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Top five cleanest gasoline cars
Four of the five pollute less than some hybrids
With all the attention the emerging technologies are getting in the automotive press, you tend to forget about the decades-old standard, the conventional gasoline engine.
You're definitely paying a premium to be green, with hybrid technology easily adding two or three thousand dollars to the price of a car. And most electrics, such as Tesla's roadster, are priced only for the wealthy. Makes for great red carpet press for the Hollywood-types but the everyday, commute-to-work driver, just can't afford it. Even GM's Volt will be priced in the $40,000 range, before any government subsidies kick in.
So rather than concentrate so much on the new, NADA Guides has released a list of the top five cleanest conventional gasoline cars for this year's Earth Day.
"It is no surprise that on Earth Day the automotive world will be focused on the latest and greatest hybrid vehicles, but the fact remains that consumers are still overwhelmingly buying and driving conventional gasoline cars," said Michael Caudill, spokesperson for NADA Guides. "The Top Five Cleanest Conventional Cars show that consumers have options for vehicles that are easy on the environment without the higher price point of emerging hybrid technology."
The cars that made the list were based on a combination of scores from three criteria: greenhouse gas emissions, smog-producing air pollution and combined miles per gallon. All data was based on 15,000 miles of driving per year, with 55 percent of it city driving and 45 percent highway driving.
Greenhouse gas emissions include carbon dioxide, methane gas, nitrous oxide and hydrofluorocarbons. Theses figures are expressed in tons per year. Smog or air pollution includes nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, various carbon-containing compounds (including hydrocarbons), formaldehyde and solid particulates.
It's nice to see three of cleanest cars are from American manufacturers; i.e., the 2009 Pontiac G5, the 2009 Chevy Cobalt LS and the Ford Focus S. The Hyundai Elantra GLS lands up in the middle of the pack with the 2009 MINI Cooper coming in last. It's surprising to see the MINI as the dirtiest of the bunch, with it emitting the most air pollution yet still being very efficient. You can bet BMW will work to clean it up.
As many would argue, hybrid and electric technology is not ready to replace the traditional gasoline engine. Will prices adjust eventually? Probably. But until then, you have a few options to be green without paying for it.
BMW's all-electric MINI E
Electric car to be unveiled at Los Angeles Auto Show
BMW has chosen the Los Angeles Auto Show to present the new all-electric MINI E to the media. As reported a few months ago by Autopia, BMW has been working on the plug-in MINI and will make it available to select markets.
500 cars for North America
Much of the speculation surrounding the electric MINI is that it helps BMW meet some states zero-emissions mandates. BMW has 500 MINI E's headed to three states in the U.S.: California, New York and New Jersey. These cars will go to private and corporate customers.
Each vehicle carries a one-year lease with an option to extend it. And following BMW's common practice of servicing their leased vehicles free of charge, any maintenance or service requiring the replacement of worn parts will be included.
Once the lease is up, the MINI E is returned to BMW engineers for comparative testing.
On a side note, BMW provides a wallbox installed in a customer's garage. It provides higher amperage for short charging times. Expect a MINI E to take about 2.5 hours to charge. Only lockable garages will be considered for MINI E power stations.
Production of the 500 cars will take place at BMW’s Oxford and Munich sites and should be completed before the end of 2008.
MINI-like performance?
As you might have guessed, the MINI E will only be available as a two-seater. The rear passenger seats will be occupied by the cars lithium-ion battery pack, made up of 5,088 cells grouped into 48 modules.
The cars electric drive train will produce about 162 lb-ft of torque, driving the front wheels. You'll get to 62 mph in about 8.5 seconds and top out at an electronically governed 95 mph.
Of course it's hard to estimate how far the car will go on a single charge. According to BMW, one kilowatt hour equals 5.4 miles. A fully charged BMW E draws 28 kilowatts. So it's safe to assume the car has a 150 mile range. The MINI E also has a regenerative braking feature where the electric motor acts as a generator, directing power to the batteries that otherwise would be lost. BMW says this feature extends the car's range by up to 20 percent.
MINI E styling
Yes, should you be one of a select few to lease a MINI E, you will be comfortable knowing that what you are driving is unique. But the styling, not so much. All 500 MINI E's will look the same, as pictured here. Even more unfortunate, the stylized power plug "E" logo is everywhere: the roof; on the front and back of the car; the charger port lid; on the dashboard; and finally, on the door jamb. Yikes! I hope you like yellow!
And, with such a limited number of MINI E's, will BMW go the way of Honda and target Hollywood for it's eye-catching and media-hyped market? We'll have to see once the cars are ready for distribution.
Tesla Motors to focus on revenue
Elon Musk, Chairman of the Board, Product Architect and CEO of Tesla Motors,
blogged today about a change in focus at the electric car company.
"At Tesla, we have decided that the wise course of action is to focus on our two revenue producing business lines - the Roadster and powertrain sales to other car companies. In the Roadster, Tesla has a unique product with a large order book that continues to grow, despite softness in the automobile sector. Our powertrain business is profitable today and is also growing rapidly," Musk said.
There's not doubt Tesla is going to be effected by the economic slump like any other car maker. The smart move is to leverage their strengths, as any business should right now.
First, their Roadster is a success and in strong demand. With that, explains Musk, Tesla will work to ramp up production, improve their margins and reduce operating expenses. The car, to put it lightly, is a hit. All the better to feed off of it and increase sales.
Second, the Tesla power train is unique and desired by the rapidly growing green arm of the automotive industry.
Case in point, the recently announced Dodge EV. Based off the Lotus Europa, the Dodge EV uses Tesla's motor, electronic controller and lithium-ion battery technology. An excellent example of two companies working to the benefit of each. But to Tesla, it's a path to additional revenue.
Two unfortunate results of Tesla's refocus is a reduction in staff and a delay in the development of the Model S program.
With the planned consolidation of operations, there will be, according to Musk, a "...headcount reduction." There's no word from Tesla on how many people this will effect.
"In anticipation of moving vehicle engineering to our new HQ in San Jose, we are ramping down and will close our Rochester Hills office near Detroit. Good communication, tightly knit engineering and a common company culture are of paramount importance as Tesla grows," explained Musk.
As far as the Model S' development, production will be delayed roughly six months to mid-2011.
Even though Tesla plans on unveiling the Model S early next year, detailed production engineering, tooling and commitments to suppliers will slow until a Department of Energy loan guarantee becomes effective. On the upside, Tesla plans on using the extra time to make the car better.
Chrysler's all-new electric cars
First model available to consumers by 2010
A few days ago, Chrysler announced their new foray into the green vehicle market, showing prototypes of the Dodge EV, the Jeep EV and Chrysler EV. It's pretty obvious that Chrysler is targeting a specific market with each car, with one to be selected for North American sales by 2010.
Chrysler, going green
Of course, the model that catches our eye the most is the Dodge EV. According to The Car Enthusiast, all of these vehicles will be using the same motor, electronic controller and lithium-ion battery technology that Tesla is using in their Roadster.
The Dodge EV is based on the Lotus Europa platform. Well, let's not mince words here. It is a Lotus Europa. The Europa was introduced in 2006 but is not sold in the United States. But I'm not complaining. Lotus is known for light, excellent handling cars. All the better and should make the Dodge EV very entertaining.
Like Tesla's Roadster, the Dodge EV is an all-electric sports car powered by a 200 kW, or 268 horsepower, electric motor.
With 480 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, performance-minded drivers will relish the cars 0 to 60 mph time of less than five seconds and a top speed of more than 120 mph. Pretty sweet and not unlike the Tesla. Driving range should be in the neighborhood of 150-200 miles and rechargeable with a standard 110- or 220-volt household outlet.
The other cars that Chrysler introduced were they Jeep EV and a mini-van, the Chrysler EV. Both use a system similar to the Volt's, whereby each has an electric motor with lithium-ion batteries and a small gasoline engine that provides energy to the electric-drive system when needed.
Jeep's are known by off-road enthusiasts as truly trail-ready and Chrysler hopes to maintain that reputation with a possible future innovation. Chrysler is looking at a four-wheel drive system for the Jeep EV that would include an electric motor at each wheel. Talk about off-road handling, especially if each motor could be controlled independently.
Chrysler can make an impact on the all-electric and hybrid market with these vehicles by delivering cars that not only work for the average driver but at a price they can afford as well. Wouldn't it be nice to see Chrysler benefit from their going green and see some true results. Success is in short supply right now with the American car makers. Chrysler has the opportunity to lead the way.
The death of the manual
Are automatic's killing our fun?
It just recently came to light that Pontiac will not be dropping a six-speed manual into their new sports sedan, the G8 GT. If you prefer three pedals and the option of double-clutching, you'll have to opt for the high performance variant, the G8 GXP.
Now, to be fair, modern day slush-boxes are incredible pieces of engineering. Simply look to the SuperFast2 transmission in Ferrari's Scuderia. The Ferrari is, of course, a pricey example. Other auto makers such as Volkswagen and Porsche have developed dual-clutch manuals as alternatives to automatics as well. Commonly referred to as DSG, or Direct-Shift Gearbox, these are transmissions that seemingly operate as both an automatic and a manual, without a conventional clutch pedal.
With transmissions such as these, is there a growing trend in the automotive industry to move away from manual transmissions? Automatics easily outsell traditional manuals, with the reasons outlined above. Today's automatics are blurring the lines between the two, providing drivers the ease of shifting automatically to shifting manually with a paddle or lever. Why put up with that pesky clutch pedal, lurching and jerking your way through rush hour traffic?
All of the above are great examples of modern day drivetrains. But what about us traditionalists? Believe it or not, there are a group of enthusiasts that actually prefer to shift gears manually, leaving the upshifts and downshifts to our discretion. Simply put, it's more fun! We enjoy being as involved in the driving experience as much as possible.
So where does that leave us, the gear heads that like a manual five or six-speed? Safe for now. None of the auto makers has announced the death of the manual. But what can be said about the future? Current trends in the automotive world point to a future of hybrid or all-electric cars. Vehicles that won't need driver operated transmissions, with the electric motor providing a continuous flow of power. No shifting required.
As an enthusiast, this is just a bit frightening. This "electric wave" does not bode well for true drivers out there. Who wants to drive a car with so little control? What do you think? Are we on the brink of a major evolution in the automotive industry? Do you plan on keeping your manual trans car, the car that soon may be called "old school"?
Is $40,000 too much?
flickr photo credit: Larry Boswell, Chevy Volt Concept
I wrote not long ago about the Volt and the costs of innovation that General Motors decided to accept for its development.
In an article in the Seattle Times, GM's Bob Lutz revealed that the first generation Volt will sell for $40,000, about $10,000 more than originally projected. Lutz went on to say the auto maker will not profit from sales of the car.
Lutz has made it clear that cars like the Volt are the wave of the future. He expects a quarter of all cars sold between 2020 and 2025 to be either electric or hydrogen powered.
Like I explained in my previous post, I'm unsure about the government subsidizing the cost of the vehicle. The United States Congress is looking into tax breaks for those who purchase vehicles like the Volt. I would rather the government take the money and invest it in expanding an alternative fuel infrastructure, such as hydrogen fueling stations. Stations such as these will need to be available once those alternatives become more viable.
I was reading comments from readers over at the Autoblog and one stuck in my mind from Keat. He made the point that as production ramps up, like any new product, the price comes down. Basic economics. Plus, as GM switches gears and produces more fuel efficient vehicles, the Volt will be the auto makers "halo car". It will be the car that set's the stage for GM as the innovator they need to be as we head into a future of sparse yet expensive fuel supplies.
The Volt...a General Motor's innovation?
flickr photo credit: Larry Boswell, Chevy Volt Concept
And an unlikely bargain.
If I were to ask you how much technology plays a part in our day to day lives, what would you say? Probably a great deal. What don't you use everyday that hasn't been improved upon through technology?
Today, technology is a natural part of a products progression. It improves it and makes it better. And the market? Usually it improves as the innovators take the first step and the competition follows suit.
The Chevy Volt, as well as it's hybrid brethren, are products that has been advanced through technology. Markets, demand and price are all factors driving change. In this case, the automobile. Consumers are looking to save money at the pump, play a part in driving cleaner vehicles and wanting the latest technology.
Now is technology always affordable? Of course not. So why are consumers and the media so upset when GM's initial price point for the Volt is probably impossible? Yes, buyers screamed with their early DVD player or flat-panel TV purchase. That's expected with new technology. If you're one of the first adopter's, you gotta pay to play. Prices, over time, always come down.
Just a week ago, GM CEO Rick Wagoner talked about the Volt selling for $30,000. Now, unless the federal government subsidizes your Volt purchase, expect to pay $40,000 or more for it. So what's wrong with letting the market proceed at it's natural pace? Let the price of the car fall where it should with technology as it stands. Did anyone, government or otherwise, subsidize the purchase of your flat-screen TV? Of course not.
GM is playing the role of the innovator here. They've decided to accept the challenge of developing new technology. And the technology just isn't there yet. No matter what anyone says, electric or hybrid-electric cars are not ready for prime time. All electric isn't because economically, batteries just can't store enough energy yet. And hybrid-electric because it still relies on an engine burning fossil fuel. And, to most consumers, the additional cost of the hybrid drive needs to be justified. The money you save on fuel just doesn't pay for the hybrid power plant.
You can look to the Tesla Roadster as an example of progress, progress that Tesla Motors decided to tackle themselves. The problem with their roadster is it's too expensive for the average day-to-day commuter trying to get to work. But certainly an example of innovation, especially by a small private company.
An interesting side note is the advances being made in battery technology, seemingly parallel to the demand for more efficient cars. A coincidence? I doubt it. Demand is dictating a cheaper power cell that can store more energy. Simple innovation, but innovation requires time.
But how much time does General Motors have to capture the market? Not much. The Volt is touted as an all electric car. In some ways it's still a hybrid. It has a traditional gasoline engine on-board but only to charge the batteries when needed. In the future, GM hopes the engine will be powered by hydrogen. But the other auto makers are working just as furiously on emerging technologies, all of them hoping to discover the holy grail of automotive independence...being free of oil.
Innovators always accept a great deal of responsibility, sometimes to the detriment of their reputation. GM has decided to take on that responsibility, hoping to launch a product to meet a growing demand. Do you think GM will deliver? Is the Volt capable of shaking GM's truck-only reputation and bring a renewed sense that they are innovators? We'll know once they announce a showroom-ready car.
Tesla's 2008 Roadster's are all reserved
Tesla's Roadster is the first zero emission vehicle in production
Ze'ev Drori, President and CEO of Tesla Motors, recently announced the start of regular production of the companies Roadster.
Drori explained in a blog post, "Since my previous communication we have obtained all the required regulatory approvals for the sale of the Roadster in the US and delivered the first production Tesla Roadster. We also set at that time a date of March 17th 2008 for the start of regular production of the Roadster. I am pleased to report to you that we have met this commitment and have begun regular production."
What's fascinating is as Tesla manufacturing ramps up, they are taking orders for the 2009 model year. All of the 2008 Roadsters have been reserved. Great news for Tesla, even better news for the electric car industry as a whole. No other company has come this far, actually delivering vehicles to customers. Yes, Tesla has had some hiccups, but they've succeeded in jumping through the hoops and are now prepared to continue that success into the next model year.
Here's the link to put your name on the 2009 wait list.
Tesla and the Volt collide
Martin Eberhard, the recently ousted co-founder of Tesla Motors, blogged recently about what steps he thinks GM should take on making the Chevrolet Volt a viable electric vehicle. His suggestion is to look to an interim solution, one that can get the buying public interested in a green vehicle from GM until better batteries come along that bring the price "...down by at least a factor of two and increase the capacity by something like a factor of two."
About a year ago, Eberhard met with GM's Bob Lutz for about two hours. From the sound of Eberhard's post, he and Lutz had their own reasons for meeting, which worked out to mutually agreeable, even though not voiced. And Lutz admitted somewhat to meeting the challenge of an electric vehicle because of Tesla.
"If some little West Coast outfit can do this, we can no longer stand by," he said.
"My motivation for talking to him was mostly to try and nudge GM towards change. His motivation seemed to be to learn as much as he could from me. This was okay by me – GM mass-producing EVs is good for the world because of the sheer number of cars they can sell, and good for Tesla Motors because it validates the market in the eyes of the consumers and the press," Eberhard explained.
He goes on to say that he thinks GM's Volt program is viable, considering the money, support and personnel that has been dedicated to the project.
Eberhard talks about how in the interim, GM could develop a Range-Extended Electric Vehicle. Such a vehicle could use a small gasoline engine of about 75hp to reduce the cost of the vehicle.
He explains how an electric car with a 200 mile range uses a battery system costing $20,000 or more. There's no way you can make a $30,000 car with a high-priced battery set up.
But a vehicle with a battery pack that goes 50 miles costs significantly less, about $5,000. You still achieve gas savings by having the battery system covering you on your local errands while having the ability to go on longer trips with the assistance of the gasoline engine. Then it's merely a matter of time for battery technology to catch up, thus reducing your reliance on the range extending gasoline engine.
Let's hope GM takes the lead here. It would be great to see GM get in the game and give the likes of Toyota and Honda a run for their money in a growing competitive market.
What do you think about Eberhard's proposal? Would you be more willing to drive an electric car if you had the option of going further with an onboard gasoline engine? Of course, it would help if the car looked good, such as the Volt and Tesla's roadster! Do you have any other ideas to help make the electric car experience better and more performance minded?
Forget the Prius, go for a Tesla!
Tesla Motors popped up at the SEMA convention in Las Vegas, showing off one of it's Roadsters at the Yokohama Tires stand.
After many delays, Tesla's Roadster is set for a Spring 2008 launch. In addition, Yokahama took the opportunity to tout their all-new passenger tire, the Super E-Spec. This new tire combines citrus oil with rubber to form a new compound that Yokohama calls "Super Nano Power Rubber." Yokohama says that the tire helps save the environment by using less petroleum products.
The Roadster is an all-electric sports car, capable of reaching 60 mph in 4 seconds with a top speed of 125 mph. Tesla says the car can go 245 miles between charges, depending on your driving sytle.
Tesla currently has a waiting list, with a $5,000 deposit securing your place in line for a Roadster. Check out the Tesla Motors web site for more details.
