CleanMPG

Up to 10 times the energy density of Li-Ions!

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – December 6, 2018


Scientists from Honda Research Institute have collaborated with researchers at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop a new battery chemistry that enables the use of materials with higher energy density and a more favorable environmental footprint than current battery technologies. The collective team of scientists co-authored a new paper on the topic that was published in Science and is available at Room-temperature cycling of metal fluoride electrodes: Liquid electrolytes for high-energy fluoride ion cells.

The joint study reports that the research team has opened new doors in...

Pricing and release date this spring.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 28, 2018


The Guinness World Records holding Kia Niro Hybrid is going to soon be receiving a sibling in the form of a 239-mile range, 100 percent battery electric.

The Niro EV arrives with a liquid-cooled 64kWh Li-Ion polymer battery packaged under the floor with minimal passenger space intrusion.

The Niro EV includes 100 kW CCS DC Fast Charging capability standard which allows the new battery electric to go from flat to 80 percent in just 60-minutes (~ 190-mile range) on a 100 kW charger and 1-hour and 15-minutes on 50 kW charger. From a std. 240V Level 2 at 7.2 kWh, the Niro can go from flat to full in ~ 9.5 hours.

On the propulsion front, the Niro EV includes a 201-hp and 291 lb.-ft. of...

52 years since its introduction, the most efficient Corolla in history is almost ready for U.S. consumption!

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 28, 2018


Los Angeles, CA -- From the 2018 LA Auto Show, Toyota introduces the refreshed 2020 Toyota Corolla but this time as a hybrid with a 50+ mpg combined rating!

While the Big 3 have or will soon be leaving the C-segment, Toyota’s 2020 Corolla Hybrid runs head first into the gap by adapting Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive directly from the hyper efficient 4th gen Prius.

The hybrid powertrain and battery in the new Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) Corolla platform have lost little cargo or passenger volume vs the std. Gas model while offering a 60/40 split fold down rear seat.

The new hybrid system combines...

A perfect < $30 Christmas gift for each and every car owner, car enthusiast, rideshare driver, and everyone else? Not even close.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 27, 2018

I have recently been looking for a new Every Day Carry (EDC) LED Tactical flashlight to replace a now dead EDC and the variety found is almost endless. After a few days of reviewing hundreds of owner reviews, write-ups, and video reviews, I think I may have found it.

Meet the WowTec A1S.

Before I made an actual purchase, I was leaning towards the Fenix PD35 TAC Tactical Flashlight for $57.95 after a 20 percent coupon to replace a generic Chinese POS that died last month.

I was looking at the “As Seen on TV” Atomic Beam...

Pop Sci’s Best of What’s New reveals something very interesting pertaining to our mission.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 27, 2018


Popular Science has named Electrify America’s electric vehicle (EV) charging system an award winner for its 2018 “Best of What’s New” in the Automotive category.

With a focus on the electric vehicle, Electrify America’s charging systems have a range in power from 50 kilowatts (kW) up to 350 kW which can add up to 20 miles/minute or range to an electric vehicle.

The chargers have been custom-designed by Electrify America and have several advanced features, including liquid-cooled cables. This is the first time that liquid-cooled CCS1 charging cables have received certification for a 150/350 kW DC Fast Charger. The cooling is a key factor in enabling...

DAMN!

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 26, 2018


Less than a month ago we reported GM profited heavily in the Q3 of 2018 with net income of $2.5 billion and Operating income rising $600 million to an eye opening $3.2 billion in the quarter.

GM: Q3 2018 Revenue and Earnings Up Despite Lower Sales

Today GM revealed how it is attempting to get ahead of any future industry or economic downturn by reorganizing its global product development staffs – read layoff and lower wages, the realignment of its manufacturing capacity – read plant closures, and a reduction of both salaried and hourly workforce.

From the weasel worded release, Production plants that...

Ford’s $4 billion dollar autonomous gamble is in full swing.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 20, 2018


Ford says they will have a fully autonomous Level4 vehicle in commercial operation by 2021. To make this possible, Ford has invested heavily – to the tune of $4 billion USD – in four different technology companies.

The effort to build fully autonomous vehicles by 2021 is a gamble through the brands all-new Ford Smart Mobility group.

According to Ford, their plan is to lead in autonomy, connectivity, mobility, customer experience and analytics. The vehicle will operate without a steering wheel, gas pedal or brake pedal within geo-fenced areas as part of a ride sharing or ride hailing experience. The SAE Level 4 capable-vehicle, or one of High Level3 Automation that can complete all aspects...

Are you ready for snow?

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November, 9 2018


Blasting through the snow in a 121 hp sleigh, oh what fun it is to ride and sing a driving song tonight!

Chicago, IL. -- The season’s first measurable snowfall arrived almost a month early as inch of snow fell in the Chicago area beginning just after midnight causing extremely slick road conditions and lowered visibility during the morning commute.

O’Hare International Airport experienced an inch
Midway International Airport saw half an inch
Ottawa, IL, approximately 50-miles WSW of Chicago experienced 2 inches
Libertyville, IL, approximately 40 miles North of Chicago received 1.8 inches

Later this evening, wind gusts up to 35 mph could drive wind chills into the teens.

With the first snow in...

New full size Palisade SUV, Kona EV, and NEXO FCV will soon be added.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 8, 2018


Hyundai continues its new or refreshed portfolio push with ten all-new or refreshed models.

Heading into 2019, the Hyundai fleet has been entirely refreshed. Highlights from this portfolio make over include the all-new Kona compact crossover; three new eco-friendly options with Kona EV and NEXO Fuel Cell Vehicle joining the refreshed Sonata Hybrid/PHEV; and a fresh new look for all of Hyundai’s volume leaders – Sonata, Elantra, Tucson and Santa Fe. The 10 new or significantly enhanced models gives Hyundai one of the freshest looks in the industry heading into the new year, with additional models on their way early in the calendar year.

Hyundai retail sales were up three percent in...

The German automaker is slowly catching up to Pre-TDI sales months but not without a struggle.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 1, 2018


VW reported U.S. sales of 29,000 vehicles in October, up 4.6 percent over the 27,732 sold in October 2017. YTD sales of 295,228 vehicles is up a very healthy 5.4 percent over the 280,188 sold through the same period of 2017.


SUVs made up 43 percent of VW’s October sales results. By far the best seller in the VW U.S> lineup is the all-new Tiguan – and older Tiguan Limited – with 87,413 vehicles sold year to date, up 173.4 percent over the 31,975 sold through the same period of 2017.

On the sedan side, Jetta once again lead the brand with October...

Sales were off but the all-new 19 Altima will keep Nissan in the hunt for a large percentage of midsize sedan U.S. sales.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 1, 2018

2019 Nissan Altima - $24,6450 to start including the $895 D&H charge. With the std. 2.5L I4 in the S, SV and SL trims, an EPA rating of 28/39 mpg city/highway does not quite measure up to its main competitors latest. The SR and Platinum trims with the 2.5L offer a 27/37 mpg city/highway rating. The SR and Platinum with the all-new 2.0L VC Turbo offers owners a 25/34 mpg city/highway rating.


Nissan announced it sold 109,962 vehicles in October, down 10.6 percent below the 123,012 sold during the same period, October of 2017. On a Daily Selling Rate basis, 26 selling days in October of 2018 vs 25 selling days in October of...

Great October results plus a treat in the form of an All-Electric we would all love to drive.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 1, 2018


2019 Jaguar I-Pace AWD BEV -- $69,500 to start with a 90 kW traction battery and 234 miles of all-electric and only electric range.

Jaguar/Land Rover today reported October 2018 US sales: Land Rover had its best October sales month in history with 7,846 vehicles sold, up 43.3 percent over 5,477 sold in October 2017.

Jaguar sales of 2,648 vehicles was down 8.4 percent below the 2,891 vehicles sold in October 2017.

Jaguar/Land Rover total October US sales of 10,494 vehicles is up 25.4 percent over the combined total of 8,368 vehicles in October 2017.

2019 Jaguar I-Pace First Look

If there were an auto maker that was going to make a full electric car exciting to own and drive, who...

More profitable – read higher cost – vehicle sales lead to positive earnings and a very healthy 10.1 percent margin in North America!

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – October 31, 2018


GM profited heavily in the Q3 of 2018 with net income of $2.5 billion, compared with a loss of $2.98 billion a year earlier due to the sale of PSA in Europe. Operating income rose $600 million to an eye opening $3.2 billion in the quarter.

Despite an 11.4 percent reduction in U.S. retail sales volumes - 695,000 from 781,000 in the Q3 of 2017, the automaker reported net revenue of $35.79 billion, up 6 percent from $33.62 billion achieved during the Q3 of 2017.

International sales fell 18% to $4.58 billion leading to a slim .1 billion USD profit.

Globally, YTD sales of 6,141,000 are off 12.4 percent from the 7,007,000...

The future will arrive... Someday. Eventually. Maybe?

Sherif Marakby, CEO – Ford Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC – October 22, 2018


Just like guiding a bill through Congress, establishing a self-driving vehicle business requires a lot of coordination. Not only do self-driving vehicles need to operate safely and reliably, but they also need to work in concert with the businesses, people and cities they serve. On top of all this, they must operate within an ecosystem that supports their operation and maintenance.

As Ford’s work in all those areas continues in Detroit, Pittsburgh and Miami, we are expanding to become the first company to test autonomous vehicles in Washington, D.C., according to the district, by establishing a self-driving vehicle business — a business that will be responsive to the...

Unusually wild Texas weather created challenges while the very latest Trucks and SUV/CUVs provided highlights.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – October 13 and 14, 2018


Austin Texas – This year’s Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) Texas Truck Rodeo was to be held at the Longhorn River Ranch in Dripping Springs, TX just outside Austin. Massive rains and flooding were day ones story as the most amount of rain the area has experienced since 1939 was in full swing. Despite the weather, 57 trucks and SUV/CUVs from 19 manufacturers continued to roll – sort of - with 69 eager journalists taking the wheel and voting on their favorites creating winners across a range of categories.

The morning of day one at the beautiful Longhorn River Ranch had to be...