Craneway Pavilion

Every major global automaker, without exception, is making a shift to hybrids, electric cars, and alternative fuels. Not because it was their idea. They were forced in that direction by a growing group of passionate consumers fed up with the status quo of petroleum dependence. When carmakers didn’t move fast enough, these consumer-activists converted their cars to run on batteries or alternative fuels.

Green Drive Expo, the Bay Area’s first eco-car expo, will provide an unprecedented opportunity for owners of unique green car creations to show off their work and express their desire for change. The event will take place at the waterfront Craneway Pavilion in Richmond—a renovated 1931 Ford Motor Company assembly plant, sporting a 1-megawatt solar array and stunning views of the San Francisco skyline.

The event will take place on Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door, or you can register for free admission by using this discount code: HYBRIDCARS on this page:
http://greendriveexpo.com/greendriveexpocoupon

Attendees will be offered free public test drives of prototypes of Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid and other hybrid and electric cars. Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Think will display their latest green vehicles. Auto company representatives will be on hand to discuss future products. But in many ways, the most exciting part of the show will be owners showing off their vehicles and discussing the issues with one another.

read more

Lexus has released details about the four driving modes that will be included in its forthcoming CT 200h hybrid. The sporty compact is the second dedicated hybrid offering from the carmaker and is intended to boost the fun factor for luxury hybrid drivers—while still being capable of delivering fuel economy approaching the Toyota Prius's 50 MPGs.

For the CT 200h, Lexus will essentially replace the Power mode found in its other dedicated hybrid, the HS 250h, with a new Sport mode which will be tooled towards maximum performance and handling. In Sport mode throttle is cranked up considerably, power control from the battery increases by about 15 percent, and the CT's Electronic Power Steering is adjusted to be more responsive. Lexus will also make its Vehicle Stability and Traction Control systems more passive, allowing for more driver control.

These adjustments obviously cut into fuel economy, but much of the joy of owning a car like this isn't so much the extra performance it provides in all driving situations but the knowledge that it's there if you're in the mood for it.

The three more efficient driving modes are called Normal, Eco, and EV. EV mode allows drivers to go all-electric for up to a mile—so long as the car is kept below 25 mph. Normal mode utilizes Toyota's Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission, allowing the car to respond to changing driving conditions by instantaneously adjusting its gear ratios. Eco mode alters that formula to provide maximized fuel economy for gas-electric driving—slowing cabin cooling, limiting throttle and accelerating battery charging.

The CT 200h will essentially be smaller, more aerodynamic, 5-door hatchback version of the HS 250h—which had the same sized wheelbase as the Toyota Prius but dialed-down aerodynamics for the sake of a roomier, more luxurious interior—at the expense of about 15 MPGs of fuel economy. Lexus has essentially reversed that process for the CT 200h, with the result being a smaller, more efficient luxury small car that can still pack a punch when needed.

The car will hit dealerships in the United States early next year.

read more

By Roland Hwang

Today, a consumer group, Consumer Federation of America, released a new study that clearly shows stronger pollution and fuel efficiency standards that result in 60 miles per gallon by 2025 is good for consumers’ pocketbooks. But not only do consumers win, it also means less pollution, less oil dependency, and a stronger, more competitive auto industry. It’s one of the best examples of why good environmental and clean energy policy goes hand-in-hand with lowering consumer fuel bills and restoring American industry to a leadership position.

Achieving 60 mpg by 2025 can be done by using and improving on technologies that already exist, such as hybrid electric cars and electric vehicles. In fact, according to a new study released yesterday by the University of Michigan, the technical potential is to triple fuel economy to 74 mpg, even before considering plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. We have learned from cell phones, microwaves, and computers that higher volumes can lead to dramatic improvement in innovation and drive down costs.

Raising standards to 60 mpg is good for consumers, good for the environment and good for jobs. Here are the top three reasons why we need stronger pollution and fuel efficiency standards:

Reason #1: Pays for itself. According to the consumer group Consumer Federation of America, cost of fuel savings technologies pays for itself in the first year of ownership.

read more

Ford Fusion Hybrid

The U.S. auto market experienced its weakest August sales since 1983. Overall sales dropped by 21 percent compared to last August, when the Cash for Clunkers programs gave an all-too-brief boost to car sales.

Gas-electric hybrids, which disproportionately benefited from Clunkers a year ago, took a harder fall in August, dropping by 38 percent compared to last year. In a rare bright spot, the Ford Fusion Hybrid—a vehicle that racked up numerous “Car of the Year” awards in 2010—saw big gains in sales in August. Ford sold 3,010 Fusion Hybrids—up from 1,226 a year ago and nearly double from last month’s sales.

As usual, any single month’s sales figures—whether way up or down—should not be taken as a long-term trend.

Yet, August once again proved that the fortunes of the hybrid market are dominated by the Toyota Prius. Sales of the iconic hybrid model fell by nearly 38 percent compared to a year ago—the same percentage drop as the overall hybrid market. Toyota sold 11,799 Priuses, well below the nearly 19,000 sales from August 2009, when the vehicle was one of the most popular models during Cash for Clunkers.

read more

A University of Michigan Auto Researcher says it’s possible to triple fuel economy of cars—without plugging them in.

In a new study released today, John DeCicco (who has been a contributor to this site) shows that optimizing internal combustion engines plus rising adoption of “grid-free hybrids” will enable new fleet efficiency to reach 52 MPG by 2025 and 74 MPG by 2035.

“To push efficiency really far, it means a lot more hybrids than previous studies have indicated,” DeCicco said, in an interview with HybridCars.com. “Hybrids are going to rule the world, that is, if we want to be serious about reducing oil use and greenhouse gases.”

DeCicco questions the prevailing wisdom of public support for cars that use energy from the grid. DeCicco, a senior lecturer at the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, is apparently referring to plug-in cars when he advocates for avoiding “politically trendy breakthrough technologies” that will remain too expensive for most consumers. "If we really prioritize efficiency, we can get just as far with less sticker shock," he said, in a press release issued by University of Michigan.

It’s a Policy Thing

“I’m not opposed to plugging in, but there’s no justification for massive subsidies,” DeCicco told us. “Let automakers and willing customers explore this on their own nickel. We ought to have policies that give us the biggest bang for the buck, and most efficiency can occur without plugging in.

read more