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fast The Manila Times


TUESDAY December 7, 2010


Times CADILLAC, BABY


APPARENTLY, Cadillac is learning to go small as the carmaker flaunts its Urban Luxury Concept, which it calls “a design study that explores a new type of vehicle that offers a luxury experience in a diminutive size.” Cadillac is quick to point out though that despite the compact size, the vehicle still wears the design, features and technology for which Cadillac is known. “The Urban Luxury Concept celebrates its


scale with intelligent, innovative content that makes it unique regardless of its size,” says Clay Dean, director of Advanced Design at General Motors, Cadillac’s parent company. “It has a small exterior footprint, but is roomy inside,” Dean asserts. According to Cadillac, the vehicle was conceived and designed in Los Angeles, where tight, confined parking areas for apartments, office buildings and even suburban homes are part of everyday driving. The carmaker then “wove” its iconic design elements into a form that “eschews conventional vehicle design to answer the needs of those metropolitan motorists.” The Urban Luxury Concept seats four, with easy access to all seats through scissors-type doors that extend outward and rotate forward when opened. Its roomy passenger area is trimmed in exquisite materials and features next-generation interactive technology. Touch-pad screens and pro- jected readouts take the place of most traditional gauges and serve as the audio and climate system controls. These features, Cadillac says, helps open up the vehicle’s cabin for increased passenger space. Powering the car is a concept hybrid propulsion system that includes a turbo- charged 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine with an electric-assist technology, engine start-stop function, brake energy regenera- tion and a dry dual-clutch transmission. For such a small car, the Urban Luxury


Concept promises big things for Cadillac. FAST TIMES


greennews


Govt, other sectors pledge to push for development of electric vehicles


THE government, some nongovernmental organiza- tions and the academe have pledged to “scale up and accelerate electric vehicle development” in the country, according to the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Associa- tion of the Philippines (MVPMAP), one of the organizers of the First Philippine Electric Vehicle (EV) Summit. Aiming to craft a long-term


“road map” for the EV industry, the two-day summit garnered support from over 250 partici- pants from national agencies, city governments, banks and businesses, civil society groups and international industry associations, MVPMAP said. “The summit ended on a


full charge, with robust plans,


new alliances and investor interest,” said Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities Executive Director Red Constantino. “This gathering was about solutions and all representatives from the public and private sector contributed positively, from titans of local industry to jeepney driver associations.” Gia Ibay, climate change head of summit co-organizer World Wide Fund for Nature, said, “Harnessing the potential of the market is critical to the country’s response to the climate crisis. Sustainable transport is a key component that can greatly help manage climate change risks and at the same time contribute to the development goals of the Philippines.” Ibay’s view was echoed by


Ariel Torres, chief executive officer of Alternative Modern Transport, who said that the “market for electric vehicles in the Philippines is big enough for all,” citing in particular Mindanao as an area with a potential that’s “particularly promising.” MVPMAP said that other issues tackled at the summit were regulatory and financing matters, along with challenges posed by battery development and charging stations. The group added that participants presented solutions to hurdle existing EV issues. “Microfinance is absolutely crucial in scaling up electric vehicle deployment,” said Mariel Rapisura, president of Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Capital Credit.


Toyota to ‘voluntarily’ fix Prius woe


TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp. last week said it would repair a defective engine coolant pump on around 650,000 of its Prius hybrid models worldwide. Toyota clarified that move is not a recall, saying it would “voluntarily” replace the pump controlling the temperature of the car’s hybrid system, which if not working properly, may lead to overheating. The company said that the fault would not prevent the car from running and it had received no reports of accidents or injuries as a result of the problem. Carmakers often issue repair notices separately from official recalls filed with regulators if they see no safety risk. “This is a ‘customer


Nissan to launch Leaf electric car next week


TOKYO: Nissan last week announced it will launch the Leaf in Japan on Decem- ber 20 and, days later, in the US as it bets on drivers’ readiness to embrace the first globally mass-produced electric car. “We believe this is a true breakthrough and it will serve as a key for mobility of the future,” Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga said. “We believe this is the dawn of a new era.” The Leaf has enjoyed a crescendo of industry buzz and last month became


the first electric vehicle to win European Car of the Year. The fulcrum of Nissan’s green ambitions, the mid-sized five-seat hatchback is already a sell-out in the US on pre-orders. It will be launched in select European markets in early 2011. Nissan said prices would start at $45,000. It added that the first US shipment has sold out, with the company having received 20,000 orders and separately at least 6,000 more in Japan.


AFP


satisfaction campaign,’ which is a voluntary action of the company unlike legally bound recalls,” said Toyota spokes- man Paul Nolasco. “Even if overheating occurs, it would not stall the vehicle but would result in lower power,” he said, adding there had been no reports of accidents resulting from the issue. The action covers 2004 to 2007 Prius models and includes around 390,000 vehicles in North America and 180,000 in Japan. Owners are invited to submit vehicles for repair, Toyota said. Analysts said Toyota has become more aggressive in catching possible defects as part of a campaign to improve its consumer image, but warn that continued frequent recalls continue to damage its branding as a quality carmaker. Toyota has sold more than two million Prius vehicles worldwide since the launch of the first version in 1997. It has been Japan’s bestselling car for more than a year.


AFP


dreamrides


CADILLAC URBAN LUXURY CONCEPT


■ Cadillac tries small in showcasing its Urban Luxury Concept. But the car remains big in promises.


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