truth about domestics

Ford Motor Company has another great story to tell about its One Ford transformation plan.  This chapter talks about the 2011 Mustang V6.  The 3.7L V6 will produce 305 horsepower while returning 31 mpg on the highway when equipped with an automatic.  This makes the 2011 Mustang V6 the first car to ever produce more than 300 hp and hit 30 mpg + in EPA testing.  Think about it, the first time ever a car has hit 300 + hp and 30 + mpg.  Kudos to the Mustang team for showing people that performance and fuel efficiency can go hand in hand.  It may not be as frugal as the boring and very homely Toyota Prius, but it wasn’t designed to be.  For the full press release, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

Wish you could drive a fully electric vehicle but don’t want to stick out among the regular gas vehicles around you?  Well Advanced Mechanical Products (AMP) has a solution for you!  Their first products were the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice.  Aren’t those vehicles GM products you might ask?  Of course they are, but AMP converts them into completely electric vehicles.  Now AMP has announced their newest product, a Chevrolet Equinox electric conversion.  The Equinox will have a top speed of 90 miles per hour and a range of around 150 miles.  The cost of the conversion?  Around $50,000 before tax credits.  For more details, head on over to AutoblogGreen.

(Image source: GM)

That’s right folks.  The Olympics may be in Canada this year, but the three Canadian-made electric Zambonis were not up to the task of caring for the 2010 Winter Games’ surfaces.  All three machines succumbed to mechanical and electrical issues, causing major delays to the games.  Finally, to avoid further embarassement, the Candians brought in a CNG powered Zamboni from California-based Zamboni.  For more details, head on over to Jalopnik.

(Image source: bcenergyblog.com)

According to Tony Posawatz, GM vehicle executive, the first Chevrolet Volts will not be E85 capable.  While this may not seem like a big issue, I feel that this is a poor decision on GM’s part.  They have been one of the biggest proponents of E85 capability and production, even going so far as to invest in a start-up that claims it can make E85 from switch grass.  To not include E85 capability initially on the Volt seems to me like a mistake.  The Volt has a chance to be one of (if not the most) fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles on the planet.  Adding E85 capability would have shown that the General cared even more about future technologies. 

The good news here is that it will be available later in 2011.  GM also says it would like more help from the government to push for more E85 stations.  Right now GM spends about $100 million a year to add E85 capability to its cars and trucks.  More stations might help encourage people to purchase E85 equipped vehicles.  For more details, head on over to GM-Volt.com.

Ford’s Transit Connect small commercial van has been a big hit, pushing sales estimates to nearly double their originally predicted mark.  Not content with owning the small van market, Ford has decided to bring out two new variants of the Transit Connect.  The first is a completely battery electric vehicle that will provide up to 80 miles on a single charge, provide the same cargo space as the non-battery version and can charge from either a 120 or 240 volt outlet.

The second version is the Transit Connect Taxi.  The TC Taxi will be available with the same gas 2.0L found in the standard Transit Connect, but will be offered with a package to convert the engine to compressed natural gas or propane fuels.  It will also be available with Ford Work Solutions that includes high-speed internet and navigation.  For the full story, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

For those of you who don’t know, B20 is a fuel made from mixing 20% bio-diesel with 80% petrol diesel.  The thinking behind this fuel is that the bio-diesel portion comes from mostly renewable resources, making it a greener alternative to regular petrol diesel.  Why the mixture?  Well most diesel engines wouldn’t run on straight bio-diesel but work is progressing in those areas to overcome the obstacles associated with running bio-diesel.

Starting this Spring, General Motor’s new 6.6L Duramax diesel will be B20 capable.  For more information and news from the Chicago Auto Show check us out later in the week or head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)

The two videos above show some apps that GM and OnStar have planned for the new uber-high tech, 2011 Chevrolet Volt!  The first video shows how you will be able to use OnStar and your mobile phone to control things like the locks, remote starting, and even set charging times for your Volt!  The second video shows you just what the Volt driving experience will be from the driver’s seat.  It shows the information that will be displayed on not one, but two LCD video screens!  For the official press release, head on over to Autoblog.

There isn’t much I need to say about this review, except maybe this.  The author states that, and I quote, “the Ford Fusion hybrid is the best hybrid model in the U.S. market.”  Not only is the gas-only version of the Fusion the most fuel efficient mid-size sedan on the market, but the Fusion hybrid is also the most fuel efficient mid-size sedan hybrid on the market!  Can you believe the Ford Fusion hybrid gets 41 mpg in the city???  That’s 8, count em, 8 more miles per gallon than the Toyota Camry hybrid!  This article just reaffirms the Motor Trend Car of the Year award the 2010 Fusion won.  For the full scoop, head on over to MSN Autos.

(Image source: Ford)

A gas-electric hybrid vehicle is much more efficient when driving in your typical stop-and-go city driving.  The electric powertrain recaptures braking energy which is then used to power the vehicle back up to speed when you take off again.  Well what about when you drive on the freeway?  A diesel engine provides cars like the Ford Fiesta in Europe with gas mileage in the 50 mpg range!  So what if you paired the two?  Well GM is working on advanced hybrids that take advantage of the diesel engine’s efficiencies at highway speed to increase both city and highway fuel mileage.  For the full story, head on over to Autocar.

(Image source: GM)

Check out Jay Leno’s fairly in-depth review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt on this week’s episode of Jay Leno’s Garage.