2010 March | News on hybrid vehicles, fuel cell cars, and the future of automobiles

Archive for March, 2010

Why aren’t automanufacturers creating more hybrid cars?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Seems like automanufacturers are way behind on developing hybrid cars, ethanol (e-85), and electric cars. For years and years they’ve been talking about how much they’re developing. Just to appease the US public. What’s the hold up? I speculate that oil companies and the fact that automakers realize that everyone will eventually have to buy a new technology car, so why allow them to switch now, wait till later when you can make a larger profit and finish milking the gas powered car market. Where are you US government when we need you?

See the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car" when it comes to your town, or comes out on DVD. But the short answer is that auto manufacturers have tens of BILLIONS invested in the gas burning infrastructure. Many of the people who are on the Boards of Directors of Oil Companies are on the Boards of Auto companies (and vice versa).

So, short sighted greed has once again carried the day.

As to the government, Big Oil is the lifeblood of the Bush family, and his administration. One quick example Condi Rice was on the board of directors of the Chevron Corporation, and had an oil tanker named after her.

Posted in hybrid car technology | No Comments »

How does this work out when a person buy a Hybrid to help the environment, but sell their old car (read on)?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

They sell their old car and that car is still on the road polluting while they are saving the environment with their new hybrid car.
how does that work out?

wouldn’t it be better to junk the car and have it recycled and used to make other product.

Hybrids are bad for the environment
they are made of non-recyclable alloys and plastics and their battery’s go straight into landfills and pollute.

They save gas, not the environment. if you want to save the environment, buy a used jeep TJ or YJ, they are very recyclable and easily repairable, so they last longer and then are recycled, no problem.

Posted in new hybrid car | 4 Comments »

What is the best Hybrid to buy? A SUV i would like the most.?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

i want to get a SUV hybrid what one would be the best for the money ?

Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner

Posted in hybrid suv | 3 Comments »

Should Hybrid cars be allowed in the carpool lane?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

I started thinking about this topic today. The point of the carpool lane is to reduce congestion so why are hybrid cars allowed. Also, when the price goes down in hybrid cars (they average $25-$30K) and more people have them will the same carpool rules apply?

No. The point of the carpool lane was to carpooling to lower the volume of traffic. Once hybrids become even more popular, you’ll have lost the merit of HOV when it’s saturated with hybrids carrying only one person. Needless to say, few politicians will want to repeal the HOV bonus for fear of being labelled anti-hybrid. It’s politically easy to drag down the benefits on the original beneficiaries of HOV, it’s much harder to completely take those benefits away from the new beneficiaries.

Posted in hybrid cars | 4 Comments »

does a powerful stereo decrease a hybrid or electric car’s horsepower?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

do extra electronics; audio, video, tools, toys, …. have an effect on a hybrid or electric car’s horsepower? sorta like the a/c when turned on.

yyyyyyyyyyep

Posted in electric hybrid | 4 Comments »

whats a good car or anything for a fat family of five?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

we have a mini van that is desperatley outdated thinkin of 7-8 seater SUV like Pilot Highlander or Santa Fe but Dad (lets call him phil) phil has to travel 60 miles a day! He has to drive this huge minivan! Wife (lets call her Sarah) wants a compact (another story) then i saw some midsized car reviews that are realy roomy(camry and accord) its so hard! no camry v6 hybrid highlander is TOO expensive i need help we love long trips and hour long trips feel really long cause we live in rhode island

can u imagine sitting in between 2 fat kids for like 3 hours!

Hunt around. You should be able to get a good deal on a car now as people are not buying, plus the new ones will be coming up for sales in August. Lots of car fit your criteria.

Posted in hybrid minivan | 3 Comments »

Who is good at macroeconomics?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

assuming that the price of gasoline continues to rise. What would be the impact on the demand for hybrid automobiles.

It depends on various factors. The correlation may not be as direct as you are implying but for the sake of your question I’ll exclude plug in hybrids, alternative fuels and the like. This is a supply and demand curve where we are not currently at equilibrium. The curve is a bit high and to the left currently. As the price of hybrids fall the demand will continue to rise eventually reaching equilibrium. Gasoline is an inelastic commodity while hybrids are currently undetermined (because they are so new). I would assume that hybrid demand will be similarly inelastic eventually because the price trade off will make it a economic choice rather than an optional value based decision with some discounting of economics.

All of that was a bit technical so in summary the two demand curves should be closely correlated ceteris paribus (all other things being equal). Obviously people want to not spend more of their income on a commodity such as gasoline on a percentage basis. Will this correlate to purchasing hybrids?

It will when the price of a hybrid is offset by the savings. Let’s say you bought a Toyota Yaris for $15,000 or a Prius for $22,000. The fuel economy on a Yaris is 34/40 while a prius is 60/50. Assuming you drive strictly city and get the economy while driving 15,000 miles a year the difference in gas is 441 gallons for the Yaris and 250 gallons for the Prius. Placing gas at $3.20 per gallon that means the Yaris costs $1,411.20 per year while the Prius costs $800.00 a savings of $611.12. The inital purchase price difference is currently $7,000.00 that is more than 10 years of savings which is probably not likely to be realized. So as you can see the prices are currently no offset and until they are the correlation cannot be completely made and therefore the question is difficult to answer.

Posted in hybrid automobiles | 3 Comments »

What is the best Hybrid car in the market right now?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

I ask because I’m planning to buy one. I just can’t decide which one to get. I looked up the reviews on all the hybrid cars (Yahoo Auto) but still can’t make up my mind. I just want something within $20-25K price range. Thank you.

Hi,

there is no easy answer to this without getting more information on what your needs and wants are.

My recommendation is to draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper and put your needs on one side and your wants on the other.

Put this list away for a few days and look at it again after a week to see if your answers have changed.

Then see which vehicles are on that short list.

If you are only looking to buy new, your choices are limited to the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic Hybrid, or possibly the Ford Escape Hybrid on the upper end of your range.

Consider those hybrids in that order- Prius, Civic, and on from there.

There are other mild hybrids out there that might possibly fall in your range, but at that point consider the standard model (like the Saturn Vue Green Line).

Good luck.

Posted in hybrid car | 1 Comment »

Eco-conscious concept cars unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2010 – Video

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

The auto industry is widening and spreading its wings faster than earlier. Leading carmakers introduced a series of hybrid cars concepts at the Geneva Auto show 2010 that are going to shake up the auto industry.