Super Fuel Efficient Autos for the Carolinas

The demand for fuel efficient vehicle is very strong that civic organizations are doing their best to promote the use of eco-friendly and fuel efficient vehicles. An example of this is the Plug-In Hybrid Coalition of the Carolinas which is slated to receive its first delivery of a plug-in hybrid car on the 23rd of this month.

The said plug-in hybrid vehicle is a prototype which, according to sources, has an astounding gas mileage rating of 100 miles per gallon. That figure is for city driving. The fuel efficiency of the said prototype is complemented by its environment friendliness. The car reduces emission by as much as 60 percent.

“We are thrilled to show technology exists that will significantly improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gases, and lessen our dependence on foreign oil,” said Jim Poch, the Executive Director of the Plug-IN Hybrid Coalition of the Carolinas. Poch also pointed out that the use of alternative fuels will further enhance the eco-friendliness of the vehicle and its fuel efficiency as well.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles are essentially hybrid vehicles which can be recharged by plugging it into an electrical socket. This capability of plug-in hybrid vehicles is made possible by an efficient battery pack which is powerful enough to store a large amount of power. This stored power should also be complemented by advanced electric motors which will be tasked to drive the vehicle.

By simply plugging in a PHEV into a household socket, its battery pack can be recharged. For car owners who do most of their driving around a city, the capability of the advanced battery pack and the electric motor would mean that consumption of petroleum fuel will be virtually eliminated.

The Coalition is a grassroots organization composed of civic, business, and environmental leaders. The coalition’s aim is to urge automakers to push forward with the development of practical plug-in hybrid vehicles for mass production. Over 50 prototypes of PHEVs have already been built since 2004. Two of these are hybrid school buses used in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina. In response to the coalition’s urging, both Toyota and General Motors, the largest automakers in the world predicts that PHEVs may be mass produced by 2010.

Area utilities supporting the coalition include SCE&G, Progress Energy and Duke Energy. Bob Long, the general manger of corporate planning for SCE&G, has this to say about their involvement in the initiative: “Government studies have shown our nation has enough off-peak electricity to power 84 percent of the nation’s passenger and light duty truck fleet. Since the vehicles reduce emissions and lower fuel costs, we think plug-ins present a winning combination for consumers, the environment, and the utility industry.”

Meanwhile, Lloyd Yates, the president and Chief Executive Officer of Progress Energy Carolinas, has this to say: “Meeting the energy needs of the future requires a balanced solution, one that includes alternative projects like these plug-in hybrids. We are excited about the coalition’s work and we look forward to learning more about the promise of these vehicles.”

The delivery of the coalition’s first PHEV signals a new era for vehicles such as this. With this, it seems that the advent of PHEVs could not be stopped even with highly efficient brake components from Active Brakes Direct.

The sentiment of the coalition is summed up by Dana Beach, the Coastal Conservation League Director, saying: “We are excited to help showcase this technology. Anything that improves air quality and reduces greenhouse gases is urgently needed.”

FACTBOX-The new power generation in autos

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FACTBOX-The new power generation in autos
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Bush Reviews More Fuel-efficient Autos

US President George W. Bush took another day in the nation’s capital to look over some advanced vehicles that are powered by flexible and alternative fuels. At a U.S. Postal facility, Bush reviewed a group of advanced technology commercial vehicles after meeting with the CEOs of General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler’s Chrysler Group at the White House.

Bush discussed about the need for additional government funding of research top auto executives that include Rick Wagoner, the Chairman and CEO of the General Motors Corporation; Alan Mulally, the President and CEO for the Ford Motor Co.; and Tom LaSorda, the President and CEO for the Chrysler Group. The automaker’s CEOs alluded to the president’s proposition, suggesting that the White House may be more open to upping research funding for automakers, especially on advanced batteries.

Bush was quoted saying: “I’ve just spent quite a while talking to our CEOs of American automobile companies. And I was interested in their take on my goal of reducing gasoline consumption by 20 percent over the next 10 years.”

He added, “I found it very interesting that by 2012, 50 percent of the automobiles in America will be flex-fuel vehicles. That means that the American consumer will be able to either use gasoline or ethanol, depending upon, obviously, price and convenience.”

Wagoner said, “From General Motors’ perspective, we very much share the President’s vision, and we definitely see a path through to both lower oil consumption, lower amounts of imported oil, and fewer carbon emissions. And obviously, a near-term opportunity that we are moving on right now, as the President cited, is flex-fuel vehicles that are powered by E85 ethanol.” He added, “There are millions on the road today. As a group, we’ve agreed to double our production by the year 2010, and then have 50 percent of our production E85-capable by the year 2012.”

“The goal I laid out of reducing gasoline by 20 percent over 10 years is a realistic goal,” Bush noted. “In other words, this isn’t a pipe dream, this is something that our nation can accomplish. It’s going to take more research dollars, it’s going to take working with the private sector, and it’s going to take innovative leadership.”

Bush also met with officials from the U.S. Postal Service, Fedex, UPS and DaimlerChrysler “to talk about how we are using new technologies to convert truck fleets, bus fleets to vehicles that will be able to help meet the goal of reducing gasoline usage by 20 percent over 10 years.” He also witnessed three DaimlerChrysler-built vehicles and a GM-built advanced technology which are used as a U.S. Postal vehicle.

The president’s gasoline reduction proposition intends to dramatically increase ethanol use by 2017, to 35 billion gallons per year, and increasing the fuel efficiency of vehicles to limit gasoline usage by five percent, or 8.5 billion gallons yearly. The White House said that reaching that goal will require automakers to raise fuel efficiency of vehicles by an average of four percent annually.

Bush’s proposition analysis could cost the auto industry $114 billion between 2010 and 2017, including $85 billion for domestic auto manufacturers. Automakers have strongly opposed that aspect of the plan, though they support reforming the way passenger car fuel economy regulations are set.

There is no need to apply EBC greenstuff braking for the goal towards cleaner environment plus the curbing of foreign oil reliance could be enjoyed by the nation in due time.

Fuel-efficient Car Makes 3 Autos in the Driveway

With gas prices rising above $3 a gallon nationwide, many drivers are pushed to purchasing small cars. But hundreds of thousands of owners are not giving up anything to downsize. Instead, they opt to add fuel-efficient cars to their driveways, parked alongside their SUV or pickup.

In households that own a small car, the family fleet is close to an average of three vehicles, according to CNW Marketing Research, which tracks industry trends. These growing fleets suggest an approach to conservation that is more addition than subtraction. “Small cars are like a fashion statement,” said Art Spinella, the president of CNW Marketing. CNW data also showed that more than 500,000 were sold last year as second or third cars in a household for three small cars, the Toyota Prius and Corolla and the Honda Civic.

Ken Collinsworth purchased a Toyota Yaris last month for his daughter to take to college this fall. But with gasoline price close to $4 a gallon near his home in Paso Robles, Calif., Collinsworth has been forced to driving the Yaris instead of his BMW X5 SUV and his GMC Sierra pickup. “I steal it from her every chance I get,” said Collinsworth, 53, who added that he would like to get another Yaris.

In another era, he might be pitied for parking one of his luxury cars to drive around in a gas saver. But unlike small cars introduced in the past, which had limited creature comforts, the latest bunch, including the Yaris, Nissan Versa, and the Honda Fit, can be bought with many of the same sought-after options as their bigger siblings, like navigation screens or iPod connections.

“It is a fundamental change,” Spinella said. “People are willing to buy small cars because they are more sophisticated.” And buyers appear willing to pay a lot for them. In 1990, buyers stuck to the low end of the scale when they bought a small car, CNW’s data showed. More than three-quarters opted for basic no-frills models, sometimes even forgoing a radio to keep the price down.

Now, ninety percent of purchasers are buying fully loaded small cars, the data revealed. “You look at these cars, and they have 16-inch wheels and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a high-quality interior,” said A. Andrew Shapiro, a partner in the Casesa Shapiro Group, an auto industry investment and advisory firm. “They aren’t econoboxes, they’re just smaller cars.”

Pierre Tremblay, 67, of Howell, Mich., purchased a Toyota Prius this month because driving his Dodge Ram pickup 40 miles round-trip to work was costing so much. So far the Prius is getting 55 miles per gallon, compared with 13 for the truck. “I can go to work now, back and forth, on less than a gallon. Before it was at least three,” said Tremblay, a maintenance manager for a cement company.

With regular unleaded gas averaging $3.53 a gallon in Michigan this week, according to AAA, that is a savings of over $8 every workday. But Tremblay was not ready to get rid of his pickup, which is used to haul a camping trailer. The Acura head gasket and accessories as well as tempting huge luxury vehicles could not change his mind.

Americans have spent $20 billion more on gasoline so far this year compared with 2006, according to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office. “From a dollars-and-cents point of view, it doesn’t make sense,” said Jesse Toprak, the director of industry analysis for Edmunds.com, a Web site that offers car-buying advice. “There’s no way you’re going to drive it enough to justify the purchase, so it’s more of a psychological decision.”

MINICARS MICROCARS CRASH TEST FAIL CAR CARS AUTOS New Crash

MINICARS MICROCARS CRASH TEST FAIL CAR CARS AUTOS New Crash Tests Demonstrate the Influence of Vehicle Size and Weight on Safety in Crashes Results Are Relevant To Fuel Economy Policies Three front-to-front crash tests, each involving a microcar or minicar into a midsize model from the same manufacturer, show how extra vehicle size and weight enhance occupant protection in collisions. These Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests are about the physics of car crashes, which dictate that very small cars generally can’t protect people in crashes as well as bigger, heavier models. “There are good reasons people buy minicars,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “They’re more affordable, and they use less gas. But the safety trade-offs are clear from our new tests. Equally clear are the implications when it comes to fuel economy. If automakers downsize cars so their fleets use less fuel, occupant safety will be compromised. However, there are ways to serve fuel economy and safety at the same time.” The Institute didn’t choose SUVs or pickup trucks, or even large cars, to pair with the micro and minis in the new crash tests. The choice of midsize cars reveals how much influence some extra size and weight can have on crash outcomes. The Institute chose pairs of 2009 models from Daimler, Honda, and Toyota because these automakers have micro and mini models that earn good frontal crashworthiness ratings, based on the Institute’s offset test into a deformable barrier …

Clean Car Wars: How Honda and Toyota are Winning the Battle of the Eco-Friendly Autos

• ISBN13: 9780470823293
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Product Description
As American automakers lose market share, Honda and Toyota are soaring on the backs of their high-quality low-emissions vehicles. The increasing trend toward clean car technology means those companies that can build the best low-emission car will have the best chance of long-term success and survival. Clean Car Wars presents a revealing look at the Japanese auto industry and how its two biggest automakers are battling each other, and the world, for supremacy of this vital emerging market.