Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Drive

This fuel car can be plugged in

By TIMES WIRES
Published January 29, 2007

Ford Motor Co. is joining the list of automakers working on a plug-in hybrid - with a twist. It combines the convenience of plugging in your car with a zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell. Ford calls the Flexible Series Hybrid Edge the world's first drivable fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle with plug-in capability. The car operates in "battery only" mode for the first 25 miles, moving at speeds of up to 85 miles per hour. When the battery is depleted to 40 percent, it seamlessly shifts to the fuel cell mode, which recharges the battery for 200 more miles of range. The 336-volt lithium ion battery pack can be fully charged overnight - in about eight hours - with a 110- or 220-volt outlet, and the engine produces gas mileage of about 41 miles per gallon.

Lots of flash, but little substance

Car shows are geared to appeal to the motor-heads among us: The wildest concept models and biggest engines get all the attention. And there was plenty of that at recently completed North American International Auto Show in Detroit. But by and large, "you didn't come away with the feeling that something phenomenal had just occurred," said David O'Connell, chief designer at Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s U.S. research and design center in Cypress, Calif. Some trends from the show:

- General Motors Corp. dominated the show with several new vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt electric plug-in hybrid.

- The top five vehicles in terms of coverage were domestic, led by the Volt.

- Alternative fuels were bigger than ever, while sport utility vehicles barely generated a blip.

Can GM keep up the Camaro buzz?

And speaking of the Detroit auto show, the unveiling of the Chevrolet Camaro convertible concept won oohs and ahhs that rivaled those for the Camaro coupe concept shown at last year's auto show. But at least a few analysts and prospective buyers question whether General Motors Corp. can keep the excitement going until the sports car reaches showrooms in 2009. "The positive buzz in 2009 certainly won't be as intense as when the coupe first rolled out last year," said auto analyst Kevin Tynan of Argus Research in New York. "The response was: 'Okay. Just build it already.' " But GM says it's bringing the car to market on a time line that compares with the time it took to bring the Pontiac Solstice to market from its unveiling as a concept car. "We've got all kinds of things planned to keep the buzz going," said Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper. "One of them is, it will be the star of the Transformers movie this summer."

[Last modified January 29, 2007, 06:09:08]