IIHS ups the ante

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a non-profit organization funded by auto insurers, has been crash testing vehicle since 1995, when it began conducting frontal tests. Side crash testing began in 2003 and in 2005 the Institute awarded the first Top Safety Pick winners to 2006 models. The following year rear tests results were added and electronic stability control was required either as standard or optional equipment in order to qualify.

For 2010, the Institute upped the ante, requiring that all “Top Picks” meet new roof strength criteria – a change that resulted in the winnowing down of a record 94 Top Picks in 2009 to just 27 (and counting, as manufacturers can submit additional models for testing) for the 2010 model year.

“With the addition of our new roof strength evaluation, our crash test results now cover all 4 of the most common kinds of crashes,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “Consumers can use this list to zero in on the vehicles that are on the top rung for safety.”

Toyota, we hardly knew ye

The IIHS report is quick to point out that Japanese manufacturer Toyota is conspicuously absent from this year’s list: Not a single model from the world’s biggest automaker by sales is represented among this year’s winners. Toyota and its Lexus and Scion subsidiaries had a strong showing in 2009 with 11 winners but were shut out for 2010.

Four other manufacturers scored goose eggs as well – With BMW, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Saab all failing to place a single model on the list.

Both the Honda Accord and the Ford Fusion also fell from grace with the Institute, although Lund left them with an out: “Honda and Ford would have to make only minor changes to achieve good ratings for roof strength, as the Accord and Fusion just missed the mark.”

And the winners are…

Large cars

Buick LaCrosse
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Volvo S80

Midsize cars

Audi A3
Chevrolet Malibu built after October 2009
Chrysler Sebring 4-door with optional electronic stability control
Dodge Avenger with optional electronic stability control
Mercedes C class
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Volkswagen Jetta sedan
Volkswagen Passat sedan
Volvo C30

Small cars

Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Kia Soul
Nissan Cube
Subaru Impreza except WRX
Volkswagen Golf 4-door

Midsize SUVs

Dodge Journey
Subaru Tribeca
Volvo XC60
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs

Honda Element
Jeep Patriot with optional side torso airbags
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan

1958 Thunderbird

COTY award

In 1949, Motor Trend became the first U.S. magazine to offer a Car of the Year award. For the next 50 years, it was handed out to domestic vehicles only (an Import Car of the Year category was established in 1970 and the two were combined for the 2000 award year).

As hindsight is inevitably 20/20, it’s easy to knock some of the past recipients, such as the 1971 Chevrolet Vega (with its engine block design that led to a history of head gasket failures), the 1980 Chevrolet Citation (that set a new standard in fwd-induced torque steer) and the 1983 AMC/Renault Alliance (which has been universally acknowledged to have been perhaps the magazine’s greatest faux pas).

But that being said, the Motor Trend Car of the Year award has also been bestowed on many of the most historically significant vehicles to grace our roads, including the 1958 Ford Thunderbird, the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, the 1968 Pontiac GTO, the 1985 Volkswagen GTI, the 1998 Chevrolet Corvette and the 2005 Chrysler 300.

2010 nominees

For 2010, there were 23 contenders for the Motor Trend COTY award. As usual, vehicle eligibility is determined by a totally new or substantial redesign and all vehicles must have been available for sale between now and November 1st of the previous year. The list for 2010 was comprised of the following vehicles:

BMW 7 Series
BMW Z4
Buick LaCrosse
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Mustang
Ford Fusion
Ford Taurus /SHO
Honda Insight
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Kia Forte Koup
Kia Soul
Lexus HS 250h
Mazda3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan
Nissan 370Z
Nissan Cube
Porsche Panamera
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Kizashi
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Golf /GTI
Volkswagen Routan

2010 Ford Fusion

In a first-ever live webcast event, Motor Trend announced this afternoon that the entire 2010 Ford Fusion model line had taken the honors for the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

“Ford has proven its resilience in these tough times by delivering to market a car with broad appeal to a broad range of consumers,” said Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND editor-in-chief. “The Fusion range has matured into a competitive roster of midsize sedans, able to compete with sales juggernauts such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It is no surprise the Fusion now ranks in the top 10 best-selling cars in America.”

Mark Fields, Angus MacKenzie, Derrick Kuzak

There to receive the award for Ford Motor Company was a plethora of executives from the company, including Mark Fields, executive vice president of the company and president, The Americas.

“The MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award is another testament of our commitment to delivering a world-class car lineup,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development, who accepted the golden calipers on behalf of the Ford team. “Whether it is the best-in-class fuel economy or quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are clear evidence that Ford is serious about our car lineup.”

It’s no secret that many of us here at LotPro.com find the idea of the average family riding around in a heavily-optioned, leather-lined, extended cab four-by-four pickup truck to be close to be the ultimate in absurdity. The closest thing most of these “air haulers” will come to off-roading is accidentally jumping a curb and riding over the well-manicured flower bed of the local shopping mall. But with the price of a gallon of gas averaging less than $3.00, many urban cowboys are once again thinking of parking a pickup in front of their own suburban Ponderosas.

What’s more, the domestic automakers desperately need the profits they reap from truck sales to fuel their R&D efforts in what they see as the soon-to-be burgeoning small car segment. And with the Asian automakers re-trenching after a very much less-than-successful assault on the full-size truck segment, the American manufacturers are poised to regain a significant share of the truck market.

Finally, to reiterate what we stated last year, there still are, and will continue to be, legitimate markets for pickups in the U.S., which is also why Ford’s latest award is so important: the biggest market for pick-em-ups in America is Texas.

2009 Truck of Texas

Everybody knows that Texas is big. But few living outside the state can really grasp just how big it really is. If you’re traveling from Beaumont in the east to El Paso in the west, you’ll cover almost 840 miles. That’s further than Salt Lake City to Los Angeles and only 50 miles less than driving from Rome, Italy to Paris, France. And remember, the whole time you’re covering all that prairie; you’re still in the same state!

Texas is also big into oil drilling, oil refining, cattle ranching, farming and construction. Knowing that, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist (although if it did there are plenty of those types to be found at the Johnson Space Center, which is just south of Houston) to see why most pickup owners in Texas are serious about their rides. Texans, in fact, are so big on trucks, that in 1992, the Texas Auto Writers Association™ founded the “Texas Truck Rodeo. ™”

This year, the “Truck Rodeo” was held October 15-18 in San Antonio, Texas with testing at the famous Knibbe Ranch. For three days 41 members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA™) drove 44 trucks and SUV’s in a true “working ranch” setting. In addition to the journalists, more than 60 automotive industry executives attended the event. Winners were honored in various categories, with the overall winner receiving a silver cup “traveling trophy” along with the honor of being named “Truck of Texas” and “SUV of Texas”.

According to TAWA president Harold Gunn, “’ Truck of Texas’ is really the most important award of its type in the industry. We love trucks down here, and we really use these vehicles everyday. And since we spend so much time in our vehicles, for us it’s not just about how the horse feels being towed, but how your butt feels sitting in the truck, too.”

Results of the 2009 Texas Truck Rodeo

For the seventh consecutive year, a Ford truck took top honors – this year it went to the 2010 F-150, led by the SVT Raptor Supercab. Ford also won Outstanding Feature, while Ford’s lineup of trucks also won Truck Line of Texas.

Here is a complete list of winners:

Truck of Texas – 2010 Ford F-150

SUV of Texas – 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTEC

CUV of Texas – 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Liter Turbo

Truck Line of Texas – Ford

Outstanding Feature – Ford Work Solutions

Full-Size Pickup Truck – 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Supercab

Mid-Size Pickup Truck – 2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab TRX4

Luxury Pickup Truck – 2010 Ford F-150 King Ranch SuperCrew

Heavy Duty Pickup Truck – 2010 Dodge Ram 3500

Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Ford Expedition King Ranch

Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition

Compact Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Jeep Patriot Limited 4X4

Full-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTEC

Mid-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Lexus R450h

Luxury Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Liter Turbo

Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Subaru Outback

Mid-Size Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Lincoln MKX

Full-Size Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost

The Bottom Line

LotPro.com would like to thank Harold Gunn for his help in furnishing the details for this article and, once again, a tip of the Stetson to Ford for a job well done.

From what we can tell here at LotPro.com, Nissan isn’t playing the hybrid game like its two Japanese rivals, Honda and Toyota. Where both those brands are major players, Nissan has yet to join in on much of the fun. Even now, Nissan seems in no hurry to expand its offerings which have been, to say the least, paltry.

The Altima Hybrid, Nissan’s only entry to date, was introduced in 2007 and auto buffs will be forgiven if they are unfamiliar with the model, since it is available in only 8 states (California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine and New Jersey).

Earlier this year, Nissan announced that it would be producing the Nissan Leaf, a hybrid vehicle a bit larger than the Versa, for the 2011 model year.

Today, the company made it known that its Infiniti brand would join in the hybrid endeavor with the 2012 M35 hybrid.

2012 M35 Hybrid

Calling its latest vehicle “the cleanest and most economical car in Infiniti’s history”, the brand’s latest hybrid system will diverge from that found on the Altima in that it will be engineered and developed by Nissan (the current Altima uses a system licensed from Toyota).

Using a single electric motor and twin clutch arrangement with the first clutch installed between the engine (the company’s 3.5-liter V-6) and the electric motor, the setup will, according to Nissan, result in a more consistent driving “feel” between the various operating modes as well as improved “linear performance”.

As a pure hybrid, the M35 will be able to operate in all-electric mode (no figures have been given as to its all-electric range), “power assist” mode (for maximum acceleration) and gas-only mode with the electric motor acting both as a propulsion unit and as a generator for the new “laminated” lithium-ion battery pack.

Coming to an Infiniti dealer near you

The new 2010 Infiniti M35 is due to hit dealer showrooms in the spring of 2010, while the hybrid version will appear as a 2012 model a year later.

Images courtesy of Nissan

Green Car of the Year

In the world of automotive awards, GCOTY is a fairly new one. Established just four years ago, the first one was awarded to the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid. A year later, the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid was the recipient, while the following year the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid received the award that was presented, for the first time, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Last year, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI became the first-ever clean diesel to win Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year honor.

Requirements

In order to qualify for a nomination, a vehicle must, according to Green Car Journal, “exhibit characteristics that substantially raise the bar in environmental performance and be in production by January 1 of the award year.” In addition, each nominee is driven by Green Car Journal so that its driving characteristics can be observed first-hand. Nominee vehicles must also be in production to make sure they are readily available to the market during their award year.

The winner is selected by an 11 member panel that is comprised of both automotive as well as environmental experts. Past jurors have included such luminaries as Jean-Michael Cousteau of the Ocean Futures Society and Carl Pope of the Sierra Club as well as TV personality and major car aficionado Jay Leno and legendary race car driver and designer Carroll Shelby.

2010 Nominees

In alphabetical order, here are the 2010 nominees:

2010 Audi A3 TDI

Audi makes its first appearance on the list with the A3 TDI clean diesel. Equipped with a 2.0 liter TFSI turbocharged direct injection diesel, this smallest of Audis produces 200 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of torque.

Engine: 2.0-liter inline-four diesel
Emissions, EU5; PZEV or ULEVII
Horsepower: 200
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 21/30 (EPA) with manual transmission
Base MSRP: $30,775

2010 Honda Insight

The second generation Insight brings with it a new level of affordability to the hybrid sedan segment. Borrowing its name from Honda’s first production hybrid vehicle, the Insight is a completely new model from the ground up.

Engine: 1.3-liter inline-four, gasoline-electric hybrid
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 98
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 40/43 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $20,510

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid

The Mercury Milan hybrid is the mechanical twin of Ford’s Fusion hybrid. Under the hood, the Milan benefits from the same new 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder engine with intake variable cam timing as the Escape/Mariner hybrids, the green-friendly models produce 156 hp and 136 lb.-ft. of torque.

Engine: 2.5-liter inline-four Atkinson-cycle
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 156
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 41/36 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $26,280

2010 Toyota Prius

The new Prius is certainly the latest way for environmental fashionistas to wear their colors. It also represents the third generation of the most popular hybrid on the planet. Completely re-designed and re-engineered while retaining its unmistakable styling, Toyota has endowed the latest Prius with such cutting edge engineering features as a “Touch Tracer” display and an electric water pump, thus requiring no accessory drive belts on the engine.

Engine: 1.8-liter inline-four Atkinson-cycle
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2 Bin 3/SULEV AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 98
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 51/48 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $22,750

2010 VW Golf TDI

Here’s where the fun starts. The VW, it must be noted, is the antithesis of the Prius. It has terrific handling that engages the driver and a clean diesel engine that meets emissions certification in all 50 states. To top it all off, fuel economy is 30 city/41 highway, with many drivers claiming close to 50 mpg.

Engine: 2.0-liter inline-four, diesel
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/SULEV
Horsepower: 140
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 30/41 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $22,690

Hyundai Genesis

NACOTY and NATOTY awards

At LotPro.com, we normally have to wait for the short list of candidates to be released by Automotive News. This year, Marty Padgett of The Car Connection (and also a juror) was kind enough to reveal the list just a bit early.

Patterned after the European “Car of the Year” award, the North American awards were first given in 1994. The jury is composed of no more than 50 journalists from the United States and Canada. In order to be eligible for consideration, a vehicle must be “substantially changed” from the previous model and be on sale shortly after the announcement of the award in early January. In addition:

•    Cars must have reasonably foreseeable annual sales in North America of 5,000 vehicles.
•    Trucks must have reasonably foreseeable annual sales in North America of 2,000 vehicles.

Ford F-150

From the short list of vehicles you see here, the three finalists in each category are announced in December and the winners are unveiled at a press conference at the beginning of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (although the show does not sponsor the awards in any way).

Award trivia: During the sixteen years of the car award, hybrids have been honored 4 times. Domestic automakers have garnered eight awards, Japanese automakers have won the award three times and European automakers have received the award four times (for Car of the Year), while 2009 marked the first year a Korean automaker was honored (the Hyundai Genesis for Car of the Year). In the Truck of the Year competition, domestic automakers have taken the award home 10 times (including the 2009 winner, the Ford F-150), Japanese automakers have won 4 times, while European automakers have won twice.

This year’s short list is comprised of the following vehicles:

Ford Taurus SHO

Car of the Year

BMW 335d
Buick LaCrosse
Cadillac CTS
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Fusion/Fusion Hybrid
Ford Taurus
Honda Insight
Kia Soul
Mazda3/MazdaSpeed3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Porsche Panamera
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Kizashi
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Golf/GTI

Cadillac SRX

Truck of the Year

Acura ZDX
Audi Q5
Cadillac SRX
Chevrolet Equinox
Ford Transit Connect
Honda Crosstour
Land Rover LR4
Lincoln MKT
Subaru Outback
Volvo XC60

2008 Toyota Prius

We get recalls

At LotPro.com, we normally don’t get involved with vehicle recalls. Due to the vigilance of the auto manufacturers as well as the NHTSA, we see recall notices nearly every week, and reporting on each one would take up most of our time.

But some are bigger than others, at the latest one, issued by Toyota, is so large and, potentially, so dangerous, that we had to comment on it here.

2008 Lexus ES350

3.8 million vehicles involved

Late yesterday, Toyota issued a press release regarding driver’s side floor mats on 7 of its models:

“Recent events have prompted Toyota to take a closer look at the potential for an accelerator pedal to get stuck in the full open position due to an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat. A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

Toyota considers this a critical matter and will soon launch a safety campaign on specific Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Throughout the process of developing the details of the action plan, it will advise the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).”

Toyota considers the risk so serious, that until it comes up with a fix, the company is urging drivers of some of its most popular vehicles to immediately remove the driver’s floor mat.

2008 Lexus IS350

The following Toyota models are affected:

2007 – 2010 Toyota Camry
2005 – 2010 Toyota Avalon
2004 – 2009 Toyota Prius
2005 – 2010 Toyota Tacoma
2007 – 2010 Toyota Tundra

The following Lexus models are affected:

2007 – 2010 Lexus ES350
2006 – 2010 Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350

correct floor mat installation per Toyota

Toyota has also issued a series of recommended steps that owners should take if they experience “unintended acceleration” (there are still those of us that can remember when we first heard that phrase) due to floor mat interference:

•    First, if it is possible and safe to do so, pull back the floor mat and dislodge it from the accelerator pedal; then pull over and stop the vehicle.

•    If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.

Since this is a free country and Toyota recognizes the fact that there may be a few idiots owners out there who will choose not to remove the aforementioned floor mat, the company “strongly recommends that they ensure that the correct floor mat is being used, that it is properly installed and secured, that it is not flipped over with bottom-side up, and that one floor mat is not stacked over another.”

Hardly a secret garden

On Wednesday of this week, Toyota officials, along with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and officials from Caltrans, unveiled the first of what eventually will be 7 Floralscapes along State Route 110, more commonly known as the Pasadena Freeway, in downtown L.A.

The first 30’ x 60’ “Harmony Floralscape” is a display consisting of over 20,000 living seasonal flowers that are grown by local businesses in specially-designed “Eco-crates” that, themselves, are manufactured from recycled plastic.

“We are proud to be the inaugural City to unveil the first of seven Floralscapes along one of our busiest highways. The commute for Angelenos will now be brightened by floral murals that embody the City’s progressive approach to solving environmental issues by merging beautification, sustainable design and reducing our carbon footprint,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “From the construction workers to the business team, this public-private partnership with Toyota and Greenroad Media has spurred local job creation across the board.”

Keeping it local

In addition to brightening up some of the most brutal commutes in the nation, Toyota’s beautification/advertising project also serves as a source of additional local employment. Permanent landscape and irrigation upgrades are being made to the areas surrounding the displays and while California-based businesses will install and maintain the actual displays (using non-potable water, solar electricity and “ecologically responsible” insect and fungal control), the surrounding areas will be maintained by the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, a local non-profit that provides training and work experience to at-risk young adults and school-aged youth.

Lest you think otherwise, these displays will hardly replace billboard advertising: federal regulations prohibit commercial displays. Instead, abstract images of the Prius will appear in different settings “capturing the essence of its marketing campaign developed by Saatchi & Saatchi LA – ‘Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine’,” according to Toyota.

Coming to a freeway near you

Provided you live near L.A. or San Fran (yes, No Cal will get 2), you may very well be able to catch a glimpse of one. Here are the current and future locations:

The downtown Floralscape will be located on the west side of the Pasadena (110) Freeway, just north of the 101 Freeway. Other Los Angeles-area Floralscapes locations include: north side of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway, east of Lincoln Blvd. exit; east side of San Diego (405) Freeway at Orange Street; north side of the Ventura (101) Freeway, west of Balboa Blvd.; south side of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway, east of Overland Drive exit; north side of the Pomona (60) Freeway at Lorena Street exit; south side of the Foothill (210) Freeway, at the Los Robles Ave. on ramp. The San Francisco-area Floralscapes will be located on the south side of the Redwood (101) Freeway at Novato Blvd. in Marin County, and the other will be on the north side of the Junipero Serra (280) Freeway at the Winchester Ave. exit in Santa Clara County.

Hybrid lift truck

Here at LotPro.com, we thought that production vehicles that never remotely match their concept counterparts were the exclusive domain of the automobile industry. It turns out that we were wrong. A case in point is, believe it or not, the lift truck industry and the culprit is familiar to anyone who has ever attended an auto show.

Today, Toyota Industries Corporation unveiled what it calls “the world’s first internal combustion hybrid truck.” According to TICO, “the ground-breaking ‘GENEO-HYBRID’ 8,000 lb. counterbalanced lift truck combines a 2.5-liter diesel engine, electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 50%.

“Toyota has been a leader in hybrid development for years with the very popular Prius vehicle,” said Brett Wood, president of TMHU (Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.). “We are excited to see hybrid technology entering the mainstream of material handling. This is a huge step forward for our industry.”

According to Toyota, their latest hybrid combines a Series Hybrid System for driving as well as a Parallel Hybrid System for load handling and will be launched in the Japanese market first (they always get the good stuff before we do).

Not like the concept

So far, so good – except if you had the chance to view the Concept Hybrid Lift Truck at this year’s Chicago Show – the ProMat 2009 show, that is, not the more familiar Chicago Auto Show.

Because on January 12th of this year, Toyota unveiled a real gee-whiz concept vehicle at the show that could’ve blown away the whole industry had they just had the nerve to build it.

If only.

2009 Edition

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Last year’s road tour that focused on the automotive application of the chemical element with the atomic number of 1 played out across the amber waves from Portland, Maine to Los Angeles, California. This year, at LotPro.com, we’ve noticed that the tour has been pushed up from August to May and June, and plays itself out on the west coast of North America – beginning in the land of the Governator and finishing up in the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

vehicle refueling

The tour started in Los Angeles on May 26th by fueling up at the first 700 bar hydrogen fueling station to be sited in the United States at the University of California, Irvine. This year’s tour, organized by the California Air Resources Board, California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), Powertech Labs (on behalf of British Columbia), National Hydrogen Association (NHA) and the U.S. Fuel Cell Council, is focusing its efforts on those communities “where hydrogen technologies, such as passenger vehicles, transit buses and hydrogen stations, will likely enter the market first.”

“The Tour will show how capable today’s hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are by providing performance, environmental responsibility, a reduction of fuel imports and a pleasant driving experience for anyone who gets behind the wheel,” said Jeff Serfass, President of the National Hydrogen Association.

Tour vehicles

Participating in this year’s tour will be hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles from Daimler, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen. In addition to veterans from the 2008 Hydrogen Road Tour, several new rookies will take part in the tour this year, as well as fuel cell transit buses which will participate at several of the stops (Vancouver, the tour’s terminus, will operate a fleet of 20 fuel cell buses for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games).

Here are this year’s participants:

 Daimler F-Cell

Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicle

Honda FCX Clarity

Hyundai Tucson FCEV

Kia Borrego FCEV

Nissan x-trail FCV

Toyota FCHV

Volkswagen Tiguan HyMotion