toyota and Honda is heating up with Toyota announcing a dirt-cheap gas-electric that will be based on the Yaris and go head-to-head with the new Honda Insight.

The announcement, first reported in the Japanese business newspaper Nikkei, suggests Toyota is more than a little nervous about the Insight hybrid that is expected to cost about $20,000 when it goes on sale next month. That will undercut the Prius by several thousand dollars, and Honda CEO Takeo Fukui promises to usher in a "new era of affordability" for hybrids.

Toyota, which has unveiled the 2010 Prius, isn't taking Honda's challenge lightly.

"We are developing a low-priced hybrid vehicle like Honda's Insight," Akihiko Otsuka, the chief engineer on the third-generation Prius, told Nikkei. "We are going to compete by expanding our hybrid-vehicle lineup to smaller hybrids, in the class of the Vitz (sold in Japan) and the Yaris."

Looks like we've got a price war brewing, and the winners will be consumers.

Continue reading "Toyota And Honda Edge Toward A Hybrid Price War" »

The official motor oil of the American Le Mans racing series will be biodegradable, non-toxic and made from saturated animal fat for at least the next two seasons. But that doesn't mean it'll actually be used in the cars circling the tracks.

The race series and Green Earth Technologies have inked a deal that puts Green Earth's signature animal-based G-Oil in all of the safety trucks and the company's logos on just about everything short of the race cars. "The series is synonymous with high performance and aligning G-OIL with those same quality standards, will give consumers the confidence to go green with their own engines," company co-founder Jeffrey Loch said in a statement.

Even if they aren't pouring G-OIL into race car crankcases, the partnership is another indication of the American Le Mans Series' committment to alt fuels. For those of you waiting for a race-proven motor oil, don't worry. If it's good enough for the safety trucks, we're betting it's good enough for your car.

Continue reading "Biodegradable Oil With Drinkability Heads To The Track" »

The Porsches tearing up Sebring International Speedway during the Patron GT3 Challenge burned orange-infused rubber, and the same eco-friendlier tires could be rolling beneath the Toyota Prius and other hybrids within months.

Yokohama says the Advan ENV-R1 tire used by every car on the grid last week combines natural rubber with oil extracted from orange peels in a tire that requires 10 percent less petroleum than conventional racing rubber. It works so well Yokohama says we can expect to see road-going Sunkist tires for the Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and other gas-electric cars by June.

Tire companies have been experimenting with petroleum substitutes for several years, and several major firms are searching for eco-friendlier alternatives. Yokohama first toyed with orange-infused rubber in the 1980s and recently accelerated development of the technology under the company's global environment strategy.

"This is not a novelty item, and we are not trying to green-wash our product," Mark Chung, director of corporate strategy and planning, told Wired.com. "We are making a better all-around tire for the consumer and the environment, and the best place to test that tire is on the race track."

Continue reading "Adding Oranges to Tires Makes Them Green(er)" »

NEW YORK — If the Tesla Roadster is sex on wheels, the Aptera 2e is like making out with the cute woman down the hall: It's a lot of fun and you want to do it again soon.

Tooling around New York in the funky three-wheeled EV is an odd experience where everything on the road slows down to check you out, when cab drivers not only obey traffic laws, they let you violate them at their expense, and New Yorkers -- who pride themselves on being nonchalant about everything -- stop dead in their tracks and ask, "Does it fly?"

No, the 2e does not fly. But it might as well for all the attention it draws.

The thing is, everybody knows the dirty little secret about cars: The real test isn’t how much tech it has or how fast it goes or how green it is or how many cup holders there are. The real test, especially for something so outlandish as an EV with three wheels and two seats, is this: Is it really a car, would you be caught dead parking it at work and what is the head-turning quotient?

My answers for the 2e are: "Yes," "yes" and "off the charts."

Continue reading "Test Ride: Even in New York, the Aptera Stops Traffic" »