Hybrids Are Not The Only Answer

Hiatus

2009-09-08T17:49:00.002-04:00

To anyone following this blog it's been fairly evident that I've not been able to keep it up to date lately. It's been over a month since my last post, and even prior to that I was uploading posts pretty irregularly.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to keep up with updating this blog any time in the foreseeable future.

A paid writing gig was in the works for quite some time now, and it came through recently so I'll be devoting more time to that, and virtually no time to this blog.

Of course, you're welcome to read through the archives if you do find my writing of interest.

Cheers,
Kevin

They Can Be Taught!

2009-08-06T07:34:00.004-04:00

I've been reading up on some of the numbers emerging from the American "Cash For Clunkers" program and I have to admit I find much of it encouraging. It's great to see that many are taking advantage of the governments money to make responsible choices.

The program, for those outside the United States, encourages people to trade in their older, less fuel efficient vehicles for newer, cleaner ones by offering a pretty generous incentive... up to $4500 (US). To get your full share of the $4500 from the government the new vehicle purchased to replace the old one has to get at least 10 mpg fuel efficiency. A lesser improvement will get less incentive cash.

This article on CNN.com is particularly interesting. While over 80 percent of vehicles traded-in were light trucks (SUVs, pickups and vans), 59 percent of the new vehicles purchased were passenger cars, thus proving something I've said for ages.... many people who drive SUVs don't actually need them. They're poseurs.

Also, of the top 5 cars purchased, only one hybrid (the Prius) is among the top 5, and it's outside the top three. People making responsible choices are still buying gasoline powered cars.

In any case, thus far the Cash For Clunkers program has seen an increase of over 35% in fuel economy when the new cars are compared to the older cars traded in. No matter how you look at it, that's a good thing!

Edmunds: Prius Will Take 26.2 Years of Driving to Recover Cost Premium

2009-08-03T15:51:00.002-04:00

Autoblog.com just published an article so good I would almost think they had my little blog in mind when they penned it.

It turns out that what I've been saying all along is true: Diesels pay off quicker than hybrids!

The article mentions the fact that with gasoline and diesel prices being about the same in the US, the hybrids are feeling the hurt. Since around here I've noticed that diesel is $0.10-0.11/L (US$0.30-0.35/Gal) cheaper than gas, the disparity would be even greater, favoring the diesel even more.

What Happens When Cars Go On a Diet?

2009-07-19T00:50:00.001-04:00

Everything, including fuel efficiency, get's better.

Guest Post: Old vs New – Are the Cars Getting Better?

2009-06-11T10:02:00.006-04:00

Today I've got a guest post from the CarsoBlog.

Like me, the writer of that blog doesn't blindly buy into the hybrid hype and greenwashed marketing. Also like myself, he wants to enjoy his car, not just look for a tool to get him where he wants to go.

Be sure to look for more content from the CarsoBlog in the future as well.

Some time ago I watched a road test of the new Ford Fiesta on TV. Guy was doing a full scale review, praising Ford for a good job. Talking about the interior, trunk, drivers position, brakes, engine, fuel economy and prices… all the boring stuff. And then he said (what was in his opinion the greatest news there) about the car: New Fiesta is not heavier than the previous model! Wow, a success?

And that made me think. What happened with the motoring… if during the review they find as a success that the car didn’t get fatter? That is a real success for myself, when I look in the mirror from time to time and see that the diet is working. But with cars? All the hi-tech, aluminium, carbon fibre, computers – and they still get heavier. And needless to say: what weight does with the fun of driving.
Let’s start with the example: Volkswagen Golf GTI.
We all know the Golf GTI badge. It have been spreading around the world for over 30 years now. The concept of “Hot Hatch” class was started by the very first Golf GTI Mk1 in 1983. The car was small, cheap and fast. It had only 4 gears, small 13 inch wheels. Today You get that configuration in “shopping cart”. But it was fun! Although it had only simple 1.6 l 110 HP engine, but it weight only 800 kg (1785 lbs).

You can read the rest of the article HERE.

Sustainable Zoom Zoom

2009-05-28T12:45:00.001-04:00

Just recently I came across this bit of info on the Mazda.ca website in the "Upcoming" section:

The Mazda3 is one of Mazda’s core products, with more than two million units of the first generation produced. The design of the new model has a bolder and more dynamic stance; it is agile and confidence-inspiring, enhancing the sense of oneness between the driver and car. It also has high environmental and safety performance levels, exemplifying Mazda’s Sustainable Zoom-Zoom long-term vision to provide cars that are eco-friendly and safe while still being fun to drive.

The Mazda3 with i-stop embodies Sustainable Zoom-Zoom and adds a new eco-friendly option to the lineup. It features the i-stop system in combination with the MZR 2.0 DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition) engine. Together, these two Mazda proprietary technologies help the new model achieve approximately 12 percent lower fuel consumption (urban cycle) than the current European Mazda3. By providing great driving performance as well as top-class fuel economy, the Mazda3 with i-stop is a different type of eco-car that will exceed customer expectations.

I've got to say that's great news for those of us that endeavor to make eco-friendly choices, but who aren't willing to give up the joy we get driving! I wrote about this system briefly last year, but this is the first time I've read about their proprietary start/stop system, called i-Stop, on the Mazda Canada site. Now we're left to wonder... is this being published on their site because it's something we can actually look forward to seeing in showrooms soon, or is it - like their diesels - yet another feature we aren't getting here in North America.

Source.

Diesels @ The Nurburgring 24h!

2009-05-21T09:22:00.003-04:00

Diesels are quickly becoming more and more prevelant in endurance racing of many types. And it's not just the Audi R15 TDI vs. the Peugeot 908 HDi at LeMans, or the VW vs. Mitsu Dakar racers either.

Tomorrow (05/23/09) the 2009 edition of the Nurburgring 24h starts. There are 180 cars registered for this epic event, of which 18 are diesel powered!

In the D1T class (1.75-2.0L diesel) there are entries from BMW, Opel, Seat, & VW.

In the D2T class (2.0-2.5L) there is an entry from Toyota.

In the D3T class (2.5-3.0L) there are several BMWs and an Audi.

You can follow all the action live here: LINK

Lotus Exige 270 Tri-Fuel: Will It Get Produced?

2009-05-07T14:45:00.002-04:00

(Image courtesy Autoblog.com)

Talk about too cool for words!

Last year I posted this article about some of Lotus' green evolutions. Well, according to this new article on Autoblog.com there's some interest in making this tri-fuel powered Exige happen.

Wow!

If I had the cash I'd be dropping a deposit on this beast tomorrow. I mean, who wouldn't want a car with 270 horsepower that is pint-sized compared to a Mazda MX-5 and could potentially be carbon neutral?

TDI Truth & Dare: Video 1

2009-05-07T06:30:00.000-04:00

Volkswagen has opened a TDI Truth & Dare microsite on vw.com to promote their all new lineup of TDI powered vehicles. On that site you'll find links to articles featuring their TDI vehicles, TDI Cup race reports, the interactive "TDI Tank Wars", as well as videos debunking diesel myths.

Also at the microsite you'll find the TDI Toolbox which allows you to find the nearest diesel pumps as well as the lowest diesel prices. There's also a savings calculator to compare the operating cost of a TDI to others cars.

Source: Autobloggreen.com

Who Is To Blame For Inefficient Cars?

2009-05-05T11:16:00.002-04:00

What could this car do in 1986 that the vast majority of cars today can't?

It got 50 miles per gallon.... and that was without any sort of hybrid technology, special computers to manage the fuel consumption, or the power of a flux capacitor.

Twenty three years later there are just a handful of cars in showrooms across America capable of getting 50 miles per gallon.

And whose fault is that?

The consumers!

And the government.

And the automakers.

Michael Le Roy blames the consumers in his article printed in The Spartan Daily. I'm only partly inclined to agree. He writes:

"Imagine owning a car that achieved 50 miles per gallon. It would not be some fancy hybrid that would have the newest in battery technology or a special computer to manage the mileage. No this car would be a 1986 Honda CRX.

A Honda CRX is tiny, and despite being more than 20 years older than a Smart Fortwo, it gets nearly equal or better gas mileage.

You might be wondering why modern cars such as the Smart Fortwo and Prius are not getting better gas mileage. Where is the technological advancement over the past 20 years?

A reason why modern cars get poor mileage is because they are just too damn heavy."

At this point I totally agree with him. The cars we drive are definitely too heavy.

"Consumer demand for luxury and government safety regulations have weighed down cars. The combination of couch-like comfort and the safety of a Panzer tank have made cars into fat pigs. All this added weight affects gas mileage and the range of electric vehicles.

Modern sedans weigh more than 3,000 pounds. Keeping with the Honda weight comparison, let's look at the Honda Accord.

A first generation model that came out in 1976 weighed around 2,000 pounds. A 2008 model is 3,200 pounds.

If you look back at the Honda CRX there is no wonder it got great gas mileage. It also weighed around 2,000 pounds, did not have to comply with modern emissions requirements and would be crushed like a tin can when hit by a 4,500 pound modern sport utility vehicle."

Again, good points. But read between the lines... "consumer demand for luxury" is only a part of the problem. Consumers also demand size. Everyone wants bigger and better. People are so self-absorbed they aren't willing to make any compromise. They buy the biggest car with the biggest engine they can afford.

Here in North America the many foreign (read: Euro and Japanese) automakers all offer V6 engines in the cars they sell, while those same vehicles sold anywhere else in the world only come with 4 cylinder engines. In some cases, here in North America we can only get the 6 cylinder model, while the rest of the world has smaller, more efficient options available to them. BMW is a perfect example of this... their 1 Series only sells with the 6 cylinder engine in the US and Canada, while Europe gets a seemingly endless list of engine options ranging from fire breathing performance to frugal & efficient.

And who is to blame for that?

Where I really don't agree with the writer is the "I feel safer in a bigger vehicle" argument, which has been proven a fallacy. And besides being false, it wouldn't even be an issue if those 4500 pounds SUVs hadn't been foisted on the general driving population by the greedy automakers looking to sell their highest profit margin vehicles in the first place.

"We can only blame ourselves when it comes to cars on the market having relatively poor gas mileage. Our demand to tack on stuff such as heated seats, emission equipment and side air bags have greatly diminished gas mileage."

On this point I disagree with Michael. The blame isn't only on the consumer. I blame the automakers for pushing their larger engines on us in the first place. The BMW 1 Series is a car I'd happily consider as my next vehicle IF one of the diesel options was available. 75% of my annual driving in my daily commute, and as much as I'd love to drive the hottest baby Beemer available, that would be a total waste of resources. A diesel powered 1 Series would be the best of both worlds for me... the dynamics that I want, with the efficiency I need. Unfortunately for me, BMW doesn't sell any diesels, nor any small displacement engines, in the North American 1 Series, and the last time I asked they said they had no immediate plans to start.

"If federal law and consumer demand allowed, car companies would happily sell high gas mileage models that are currently sold overseas. Japan has a number of 660cc cars that get more than 50 miles per gallon and are far cheaper than a hybrid. The problem is no American would buy them. American consumers have also ignored high gas mileage, diesel-powered cars.

Car companies are trying to release gas-efficient models. They are not evil corporate entities that wish only to destroy the planet. The automotive industry would love to sell you a 200 mile per gallon car as long as they could make a profit."

Again, I can't agree here. Some companies are just starting to look at offering efficient vehicles in North America, but compared to other countries in the world, the US and Canada (to a lesser extent) are far behind. If the car companies really were trying to release more efficient models, where are all the small displacement engines? Why are most North American models now selling with larger engines than there were a decade ago?

Eight years ago I purchased a Mazda Protege5. The only available engine was a 2.0L. That same year the sedan version of the Protege was available with a 1.6L, and a 2.0L. For the 2010 models that are in dealerships now, the only available engine options are a 2.0L and a 2.5L in either the sedan or the hatchback.

In England, the Mazda3 sedan is available with 1.6L or 2.0L (gasoline powered) engines, and the Mazda3 hatchback is available with 1.4L, 1.6L, or 2.0L (gasoline powered) engines, as well as 1.6L and 2.0L (diesel powered) engines.

So who's to blame? The consumers for "demanding" more, or the automakers for only offering more?

"Even though Chevrolet is not doing too well right now, they do have models coming out that provide descent gas mileage. The 2010 Chevy Cruze will have a 1.4 liter turbocharged engine that Chevy claims will get 40 miles per gallon. That is nearly hybrid territory, all without a battery pack. With a base price of around $16,000 the Cruze will be very competitive, providing the car lives up to General Motors' claims. The car will also be relatively light by modern standards, at 2,900 pounds.

The next Prius will get 50 miles per gallon, but the Cruze will still be the better deal. If the next generation Prius comes in at $22,000, the Cruze will still undercut it by $6,000. That much money will buy approximately 80,000 miles worth of gas for the Cruze.

The automobile industry would like to manufacture lighter and more fuel-efficient models, but currently the only way to do that is to either make them less safe or use expensive composite materials.

Higher prices or less safety - pick your poison."

Now the Cruze is my kind of car... except that it's ugly. But that's just a matter of taste. It's small, light, and is propelled by a small engine using turbo technology to give it some extra power when needed. Turbos are a great thing. They give you power when you need it, but don't add any extra consumption when you don't need it (ie: most of the time you're rolling down the highway with the cruise-control on).

The rest of the world gets it! When will we?

Source: The Spartan Daily

"Practically" Zero Emissions Vehicles

2009-04-26T18:43:00.012-04:00

While Subaru is generally more famous for rally shenanigans than fuel efficiency, by no means are they known for that alone. Subaru is also very friendly to the environment.

In fact, long before SUVs bore the stigma they bear today, Subaru was making what we now know as "crossovers". I'd go as far as saying they invented the genre with the original Outback.

There is very little that an SUV can do that an Outback can't. And anyone with even the slightest environmental conscience can see that. 90% of the "work" an average, soccer-mom driven, SUV does can be accomplished by a moderately sized wagon. Even those who makes an excuse to own an SUV by claiming they need the added traction of 4 wheel drive have no excuse since Subaru has that covered as well. Perhaps that's why Subaru is one of the only brands not posting losses month after moth ever since the gas price spike of last summer. They give you cake, and let you eat it too.

What's this about "zero emissions" though? Subaru's run on gas like any other internal combustion engine powered vehicles on the roads today. They aren't hybrids, and they certainly aren't EVs. In fact, due to the added weight and resistance of the all-wheel drivetrain, a Subaru vehicle will almost always be slightly less fuel efficient than a similarly sized 2 wheel drive counterpart. It's a small price to pay for drivers who live in a climate where the roads are snow and/or ice covered for 4+ months of the year.

That being said, Subarus can be "green". The Legacy model range (including the Outback) is manufactured at Subaru's production facility in Indiana, which is a zero landfill plant. Yes, a factory that produces 200,000 cars a year has 0% waste. 99.8% is recycled, and the last 0.2% is incinerated according to EPA requirements (otherwise I'm sure they'd find a way to recycle that too).

Even more interesting than that is the fact that Subaru produces three models in the Legacy range that are classified as PZEVs, or "Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles". (Yes, that's a bit of an oxymoron... it either is, or it isn't zero emissions. I prefer my own definition of "practically" zero emissions.)

What does PZEV mean though?

It means that the cars built to that standard are fanatically clean. Vehicles sold in North America are among the cleanest ever due to the uber-strict emissions laws in the state of California. PZEV vehicles are a further 90% cleaner than even that!

The only cars on the roads cleaner than a PZEV are those that run on no fuel at all, solely on batteries!

The U.S. EPA rates vehicles on a scale of 10 for cleanliness. An electric scores 10. The average new car today scores about 6. A hybrids scores about 8.

A Subaru PZEV scores 9.5!

Emissions from the tailpipe of a PZEV can even be cleaner than the ambient air in urban areas.

And all this environmental friendliness doesn't come with a premium price tag either. The PZEV equipment is standard on the base model of the Legacy sedan and wagon, as well as the lower intermediate model of the Outback.

For a full road test review of the Subaru PZEV you check out this article on Sympatico/MSN.

And then be sure to check out Subaru's official PZEV mini-site at subarupzev.ca to decide which affordable, eco-friendly vehicle alternative is best for you.

Tesla Could Set EV Mileage Record

2009-04-16T09:18:00.002-04:00

A lot of media people who have tested a Tesla Roadster have criticized the perceived mileage it gets on a single charge. Of course, when you give an automotive journalist a car he's going to thrash the hell out of it. (A few years ago I saw a bunch of Chrysler 300s after a media day at a local track. It wasn't a pretty site.) It's to be expected that a person given the task of writing about a vehicle will do anything and everything he can to the car in question in an effort to get every last ounce of performance out of it.

It makes for interesting reading, and more importantly... great photos to go along with the article.

However, unless you spend more time at a track than in traffic, very little that's been written about the Tesla in mainstream automotive journalism is relevant to the real world.

What is relevant is this article I found on endgadget.com earlier this week.

A Tesla driven in a normal day to day manner could potentially get about 280 miles on a charge. That's just over 450 kilometers. Now we're talking.

And how much does it cost to charge? That depends where you live and how much your electricity costs, but I've seen estimates ranging from $0.06/mile to as low as $0.02/mile.

Worst case scenario.... a "fill up" costs just over $16.

Best case... less than $6.

And electricity prices don't fluctuate on a whim either.

Diesels We Can't Buy in North America

2009-03-05T18:27:00.000-05:00

North America has been, let's face it, utterly slow in accepting diesel as an alternate fuel for passenger cars. To the average North American driver a diesel is what powers dumptrucks, farm tractors, and 18-wheeled rigs.

On the other side of the Atlantic where they average automobile driving consumer is somewhat more enlightened, diesels account for about half the passenger cars on the road.

Autobloggreen.com put together a gallery of 10 diesels available in Europe that are not sold here in North America.

Check out some of these numbers:

10) Chrysler Grand Voyager CRD - 9.4L/100km (25 mpg US)
9) Porsche Cayenne Diesel - 9.4L/100km (25 mpg US)
8) Volvo XC60 - 7.6L/100km (31 mpg US)
7) Jaguar XF S Diesel - 6.7L/100km (35 mpg US)
6) Honda Accord Tourer Type-S - 5.9L/100km (40 mpg US)
5) VW CC Blue TDi - 5.6L/100km (42 mpg US)
4) BMW 116d - 4.4L/100km (53 mpg US)
3) MINI Cooper D - 3.9L/100km (60 mpg US)
2) Ford Fiesta ecoNetic - 3.7L/100km (64 mpg US)
1) smart ForTwo CDI - 3.3L/100km (72 mpg US)

From minivans, to SUVs, to luxury sedans, to wagons, to compacts and subcompacts... each of these vehicles is sold in North America (not always the same name, but the same vehicle nonetheless) with a gasoline burning engine that doesn't even come close to the fuel economy of their diesel burning counterparts, and in some cases doesn't even match the performance numbers either.

Tesla EV Coming to Canada!

2009-03-05T08:53:00.004-05:00

Forgive me if I get more than a little excited about this, but the Tesla Roadster will soon be available here in Canada. Not that I'll be able to even remotely afford one, but still it's very cool news, and I look forward to hopefully seeing one in the flesh... er... alloy one day.

In the mean time we have these images Courtesy of Norway's Ferdinand Motor to ogle, as well as some video of the Tesla testing on snow and ice thanks to autobloggreen.com

(more video at the link)

The full press release from Tesla can be read HERE.

The part I find most promising is this:

Canada is uniquely positioned to become a premier showcase for Tesla, which has delivered more than 200 cars to U.S. customers. Canada and Norway are the only two countries worldwide where the majority of electricity comes from renewable resources, including run-of-river small hydro, wind, biomass, geothermal and solar energy.

An EV recharged from the current Canadian grid, on average, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 85 percent compared to an equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle. In hydro-dominant British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba, the reduction would be an impressive 98 percent.

Quebec has the capacity to produce so much hydro-electricity that we have leftover power that we sell users outside of the province. And it's all from renewable, and virtually non-polluting resources. Compared to electricity produced by burning coal, this puts us at a huge advantage in terms of how eco-friendly an EV in this province truly can be. While the Tesla is a dream car, I sincerely look forward to the day when battery power is the preferred means of vehicular motivation.

In the mean time, hopefully I'll get to see one at the 2009 edition of the Rallye R.E.A.L. this fall.

Why We Get the Shaft at the Pump

2009-03-03T15:34:00.007-05:00

I did some research this afternoon in an attempt to figure out why gas prices jumped by nearly $0.20/liter (~$0.75/gallon) between the time I went to bed and the time I woke up. It turns out that oil prices actually dropped 10% on Monday due to... well, honestly I couldn't really care why. Suffice to say, the price of crude dropped 10% while the price of gasoline went up 25%!

Why?

Because they can!

That's basically the gist of this very interesting article I found.

Essentially the companies that make the oil into gasoline are working less and charging more. Good for them... their profit margin is soaring.

Bad for every person who owns a vehicle that burns fossil fuels.

This is why I can't wait for some valid alternative fuels to come to market, no matter what the source... biofuels, algal based oil, hydrogen, or something else. Better yet, some electric vehicles that are honestly affordable, not artificially so.

In the mean time, BOHICA!

"Greed Is No Longer Good"

2009-02-18T10:51:00.003-05:00

I've been meaning to put this link up since forever ago, but have just been so busy I kept putting it off. The link has been sitting, unused, on a tab in my Firefox since the 12th of February.

Autobloggreen.com has an article up with the transcript of a speech given by John Krafcik, the President & CEO of Hyundai Motor America.

He talks about why the automotive business has been so much maligned in recent years and how their actions have caused them to be perceived as "bad guys who care little about our own customers and the world we live in."

No, really?

He goes on to say "Another revolutionary step we can take is to embrace improved fuel economy as an indisputable social good. There's really no point in arguing about the veracity of climate change when you stop to consider the finite supply of oil, and the turmoil that our present consumption habit is fueling in the Middle East. It's abundantly clear that improved fuel economy makes sense for our industry and for our country. [...] As an industry, we need to take a longer term view of our environmental strategies. That means stepping up and getting ahead of the regulators where that makes sense. We think that time is now."

Now that is interesting. And I can't help but applaud an auto exec who has the guts to get on a stage and make a statement like that in public, especially in North America.

The full transcript of his speech can be read HERE.

And remember kids... don't buy a hybrid to save money!

2009-02-13T15:17:00.003-05:00

According to this article at autoblog.com, hybrids not only cost more to buy, but they also cost more to fix. And that's just general repairs, with no mention made of battery pack costs.

On the bright side, if your Prius does break down and you can't afford to fix it because the monthly payments on it's over-inflated sticker price are draining your bank account, you could always just leave it parked in your driveway and use it to power your fridge, stove, or other appliances.

Holy Crap! Mitsubishi pulling out of Dakar rallying!

2009-02-04T10:59:00.002-05:00

I'm shocked!

After watching this years absolutely amazing rally, featuring a battle of the diesel titans between Mitsubishi and VW, as well as the privateer BMW X-Raids, I'm stunned to read that Mitsu are pulling out of cross country rallying.

This was their first year running diesels (compared to Volkswagen who've run them for years), and despite some setbacks, as well as finishing off the podium, I'd sincerely hoped they'd be back to challenge VW in 2010.

Source.

Lexus Europe: No Hybrids Here!

2009-01-19T08:42:00.003-05:00

This is too funny...

Autobloggreen.com

Short version: "Our hybrid really isn't significantly better than our diesel, so we aren't going to bother with the trouble of selling it to you."

Europeans are smart, and they don't waste time with greenwashing... one drivetrain is just much simpler and more cost effective than two.

EVs & Diesels in Detroit

2009-01-12T12:38:00.004-05:00

I've been closely following autobloggreen.com for the past couple of days as they cover the eco side of the Detroit International Auto Show. It's pretty cool to see the concepts, but even cooler to see the cars that are actually going to be found in dealer showroom this year.

You can check it out yourself HERE, or click the links below to specific articles.

MB Unveils Concept BlueZero

The Lotus... er, I mean Dodge Circuit
57 Miles Per Gallon Roadster: The BlueSport from VW

More Pics of VW's Diesel Performance Roadster

Audi A3 TDI Coming to US Dealers in '09

ED smart (a poor choice of acronyms)

Fisker Karma & Karma-S (will these ever been seen on a road near you?)

LAME!

2009-01-08T07:46:00.003-05:00

(Warning: I'm about to throw all professionalism out the window!)

If it wasn't bad enough that lame duck Prius drivers cause traffic congestion because of their maddeningly slow driving habits, they're now getting to park right near the doors along-side the legitimately handicapped people.

According to this article at usatoday.com hybrid drivers in some places are getting "parking perks".

LAME!

And hypocritical too!

Why should a hybrid driver arbitrarily get advantageous parking when there are plenty of conventional vehicles that get as good, or better, fuel mileage? Without even trying I can name a couple of hybrids that get worse mileage than my gasoline powered sedan which isn't even a particularly economical model. I could name a dozen or more cars that can easily better that majority of hybrids on our roads.

Like I said... hypocritical. It's another pathetic case of hybrid propaganda, greenwashing, and BS environmental image favoritism.

Clash Of The (Diesel) Titans

2009-01-02T23:28:00.002-05:00

The 2009 edition of the infamous Dakar Rally (formerly Paris-Dakar) kicks off in just over 6 hours from the time I'm writing this. Competing in that event will be Volkswagen with their TDI Touareg, and for the first time, Mitsubishi in the clean diesel powered Racing Lancer. They formerly entered this rally-raid event in a conventional gasoline powered Pajero. This is the first time two clean diesels will be facing off in the Dakar and it's shaping up to be an epic battle between these two powerhouses.

And just take a look at this video of the Racing Lancer!

That's about as much fun in a 4 wheeled vehicle as can be had!

Why Waste Time With Hybrids...

2008-12-30T17:37:00.002-05:00

When pure electrics can be this good?

Those are some of the early test laps of the first (as far as I know) EV race car, the KleenSpeed WX10-T.

I can't wait to see that on a track racing in earnest!

KleenSpeed.com.

Tango EV Snow Plow

2008-12-26T21:52:00.001-05:00

I can't honestly say I'm sold on this particular electric vehicle, mostly because it's bloody weird looking.... but I have to admit that it'd be useful around here for nearly a third of the year.

Go Green: Drive a Porsche!

2008-12-17T15:11:00.005-05:00

No really, it's true.

This Porsche 911 gets better gas mileage than my 4 cylinder family sedan!

I'm as shocked as you are. And I'm wondering how I can convince my boss that my next company car should be a 911, so I can save the company money, of course...

Seriously though, German ex-racer Klaus Niedzwiedz proves, once again, that how you drive is as important as what you drive. He was able to hypermile the 3.6L, 345hp sportscar exactly 400 miles (648 kms) on a single tank of gas through city streets, over country roads, and down the Autobahn... all while maintaining an average speed of 52 mph (84 kph), with his top speed being 81 mph (131 kph).

That works out to 42.2 miles per gallon (Imperial), 35.1 mpg (US), or 6.7L/100km.

That's astonishing!

It doesn't hurt that the Porsche employs some high-tech engineering like direct injection, as well as a 7-speed PDK gearbox which enables you to drive 130 km/h while keeping the engine revving under 2000 rpm.

Source.

Another Hybrid Aborted

2008-12-16T11:57:00.005-05:00

As I mentioned here back in July, Audi is doing it's best to push diesels in North America over hybrids, thankfully.

Since diesels outperform hybrids on highways (where North Americans generally spend more time driving) this makes perfect sense to me.

Audi did, however, have plans to offer their Q7 & Q5 SUVs as hybrids to appease the masses. Thankfully, they've killed those plans and are sticking with TDI powerplants for these two trucks. Interestingly, they cite crash-test issues with the batteries. Since other automakers haven't canceled their hybrid production, I have to wonder if Audi found some issue the others haven't, or if they simply are being more exacting than the others.

In any case, they are bringing new (for them) fuel saving technologies to their lineup, including start-stop and other improvements akin to BMW's Efficient Dynamics.

Personally I'd wish they'd also spend more energy on bringing their TDI powered sedans, coupes, and roadsters here as well... especially the smaller ones like the A3.

Source: Autocar

The Moment I've Long Been Waiting For!

2008-12-15T15:36:00.002-05:00

Top Gear drives the Tesla!

Hybrids are crap... even the "good" ones. They're over-priced, over-weight, under-performing, and are basically a futile exercise as far as I'm concerned. They don't get particularly great fuel mileage when you consider the cost, and as I've mentioned before, they don't do anything to wean us off our dependency on fossil fuels. It always irks me when people refer to them as "alternative vehicles", since there's no true "alternative" because they, like all other cars or trucks, still need to go to the gas station to fill up with the very same fuel that any other IC car/truck needs.

Bio-fuels and electric vehicles are truly viable alternatives... as the technology of each continues to progress they'll be the ones offering an honest alternative to filling up with with fossil fuels.

Clean Diesel Gets Dirty!

2008-12-11T13:37:00.004-05:00

Hmm... fishnets!

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Volkswagen entered a Clean Diesel powered Touareg in the Baja for the very first time and finished a respectable 13th in their class out of 26 starters.

Autoblog.com has a full article up now about their experience covering the event and watching the TDI (relatively) quietly perform.

Even better than that though, is this video from streetfire.net all about Volkswagen Motorsport's involvement with the project. It's awesome to see them stepping up with absolute commitment to developing and fielding ultra high performance diesel engines in racing.

Volkswagen TDI Touareg at the Baja 1000

Top Gear Reviews the Ford Fiesta...

2008-12-10T11:20:00.004-05:00

... as only Top Gear can!

I don't know about you, but capabilities like those would serve me well in a sub-compact hatchback. More than once I've found myself in a situation similar to those pictured and thought "if only my car could...."

Personally, I can't wait to see the Fiesta (as well as it's Mazda sibling, the Mazda2) here in North America. It's coming soon, and is a strong contender to be my next car in 2 years from now. The fuel prices we're seeing today won't last forever, and even though I drive a marginally efficient car now, my next one will be even more frugal, without sacrificing the joy of driving.

Tesla Gets Pulled Over

2008-12-04T12:51:00.005-05:00

This might be a first, but I can't say for sure...

First Week With a Tesla

EV on Ice!

2008-12-02T11:03:00.005-05:00

This little green beast of a car is known as an "Andros Car". It's a purpose-built electric vehicle intended to compete in the Andros Trophy race series in France. It is, as far as I know, the first EV built specifically to race in what is otherwise a conventional racing series populated by gasoline powered cars (and bikes).

The Andros Trophy is a winter race series held on ice/snow covered tracks, and is basically a mix of rally super-special stages, conventional circuit racing, and drifting. The shells of small cars like the Toyota Auris, Kia Rio, BMW 1 Series, Renault Clio, Citroen C4 and others are mounted over radical race chassis with 300+ horsepower engines and all wheel drive, and are then subsequently thrashed around on winter race tracks all over France.

It's a whole lotta' fun!

Not only will this EV be competing against conventionally powered cars, it stands a decent chance of winning. Last year the 2nd version of the Andros car won the final event of the year. The 3rd iteration (pictured above) should be even better.

And starting in 2009, there will be a 100% electric class featuring 10 of these cars competing.

Finally, there is also an electric bike, the Quantya, competing in the 2 wheeled class of the Andros Trophy.

Two video's of the Andros Car 03, as well as the Quantya bike can be seen HERE as well as HERE.

As a passionate motorsports fan I have to admit that I have a hard time dealing with the lack of noise... part of racing is the awesome sound of a high performance engine but even so, I'm eager to see EVs shed their laughable sterotype - that of being slow, ugly, micro-cars that look like they belong on golf courses and retirement community driveways instead of the real road - and really start to show that they can perform.

VW Touareg TDI's First Outting

2008-11-24T12:51:00.003-05:00

Last weekend was the 41st running of the Baja 1000 race in Mexico.

It was also the first time in the event's history that a Clean Diesel powered vehicle successfully competed in, and completed, the event. VW's Touareg TDI placed 13th in it's class of 26 trucks.

This Touareg TDI was powered by a 550-hp 5.5l V12 diesel, which is quite a bit more substantial than their forthcoming Dakar entry, but still... clean diesels are slowly but surely becoming an integral part of endurance motorsports.

LINK

Friday Update

2008-11-14T09:44:00.002-05:00

I haven't had a whole lot of time lately to update this blog with articles as much as I'd like to... but there are a few in the past few days that I'd like to touch on briefly.

First, I really want to redo my "How Much Does That Hybrid Really Cost" article that I wrote up a few months ago. With the current fuel prices being so low, that article would take on a whole new dimension. The amortization period for a brand new hybrid now must be astronomically high! The huge premium that hybrid buyers were suckered into paying earlier this year when their popularity skyrocketed must be a very painful pill to swallow right now.

Secondly, the 2 most economical hybrids that were sold in the USA are now not elligible for the hybrid tax credit. Yes, the Toyota Prius (which was bumped last year) and Honda Civic Hybrid (which will be axed from the list at the end of 2008) have sold enough cars to be considered mainstream enough to not need any tax credit incentives to sell. What about the cars that are left? Of the 16 still elligible for the credit, only ONE gets better than 33 miles per gallon.

That's laughable!

In fact, 13 of the 16 vehicles left on the list are large, low-mileage SUVs! It's a joke... a totally, hypocritical joke! Half those huge hybrids won't even be around showrooms in a year or two because they aren't selling, even as "fuel efficient" hybrids.

Lastly, some good news!

While GM and Chrysler are busy scrambling to sell their models that nobody wants, Ford is busy looking ahead instead of behind and are continuing to develop their small cars for North America! For anyone that keeps an eye on what they produce at Ford in Europe, this is exciting news! Personally I can't want to see some ST and RS models of the new Focus, Fiesta, and possible even Ka come to showrooms here.

The Extinction of the SUV-Asaurus!

2008-11-13T13:32:00.003-05:00

This is a perfect example of my philosophy of making responsible choices when car buying. You don't have to buy a hybrid to save money on gas, but any fool with half a brain can see the pitfall of buying the biggest, heaviest, & most inefficient vehicle they can barely afford.

There's a joke about fossil-fuels in there somewhere....

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before...

2008-11-10T07:36:00.002-05:00

Environmental responsibility, or social statement... why are you buying a new car?

Memory Retention of a Goldfish

2008-11-03T09:51:00.002-05:00

Courtesy salon.com

200+ Miles Per Hour on Biogas!

2008-10-29T08:19:00.002-04:00

Audi is quickly becoming a favorite automakers of mine. The silver bullet pictured here is yet another example why. They took a standard 3.0L current gen A4, fitted twin turbos to boost the output, and converted it to run on biogas... in this case, fermented switchgrass!

The results? 585 horsepower, and a top speed of 327.2 km/h, or roughly 202.8 mph.

Source.

What Car Buyer's Really Want

2008-10-27T12:03:00.003-04:00

According to a Survey done by BMW in Britain... 75% of buyers would not buy a hybrid. Why? Because while 20% of buyers actually do look at CO2 emissions when car shopping, "three quarters of motorists would purchase a lower-emissions car only if it saved them money". Saving money is by no means the same as saving gas.

You can read the full BMW press release HERE.

It's All In The Spin!

2008-10-22T14:56:00.002-04:00

Earlier this week when I was looking around the lexus.ca website for the facts & figures used in the previous article I came across the "Lexus Hybrid Drive" section of the site with headings on "Benefits", "How It Works", and "Hybrid Myths". Some of it was well presented and honest, but a few "facts" were so rife with spin I got dizzy!

A few examples:

A Powerful Statement
Lexus Hybrid Drive is an advanced gas-electric hybrid system that delivers significant environmental benefits without sacrificing power or performance.

First... I hate anyone that justifies hybrids primarily by declaring them to be a statement!

Secondly, are the environmental benefits truly significant? As I brought out in my last article about Lexus, in the case of the GS450h, it only uses 4.6% less fuel than it's conventionally powered counterpart. That's hardly significant.

I will admit that it does indeed do so without sacrificing power though. After all, you've got 2 powertrains working together to do the work of one, so of course it will end up being more powerful.

But what about performance? Performance can be measured in a multitude of ways. Since we can assume that these 2 cars will be fitted with many (if not all) identical parts outside of the powertrain, that means "performance" in this case can be boiled down to two things: power, and weight (since the extra motor + the batteries to power it weigh a few hundred pounds).

-GS350
Horsepower: 303@6200
Torque: 274@3600
Weight: 3795

-GS450h
Horsepower: 340@6400
Torque: 267@4800
Weight: 4134

The hybrid does have a slightly better power to weight ratio, which means acceleration will be somewhat better. But since it weighs over 300 pounds more, braking and cornering will suffer. A lot!

It would be like having my ex-wife in the backseat all the time!

Next:

Lexus Hybrid Drive vehicles are significantly more efficient than their non-hybrid counterparts. While fuel consumption is lower for both city and highway driving, city driving requires less fuel because the electric motors are often used exclusively at low speeds.

Yes I will agree that city driving with a hybrid uses a lot less fuel since you spend more time rolling on electric power, as well as having the benefits of start/stop (which conventional vehicles are soon starting to get).

But yet again... there's the word: significant. 4.6%... significant? Not in my opinion.

In the "Hybrid Myths" section:

Hybrids Cost An Arm And a Leg
There is an initial added cost outlay, but it's not nearly as significant as you might think. You'll also benefit from available government rebates, reduced service costs and fuel savings. The Lexus GS 450h gets almost 25% better fuel-economy than its conventional cousin, the GS 430.

The people at Lexus seem to have a very fluid perception of what "significant" means. A 4.6% savings in fuel consumption is "significant", yet a 38% increase in MSRP is "not nearly as significant as you might think".

How stupid does Lexus think their customers are?

As for benefiting from government rebates... here in Canada (after all, I'm reading lexus.ca) there is only one of the three Lexus hybrids that gets that rebate, which is a mere $1000 (on a $55,000 vehicle).

As for the claim that the 450h gets 25% better fuel economy than it's conventional cousin, the 430... it's true, but that's only because they are powered by two entirely different engines! The 430 is powered by a 4.3L V8, while the 450h is powered by a 3.5L V6! Lexus is comparing apples to oranges. There's 2 extra cylinders and nearly 25% difference in displacement between the 2 engines, so of course the bigger one would use more gasoline.

Compare apples to apples Lexus... conventional 3.5L V6 vs hybrid 3.5L V6.

But wait, you don't really want to do that because 4.6% isn't nearly as significant as 25%.

Sorry Lexus.... you've got some very nice looking vehicles, but your hybrids are not nearly as great as you proclaim them to be, and the lack of respect for your customer's intelligence is appalling!

If you want to read more of their nonsense and spin, feel free to visit their hybrid page for yourself.

ePorsche

2008-10-10T11:42:00.004-04:00

For the automakers that feel hybrids are here to stay, and not just a transitional technology, I can't help but wonder how their hybrids will be powered when gas is too expensive for anyone to buy, or when it's completely gone all together...

According to Johnson Controls, electric cars will eventually win out!

Those that are more forward-thinking are already hard at work making cool electric powered cars. Tesla is the first to put performance EVs in the hands of consumers, but RUF is hot on their heels with their electric powered Porsche.

-200 horsepower
-418 lb-ft of torque
-0 to 60 is less than 7 seconds
-160 mph top speed
-zero emissions

I want one!

Source.

Lexus Says "Hybrids Aren't Just a Transition Technology"

2008-10-07T16:02:00.002-04:00

"They are here to stay."

So claims Andy Pfeiffenberger, the head of Lexus Europe. Perhaps in the future things will be different, but in their current state, hybrids are nothing more than a band-aid. And if what they have now is all they have to offer, Toyota/Lexus is in a very sad state.

For starters, hybrids as we know them now do very little to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. The fact is, they still need gasoline to run. Sure they may use a bit less, but like I said... they're just a band-aid. Hybrids on our roads today are doing little to wean us off gasoline, and nothing to promote alternative energy solutions.

Just look at the hybrid offerings from Lexus themselves:

The GS450h is the hybrid version of the GS350. The 350 is powered by a 3.5L V6 and gets a combined EPA rating of 10.7L/100kms (22mpg). The GS450h is powered by the same 3.5L V6 (I wonder where they got the 450 nomenclature from?) but with the addition of the electric motor puts out a few more horsepower, while consuming 10.2L/100kms (23mpg).*

That's a grand total of 4.6% improvement in fuel efficiency! (And don't forget that they both need Premium pump gas too...)

Wow!!

That figure is even more amazing when you factor in the price. What does the privilege of 4.6% improvement in fuel economy cost you? Try $11,250 in the United States, or $18,200 in Canada!**

Let's do the math on that:

In the USA it will cost you about 25% more to save 4.6% on gas.

In Canada it will cost you over 34% more to save 4.6% on gas.

Andy Pfeiffenberger had better hope Toyota/Lexus can come up with something much better than that if they truly believe that hybrids aren't just a transition technology and really are here to stay.

*Fuel economy figures taken from fueleconomy.org.
**Price differentials based on MSRP, taken from lexus.com and lexus.ca respectively.

Speed matters!

2008-10-02T14:29:00.002-04:00

For the sake of science, I've been making a nuisance of myself over the past month and a half. How so? By sometimes driving exactly speed limit... aside from the occasional Prius, I felt like I was about to be run into more often than not. Why was I doing this? Read on.

Common sense dictates that driving slower uses less gas! It's simple logic... if your engine turns less RPMs, then you are therefore pumping less fuel through it and creating less power.

But, exactly how much does slowing down save? (Or conversely, how much does speeding up cost?)

Over the last little while I've been keeping track of how my speed affects my fuel economy. Using a Scan Gauge (an essential tool for all hyper-milers and anyone concerned with saving gas) I've been able to verify just how much (or how little) fuel I use during my daily commute. Unfortunately, there's far too many variables involved in my entire commute to give anything close to accurate numbers for comparison.

However, there's one stretch of exactly 16.0 kms which is generally congestion free. Many mornings I can turn on the cruise control and not have to touch a pedal for the duration. This doesn't always work though, and from time to time my test was binned because I had to either slow down or speed up to avoid getting into, or causing, accidents.

This stretch includes a few curves in the highway, 3 underpasses, 2 overpasses, one long uphill, and another downhill section.

I ran many tests at varying speeds, alternating randomly between 100kph (the posted speed limit), 105kph, 110kph, and 115kph. The speed driven on any particular day was chosen randomly. The randomness was to prevent any one factor from unduly influencing the results. Things like aerodynamic drag (tried not to spend too much time behind any other cars on the highway), temperature (it was marginally warmer when I started running these tests), the amount of gas in the tank (full vs. empty, different weight), etc. were hopefully negated by averaging out multiple tests over nearly two months of trials. Results that were inexplicably high or low (severe headwind/tailwind perhaps) were thrown out.

Below are the results of 5 different trips at each speed, taken on entirely random days over the last 6+ weeks.

100 kph:
6.8L/100km - 6.5L/100km - 6.4L/100km -6.4L/100km - 6.5L/100km.
Average: 6.52L/100km

105 kph:
6.8L/100km - 6.7L/100km - 7.2L/100km - 7.0L/100km - 6.8L/100km
Average: 6.9L/100km

110 kph:
7.3L/100km - 7.2L/100km - 7.6L/100km - 7.2L/100km - 7.4L/100km
Average: 7.34L/100km

115 kph:
7.8L/100km - 7.7L/100km - 8.1L/100km - 7.9L/100km - 7.7L/100km
Average: 7.84L/100km

So what does speed cost?

Driving 5% faster than the speed limit costs 5.9% more in fuel.

Driving 10% faster than the speed limit costs 12.6% more in fuel.

And finally, driving 15% faster than the speed limit costs you 20.25% more in fuel!

I'd like to try higher speeds to see exactly how much fuel consumption increases with every 5kph, but there are consistantly police along this particular stretch of highway as well, in at least four different spots, so going any faster for the sake of this blog just isn't worth it.

The increase is definitely steep though. Aerodynamic drag increases exponentially with speed, and therefore increases fuel consumption sharply. Looking at my numbers above you can do the math and see that 20% faster than the 100kph speed limit will cost roughly 28-29% more in fuel.

So, is driving fast worth it to you? I suppose it depends how late you are.

Or how much money you want to burn.

VW Jetta TDI Sets Guinness Record

2008-09-30T16:15:00.001-04:00

Congrats to Helen and John Taylor, who set a new World Record by driving their 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI around the United States (the lower 48) while achieving a record setting overall fuel mileage of 58.82 miles per US gallon. That is 70.64 miles per Imperial gallon, or 3.99L/100km.

The trip of over 9,400 miles used just 11 tanks of gas and cost them only US$653.06.

You can learn more about them and read a journal of their entire trip on their official website.

(Image courtesy vw.ca)

Rallye R.E.A.L. Update

2008-09-30T09:39:00.003-04:00

I got some more info about this coming weekend's Rallye R.E.A.L.

Over the course of the two day event the cars will travel from Alma, Quebec to St-Jerome, Quebec via a route of approximately 800 kms. The complete entry list, however, is a real disappointment... 18 cars entered, every last one of which is a hybrid.

Joy of joys.

Not a single CNG, LPG, or bio-diesel/biofuel powered car to be seen. No EVs either.

It's quite a let-down when you consider that it's supposed to be an "alternative energy" rally, yet every single car entered runs on fossil fuels. Sure they're "hybrid" so they can get slightly better fuel mileage, but they aren't really alternative since they have to fill up with the same gasoline nearly every other car on the road uses.

Booooring!

Volvo's DRIVe Technology

2008-09-24T10:47:00.004-04:00

I think it's absolutely great when an automaker steps back for a moment, takes a look at the vehicles they produce, and asks "how can we make this just a bit better without sacrificing the car itself?"

That's exactly what Volvo has done with their DRIVe technology, which analyzes a vehicle's efficiency and then optimizes it for economy. Volvo calls it a "holistic approach to eco-performance"... which I find irritatingly haughty sounding, but that's just me. The principles and technology involved are totally sound.

Volvo took their diesel powered C30, S40, and V50 and looked at 4 different areas of each of the cars and optimized them accordingly: they reduced aerodynamic drag, they lowered rolling resistance, they used higher gearbox ratios, and a finally, implemented a more efficient driveline.

The end result: an average increase in fuel economy of about 10% over the equivalent standard models, which were already very efficient cars to begin with.

Take a look at the cars in the picture... aside from the unusual looking wheels you can't really see a difference, can you? It just goes to show that automakers can make a difference when they put their minds to it.

Read all the details HERE at greencar.com.

Chrysler's EV Recipe

2008-09-23T15:40:00.006-04:00

(Also known as "how to copy Tesla in 3 easy steps".)

1) Buy a Lotus... everyone's go-to when they need something cool, quick, and light weight! In Chrysler's case, it was the new Europa, vs. Tesla's choice of an Elise.

2) Remove all the gasoline burning parts.

3) Replace said parts with high powered electric motor, to the tune of 268hp.

They figure it'll go from 0 to 60 in less than 5 seconds, top out at about 120 miles per hour, and will be able to cover 150-200 miles on a single charge (which they claim will take 8 hours on 110v, and 4 hours on a 220v circuit).

This is how to make, and sell EVs. GM take note. Having an arse-ugly, four-door, Civic/Prius crossbreed that can only do 40 miles on a charge is not the way to make people take note.

As for this little EV... remove the Viper copycat stripes and I'd buy one!

More HERE.

Monday News Quickies

2008-09-22T10:23:00.007-04:00

I don't have a lot of time today to get into everything I'd like... but I did see a few articles over the weekend that I want to highlight.

First of all, Mazda is working on developing synthetic plastics. Since plastic is a petroleum based product, using it to lighten cars (to improve fuel economy) isn't exactly an entirely winning situation since it still would be reliant on oil. By working to develop synthetic substitutes for plastic, Mazda is effectively working on backing away from any reliance on oil. As I've mentioned here in the past, they're also working on a brilliant start/stop technology (much better than the usual way at least...) which I very much hope will be available sooner rather than later. When my current lease it up I'll be looking for a vehicle with start/stop and Mazda would easily be at the top of my list if theirs is out in Canada by then. Finally, they have a very interesting looking 2.2L diesel in the works too. It'll be sold in Europe sometime in '09, paired with their start/stop tech, which makes me hopeful that it will soon after find it's way to North America.

Next, Audi is working on an intelligent system that communicates with stop-lights on the road ahead and informs you as to what speed you should travel so as to arrive at the light when it's green. This is a fantastic idea that has to potential to greatly improve fuel economy by eliminating the constant stopping and accelerating that's associated with city driving. As you're driving down the road towards an intersection, you would know that if you decelerated a bit to 50kph instead of 65kph, the light ahead would be green when you get there, instead of you driving all the way to the light, coming to a stop only to have to accelerate again 3 seconds later. Maintaining a constant flow would pay dividends in your own fuel economy, as well as help improve traffic flow in general.

FIAT has yet another special edition 500 ready to sell... this time styled by Diesel, not fueled by it. Personally I love small, quirky cars like the FIAT 500, and while this particular edition is pretty nice looking, it's only skin deep. (The upcoming Abarth Edition is much more interesting to me.) The Diesel 500 is nothing more than some new colors, a little badging here and there, and some interior refinement. They call it an "Urban Survival Vehicle"... uh, ok. In any case, at least they're standing by their statement that going green means reducing size! (Image courtesy autoblog.com)

Small Car = Large *****?

2008-09-21T17:10:00.008-04:00

Ok, I'll be the first to admit that this isn't truly "newsworthy" in that it's got nothing to do with alternative means transportation, or any new technologies to reduce our dependence on oil, but still... it's worth a laugh!

It's long been maintained that people who drive sports cars and massive (read: useless) SUVs are compensating for something *ahem* that's a little lacking.

Claviné (a natural male enhancement) decided to turn that cliché around and instead point out that men secure enough to drive fuel efficient, small cars (ie: the smart) have no inadequacy to worry about... thanks to Claviné, they would have you believe.

All in all, good for a laugh! (And the only decent excuse to drive around town with a larger than life-sized image of Tera Patrick - who also drives a smart - on all four sides of your car...)

See a few more pics HERE.

Green Cars or Sports Cars... We All Want The Same Thing!

2008-09-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

(Editor's Note: It's kinda' hard to respect greencar.com when they go and do something utterly stupid like naming a 20mpg SUV as their "Green Car Of The Year", but that's what they in fact did in 2007. You can take a look at the article yourself and be dumbstruck as you read some rather obtuse quotes like "People don’t think ‘green’ when SUVs are concerned, and for generally good reason since SUVs often get poor fuel economy compared to most other vehicles" immediately followed by this gem: "Chevrolet’s achievement is even more apparent during city driving where a large percentage of SUVs spend their time every day."

Brilliant! They open their article by citing the two major flaws of the SUV trend (they inherently inefficient and their sheer size is dangerous to others and needlessly congests our roads), but then go on to extol the virtues of one that manages to get 20 miles per gallon instead of the usual 15!

Hopefully those responsible have been sacked!

The reason I bring this up is because they do occasionally cover some excellent cars featuring exceptionally bright ideas... one of which I'm talking about at the end of this article.)

The founder of Lotus, Colin Chapman, believed that the two most important characteristics of a sports car were minimum weight, and maximum handling. Lotus' are truly uncompromising cars, as adept on a race track as many purpose built race vehicles. There is rarely any "excess" to be found in a Lotus. They are truly minimal sports cars, even in their fully "streetable" form. Alongside these, Lotus offers cars like the 2Eleven which truly push the boundaries in lightweight performance.

Chapman also pioneered the use of light weight composite materials in his Formula 1 cars, as well numerous other innovations in suspension and aerodynamics.

What does all that have to do with green cars?

There are three things that make sports cars fast: power, weight, and aerodynamics. Two of those three are equally important to fuel efficiency!

-Aerodynamics are a defining characteristic of highly fuel efficient cars. Hybrids like the new Honda Insight and Toyota Prius look that ugly for a reason: so they can slip through the air with the least amount of resistance and thereby get the maximum fuel economy. Read any article featuring tips on hypermiling and you will undoubtedly notice they always counsel removing roof racks, bike racks, etc. to reduce aerodynamic resistance.

-The other significant contributing factor to getting better mileage is weight reduction. More and more car makers are looking to composite materials as alternative to steel to make their cars lighter. Mazda, for example, managed to make their brand new Mazda6 lighter that it's predecessor despite the overal vehicle itself being slightly larger. The all new Mazda2 (available everywhere but North America for now) is over 200 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, without cutting the size of the vehicle. Again, any hypermiling article you're likely to read will point out that carrying 50 extra pounds in the trunk can noticeably affect your car's gas mileage.

That being said, Lotus doesn't stop there. They're actively developing their own versions of "green cars", and I'm not talking solely about "British Racing"...

-E85 Burning Exige 265E
Starting with the ultra-lightweight (2050 lb.) Exige, Lotus proceeded to convert it to run on E85 biofuel (85% ethanol - 15% gasoline) whilst putting out 264hp, a boost of 46 horsepower over the stock Exige, making it the most powerful street legal Exige they'd ever made up to that point. The results: 0-60mph in 3.88 seconds, 0-100mph in 9.2, and a top speed of 158 miles per hour!

But how "green" is it? Running on E85 the 265E has a CO2 output of less than 100g/km. According to Toyota's own site the much vaunted Prius, the poster-car for tree-huggers everywhere, has a CO2 output of 104g/km.

Lotus didn't stop there though. The E85 fueled Exige is just a case study... the first step in developing a true enthusiasts car that can run on a variety of fuels, both conventional and alternative.

Tri-Fuel Exige 270E
The natural progression of the E85 powered Exige was the tri-fuel powered Exige 270E which runs on any mixture of gasoline, bioethanol and methanol. Yet this time they got 6 more horsepower out of the engine for a max output of 270hp. By far the most interesting facet of this tri-fuel car is the fact that the methanol it can run on can be produced synthetically from CO2 in the atmosphere. This process would allow the 270E to achieve carbon neutrality. From the Lotus website:

Methanol (CH₃OH) can be produced synthetically from CO₂ and hydrogen. Ultimately, emerging processes to recover atmospheric CO₂ will provide the required carbon that can entirely balance the CO₂ emissions at the tailpipe that result from the internal combustion of synthetic methanol. The result is that a car running on synthetic methanol, such as the Exige 270E Tri-fuel would be environmentally neutral.
As well as being green, the great benefit of synthetic methanol is that it would use similar engines and fuel systems to those in current cars; and synthetic methanol can be stored, transported and retailed in much the same way as today's liquid fuels such as gasoline and diesel.
Synthetic methanol also possesses properties better suited to internal combustion than today's liquid fuels, giving improved performance and thermal efficiencies. And it is ideal for pressure-charging (turbocharging and supercharging) already being introduced by manufacturers to downsize engines in a bid to improve fuel consumption.

This alone is quite possibly the coolest development of all!

You can read more about both these case studies HERE at Lotus' official site.

Lastly, and possibly the most interesting "green" case study from Lotus is the Eco Elise.

Lotus went an entirely new direction with the Eco Elise. Instead of focusing simply on fuel and emissions they looked at how they could make the car green from bumper to bumper by using renewable, sustainable, and recyclable materials. Instead of using carbon fiber mat as a base for the composite body panels they used hemp fiber, grown locally. Not only is hemp strong enough to substitute the carbon fiber in this application, but it also obviously consumes CO2 (via photosynthesis) prior to being harvested, pushing the Eco Elise towards carbon neutrality. While the resin it's presently bonded to isn't recyclable yet, Lotus hopes that a natural resin can be developed in the future, thereby making the body panels fully recyclable.

The Eco Elise is also painted with a water-based paint co-developed by Lotus and DuPont, eliminating harsh chemical solvents, as well as needing lower curing temperatures allowing Lotus to expend less energy in the painting process.

Moving inside, hemp is again used as a carbon fiber substitute in fabricating the structure of the seats, which are then covered with a natural wool, which is a great idea if not for the fact that some (like myself) are allergic to pure wool. Instead of dying the wool to the color they want, Lotus designers simply selected specific breeds of sheep to get the desired shade. (Obviously, you cannot get a bright orange interior in this car...) For the carpet, they used another renewable crop... sisal.

On a purely technological side (and one of the features that interests me the most about this study) a pair of solar panels are integrated into the roof. These panels provide power to the cars electrical systems, relieving the engine of the extra load and helping to improve fuel economy. A significant aspect of this feature is that these panels are embedded in a double curvature roofline. This is a feature I would hope many manufacturers could one day implement into any sort of production car... not simply their "green" concepts.

The end result: not only is the Eco Elise greener from beginning (production) to end (disposal/recycling), but Lotus also managed to cut a total of 70 pounds off the standard car's weight. They even saved 3 pounds by simply re-evaluating the sound system and choosing lighter components.

For a little more info, as well as some pictures, you can read greencar.com's review of the Eco Elise HERE.

Audi R10 TDI Takes All

2008-09-17T05:42:00.004-04:00

2008 American Le Mans Series Championship: Check! (clinched with two races to go no less...)

2008 24 Hours Of Le Mans: Check! (despite heavy opposition from Peugeot's own diesel)

2008 European Le Mans Series Championship: Check! (again, despite heavy opposition from Peugeot)

Congratulations to Audi and the diesel powered R10 TDI for taking top honors in all three benchmarks for sportscar racing in the world!

(image courtesy autoblog.com)

Friday Eye-Candy!

2008-09-12T08:59:00.010-04:00

When it comes to true sports cars (and by "true sports cars" I mean stripped down, bare minimum, performance first, everything else second rides... not sporty cars, or sport sedans, or other such fun vehicles) that are propelled by something other than gasoline, there are currently only two options... an electrically powered Tesla from California, or an LPG motivated Beira from Breckland Motors in the UK. A few other companies have very nice renderings and concept cars... but as yet, nothing to truly show if they can kick it around a track or not.

Also, diesel power will likely be found beneath the hood of some sports cars in the very near future too, courtesy Audi and likely Porsche... but for now, it's one or the other of the two I just mentioned.

Batteries Included!
The Tesla is a very small roadster based on a Lotus Elise powered by a brushless electric motor that provides peak torque from zero to 13,000 RPM! Not only is it beautiful to look at (unlike some electrics)... but it also gets the equivalent of 256 miles per gallon (that's less than 1L/100km), goes from 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds, and does it all silently, without a clutch, a gearbox, or any other moving mechanical parts.

Another significant fact about this EV... it gets well over 200 miles of range per charge! General Motors could afford to take note of this detail... their upcoming EV, the Volt, is expected to have an electric range of just 40 miles, with a supplementary range of 300-something on it's gas engine. Excuse me?!? An EV that needs a gas engine to travel any significant distance?!? Brilliant EV planning there boys.

You can read more about the Tesla, as well as see a bunch of great photos on the official site of Tesla Motors.

Future TVR?
The other non-gasoline sports car out there now is the Brecklands Beira. Again, it's a small roadster, this time based on GM's Miata-chasing Kappa platform (which you likely see every day on the road in the form of the very sexy Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky).

However, in the case of the Beira, instead of an anemic 4 cylinder (turboed or not... that car is a little overweight) Breckland instead opted to use GM's 6.0L V8, which puts out a nice round 400 horsepower while running on LPG.

Unfortunately, I can't find an "official site" for Breckland Motors. In the mean time, you can see a few more pics of the Beira at the evo website HERE.

Lastly, you can see both in action at Goodwood this past summer, courtesy Fifth Gear:

Have a great weekend!

Chrysler Engineers Try Something New: Thinking

2008-09-11T15:55:00.004-04:00

Using nothing but the power of their brains, engineers at Chrysler have managed to increase their minivan's fuel efficiency by 8%! Yes, instead of just slapping a bunch of random parts together and pawning it off on soccer moms across America, they actually took a few moments to think about what they could do to make their vans a little friendly at the pump.

According to them:

A re-tuned six-speed transmission and higher numerical first gear launches Chrysler and Dodge minivans more briskly than a comparable four- or five-speed transmission. The engine also provides smaller steps between ratios, which means the engine speed changes less with each shift, creating a smooth driving dynamic, with improved fuel economy.

(When they say "the engine also provides smaller steps between ratios" I'll assume they meant that in actuality the transmission provides smaller steps, since engines have nothing to do with gear ratios.)

Yes, instead of trying to fit just one more cupholder into a van which already had more cupholders than seats, they decided to apply a little engineering know-how to make the van go further on a tank of gas. A random side-effect of this usage of their brains is that they made it smoother to boot.

Wow!

Other automakers take note: More Gears = Better Mileage.

I'm surprised nobody came up with this sooner.

Oh wait... sports cars have been using 6 speed gearboxes for years. And Mercedes equips a few of their sedans with 7 speeds...

Mitsubishi Preps a Bio-Diesel Powered Lancer for the 2009 Dakar

2008-09-10T11:07:00.007-04:00

Despite the 2008 edition of the Dakar rally being a no-go due to a-hole terrorists, the relocated 2009 edition is less than 4 months away. And during the past off-year Mitsubishi have not been resting on their laurels, enjoying their previous 7 consecutive wins. No, they've been busy getting their brand new, bio-diesel powered, Racing Lancer ready to attack South America in January of next year.

While a rally-raid event isn't exactly an environmentally friendly endeavor, Mitsubishi is looking to take a few steps in a greener direction by competing with a non-food-sourced bio-diesel powered vehicle, as well as using renewable plastic in it's construction.

The Racing Lancer they'll be competing with in 2009 will be powered by a 3.0L turbo diesel putting out approximately 280 hp and over 475 pound-feet of torque. It's an engine that they've been developing and competing with in their 2008 raid vehicle, a Pajero Evolution.

You can read more about these beastly diesels HERE.

Buh-bye Hummers... hello smarts!

2008-09-10T09:46:00.003-04:00

It's hard not to laugh at the misfortune of the ill-fated HUMMER brand. They post the highest monthly sales losses by brand every month, GM is desperately trying to sell off the name, and their dealers are closing at an unprecedented rate.

Subsequently, it's impossible not to laugh when one such dealer, the largest HUMMER dealer in the US is not only closing... but is soon going to be selling smart cars instead!

You can read the FULL STORY HERE.

Rallye R.E.A.L.

2008-09-09T16:04:00.003-04:00

What: Rallye Énergie Alternative des Laurentides 2008 (or in English: Alternative Energy Rally of the Laurentians 2008) (A "regularity rally" run over open roads with scoring being based on precision of timing and speed, not outright, full-throttle craziness!)

Website: http://www.rallyereal.com/

When: October 2nd, 3rd, & 4th, 2008

Where: Alma, Quebec City, & St-Jerome - Quebec, Canada

Climate change has became a subject of concern whose stake is on the scale of planet. One cannot ignore it, which is why the promotion of alternative means of transport are from now on of crucial importance. The consequences of the massive use of the car in our cities is well known: air pollution, sound pollution, congestion of the downtown areas, accidents, deterioration of the quality of life of the citizens, to name only a few.

Rallye Énergie Alternative des Laurentides 2008 represents the ideal occasion to see various vehicles driven by alternative energies in action at the time of this exclusive rally open to the general public and to help promote other types of energies that that of gasoline.

The rally comprises two stages, over a 2 day period and adding up more than 800 km. The pilots and copilots will have to navigate, and drive their car conscientiously under optimal conditions to obtain minimal fuel consumption while traveling the splendid panoramic route, and to respect the speeds imposed during each test of regularity.

(Translation courtesy of WorldLingo.com & yours truly)

Unfortunately, the 2007 edition was almost exclusively a hybrid affair. There were 2 electric vehicles... one production based, and one home-brew Chevy Cavalier. The rest of the field was made up of Priuses, hybrid Civics & Insights, and 2 hybrid SUVs... a Highlander and an Escape. (Interesting side note: my strictly gas powered, 175 horsepower, sedan can get better highway mileage then either of the EPA ratings for the hybrid SUVs entered.)

This year the event is open to hybrids (yawn - what else?), electrics (Tesla, anyone? Yes please!) as well as vehicles powered by alternative fuels, including biodiesel, natural gas, LPG, etc.

I'm curious how many smarts might be entered this year. The cdi smart can be run on biodiesel, and it puts out a mere 88 g of CO2/km, which is well under the event's regulated limit for biodiesel vehicles of 100 g of CO2/km. And while they don't have a class for gasoline powered high-efficiency vehicles, the regulations state that any car using more than 30% fossil fuels will be limited to 120 g of CO2/km. The petrol powered smart falls under that limit as well.

Sadly I don't own a smart of either type, I can't even come close to affording a Tesla... and since I'll never be caught dead driving a hybrid, I can't enter this event. However if you own a smart cdi and would be willing to hand over the keys and spend the 2 days as a copilot I'd be more than happy to team up. (I'm not holding my breath...)

I'll try to make it into St-Jerome in a few weeks to catch the end of the event and see if anything besides the jellybean snob-mobiles showed up!

Anti-Greens Torching Priuses

2008-09-09T15:17:00.004-04:00

While I'll certainly never mourn the fact that there's one less "overly smug, self-righteous greenie" driven Prius on the road, torching someone's car is just WRONG!

Mind you, I never shed a tear for the excessively wasteful SUVs that got torched or vandalized a few years back either. I guess the drivers of those gas guzzlers just got tired of ugly little Priuses (aka: poster vehicle for the "I'm a better human than YOU" crowd!) buzzing around town congesting traffic with their utter lack of acceleration and low-speed "oooh noes, I don't want to drive fast because it makes the gas engine work" shenanigans!

Full article HERE, courtesy autoblog.com

Q: What does a smart have that no hybrids can offer?

2008-09-09T10:05:00.004-04:00

A: 50% off parking in NYC!

In Europe smarts are allowed to park nose in towards the curb, thus allowing two to get into a single parallel parking space.

Until North America climbs out of the automotive stone-age and catches up, this would never fly here. In the mean time, Meyer's Parking of New York City is only charging smart owners half what it would normally charge for space in it's garages, which include Madison Square Garden, Javits Center, Times Square and Upper East Side.

Full article HERE.

A Keen Grasp Of The Obvious

2008-08-31T23:37:00.000-04:00

"Friends Of The Earth" have done a study as part of their forlesspollutingcars.com initiative and have come up with the following revelation after questioning 5000 people in various Eurpean countries:

Two thirds believe that lowered fuel consumption would allow citizens to spend their money in other ways, which would help the economy.

Wow! That's brilliant! Who ever could have imagined that money NOT spent on gas could subsequently be spent on something else far more interesting?

Open Your Mind!

2008-08-25T14:55:00.000-04:00

And avoid backseats!

Cool Diesel News!

2008-08-11T20:44:00.003-04:00

I came across some cool diesel news on Autoblog.com this afternoon. While diesels are still in for a long fight to gain acceptance in North America (as opposed to outnumbering gasoline powered cars in Europe), the dim light at the end of the tunnel is slowly brightening.

All of VWs TDI powered cars, as well as Mercedes Bluetec vehicles, now qualify for a federal alternative-powertrain tax credit. (I would assume that the soon to be released Audi TDI cars will get the same benefits as they are essentially VW engines under the hood.)

Oddly enough, several Ford hybrids like the Escape hybrid two-wheel drive qualify for 2 to 3 times as much of a rebate. Perhaps a little favoritism? Seems like it to me.

Also today, there's a great myth debunking video on GMNext.com pointing out that there are no real legitimate reasons for diesel to be the "outcast" fuel that it still is here in North American.

Performance + >50mpg + Exclusivity = ALPINA

2008-08-05T23:05:00.002-04:00

Start with a 3 series BMW coupé & a 1 series diesel powerplant.

Then put it in the capable hands of the ever subtle BMW tuner ALPINA and let them work a little magic. The result is an even better looking Beemer that still gets well over 50 miles per gallon (52.3 to be exact, or 5.4L/100km) while putting out 214 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque, which is enough to propel the coupé from zero to 60 in less than 7 seconds and keeps pushing it all the way to a 152 mph (244 kph) top speed.

Oh, and don't forget that APLINA is only going to make 100 of them, so you'd better get your name to them ASAP... if you live in Europe.

LINK

Getting Better Mileage Is As Easy Changing Your Driving Habits

2008-08-05T07:34:00.002-04:00

As I often say, there's no need to sacrifice your driving enjoyment to the tree-hugging hybrid gods just to get better gas mileage. While it's true that commuting in a huge car with a gas guzzling V8 is generally pointless, fuel efficient driving can still make a dent in the economy of that pointless car. Of course, making a responsible choice when buying a vehicle in the first place helps too.

But regardless of what car you drive, changing your driving habits can help keep money in your pocket.

Popular Mechanics tests the TT TDi!

2008-08-04T16:13:00.002-04:00

After two weeks out of my office, I'd like to say it feels great to be back.... but I can't. It's Monday. Monday never feels great. Perhaps tomorrow will.

In any case, Popular Mechanics got tired of waiting for Audi to bring the diesel powered TT over here for a test, so they went over there to try it out. And they liked it!

A killer looking sports coupe that can top 40 mpg (US mpg no less)... what's not to like?

Read the full article HERE.

Losing the War on Relevancy!

2008-07-18T09:10:00.004-04:00

While Ford is busy shutting down it's truck & SUV production lines to make room for manufacturing the new euro-based Focus and world car Fiesta, GM is busy stumbling along in a fog of ineptitude.

I'm no Ford fan-boy, but when they saw that their Focus was selling like hotcakes while their F-150s (once their staple) languished on lots all over America they were fast to react.

General Motors on the other hand is anything but.

Their stocks have been falling at an unprecedented rate, and have recently traded below $9 which is the lowest they've been in 50 years.

Earlier this week they announced sweeping cuts to reduce costs, as well as major cuts (300,000 units less by 09) to truck production. Up to this point, it all makes sense. Then they lose the plot...

In April of last year (2007) Chevrolet unveiled 3 compact concept cars at the New York Auto Show. Yes, that is New York, as in... the United States. GM then created a website for the Triplets, urging the American public to vote on which was their favorite. Heck, they even managed to get the all-important product placement. The Beat (which won the online vote) will make an appearance in the upcoming Transformers movie sequel, much like the coming (one day... soon... eventually... or so they say) Camaro did in the first film.

With the North American automotive market in the state it's in, surely now would be the perfect time to release that Beat (and even it's siblings!) to the American car-buying public. Small cars are selling faster now than ever. MINI can't keep cars on the lots, Toyota and Honda are both into single digit inventory days for their sub compacts, and many other automakers like Mazda and Ford are working hard and fast to get their smallest world cars selling on this continent.

So what about GM and the Beat?

Well, they're planning on having it for sale in Europe next spring.

But according to Bob Lutz, GM's "car czar", GM didn't intend for the Beat (or Spark as it will be called in Europe) to be offered in the U.S., so it doesn't meet federal safety and crash standards. He says it would take too much money and about two years to bring the Beat up to snuff for sales in the U.S., and therefore it wouldn't be coming to the U.S. until the next generation arrives...

WHAT?!?

A "generation" in cars years is about 5 or 6 years at least. If Europe is only getting the new car in 2009, that means North America won't see a Beat (Spark, whatever) until 2015. And all because they didn't think that maybe it was time to design a car to be sold globally?

With that kind of brains at the helm of GM it won't even be around long enough to sell the next generation.

And just who were the marketing genius's that decide to release and promote the Triplets in the USA, while never having any intention of actually selling them here?

So, what is GM planning for the North American automotive market? Well, according to Lutz, they've got some new compact SUVs coming this fall. That's brilliant! Just what we need... even more trucks! Really, I'm being totally serious. While the rest of the world is getting sub-compact Beats that get great fuel mileage and are having their tedious old Cobalts replaced with the new Cruze (which gets 40+ miles per gallon, versus the Cobalts low 30s) we here are stuck with Aveos and Cobalts, neither of which is especially economical or even nice to look at.

Aren't we lucky?

But wait, GM will have another relevant vehicle for sale soon... the Cadillac Escalade HYBRID!

People Are Joiners, Not Thinkers

2008-07-16T09:04:00.002-04:00

Why do people make environmental choices?

Because it's the smart thing to do, or simply because it's the cool thing to do?

Thirty six percent of Prius owners bought that particular car because of it's fuel saving ability. For them, it was a smart thing to do.

However, 57 percent of Prius owners bought that particular because "because it makes a statement". In other words... it was the cool thing to do. All the other environmentalists are doing it, so why shouldn't I?

Good question.

Instead of thinking, and making responsible choices, the sheep mentality of far too many people today just leads them to make whatever decision everyone else is making. Any idea pushed in their face must obviously be a good one, so they go ahead and jump right in too.

BMW Bringing 3 Series Diesel to NA, But Not The 1 Series Diesels?

2008-07-14T09:26:00.006-04:00

According to THIS ARTICLE at autobloggreen.com, BMW has plans to bring the refreshed, diesel powered 3 Series to North America this fall. Or I should say, a single diesel powered model of the refreshed 3 Series. The 6 cylinder 335d looks pretty interesting, especially when you look at the performance numbers: 0-60 just over 6 seconds flat, 265 horsepower, and (the most impressive number) 425 lb-ft of torque!

Even though they're only bringing the diesel over to our shores with an automatic 6-speed gearbox, that torque number alone is enough to ensure that there will be plenty of get-up-and-go no matter which gear you're in.

When you consider those performance figures along with the usual "driver enjoyment" traits that BMW brings to the table with all their models, you've got a solid package. However, when you factor in the fact that this diesel will do all that while also getting a combined fuel mileage of 35 miles per US gallon (42 miles per Imp gallon / 6.72L/100km!!) you've got a potentially great package!

Unfortunately, it seems BMW doesn't have much faith in selling diesels to North Americans quite yet since only only their highest performing diesel 3 Series, the 335d, will sell in North America this fall, because in Europe they also get 4 cylinder diesel 3 Series, the 320d. While it doesn't boast performance numbers that are quite as impressive (177hp, 0-62 in 7.9 seconds) it does get a combined fuel mileage of 49 miles per US gallon (58.9 miles per Imp gallon, 4.8L/100km!!).

The new 1 Series is no better off. When I asked BMW when/if they would bring more variants of the 1 Series to North America their response was:

Unfortunately, there are currently no communicated plans to offer other variants of the BMW 1 Series in Canada. There are many variables that come into play when looking at introducing new models/variants but it is possible that we will see the hatchback/diesel models in the future.

Give it time though. As gas prices continue to rise, so will the demand for fuel efficient cars. And with that will come more of these performance oriented diesels.

Audi Pushing Diesels Over Hybrids

2008-07-09T16:08:00.000-04:00

Not only does Audi make the best diesel powered race cars, but they are also very adept at making great diesel powered sedans, coupés, and roadsters. They even make a diesel crossover (in Europe only), but the Q7 is outrageously hideous so I'll just pretend they never stooped so low.

What Audi doesn't make is a hybrid!

Why not?

According to Johan de Nysschen, the boss at Audi Of America, there just isn't really any point for the manufacturer, nor the consumer. Referring to the previously mentioned abomination... er, Q7... he wants to delay the launch of a hybrid as long as possible - if not indefinitely - given today's currency exchange rate and the low projected volumes for the vehicle.

"The price premium of the hybrid under these conditions would negate the savings to consumers, as well as eliminating any profit margin for the automaker."

No surprise there. Nor am I the only person to point out that a hybrid doesn't really save you much coin. They're really nothing more than a high-priced fashion statement.

But I digress...

Back to de Nysschen:

“I'm not pushing engineering to hurry up. We don't need hybrids for all segments for Audi in the U.S.”
“I'd like to see hybrids pushed out two more years.”

Like the other major German carmakers, Audi sees diesels as a better option in the U.S. than hybrids. Given the fact that a hybrid only really shines in slow, stop-and-go city traffic, while a diesel can greatly outperform it on a highway at speed, it makes perfect sense.

(In any case, I believe that large SUVs and crossover should be banned from city centers, or at the very least heavily taxed if they want to be driven downtown already. The last thing any downtown core needs is excessively large passenger vehicles occupied by a single passenger taking up far more room than they can possibly require!)

But I digress... again...

Unfortunately, Audi also recognizes the well-entrenched perception by North American consumers that hybrids are a better solution.

In Europe, diesels account for more than 50% of all new car sales across all the major brands. It's not just an econobox or delivery truck thing anymore for them. Prestige brands like Audi, BMW, & Mercedes all have significant diesel lineups. But in North America it's an uphill battle for them. The market here has been greenwashed into believing that hybrids are unbeatable when the fact is, they aren't. They're merely one way to cut fuel consumption... but by no means are they the only way.

Toyota Camry's Lead Engineer Died From "Karoshi" (Overwork)

2008-07-09T15:22:00.000-04:00

Putting a bit of substance behind the claims from the National Labor Committee that Toyota employees are literally worked to death is the ruling of the Japanese labor bureau that a lead engineer on Toyota's hybrid Camry program did indeed die of "karoshi" which is the Japanese term for "death from overwork". This report from the Associated Press gives some details.

Advertising By Association

2008-07-08T07:39:00.005-04:00

Hybrids are cool, right? They're the "in" thing right now. The demand for better fuel economy is increasing exponentially, and since hybrids are perceived as the greenest automobiles around, everyone wants to get on the hybrid bandwagon.

Even if their car isn't a hybrid.

Renault recently announced that they're bring the "micro hybrid" technology called "start-stop" to every model in their lineup by 2010. Great! Shutting down the engine instead of idling at stoplights is a great idea. It's something I do myself at lights I know to be particularly long, especially if I roll up to one just as it's turned red.

But why is Renault calling this a "micro hybrid" technology? There's nothing hybrid about it.

A hybrid, by definition, is "something, such as a computer or power plant, having two kinds of components that produce the same or similar results." Hybrid cars have two different powerplants, both of which are able to propel the car down the road on their own, or together.

BMW has implemented start/stop technology in their conventional gasoline & diesel powered "Efficient Dynamics" cars, and other automakers are working on getting it on their models as well. Mazda developed a start/stop system of their own, ostensibly even more brilliant in that they need neither a battery pack, nor a starter-motor to restart their engines. Their SISS (smart idle stop system) will appear on Mazda models as soon as 2009!

Shutting a gasoline or diesel engine down at a stop is not a hybrid. It's a smart idea, improving fuel economy by up to 10% (or more in city driving) but there's still just one kind of engine motivating that car.

Automakers need to call a spade, a spade and stop trying to greenwash their products, calling them something they aren't!

50 Liter Challenge

2008-07-05T12:08:00.004-04:00

CanadianDriver.com in association with Motoring 2008 held their second 50-Liter Challenge earlier this year. The first was held back in 2005... the good ol' days, back when gas was $0.50/L less than it is now.

The premise is very simple. They took 13 cars - all with a fuel tank capacity of at least 50 liters, and all under $20,000 - filled each one up with exactly 50 liters of fuel, and then drove them until they ran dry. The route chosen took them all over eastern Ontario and even into south-western Quebec over a variety of roads ranging from flat highways in the morning rush-hour to steep hills and forested rural roads in the afternoon. I've driven many of those roads myself and I can say they definitely covered a variety of driving conditions. The only thing not included in the test was stop-and-go city traffic.

So which of the 13 went the furthest on 50 liters? And how far did it manage to go? The most fuel efficient of the group didn't come as much of a surprise to me... but the distance it covered was quite impressive. Over one thousand kilometers on just 50 liters!

You can read about the entire test HERE.

MPG Test: BMW M3 vs. Toyota Prius

2008-07-04T10:44:00.004-04:00

I was going to call this post "Friday Eye Candy" but unfortunately there's a Prius in the video as well.

In any case... take one beautiful sport sedan, the 'bahn storming BMW M3 with it's 4.0L V8 pumping out 414 glorious horsepower and then pit it against every fuel misers darling, the supposedly economical Toyota Prius in a no-holds-barred Miles Per Gallon shootout!

The results:

Ignore the part in the intro where Clarkson mentions that the construction of the Prius is more enviromentally damaging than that of a Land Rover. While there is a certain amount of truth in what he says, it's not quite that simple. (If you want to know the whole story, you can read all about it HERE at thecarconnection.com.)

I'm sure that the Prius drivers of the UK were already several sentences into their hate-mail before the credits rolled, but the fact remains, as he said at the end, that how you drive can be more important than what you drive.

Save Fuel By Driving Less!

2008-07-03T08:30:00.006-04:00

That's the brilliant advice offered by Toyota on their corporate blog. Seriously, they've got some pretty intense, hard-hitting journalism there. I never would have thought that not driving my car uses less fuel.

In all fairness though, they do make one or two valid points... things that not everyone may think of. In that same blog posting they link to an earlier article about "hypermiling", which is the practice of adjusting your driving habits & style to improve fuel economy. It's a good article that is definitely worth taking a few minutes to read. Lately I've been making a concerted effort to apply certain hypermiling strategies as often as I can. It's not always feasible, but the techniques do make a difference.

The two biggest changes I've coerced myself into making is avoiding heavy use of the gas pedal, and eliminating idling as much as I can. Accelerating modestly isn't nearly as fun, but driving like your grandmother is in the passenger seat saves a ton of gas! (I'll admit, this is still the hardest change to adopt... I just love really driving.) As for avoiding idling, I don't turn my car off for every stop-light, but the lights that I know are particularly long... lights I wait at nearly every day of the week... for those I definitely cut the ignition. The traffic light to leave my office can be well over 3 minutes. Drive-thrus are another trap to be avoided like the plague. That is much too much time spent with the engine running while not making any forward progress. Nine times out of ten, when I go inside there's barely any line-up there... yet I can't say the same about the drive-thru window.

The other tips mentioned in the article linked above all help too.

I've personally seen a difference of as much as over 18% between the mileage of a tank of gas driven how I usually drive, and a tank of gas hypermiled as much as possible. Even a "moderate" amount of hypermiling saves me over 12% per tank. Over a year that's nearly 10 tanks of gas for me.

Ten tanks of gas at well over $70 per fill-up (@ $1.499/L - current price) is over $700 that I would much rather see in my pocket than the oil company's.

BMW's Efficient Dynamics

2008-07-01T13:02:00.002-04:00

BMW's "Efficient Dynamics" is a collection of technologies developed and/or implemented to improve the efficiency of their vehicles without sacrificing what makes a BMW a "BMW". They recently showcased these technologies in North America when they brought the Efficient Dynamics demo car, a 118d, to New York.

The program uses features such as Auto Start Stop (turning the car off when at a stop in neutral to save fuel and reduce emissions), Brake Energy Regeneration (using the brakes to charge the battery to power accessories instead of allowing it to parasitically feed on the engine, again reducing fuel consumption), and Electric Power Steering (which means the power steering only functions when the wheel is actively being turned, differing from a hydraulic system which feeds off the engine at all times).

Other features of the program include a Gear Shift Indicator, so you can shift at the best time for optimal efficiency, active air vents to reduce aerodynamic drag when the engine doesn't need cooling, and RRR (reduced rolling resistance) tyres.

BMW is even working on a hybrid... and if anyone could change my mind about driving a hybrid, it's BMW. In the mean time, you can read more about their Efficient Dynamics at their international website, HERE, and then wait for them to eventually bring it all to the North American market... one day.

In the mean time, hopefully technologies and ideas like these will be adopted by many other manufacturers in their own line-ups. These are all smart ideas, some very simple even, each of which alone makes a small improvement in fuel efficiency, but together can make a significant difference in mileage and emissions at the end of the day!

All without sacrificing the drive.

Supercar Miles per Gallon

2008-06-30T15:52:00.002-04:00

Single digits, anyone?

(Warning: Not to be taken seriously. Please!)

Edmunds.com: Hybrids Aren't the Best Value Over Time

2008-06-27T20:18:00.002-04:00

Edmunds.com published THIS article earlier this week, thus confirming what I've been telling people for quite some time... much longer than I've been writing this blog.

Hybrids are over-priced underachievers. There's no two ways about it. They cost far too much and deliver far too little. Or, if we're talking L/100km, then not little enough!

At the current average price across the US, the best value hybrid (Honda Civic) doesn't even make the top 10 is "lowest cost to own". While it's true that hybrids become a better economical choice as gas prices rise, even at a price of $6/gallon the Civic hybrid still doesn't make the top 5. Everybody's darling, the Prius doesn't even make the top 30 at current prices, and only ranks 18th if gas were to cost $6/gallon.

I'm very surprised that all this hasn't been brought up sooner.

Racing Green!

2008-06-26T08:27:00.005-04:00

Recently the American Le Mans Series announced it's rule set for their up-coming Green Challenge "series within a series". The aim of the Green Challenge is to promote & reward the use of alternative fuels in motorsports.

The ALMS has long been at the forefront of alternative fuel technology and all the cars in the series run fuels other than regular "gas", including clean (sulfur free) diesel, E10, and cellulosic E85.

The 2009 Green Challenge, which will officially kick off at the 2008 Petit LeMans this fall, will rank cars based on three criteria:

- amount of energy they use

- greenhouse gases (GHG) they emit

- amount of petroleum they displace

Basically, whichever teams goes the furthest, the fastest, and with the least environmental impact wins!

In the words of Scott Atherton, President & CEO of the ALMS:

"We have always claimed to be the most relevant racing series on the planet. Now, we hope to play a role in saving that planet by working with manufacturers on innovative alternative fuel solutions and new technologies. We believe this could be truly paradigm shifting by effectively putting the auto back into auto racing and taking the sport from a form that for some has been primarily entertainment-focused to one that is also relevant and issue-focused. We are working with the car companies on new technology that matters."

You can read the full story on the American Le Mans website.

A Sub 7-Second German Sports Coupé That Gets Over 40mpg...?

2008-06-26T06:26:00.002-04:00

Does that even sound reasonable?

It does to Audi, and they can even do it with conventional fuel.

The latest powerplant offered by Audi for their A5 sports coupé is the all-new 2.0L TFSI. The turbocharged engine puts out a respectable 208hp (@ 4300 - 6000 rpm) while producing 258 lb-ft of torque (@ 1500 - 4200 rpm). Those numbers are enough to propel the A5 from 0-60mph in just 6.9 seconds, while the TFSI technology allows the coupé to get a combined cycle fuel mileage of 42.8 miles per Imperial gallon (6.6L/100km - 35.66 miles per US gallon).

And it does all that while looking drop dead gorgeous!

Unfortunately, there's no word on when it will be available in North America. In the mean time we'll only be able to get the 2.0L TFSI in the A4 sedan later this year.

For more information on what TFSI is and how it works you can look here, on the Audi UK website.

Car Buyers More Interested in Gadgets Than Fuel Efficiency

2008-06-25T08:07:00.004-04:00

According to the results of a J.D. Power & Associates study released yesterday, hybrid technology vehicles rank pretty high among consumers interest. In fact, 72% of people asked said they were "definitely/probably" interested in hybrid technology. However, once they were told that this technology would add about $5000 to the price of their vehicle, the number if still interested buyers dropped to 58%.

What ranked higher than the fuel efficiency of a hybrid though? Blind-spot detection technology at 76%, and back-up assist at 74%.

Oh great, that's just what the world needs... technology to help incompetent drivers pay even less attention to what they're doing behind the wheel.

Here's what I think of that:

Unless they're installing KITT in my dash, I don't not want my car thinking for me.

But I digress.

I have to wonder where they got the $5000 "average" from though. When I first read the report it seemed awfully cheap compared to the hybrid premiums I've seen, but I figured those were the price differences in American dollars for the American sold cars. So, I did a quick check across a few of the cheaper hybrids in Canadian dollars and came up with the following:

-Honda Civic Sedan:
Conventional: $19,490.00 (w/AC+automatic)
Hybrid: $26,350.00
Difference: $6860.00

-Toyota Camry:
Conventional: $23,400.00 (w/AC+automatic)
Hybrid: $30,660.00
Difference: $7260.00

-Toyota Prius vs Toyota Corolla: (since the Prius doesn't have a conventionally propelled equivalent I'm comparing it against the Corolla, which is Toyota's closest offering)
Corolla LE: $19,900.00 (w/AC+automatic)
Prius: $29,500.00
Difference: $9600.00

Toyota Highlander:
Conventional: $36,900.00
Hybrid: $41,075.00
Difference: $4175.00

Chevrolet Malibu:
Conventional: $22,995.00
Hybrid: $26,995.00
Difference: $4000.00

Chevrolet Tahoe LT:
Conventional: $47,155.00
Hybrid: $66,125.00
Difference: $18,970.00

That's an average premium of nearly $8500.00. While the MSRP for cars in Canada is always higher than in the US, their estimated $5000.00 for the added cost of a hybrid still seems a little low.

One interesting detail I noted while compiling those numbers was that while a Civic Hybrid costs nearly $7000 more than a similarly equipped conventional Civic, the fuel savings are in the range of 30%. If a Civic owner drives 25000 kms per year (~15000 miles) that's nearly $1000 in savings each year at current fuel prices. The Chevy Malibu, on the other hand, only costs $4000 more for the hybrid, but the fuel efficiency is less than 8% better. That's only about $250 per year saved. Honda's hybrid premium pays for itself in 7 years, while Chevrolet's takes about 16 years. (I really hope those buyers are choosing a hybrid to "make a statement", and not to save money...)

Sadly, of all the different features and options mentioned in the survey, clean diesel ranked last. Why? I'm not sure. I mean, who wouldn't want 50+mpg from a conventional (read: simple & uncomplicated) drivetrain?

As Mike Marshall, J.D. Power & Associates director of automotive emerging technologies, said:

One explanation for this may derive from a lack of education with the technology. Many consumers cannot differentiate between clean diesel and traditional diesel fuel—which in the past had a negative connotation with unpleasant vehicle emissions. As consumers become more educated in the benefits of clean diesel through increased product offers launching later this year, interest in the technology may increase.

I suppose the European companies that are starting to make this technology available in North America have along road of re-education ahead of them. The masses are still stuck on the old stereotype of diesels being noisy, smelly, and generally a nuisance. It's a stigma that may take a while to be rid of.

You can read the full report HERE.

Why is it called a 'smart' car?

2008-06-24T06:09:00.002-04:00

Size & Weight Matter

2008-06-23T10:14:00.007-04:00

It sometimes surprises me how rarely people realize this, but fuel economy isn't only about the size of the engine or the number of cylinders.

Big, huge SUVs are heavy. Small, sub-compact cars are light. The bigger and heavier an object is, the more energy (read: fuel) is needed to move it around. Cars and trucks have steadily gotten bigger and heavier over the last 20+ years, and subsequently the engines have become more and more powerful to deal with this. In spite of the fact that technology has advanced, the simple fact is that a more powerful engine needs more fuel to produce that power.

Yet, the North American obsession with SIZE has blinded so many people to this fact until very recently. The trends of the past decade have dug the deep hole we're all in now, and it took $4/gallon gas to smack Americans upside the head before they finally saw the problem. Everyone wanted to buy the biggest SUV they could afford, and now suddenly they're paying the consequences.

And this was all about "want"... nothing more.

Need... what's that?

The idea of responsible car buying was so utterly far from most consumer's minds for years, and now our roads are cluttered with 6000 pounds behemoths greedily gobbling up gas at a rate of 10-15 miles per gallon.

And then the bottom fell out!

The Big 3 can't give their trucks away and it seems like every week another truck plant belonging GM or Ford is shut down and shortly thereafter plans are announced to convert said plant to producing a particular small car platform.

Excessive fuel consumption is just the plight of the large SUV either.

The "crossover" SUV is smaller and lighter than a conventional SUV. Which in itself, is a good thing. However, these crossovers are really nothing more than a conventional car chassis jacked up for a few extra inches of ground-clearance and perhaps an optional all-wheel-drive system to give them a pretense of off-road capability. In short, they are nothing more than extra heavy cars.

Take, for example, the Mitsubishi Outlander crossover SUV. It's powered by a 2.4L 4-cylinder. The same 2.4L engine that also powered the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback a few years ago. At that time my mother was in the market for a new vehicle and insisted on getting a SUV. Her reasoning was "I can see better higher up. I feel safer in a truck. I need space for the dog." She finally decided to buy an Outlander 2WD.

Why an Outlander instead of a Lancer Sportback? I wondered that myself. For all intents and purposes, they are nearly the same vehicle with naught more than a few inches of ground clearance difference between them. Her Outlander is nothing more than a glorified 4-door hatchback.

As for her reasoning:

"I can see better higher up" - Granted the Outlander is higher. What exactly are you trying to see from that vantage point though? Sails on the horizon? She's driven standard height cars all her life prior to the Outlander and she saw fine up until that point.

"I feel safer in a truck" - the IIHS rates the Outlander "Good" (their highest rating) in frontal impact testing, yet "Poor" (their lowest rating) in side impacts. Owning a "truck" is not making her any safer in this case since the Lancer has the exact same ratings. Underneath the sheetmetal they're quite likely nearly the same vehicle.

"I need space for the dog" - the Lancer Sportback has 24.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity with the seats folded up and 61 cu.ft. with them folded down. The Outlander, the truck she felt she needed so as to get all that extra space, has 24.4 cu.ft. (seats up) or 60 cu.ft. (seats down).

So basically, like too many others, it came down to "wants" and not needs. The simple fact is that she wanted a truck and there would be no convincing her otherwise. She has no extra cargo space, and she's no more safer than if she'd have purchased the equivalent car.

In the final tally, what did her truck provide? Well, yes... a higher vantage point.

And some utterly atrocious handling to go with that higher vantage point.

By the numbers, one last thing... about 10% worse fuel economy. The same engine provides motivation to both the Lancer Sportback and the Outlander... yet the added height, weight, and aerodynamic drag of the larger crossover costs nearly 10% more at the pump.

Hey Prius drivers.... feel good about THIS!

2008-06-20T21:00:00.003-04:00

Like Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billy Joel, Bill Maher, Cameron Diaz, Jessica Alba and many others, pretty much every hybrid driver I've met... Prius drivers (like those listed here) in particular, are all proud to drive one because they are concerned and have made a commitment to help protect our environment.

New York Times correspondent Micheline Maynard wrote: “The Prius has become, in a sense, the four-wheel equivalent of those popular rubber issue bracelets in yellow and other colors—it shows the world that its owner cares.” (New York Times, July 4, 2007).

Yes... Prius drivers "care".

But what exactly do they care about?

Fuel economy, of course! In fact, a whole 36 percent of Prius owners stated "higher fuel economy" as their main reason for driving one.

Wow... 36%!

That begs the question: why does everyone else drive one?

Well, 57% said they purchased a Prius because it “makes a statement about me”.

(Incidentally, this got me to wondering... why did the other 7% buy one? Certainly not for it's great looks or superior performance.)

I'd venture a guess and say that the people listed above weren't thinking about saving a few $ at the pump when they bought their Prius' since their weekly income is likely more than I make in a whole year. So I'll go out on a limb and put them into the "57%" category.

So what exactly is the "statement" that the Prius makes about it's owner?

That he or she is environmentally concerned and is taking steps to show he or she has made a commitment to protect and conserve our natural resources.

Of course. That makes perfect sense.

Or maybe the statement that 57% of Prius owners want their car making for them is "all the cool people have one, so I want one too!" (That herd of sheep mentality worked pretty good in high-school... and it seems to work among adults as well.)

Or maybe, the real statement the Prius is making for it's owner is "I support Toyota's labor practices and the conditions under which the Prius and other Toyota vehicles are made in Japan".

What labor practices and working conditions? The ones that almost everyone, celebrities included, know virtually nothing about.

These ones:

Low wage temps: a full one-third, or 10,000 Toyota assembly line workers, are low wage temp and subcontract workers who earn less than 60 percent of what full time workers do. Temps have few rights and are hired under contracts as short as four months.

Overworked to death: Mr Kenichi Uchino died of overwork at Toyota’s Prius plant when he was just 30. He was routinely working 14-hour shifts and putting in anywhere from 107 to 155 hours of overtime a month—at least 61 ½ hours of which were unpaid. Toyota said the hours were “voluntary” and therefore not paid. Mr. Uchino left behind his young wife, a one-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. The Japanese people even have a word for being overworked to death: “karoshi.” An estimated 200 to 300 workers a year suffer serious illness, depression and death due to overwork.

Sweatshops and human trafficking: Toyota’s parts supply chain is riddled with sweatshop abuse, including the human trafficking of tens of thousands of foreign guest workers—mostly from China and Vietnam—to Japan, where they are stripped of their passports and forced to work grueling hours seven days a week, often earning less than half the legal minimum wage. Sixteen-hour shifts, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight are common.

Linked to Burmese Dictators: Toyota—through the Toyota Tsusho Corporation which is part of the Toyota Group—is involved in several joint business ventures with the ruthless military dictators of Burma, which put revenues into the pockets of the dictators who use it to repress Burma’s 50 million people.

Toyota criticized by the ILO: The UN/International Labor Organization points to Toyota’s suppression of freedom of association at its plant in the Philippines as “an illustration of how a multinational company, apparently with little regard for corporate responsibility, has done everything in its power to prevent recognition and certification of the Toyota Motor Company Workers Association.” (ILO Working Group, December 2003.)

You can read all the details on the National Labor Committee website HERE.

Misinforming the masses!

2008-06-20T09:03:00.007-04:00

Misinformation, and hypocrisy... all from the world's favorite hybrid!

Jeroen Verhoeven, a car efficiency campaigner for "Friends of the Earth Europe" has coined a new phrase: "greenwash" advertising.

It all started when Toyota ran an ad in a Belgian magazine for the Prius in which they included the phrase "zero emissions low". There were two small problems with that ad. First, the ad in question did not include any CO2 emission or fuel consumption data, as is required under Belgian law. Second, Toyota's claim is an outright lie!

While there's no denying the fact that the Prius is economical, there's absolutely no way justify saying it has "zero emissions" since it runs on gas. It's got a tailpipe, after all... so obviously something is emitted. So why is Toyota lying like that?

In Jeroen Verhoeven's own words:

"Car manufacturers are using 'greenwash' advertising to confuse consumers whilst at the same time blocking EU proposals for a target of 120g CO2/km by 2012. If Toyota is serious about reaching 'zero emissions' anytime soon then why are they blocking a 2012 target?"

You can read the whole article HERE.

Diesel station wagon? Cool? You bet!

2008-06-18T14:44:00.008-04:00

Honestly now, is this not a great looking car?

Admittedly, not everyone loves a wagon, and some people just don't like zee Germans, but still... this Jetta is one sweet looking ride.

For all the people who used to use the "I can't buy a compact car, I have to buy an SUV to fit my _______ stuff" excuse when shopping for a new vehicle, Volkswagen presents the Jetta Sportwagen.

Why are I talking about it here though? Because not only does this wagon looks great, but early estimates put the fuel consumption somewhere around 40-45 miles per (US) gallon. That's roughly 48-54 miles per (Imp) gallon. Or 5.88-5.22 liters/100km.

Yes, it's a diesel. But you can forget the old stereotypes about diesels being noisy, smelly, and spewing sooty black smoke. The latest generation of turbo-diesels from Europe are as clean and as quiet as an equivalent gasoline engine, with similar tailpipe emissions.

Performance wise, the 2.0L puts out 140 hp and a very impressive 258 lb-ft of torque. You'll be able to load this wagon to the gills and it'll still go without much effort at all. Mate that power-plant to the 6-speed gearbox (manual or DSG automatic) and the usual German "feel" and you've got a potentially fun car beneath you.

To read more, as well as see a few more pictures, click HERE.

"Our most realistic way to go green is to reduce size"

2008-06-18T10:41:00.006-04:00

So says Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of FIAT.

In Europe the groundwork for the acceptance of this idea is already there. Europe is full of small cars. The "big" cars over there are almost exclusively high-end vehicles, as opposed to North America where any middle class worker can go out and buy a five or six thousand pound SUV. Up until recently it was the in thing to do. Nowadays, the average middle class car buyer couldn't afford the gas needed just to get that SUV home.

But I digress.

In an interview with l'Hebdo Mr Marchionne spoke about the future of cars. I've done my best to provide a reasonably accurate translation.

Let us speak about the car of the future. What are the technologies that will triumph?

Several are in competition. we talk a lot about hybrids, but I feel they should only be reserved for the high-end vehicles. The hybrid engines are very expensive and they take a lot of space. It's thus impossible to put them in small, cheap cars. In short, it is not really a solution with a future.

And engines functioning with hygrogen, thanks to a fuel cell? Nicolas Hayek, the owner of Swatch Group is developing some. He believes that it is the solution of the future. And you?

If one places the future by 2020, then perhaps. If the engines with hydrogen become a commercially viable and especially impeccable technology in the field of safety, I am convinced that it will be a revolution in the automobile sector. Everyone will adopt it quickly. And FIAT more quickly still than the others. We are flexible enough to do it. However, the technological challenges are considerable. I think that the probability of the development and mass production of the electric motors is undoubtedly higher than that of the engines with hydrogen.

And in the shorter term, on which technologies should the manufacturers bet on?

Current engines. We need to go towards smaller vehicles, with reduced cubic capacities. It is the only credible means to reduce the CO emissions quickly. FIAT is therefore committed to having the most efficient cars of the world in terms of CO emissions by 2012. Our engagement on this point is total.

Smaller cars and engines… do you really believe that you will convince the customers?

Mentalities change. One notices it with the success of our new FIAT 500. Today, social status is no longer defined by having an enormous car, but a smaller and more ecological car. Look at the campaigns launched against the large 4X4s. In any case, when one passes one of these monsters on the highway with only one person inside, one can only think: this is wasting energy, this is useless pollution, this is stupid. In any case, the majority of the current vehicles have too much power for what one does. It is thus rational to reduce this power.

That also means that current perceptions need to be drastically changed, doesn't it?

That's our challenge. We must make the small cars sexier, more attracting, more exciting. This is what is already occurring.

A man after my own heart!

The automotive landscape of the world is changing at an unprecedented pace. The countless closures (and imminent retooling) of truck and SUV plants across North America is testament to this fact.

I say "bring it on!"

Diesel Power Dominates LeMans

2008-06-16T11:33:00.007-04:00

Audi has done it again!

Despite the diesel-powered Peugeot 908 being substantially faster than the diesel powered R10 TDI, Audi's "slow and steady"strategy payed off, giving them yet another LeMans win, bringing their total to 8 (in 10 starts). It's also the 3rd victory for the TDI R10 in three starts since it was introduced in 2006.

I have to say that it's great to see two fantastically beautiful cars battling each other for top honors at the world's premiere endurance race, both powered by engines developed by manufacturers who aren't afraid to try different technologies and push those technologies to their extremes.

The low, unobtrusive rumble of the diesel engines barreling down the straights of Circuit de la Sarthe was also amazing! I just wish I could have been there to witness it.

While we can't get Peugeots in North America (yet), we can buy Audis. Unfortunately, they don't sell their TDI powered cars here... again, yet! I'm fairly certain they'll be here one day though and given how they love showing off diesel-power, I'd bet we'll be seeing TDI Audis on this continent much sooner than later. And it won't be just their run-of-the-mill sedans either. Audi will soon be selling a 2.0L TDI TT coupe and convertible in Europe and by the numbers I've seen so far, it won't be any slouch. One hundred & seventy horsepower, while respectable, is nothing to write home about... but 258 lb-ft of torque is enough to pique my interest. That power-plant is enough to get you from 0 to 62 mph is just 7.5 seconds. Again, hardly a number to make your heart race... but still, very impressive when you factor in the final bit of information: it will do all that while still getting over 44 miles per gallon (combined Euro cycle).

And it's dead-sexy to boot!

So congratulations to Audi and Peugeot for putting on a phenomenal show at LeMans this year, as well as for putting diesel power in the spot-light and showing that it's not just for farmers tractors anymore!

How Many Miles (or Kilometeres) Until That Hybrid Starts Paying Off?

2008-06-12T14:53:00.006-04:00

As a follow up to the comparison article I wrote about the Toyota Camry last month, I present someone else's viewpoint. AutoblogGreen.com did some similar math with 15 different pairs of vehicles, ranging from the ultra-economic Prius, to the barely-worth-the-effort GMC Yukon.

Is going green worth your money? At best you'd have to drive 97,000 highway miles (over 156,000 kms) before your Civic Hybrid starts saving you some coin. Even driving in the city, where a hybrid supposedly shines, you'd have to drive that Civic over 86,000 miles (138,000 kms) before the hybrid premium was paid off.

What about the Camry? Three hundred thousand highway miles! That's nearly half a million kilometers... City driving is much better in this case at least. You'd only need to cover 70,000 miles (112,000 kms) to break even.

GM products like the Tahoe/Yukon hybrids are an utter joke in this test. You'd need to cover 180,000 miles (290,000 kms) in the city to pay off the extra cost of "going green". The funniest part of that joke is that GM is actually supremely proud of these hybrids and plans to start marketing them hardcore.

Read the rest of the article here.

The writing is on the wall...

2008-06-06T12:10:00.008-04:00

I don't know whether to admire the blind tenacity with which the American auto-makers cling to the past, or simply shake my head with bewilderment.

The time when it was cool to drive the biggest, baddest SUV or truck is officially history! The proof is in the numbers. In May, the Ford F-150 was not the most sold vehicle in the United States for the first time in 17 years! Yes, every year since 1991 Ford has sold more F-150s than any other automaker has sold any model. Last month it was outsold by not one, not two... but four other vehicles, all of which are paragons of longevity, economy, and quality. Honda's Civic and Accord, as well as Toyota's Corolla and Camry all sold more in May than Ford's F-150.

And I say it's about time!

Finally, people have woken up and started to make responsible choices. People are slowly realizing that the 12mpg dinosaur in their driveway isn't making them "cool" any more. The average, intelligent consumer no longer admires those SUVs and full-size pickups that everyone wanted to drive to the grocery store just a few years ago.

And it wasn't only Ford that slipped up. All the brands that rely heavily on truck and SUV sales for their numbers had a horrible May. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors all lost significants sales in May... 28%, 19%, and 30% respectively.

The biggest individual brand name loser? Hummer at -61.7%. GMC was close behind with a loss of over 38%.

That's a whole lot less SUVs we'll all be seeing on the road as time goes on. And eventually, that also means a whole lot less demand for gas, which is what the fuel companies keep telling us is the reason behind all the increases we've been subject to. A decade and a half of irresponsible vehicle buying habits is why we're now all paying between $4.50 and $5.50 per gallon of gas.

And here's where their "blindly clinging to the past" attitude really makes me wonder just how bright these people are. In an article titled "Asian Brands Outsell Big 3 In May" in the Detroit News I read this:

Floundering truck sales caused Ford's market share to fall to 15.6 percent, from 16.5 percent a year ago. The company hopes to boost demand for its trucks by offering employee pricing to everyone on F-150, F-250 and F-350 models this month, ahead of the introduction the redesigned F-150 later this year.
"We've been 31 years running the leading vehicle in that segment," Farley said. "We see this as an important merchandising strategy."
Sales of Ford's best-selling small car, the Focus, rose 53.2 percent in May to 32,579 vehicles, while sales of F-series pickups plummeted 30.6 percent to 42,973. Farley said the Focus outsold the F-series in dealer showrooms, but commercial and fleet sales gave the pickup more total sales.

Commercial and fleet sales (which are what I consider to be the only legitimate reasons to buy an F-150... not simply because someone feels a pickup is cool) are the only thing keeping the F-150 from being outsold by Ford's own economy car. And yet they don't realize that perhaps it's time to move on and start treating the North American automotive more like the rest of the world's markets? Leave the trucks to the contractors, the builders, the people that work with them, and start focusing on making quality cars instead.

And he's not the only ignorant one. From the same article:

May's sales results reflect consumers' general shift away from trucks, but the fact that four cars outsold the F-Series is mainly a reflection of record high gas prices, said Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at Power Information Network, a unit of J.D. Power and Associates in Troy.
"At the end of the year, the F-150 will still be the top-selling vehicle," he said. Libby added that high gas prices, which are likely near their peak for the year, encourage people to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles, such as the Civic, while truck buyers are more likely to buy when gas prices fall and incentives increase.

Get with the program man! Gas prices aren't going to be cut in half overnight.

As one writer put it... "gentlemen, that sound you just heard was the canary hitting the floor of your coal mine".

Hybrid drivers discriminate against blind people!

2008-06-04T12:19:00.003-04:00

Don't shoot the messenger... I'm just sayin'.

;)

And the answer to yesterday's question is:

2008-06-03T10:42:00.005-04:00

"We don't know."

That's all I got back from Ford, condensed to three words or less.

"Dear Mr. ******,

Thank you for contacting the Ford of Canada Customer Relationship Centre. We received your message sent on 6/2/2008 regarding your inquiry on future models.

Ford of Canada makes every effort to maintain a high standard of quality control in our manufacturing process. We pride ourselves on becoming the world's leading consumer- company for automotive products and services."

Ok, they got the obligatory back-patting out of the way. Nothing unusual there.

"From time to time, vehicle models are added, deleted or modified. Decisions to make these changes take into account factors such as market trends, customer demands, engineering advances, and dealership input.

At the Customer Relationship Centre, we are not notified in advance of changes that our Engineering and Design Team may be making and the specific reasons that the changes may be made in the future. We have documented your comments for future reference."

All that to say "we don't know". I noticed they didn't give me an email to contact the people that make the decisions. I'm going to have to work on getting that on my own I guess. At least they're keeping my query on file. It's a good thing. If enough people ask "hey, why aren't we getting the really fuel efficient cars?" the people whose job it is to take note of the 'market trends, customer demands' criteria she referred to will have something to work with.

"If you have any other inquiries or concerns, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to address them.

Thank you for contacting Ford of Canada.

Sincerely,
******
Ford of Canada
Customer Relationship Centre"

Well, it was worth a shot.

The thing is, Ford has already announced that they're bringing the Fiesta (the hatchback model even!) to North America. Read more about that HERE.

Unfortunately, there's no mention in the autoblog.com article as to whether or not they intend to make the Duratorq diesels an option. It might not be for everyone, but 4.4L/100km (65MPG) sounds awfully nice to me. Not to mention the fact that that Fiesta is one of the best looking hatchbacks out there right now... 2-doors or 4. (Gallery at autoblog.com)

So, why AREN'T we getting the fuel efficient cars in North America?

2008-06-02T13:27:00.004-04:00

We have to face the facts: North America is a gluttonous society. "Bigger is better" is a mindset that has been deeply entrenched, especially in the automotive world. Virtually every model sold in North America is bigger today that it was 10 years ago. And even back then, chances are they were bigger than they were a decade before that.

Bigger cars... bigger engines... more horsepower.... it all adds up. Now, I'll admit, I love horsepower. But I do not need a 340+hp sedan for my daily commute. Nobody does.

Even a car on the smallest end of the scale, the Mazda Miata/MX-5, has been on the "Super-Size Me!" diet since day 1. When it was first sold in North America it weighed just 2072 pounds (940kg). Today it weighs 2508 pounds (1138kg). That's over 20% heavier! Agreed, some aspects of the latest generation MX-5 are likely better than the first models that were sold... specifically, a 2008 is undoubtedly safer than the 1990 model. But what about the mileage numbers? Surely 18 years of technological improvements netted some improvements there?

1990 Mazda Miata - 1.6L: 24MPG (combined) on Regular Unleaded
2008 Mazda MX-5 - 2.0L: 24 MPG (combined) on Premium Unleaded

Eighteen years and we're still right where we started? Only now I have to pay for Premium? Something just isn't right with that.

It's a horrible cliché... but how would you feel if your computer today performed no better than it did in 1990, yet cost twice as much to buy?

It's time we start thinking responsibly. Is that likely to happen? Eventually, yes. Unfortunately, a revised mindset is nowhere near imminent. It'll get here one day though... but only if we push for it. Ask yourself: Why do I see more F-150 commercials from Ford than Focus ads? And why is the 2.0L Focus the most economical Ford available to me, when other countries can buy smaller, more fuel efficient Fords that get nearly twice the mileage?

I asked Ford:

What I'd like to know is when will Ford start selling the truly economical models in North America?

The newest Focus available here in Canada gets an average of 7.1L/100km. In Europe, not only do they offer models similar to that, but they also have diesel models available to buy which get 5.5L/100km or LESS... as low as 4.3L/100km.

With gas prices increasing substantially on a monthly basis, I'd like to know when these models will be available to me to buy.

Also, what about the other even smaller Fords that we can't yet buy here? The European Fiesta gets 6.2L/100km on regular fuel, and as little as 4.4L/100km on diesel. And what about the Ka?

As someone looking to purchase a second vehicle strictly for daily commuting, all three of these cars are viable, and tempting options, yet not one of them is available to me. When will Ford Canada finally make these available to Canadian buyers who are looking for economical options?

If/when I get an answer I'll keep you informed.

Going green... literally.

2008-05-30T10:40:00.003-04:00

Can we really turn the green slime that messes up our pools into gasoline? Sapphire Energy already has!

Algal based crude isn't a perfect answer in that it's still a fuel that burns and creates emissions pollution.

However, it's at least carbon-neutral and it's renewable, without relying on existing crops.

And better still, it could one day alleviate North Americas dependence on OPEC. I don't know about you, but I find it more than a little irritating to live in a country with the second largest oil reserve on the planet, yet every time someone sneezes in the middle east I see a $0.10/L hike in gas prices.

Will a shiny new hybrid really save you money?

2008-05-28T08:05:00.008-04:00

Some people (like myself) actually enjoy our cars. We like to drive! We like to feel the car. I'm not talking about a sports-car here. I'm a "car-guy" and a motorsports enthusiast, but I don't make nearly enough money to own anything remotely close to a "sports car". I drive a compact, 4 cylinder sedan.

My daily commute, what I consider "obligatory" and unavoidable driving, makes up nearly 75% of my annual mileage, and I have no desire to turn it into the Indy 500. I usually stick to the right lane and roll with the traffic. However, an occasional fun drive through the country on winding roads is something I don't want to give up completely. Sometimes you just want to go, and driving the sloth-like Prius with it's shopping cart handling will never be an option for those of us that actually take pleasure in a drive.

Also, not everyone wants to drive a car that looks as weird as a Prius. In fact, most people I've asked think the Prius looks dull, uninspiring, or downright hideous. So let's put that ugly little anomaly aside for a moment and compare apples to apples.

As Toyota has the longest history with hybrids and they have undoubtedly advanced the technology more than any other manufacturer, we'll stick with their offerings for now.

The Toyota Camry.

It's a nice, family sedan with superb finish quality, comfort, & longevity... overall just a really great car. I don't personally like them at all, but there's no way I can deny that the Camry is a solid vehicle.

And for the sake of this post, it comes in 3 different flavors... 4 cylinders, a hybrid, and a V6 that I've added in just for reference.

Since the whole point of this post is to calculate the cost saving measures of hybrids, I'm going to compare the base model of each engine configuration. While the options aren't exactly equal across all three versions, the basics are similar... automatic transmission, A/C, etc. All fuel cost calculations are done based on an annual mileage of 20,000km (12,400 miles) with a 55/45 mix of city & highway drivings, all added up with today's Regular Unleaded 87 Octane fuel price of $1.45/L (approx. US$5.53/gal.).

-Toyota Camry LE (2.4L - 158 hp - 3307 lb curb weight)

$27942 (Vehicle cost including all applicable taxes, freight, prep., etc.)
9.4L/100km (combined EPA estimate)
$2726 (annual fuel cost)
$227.17 (monthly fuel cost)
$538.90 (monthly vehicle payment, calculated at toyota.ca)
$766.07 (total monthly cost to own and operate the 4 cylinder Camry)

-Toyota Camry Hybrid (2.4L - 187 hp - 3638 lb curb weight)

$36136 (Vehicle cost including all applicable taxes, freight, prep., etc.)
6.9L/100km (combined EPA estimate)
$2001 (annual fuel cost)
$166.75 (monthly fuel cost)
$696.95 (monthly vehicle payment, calculated at toyota.ca)
$863.70 (total monthly cost to own and operate the hybrid Camry)

-Toyota Camry LE V6 (3.5L - 268 hp - 3461 lb curb weight)

$33,399 (Vehicle cost including all applicable taxes, freight, prep., etc.)
10.7L/100km (combined EPA estimate)
$3103 (annual fuel cost)
$258.58 (monthly fuel cost)
$644.16 (monthly vehicle payment, calculated at toyota.ca)
$902.74 (total monthly cost to own and operate the hybrid Camry)

So, buying that shiny new Camry hybrid to cut down on your monthly fuel expenses will save you a grand total of... oh, wait... sorry, my bad... it'll cost you $97.63 more each month. That's $1171.56 per year, which adds up to $5857.80 extra over the 5 years that you're paying for that shiny new hybrid. So, after those 5 years are up, and your shiny new hybrid isn't really all that shiny or new anymore, you can finally start saving money... about $60.42 per month. At that rate, it'll take almost 97 months (just over 8 years) to pay back the $5857.80 that you've already paid out.

Congratulations! After 13 years, you've broken even.

But hey, at least you're saving the environment.

Is 45mpg really as good as it sounds?

2008-05-26T09:27:00.002-04:00

If all you've ever known is 20 (or less) MPG, then maybe...

But these guys aren't impressed.