The cited reason for the dramatic change in direction? Problems with battery storage. Well. Duh. That’s the name of the EV game and it leaves us to wonder how well Chrysler will do reaching a break-even point by 2011 (that’s the plan) and rolling out all those new models on Fiat platforms when the face of the automotive game is changing toward alternative means of propulsion. Short-term profitability but no long-term plan embracing new technology? Maybe not the wisest choice.

The competition apparently has no battery-related qualms as Toyota contemplates a whole family of hybrids based on the Prius, a name that in and of itself could well become a brand. General Motors is clear that it sees the Chevrolet Volt, which will debut in 2010, as the opening shot in a volley of vehicles combining rechargeable batteries and gas-powered generators. It’s a reasonable trade-off — 40 miles on a single electric charge, conventional engine for longer excursions — even if the initial price tag of $40,000 stops some short. (Figure in a $7,500 consumer tax credit and it’s a little more palatable.)

And the big boys are far from the only ones embracing (or abandoning) big electric vehicle plans. Fisker is buying an abandoned GM plant in Delaware for $18 million with the intent of retooling the facility as a construction site for plug-in hybrids. After a three-year conversion, and armed with $528.7 million in federal loans from the government’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program ($175 million of which will go directly to the Delaware plant), Fisker expects to be rolling out units by 2012. One of those products will be a mid-sized family sedan currently set at around $39,900.

Roll all this and countless other projects together and we are looking at a nascent electric vehicle revolution, one that will initially be expensive for the consumer but that has tremendous long-term potential for our global dependence on fossil fuels. A year ago I confess I didn’t think we’d be this far down the EV road. Now? I’m looking forward to seeing what 2010 holds in store for this exciting transportation genre.

There has certainly been enough on the news here of late about driving while texting to bring driver inattentiveness to the forefront of my thoughts. It’s now illegal in Texas to talk on a cell phone while in a school zone and I am making myself use my bluetooth headset while in the car and studiously ignore texts. I’ve rarely been guilty of texting while moving, but I have been known to do it at lights. I remind myself every time I get behind the wheel that no text message is worth my life or — worse yet — someone else’s.

By the end of the article, however, the authors ask an interesting question, “Will these kinds of technologies actually make drivers pay less attention behind the wheel?” They are essentially exploring the extent to which we’re evolving toward a kind of automotive auto-pilot that may instill a false sense of confidence in the driver that the car itself is taking care of them and paying attention — thus absolving the driver of the need to do so.

Essentially the same thing was said about cruise control when it first became an available option — and I have to admit, I’ve never made extensive use of cruise control on any car I’ve driven where the system was present. I’m one of those people who has to have the radio going to stay awake and I actually like having to stay alert and pay attention. Probably of all the emerging technologies, I’m most intrigued by night vision systems and that’s just a consequence of being in middle-age and wearing bifocals.

Will the cars of tomorrow offer more of a “cockpit” like experience and give the driver autopilot capability? Is that even a good idea? Or is it an inevitable evolution of the driving experience? Good food for thought as well as a nice tech read. Highly recommended article.

Can the two be reconciled? According to Porsche sales chief Klaus Berning, the answer is yes. In discussing the company’s new hybrid Cayene SUV that will appear in the U.S. late in 2010 — to be followed by the gasoline-electric Panamera (a high-performance sedan recently unveiled in Shanghai), Berning had this to say.

“It is clear that the customer in this segment wants this technical solution, which will communicate that they are successful, that I have a sporty car and that I care about the environment. We are planning serious volume.”

Yeah, sounds a little bit more like, “I wanna have my cake and eat it to.” Sorry. Just a station break for cynicism. Here’s the vitals on the Cayenne hybrid:

- nickel-metal hydride batteries
- full-hybrid system allowing for an electric-only mode
- 3.0-liter supercharged V6
- 14 mpg highway, 14 city

Not that impressive? Hence the source of my cynicism. We’re seeing just a few too many hybrids that emphasize style over substance for my taste, but hey, I guess we’ll take progress where we can get it — even when it comes in teeny, tiny little baby steps. I’m still holding out for a Smart ForTwo.

Automotive News kinda called it a phone booth on wheels while likening it to a baby stroller. I think it looks more like the bastard love child of a golf cart and a wheelchair. The point is that it’s all electric, will run 35 miles on a charge, and has a top speed of 35 mph, while costing a quarter to a third the price of a conventional vehicle. Not to mention that parking something that small would be just a dream.

(Click here for story with photos.)

They’re testing it out in New York City right now with a complete prototype promised sometime in 2010. Of course working models are going to hit Europe first where public imagination and traffic laws are more receptive to alternative form factors in personal transportation. (Well, that and the fact that the combination of congestion and centuries old narrow streets is pretty common place in Europe.)

Right now, the PUMA looks to be an open cab vehicle with a transparent roof. I predict for the “authorities” to be happy, they’re going to have to enclose the cab a bit more. Of course, if that raises the need for some kind of AC, the price will go up. I really, really like the idea of urban transport, but the only way it will ever fly is for the units to be affordable enough to buy as a second “car.” Bottom line, however? I would LOVE to take this baby for a test drive.

One of the more interesting tidbits to come out of the Geneva Auto Show is the news that Ford’s iosis Max concept could actually be headed for our fair shores and I must say, it’s a tasty intro to the carmaker’s new global design.

Make no mistake, the isosis is futuristic but functional with a low, trapezoid grill and the overall profile of a coupe. Those swept-back front headlights with the attractive wing-like hint add a touch of sport to this MPV (multi purpose vehicle) and you can’t complain about visiblity with a windshield that sweeps backward over the passenger compartment.

This current version is the third concept iteration to be shown in Europe since 2005. You’re looking at a four-seat hatchback powered by a 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder Ecoboost powerplant (177 bhp). Powershift dual-clutch transmission, stop-start, intelligent alternator, emissions measured at 125g/km of CO2.

(For a larger gallery of images, check out 4wheelsnews.)

The public is demanding smaller and more efficient vehicles and Toyota has proved with the Prius that those two requirements don’t necessitate ugly and cramped. Ford could be on to something nice with this one.

I don’t have a GPS, but that’s mainly because I, like most Texans, reject the proposition that I can get “lost” as long as I’m between the Red River and the Rio Grande. I do, however, commend to you the tale of a man I know — a well educated, astute fellow — who, several years ago on a trip to Europe, rented a vehicle with voice alerts and an early GPS. After arguing with the system for a couple of hours, to the amusement of his wife and son, he pulled over to the side of the road, disappeared under the dash for a few seconds, and then emerged with a fistful of wires. Problem solved. Silence achieved. He will assure you to this day it was worth every cent in damages he paid to the rental company.

I’ve written about a number of these automated systems that warn the driver about this or that — everything from night vision to gadgets that alert the driver when their attention wanders from the road. And I’m for all of them as long as the systems themselves do not become an annoying distraction. But wrong-way detection? It’s a car people, part of the joy of driving is occasionally taking the scenic route.

At CarArt, Inc., however, automotive art becomes more personal, because you, the user, are able to commission a professional artist to capture your four-wheeled (or, two, if you’re more into motorcycles) pride and joy, with or without yourself in the image, on canvas, wood, or paper, via paint, pen and ink, or as a digital creation.

Car Art has a stable of artists who are skilled in finding the best angle to show off your car, and translating your dream into something fit for framing. As a prospective customer, you’ll get to review sample work by several artists, and choose the one whose style best represents your vision. Pricing will depend on the artist who does your work, as well as on the chosen media (pen and ink is generally less expensive than oil on wood, for example), and the complexity of the project. A picture with a lot of detail work is vastly different than a straight shot of a car, with no background or human figures, after all.

Why choose CarArt, Inc.? Because when you do, you’ll be engaging a firm founded by an automotive design engineer – no one knows cars better than someone who has designed them, who is also a fan of the genre. Even better, you’ll be working with a company that has a conscience: Car Art, Inc. helps nurture the artistic talents of young people, by assisting with development of the Extreme Gravity Racing Series, a competition noted for “…wildly different designs by European and Californian car studios.”

Even with the best of care, a favorite car may not be drivable forever, but the artists at Car Art, Inc. can give you a piece of art that will keep your car or bike zooming through your memories for years to come.

Those states have given businesses incentives to build these tuition-based education facilities by offering what amounts to moving violation credits. In many areas, this means you may have that speeding ticket cancelled in exchange for attending traffic school. Some of these institutions even offer to let you learn online instead of spending your Saturday hours sitting in a classroom.

So, what is responsible for the recent surge in Texas defensive driving businesses? Ticket revenues are a chief money-maker for many states. To give a part of this up in return for training shows that the schools truly perform well. There has been increasing pressure for more and better driver training for two key reasons:

1. The mortality rate from car crashes has gotten out of control mainly in the under 25 age group.
2. These mortality rates and the collision costs, are putting a tremendous strain on the insurance companies profits as well as their ability to offer affordable insurance.

Whether you got your license a month ago or 40 years ago, you shouldn’t ignore the dangers we often take, not only with our own lives but others as well. It’s pretty natural to spot a dangerous driver, or to know the difference between right and wrong on the road. What we should consider is the small portion of our minds that separate knowing and doing.
The key to achievement in any pursuit is to adopt a healthy attitude of pride; are you proud of your driving skills? Like many other things in life, good driving has a lot to do with your attitude.

Driving a car is the closest most of us will ever come to flight under our own authority. Put the pedal to the metal and go, go, go! It’s normal to get carried away and even forget that there are others out there on the streets with us.

When you acknowledge that many of those other drivers you are out there with are susceptible to the same circumstances, it is likely to represent a serious threat to you and innocent bystanders, this should raise your level of consciousness so that you start to change your driving patterns for the for the good of the whole.

For a driver to make the transition from novice to pro with nominal effort, you simply need to appreciate that careless drivers, quite possibly yourself included, compounds a real risk to your body and mind. Not to be too dramatic; the risks are real and the consequences are life and death.

There is a definite relationship between how well you drive and how long you live as well as a specific correlation to how high your insurance premiums are. If you want to live a long life and save money then you have set great goals and made positive strides for yourself as well as your fellow drivers.

Carmakers managed to sell 315,761 hybrids during the year, just 2.4 percent of the automotive market overall. But, right up at the top of the heap, declines or not, was Toyota with the venerable Prius. Three out of every four hybrids on the roads in this country is a Prius, a hybrid that may someday be regarded as the Model T of its genre. Still, however, Prius sales perfectly mirror what was going on in the country last year. Sales for the first half of the year were 91,440; for the second half 67,444.

Other hybrid makers’ results were:

- Ford: 19,522 down from 25,108 in 2007
- GM: 14,439, up from 5,175 in 2007
- Nissan: 8,819 down from 8,388  in 2007
- Honda: 31,495 down from 35,980 in 2007

GM’s Bob Lutz said it all at the Detroit auto show in early January. “At $1.50 a gallon, the American public is not willing to pay for fuel-saving technology.” Now green advocates will be looking to the Obama administration to see if new incentives for hybrid purchases are in the offing and to carmakers themselves to see if they can, as a result of their federal bailout, get affordable hybrid products on the showroom floor.

Of course Ford isn’t the only company showing its wares in Detroit this week with the goal of being greener, more efficient, and more electrified than the guy in the next booth over. Most are counting on aid to be forthcoming from the soon-to-be inaugurated President Obama to jump-start the public toward buying their cars — and in so doing to kindle a reconceptualization of how the average American drives. Most of these cars have a limited range and require several hours to charge up. Studies tell us most folks drive less than 40 miles a day — a figure you’ll have to stick to if you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle you can’t just fill up. In the past most families have had two cars. Will they be willing to let the second one be a limited, around-town errand runner? Ford isn’t betting the farm, planning a production run of just 10,000 for its first plug-in offerings.

But if we are indeed in a climate of change, someone has to step out there and get the ball rolling, and lets face facts. Millions of Americans have never driven anything but American. Some have never driven anything but Ford. I was one of them until I purchased a Honda Odyssey five years ago. In order to break into those traditional markets, the House of Henry just may have to lead the way. Yes, there’s a lot of competition — a plug-in Prius, a plug-in Mini — offerings from Mitsubishi, Chrysler, General Motors (the much talked about Chevrolet Volt.)

But there’s just something really substantial about the company that put America on wheels getting into the all-electric game. From 1908 to 1927 the Ford Motor Company built 15 million Model Ts. And it’s instructive, at what may be a pivotal moment in the history of personal transportation, to remember what Henry Ford said about his venerable Tin Lizzie:

I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one – and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God’s great open spaces.