I apologize for not updating this site for a long time…things just happen in life. But I am back and will start blogging again.

G2

I am in Arizona and my in-laws just bought a toyota Sienna. Pretty nice ride, gives about 23-24 mpg on the highway. And as a HOV not bad. With 4 people in the car we get to go on to the Diamond lane. Drawbacks: to many little storage areas.

Pros: You can fit an elephant into it.

Will take it for a test drive later. Need to check out this baby wagon compares to the Honda Odyssey that Mark has.

Researchers at Virginia Tech have come now closer to making hydrogen production more cost effective:

Recently, Percival Zhang, assistant professor of biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech in the US, and his collaborators at two other US labs announced that they had found an innovative method to make hydrogen. Their raw material was cellulose, and they used 13 enzymes in a combination never before seen in nature. These enzymes broke down cellulose and water, producing carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Zhang reckons that he can get to a commercial product — for example, one that can be used in an automobile — in five to 10 years. “It is like the airplane of the Wright Brothers,” says Samir Brahmachari, director of the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in Delhi. “It will take a long time to become a commercial product.

So it may take, 10-15 yrs, but the fact remains we are moving in the right direction. Yes there are quite a few obstacles such are storing and safely transporting Hydrogen but according too these guys at Virginian Tech, this can be overcome by the secret ingredient (some form of specially developed cellulose) that is already inside the car, it will generate hydrogen and that would go in to the fuel cell which has oxygen and generate water and energy to run the car.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070604/asp/knowhow

Check out the redesigned Honda Fuel Cell car (FCX) which is on display at the Detroit Auto show. Now thats looks like the futuristic car people were promised. Even though this is just the concept form, the fact that the Honda’s design team took it up another notch and moved away from those boxy designs goes to show that fuel cell cars are not only fuel efficient and enviromentally friendly, but can be sleek and sexy too.

Click here to get more info about the car.

Source: HybridCars.com

Owning a hybrid does not mean you can go out and buy an SUV and claim that driving a hybrid justifies the fact that one can also own an SUV. A recent survey found that close to 25% of hybrid owners own an SUV. Now who is the hypocrite….

So BMW has gone where no other automaker has gone as yet. Last week in Berlin BMW had people from W.I.R.E.D magazine over to test drive the new BMW Hydrogen 7 bi-fuel car. It can switch between gas and H with the click of a button. Hydrogen cars are not just futuristic concepts that do not make it past the drawing board, BMW have actually taken a few more steps and produced about 100 or so hydrogen 7 cars. Now these guys plan on loaning these vehicles to high profile people such as politicians and celebrities (because you know these people are the leaders and trend makers/breakers and we the hoi poloi just cannot accept anything good, even if it is staring us straight in the face, we need to get approval from the Gods of the silver screen). I would prefer my prototype car be driven by people who commute to work everyday on the autobahn, a car expert, someone who knows the in’s and out’s of a car. I am not an expert, but I would prefer the cars are test driven by Jeremy Clarkson (for those who do not know who this guy is check out Top Gear on BBC)and not by Britney whatshername…!

Some issues with owning a hydrogen car, where in the world are we going to get compressed hydrogen from to runs these machines (not at your local gas station), what kind of mileage are we talking about, emission wise I believe this article states that this car is not a zero emissions car (water vapour and other pollutants like N2O and CO2, no emission levels where available). Lets see what happens next.

Source: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/autotech/

So you own a Prius but have never been able to get to that magic number. Now before many of you non-hybrid user’s start thinking that magic is involved let me warn you, no magic is involved. Every Prius hyrbid driver dreams of getting 50 MPG, but sometimes dreams do not always come true. I found this one article, where this person seemed obsessed with not being able to get 50 MPG. Check it out:

Hybrid owner obsesses over every last bit of mileage

Come on, you get 47/48 even 49 MPG, that is twice the amount over some of the conventional cars. Get a grip of yourself man. The only way this driver was able to achieve his goal was by driving with A/C off, windows up, tire pressure at the right level and shoes off. I think driving without shoes may have been the extraneous factor. Again this is just my bloody opinion. But, you know what I am going to start driving barefoot too next summer, wait and watch out for the “Barefoot Driver’s Guidebook”.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/

Recent research tends to point out that hybrids do not pose any greater harm than its conventional gas cousin as long as “all safety procedures as outlined by the drivers safety manual are followed”, in event of a crash. Ok, now who in the hell reads the drivers manual word for word, please raise your hand. What these guys are saying is just to cover to there behinds in event of a law suit.

Also, when one is in such an adrenaline rushing scenario, do these guys think that a person will have the time to go into the glove box, retreive the manual, then look up the index and find safety procedures. You have got to be kidding me. Check out what one of Honda’s training instructors has to say with regard to this in an interview.
In an effort to allay these fears, the manufacturers post manuals outlining rescue procedures online, and they have provided safety courses to emergency workers, including hands-on training. The bottom line, according to Honda training instructor Jesus Almeida, is that hybrid vehicles cause no greater concern for passengers or rescuers in the event of a collision than other vehicles. However, laden with similar loads of gasoline, antifreeze, and other potentially dangerous fluids, hybrids don’t pose any less danger, either.

Usually all fire and rescue personnel have undergone vigorous training, however additional training for dealing with incidents where hybrid vehicles are involved should become a mandatory part of they training, if it has not already.

Source: http://autos.msn.com/advice

Its been awhile since I last blog, reason being my new job has kept pretty, busy, but i am back.

G2 is in the house.

So I was not the only one who thought that FFV are just another gimmick put up by the “Big3″. So gas price outside Ann Arbor is priced between $2.13-2.23, this does not mean that its going to stay like that forever. So these guys say oh, buy a FFV, be a patriot, buy American, save the economy. Do people forget we are a Capitalist democracy, when it comes to goods and services, Americans look for the best deals. It has nothing to with a patriotism. If Ford,GM and Chrysler build good fuel efficient cars, people will buy them. But, no these guys want to try and hoodwink the American buyer and call on they patriotism. If this article offends your patriotism, then you may have a problem, because patriotism has nothing to do with what kind of bloody car you own. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary Patriotism is defined as love or devotion to one’s country, yes, I support the USA, but I am not going to become a patriot by buying a car that gives lousy gas mileage. Check out how through a clever combination of marketing and gimmickry that would make P.T. Barnum blush, domestic automakers claim to be “green” while diverting attention away from the real issue: A federal tax loophole is creating an artificial market for ethanol, while stifling the development of new technologies by automakers that would put more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road.Read the article by William O’Keefe “Ethanol is a Gimmick and not an answer to high gas prices”.

Source: Mercury News

GM has teamed up Chrysler & BMW, and have plans on taking on Toyota and its hybrid technology head on. Now we all know two brains are better than one, lets see what we get out of three. Imagine the amount of resources these guys will be pooling together, instead of competing with each other, these auto giants will be able to produce a hybrid car that can potentially beat the Pruis, albeit it may be a few years before we see a prototype, but imagine having a hybrid that has the power of a GM truck, sleek design of a BMW and looks like the Chrysler Crossfire. To catch Toyota, GM and its partners are adopting common specifications for a hybrid system built around a GM automatic transmission. They will use a single factory to build hybrid systems, a GM plant in Baltimore, achieving economies of scale none could realize on its own. The three-way alliance on gas/electric hybrids is a sign of the times as automakers search for partners as a way to save money globally on purchasing, product development and new technology.

Source: Hybrid Efort: Trio takes on Toyota

High gas prices now make it worth owning a hybrid. Previously many auto car analyst did make sense when they said “Do not buy a hybrid if you plan on saving money at the pump”. However, times have changed and the auto research gurus are having a change of heart.
Last week, Edmunds analysts reversed their stand on hybrids, saying that some of them now make good financial sense. Consumer Reports said it also is looking into updating its analysis, factoring in today’s higher gasoline prices and more recent sales incentives.
Three major factors have changed in calculating the cost-advantages of hybrids: Gasoline prices are higher, premiums over sticker price have come down, and the federal tax incentive changed this year from a tax deduction to a tax credit.

Source: http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/15415810.htm

If you have a spare 100k hanging around and gathering dust in your bank account, and you want fully powered electric vehicle. Guess what you can buy one from Tesla. The Tesla Roadster has a range of 250 miles, says the company. The EV1, with the best nickel metal hydride batteries, could go about 150 miles under ideal conditions. A full charge of the EV1 could take eight hours. The Tesla’s lithium-ion batteries can be raised from the dead to a full charge in 3 1/2 hours and, unlike the EV1, the Tesla will come with its own portable charging pack so it won’t be range-tethered to its home charging station.

So when are we mere mortals ever going to be able to buy such a car, never. Great idea, just built for billionaires. Now all we need is for someone transfer this technology into the mainstream automobile industry. Big 3, look this one is on the house. Yeah, I know was it GM who tried this earlier in the 90’s.

Source:http://www.latimes.com/news

The last three weeks have been crazy, especially since I got a job offer and started work three weeks ago, I have been swamped, but now that things are finally getting down to a routine (sort of), I was totally cut off from the rest of the world, gas prices are at $78 a barrel, people are bombing each other, Italy won the Football World Cup (not without controversy), what the hell happened in the last four weeks. So with gas currently retailing anywhere between 2.89-3.05 a gallon in Ypsilanti, MI, is it worth owning a hybrid now. We all know that the initial cost of hybrids are high but these cars give about 20 miles more than conventional vehicles and for every gallon of gas saved on a hybrid, that prevents 18 pounds of CO2 being emitted. But mileage alone isn’t enough to outweigh hybrids’ disadvantages for most drivers, said Philip Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com, a consumer finance-oriented Web site. Looks like that Smart car option is looking better day by day.
Source: http://news.enquirer.com/

Last week I was able to get a ride in a super-charged MINI Cooper, this animal was fully loaded. I just fell in love with that little beast. It had 214-hp engine/ 6 speed MT and costing between 18-20k depending on the type of trim. A bit pricey for such a small car, and I would have expected the fuel economy on this car to be really good but it gives about 25/32 city/hwy MPG.When compared to my Mazda3 AT which gives 28/35 city/hwy MPG. But then this little beast has more hp that my Mazda3, so who am I to say anything. Would I buy a MINI if I could, YES!! Imagine how easy parallel parking is with this car (I failed parallel parking), literally you can park this car anywhere. Now this is a small car with attitude.

Earlier this year or was it last year, I forget, Ford said it would sell 250,000 hybrids by 2010, this week Bill Ford said that the Ford Motor company would concentrate on the FFV program. Currently, there are 12 E85 fueling locations in Michigan. Ford and the other Detroit Automakers plan on producing two million FFV by 2010. Seems that these guys have some “corny” plan in mind. To read the full article click here.

Source: http://www.iht.com

If you want to get those tax credits for buying a hybrid, you better do it soon, because once any automaker reaches 60,000 hybrids, those tax credit will phase out within 15 months from that date. Toyota’s best-selling Prius and Camry hybrids will be the first to lose their tax-preferred status, which will be cut in half for vehicles delivered after September 30. And Honda is not far behind.

Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com

Due to resounding sale success in Canada, DaimlerChrysler plan on launching the gasoline version of the Smart Car in the US. This car will target the urbanite’s who consider themselves to be outside the main stream of car owners. DaimlerChrysler Inc. said high gas prices and the unexpected success of its two-seater Smart car in Canada convinced it the brand will sell in the U.S., too. A redesigned, second-generation version of the Smart that will meet U.S. emission rules will go on sale in a new dealer network in the first quarter of 2008, DaimlerChrysler president Dieter Zetsche said Wednesday. Its time big cities in the US started getting people to drive smaller cars. If you are an urbanite/student then this car is the solution to all those parking problem. Con, if you are late for work you cannot use the excuse anymore, that you could not find a parking spot for this car.
Source: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news

Newsflash from GM (apparently off the record), GM plans on building a plug-in hybrid that can be recharged from any domestic electric outlet. GM plans on unveiling this car at the Detroit Auto Show next year. GM now wants a share of the hybrid market which the Big Three lost out to Toyota. General Motors Corp., losing sales to fuel-efficient cars from Toyota Motor Corp., is developing a hybrid-electric vehicle with a battery that recharges at any outlet.

Now that hybrid car demand is on the rise and the profit margins are attractive, GM wants a piece of the pie.
Source:

http://www.hybridcars.com/

http://www.bloomberg.com/

Looks like GM and its subsidiary Saab are finally onto something. This car is the first of it kind as a hybrid soft-top. Making its world premiere at the Stockholm Motor Show last week, the ground-breaking Saab BioPower Hybrid Concept delivers zero fossil CO2 emissions, enhanced performance, and a range of energy-saving features by combining the use of pure bioethanol fuel and electric power generation for the first time.

Source: http://www.athloneadvertiser.ie 

Krissy & I have driven 5501 miles on our Mazda3 over the last 6 months and it was time to get its oil changed, wheels rotated, inspection etc. Just what Gary told us it would give fuel wise when we first met him. He is one of the three people who made it possible for us to buy it (the other two prefer to remain anonymous). We fill up at the pump once every two weeks. Thanks to the guys at the SESI Mercury Lincoln Mazda dealership in Ypsilanti everything was done within a hour and it cost us about $31.00. While waiting to get this done I was checking out the new Mazda RX-8 Shinka and the Mazda MX 5 Miata. I just cannot wait to get my hands on one of them. Krissy promised me once I get a job and pay off her student loans, I can get one, sure as if that will happen anytime soon. Click on the link to check them out at http://retailer.channelnet.com/sesimazda/sb.cn

Source: http://www.sesimotors.com/

At 24K plus the new 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid is not overtly priced. Even though the difference between the conventional model and the hybrid is about $1500, is this car worth spending the extra cash and getting a hybrid which is much heavier and has less boot/trunk space. The Hybrid teams a 4-cyl gas engine with a battery-powered electric motor for 187 hp. Like Toyota’s other hybrids, it runs on one or both of its power sources depending on driving conditions and requires no plug-in charging. It uses a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that provides near-infinite drive ratios.

For a detailed review on the Camry hybrid go to http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/sedans and judge for yourself if this is the hybrid for you.
Source:

http://www.vehix.com/

http://www.automobilemag.com/

Japanese car maker Suzuki and US automotive giant General Motors (GM) plan to jointly develop fuel-electric hybrid vehicles for the North American market, the leading Japanese business newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Monday.

These guys plan on developing and launching another “fuel-efficient” hybrid SUV by 2009.
Source: http://autos.monstersandcritics.com/news

For aviation enthusiasts like me who will probably never own it this is what you have to look forward too. Honda is bringing the very light jet HondaJet to this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. After making only a brief appearance for its unveiling at Airventure 2005, the HondaJet will stick around for the entire event this year, and be featured in the new Honda Pavilion.

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/

Talk about lowering the carbon dioxide levels down in a hybrid. This retrofitted Toyota Prius emits 20% less CO2 (80 g/km). IFP (Institut Français du Pétrole) is presenting a CNG-electric hybrid prototype vehicle based on the Toyota Prius at this Challenge Bibendum, running in Paris from 8-12 June 2006. IFP co-developed the CNG Prius with Gaz de France (GDF).

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/

The next step in hybrid SUV development is to create a clean burning diesel-electric hybrid. The University of Wisconsin has entered “Moovada” in essence a Chevy Equinox which has been modified and has been entered in the Challenge X. The way current gas prices have been and since the trend is only going to rise further, maybe we should consider smaller fuel efficient cars instead of hybrid SUV’s. So this diesel hybrid Equinox can give 35 mpg instead of the usual 15-20 mpg but the fact remains that until and unless we do not have a diesel engine that produce less pollutants, gas hybrid sedans will continue to dominate the hybrid market.

Source: http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/06/09/hybrid_diesel_suv/

Mitsubishi and Honda plan on developing and producing clean burning diesel cars for the Japanese and US markets by 2009. Currently the only diesel car that is going to be launched later this year in all 50 US states is the Mercedes E320 BLUETEC.

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/

Volvo will preview a prototype five-fuel Multi-Fuel vehicle at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2006, which takes place in Paris, June 8-12. The company is also previewing a new generation Collision Warning System.

More soon.

Source: www.greencarcongress.com

This Fall in the State of the Governator, California residents will be able to buy the Honda Civic GX which runs on compressed natural gas (CNG). Recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the cleanest internal-combustion vehicle on Earth, the Civic GX is perfect for getting around town and running everyday errands. In fact, the California Air Resources Board gave the GX an AT-PZEV emissions rating, which means it’s still the “Cleanest on Earth.” On a full tank of CNG, the Civic GX can travel upto to 200 miles (28/39 city/hwy mpg). You can tank up at home overnight using the Phill system which can be set up to the gas line at your house (the same gas line used for gas stoves and gas operated heating units). Downside it may take 12 hours to fill up. At gas stations that vend highly pressurized CNG, it will take minutes to fill up the 8 gallon tank In my opinion at 24k this car is everything one needs to save money, its clean and affordable both at the pump and in the long run.
Source:

Honda

http://www.myphill.com

My hybrid dream car would be a vehicle that does not stick out like a sore thumb by closely resembling a box. Even if I where able to buy a Toyota Prius, one problem I see when driving that car is that the way the rear end of the Prius has been designed. I believe that the blind spots may be a bit larger, even though I have never sat in one (note: I have inspected many very closely). Now I could be absolutely wrong and totally cross-eyed, so please correct if I am wrong, but from my prespective this could need some serious adjusting for the driver when a driver is looking out the rear of the Prius. Hope the designers at Toyota rectify this problem in they next top of the line hybrid that will ultimately replace the Prius one day. Cheers…,

By the time Krissy & I will be able to buy a hybrid, there may be close 30 more models out on the road. Ford, GM, Chrysler, Saab, Mazda, Volkswagon, Audi are just some of automakers who plan on developing and producing more hybrids, now will these hybrids actually make difference when it boils down to fuel efficiency versus cost, that is something to be seen. Not all of these way not be success stories, but atleast we get some variety from which to choose from at the end of the day. I got this information from The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers website. This is a trade association which includes the BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota & Volkswagon.

Hybrids

Audi Q7 Hybrid
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
Dodge Durango Hybrid
Ford Edge Hybrid
Ford Five Hundred Hybrid
Ford Fusion Hybrid
GMC Yukon Hybrid
Lexus LS600hL
Lincoln MKX Hybrid
Mazda Tribune Hybrid
Mercury Milan Hybrid
Mercury Montego Hybrid
Porsche Cayenne Hybrid
Saturn Vue Hybrid
Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid*

Hybrid Electric Ethanol

Ford Escape Hybrid E-85

Diesels/Bio-diesels

Audi A8 TDI*
BMW (several models considered for U.S. market)
Chrysler Group (several models considered for North American market)
Mercedes-Benz ML CDI
Saab 9-5
Volkswagen Touareg V10

Source: http://www.discoveralternatives.org/Alternative_Fuel

Trinity,” a highly fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid vehicle, was unveiled by engineering students at the University of California, Davis. The vehicle is the team’s entry in the national Challenge X competition, sponsored by General Motors Corp. and the U.S. Department of Energy. Field trials for the competition will take place in Phoenix next month.

Based on simulated trials, these guys claim that “Trinity” which is a 2006 Chevy Equinox SUV which has been donated by GM, has been converted into a plug-in hybrid which can run off electricity stored in the batteries onboard (re-chargeable at home using domestic electricity) and it also uses gas or ethanol and can give 200 miles to the gallon.

Source:

http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/news.php?news_id=1250

A couple of people have banded together to design a car that is enviromentally friendly, gives good gas mileage and looks a bit like a Ferrari or Porsche. So these guys want to produce a car for Mr. Green MoneyBags who does not want to be seen driving a Prius or locally available hybrids which are currently on the market. Tesla Motors, a San Carlos start-up that is building a high-performance electric sports car, has raised $40 million in a third round of venture capital from a group of investors including VantagePoint Venture Partners and Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal.

I cannot wait to see what the prototype looks like when it is unveiled. Looks like high gas prices have even got the rich and not so famous people rethinking when it comes to buying a fancy new speed demon. Good for them!

Source: http://www.siliconvalley.com

When I read this article, I could not believe it, a prototype than can actually run on a combination of gas and water or only water. Denny Klein has converted his 1994 Ford Escort to run either as a water-gas hybrid, or on water alone. He claims that this prototype actually ran 100 miles on 4 ounces of water.

It would be hilarious if in 10-20 yrs down the road car owners will be filling up at a Dasani or Evian water pump.

Source: http://www.mobilemag.com

Here is a list of the best and worst cars of 2006 by ForbesAuto.com.

Best cars for city driving:

1. Honda Insigth
2. Toyota Prius
3. BMW 3 Series Coupe,
4. Mini Cooper
5. Scion xB
6. Honda Civic Hybrid
7. Volvo V50
8. Audi A3
9. Saab 9-2X
10. Mercedes-Benz C-class.

Worst cars of 2006 according to Forbes Auto when it comes to city driving are (drum roll please)

1. Hummer H1 Alpha
2. Maybach Type 62
3. Lincoln Navigator L
4. Rolls-Royce Phantom
5. Hummer H2
6. Chevrolet Suburban
7. Cadillac Escalade ESV
8. Lincoln Town Car Signature L
9. Infiniti QX56
10. Bentley Arnage RL

The criteria used in selecting the best and worst car when it comes to city driving are actually quite simple. Forbes Auto asked some specific question which any rational car owner/buyer ask when he/she goes out to buy a car. For example: How well will the vehicle fit on the streets? How easy will it be to park? How is the visibility from the driver’s seat? How well does it handle and maneuver, and how comfortable is it?

Now if I owned a RR or a Maybach, these are issues my chauffeur has to worry about. Oddly enough no US vehicles make the Top Ten list for best car when it comes to city driving. However, you cannot miss them in the list of worst cars when it comes to city driving 7/10 (Bigger does not always mean better).
Source: http://www.forbesautos.com/advice/toptens

Toyota Motor said Tuesday that it planned to begin a global voluntary recall of nearly 320,000 of its hot-selling Prius gasoline-electric hybrid sedans to repair a potentially faulty steering system component.

Apparently this recall is not specific to the Prius, Toyota is recalling 9 more models. Several faulty parts in the steering wheel system may cause drivers to lose control. At this precise moment no one has had an accident due to these faulty parts.
Source:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos

Loremo AG says that it will start production of the 157 mpg diesel engine car in 2009. These guys already have a prototype, now on show in Kuala Lumpur. By the looks of it Malaysia may be one of the first places to actually see this car on its roads when it does roll out. Malaysia’s Kosmo Motor Company has taken a 26% stake in Loremo AG, the developers of the Loremo LS, a 1.5 l/100km (157 mpg US) diesel passenger car.

Issue with this car, well it weighs in at just about a 1000 lbs, hence interior space may be a an issue for the average American. The two-cylinder model may have some problems when it comes to accelerating, especially when one is merging on to a highway 0-60 mph (120 kmph) in about 20 seconds, in my opinion this questions the safety factor concerning highway driving. So will we see this car ever, I think Asia will this first, then Europe, North America I think not. But again I may be wrong and by 2009 we may have no other choice but to go on to a strict low carb diet just to get our fat behinds into such a nifty car.

Source:

http://www.loremo.com

http://www.greencarcongress.com

Look what we have here, a hybrid SUV from GM. Saturn’s VUE Greenline Hybrid, costing around 23k, with an EPA estimate of 27/32 city/hwy mpg, I say the only good thing about this SUV is the fact that it only cost 23k. My Mazda3 (which is not a hybrid) gives me the same mileage and it cost even cheaper. In addition there are other cars out there such as the Toyota RAV4 which give about 24/30 mpg. GM needs to start seeing the bigger picture when it comes to hybrids especially hybrid SUV’s. Here is a hint, “Smaller hybrids give better mileage”, I know this a new concept, but its time to stop living large. Now if the guys at GM really wanted to show other automakers like Toyota who is the boss, these guys should have made this SUV a true hybrid by making it run on E85 too. Next time folks!!!
Source: www.greencarcongress.com

Plug-in hybrids may soon become a reality: Last week in Washington, DC — even as top executives from Ford, Chrysler, and GM asked lawmakers to subsidize the installation of more ethanol pumps at filling stations — makers of new battery systems were letting U.S. senators test-drive prototype cars that get over 100 miles per gallon, but don’t require any new infrastructure.
A retro-fitted Toyota Prius apparently can give 100 mpg (if driven properly). Plug-in hybrids at the moment are considered to be great for short trips and city driving (15-20 miles). One hurdle I see is that automakers have to overcome is battery size.

Just one question though, I want to know how many U.S. Senators who are “test driving” the hybrid plug-in prototype own a “green car”?
Source:http://www.technologyreview.com

NYC already has 6 Ford Escape Hybrid cabs on the streets. Now Hybrid Technologies plans to build a battery-powered car, in this case, convert a PT Cruiser to run only on a 320V lithium-ion battery, weighing in at over 600 pounds and has a recharge cycle life of around 1500 charges. The downside for cabbies is that it can only go for a 150 miles befores it needs to be recharged. According to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, each New York taxi averages nearly 100,000 miles of driving annually.

Now taxi drivers in NYC maybe running close to 200 mile per shift, so in essence this may not be the best idea for cabbies who are trying to earn a decent wage, but the fact remains that atleast these electric only cabs will cut down the levels of tail-pipe emissions to zero. In my opinion I am in favour of hybrid taxis, I have nothing against electric only powered cars, but until researchers do not come up with a car battery that can hold a charge longer, one will need to have back-up power source. Another problem faced by cab companies is that the start up cost of investing in hybrid cars as taxi’s is extremely high and no one can blame them. If a cab company did invest in hybrid taxis, then these guys will bump up the cost for renting them out to the drivers, forcing the drivers to work more shifts so on and so forth, its a vicious cycle folks.

Source: www.greencarcongress.com

If Krissy and I were living in London, this is something we would definitely have considered buying. The Maranello 4 is a two-seater electric car which comes from the land of Ferrari, Fiat & Lamborghini. With a top speed of 30 mph, it can go up to 45 miles on a single charge (gelled lead-acid batteries). It cost just under 10,000 quid (USD 18,700 approx.). London being a very congested city, this car will be a boon for people who live and work in the city. Added bonus of owning such a small car and the fact that it runs purely on electricity, parking is easy and free in many areas of the city.
Source:

http://www.sbsbsb.com/

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/05/new_allelectric.html

A UK company set up by Russian scientists called OM Energy claim to be on the brink of inventing a car that would use a combination of hydrogen (extracted from water) and gasoline to create a “Super-Fuel”, thus dispensing with the need to be wholly dependent on gasoline. The breakthrough is the electro hydrogen generator which extracts hydrogen from water by spinning it at high speed. The hydrogen is then mixed with the petrol supply to create an environmentally friendly ’super fuel’ which ’stretches’ the unleaded fuel, enabling the car to go further on less. The generator is spun using the engine’s recycled exhaust gases.

I know this concept will probably take 10-15 yrs before it actually goes into production, but hey this may be the solution to the danger associated with having to store large amounts of hydrogen. Cleaner cars, that run on hydrogen and ultra low levels of gas usage, fascinating.
Source: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/

Last week BMW, DaimlerChrysler & GM unveiled plans of their two-mode hybrid system at a conference in Vienna. This consortium aka Global Hybrid Corp. plans on introducing this hybrid system in its SUV’s and trucks, starting with the 2008 Chevy Tahoe. Hopefully these guys plan on introducing this new two-mode hybrid system in sedans and compact cars, ohh I forgot GM has to sell its huge trucks and SUV’s. How silly of me to think like that!!

So what is this two-mode hybrid system?

While the two-mode system takes a new approach to hybrid drive technology, there are some similarities. Like all hybrids, the two-mode combines the power of a gasoline engine with that of electric motors; it captures energy from braking that would otherwise be lost; and it shuts off the engine at a stop. Like most of today’s hybrids, batteries alone can power the vehicle at low speeds. But the new technology is different in some crucial respects. It has the potential to operate much more efficiently at highway speeds, with a greater boost from the electric motors. The components are lighter and more compact and can be readily adapted to different types of vehicles. It is particularly well suited to large trucks and SUVs — the biggest gas hogs in Americans’ garages — where it will have the greatest impact on overall fuel consumption.

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/

The Toyota Camry Hybrid is out on the roads folks. Price approximately at $25,000 (approx.). Now this car for people like me, falls in the hybrid luxury vehicle class. The Camry hybrid has got a EPA fuel rating of 40 MPG, 43/37 city/hwy mpg as per Toyota specs released. In any case with a 17 gallon fuel tank, one would only have to fill up after about 684 miles (approx.). For an in depth review on the Camry Hybrid check it out at HybridCars.

I did a quick comparison between the Prius and the Camry Hybrid using the Gas mileage calculator on the Hybrid cars website to check tail-pipe emissions. Over the course of 13000miles/year the Camry will emit about 6,321 lbs of CO2 (1877 lbs more than a Prius).

Source: www.hybridcars.com

Honda’s President & CEO Takeo Fukui has announced that by 2010 Honda will introduce low-cost hybrid and clean diesel vehicles in North America, hence reducing CO2 emissions. Honda confirmed that it is now developing a new dedicated hybrid vehicle “suitable for family use” in major automobile markets in the world. With this new dedicated hybrid vehicle, Honda believes it will offer a major cost reduction, enabling the company to offer the vehicle in 2009 at a price level lower than the Civic Hybrid.

Hopefully by doing this Krissy and I will be able to afford a hybrid by then. Fingers-crossed that by 2010 gas price is not $10 a gallon. Then we will have to resort to our alternative plan, bicycles.

Source: www.greencarcongress.com

In the Hybrid SUV category the Toyota Highlander comes up on top according to Consumer Reports latest announcement. With the inception of the Highlander, Consumer Reports now has two hybrids in its Top Picks, the other being the Toyota Prius. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid beat the other SUV’s in its category based on the fact that it accelerates quicker and has moderately better fuel economy in its class.

Source: www.consumerreports.org

A car that give 8,000 (eight thousand) MPG. A British inventor unveils the world’s most fuel-efficient vehicle, a three-wheel “TeamGreen” car capable of doing 8,000 miles to the gallon.

Source: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/

Probably in a couple of years down the road people will be able to buy a Ford PHEV. The California Cars Initiative and University of California at Davis Professor Andy Frank today welcomed Ford Motor Co CEO Bill Ford, Jr.’s acknowledgment that the company is exploring plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technology.

These are the same guys who made the first plug-in hybrid version of the Toyota Prius in 2004. They plan on converting a hybrid Ford Escape into a PHEV. By doing this, one can recharge your PHEV from a conventional 120 volt power socket at home. But the fact that Bill Ford had to be cornered when ansked if Ford was ever going to make a PHEV simply shows that the auto industry is not too keen on change. As consumers it is up to us to encourage, in fact demand that more innovative ideas such as this actually make it from the drawing board to the production line.
Source: www.hybridcars.com

GM is pushing for more ethanol based gas stations in Michigan. There are currently 5 gas pumps in the entire state that supply E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline blend) based gas for FFV. Now GM is going to “encourage” that all its employees driving FFV’s gas up at these pumps. There are plans to introduce 20 more gas pumps which will serve E85 in Michigan, predominately in the Wayne County & Detroit area. General Motors Corp.’s drive to put ethanol-based fuel in the tanks of more U.S. cars and trucks may transform Detroit’s neighborhood gas stations and its drivers into pioneers in the use of the gasoline alternative.

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Now this a new concept coming all the way from India. A little background on cow dung aka cow pies, its the manure gotten from the cow which is shaped as pie, three stripes (finger imprints lengthwise, note: not the same as adidas) on the top of them. These are then layed out to dry and bake in the Indian summer. If you are ever traveling around rural India you will find cow pies slapped on walls along the road and sidewalks. This is the poor man’s fuel. People in rural areas in India have been using dried cow dung as a fuel for ages. Its generally used in clay ovens as a cooking medium. Now cow manure gives offf methane which can be used to power pretty much anything. There is a car that runs on cow pies. It’s fast, the fuel is cheap and the vehicle smells nothing like the dairy that produces the gas in its tank.

The Viking 32 is one such methane driven concept car being entered at the Tour de Sol at the Saratoga Automobile Museum Auto Show in Saratoga Spa State Park. “Fledge”, a one person hybrid designed and developed by seven Delhi College of Engineering students, which gives 60 miles on a single charge is another entrant at the show from India.

Cow pie or methane powered vehicles will definitely work in countries such as India, because due to the rapid economic growth of the country, India’s fuel resources cannot keep up witht the demand. Currently only the affluent in India can own a car, and they make up a very small demographic. For even these people to own a hybrid vehicle such as the Prius (USD24,000 converts to over Indian Rupees 1million). So I wish those students from India and all the other entrants all the best in the contest and hopefully someday we will see greener cars in Indian cities. Hint: Combine the cheap hybrid with a methane powered engine.
Source: Racing for a better way to power cars

For the third year in succession, the 1.5-liter gasoline engine of the Prius Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain has won both the International Engine of the Year Award in the 1.4– 1.8-liter category and the “Best Fuel Economy” category. The awards were made at the Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany.

Apart from this, BMW snapped up five awards in various engine performance and size categories. Other entrants such as VW won three, while Honda and Subaru got one each.

Source:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/05/prius

The question all possible hybrid car buyers who are looking for a hybrid cheaper than the current ones on the market (Prius, Honda, Ford, etc) which cost 24k and above, is when will Toyota produce a hybrid Yaris. Honda already plans on producing the Fit as a hybrid. The Yaris is a subcompact car and if hybrid technology is intergrated into this vehicle, the Yaris hybrid would come as a blessing to city drivers. At about 17k ($3000 more approx. for the hybrid model) more people will be able to afford a hybrid. With gas prices hovering around $2.77-3.00 a gallon and with no signs of coming down this could very well change the mindset of the average American car owner. I know people are resistant to any form of change but for goodness sake if it comes down to paying your bills and buying groceries versus filling up your gas tank every other day just to get to work, would you not rather own a car that uses less gas and is environmentally friendly. I mean do we really need to have huge gas guzzling vehicles just to get our fat behinds to the store.I was in the parking lot of a “grocery store” yesterday and the only spot I found was between two huge pickup trucks. I mean do we really need to have huge gas guzzling vehicles just to get our fat behinds to the store. The other reason is that you cannot see anything when you are backing out of the parking space. The only consolation was that in front of us was a Ford Escape Hybrid. Yes, the down side is that subcompacts are small, but then at the end of the day you do not end up giving ALL your hard earned salary to fat rich oil executives who get $400 million retirement packages.

Source: www.hybridcars.com

BMW unveiled the X3 EfficientDynamics, a hybrid concept of BMW’s popular compact SUV. The hybrid model goes 0-60 mph in approximately 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 146 mph – both better than the stock X3 with a concurrent 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption.

More soon…

Source: www.greencar.com

A team of students at the Thayer School of Engineering hosted Formula Hybrid, the first collegiate car race to use only hybrid and electric vehicles, at the New Hampshire International Speedway on Thursday.

Even though Dartmouth and McGill University (Krissy and my alma mater) were the only two teams to compete, events like these promote hybrid technology. I cannot wait to see the various hybrid Formula 1 models built by undergrads next year, when more teams compete at Dartmouth. If timed right I may even go up to Dartmouth to cover it next year.
Source: http://www.thedartmouth.com

The X1 looks every bit the Formula 1 car you would find at any Grand Prix venue. The main differences, its has seats for two passengers, runs solely on lithium-ions battery cells, range 100 miles and takes 4.5 hours to recharge and it only cost $100,000. Ian Wright, a 50-year-old entrepreneur from New Zealand, thinks his electric car, the X1, can soon be made into a small-production roadster that car fanatics and weekend warriors will happily take home for about $100,000 – a quarter ton of batteries included. He has even launched a startup, called Wrightspeed, to custom-make and sell the car.

Ferrari,Porsche, Bugatti look out for the competition, the future is here. Albeit the common race car enthusiast will never be able to own one of these, atleast the weekend warriors with these toys can now contribute to saving our fragile environment and help control CO2 emissions.

Source: www.cnn.com

Driving on the road one can easily spot a Toyota Prius, but since other automakers including Toyota have come out with different hybrid models, its pretty difficult differentiating between a similar hybrid from its conventional counterpart. I keep looking for that little energy sign on the back of the cars. So in an effort to bump up other hybrid model sales, Toyota plans on making these hybrid asthetically different from there gas counterparts. So, when consumers go to buy a hybrid, such as the Highlander for example, they want the rest of the world to know they are driving a hybrid. All I can think of at this moment is a green metallic sign in the shape of a leaf on centre of the tire hub caps. Anybody else got some ideas. Click here to find out the what the designers at Toyota plan on doing.

Source: Autoblog

Extreme hybrid cars are set to change the whole auto industry, I mean an extreme PHV that could get between 150-250 mpg. Now before anyone goes and says where can we get one of these cars, hold your horses, AFS Trinity Power Corp. has just file a patent application for the extreme hybrid drive-train, check out the preliminary specs & pics of the prototype at AFS Trinity Power Corp. AFS Trinity Power Corp. of Seattle has filed a patent application for the Extreme Hybrid car. The company says the automobile will run more than 250 miles on a single gallon of gasoline or ethanol.

Source:

http://www.afstrinity.com/

http://autos.monstersandcritics.com/news

Currently there is speculation that Honda is planning on producing a hybrid Fit subcompact model which will come with a 1.0 litre engine, with 60 mpg. Honda plans on launching the hybrid Fit in mid 2007. The conventional engine model is priced at about 13K, so the the hybrid model will probably cost about 20K (approx.). Something to keep in mind, if and when I plan of getting a second car. For more details read the exclusive insider scoop at HybridCars.com.

Source:

GM is offering $1,000 fuel card when a customer buys any new 2006 or 07 Chevy or GMC FFV in the Chicago-Rockford (there are only two Ethanol gas stations here) and Minneapolis-St. Paul markets between 2 May and 31 July 2006. But here comes the best part, based on fuel price of $ 2.91 per gallon of gasoline and $2.41 per gallon of E85 (current estimates from the DOE), the $1,000 card would provide about 5,400 miles of driving on E85 in a Tahoe, and about 5,800 miles of driving on gasoline. (The Tahoe is rated at 13 mpg on E85, 17 mpg on gasoline.) Some of these monsters come with 31 gallon tanks (such as the Yukon XL) and with gas currently retailing anywhere between 2.75 – 2.99, that could cost about $85 (@ 2.75) everytime you topped it off with regular gas. That free fuel card could vanish in about 11 refills, with E85 2 additional refills at the best, then what.
Who are these guys at GM trying to hoodwink? So the clones at GM think that if people do not go for the $1K rebate idea, then just by changing the wording such as rebate into fuel card, customers will fall for it. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS MARKETING STUNT FOLKS. A $1000 worth of free gas on one of these gas guzzling giants will end up costing you more over the years, probably to the point where you have spent more money on gas than on the car payments. Kudos to the marketing strategist who came up with this brilliant idea (for those people at GM who did not get it, I am being sarcastic).
Source: www.greencarcongress.com

We all know about the fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions of hybrid vehicles. But something every car owner has at the top of the list is vehicle safety ratings. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a non-profit, scientific organization that is dedicated to highway safety. They have given the 2004-06 Toyota Prius models an overall good for frontal and side impact for those vehicles that have both front and side (also rear side bags) headbags. However those cars which did not have the side headbags (which comes optional, priced at $650) those models got poor ratings. Our 2006 Mazda3 got a good for frontal safety and poor for side safety. Vehicles are rated as G=Good A=Acceptable M=Marginal P=Poor. Check out the safety ratings of your vehicle here.

Source: http://www.iihs.org

From the beginning of the year till April 2006 Ford has sold 2,800 hybrid vehicles. Ford plans on selling 250,000 hybrids by 2010. Even though these hybrid SUV’s get about 35 mpg in the city,unfortunately Ford still has about 3,900 hybrid Escapes and Mariners in stock.

So if you absolutely need an SUV, then at least ditch your old gas guzzler which probably give you 15-17 mpg and get one of them hybrid SUV’s that is a bit more efficient. With the way current gas prices are rising and with no sign of going down, this would be the lesser ot two evils.
Source: Detroit Free Press

Apparently ethanol backers are facing an uphill task when it comes to touting its benefits. Ecology Prof. David Pimentel at Cornell University states that ethanol requires 30% more energy input in the production process and not to mention pollution caused to the environment due to the usage of pesticides and fertilisers.

Now that companies such as GM have figured out that it was foolish of them not to have jumped onto the hybrid bandwagon, they are trying to tout ethanol as a solution to the fuel crisis. Click here for the full article.

Source:

http://motoring.co.za

Green Car Journal Online is carrying out longitudinal test on the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Preliminary results show that this hybrid SUV nets 31/27 city/hwy mpg. According to Toyota estimates its is supposed to net 33/28 city/hwy mpg. The Highlander hybrid according to EPA guidelines has a air pollution score between 8 or 9 and a green house gas score between 7 or 8 (both out of 10) depending on the states. Click here for more information about the scores.
Source:

www.epa.gov

www.greencar.com

The 2007 Honda Fit with its 109 hp, 1.5 litre, 16-valve SOHC VTEC engine and with drive-by-wire technology is now available. The Honda Fit comes equipped with both 5-speed manual/automatic transmissions. Fit MT models are said to achieve 33/38 city/hwy mpg, while the models with AT gets 31/38 city/hwy mpg (1 hwy/mpg less in the sport model). The fact that the sports model comes equipped with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters is just every F1 enthusiasts dream come true. Better contral and faster response, definitely a plus point. This little car will be great for inner-city driving. But is this car “green”?
Source: Honda

Beginning this month, Cincinnati (Ohio) Metro is fueling all of its buses with a B50 biodiesel blend (50% biodiesel). Metro intends to use the 50% blend in months when the average temperature is higher than 40º F (April to October) and switch back to a B20 blend in colder months.

According to this article Ohio is the sixth largest producer of soybeans in the nation. I wish metro transit systems in Detroit and its surrounding towns could take up like Cincinnati.
Read the full story

If you own a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle, and you want to find out how much CO2 your car emits, then you are in luck. Ford and TerraPass have come together and launched the Greener Miles program. The Greener Miles program invites Ford car owners to go online to create a personal emissions report, learn about ecodriving and balance out the greenhouse gas nemissions of their vehicles through the online purchase of carbon offsets.

Source:

http://www.terrapass.com/ford/

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/04/27/005043.html

Hybrid Cars

Chrysler plans on selling FFV models of the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Commander in 2007. Both models will come with E85 engines. However, with an EPA estimate of 17 mpg combined on both these vehicle, I do not see them being of any good use, I know that some people will say its better to have the FFV option but would it not be better to have this option on smaller chrysler vehicles.

Source: GreenCarCongress

A survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Personal Finance Poll found that one-third (33%) of US adults who plan to purchase or lease a new vehicle say they are most likely to seriously consider an alternative-fueled vehicle for their next purchase.

Of those people polled, 47% would buy a “greencar” because it was better for the environment, 45% would buy a hybrid/FFV to lower spendings at the gas pump. Study sample size 2,516. Is this demographic a true representation of the people’s mind set in the US. With current gas prices at what, $75 a barrel on the market and going up, I believe this to be true.
Source:

GreenCarCongress

HarrisInteractive

The 2007 Toyota Yaris has hit the roads, with a starting price of $10,950 for the lift back or hatch back MT model (34/40 city/hwy mpg) all the way to $14,050 for the S sedan AT (34/39 city/hwy mpg). Alas, if only our Jimmy or Geo had lasted us for 4 more months, Krissy and I could have got ourselves a Yaris, not that I do not like my Mazda3, at the end of our day it boils down to simple economics.
Source: Toyota 

With soaring gas prices currently between $2.83 – $2.95 in Ypsilanti, MI, even hybrid car drivers are feeling the pinch, allbeit not as much as the conventional car owners. Companies such as CalCars, California’s EDrive Systems and Canada’s Hymotion are offering consumers the option of converting they current hybrids in to higher fuel saving plug-in hybrids aka PHEV. They claim that hybrids like the Toyota Prius can end up giving upto 100 mpg after converting it to a plug-in. Downside of this that it could cost anywhere from $3,000 to $12,000. CalCars plans on producing a DIY PHEV kit which will cost about $3000. Now my question is how much more will it cost to re-charge these PHEV overnight. Hymotion states it could cost about 75 cents for every 50 miles.

All these companies have already produced or are planning on developing plug-in kits for the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Lexus RX400h, Toyota Highlander and Camry Hybrid. I think if possible one can just wait for the actual carmakers to come out with new models which are PHEV, because it would probably take what 200,000 miles at
$3 a gallon before one can actually break even after installing these kits.

Source:

CalCars

EDrive Systems

Hymotion

CNET News

As promised in my earlier post (Mazda RX8 Hydro Rotary Engine) here is some more information about them. Currently, Mazda has leased out four such vehicles in Japan, the latest two being to government authorities in Hiroshima.

Mazda RX-8 RENESIS Hydrogen Rotary

Gasoline Vs Hydrogen

Power: 206 hp, 107 hp

Torque: 222 Nm, 140 Nm

Fuel Tank Capacity: 16 Gallons, 350 bar

Range: 341 miles, 62.1 miles

Wish I could get my hands on one of these, pity Mazda only plans on giving them (6 more) to local government authorites in Japan. I am more than willing to take on such a project and drive a new hybrid car (any make) and put it to the test, as long as I would be allowed to give my honest impression of the vehicle.

Source: GreenCarCongress

Nissan is being extremely secretive and is only revealing limited information about the new 2007 Altima Hybrid. The Altima Hybrid continues Nissan’s best-selling car’s performance tradition in a new variation – a hybrid powertrain mates the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and Xtronicâ„¢ CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with an electric motor and generator that increases fuel economy while maintaining low tailpipe emissions. That is all the specs for now. Something I found of further interest in this article is the fact that Nissan plans to sell this car in only those states (8) which have adopted California emission regulations.

1. California
2. New York
3. Massachusetts
4. Connecticut
5. Vermont
6. Rhode Island
7. Maine
8. New Jersey

Now we are left with only those other 42 states (including mine: Michigan) which should adopt stronger fuel emission laws. I am allowed to fantasize.
Source: Nissan News

If faced with the choice, would you rather buy a hybrid vehicle which runs on gasoline and electricity and gives good city mileage and burns fuel more effectively while emitting way less CO2 and other pollutants. Alternatively, would you opt for a diesel vehicle, which will give you more mileage than a hybrid but diesel cost more than gasoline on one hand but you use less of it and with improvements made to these advanced diesel engines most of these engine run on biodiesel (combination of vegetable oil and animal fat), hence the greasy spoon odour from the exhaust. Both are good options, but the fact remains that until diesel is not refined so that the sulphur level is lowered significantly, diesel obtained from fossil fuel poses too much of a hazard. That being said, at one point Krissy and I had considered the Volkswagon Jetta but for some odd reason we did not look into it too closely, something we may regret in the days to come with the prices of gas currently between $2.79 – $2.89 per gallon in and around Ann Arbor, MI. My Mazda (15 gallon tank) is currently giving us 27 mpg combined. The Jetta (14.5 gallon tank) gives approx. 38 mpg combined. So for about a dollar or so more, if I had a Jetta we would get about 146 miles more out of diesel. Downside, over the course of a year the Jetta would emit 6,528lbs of CO2, 60lbs of CO, 45lbs of NO, 1,842 grams of soot or particulate matter and 22lbs of smog. I used the gas mileage calculator on the Hybrid cars website to get the emission infomation.

Source:

Diesel Cars are back
Hybrid Cars

Toyota has decided to jump onto the ethanol bandwagon and plans on selling FFV in the US by 2008. A Toyota spokeswoman in Tokyo acknowledged that Japan’s top auto maker was developing flexible-fuel vehicles, mainly for the ethanol-smitten Brazilian market for starters, but declined to disclose specific product plans.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Carl Dietrich, MIT doctoral candidate in aeronautics and chief executive of Terrafugia, is working on a new hybrid car-plane concept based just like the one in the cartoon The Jetsons. The working prototype has been dubbed Transitions and will not be ready for about two years. This caroplane will use super-unleaded gasoline and have a cruising speed of 120 mph.

Source: http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews

The completely redesigned 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid has won the World Car of the Year Award for greenest car.

In an earlier post I said if I where to buy a sedan today, I would probably go for the 2006 Honda Civic hybrid based on its performance and the fact that when compared over the the Honda Civic Sedan AT, the hybrid has a fuel economy 49/51 EPA city/hwy mpg over the Civic Sedan AT which gives 30/40 EPA city/hwy mpg. That is about 61% & 21% city/hwy approx. increase in fuel efficiency in the Civic hybrid. The only drawback for me is that the Civic hybrid cost about 21k which is about $6000 more than the 2006 Civic sedan, which is not neccessarily a bad thing, but in my ideal world, if I hand the money and a job, I would buy this car in an instant.
Source: http://www.wheels24.co.za

Analyst predict that by the year 2020 a billion cars will be on the roads all around the world. That’s one for every 61/2 people on the planet — and over 25 percent more vehicles than we have today.

Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com

GM plans to launch the Saturn Aura Greenline Hybrid sedan by the end of this year. GM had a low key launch event at the New York International Auto Show for this car. Even though there is only a 20% increase in fuel economy when compared to the Saturn Vue SUV (using the same hybrid tech), this is a giant step for GM. Atleast GM realizes the fact that hybrid sedans are what the savvy car owners want and I give GM credit for stepping up to the plate. People may say that this is not enough, but everyone has to start somewhere, we cannot expect all automakers to come up with Toyota Prius look alike. The main fact is that the folks at
GM realize that hybrids are the future and once demand for these kinds of vehicles grows, supply will increase.

Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/blogs/hyview/aura

Ron Cogan’s Green Car Journal Online has nominated 5 alternative fuel/FFV/hybrid cars etc. out of the many that are there. Judging criteria was based on environmental impact, but newness was the primary factor. Check them out at Green Car’s Top 5.

• 2006 Honda Accord Hybrid
• 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
• 2006 Lexus RX 400h
• 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
• 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

If I where to buy a car based on this site reccomendations I would go for the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, based on the fact that it gives 49/51 city/hwy mpg and it cost $21,850. Check them all out at http://www.greencar.com/index.cfm?content=topstory2

Source: http://www.greencar.com/

GM has littered the New York International Auto Show with Flex Fuel vehicles and to make sure attendees do not miss them, all of them are in bright yellow and green, hence touting the “live green, go yellow” GM motto. We have already been through this people, just by putting out an Avalanche or any other gas guzzling SUV under the FFV/Ethanol banner, it does not make up for the fact that it still is a gas guzzler. The fact that GM is offering free one-year membership subscriptions to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC), just goes to prove the point on how committed GM is to this corny oil idea. You can visit the site and register for the free newsletter. And you can also locate and find, that is if there are any E85 gas stations around your state and if it is worth the drive to go and gas up. Now you wonder why GM is not doing so well. Check out the article on how GM has been revving up its Ethanol campaign in New York.

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/

Ford is recalling 134,365 Escape and Mercury Mariner SUV’s 2005 models, so that there can adjust the padding on the drivers side to prevent injuries during a collision, according to U.S safety regulators.

So people who own a 2005 Ford Escape or Mercury Mariner SUV, please contact your local Ford dealer asap. It caught my eye on the local news channel as I was swapping channels, so I thought the best place to verify it would be to go onto the Ford website, to my surprise there is no mention of the recall on their website. So you release the news to the press, but cannot post a sign on your site, fearing bad publicity. Just adding a link to the bottom would have been sufficient.
Source: Reuters

Here are some of the “Hybrids” which we should plan on seeing going on sale sometime between now and 2008. All these cars where showcased at the New York International Auto Show.

1. Nissan Altima Hybrid 2007.
   
2. Saturn Aura Greenline Hybrid to go on sale by the end of 2006.
   
3. Lexus LX 600h Luxury Hybrid.

For example the Lexus LX 600h, when this beast of luxury actually goes on sale, the rich folks will then be able to say “Aha, I drive a hybrid too”. Why the hell do automakers manufacture these so called “hybrids”, oh I forgot, this is to scam off the “rich & stupid” (hint). More specs will be released closer to the launch dates. Now, do you consider these three “hybrids” green cars?

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/

The Mazda RX8 Hydro Rotary engine car is on display at the New York Auto Show. Once I find some engine and performance specifications I will post them here.

Did you know that the Toyota Prius emits 90% fewer harmful pollutants than a comparable conventional engine in its class.

1. Hybrids are definitely environmentally friendly.
2. Cost more than conventional vehicles in its class (upto $6000). So if you think you are going to save money on gas forget it.
3. Tax breaks are available, but beware after an automaker has sold 60,000 cars in that class, thats the end of that.
4. Even thought more hybrids are coming out, be careful because you may end up paying way too much for a car that gives you the same mileage a conventional car does (see my Mazda 3 and Honda Accord Hybrid comaprison).
5. After the warranty runs out people are scared that the battery, which is essentially the heart and soul of a gas-electric hybrid will die out the next day and that there are not enough mechanics who specialized in hybrid car repairs and hybrid drivers have to depend on the dealerships. Well Macomb County Community College in Michigan has set up a course to train hybrid mechanics (previous post) and with regard to the car battery, well, I have not read of too many complains, but yes replacing that baby is expensive, so its a risk one has to take.

Toyota is bringing its Fine-T fuel cell hybrid in-wheel motor concept car to the New York Auto Show next week. The concept made its world premier at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show as the Fine-X.

I was reading the postings at the bottom of this article and for some reason the main problem was whether this car could be classified as a hybrid or not. Its a concept car, which has two sources from which it generates electricity, in my book thats a hybrid. Also the drive-by-wire phrase tends to evoke a sense of fear amongst car owners, just as all pilots who had not flown the new Airbus 320 with the fly-by-wire technology when it was first launched. Now that technology is everywhere, people are always skeptical of new technology, but this is just a concept vehicle, lets see what comes out of it.

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/04/toyota_bringing.html

Toyota plans on launching the Next-Gen Prius by 2008. The engineers at Toyota are redesigning the entire electrical system and also plan on moving over to lithium-ion batteries instead of the NiMH packs which are being used at the momemt.

A car that actually gives 94mpg, look out competition. Not bad for Toyota, a company that has only been in the automotive industry for what 15-16 yrs. Now the real test will be when this Next-Gen actually becomes available, and we get to see the actual mpg results. Things tend to be a bit skewed whenever a car is put to the test under optimal conditions (which is a given for any test). So people who are considering converting they currnent Toyota Hybrids into a plug-in, wait a bit, you might end up saving quite a bit of money (plug-in kits cost about $12000 more).
Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com

Students at a suburban Detroit high school have designed a four-wheel hybrid vehicle. Unlike conventional hybrids, it supplements its electric motor with pedal power, not a gasoline engine.

Daimler Chrysler AG and the Detroit Science Center have sponsored a competition called 2006 Closing the Technology Gap in Education Awards, in which 170 entries were made, the pedal-solar powered Qaudracycle being one of them. This is what America needs, hybrid awareness at the grass root level. Best of Luck to all the entrants.
Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/

The need for speed for those environmentally conscious drivers has finally been answered, but there is a hefty price tag that comes with this sleek solar speed demon.I just cannot wait to see what this baby will look like. Hybrid Technologies will launch the LIX-75 (totally powered by batteries) at the New York Auto Show on April 14, 0-60 in 3 seconds, with max speed of 200 mph and with a recharge radius of 100 miles, only draw back it cost a mere $125,000.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/apr2006/

Now look what Chrysler has gone and done, man if this is not stupid, then I do not know what is stupid. Dodge released the Dodge Durango 2007 (here comes the good part) HYBRID at the Dallas Auto Show. This gas-guzzling hybrid with a combined fuel efficiency of a whooping 17 mpg will be available in 2008. Apparently, Chrysler believes this is the right way to enter the hybrid market. I just cannot believe this, are the guys at Chrysler who thought this was a good idea, were they on some kind of hallucinogenic. Thats all what we need a gas-guzzling SUV thats labelled as a hybrid, duh..

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com

The first of several retrofitted Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrids by EnergyCS have been delivered to California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) to undergo test trials. Preliminary test results have indicated that these plug-in hybrids can average about 100mpg by combining charging the car from an outlet at home and current hybrid technology. Using a normal house outlet, a nightly re-charge of about $1 worth of electricity cuts the Toyota Prius gasoline consumption in half for over 50 miles the following day. After the additional electricity has been spent, the vehicles perform like a standard Prius until plugged in again.

Currently adding this system will cost about $12,000 more, now lets wait and see how much the Toyota Prius (Next Gen Plug-in) versions cost when it does eventually hit the road.

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com

Amberjac Plug-In Prius: Hail the 130mpg car Clever new electrics and batteries have transformed a hybrid into an amazing car…..

Now these guys have taken a Toyota Prius and reversed-engineered this puppy to give more mpg. Now another main factor to remember is that one has to change his/her driving habit if one to to maintain or achieve such mileage, is that to difficult to do…

Source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

That is the question many people are asking now, as I have found the real question one should ask is “How much CO2 does it emit?” All car companies foreign or homegrown have leapt onto the “green bandwagon” and are touting their hybrid fuel efficient vehicles, but the fact that even the most fuel efficient hybrid still emits pollutants, is a sign that automakers have other plans. Hybrids used to be the environmentalists’ great shining hope for combating auto pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and gas guzzling. Those were the romance days for hybrids, the first two or three years following their introduction in 2000. But the honeymoon is over. With the emergence of performance-oriented hybrids, and ultra-mild hybrid systems, environmentalists now see the technology as one more example of how Big Auto has hoodwinked..

Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/green-litmus-test.html 

As Americans become increasingly interested in fuel economy and global warming, they are beginning to make choices about the vehicles they drive…

Yesterday I posted a comparison between my Mazda 3 and the Honda Accord Hybrid, using the Gas mileage impact calculator on the Hybrid Cars website, the results were interesting (Honda Accord Hybrid Vs Mazda 3). A study conducted by CNW Marketing Research Inc. over the last 3 yrs had access to more resources than I to conclude that the lifetime energy consumption of a hybrid vehicle exceeds that of a comparable non-hybrid vehicle (CNW Marketing Research Inc study). But the fact is that some of us want to move away from fossil-fuels and see R&D of alternative fuel vehicles that cause little or no impact to our fragile environment. Now the people at CNW Marketing Research Inc. base they findings on a vehicles avg. mpg cost. We all know that hybrids cost more, its technology is new, buying a hybrid to save on gas money is the wrong notion. What I want to see is the decrease of vehicle emissions? Once the automakers have refined the hybrid tech. and with more people buying them, the price of these cars will come down. Coolaboration efforts are already underway between comapnies such as Toyota and Subaru. On the other hand gas price is a variable that fluctuates constantly, to base ones results just on one factor does not really hold sway for me. Yes we do have to take into account the dust-to-dust factor of the car and I do agree on this with the researchers at CNWMR. But I would like to see the actual stats on this study before going any further.
Hence I conclude that the day and age of the conventional SUV has come and gone and we need to move on, I believe that when someone goes out to buy a hybrid he/she is not doing it solely on some form of animal instinct. Todays car consumers are well informed individuals and if they do buy a hybrid his/her primary concern is environmental conservation and reduction of car emissions.

Toyota in the UK has recalled all first-generation Prius hybrids after it was discovered the hybrid battery pack can leak. The leakage, which Toyota says does not pose a safety threat, can affect all models sold in the period of 2000-03 and affects 1,239 petrol/electric….
If memory serves me right (Iron Chef), sometime last year a few American Toyota Prius owners had problems of they cars shutting down on them and it affected over 160,000 vehicles which were manufactured between 2003-04. This problem was rectified by putting in a software patch for the cars computer. But did Toyota give every single US Prius owner here a bottle of Champagne, valeted and topped up, mmh. Not that I want anything, just curious. Good customer service I say old chap, hope some of it crosses over to this side of the pond (if and when a problem arises). So notice is hereby given to all Toyota Prius owners out on the roads of North America youhave been made aware what to expect in return for emotional distress caused due to your hybrid not functioning right.

Source: http://www.channel4.com/4car
http://www.hybridcars.com

I was just curious as to how much impact my Mazda 3 would have on the environment and my wallet. Using the Gas Mileage Impact (GMI) calculator on the Hybrid Cars website, this is what I found:

1. My Mazda 3 cost just over $16,000, the Honda Accord Hybrid cost approx. $30,000.
2. Fuel Economy on my Mazda is at 26/34 city/hwy mpg, currently we are getting close to 26 combined on it, Honda Accord hybrid estimates between 25/34 city/hwy mpg.
3. Now using the GMI calculator my Mazda will consume 447 gallons vs the Honda Accord hybrid 405 gallons over 13000 miles/yr, current gas price at $2.58.
4. The Accord hybrid saves a whopping $109.39 on gas a year, but cost twice the price of a Mazda.
5. Emmission wise the GMI calculator estimates the Mazda will emit over 8,494 lbs of CO2 when compard to the Accord hybrid’s 7,689 lbs thats a difference of 805 lbs.
6. Carbon Monoxide scores are a bit whacked, my Mazda 3 by the GMI calculator estimates to emit 146 lbs, while for the Honda Accord hybrid it is 316 lbs.
7. Nitrogen Oxide, again its sounds crazy, Honda Accord hybrid gives off 9 lbs compared to 6 lbs by my Mazda and the amt. of hydrocarbons emitted are 4lbs by the Mazda and 7 lbs by the Honda Accord.

Taking all this into consideration, buying the Mazda is really working out for us. So why do we need buy a Honda Accord hybrid, which cost more and actually does not differ significantly from a conventional vehicle like the Mazda 3, when it comes to emissions.

If you want to view a clip from South Park’s “Smug Alert” episode go to http://www.hybridcars.com/south-park-hybrid-smug.html

When we talk about green cars, we would generally assume that one is talking about cars on the road, but now its time the aviation industry to do its bit and ground support companies for the aviation industry should convert to “greener fuels”. You have probably seen those men & women driving those luggage tractors while skilfully dodging aircrafts at the airport, most of those tractors run on either gasoline and diesel. The Hydrogen Engine Center (HEC) out of Iowa has unveiled its new Mini Oxx three-cylinder 2.4L engine at the Aviation Industry Expo in Las Vegas, Nev. The Mini Oxx is a compact version of HEC’s Oxx Power six-cylinder 4.9L engine—the company’s basic product. HEC has developed hydrogen engines which can be refitted into the luggage hauling tractors. The current problem is that the infrastructure for large supply of hydrogen is currently not available at airports. HEC states that if aviation ground support companies order a gasoline-fuel engine from them, then these comapnies have pre-positioned their operation to convert to a hydrogen engine when the time is right.

Mark had asked me earlier to check out some information about alternative fuel sources for the aviation sector, and what I found was that jet fuel needs to have a very high octance and usually its either kerosene or a blend of kerosene, naptha and lead. Unfortunately the US aviation industry is the only industry that does not have any engine emission regulations set on it.
Source:
http://www.hydrogenenginecenter.com
http://www.baylor.edu

Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that Toyota Motor plans to offer gasoline-electric hybrid versions for all vehicle classes to meet its target of quadrupling annual worldwide hybrid sales to 1 million vehicles by 2012…

What does that mean for us the potential hybrid buyers?

Yes, you read my mind and this article, this will lower the prices, which has always been a bit above my range. Claims that prices could fall as low as 40% will be seen in 2012. Now that will definitely attract more buyers. The other reason, is that you and your car will not stick as a tree-hugger, hence lowering that “smug” factor.

Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com

Honda Canada gave us a peek at the future of motoring with real- world demonstrations in Vancouver this week of its FCX hydrogen fuel cell cars.

Apparently there are 20 FCX cars on the roads in the US and 7 in Japan. Honda is the first car manufacturer to get an approval and certification for an hydrogen car from the EPA and California Air Resources Board aka CARB. Now why are the foreign car manufactures always the first when it comes to things like innovative technology for alternative fuel vehicles. Do you see a trend or am I just getting too tied up in conspiracy theory. Well only time will tell. Moving on, to reiterate the great points for a hydrogen vehicle:

1. Renewal resource.
2. Hydrogen can be extracted from the atmosphere and the only byproduct is water.
3. Hence CO2 emissions are omitted from the equation.

More research is being done by companies like Honda, so that hydrogen can be extracted from natural gases and be delivered safely to the masses. Honda will need to have a good infrastructure set up so that sufficient hydrogen refuelling points are available when fuel cell cars eventually do hit the roads, lets learn from the mistakes of others so that there are not repeated, you get my drift.
Source: http://www.carbonfree.co.uk/cf/news

I tried to get some pictures of the Saab 9-3 E100 concept from the Stockholm Motor Show. So I decided to go onto the official site for the Stockholm Motor Show and the site really sucks, check it out for yourself. This show comes around once ever three years, its claims to be the biggest motor show in Scandanavia and it plans on attracting over 200,000 people over th next 9 days, and I could not find one decent picture of the cars on display. Wonder if any photographers are covering this event, so people if you are reading this and you happend to own a camera and are in Stockholm and plan on going to the motor show, please take some pictures for me and then post them. Cheers.
In the mean time here are some pictures of the Saab 9-3 Biopower hybrid.
Source: http://www.babez.de/saab/biopower