Subaru of Indiana named first U.S. auto plant to meet ISO 50001 energy standard

Subaru of Indiana is the first U.S. car manufacturing plant to become certified in energy management, meaning it complies with the International Organization for Standardization’s global standards that are meant to increase a company’s energy efficiency. Why is this important? It means that Subaru actually cares about the environment, instead of just talking about it.

Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. in Lafayette was recognized Monday for its heightened commitment to energy conservation that could help the car manufacturing plant save costs and reduce emissions.

SIA is the first U.S. car manufacturing plant to become certified in energy management, which means it complies with the International Organization for Standardization’s global standards — meant to increase a company’s energy efficiency.


“(The certification) is a culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication,” said Thomas Easterday, SIA’s executive vice president. “Over the years, Subaru has been well-known to be a leader. Right now, we’re taking an even bigger step.”


The SIA team spent six months monitoring energy consumption data in order to figure out how to improve its current processes to gear up for an audit by DEKRA Certification Inc., a company that provides professional certification in the automotive industry.


The Journal & Courier requested energy consumption data, but it was not released as of Monday night.


DEKRA President Henri Pierre Salle, who presented top executives from Subaru SIA with the ISO 50001 certification at a gathering on Monday, said the purpose of the certification is to provide an energy management framework for companies.


“A process of improvement becomes part of the everyday culture,” Salle said. “That spirit and culture already is here in the Subaru culture.”


Auditors who worked with SIA plant managers to collect the data said SIA’s commitment to saving energy is high compared with other large companies they have visited, Salle said.


Auditors noticed a particular attention to energy conservation in Subaru SIA’s painting and trimming processes, which account for more than 40 percent of the plant’s total energy consumption.


“The auditors noticed a clear commitment to energy consumption that was very robust,” Salle said. “They don’t casually make that kind of comment.”


Auditors will return to SIA at least once a year to make sure the plant is living up to the certification’s standards by testing random processes .


In November, a Bentley plant in England was the first car manufacturer in the United Kingdom to receive the certification. In October, a Lamborghini plant was the first in Italy to attain it.


SIA President and CEO Masaki Okawara said the new certification helps SIA maintain its leadership in the car manufacturing field.


“Environmental leadership is a very important business goal,” Okawara said. “This will help us reach and maintain that goal.”


Read more: http://www.jconline.com/article/20120604/BUSINESS/306040021?nclick_check=1

Tell your out-of-town friends and family: WIN a vacation for 2 to Jackson Hole!

If you've been wanting some of your out-of-town friends and family members to come visit you, make sure to pass along this contest info!


What's better than a trip to Jackson Hole? A free 4-night vacation for 2 to Jackson Hole!

Sign up to win a trip of a lifetime! You could be the lucky winner of an unforgettable summer vacation to Jackson Hole. The trip includes round trip airfare, four nights lodging in Teton Village, a Subaru Outback for 6 days, courtesy of Teton Motors Subaru, free entrance to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks and sightseeing ticket to the Aerial Tram. Awe inspiring mountain vistas grandeur of open space and amazing wildlife viewing will leave lasting memories. Don’t miss the chance to explore the real American west at its best this summer.
Prize package:

• Two domestic US airline tickets to Jackson Hole, WY
• Four nights lodging provided by Jackson Hole Resort Lodging
• Four day Park Pass to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks
• Two adult Tram tickets
• 2012 Subaru Outback for transportation around Jackson and the National Parks during the winning stay courtesy of Teton Motors Subaru

*No purchase necessary to enter or win. Winner will be selected in a random drawing on or about June 30th, 2012 from all eligible online entries received by JHMR whose decision in all matters relating to this sweepstakes are final. Prize must be scheduled and completed by September 30th, 2012 


Ready to enter? Sign up here: http://www.jacksonhole.com/visitjacksoncontest.html 

Teton Motors Sponsored PAWS 3rd Annual Putt for the Pooch Park

Last week, Teton Motors sponsored the PAWS 3rd Annual Putt for the Pooch Park at the beautiful Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club!

It was a great day of golf, sunshine, and dog-loving locals.

Golfers of all sizes came out to enjoy the fun.

We held a hole-in-one contest for a chance to win a car. Chris Monson came close to winning, but “close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenade”…so we awarded him the Golden Horseshoe Award!

About PAWS of Jackson Hole

PAWS advocates for animals and promotes responsible pet ownership through local outreach groups. They are a resource for education support and financial assistance, fostering collaborative relationships within the community. PAWS of Jackson Hole promotes the adoption of local homeless pets. They also provide free spay & neuter services and financial assistance to residents who cannot pay for unexpected vet bills. To make a donation go to their website: www.pawsofjh.org!

2013 Chevrolet Volt Increases EV Range to 38 Miles

The all-electric vehicle range of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt will be 38 miles on a single charge. That gives owners a three-mile EV range increase from the 2012 model. Where would you go in 38 miles?

The all-electric vehicle range of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt will be 38 miles on a single charge, providing owners with a three-mile EV range increase from the 2012 model. The miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) will increase from 94 miles to 98 miles and the total range, including extended range operation, will be 380 miles.


Based on real-world experience by Volt owners since the vehicle launched in late 2010, engineers made minor changes to the material composition of the battery cell chemistry, resulting in improved performance and durability. Manganese spinel chemistry remains the foundation for the Volt’s battery system, but the amount of each material has been slightly modified to provide better life performance.


“The best way to explain what we’ve done at the cell level is to compare it to a cake batter recipe.  Sometimes if you use more sugar and less vanilla you get a better tasting cake. We’ve done some work at the cell level to modify the ‘ingredients’ to make a better end result,” said Bill Wallace, GM director of Global Battery Systems Engineering. “This attention to detail will allow our customers to experience more pure EV range, which is the true benefit of owning a Volt.”


In addition, the total storage capacity of the Volt battery has been increased from 16 kWh of energy to 16.5 kWh, and engineers have expanded the state-of-charge window to use 10.8 kWh of the total battery energy – up from 10.3 kWh used in the 2012 model.  The battery system maintains a buffer to ensure battery life, but that buffer has been reduced.


The improved EV range capability will result in slight increases to the Volt’s charge times. A full recharge using a 120V could take 10.5 hours and 4.25 hours using a 240V charging unit.

Cells with improved chemistry have accumulated 150,000 test miles to date. The tests have revealed less battery degradation, the ability to withstand temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius and less impact by energy throughput. 

For the first 38 miles, the Volt can drive gas and tailpipe-emissions free using a full charge of electricity stored in its 16.5-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 344 miles on a full tank. Volt owners have travelled more than 65 million miles since the vehicle launched late 2010. Roughly two-thirds of those miles were powered by grid electricity.

Read more at media.gm.com. 

2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco, 2012 Hyundai Azera Earn Top Safety Ratings

The new 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco received the best safety ratings from the Insurance Institue for Highway Safety. In fact, it almost swept the board, scoring high ratings in  ALL of the IIHS subcategories! If you are looking for a safe car for the family, look no further.

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco, and the 2012 Hyundai Azera—both recently redesigned family-size sedans—have earned top crash-test ratings across the board from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Also taking into consideration their standard safety equipment, they've been named among the list of IIHS Top Safety Picks.


The 2012 Hyundai Azera, which went on sale earlier this year—and is quite highly rated here at The Car Connection, especially due to its standout design and luxurious, full-featured interior—already has an impressive set of standard safety features. There are a total of nine standard airbags, including a driver's knee airbag and rear side-impact bags, and the front seat design is one that's impact-reducing in itself. Also, the Azera includes a rearview camera system in each of its trims. And in new IIHS tests, it completely swept the ratings matrix, with top 'good' scores in all the subcategories of frontal and side-impact testing.


The new Malibu Eco almost swept the board, with top ratings in all of the IIHS's subcategories; the sole exception was an 'acceptable' score for driver torso injury. In the relatively new roof strength test—a measure that correlates to the likelihood of injury in a rollover accident—the Malibu Eco was able to withstand 5.22 times its body weight in a particular test area of the roof.


Withstanding 4.76 times its weight, the Azera also earned a 'good' rating. In any case, that was a substantial improvement over the previous (2011) Azera, which had earned 'acceptable' ratings for rear and side impact.


The Malibu, on the other hand, has been a top performer for several model years. Although we should caution that these results don't extend to the rest of the (non-Eco) 2013 Chevy Malibu lineup, which hasn't yet gone on sale.


Neither of these models has yet been rated by the federal government, as part of its new-car assessment program (NCAP) crash tests, but we'll update our review pages as soon as they're available. In the meantime, if safety is one of your top priorities, both of these roomy sedans deserve to be on your shopping list.


And go here to see the full list of 2012 Top Safety Picks.


Read more at The Washington Post.

Subaru Impreza the best of both worlds; AWD powers small car to excellence

Many things in life come down to an either-or choice. But that’s no fun. With the Subaru Impreza, you can have your cake and eat it too!

Soup or salad? PC or Mac? Lace-ups or loafers? Why do so many things in life come down to either-or?



Take vehicles. Say you're shopping for a car and, since you want to save gas, you've decided to go compact.


But the security of allwheel drive is also on your list, so you've narrowed your search to the Subaru Impreza. The Impreza is one of the few small AWD choices available and, happily for you, extensively reworked for 2012 to deliver better fuel economy.


Fine. But now you must choose between hatchback and sedan. Like a lot of compact cars, the Impreza comes in two distinct body styles.


The key strength of a hatchback, especially a fourdoor hatchback, is versatility. Need hauling space? A big useful chunk of it awaits your easy access. Need an efficient people-mover? It's that too.


But some car buyers, especially in North America, continue to look down their hoods at hatchbacks. Too down-market, they think. (You'll notice that most manufacturers even avoid the H-word and instead call these models "five-doors.")


For this group, the automakers offer traditional four-doors-and-a-trunk versions like the $22,995-as-tested Impreza 2.0i Touring sedan that showed up for our one-week test. There's less cargo room - the Impreza provides a compact-typical 12 cubic feet under its trunk lid - but maybe you don't need to carry more than a grocery bag or two.


Regardless of configuration, you'll note some significant styling changes with this fourth-generation Impreza. They start with a hexagon-shaped grille that's a corporate salute to Subaru's larger Legacy, and narrowing hawk-eye headlamps perhaps inspired by the MASH character or The Last of the Mohicans.


The overall shape is sleeker, for improved aerodynamics. The sharply raked windshield is reminiscent of the Honda Civic's, with the same small triangular side widows at the base of the windshield posts. The wheelbase has been extended and the roof is higher, allowing more passenger and cargo space, yet this Impreza is lighter than the old one.


But the biggest gamechanger for efficiency is the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. It's still in the Subaru-standard "boxer" format, but displacement has dropped by a full half-litre from the last Impreza's flatfour. Horsepower falls to 148 from the previous 170 and torque is down as well, but hey, mileage, right?


Subaru says the new Impreza is 30 per cent more fuel efficient.


According to the "real world" ratings from the U.S. Energy Department that we prefer to Canada's testing methods, it's good for 8.7 L/100 km city, 6.5 L/100 km highway.


Be aware, though, that optimum mileage requires the $1,300 continuously variable transmission that is an updated version of the CVT automatic in the Legacy. Gone are the days when manual gearboxes were always more efficient. Choosing between manual and automatic in the Impreza isn't quite an either-or, however, because the CVT comes with those steering column paddles that let you upshift and downshift through six preset ratios.


Our tester had the CVT, which we largely left to its own logarithms. This is a perky enough car - perkier than we expected, given the revised engine output - with a nice sense of balance, quick steering response and firm brake feel. But it's not sporty enough to encourage manual shift overrides. You want sporty, Subaru has the carry-over WRX and STI, now offered as a separate model line.


If we did pull on a paddle, it was mainly to avoid the droning, fixed-r.p.m. engine note that is an unfortunate hallmark of CVT powertrains. Manufacturers, tune those exhausts!


Heated seats are usually another either-or item, since most manufacturers make you pay for leather to get that nice warm feeling. But Subaru, bless it, includes heated front seats in the cloth-upholstered Touring model that is one level up from the base $19,995 Impreza 2.0i.


Leather trim is available, of course, along with dualzone climate control, highintensity discharge headlamps and other upscale features in a Limited model that starts at $26,975.


Lower down the model scale, the Impreza interior is rather plain, with some hard plastic surfaces and a 1980s-like fuzzy headliner. Also old school is the squarely wrought instrument panel layout, though we found its clean arrangement of gauges and dials a relief from the whirls and swirls of some competitors' dashboards. And we liked the solid chachunking feel of the Impreza's controls.


Solid is a good word in general for the Impreza, both for its construction and its range of features that extends to cruise control and heated mirrors even in the base model. And then there's the standard all-wheel drive. Not everyone feels they need the four-corner grip of AWD, but some people won't drive without it.


Buy an Impreza, or any Subaru, and you get AWD, no either-or. Hatchback or sedan, though, is up to you.


THE SPECS


Type: Compact four-door sedan, all-wheel drive


Seats: Five


Price as tested: $22,995 plus $1,595 delivery (base 2.0i: $19,995)


Engine: 2.0-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder, dual overhead camshafts, dual active valve control; 148 h.p. at 6,200 r.p.m., 145 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,200 r.p.m.


Transmission: Continuously variable automatic with manual shift paddles (option)


Tires: 205/55R16 Yokohama Avid all-season


Suspension: Struts (front), dual wishbone (rear)


Wheelbase: 2,645 mm (104.1 in.)


Curb weight: 1,350 kg (2,967 lb.)


Passenger volume: 2,744 litres (96.9 cu. ft.)


Trunk volume: 340 litres (12 cu. ft.)


Notable standard features: Telescopic steering column, driver-side knee airbag, multi-function display, stability and traction control, power heated mirrors, power windows (driver-side auto-up), air conditioning, cruise control


Options as tested: Automatic transmission, Touring package (heated front seats, auto headlamps, rear stabilizer bar, cloth door trim, rear centre armrest, steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth hands-free system, iPod/ USB media hub, 16-inch alloy wheels, windshield wiper de-icer, illuminated glove box and ignition ring)


Fuel consumption, L/100 km (m.p.g.): City 8.7 (33), hwy. 6.5 (44) - (U.S.


Energy Dept. rating) Fuel type: Regular


Warranty, yrs./km: Basic 3/60,000, major components 5/100,000

Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/cars/Subaru+Impreza+best+both+worlds/6676136/story.html