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ISU study finds large potential for biobased materials in auto industry, but with challenges

Green Car Congress

Their report, “Biobased Automobile Parts Investigation”, was developed for the USDA Office of Energy Policy and New Uses. Biobased materials availability may improve over time due to the increased demand and research, however, current resources may be have predicted limits. —“Biobased Automobile Parts Investigation”.

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Study Assesses Product Attribute Trade-offs and Technological Progress; Meeting Proposed Obama Fuel Economy Standards Will Require Downsizing and Change in Fleet Mix

Green Car Congress

Honda, Toyota and Nissan rank higher than US manufacturers for passenger cars (Nissan and GMC are effectively equal), but the three Japanese manufacturers trail GMC when building light duty trucks, while only Honda surpasses Ford. The estimates are ranked by the firms’ light truck efficiency; the rankings change considerably.

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GM and Chrysler Submit Updated Restructuring Plans; Up to $18.6B More Needed; Outlines for Product Plans

Green Car Congress

In the US, GM will focus on its core brands; Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. Pontiac will serve as a focused brand with fewer entries, within the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel. While GM hopes to reach agreement with the Swedish government, the Saab Automobile AB subsidiary could file for reorganization as early as this month.

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Ferrari’s Plug-in Hybrid One-Ups the Combustion Engine

Cars That Think

liter V-8 shrieking, as technically advanced as any automobile engine ever. A hybrid Chevrolet Corvette is expected to deliver about 662 kW (900 hp), even as its GM parent readies a 1,014-hp GMC Hummer EV. And where costs are plummeting for EVs, they’re already rising for ICE cars, as automakers divert resources elsewhere.

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