Moderated by Plug In America’s (http://www.pluginamerica.org) VP, Paul Scott, who is also President of the Electric Vehicle Association of Southern California, “Electric Vehicle Roundtable and Drive-a-thon” presents:

** Paul Wilbur, President and CEO, Aptera (http://www.aptera.com)
** K. Forest Beanum, VP of Public Affairs & Communications, CODA Automotive (http://www.codaautomotive.com)
** Richard Steinberg, Manager, Electric Vehicle Operations and Strategy, BMW of North America, LLC (http://www.bmwusa.com/ActiveE)
** Eric Shieh, Account Executive, Coulomb Technologies (http://www.coulombtech.com)
** Mike Sullivan, Owner and President, LAcarGUY (http://www.lacarguy.com/green)

This distinguished group of professionals–representing the cycle of invention to delivery and consumer use–will address the value proposition of these businesses and California’s leading role in the sector’s growth. “We will explain why this technology will improve our environment, strengthen our economy and increase our national security,” states Paul Scott, VP, Plug In America. “With the new era of electric vehicles mere months away, this is information vital to anyone who cares about these issues,” Scott added. Specific topics may include:

** Why is the timing for electric vehicles more ideal now than when “Who Killed the Electric Car” was released in 2006? What has changed? Or has it?
** What are the sustainable aspects of the vehicle industry vs. other forms of mobility, especially in Los Angeles?
** What are the economic implications of millions of Californians switching from 60% foreign oil to 100% domestic renewable electricity?
** What do national security experts say about the need to switch from oil to electricity as the energy source for our transportation fleet?
** What plug-in vehicles are available today and what will be available in the near future?
** How many charging stations are there, and how many are really needed?
** What companies are opening electric vehicle showrooms in L.A.?
** How important is the L.A. market as a model for electric vehicle adoption?
** What are the predictions for the future of electric vehicle adoption? What will be future trends?

“On behalf of the SBCLA board, I am thrilled to welcome such a strong representation of this vibrant, rapidly-expanding industry to the Valcucine showroom,” said Laura Berland-Shane, member of the SBCLA board of directors, and business development manager of Alternative Energy at SIEMENS Industry. “We anticipate a lively discourse that will inform and hopefully inspire creative thinking and planning in light of the current electric vehicle renaissance. We are particularly excited to note that many of the companies we will hear from are California-based.”

Event Registration
Advance registration is required to attend SBCLA’s “Electric Vehicle Roundtable and Drive-a-thon” panel discussion and drive-a-thon. To RSVP, please visit http://www.sustainablebc.org.

General admission price of $25 includes:
** Admission to “Electric Vehicle Roundtable and Drive-a-thon” mixer and panel discussion.
** Electric Vehicle driving demo, first come first served.
** Tour of Valcucine’s showroom featuring sustainable kitchen furnishings.
** Light refreshments

Event Sponsors:
The event is sponsored by Stonefield Josephson, Inc. LAcarGUY, Valcucine, “Dom,” Luna & Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss, Summa Marketing Communications, New Belgium Brewing, Evenson Design Group and dubroWorks Public Relations/Marketing/ Project Management.

Media Attendance and Interview Requests
Attendance of “Electric Vehicle Roundtable and Drive-a-thon” is also open to accredited print, online, and broadcast journalists who register with SBCLA in advance. To register, media members should contact Program Director Molly Lavik by phone at (310) 488-4401, or by e-mail at molly.lavik@sustainablebc.org. In addition, Berland-Shane and all panelists and moderator are most likely available for media interviews before and after the event. To schedule an interview, please contact Lavik.

Driving Directions and Parking Information
“Electric Vehicle Roundtable and Drive-a-thon” will be held at Valcucine, located at 9030 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and South Wetherly Drive. Attendees may park with payment in the lot situated at 140 South Doheny Drive until the lot is full, or on the street in available metered spaces.

About the Sustainable Business Council of Los Angeles
The Sustainable Business Council of Los Angeles (SBCLA) is a non-profit organization acting as a professional networking and education forum for California businesses and individuals working with sustainable products, services, and processes. The Council’s goal is to assist members with improving their profits, enhancing their communities, and protecting the environment through the education of business professionals about the opportunities represented by technologies and management philosophies that reduce negative and unsustainable ecological impacts. For more information, please visit http://www.sustainablebc.org.

A total of 12 vehicles (7 on press days) will be displayed at its stand in Hall 3, including:

* The recently introduced ASX (RVR in Japan) compact crossover equipped with MMC’s all-new “low impact” 4N13 diesel engine,

* The Lancer Sportback (Galant Fortis Sportback in Japan) now featuring the same 150 ps 1.8 DiD engine,

* The new Outlander 2.2 DiD mid-size crossover, whose 177 ps unit is a further derivative (4N14) of this same family of innovative diesel powerplants.

Concerning the European-spec i-MiEV, MMC plans to successively roll it out from December of this year in 14 countries*1 including France, the United Kingdom, Germany and further expand the European rollout from fiscal year 2011.

The price*2 of the European-spec i-MiEV will differ by country but will be set to around €33,000 – €35,000 (or equivalent) so that the final cost to the customer after government incentives (where applicable) remains under €30,000 (or equivalent) in a majority of the countries it is to be sold in.

*1 Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
*2 The price includes car and batteries

Compared with the Japanese market version, the European-spec i-MiEV includes specific features such as:

* new design to the front and rear bumpers to meet EU regulations,

* re-arranged center stack in the instrument panel,

* improved interior comfort.

Furthermore, safety – both active & passive – has been improved with the addition of Active Stability Control (ASC), as well as side and curtain airbags, all standard equipment.

To celebrate 40 years of electric development at Mitsubishi Motors, a further display in Hall 8 will present the 1989 Mitsubishi Minicab EV for the first time in Europe, as part of “The Incredible Collection” heritage show.

For more information on the i-MiEV, please access www.new-imiev.com.

Luxury automakers are going green. Names like Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin and Rolls Royce among others are all presenting greener – or at least smaller – cars in hopes of appealing to consumers demand for more ecologically friendly and cheaper automobiles. Is this the future of horsepower or just good old fashioned image building? Only time will tell.

Tata Motors from India which has bought Jaguar and Land Rover has news for Europe. An Indian news site Hindu businessline has given news of tata launching 2 of its EV in Europe this ficial year. Among the recently launching cars, the Tata EVs can prove to be the least expensive of all. The 2 EVs being launched is Tata Ace pickup and a hatchback Indica Vista EV.

The Tata Indica Vista EV was displayed at the Geneva Motor show which was held in 2009 and the Ace Pickup truck was displayed at the Zaragosa in 2008. Tata Motors finds EV potential in the Europe in addition to the Government promoting EVs under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure program.

Mr Ravi Kant, Vice-Chairman, told Business Line that the company would begin retailing electric vehicles in the UK and Scandinavian nations. Indications are that the Indica Vista is likely to be launched in the UK this September-October. Along with the Tata Indica Vista EV was the Tata Nano EV at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. But there is no plans of Tata bringing it here soon, but indicated a possibility in the next 3 years.

When asked why not these EVs in India, Pisharody said that the introduction of such vehicles would require infrastructure support, adding that, “primarily the network of charging stations, is practically absent in India. We cannot have electric vehicles without Government support, especially for setting up stations.”

Tata will be focusing its EVs mainly on the UK and the Scandinavian countries. The Tata Indica will be spacious, stylish, economical and very easy on the wallet.

Source: Hindu businessline

Way back in early 2007, a beast had entered the European market! The Honda Civic Type R could be called nothing less than a beast as it provided the performance that people enjoyed and had satisfied those bhp thirsty drivers. They say, everything that is good, comes to an end. Sadly, the sales of the Civic Type R will stop after the month of December.

The Honda Civic Type R’s high revving 2.0L engine that produces a whopping 201 bhp will be discontinued because it is unable to comply with the Euro V emission norms that will come into play early next year. Fortunately, the car is only not sold to those areas where Euro V emission standards are followed.

The Type R will continue to be produced at Hondas Swindon facility in the UK and will be exported to markets like South Africa and Australia. The Type R will also continue to be sold in Japan.

This hot Honda hatch was unveiled first at the 2006 Geneva Auto show and went on for sale early 2007. The Type R was critically acclaimed and was loved by car enthusiasts. It was the right size, stylish, sporty, had great interiors, provided great performance and what not.

Honda has arranged a get together for the Type R owners at the Silverstone race tracks on the 22nd of August. However, a more greener engine could have been developed for the Type R instead of just discontinuing it. That will be question in every one of those owners heads.

Honda has announced massive discounts to sell the Honda Civic Type R faster. With a discount of around 2,230 Euros, the Civic Type R seems to be an itch to throw your money and get one, but only if you dont want our pollution levels to go down.

The domination of petrol variants will soon come to an end. A new era of highly efficient and less emission diesel engines are developed which will soon help the diesel variants dominate. The BlueMotion technology from Volkswagen is one of those technologies that have helped reduce emissions.

Volkswagen new MPV, the VW Touran has hit British shores and it looks promising. The Touran was first unveiled at the Leipzig Motor show in April. The Touran comes with a range of petrol and innovative diesel engines. It also comes in the BlueMotion technology form.

The Touran is priced between 17,585 – 25,535 Euros. The new Touran is bigger, better and has a lot of new features. The Touran derives the design from the new Polo, Golf and Touareg. The new Touran gets alloy wheels and touches of chrome everywhere.

The VW Touran comes with a range of new engines. The Petrol variants are the 1.2L TSI giving 105 bhp and the 1.4L TSI giving 140bhp or a greater 170 bhp. The diesel variants are the 1.6L TDI that produces 90bhp and 105bhp and a 2.0L TDI engine that produces 140bhp or 170bhp.

Only the 1.6L TDI and the 1.2L TSI engine is capable in BlueMotion Trim. The 1.2L is capable of returning 47.9 mpg while emitting 139 g/km of CO2. The 1.6L TDI is capable of returning 58.8 mpg while emitting only 121 g/km of CO2.

The Volkswagen Touran have been selling really well in the Europe. With the introduction of the new one, it will hope to sell more and perform better while harming the enviromnent less. This is exactly what Volkswagen wants the Touran to do. Only time will tell us if it does live up to its expectations.

BMW has released the sketches of its new electric car, the BMW Megacity. The BMW Megacity vehicle will be sold in the market around 2013. This EV will be a class apart as it will offer performance, comfort, style and luxury never seen in an electric car before.

Currently, the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt (other than its pricing) is getting the spotlight on the green car category and 3 years from now, there will be no doubt that the German rival will create a position for itself. But according to sources, BMW is planning on creating a new brand for its electric vehicles.

The Megacity will come with 100KW electric moter producing around 150 bhp which will be powered by a 35kWh lithium ion battery. On the aspects of engine and power, the BMW Megacity is proving to be impressive. With specs like these, the consumers will be willing to buy EVs instead of a fuel burning vehicle.

“In the future, leadership in the premium segment will belong to whichever manufacturer builds its products in the most efficient and resource-friendly way – and offers its customers the most advanced and exciting solutions for eco-friendly personal mobility. The BMW Group will continue this pioneering role in the future too.” says Martin Arlt, head of Project i.

This rear wheel drive vehicle is estimated to have a top speed of 95 mph (153 kmph) with a range of 100 miles (161 Km). On the same project BMW plans to develop 2 other vehicles which will come later in the decade.

Press release available at bmwblog.com

Source: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders

The funding will help accelerate Bright’s production of the IDEA, a revolutionary plug-in hybrid commercial vehicle.

“This relationship is an important step forward for Bright, and a strong endorsement of our highly experienced automotive team and our incredible vehicle,” said Reuben Munger, Bright Automotive Chairman and CEO. “With this deal, Bright gets financial support that puts us on the fast track toward mass production of the IDEA. And perhaps just as importantly, we gain a strategic partner that is a world leader in electrification.”

The companies signed a memorandum of understanding in July. GM Ventures provided funding to Bright this week, and the two companies intend to complete the formal agreements later this year. Upon completion of the agreements and other terms, General Motors Ventures would have a minority stake in Bright Automotive and Bright would have access to GM technologies, and advanced engine and transmission systems, for its vehicle.

“Funding early-stage start-up companies is a new way of doing business at GM to accelerate the introduction of innovative technology to support our core automotive business and give us a competitive advantage,” said Jon Lauckner, president of GM Ventures. “In this case, our funding of Bright Automotive will accelerate the introduction of advanced propulsion and light-weight technologies in the commercial vehicle market.”

“We talked with several leading automakers, but GM clearly had the right vision, the most capable technology, and the closest alignment with our business approach,” said Michael Brylawski, Bright Automotive executive vice president. “We are thrilled to work with GM to create American jobs, stimulate technology development, and build an innovative American vehicle that will help reduce oil dependence and cut costs for businesses.”

In developing the IDEA, Bright started with a clean sheet of paper, listened to customers, and took a novel approach to product development that focused on light-weighting, aerodynamics and a highly efficient drivetrain. The result is a multipurpose vehicle for business fleets — the first designed to be highly efficient and provide a clear economic benefit.

The IDEA delivers a positive total cost of ownership to fleet customers by providing significantly greater fuel efficiency than current fleet vehicles in its class. The IDEA operates in electric mode for 40 miles before switching to an estimated 36-mpg hybrid mode for 100+ mpg potential based on daily driving behavior.

Funding through GM Ventures will allow Bright to begin ramping up the development of the production program for the IDEA in the third quarter of 2010. Bright continues to seek a low-interest loan through the Department of Energy’s ATVM program. Financial terms were not disclosed.

About General Motors – General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 205,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 157 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

General Motors Ventures, LLC, was funded with an initial investment of $100 million, and is currently exploring equity investments in a number of auto-related technologies and business models.

About Bright Automotive

Bright Automotive launched from Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in January, 2008 with the world’s most experienced EV/PHEV team and the goal of building on the work of a consortium of organizations, including Alcoa, Google.org, Johnson Controls and the Turner Foundation. Since then, Bright Automotive has developed the IDEA, the world’s first multi-purpose, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle aimed at commercial and government fleets. It has also launched Bright eSolutions, which delivers expertise to automotive customers worldwide to accelerate vehicle electrification, lightweighting, and overall platform efficiency. More information about Bright Automotive can be found at www.brightautomotive.com.

That means fleet buyers, unlike individual consumers, don’t have to wait to see when — or whether — a fueling infrastructure appears. Also, fleet managers are under pressure to cut their carbon footprint and fuel costs.

Fleets offer a sharp contrast to the retail market, where automakers selling green vehicles must overcome serious obstacles, such as enormous fueling infrastructure needs and ingrained consumer habits.

In a second story, Automotive News Contributor David Sedgwick reports that Tony Brown, Ford Motor Co.’s purchasing chief, is splitting duties of his top two lieutenants so as to provide “a single point of contact” for suppliers.

Birgit Behrendt has been appointed executive director of Ford’s global programs and Americas purchasing. Burt Jordan has been named executive director of global vehicle and powertrain purchasing. Both report directly to Brown; their assignments took effect July 1.

Brown, 54, said the reorganization will simplify his purchasing operation, which should be a plus for suppliers. “It will be easier for suppliers to communicate with us because it will be clearer who is responsible for what,” Brown told Automotive News. Suppliers, he said, “will have a single point of contact.”

ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
Based in Detroit and owned by Crain Communications Inc, Automotive News has been the place for all the news that is happening among automotive retailers, suppliers and manufacturers since 1925. In addition to the 100% paid weekly print issue that is received by 65,000 subscribers, autonews.com is a vibrant Web site with more than three million page views monthly. It contains the day’s breaking news and features two daily newscasts and webinars. Daily and weekly e-mails and breaking news alerts keep the industry’s top executives up-to-date.