Big 3 Plug Electric Cars At Auto Show

Ford, General Motors And Chrysler Showcase Greener Cars Amid Auto Crisis

(CNET)  Rather than focus solely on muscle cars, embattled U.S. automakers General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler touted a coming generation of electric vehicles at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Ford on Sunday detailed a multi-prong electric car strategy, saying it will have an all-electric commercial van by 2010, an all-electric passenger car by 2011, and plug-in hybrid vehicles in 2012.

The firm, which is healthier financially than GM or Chrysler, partnered with Magna International to develop an electric passenger car that can go 100 miles on a charge from lithium-ion batteries. Ford will add hybrid versions of existing cars, including the Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan.

To help establish consumer interest in electric cars, Ford said it is partnering with utility Southern California Edison to test a fleet of plug-in vehicles and has established partnerships with city governments in China to promote sustainable technologies and cities.

Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development, told the Associated Press the automaker expects to start selling 5,000 to 10,000 electric vehicles annually.

General Motors on Sunday showed of a concept Cadillac Converj which will be able to drive 40 miles off lithium-ion batteries. It will be outfitted with the same extended-range electric powertrain planned for the Chevy Volt.

GM also introduced a four-door "mini car" called the Chevrolet Spark, originally a concept called the Chevy Beat, which will be available in Europe in 2010 and in the U.S. in 2011

On Monday, GM is expected to announce that it will begin manufacturing car batteries in Michigan, according to reports. Japanese and Korean manufacturers have gotten the upper hand in car battery production, prompting auto companies and politicians to call for programs to encourage U.S. lithium-ion battery manufacturing.

Toyota at the auto show said that it will bring a small all-electric car to market in 2012 and test plug-in hybrid Priuses with lithium-ion batteries later this year.

Chrysler, meanwhile, at the auto show on Sunday showed a concept electric sedan called the 200C EV with a streamlined interior dashboard. The company also plans to have an electric edition of its Jeep Patriot as well.

Martin LaMonica is a senior writer for CNET's Green Tech blog. He started at CNET News in 2002, covering IT and Web development. Before that, he was executive editor at IT publication InfoWorld.

[win4usa]

Due to the number of current credit delinquencies I don''t think there will be a lot of people that want these cars that will be able to get financing and/or be able to afford these cars. The current estimated cost is too high and needs a lot of long term testing. I wouldn''t pay $40,000 for ANY car.

[patocc-2009]

Actualy the GM Volt has on onboard engine Generator designed to charge the battery as needed. The range is approximately 600 miles on a single tank of fuel. Research this for yourself. There are some neat designs on the way.
-----------------------------------------------
What you mean we will still be forced to buy oil from the middle east/canada and mexico. What about being energy independent and tackling the 4th or 5th largest cause of global warming. Things are not as clear and easy to fix as people lead us to believe.

[quapawsix]

Where were the Big three when the oil thing first started in the seventies not thinking about future profits or long term goals I think. Or even thinking about what was reasonable and because they kept thinking that way they are becoming like the dinosaur''s.
BYE, BYE
One last thing craigh9 is right that''s more than the average worker can''t afford $40,000 for a car, so I guess I''ll still be forced to drive my Dinosaur propelled vehicle or walk.

[quapawsix]

I think I once read and I think it was R.Kiosaki who said it you can have all the money in the world and it still won''t be enough if you don''t know how to manage the money you have, and no where is that more evident
than in the Big Three the Unions and Washington

[quapawsix]

Nice Idea but why are they partnering with China? Haven''t we had enough of China shoved in our face how bout partnering with America First. FORD what are you thinking?

[used2bfedup1]

Where do you think electricity comes from? It takes more fossil fuel to produce the electricity to get your car one mile down the road than it does if you simply burn the fossil fuel in your car.
Posted by b4ucmyI

If our renewables were fully developed we would be able to make enough electricity to power our nation when coupled with things like nuclear and other non-fossil fuel tech. Plus we(WE) have enough coal to power us for a good long time.

We need to start making the transition to electricity.

To heck with the middle east.

[craigh9]

electric vehicles are made of many modules. The whole battery does not go bad Posted by rightbehind at 08:55 AM : Jan 12, 2009

True, but batteries have a defined life and you end up having to replace large numbers of the components within short time frames. Also, imagine what happens to the resale value of your very expensive car when the next owner knows he will have to replace about $10K worth of batteries in short order

[quickly101]

The only way the typical road hog American is going to buy an electric vehicle is for gas to be above 3 bucks a gallon. They love their big cars too much to care about the environment. I don''t think they get it, their grandchildren will be the ones to pay if we don''t break this dependence on oil and coal.

[craigh9]

This is the future - yes, but not the salvation of the companies. America is not prepared to buy in large numbers vehicles that cost $40,000+ that are relatively untested and have extremely high maintenance costs (battery replacement). If the big three look at electric cars as their way back in the black they will most certainly be out of business long before they get there.
Fuel efficiency and value are the short term keys and as expected we have seen ZILCH since they received their bridge loan. What was stated here many times has become reality as expected. They got the money and the urgency disappeared. They are still talking about talking about doing something versus actually making changes.
Now the entire country understands why they should have been placed into the bankruptcy process - that was the only way to create appropriate action.

[of11of]

they''re evil.
evil ornery and scandalous

[of11of]

The Big car makers and the Government have you fooled into how much money and technology it takes.

Posted by J40405

very very good point,,, can i say it again?

The Big car makers and the Government have you fooled into how much money and technology it takes.
dang ..there i go

[jackobyte]

The auto industry has quite clearly driven themselves into the cul de sac they are now in and quite obviously dont deserve any bailouts.

During the original Arab oil-embargo they started development on electric vehicles but abandoned them post haste when embargo was "lifted".

The industry needs some real breakthrus not the slow twiddling of existing dogmas. Unfortunately the outlook for that is bleak given the lack of real research and development in the US. The space program is now just a self-serving beaurocracy. I dont think we will be seeing any cold fusion or capacitative batteries soon.

Aside from that how many kilo-tons of carbon are emitted to create the batteries and then administrating and dispose of the toxic end results?

If the governments were serious we would all go back to donkey transport unless of course some bright spark discovers their methane production would be equally bad.

[traveler73]

There''s a big difference between fossil fuels we have in abundance (coal) and those we don''t (oil)===i''ll take my chances with cleaning up coal and divorcing myself from the middle east thanks very much--maybe then we can stop putting ourselves in harms way for Israel, a state with 7 million people that we don''t even need as a base of operations, but a state that continues to hold us politically hostage and threatens constantly to drag us further down a very nasty path--wake up people and write your congressman because if you don''t there is already a wealthy and well connected lobby ready to make your new president dance like a puppet for its interests

[b4ucmyi]

It''''s about time that Detroit realized that we cannot keep burning fossil fuels forever.

Posted by US_1776 at 08:26 PM : Jan 11, 2009

Where do you think electricity comes from? It takes more fossil fuel to produce the electricity to get your car one mile down the road than it does if you simply burn the fossil fuel in your car.

[incog-nito]

They''''re not due until 2010. Be nice to see them next year.

Posted by rightbehind at 07:49 PM : Jan 11, 2009

Most concept cars never make it to market. Oftentimes they''re just an exterior shell and serve to titillate and gauge public interest. I suspect Detroit don''t actually have much of anything, and slapped together these "cars" to try to prove that they''re "serious" about reforming (and hopefully get more bailout money).

Another hurdle is affordability. The Chevy Volt (now on hold) was supposed to cost about $40,000. How many average Joes looking to save on gas money will fork out that kind of money for it? They''re really made for movie starts and other wealthy pretenders. The only real new hybrid that GM is coming out with in 09 is a Cadillac Escalade! Like that''s gonna help a lot of people.

[j40405]

If detroit builds them they will still be cost prohibitive. By the time all The politicians, The EPA, Insurance Institute, National Department of Transportation and all states kick in their say ea car will cost $100,000 and more expensive safety features than The air forces newest fighter.

[ffoulkes-2009]

We have had electric cars forever...they just were cost prohibitive at the time. (1912 Detroit Electric)

[billpl-2009]

now just have them made in China where people actually care about what they make and I''ll buy one

[j40405]

Electric cars have been around for many years. In Chicago circa 1974-75 you could buy a small citi car, It was battery powered and had a radio and lights. top speed about 45mph, you can still find them salvaged in cabool missouri. The safety police and cheap fuel killed the idea. Of course in 1972 you could buy a suzuki 4wd lj20 and get 55 mpg or a Honda Cvcc and also get about 50mpg. Once again safety police and cheap fuel killed the idea. It doesn''t take great advances in technology to have an electric car or get great mileage, Thats all BS, We just have to want the product. and realize it won''t have all the bells and whistles Americans are used to. One fellow used a datsun and lithium batteries to build his own electric car. He races it and beats most of the other drag cars. See it at http://www.plasmaboyracing.com/videos.php
The Big car makers and the Government have you fooled into how much money and technology it takes.

[us_1776]

It''s about time that Detroit realized that we cannot keep burning fossil fuels forever. Electric cars are the future. We can power them with alternative energy sources right here in America. And we don''t have to put massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and change the global climate. And like any new innovation, the more they are produced the less they will cost due to economies of scale.