Zero Emissions by 2030? | Photo Credit: AutoNews.com

Legislation approved by a Senate committee earlier today could put millions of electric-powered cars and trucks on the road, significantly reducing the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, as well as dramatically lowering carbon emissions.

The legislation, which was passed by a 19-4 vote, was one of several bills cleared by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It’s possible that all the bills might be combined into a broad energy and climate bill supported by Senate Democrats.

This bill, however, would provide roughly $3.9 billion over ten years to be used by select communities in order to construct the infrastructure needed to charge electric cars, conduct research, and offer incentives to consumers who buy plug-in cars, with the ultimate goal being to put America on track to electrify half of the countries vehicles by the year 2030, which would result in a one-third reduction in oil demand.

Senator Byron Dorgan, the bill’s main sponsor, told the press, “Passing this legislation will strengthen our national security and improve the air we breathe, while relying on our abundant and diverse electricity supply to fuel our cars.”

A bill like this, which addresses both climate change and renewable energy, is a major goal for the Obama administration, which is racing against the lock to accomplish something before Congress recesses in August, and elections occur in November. A new bill that addresses climate change and renewable energy is a key priority for the Obama administration but time is running short on the congressional calendar with a scheduled August recess and congressional elections looming in November.

The chair of the energy panel, Senator Jeff Bingamen, said he wasn’t certain whether or not Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would unveil his overarching energy and climate legislation next week, but says the bill will be in trouble if it isn’t passed by the Senate before the August break.

According to industry authority Automotive News, Bringamen told reporters, “It will be difficult to get a final bill to the president for signature. The earlier that the full Senate would act the better position we’ll be to actually get a bill to the president.”

Congress is scheduled to work through the first or second of week of August, and then recess until after Labor Day in early September. On Tuesday, Senator Reid said he was still trying to bring fellow Democrats to consensus.

Roughly a year ago, technology allowing blind people to drive independently was first implemented on a dune buggy. This year, Virginia Tech and the NFB, partners in the project, will present the technology on a Ford Escape, with testing planned within the next six months.

Unlike some prototypes, which are driverless, this vehicle would be completely controlled by its visually impaired driver, using technology that relies on non-visual interfaces which relay information about the car’s surroundings. Such cues may include vibrating chest plates, tactile gloves, and audible commands, or even something called the “AirPix” which uses bursts of air through a sheet of paper to create a sort of 3-D rendering of what’s going on.

The planned test, using a blind driver, is scheduled for January 29, 2011, just before the 2011 Rolex 24 race.

According to the Journal, one of the dealers said, “A man van won’t generate huge sales, but it’s one of those vehicles that gets people talking and heads turning.”

So what’s the man van going to look like? Well, rather like the Dodge Grand Caravan R/T concept displayed at the 2008 SEMA show, this would have exterior and interior details that would help to differentiate dad’s minivan from mom’s. Examples include bespoke stitching on the seats and steering wheel, but the body trim has yet to be finalized.

This announcement closely follows news of two other minivans which are being pushed as family-friendly: Honda’s 2011 Odyssey, which features 15 cup holders and an integrated trash receptacle, and Toyota’s 2011 Sienna, which is being marketed with a “Mommy Like” commercial campaign.

When the paper ran the story, GM apparently responded, claiming to understand that there was an “emotional debate” to the name useage, and embracing use of the nickname by customers…as well as admitting that the memo was not well-written. While the note was not signed by GM’s new marketing chief, Joel Ewanick, formerly of Nissan, but it was signed by Alan Batey, vice president of Chevrolet sales and service, and Jim Campbell, the division’s vice president of marketing.

The text of the memo is, in part:

“We’d ask that, whether you’re talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertising or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet moving forward …

“When you look at the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple, for instance, one of the things they all focus on is the consistency of their branding … Why is this consistency so important? The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer.”

After the Times noted that “Coke” is short for “Coca-Cola” and cited an expert’s opinion that the GM initiative was counter to the trend of casual branding (i.e. KFC for Kentucky Fried Chicken), Autoblog also got into the fray, stating, “We feel that the Coke comparison GM uses in the memo is ultimately rather apt, given that the idea of memory-holing ‘Chevy’ as part of some absurd branding exercise seems destined to be a failure on the level of New Coke.”

GM, in turn, responded, “We love Chevy. In no way are we discouraging customers or fans from using the name. We deeply appreciate the emotional connections that millions of people have for Chevrolet and its products. In global markets, we are establishing a significant presence for Chevrolet, and need to move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes. The memo in question was one step in that process.”

The perfect cap to this story? There’s a postscript to the memo which mentions a plastic can in the hallway and says, “Every time someone uses ‘Chevy’ rather than Chevrolet,” an employee is expected to pay a quarter.

But brand consistency should begin at home, and, as Automotive News points out:

GM’s own Twitter page says “Talking Chevy One Tweet at a Time.” It has also sponsored links on Google driving folks to the Web site by calling it “The Official Chevy Site.”

In addition, the URL “chevy.com” redirects Web users to the full brand name.

That’s going to add up to a LOT of quarters…

While there is no way the Prius Alpha could ever be considered a minivan – it’s only a foot longer than the current base model, for example – it will have a third row of seats. It would also have the current incarnation’s 1.8-liter engine and use the existing hybrid system, though with one of the new, lighter lithium ion batteries, for a maximum combined power output of 135 hp. However, the size and weight of the new model may cause fuel economy to decline to somewhere below 50 MPG.

The launch of the Prius Alpha is expected to be next March, though only in Japan, where hybrids are the hot ticket.

Is anyone else wondering how a single extra foot of length translates into a whole row of seating?

This year, a new test was added – the roof test. While the results of this test caused a lower number of vehicles to be granted overall Top Safety Pick status, more and more new vehicles are being tested for roof strength, and numbers will eventually balance out. Other tests vehicles must pass include front, side, and rear crash tests. As well, electronic stability control systems are now required.

Among this years Top Safety Picks are the 2010 Hyundai Genesis and the Mercedes-Benz e-Class. There were no American brands represented in the top ten this year.

Jim Campbell, U.S. vice preside for Chevrolet marketing shared in a statement, “We thank Campbell-Ewald for their many years of dedicated and loyal service on the Chevrolet brand and for the many campaigns such as See the USA in your Chevrolet, The Heartbeat of America, Like a Rock and American Revolution.” He continued, “Over the coming months we will transition the business to Publicis Worldwide, which has recently been handling our car and crossover brands.”

Campbell-Ewald has been working with Chevy since 1919, and after doing initial work on the brand became the agency of record in 1922. This makes Chevrolet the ad company’s oldest and largest account, but last year, GM allowed other agencies to tackle some of the work for the Chevrolet brand, and the accounts for the Malibu, Equinox, and Traverse were moved to the American offices of the Paris-based Publicis Groupe SA, which owns Worldwide.

Campbell-Ewald, which began doing business this year under the new label “C-E” is owned by Interpublic Group, and is based in Detroit.

Source: Automotive News.

The recalled vehicles, according to Reuters, include roughly 600,000 two-wheel-drive Sienna minivans from the model year 1998 to today sold or registered here in the United States, and about 270,000 of the same van in Canada.

Today’s announcement means that number of Toyota vehicles recalled since late 2009 has exceeded 9.3 million. Most of the recalls are related to the spontaneous acceleration issue tied to sticking pedals and faulty floor mats, while the Prius and other hybrids have been recalled for braking system issues.

This latest announcement comes just two days after the Japanese automaker was forced to halt sales of the Lexus 460 SUV because Consumer Reports labeled it a “safety risk” because of its handling on curves. A recall has not yet been issued for that vehicle, but engineers at Toyota have managed to duplicate the issue.

Owners of recalled Siennas should expect to receive a letter encouraging them to bring their vehicles to a dealership for inspection while Toyota works on a solution. The recall covers Siennas that were sold or registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Owners in other states may also choose to have their vehicles inspected, said Toyota.

“The historic House vote last night is a tremendous victory for working people and all Americans. The legislation is a huge step toward enacting a comprehensive national health care program our union has been advocating for more than half a century.

“By extending health insurance coverage to 32 million people -– 95 percent of the population -– the legislation makes it clear that health care is a right, and not just for those fortunate enough to be able to afford it. We applaud President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the members of the House who stood up to incredible pressure from Republicans and special interests to get the job done for the American people.

“The legislation will help to make coverage more affordable by providing subsidies for middle-income families and expanding Medicaid to cover more low-income persons. It also will implement insurance market reforms to outlaw discriminatory practices by insurance carriers, such as denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. And it will reduce costs for individuals and businesses by reforming the delivery and provider payments systems and by establishing exchanges that will provide coverage in a cost-effective manner.

“We call on our active and retired members and all people who care about decent, affordable health care for all Americans to keep up the pressure on the Senate to quickly pass the companion bill to this landmark legislation.”

Speaking for the UAW was their President, Ron Gettelfinger

LaHood wrote on his blog, “People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning,” LaHood wrote on his blog. “This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.” He continued, “We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.”

LaHood’s announcement came shortly after his attendance at the National Bike Summit, where the crowd was incredibly enthusiastic about his presence. At the summit, he told those assembled, “Our mission is the same as your mission,” and “I think we’re beginning to put our money where our mouth is on these issues.”

This new policy is in line with many other changes the Obama administration has put in place over the last year. In June, 2009, the Departments of Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency announced the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities, designed to coordinate policies to “…help improve access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide.” Secretary LaHood’s announcement is a step toward that goal.

Translated into plain English, Mr. LaHood’s policy statement means that – in Autopia’s words, “…multimodal transportation (pedestrians & cyclists) will be an What his policy statement effectively says is multimodal transportation (meaning pedestrians and cyclists) will be an ‘equal’ part of all new infrastructure projects getting funding from Washington.”