Is $1 billion for a 100 mpg gasoline sedan an evil Republican plot?
Are we closer to 100 mpg gasoline cars than we think?
Couldn’t it also be a hybrid?
The other day I read a piece on AutoWeek slamming an idea from a Republican Congressman that I’ve never heard of that is apparently part of an evil plan by the entire Republican Party — even those few that actually helped make plug-in tax credits a reality — to crush the whole idea of increased fuel economy. $1 billion for an automaker to develop a 100 mpg gasoline sedan.
“It’s all pretend,” claimed author Davey G. Johnson.
Davey, Davey, Davey. So why then does Utah Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dan Adams disagree? Read more…
Categories: Eco-modification, Fuel Economy, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, Tax Incentives, electric cars Tags: composites, electric cars, Fuel economy, Hybrid Cars
Hybrid and electric car buyers are just better
Go ahead and hate me for being intelligent and responsible
What’s the cost of not taking action?
Sure, the buyers of hybrid and electric cars don’t always make the most cost-effective choices, but many times their choices are best, even financially. For example, many hybrid cars make the best city cars and they can be far more cost-effective than non-hybrids. But even if hybrids and plug-ins are not always cost-effective, at least hybrid and plug-in buyers are taking action, at least they’re taking responsibility.
The rest of America just talks about taking action. Blah, blah, blah. Some day I’m gonna go on a diet, stop smoking, start investing, be a better person — starting tomorrow. Always tomorrow. Sure, we can all talk a big game, but few of us even show up on game day. Thus, despite some arrogance and elitism, maybe even some ignorance, hybrid and electric car buyers are still better than most other Americans. Read more…
Categories: Energy Independence, Fuel Economy, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, Fuel economy, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
Mainstreaming fuel economy tech through auto race fans
Toyota's Le Man's race hybrid car
Using pop culture to sell fuel efficiency
As I was web-surfing earlier today I was stopped dead in my tracks by a few images on the AutoWeek home page regarding NASCAR and Le Mans. Emblazoned upon the 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup car, in big and bold letters, was EcoBoost. The other image was one of Toyota’s Le Mans race cars, a hybrid.
When auto race fans become a good consumer segment to sell fuel efficiency technology to, then it’s safe to say cupholders will never again be more important than fuel economy to car buyers. Read more…
Categories: Hybrid Cars Tags: Fuel economy, Hybrid Cars
Nissan finally has some hybrid car bragging rights, kind of
M for Master of hybrid speed
Best performance hybrids for the money?
Nissan has been a vocal hybrid bear for many years. Instead of choosing to build a hybrid drive, Nissan first leased Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, preferring to instead focus on pure plug-in electric cars. However, eventually Nissan gave into hybrid momentum and began to develop a proprietary hybrid drive.
And now that hybrid drive, via the Infiniti M hybrid, has given Nissan some hybrid bragging rights: fastest hybrid sedan. Read more…
Categories: Fuel Economy, Hybrid Cars, Infiniti M 35 Tags: Fuel economy, Hybrid Cars, Infinity M35 hybrid
Hybrid cars won’t be enough for the millennial revolution
The Matrix and the Millennial revolution.
It’s the social experience, stupid
Advanced infotainment systems. Stylish and fuel efficient compacts. Those two underlying trends will be key to the future of the auto industry, at least the portion driven by millennials and beyond, according to the latest conventional thinking.
Oh how funny is future shock especially the faster technology evolves. If only the future were so easily predictable. Then such boring predictions might actually come true, and life would be so much more simple. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Fuel Economy, Hybrid Cars, Telematics Tags: auto-drive software, Fuel economy, Hybrid Cars
Toyota Prius V versus Honda CR-V: Rethinking the crossover
Can the V's versatility and fuel economy reshape the crossover segment?
Doe the V make any sort of sense?
So a friend of mine called yesterday to ask my opinion about the new Toyota Prius V, particularly regarding battery life, an interesting bit of synchronicity since I covered this subject in a post yesterday. Ultimately, my friend — let’s call him Stan — is considering the Prius V and the Honda CR-V.
Now I’ve written in the past that I really like the V, but I wouldn’t pay more for it compared to a conventional Prius without a third row of seating, but my friend and his growing family, sees things a bit differently. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Hybrid Cars, Toyota Prius V Tags: Fuel economy, Hybrid Cars, Toyota Prius V
American gullibility: Auto industry full of pathetic liars*
What do you mean it doesn't average 40 mpg?
Time for more truth in advertising?
Have you seen the 4 x 40 Hyundai rap video? It’s actually kind of amusing, except for the fact the ad is a complete lie. But who cares about the truth these days?
Not politicians, nor government agencies such as the FTC. Obviously not automakers. And apparently not consumers either. Maybe America just prefers fantasy over reality. I don’t know.
However, I do know the auto industry is full of a bunch of dirty rotten liars*. Read more…
Categories: Fuel Economy Tags: Fuel economy
128.3 mpg in a hybrid: “That’s why I bought this thing”
The dash of Dave's hybrid
If only the rest of America thought the same about fuel economy
Hype. Image. PR. Image over all else. That’s largely the nature of our modern world these days. Maybe it has always been that way. Automakers, for instance, are geniuses at covering up their role in the terrible geopolitical and environmental mess the world finds itself in these days. But they’ve only been giving consumers what they want, right?
Except for people like Dave Perry. Rather than the normal American ride, Dave bought a hybrid to push the limits of gasoline-powered fuel efficiency, and boy did he ever. 128.3 mpg over the course of 132 miles. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Energy Independence, Fuel Economy, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars Tags: Fuel economy, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars
Spinning China, GM, fuel economy & America into a fiber of carbon
The original, carbon-fiber molded Chevy Volt concept
Where’s the incentive to simply lighten the load?
For years I’ve pumped the potential of carbon fiber. Sadly, carbon fiber seems more mythical than mainstream EV penetration. Fortunately, I think that’s primed to change. Unfortunately, probably not in America. At least not directly.
But in China — where GM’s Buick rules — it’s a whole different game of innovation. One technology doesn’t rule. Even amongst Chinese communists scientific objectivity makes sense. More compelling, GM’s partnership with Chinese-based Teijin Limited offers real and unique advantages for both GM and China. Read more…
Categories: Fuel Economy Tags: carbon fiber, Fuel economy
CAFE and the EPA: Fuel economy for advertising deception, not the real world
How can 40 mpg sometimes mean 17 mpg?
When 40 mpg actually means 17 mpg
Let’s say you live in Venice, CA and commute to downtown daily for your 9-5. Every morning you cruise down Venice Boulevard — or at least you try to, but instead find yourself stuck at stop light after stop light — until you finally make it to the long line of cars slowly merging onto the 405. From there stop-and-go traffic takes you to the 10 interchange and downtown, at a top speed of 30 mph, if you’re lucky.
So, to save money at the pump, you buy one of those new 40 mpg cars you’ve been hearing about endlessly, but are disappointed to find that you aren’t even averaging 20 mpg. WTF!? Read more…
Categories: Fuel Economy, gas prices Tags: Fuel economy
