Where is the auto industry taking us?
Energy density according to Exxon.
Hybrids, EVs, fuel cells. Or gas-guzzlers forever?
I was cleaning out some bookmarks and came across this graph in an interesting article regarding energy density. The article and the graph come from Exxon, which used the graph to explain why by 2040, 90 percent of transportation would still be fueled by liquid fuels.
Now, there are countless arguments to make as to why Exxon is wrong, and I’m not going to make any of them. Instead, I wonder just one simple thing: Where is the auto industry taking us? Read more…
Categories: Fuel Economy, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, lithium batteries, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, Fuel economy, Hybrid Cars
Toyota’s Chinese hybrid car efforts become intriguing
Toyota
Is China the key to cheaper hybrid cars?
A few days ago I saw a picture of the Toyota Yundong Shuangqing hybrid, and didn’t really think much of it. A Chinese designed hybrid for the Chinese market seems like an obvious move for Toyota. And while China is an interesting automotive story, Chinese cars don’t mean much to me unless they have greater implications beyond the Great Wall.
Turns out; however, the Shuangqing hybrid could be about much more than China. Read more…
Categories: Hybrid Cars Tags: china, Hybrid Cars, toyota ft-bh
$1000 or less: The key number for hybrid car buyers
Hybrid economics: Consumers won't think long term
Consumers simply won’t cough up much dough for fuel efficiency
According to a new Yahoo study, because of higher gasoline prices 28 percent of consumers have already bought a smaller car, and at $4.00 per gallon another 30 percent are considering a smaller car. However, when it comes to hybrid cars, 58 percent claimed they’d be willing to pay $1000 extra for a hybrid. 38 percent reported that they won’t pay anything extra for a hybrid.
Obviously, car consumers are interested in fuel economy, but not enough to pay extra to save money on fuel long term. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Hybrid Cars Tags: Hybrid Cars
Ford explains lack of hybrid, plug-in pickup trucks
No Ford hybrid pickup trucks anytime soon?
The costs of hybrid trucks are just too heavy
Ford has owned the title to the best selling vehicle in America, well, almost forever. While that’s great for this American company, it’s terrible for US fleet fuel economy. If Ford’s top selling F150 Series came in a hybrid or plug-in option, on the other hand, it would be a game changer thanks to the incredible amount of gasoline such vehicles could save.
Unfortunately, Ford CEO Alan Mulally squashed any hopes for a major move to battery-powered pickup trucks any time soon. Read more…
Categories: Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
Hybrids, plug-ins dominate best cars for An American Terrorist
The best car for An American Terrorist
Fighting foreign oil dependence one car at a time
As I’ve argued numerous times, the only thing that is really going to change American energy policy and consumer purchasing is a revolution in consumer psychology, outside of either force, or an almost miracle technological breakthrough. That’s the idea behind An American Terrorist. To shake up the energy independence conversation.
Anyway, the Nissan Leaf took top honors amongst the 5 best cars for An American Terrorist. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Buying plug-ins, Chevy Volt, Energy Independence, Hybrid Cars, Nissan Leaf, Plug-in Vehicles, Toyota Prius C, Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: foreign oil dependence
The funny thing about plug-in and hybrid car haters
This is America and the key to ending foreign oil dependence
Haters matter far more than battery car advocates realize
Electric cars are so Audi 5000.
No they’re not. They really make sense if you objectively analyze the data.
Analyze this. Only a moron would pay extra for a car that has a range of less than 100 miles.
Moron? Fox News watching neanderthal.
Tree hugging fascist.
There, problem solved. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Buying plug-ins, Energy Independence, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
Shopping for a Toyota Prius? What Prius buyers should expect
Prius c supplies a bit limited
What to expect when buying a Toyota Prius
Recently, I went shopping for a Toyota Prius c. Essentially, I wanted to find out more about the c hybrid sale’s story from the dealership floor, or lot. Is there selection? Are their deals? So, since I was shopping the c, I thought I’d shop the whole Prius family.
And there is both good news and bad news for Prius buyers. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Hybrid Cars, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius C, Toyota Prius V Tags: Hybrid Cars, Toyota Prius
It really is the stupid American consumer
'We the People' is the only label that really matters.
It all comes down to the people, and you’re either with us or against us
Several years ago the uncle of a friend of mine won around $10 million in the lottery, when you couldn’t accept a lump sum. Before he won the lottery he, like most of us, struggled to pay his bills. A few years later — after winning the lottery — he was again struggling to pay his bills, and had to sell all off his future lotto payments to payoff his after-lottery-acquired debt. Today, he lives pretty much the same way he did before the lotto. Lotto stories like these are actually common, and they represent just how the American consumer is so often their own worst enemy.
The American consumer is also the biggest roadblock when it comes to energy independence and switching to fuel efficient choices like hybrids and plug-ins.
Maybe freedom isn’t such a good thing? Read more…
Categories: Energy Independence, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, foreign oil dependence, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
Hybrid cars. Still a great American mistake
It might be ugly, but its cost and fuel economy will be over-whelming
What if every automaker sold as many hybrid vehicles as did Toyota last month?
Yesterday was an interesting day. Turns out that hybrid cars are more green than plug-ins in a majority of American markets. And, even where plug-ins offer a significant green advantage, range anxiety and costs remain huge obstacles to widespread plug-in adoption. Unfortunately, those costs and that range anxiety probably won’t be resolved until sometime in the next decade according to another study released yesterday. Even then, the improvements might not be enough for all out mainstream plug-in penetration.
Quite simply, plug-ins have a long journey ahead, but for Toyota, mainstream hybrid cars are already here. Read more…
Categories: Energy Independence, Fuel Economy, Hybrid Cars, Tax Incentives, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius C, gas prices Tags: Hybrid Cars, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius C
New study – Plug-in cars and emissions across the US
Plug-ins help clean up dirty coal
Plug-ins are cleaner than gasoline, but not always hybrids
Do plug-ins just transfer CO2 emissions from the tailpipe to the coal plant? No, according to a new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Plug-ins are often much better than any other option, and almost always better than most conventional gasoline powered cars.
But, there are issues lurking — when plug-ins mainstream. Read more…
Categories: Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: co2, electric cars, emissions, plug-in hybrids
