tagged w/ 2011
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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.—Soon after the Chevy Volt debuts late next year, Buick will release its own plug-in hybrid. This yet unnamed model will be a small SUV and will use the two-mode hybrid system from the recently canceled Saturn Vue Green Line. The non-hybrid version of the new Buick will debut in 2010 with GM's 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and 3.0-liter V6. Both employ a six-speed automatic transmission. While GM's Vice Chairman of Global Product Development Tom Stephens didn't provide specifics, the new Buick will likely share its underpinnings with the Chevy Equinox and upcoming GMC Terrain. The four-cylinder Equinox delivers 32 mpg (3.1 gallons per 100 miles) on the EPA highway cycle, and we assume the Buick will provide similar results.
The plug-in hybrid version has the potential to increase fuel economy significantly. A 3.6-liter gas engine with direct fuel injection and variable valve timing coupled to an electric motor powers the front wheels of the new vehicle. The lithium ion battery pack will use the same manganese-spine based chemistry as the Volt's battery pack. Like the Volt's battery, the Buick's will be built by LG Chem. The Buick's battery, however, will have only 8 kwh of capacity, about half of the Volt's. The battery resides under the rear cargo floor. Using a 110-volt household outlet, the Buick's battery can be charged in four to five hours. GM says that in early tests, the Buick plug-in travels more than 10 low-speed miles on electric-only propulsion. Critical details like fuel economy and how much all this will cost have not been released.
Today's announcement reveals that GM is looking beyond the Volt and plans to broaden its plug-in lineup. The plug-in Buick will be delivered to fleet buyers in early 2011 and to retail customers soon after.
For more like this join the green transportation group at http://current.com/groups/green-transportation/TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.—Soon after the Chevy Volt debuts late next year, Buick will... more
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BURBANK, Calif.—As the Chevy Volt inches closer to production, the idea of scaling up its powertrain concept to larger vehicles is tantalizing. So when Raser Technologies unveiled its 100-mpg-equivalent Hummer H3 at the 2009 SAE World Congress, it grabbed headlines. But we wanted to get a taste of what it's like to slide behind the wheel of Raser's plug-in prototype on real roads. We got the chance two days ago as the Raser crew stopped briefly in Southern California before heading up to Sacramento for a drive event with Governor Schwarzenegger. So is the 100-mpg Hummer ready for prime time? Let's find out. —Ben Stewart
The Specs
The Raser Technologies Hummer is a combined effort between the company, integration partner FEV and General Motors. The powertrain is similar to that of the Volt in that this is an electric vehicle that uses an internal combustion engine to charge the batteries when the original plug-in charge of the packs is depleted. And unlike a conventional hybrid, that engine does not power the vehicle. The Raser Technologies-developed electric traction motor develops 200 kW peak and is mated to the front of the stock GM 4L60E four-speed transmission, which sends torque through the stock transfer case and to both the front and rear axles. The powertrain provides 40 miles of electric range before the gas engine kicks in to charge the packs for around 400 miles of total range.
Under the hood is a turbocharged GM Ecotec four-cylinder engine, similar to the unit used in the Pontiac Solstice GXP. That engine turns a generator that helps charge the three battery packs. Two of the lithium-ion battery packs are mounted on either side of the undercarriage and one is located at the rear of the chassis. In total, the packs provide 41 kWh. The batteries on this vehicle are lithium-ion "super-polymer" units from Canadian supplier Electrovaya. But Raser is also working with Enerdel and Korean supplier SK. The packs are liquid-cooled, as is the electric motor. Raser PHEV Program Manager and former Honda Engineer KC Jones says, "Lithium battery suppliers come to the automotive market fresh—it isn't the same as consumer electronics or power tools—it's new ground for them. So in addition to having great chemistry, they need to develop a durable package that can withstand, say, rough road driving for up to 10 years."
This truck has an AC converter mounted in the cargo hold to provide export power for situations as diverse as a camping trip or emergency power outage. Once in production that generator will be integrated underhood and will provide a valuable tool for fleet sales to utility companies who rely on mobile power sources. Though Raser used the H3 to prototype their range-extended powertrain, the system is scalable to full-size pickups like the Ford F-150 or Chevy Silverado.
The Drive
Twist the key and, as with most EVs, you don't hear much. The gauge cluster lights up and shows a few trouble-code warning lights—as you might expect in a prototype. On the dash above the stereo and HVAC controls is a display that shows how the energy is flowing to the various systems on the truck. In production models, Raser says this display would be integrated into the stock navigation screen.
Since the electric drive is routed though the conventional four-speed automatic, you just pull the gearshift back to "D" and squeeze the throttle as you would in any car. But the sounds are not entirely silent. Since there is no longer a torque converter, Raser must provide adequate line pressure to the transmission, so you hear the muted buzz of the pump until the truck moves forward. Raser uses a conventional hydraulic steering pump too, but that can only be heard from outside the vehicle.
FOLLOW LINK FOR COMPLETE ARTICLEBURBANK, Calif.—As the Chevy Volt inches closer to production, the idea of... more
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Luton, England—As GM emerges from bankruptcy today, the new General Motors will be composed of four major brands: Cadillac, GMC, Buick and, of course, Chevrolet. Chevy will be GM's volume brand as it has been. And as we edge closer to a fuel-economy-focused future of smaller cars, GM must launch compact sedans that are competitive with the leaders in the class from Honda and Toyota.
The Chevy Cruze will replace the Cobalt as GM's Civic and Corolla competitor for the 2011 model year. It has, however, just gone on sale in Europe, using diesel powerplants that we won't get in the U.S. Here's a taste of what we might expect from the new GM here in less than two years. —Andrew English
The Specs
Under the skin the fresh-looking Cruze debuts the GM's new Global Delta II platform, which also underpins the new European Opel Astra hatchback and the North American plug-in hybrid, the Volt. The Cruze's MacPherson-strut front and twist-beam rear suspension is the class default standard, although Ford's Focus and VW's Golf have independent rear ends, and the new Opel Astra adds a Watts linkage to help location and improve the ride.
For Europe, the Cruz range has a choice of two gas engines and a diesel. There's a 111-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder that takes the Cruze to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds and returns an NEDC combined fuel consumption of 34.6 mpg (2.9 g/100m). One step up is a 139-hp1.8-liter four-cylinder that helps the Cruze hit 62 mph in 10 seconds. The Cruze with the 148-hp 2.0-liter diesel delivers 236 lb-ft of torque and goes from 0 to 62 mph in 8.7 seconds with an NEDC combined fuel consumption of 41.9 mpg (2.4 g/100m). There's no automatic option with the diesel; later this year a lower-powered diesel engine will be offered. In the U.S., the Cruze will be available with a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that GM is promising will hit 40 mpg (2.5 g/100m).
The Cruze comes heavily stacked for what is a distinctly nonpremium product. Standard equipment in the U.K. includes body-colored mirrors and door handles, 17-inch alloy wheels, remote door locking, electric windows, climate-control, ABS, traction and stability control and, of course, cruise control. Inside, the cabin is welcoming, with fit, finish and a quality of material that indicates a better class of car than one might expect. The seat stitching is perfect, the dashboard is attractive and the four-dial instrument binnacle is both easy on the eye and easy to read. A few niggles let the impression down. It's not so much that the door bins are unlined, but that they are such a useless shape for holding stuff. Likewise, the center console borders on minuscule. The air conditioning is efficient but so noisy it's like tailgating a hovercraft. While there is lots of the room in the front and back seats, the cushions are not well-shaped and on long journeys the seats quickly become uncomfortable. The trunk is huge and more than capable of swallowing luggage for four passengers. There's also a sprinkling of the plain weird, with a fabric trim panel that runs right across the fascia and turquoise instrument backlighting that makes the cabin feel a little like Captain Nemo's undersea kingdom.
The Drive
A test drive at Luton gave the chance to do the mess-around on the rural roads near GM's huge test track at Millbrook in Ampthill. These are a horrible collection of broken surfaces, crumbling edges and heavily crowned pavements, which will put any suspension to the test. The Cruze handled well over these sections. It could take the blind corners, the late braking and lifting off the throttle midbend, with the adroitness fit for this price bracket. In fact, if it weren't for the noisy secondary ride quality and the completely inert steering, it could take a few bites out of more expensive rivals.
FOLLOW LINK FOR COMPLETE ARTICLELuton, England—As GM emerges from bankruptcy today, the new General Motors will... more
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Canada has 2,500 troops in Afghanistan's violent Kandahar region, and Harper's minority Conservative government reached a compromise agreement this year with opposition parties to end the mission in 2011.
Canada has 2,500 troops in Afghanistan's violent Kandahar region, and... more
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Iraq and the United States have agreed on a date for the departure of all American troops, as part of a broader security pact they are negotiating, the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, said on Monday.
“There is actually an agreement concluded between the two parties over the definite date, which is 2011, to end any foreign presence on Iraqi soil,” Mr. Maliki said.
Mr. Maliki made the comments in a speech to tribal leaders in Baghdad’s Green Zone, but it is far from clear that the issue has been settled. The Bush administration has consistently stressed that the agreement — needed to legalize the presence of American forces after the United Nations mandate expires at the end of this year — is still in draft form.
“These discussions continue, as we have not yet finalized an agreement," a White House spokesman, Tony Fratto, said on Monday. “We’re optimistic that Iraq and the U.S. can reach a mutual agreement on flexible goals for U.S. troops to continue to return on success — based on conditions on the ground — and allow Iraqi forces to provide security for a sovereign Iraq."
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Could it be true????Iraq and the United States have agreed on a date for the departure of all American... more
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"The Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki has said agreement has been reached with the US to end the foreign troop presence in the country by 2011.
Mr Maliki had told tribal leaders in Baghdad the two parties had agreed on a "fixed date, which is the end of 2011".
But a US state department spokesman has said there was no final deal and only a draft text had been agreed. He did not comment on the 2011 date.
Any agreement will have to be approved by the Iraqi parliament and presidency.
Mr Maliki told the meeting in Baghdad no agreement would be signed that did not respect Iraqi sovereignty, Reuters reports.
"An open time limit is not acceptable in any security deal that governs the presence of the international forces," he said.
He also said no foreigners would be given full legal immunity. The US has been trying to include immunity from prosecution in the Iraqi courts for its soldiers as part of the deal.
"We will not accept to put the lives of our sons on the line by guaranteeing absolute immunity for anybody, whether Iraqis or foreigners," Mr Maliki said. "The sanctity of Iraqi blood should be respected."
US state department spokesman Robert Wood told Reuters the negotiators had only agreed on a draft agreement.
"It still has to go through a number of levers in the Iraqi political system before we actually have an agreement from the Iraqi side," he said. He added that US President George W Bush would also have to sign it off.
"Until we have a deal, we don't have a deal," he said.
On Friday, a senior Iraqi official said the draft security agreement included the withdrawal of US forces from all Iraqi urban areas by June 2009.
The 27-point agreement reportedly includes a compromise allowing US soldiers some immunity under Iraqi law.
There are currently around 147,000 US troops in Iraq. It is thought some US troops could remain beyond 2011 to train Iraqi security forces.
The BBC's Crispin Thorold in Baghdad says the 2011 date has been discussed as "aspirational" by the Bush administration in past, but Mr Maliki's comments are the strongest indication of the Iraqi wish to have all US troops out of the country by then."
"The Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki has said agreement has been reached with the US to end... more
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Reportedly, Warner Bros. wants to "reboot" the Superman franchise. They're apparently unhappy with the reception Superman Returns received when it came out a couple summers ago.
Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov told WSJ Superman Returns "didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to. ... It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned...Had Superman worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009. ... But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all."
The tone (as you'd expect) is going to be darker. Well, darker "to the extent that the characters allow it." But given the character's place as a cultural icon representing all that is good, true, pure and American, can Superman be dark?
I think it would be a good choice to reboot the story after the failure of Superman Returns. And as far as making it darker, I say "go ahead. you've got nothing to loose." I just hope they don't take it too far. What do you think?Reportedly, Warner Bros. wants to "reboot" the Superman franchise.... more
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"The US and Iraq have agreed that US combat troops would leave the Arab country entirely before the end of 2011, according to US media reports early on Friday.
The Washington Post, citing both US and Iraqi officials, reported that the two governments had settled on the 2011 date as part of a broad deal to replace a UN mandate for US forces that expires at the end of December. The withdrawal date is conditioned on security circumstances in Iraq at that time.
The New York Times posted its own report with similar details on its website.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Iraq on Thursday, holding several hours of direct talks on the broader military agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Additional issues remain to be resolved in the talks, which have dragged on for several weeks longer than first planned, as the increasingly emboldened Iraqi government's has increasingly asserted itself with the US.
The Post cited an Iraqi official as saying that a final deal was "very close".
Even after a 2011 withdrawal, tens of thousands of US troops would remain in Iraq in support tasks.""The US and Iraq have agreed that US combat troops would leave the Arab country... more
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The Senate's national security and defence committee also urged the government to ease its stance against negotiating with the Taliban, warning that the war could drag on for years without diplomatic intervention, although Conservative members of the panel opposed that position.
The Senate's national security and defence committee also urged the government to... more
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