Electric Cars: A Drop in the Bucket

Posted on February 5, 2016 by stevegoesgreen

Today, I read on the Clean Fleet Report website an interesting piece by Michael Coates about the Bestselling Electric Cars in the U.S. in 2015. Take a look and you’ll see the usual suspects.

The top seller was, surprise surprise, the Tesla Model S, with 25,700 sold at $63,700 apiece after tax credits.

Tesla-Model-S

The Nissan Leaf, the previous leader, placed second, with 17,269, at a much more affordable $22,360 after tax credits. My baby, the Fiat 500e, came in at 7th place, with 6,194 sold at $25,700, after tax credits. Read all about them in the article.

The point, though, is that even though sales are increasing, this represents a minuscule portion of the car market. 2015 was a huge year, with around 17.5 million vehicles new vehicles sold. The industry has, by pretty much any standard, recovered, although not all companies are succeeding as well as others.

As I drive Fidelio to work and back I see a smattering of Volts and Leafs, an occasional “twin” 500e, and a Tesla or two, but we are a tiny minority. Mostly, we’re swimming in a sea of gas-burning cars and trucks of all shapes and sizes.

If we want to have an impact on the CO2 problem, there have to be LOTS more electric vehicles on the road as soon as possible.

Please join us. Even driving a new Chevrolet Volt, which features a gas engine along with its electric motor, has an all-electric range of up to 53 miles, which can make an impact.

Paris Is Just the Beginning

Posted on December 14, 2015 by stevegoesgreen

I’m excited about the Paris Climate Agreement, and think it’s a great start. But that’s just it–a start. In itself, the agreement won’t solve the problem.

My personal focus on carbon reduction is car-related, so I’ve been thinking more about what we can do now to make an impact.

You can buy an electric car, if you want to. There are lots of choices, and lease rates are cheap. Unless you opt for the super-luxury-priced Tesla, though, you’ll be out of luck if you want to drive your e-car everywhere you take your current gas model. Range is less than 100 miles, except for the 2016 Leaf, which is claiming 107. Still, the point is made.

But I was wondering. What if we got, say, even half of the driving population to switch to electric? We still need to create the electricity. Where we get it would make a big difference. If it’s from a coal-powered plant, we’re still pushing out CO2.

And what happens to all of those old gas cars? Someone else would buy them and drive them. That just transfers the problem to a new owner.

Not too long ago, the Federal Government instituted a “Cash for Clunkers” program to buy up old superpolluters for more than they were worth and give the seller a few bucks to go buy a newer, cleaner car. What if there was a program for folks to turn in their old car and buy an electric (or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, when available)? Then, the old car gets crushed and all the materials in it are recycled. That might help a little. The cars that don’t get crushed will have to be retired, too, as soon as possible.

It’s hard to see ahead 35 years to 2050, when we will need to have succeeded in our Paris commitments to limiting the temperature increase since pre-industrial times to 2 degrees Celsius (3.7 Fahrenheit). 1.5 degrees would be even better, scientists say, but it’s a really tough goal, according to what I read.

We need to start now, and not wait around. But I’m just like everyone else. I like my lifestyle and I don’t want to be limited or have to make changes. But, if I don’t, how can I expect anyone else to? And if WE don’t, the temperature will just keep on rising.

Seeking Green at the San Francisco Auto Show

Posted on November 30, 2015 by stevegoesgreen

As always, I made time during the Thanksgiving long weekend this year to attend the San Francisco Auto Show. The 2015 version was no different than last year’s event. It’s essentially a huge showroom without pesky salespeople–where you can look at all the cars, sit in them, grab a little information, and get exhausted.

This year, I focused on electrics, hybrids, plug-ins, and alternative fuel vehicles, while looking at what’s new, too, and strolling nostalgically past some classic treasures.

The first thing I noticed in the far-ranging Moscone Center was that most cars are none of the above. If you’re lucky, there’s one per brand. Some, like Ford, offer multiple options, but you still have to seek out the environmentally friendly models, and the areas around them were generally not busy.

The big news this year comes from a new Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius. Both were there in multiples.

The Volt (above) has been totally redesigned, and is both more attractive and more efficient. While the old model was loosely based on a radical concept car, this new Volt looks more like other new Chevys–which is better. It’s also has a bigger range in pure electric mode.

I first saw the Volt as part of the PG&E display, and wore its logo on the side. PG&E wants consumers to understand what buying and living with an electric car means, as the friendly utility that supplies their car-charging juice, and they featured some helpful displays and take-aways.

The company also got a chance to display their hybrid Ford work trucks. According to the PG&E spokesman, who actually works on one of the trucks, the guys just love them.

Over in Toyota land, several Prii (Priuses) sat next to one Toyota Mirai, the company’s entry in the hydrogen fuel cell segment. The Mirai, for lease to a tiny group of early adopters willing to be beta testers for a car with virtually no places to fill it up, is one of the least attractive vehicles I’ve ever seen, but if and when hydrogen becomes a viable fuel to power automobiles, Toyota hopes to lay claim to the “Prius” of hydrogen cars by starting now.

The new Prius still looks something like the generation two and three models, but has gone wild, much as the latest Camry has, in an effort to refute any accusations of being boring.

Mind you, the Prius is fabulous for getting there on minimal fuel (an honest 50 miles per gallon), but has never been a sporty ride. The new car, with floating roof, head- and tail lamps that are splattered across the corners of the car, and a dash panel that hides the information away from your eyes, will be polarizing. According to reports I’ve read before getting my hands on one, it is more fun to drive, intentionally. I can’t wait to find out.

If you simply want to save fuel by driving a tiny car, the all-new Smart is here. Looking a bit more substantial, but still like half a car, it is not the highest in fuel economy (although an electric is offered). It is simply the best to park, and is still very cute.

Where it gets more interesting is in places like Volvo, that now offers a hybrid version of its handsome, all-new XC90 crossover. Winning Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year competition places it more directly in front of potential buyers. The young woman showing it off told me that a pure electric is in the future, pending availability of more powerful batteries for longer range.

The Porsche 918 was there, as was the BMW i8, proving that you don’t have to drive a regular car to conserve fuel. The Porsche will set you back at least half a million dollars, while the BMW is a more “modest” $125K or so. Both surely occupy some teenage boys’ walls next to the Ferraris and Shelby Mustangs.

One note on regular cars. The new Honda Civic was there, and I was looking forward to seeing if it is as huge in person as in photos. The answer is Yes. The sweet little CVCC of 1973 has ballooned into a big sedan that looks like an Accord. Its styling is so bold and carefully rendered to not look cheap that it appears overblown and is hard to remember.

We need Honda to not just give us the Fit (pun avoided), but an even smaller model to compensate for this scary development. Of course, they’ll sell the usual 300,000 Civics to Americans in 2016, anyway. And, if it’s more efficient than an Accord, great! There isn’t a hybrid or electric model available yet.

With my family in tow, we wandered through other areas, including a huge ballroom full of customs, which included late-model BMWs and Subarus as well as a glorious low-riding 1959 Buick and some exquisitely customized muscle cars. Also, on the main floor, behind the Chryslers and Jeeps, the selection of new and historic Aston-Martins was dazzling. The Academy of Art University brought a fabulous assortment of fine classics, from a Stutz worthy of film royalty to a sweet Austin-Healey that looked exactly like one treasured by my dad in the 1960s.

And that is what makes it so challenging, and exciting, to be searching for an automotive answer to our climate problem while appreciating the beloved old internal combustion vehicles. When will a new car show include no more ICE models? Will we still love a 1941 Lincoln Coupe or a 1966 Porsche 911 25 years from now, even if they are part of what’s got us into this mess in the first place?

Why the Price of Gas Is Too Low

Posted on September 11, 2015 by stevegoesgreen

Ford Fusion Energi

Everybody wants to save money. I hate paying a lot for gasoline, too. But, regular is just over $3 a gallon in California now, and I heard on the radio yesterday that somewhere in the continental U.S. it was below $2 a gallon. Hooray!

But wait a minute. The lower fuel prices go, the more people go out and buy large, gas-guzzling cars. Price is a big factor in those purchases, and the supply of Toyota Priuses piles up in the dealer lots.

Hybrid versions of cars that are also sold as gas models cost more. The idea is to save money, and they do–eventually. The real reason, though, to buy a hybrid, electric, or small, highly efficient vehicle is to save the planet!

Some folks do make that choice. I can think of three sets of them now. My neighbors traded in a thirsty, but beautifully maintained Lincoln Town Car for a midsize Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid. That should triple or quadruple their mileage, and reduce their carbon footprint significantly.

Another couple I know, already Prius owners, leased a Nissan Leaf pure electric vehicle. The $99/month payment was a factor, but these folks, who have the solar panels on their roof to fuel the thing, are simply making the right choice.

I just found out today that another friend just got himself a brand new Volkswagen eGolf pure electric car. He already was planet friendly with his Honda Fit, but this makes a difference.

But, when I circumambulate the parking lot at my company, there are very few hybrids and electrics there. It’s going to take a while.

It’s Time to Go Green

Posted on September 2, 2015 by stevegoesgreen

I’ve been testing cars for 23-1/2 years now, and there’s one thing that’s been bothering me for a long time. I love cars, or I wouldn’t be writing about them, but it feels like I’m supporting one of the main culprits of climate change. It feels like being a smoker–I know it’s bad for me, but I’m hooked.

Well, my auto column has exposed me to lots of great highly efficient vehicles, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric vehicles, and even some highly efficient regular old internal combustion cars.

This blog is about moving to the good guys. I’ll cover cars like the affordable all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the popular Toyota Prius, which gets a true 50 miles per gallon, and even the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, a large, comfortable sedan that averaged 36 miles per gallon for the week I drove it.

I’ll talk about new technology, upcoming models, and ways to reduce driving without becoming housebound. There are plenty of fun-to-drive cars out there that have a much more minimal impact on the earth, and we’ll talk about them here.

Even if you switch from a 10-year-old Chevy Malibu to a 2016 Honda Fit, you’re doing something to help. Carpool with someone–even better. Or, if you’ve got a reasonable commute, use an electric.

Watch this space for a special feature coming soon–a long-term test of a pure electric vehicle. I’ll show it in all it’s glory, and show you the pain points, too.

It’s time to go green. Let’s do it together.

stevegoesgreen

Time to move to a more environmentally conscious life

Tag Archives: hybrid cars