Frank Filipponio
Chicago Auto Show, SUVs, Etc., Ford

UPDATE: Video of the Alton F-650 is available after the jump

click above for high-res gallery of the Alton F-650 XUV

var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/autos/Alton_F_650_XUV_For_those_who_think_HUMMERs_are_meek’; We’ve seen some outrageous F-650-based vehicles like this before (the DeBerti for one), but for some reason, the Alton F-650 XUV jumped out at us at the Chicago Auto Show. Perhaps we were already focused on Ford’s Work Solutions trucks in the vicinity, but this insane beast just put our DSLRs on autopilot. The F-650-based XUV was built by Alton Manufacturing and carries a GVWR of 25,999 lbs. That makes the 660 ft-lbs of torque generated by its 7.2L Caterpillar engine seem paltry. Besides the big-rig-meets-Excursion bodywork, your nearly $200,000 expenditure for this XUV will get you hardwood floors, custom captains chairs, a 42-speaker sound system, two drop-down 16-inch TVs plus a 42-inch plasma, four computer workstations, plus a train horn. Oh, you’ll also get bragging rights for the biggest, baddest truck in 99% of the world’s neighborhoods.

Gallery: Alton Mfg F-650 XUV

Source: Chicago 2008: Alton F-650 XUV makes a big statement

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The Subaru WRX has always been a favourite of performance enthusiasts. Its combination of giant-killing performance, numerous World Rally titles and a relatively cheap price tag quickly earned it cult status around the world, and it also made it a halo model for the rest of Subaru’s lineup. Today we have two variants of the WRX, the standard model and the high-performance WRX STI, but soon there could be a third model positioned somewhere in between them.

The new STI version is priced higher than the model it replaces, which means the price gap between the flagship model and the regular WRX (whose price didn’t change with the model update) is now greater than ever. This has officials thinking about launching a third mid-spec version. “There is the potential to do that [fill the price gap] and while we have looked at it there’s not going to be one this year,” Subaru Australia exec Nick Senior told Drive. “There is the potential to do one in 2009 and there’s also factory limited editions in the future as well.”

There have been numerous special edition versions of the WRX over the years, the most popular being the ‘Club Spec’ models and the legendary ‘22B’ model. These cars featured several performance mods and were packed with extra features but were only available in limited numbers. Senior hinted at the possibility of a stripped-out track version but wasn’t willing to confirm its existence.

Source: Subaru may launch third WRX model

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Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, Manufacturing/Plants, AutoblogGreen Q & A, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Chicago Auto Show

To get a little more information out of Coskata about this morning’s announcement of a partnership with ICM to build the first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant using Coskata’s proprietary process (past details on Coskata are here), we tracked down Wes Bolsen, chief marketing officer, business development at the company. Bolsen was an executive at ICM in his previous life, so he is very familiar with what ICM is all about (for now, this is building a lot of corn ethanol plants in the U.S.) and why the company is a good fit for Coskata.

Bolsen said that ICM, like the rest of the ethanol industry, knows that corn ethanol’s days are numbered and that cellulosic biofuel is the way to go. After doing their homework, ICM decided that Coskata had the right process to move to commercialization with. Wes said that the relatively small footprint of a cellulosic ethanol plant - about 20 acres - will mean these plants have the potential to pop up all over the world, wherever there is some feedstock (like the municipal waste) and space. While the Coskata process can handle a lot of different kinds of input material, each plant would likely be built to handle only one type. Therefore, the design that is best suited for paper mill waste could be built next to a paper mill whereas a plant that works well with corn stork or corn fiber could be erected alongside a currently-operating corn ethanol plant.

Now for the unknowns: the location of this first plant has not yet been announced, nor what type of feedstock it will use. Exactly when it will be finished is also uncertain, but late 2010 or early 2011 is the target. The hope is to then have two more plants running by late 2011 or early 2012 and expanding from there to the point where Coskata is responsible for producing billions of gallons of cellulosic ethanol to the market every year. We’ll keep watching.

You can listen to my chat with Wes here (5.3 MB, 11 min).

UPDATE: As Wes said in the comments below, he’s taking issue with my characterization of what he said about the future of corn ethanol, the struck-out above. I didn’t mean to give the wrong impression of what he said, so I’m going to explain why I wrote what I wrote. Wes said that ICM considers itself at the forefront of the ethanol industry, especially corn-based ethanol. But, when I asked about the move to cellulosic ethanol and away from corn, Wes said that, “At some point, everyone knows that that will stop.” That’s where my characterization came from. You can hear it at minute three of the audio clip. You can read Wes’ clarification below.

Source: Chicago 2008 AutoblogGreen Q&A: Coskata’s Wes Bolsen on the ICM partnership

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Lascelles Linton
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

I recently wrote about a company called Spark EV that plans to sells Zotye, a $20,000, highway speed, electric SUV soon. Unfortunately, the order page says the company is not taking new orders even though it seemed the cars were for sale. What’s going on? Too much demand! Michael Papp of Spark EV tells me his “back of my mind” goal for Zotye sales for this year was 250-300. Michael soon found demand would be a tad higher.

According to Papp, the company sent out 1,000 emails on January 11th, 2008 to everyone on the company’s email list telling them the Zotye was available for sale. 10 days later 600 people were asking where to send their money. Some people simply sent the money (which the company returned). Papp said that no new orders are being accepted at the website “to slow this down. No matter how good the car is, how we perform in the beginning will define this company. We will get the first requested cars out, follow up, get feedback, and only then will we take more orders.”

So, there are some lucky people out there getting an electric Zotye soon. The company is ramping up for orders and even looking at other platforms to convert to electric. Spark EV’s Zotye may beat Miles and Zap to the market with a normal, affordable electric car. You could say they already have. It does not look like you have to worry about highway speed qualifications either. The cars are based on Daihatsu Terios. The Chinese company behind it looks like it makes good products and wants to come to US.

Watch out Miles and Zap. Spark EV’s Zotye is the new it electric car on the block. What has this experience taught Papp? Continue below the fold to read how he described a TV commercial that he used to enjoy.

Related:

• Zotye electric SUV: $20,000, highway speed, 100-mile range and just 60 DAYS AWAY!

[Source: Michael Papp of Spark EV]
Papp:

There was a great television commercial that was out a while back - The scene was a nice, small, professional office, for a company that sold Widgets. Five or six executives were standing around a computer, and they were about to put the company on-line for the first time to sell their Widgets. “Here we go” said the computer programmer, he hit “enter” and they were live on the internet.

About five seconds go by, and the little counter on their screen blips - 1 sale - and the 5 people in the office yell “hooray” and give each other high-fives. Two or three seconds later, the counter hits 10 sales, 20 sales, 60 sales - and the group in the office are cheering with joy. Within a few seconds, the counter reads 10,000 sales, 400,000 sales, 12,500,000 sales - and all you see is the executives staring at each other in horror.

That commercial used to be funny to me. It is no longer funny.

Source: Demand for Zotye - the $20,000, highway speed, electric SUV - much larger than expected

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Source: Photo: Wiesmann Roadster

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By Dale Buss

The boom in crossovers is the biggest product story in the U.S. auto market these days. Sales increased to more than 2.8 million last year, extending a seven-year surge, and now more than 50 separate models of utility vehicles are offered on car-based platforms.

A couple more joined the fray at the Chicago Auto Show this week when General Motors unveiled the Chevrolet Traverse and Ford showcased a spiffed-up Ford Edge Sport.

Funny thing is, the more new crossovers that emerge, the more they look and feel essentially the same. One after another they’re being launched by automakers up and down the price scale, but more often than not they pretty much end up looking like some model year of the Lexus RX.

Take the badges off of a long roster of CUVs now in the market – including Honda CR-V, Acura MDX, Mazda CX-9, and Nissan Rogue and Murano — and see if most consumers could really pick them out of a crowd. Then peek at other imminent new crossovers including the Dodge Journey and Toyota Venza and tell them apart. It’s not unlike what happened to SUV design once Ford Explorer proved to be a hit several years ago.

“When one manufacturer has been so dominant, others will find ways to chase and follow them” in design, said Maria Rohrer, Buick’s marketing director. “That’s why we’re seeing cookie-cutter examples” of wedge-shaped CUVs.

Jim Yetter, senior manager of Dodge car marketing, agreed that “crossovers in general have a certain kind of look.” He said that’s why, in putting together the 2009 Journey CUV that will debut later this year, Dodge focused on “what features and benefits do customers get when they buy this one over that one.”

Don’t Fight What’s Working

Now, of course, it’s easy to overstate an assertion about design homogeneity that isn’t universally true. While aero-influenced, General Motors’ new Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and now the Chevy Traverse break the RX design mold to some extent. So do Ford’s new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, which are less streamlined than most of the CUV competition; Ford’s planned new Flex will represent a non-wedge-shaped design departure as well.

But even as CUVs have proliferated lately, the range of new design modes and the extent of experimentation isn’t keeping up. When crossovers became the talk of the industry several years ago, one of the most exciting aspects of the phenomenon was the multiple possibilities in style and functionality that would emerge as automakers threw SUVs, minivans, station wagons and sedans all in one big pot and scooped out differing interpretations of CUVs. The fact that most of them pulled the same-looking idea out of the kettle almost makes one yearn for something really different, like the Pontiac Aztek.

There’s one reason that CUV designs seem to be converging with one another rather than establishing radically different paths: The Wedge is selling. CUV sales of 2.8 million last year rose from 2.4 million in 2006, and from 2.2 million in 2005, and from just a little more than a half-million units in 2000. In the meantime, small crossovers alone  reached sales of more than one million units last year, claiming 6.7% of the U.S. market – up from 4.1% just two years earlier.

Sales of traditional SUVs, of course, have been heading in the other direction. After peaking at nearly three million units in 2000, SUV sales gradually edged lower over the next few years and then plunged in 2005, to 2.4 million units. Last year, SUV sales came in at just under 1.9 million units, the first time since 1995 that fewer than two million SUVs sold in America.

Right Vehicle, Right Times

Automakers have been rushing new CUVs out the door as quickly as they can develop them. At the beginning of 2000, the U.S. market offered only 14 distinct car-based SUVs, now known as CUVs, according to George Pipas, Ford’s director of U.S. sales analysis. The number is in the mid-50s now, he said, and some estimates are that there will be more than 70 different CUV options within a year.

“That’s one of the big catalysts for growth in this market,” Pipas said. “It can’t just be a few products.”

In addition to a growing menu of choices, of course, CUVs have been boosted by how well they fit the needs of baby boomers, the largest and still-dominant demographic in the auto marketplace. “They fueled the minivan in the Eighties, with their young families, and the SUV in the Nineties,” Pipas explained. “And now they’re increasingly becoming empty nesters or retiring, so they have smaller households and don’t need vehicles as big as they once had.

“Plus, comfort is getting more important to them as they age – they don’t want to have to get a stepladder to climb into and out of a vehicle.”

Automakers also see that boomers’ children — the so-called Millennials generation now aged about 15 to 30 – are inclined toward CUVs. Nearly half of them list a small car as their likely first automotive purchase, Pipas said, but small CUVs already are third on Millennials’ segment-preference lists. As they age and form families, he said, “Millennials are going to feed the crossover category.”

Skyrocketing gasoline prices have only accelerated a trend toward CUVs that already was underway, Pipas said. “They made the shift come sooner,” he said.

Nissan Focuses on the Inside

While the truck-based RX line — the smallest of three Lexus utility vehicles – played a huge role in establishing what would soon become the design regimen for true CUVs, Nissan also has played a big a role in creating design standards for the segment. With extremely aero-swept vehicles including the Nissan Murano and Infiniti FX, the company has advanced the styling benchmarks for CUVs.

Murano has gained sales each of its five years in the market. And with the 2009  Murano that is just becoming available - highlighted by TV advertisements on Super Bowl Sunday February 3 – Nissan is planning to maintain its design leadership in CUVs. “The exterior styling is fresher, a little crisper,” said Larry Dominique, Nissan’s vice president of product planning.

But perhaps in a bow to CUV-design homogeneity, Nissan plans to put more marketing emphasis on what’s inside the 2009 Murano than how it looks on the outside. “We took the interior up a notch, and now it’s phenomenal,” Dominique enthused. The new Murano adds bright lighting and a new layout for the instrument panel, for example, as well as better materials to improve “perceived quality,” and improved insulation from noise and vibration. Murano now offers heated front seats and a power assist for moving the rear-seat backs.

When it launches later this year, the Infiniti EX will definitely move the needle on CUV design, expressing the most rounded shape of any Nissan or Infiniti vehicle. “It’s a crossover with a coupe-inspired design,” Dominique said. Moreover, EX will offer “more behaved performance” than other Infiniti models. “We wanted to balance the great performance and handling that we’re known for with a little more ride comfort and isolation, and not jerk the steering wheel out of your hand,” he said.

In doing so, Dominique continued, Infiniti intended EX to be “the first [CUV] to try to bring women in.”

Journey Emphasizes Versatility

Chrysler actually debuted one of the first purported crossovers in 2004, with the Chrysler Pacifica. But it was based on Chrysler’s minivan platform. And despite features such as three-row, six-passenger seating and sedan-like handling, Pacifica didn’t catch on. Sales peaked at about 78,000 units in 2006, and in November Chrysler announced that it was discontinuing Pacifica.

In Journey, Vetter maintained that Dodge has created a “distinctive” design from other CUVs, but he can only point to the cross-hair grille and wheel arches. Instead, Dodge too is emphasizing the many wonders of the Journey “package” rather than its exterior styling.

“Customers wanted all kinds of flexibility in terms of seating, storage and versatility to carry things, whether it be people or cargo like 2×4s – and they wanted innovation, infotainment, and safety – all in one package,” Vetter said.

So, Journey includes features such as third-row seating that is big enough to handle “occasional use” by adults, second-row doors that open a full 90 degrees for easy access, FlipNStow storage under the front passenger seat, and existing features from other Chrysler vehicles including a front-seat beverage cooler and the MyGig entertainment system.

“If you treat this car as just a shape, you’re really missing the point,” Vitter said. “You’ve got to get inside the vehicle. It’s the synergy of all that we offer that we think will make Journey a huge success.”

Prediction: Design Departures

Some in the industry believe that the CUV category actually is in the beginning stages of offering more design diversity.

A few CUVs proffer styling departures by resisting the streamlining trend altogether. Honda, for example, already has a hot-selling wedge-shaped CUV in the CR-V. So it decided to stick with the boxy design of its Pilot CUV in the upcoming 2009 version rather than sacrifice one of the model’s most important attributes: truly roomy third-row seating. Some consumers and industry observers have been criticizing the new Pilot prototype on that score, but the company is resolute.

“We want to appeal to customers who are leaving the traditional truck-based [SUV] segment with a CUV that will appeal to them,” explained Rob Keough, a senior product planner for Honda. “All of the other new entries in the segment are really kind of soft-roaders, keyed toward being on the road, with no SUV capabilities built into them. They’re more like minivans. We want to give people something that can appeal to them more on the truck side but give them advantages of CUVs such as lighter weight, better fuel economy and a terrific safety structure.”

Ford may be leading the industry in at least one aspect of the evolving CUV segment: taking true design chances. Both Edge and MKX demonstrate some resistance to the wedge shape that has become so prevalent — though they resemble each other a lot. Meanwhile, the upcoming 2009 Flex, built on a unibody platform, resembles the boxy cross between an old Land Rover and a blown-up Scion xB.

“The first crossovers kind of looked like SUVs, and as they evolved they all sort of looked like RX – much more rounded, without all the skid plates or fake ones,” Pipas said. “They dropped some of the SUV cues. In the future, you’re going to see more different directions.

“What we’re trying to do is offer consumers a choice.”

Source: Crossovers: Many Models – But One Take?

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We discovered the weird looking Chrysler 300C Hollywood limo “hiding” somewhere between Chrysler’s main stand and Jeep’s indoor 4×4 test course. We don’t have any official information on the car other than it was also seen at the Detroit Show last month.

Apart form the longer wheelbase that helps the two rear passengers stretch their legs into infinity, the 300C Hollywood limo also features a partially exposed cabin over the driver and his companion. Thing is, while the rear cabin is enclosed, there’s no cover for the front passengers who are left to deal with whatever mother nature has in store for them. –More pics after the jump

Source: Chicago Show: Chrysler 300C Hollywood Limo

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Ford chose the Chicago Motor Show to introduce the European designed Transit Connect that will be available in selected North American markets from mid-2009. The compact van is equipped with a relatively frugal 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine. Combined with an automatic transmission it delivers an estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. According to Ford, the Transit Connect features a cargo capacity of 143 cubic feet and it can accommodate loads up to 6.5 ft. in length and 4.7 ft. in width. –Details and pics after the jump

Press Release

PURPOSE-BUILT: FORD TRANSIT CONNECT DELIVERS UNIQUE COMPACT VERSATILITY FOR AMERICAN BUSINESS

• Purpose-built for small business owners, the Ford Transit Connect is a versatile compact van that offers a fuel-efficient alternative to full-size commercial vans.
• Transit Connect, debuting at the Chicago Auto Show, is another example of how Ford is leveraging its global product lineup. Transit Connect is designed, engineered and manufactured by Ford of Europe. It was named International Van of the Year when launched in 2003.
• Ford is the Commercial Vehicle leader in the U.S. with 40 percent share of the total commercial vehicle market and has been the full-size van leader with the Ford E-Series for 29-years running. Transit Connect further builds Ford’s strong commercial vehicle portfolio.

CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2008 – Ford is tapping its global product strengths to mobilize and connect small business owners in North America with the European-engineered Ford Transit Connect.

Introduced today at the Chicago Auto Show, Transit Connect is designed to bring American small business owners a new vehicle choice that offers improved fuel economy, bigger load capacity and better cargo accessibility than today’s commercial vehicle offerings.

“Ford Transit Connect is built on a dedicated, commercial vehicle platform to meet the rigors business use demands. This workhorse is like nothing available today in the American market,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development. “The Transit Connect provides another example of Ford’s commitment to deliver 100 percent new or upgraded products that people truly want and value by the end of 2010,” he said.

With its standard, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission, Transit Connect delivers fuel economy estimated at 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

Transit Connect will be a truly white-space product for North America. Its closest competitors are cargo vans offered by Chevrolet and Dodge. Transit Connect will provide a significant city fuel economy advantage, while offering more cargo space. Both are increasingly important to small business owners in today’s changing marketplace.

“More than ever before, consumers are making the bulk of their purchases from the Internet and smaller, specialty businesses, which is increasing the volume of small package deliveries,” said Kuzak. “Transit Connect is ideally suited to meet those delivery needs because of its flexible package, compact size and fuel-efficient powertrain. It will make the delivery process for small business owners easier and more affordable.”

Global Product Innovation
Designed, engineered and manufactured by Ford of Europe to beat tough, medium commercial vehicle standards, Transit Connect has been a sales success for Ford across the Atlantic and is an ideal option for small business owners in North America.

“Ford is intensifying its efforts to leverage the best of our Ford product portfolio around the world,” Kuzak said. “In Europe, this tough small van has carved out a niche for itself, building on the strength of the Transit name – which is synonymous with commercial vehicle leadership in Europe. Transit Connect can make a real difference to customers here.”

Transit Connect was named International Van of the Year by an independent panel of leading commercial vehicle journalists representing 19 European countries when first launched in 2003.

Editors credited Ford for listening to the wants and demands of customers, both large and small and heralded the “long list of clever and practical solutions in the areas of handling, accessibility, security and safety” that Ford Transit Connect introduced.

Car+Van+Truck = Transit Connect
Complementing its truck toughness, Transit Connect handles and performs like a car and offers car-like fuel economy, interior comforts and safety features. “It drives like a car, works like a van and is engineered to be as tough as a truck,” said Rob Stevens, Chief Engineer of Ford Transit Connect in the U.S.

This compact van was built around the following key attributes:

• Class-leading cargo area functionality and versatility
• High levels of durability through the use of thick, high-strength steel and a reinforced body shell with partial double skin sides and twin side crossmembers
• Responsive and fuel-efficient powertrain
• High levels of security and safety, with a rigid body structure, side impact protection, dual front air bags and an array of security features, including a lockable hood
• Low cost of ownership, from lower fuel costs to powertrain durability

Opening with Versatility
Transit Connect has cargo doors on both sides and at the rear – dual sliding side doors and 180-degree-opening rear doors – that make accessing its generous cargo area convenient. Its front doors have large openings, making getting in and out of the vehicle easy – an important design feature for delivery people.

For its size and urban maneuverability, the Transit Connect cargo capacity is a massive 143 cubic feet. It can accommodate loads up to 6.5 ft. in length and 4.7 ft. in width.

“Transit Connect can swallow far more cargo than its users might think,” said Len Deluca, Director of Ford Commercial Trucks.

“Its versatile cargo area gives Transit Connect an unequivocal advantage, accommodating for large, flat-sided loads and providing a totally flat load floor,” he said.

Straight and square side walls of the Transit Connect also mean business on the outside. They provide a clean surface and perfect positioning for commercial branding logos and messages. Inside, storage systems can make Transit Connect ideal for specific businesses.

For the Chicago show, Ford kitted out Transit Connects highlighting three local businesses – including a catering and event planning company, a wine wholesaler and home technology integration firm – as well as a five-member Chicago blues band.

The Windy City is a fitting place to debut the versatile Transit Connect. Its maneuverability makes it ideal for urban use, where streets are congested and parking space for delivery or service vehicles is limited. Its tight turning radius makes Transit Connect as nimble as a compact car. And its height makes it ideal for tight parking garages with limited-height clearances – Transit Connect gets in and out of garages with as little as 6 ft. 8 in. clearance.

Established Credentials
Transit Connect is part of a family of Transit commercial vehicles offered across Europe. Since the introduction of the Transit Connect, Ford’s share of the European light and medium duty commercial vehicle market has doubled to 34 percent. In record-setting 2007, Ford sold 109,900 Transit Connects and 224,915 Transits in Europe.

For more than 40 years, the Transit brand has synonymous with commercial vehicle excellence, a success which continues to grow. In 2007, Ford achieved an all-time record European commercial vehicle retail volume across its 19-market region, including individual model volume records for Transit Connect and the Ford Transit medium commercial van. More than 5 million Transit units have been manufactured since 1965.

Thanks largely to E-Series, Ford is the reigning Commercial Vehicle leader in the U.S. with 40 percent share of the total commercial vehicle market and has been the full-size van leader with E-Series for 29 years running.

Transit Connect is manufactured in Kocaeli, Turkey, at Ford’s most advanced light commercial vehicle assembly plant. It will be available in select North American markets in mid-2009.

Source: Chicago Show: Ford Transit Connect