US Light Vehicle Sales – Feb 2013

  • US light vehicle sales reached 15.3M units in February 2013
  • Volume dropped at end of 2012 but were higher in January and February than previous year
  • March should see even bigger climb based on forecast and how sales tend to go in that month
 

India Seeing Its First Major Electric Vehicle Launch

Mahindra & Mahindra just launched its first mainstream electric vehicles – the e2o – at an event in New Delhi. It’s the flagship product of Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles, a company formed after Mahindra acquired Reva in 2010. e2o, touted as the flag-bearer of green mobility in India, has been warmly welcomed by the environmentalists, […]

 

President Obama’s Energy Security Trust Would Support NGVs

President Obama’s proposal to pay for research into alternative fuels and new energy systems from his “Energy Security Trust” could bolster natural gas vehicles with an incentive program. “The natural gas vehicle market is already growing, but the vehicle incentives the president calls for would help accelerate that growth and help displace foreign oil use […]

 

Federal Quiet Car Rule for EVs and Hybrids Will Create Other Problems, Automakers Say

Automakers are looking for a balancing point between silent, dangers electric vehicles and hybrids and making vehicles so loud they create other unintended problems. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposal sets minimum sound levels to eliminate what some safety advocates refer to as “silent killer” cars which can be dangerous for visually impaired pedestrians. The federal government wants sound warnings to go out to these people, other pedestrians, and bicyclists to prevent collisions. Automakers say the proposed rules would create sounds that are too loud and complicated.

 

Westport and Clean Energy Launch NGV Joint Marketing Program

Heavy-duty trucking customers seeking optimal on-board fuel storage, high-performance natural gas engines, and reliable fueling can benefit from a new joint marketing program by Westport Innovations Inc. and Clean Energy Fuels Corp. Both of these alternative fuel transportation companies jointly made the announcement in Louisville at the Mid-America Truck Show. The companies are marketing the benefits of their alliance to fleets, including an attractive payback to customers and availability of long-term refueling contracts at a savings to diesel.