How much money can you make selling a $20,000 electric car? Mitsubishi Motors thinks you can make plenty and, according to Japan’s Nikkei business daily, expects its plug-in vehicles to turn a profit in two years. In the U.S., the company’s i EV will cost $27,990 (or just $20,490 after the federal tax incentive is factored in). A company like Mitsubishi obviously looks at profit on a global basis, so we hope our lede wasn’t too deceptive.

In any case, Mitsubishi’s executive vice-president, Hiizu Ichikawa, reportedly told the Nikkei that the Japanese automaker expects to surpass its break-even point of 70,000 units sold annually by the fiscal year ending in March 2014. At that time, Mitsubishi’s plug-ins will begin to contribute to the automaker’s annual earnings.

Mitsubishi projects that sales of “green vehicles” will hit 25,000 units by the end of 2011, but with the addition of a plug-in hybrid version of its Outlander Sport in 2013, Mitsubishi is getting ready for annual sales of its plug-ins to steadily climb.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Report: Mitsubishi expects to profit on sales of plug-in vehicles in 2 years originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Reno Mahe is facing felony charges for stealing gasoline from A-Core Concrete Cutting in Utah. Mahe and four others are charged with theft of more than $15,000 worth of gas in 2010, according to court documents.

Along with Mahe, former BYU football player Tevita Ofahengaue is also being charged with stealing fuel, as are accomplices Michael Andrus, Mark Evers and Fred Prescott. A-Core Concrete Cutting alleges that employee Evers used a gas code to steal fuel from the company. The firm conducted an audit and calculated a loss of more than $55,000.

Video surveillance footage allegedly shows Evers and four accomplices, including Mahe, filling up their personal vehicles with gas after business hours. Mahe was apparently present during the theft of at least $2,688 worth of gasoline. Though Mahe claims he’s not aware that he’s been accused of any wrongdoings, Yahoo News reports that court records show Mahe was booked into a Salt Lake County Jail Thursday and released pending his hearing on August 5th.

[Source: Yahoo News]

Report: Former NFL running back Reno Mahe allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth gas originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For the sake of argument, let’s posit that a Mitsubishi i is too odd looking for your tastes, a Nissan Leaf is still a bit too compact, and that your idea of a perfect battery-powered vehicle is something crossover-shaped. Well, you’re in luck because the Toyota-Tesla Motors partnership is set to release its RAV4 EV in early 2012, right? Well, yes, and, in some critical ways, no.

Why? Well, unless you operate a fleet or a car-sharing program, chances are good that you won’t be able to buy a RAV4 EV. According Pike Research, Geri Yoza, Toyota’s National Business Planning Manager of Advanced Vehicle Marketing, has gone on record saying that while the electric-only RAV4 will indeed make its comeback (a first-gen version was first sold some 15 years ago), the electrified CUV won’t be made available to the general public. Instead, Yoza says, Toyota will focus on “very strategic applications” (read: fleets and car-sharing programs) for the RAV4 EV.

And, despite being a electric vehicle that could benefit from quick charging, Yoza says the RAV4 EV will not come equipped with a CHAdeMO charging port, stating that Toyota will not offer a quick-charge setup on any of its electrified vehicles until the SAE finalizes a standard.

Let’s hope that Yoza’s admission is slightly inaccurate and that Toyota will eventually sell the RAV4 EV to the public. Otherwise, the only electric CUV on the market in 2012 will be one that folks like us can’t even buy.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Sebastian Blanco / AOL

[Source: Pike Research via All Cars Electric]

Report: Toyota RAV4 EV won’t be sold to the general public originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a rare twist of events, Automotive News (sub. req.) reports that one of the world’s leading newswire services mistakenly let slip (i.e., issued a press release) that boatloads (75,000 to be exact) of Toyota Prius hybrids will ship out from Japan and arrive in U.S. showrooms by the end of 2011.

Now, that release is supposedly nowhere to be found (not true). As it turns out, the newswire agency had accidentally issued the release and upon discovering the fault, issued an instant “kill, kill, kill,” according to AN. This untimely release put Toyota’s public relations staff in a frenzy, says AN.

Was the release inaccurate? Doubt it. According to AN, the statement included a quote from Toyota boss Bob Carter and photos of Priuses at the Port of Long Beach in California. AN closed with a statement of its own: “Don’t be surprised to see this release re-released next Tuesday.” Without the immediate retraction, we’d assume.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Report: 75,000 Toyota Priuses headed to U.S. by end of 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This may sound surprising, but Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal has gone on record saying he wants the price of oil to decrease. Why’s that you ask? It’s all about the long-term game, says the Saudi Royal Family’s stock market and real estate magnate. In a recent interview with “CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS,” Al Waleed admits:

We don’t want the West to go and find alternatives, because, clearly, the higher the price of oil goes, the more they have incentives to go and find alternatives.

Talal goes on to say that he thinks the price of oil should be closer to $70 to $80 a barrel instead of the current $100/barrel rate. With such high oil and gasoline prices, Talal fears that new technologies are being pushed ever harder to squeeze more and more miles out of each gallon of gas. Further, Talal worries that U.S. efforts to increase its Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to 35.5 mpg by 2016 and anywhere from 47 to 62 mpg by 2025 (along with automakers’ burgeoning plug-in vehicle strategies) could eventually lead to reduced or eliminated dependence on Saudi oil.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req. | Image: Nestor Galina - C.C. License 2.0]

Report: Saudi prince worried over increasing fuel economy standards and technology originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bugatti models have never lacked ambition, from the company’s original incarnation under founder Ettore Bugatti to its present-day operations under the Volkswagen Group. That unbridled moxie looks poised to gather pace with the brand’s forthcoming Galibier super sedan.

Not only will the Galibier be very exclusive and very costly, British magazine CAR is reporting that the W16 engine from the Veyron will be ported over with its dual-clutch gearbox, albeit with a twist – it will also be available with optional hybrid power. The dual-power system is being developed because an increasing number of metropolitan city centers are taking steps to curb or ban internal combustion cars firing up in downtown areas, and Bugatti owners aren’t exactly the type to take mass transit.

In an interview with the marque’s new president and CEO, Wolfgang Durheimer, CAR confirms the project is still in its early stages, with the final dimensions of the car and its chassis construction not yet settled upon. The design is expected to be finalized this fall, and the leading architectures in contention are a carbon monocoque like the Veyron or possibly an aluminum spaceframe.

While the Veyron’s production run has been earmarked at 300 units, the Galibier is to increase that tenfold to 3,000 units, but the price will still be steep – CAR estimates the privilege of ownership will cost upwards of £1 million ($1.62M dollars).

[Source: CAR]

Report: Bugatti Galibier to be available with hybrid power originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors has submitted an application to trademark “Crossvolt” as a possible name for the bigger, MPV-style version of the Chevrolet Volt that’s in the works. Chevrolet’s patent application for the Crossvolt handle doesn’t mean it’s settled on a name for the family-friendly plug-in just yet. To keep us guessing, Chevrolet also has trademarks pending on the Chevrolet Amp and Chevrolet Strobe names as well.

Whatever the General decides to call its enlarged Volt, it will likely wind up looking similar to the Volt MPV5 Concept Chevrolet revealed at last year’s Beijing Motor Show. Expect the eco-friendly soccer practice taxi to be in the same size range as the Chevrolet Orlando.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Report: Chevrolet looking to trademark “Crossvolt” moniker originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) has suspended the importation of the Jeep Wrangler due to a series of car fires. Car News China reports that the Agency’s investigation showed the fires resulted from issues with the automatic transmission and systems tied to the transmission.

The AQSIQ reportedly asked Chrysler to find the cause of the issue and solve it, adding, “Manufacturer and importers should take precautionary measures for the vehicles involved to ensure consumers’ safety.” The imported Wranglers likely come from our shores, but a quick check of NHTSA’s recall database shows there are no active recalls for Wrangler fires in the U.S. See any irony here?

In an unrelated (though somehow still related…) issue, Chrysler has also recalled 464 Wranglers in China for improperly torqued bolts that lead to loud noises and even potential steering problems. The vehicles in question were built between July 7, 2010 and September 10, 2010. The Chrysler China Sales Company will check affected vehicles for free and fix bolts where necessary. That very same recall is happening here in the U.S. as well.

[Source: China Car News]

Report: China suspends Jeep Wrangler importation over safety concerns originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into the 2011 Kia Sorento for possible driveshaft failure that results in a sudden loss of power. According to NHTSA, there have been four complaints about the intermediate driveshaft and another five alleging that the power loss was due to a transmission failure which may be related to the driveshaft issue. The investigation will look into 50,000 2011 model year Sorento CUVs.

The second, separate investigation concerns possible corroded lower control arms on the 2002-2003 Subaru Impreza. According to The Detroit News, there have been seven complaints alleging that the control arms on the Subaru can break at more than 50 miles per hour, with two claimants saying that the failure sent their car outs of control. The Subaru investigation affects 84,000 Impreza models.

Though no recall has been ordered yet in either case, Kia has reportedly issued a technical service bulletin to address a clunking or squealing noise from the intermediate driveshaft.

Gallery photos copyright (C)2011 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: NHTSA opens investigation into Kia Sorento and older Subaru Impreza models originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safety recalls are a big deal in the U.S., but in India the issue apparently won’t be broached any time soon. MSN reports that the world’s second most populated country doesn’t have a recall policy, and The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) apparently has bigger fish to fry.

SIAM President Pawan Goenka doesn’t seem too concerned, adding “I am sure that it will someday but I do not know when. It is not the top policy priority for the government at this moment.” Goenka goes on to tell reporters the the bigger concerns are coming up with safety, quality and emissions standards in a country just beginning to embrace the automobile on a large scale.

But just because recalls aren’t standardized doesn’t mean they aren’t happening. Maruti Suzuki India announced a recall of 13,157 diesel-powered vehicles earlier this week, and in February Honda Siel Cars India recalled 57,853 midsize sedans due to a faulty engine part.

But while some recalls are happening without a specific policy, some instances that would likely lead to a recall in many countries have gone unchecked in India. For example, Tata Motors has had issues with the Nano that have led to several car fires, but the automaker refuses to call the problem a recall in spite of the fact that the company has issued a free “safety upgrade.”

[Source: MSN]

Report: India lacks formal recall policy, developing one “not a priority” originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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