'Green'-models are not the money value, study shows

The Detroit Bureau

Toyota Prius C is "Much fuel, but no thing", according to the consumer reports study.

By Paul A. Eisenstein, the Detroit Bureau
Hoping to squeeze every last mile out of a gallon of gasoline? Automakers were have launched a flurry of new "eco" models designed to do just that. But a new report warns that the minimal additional mileage not value the hefty price - in some cases as much as 38 years go back to lower fuel costs would require.

The new study by consumer reports raises questions about a variety of conventionally powered eco models like the Ford focus SFE, Chevrolet Cruze eco and Honda Civic HF. But it was also skeptical promised by some hybrid models, benefits, such as the new Toyota Prius C, which it is declared, "fuel economy, but not a business."

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The problem is that the savings are compensated by strong first bonuses average between $500 and $800 on standard models. In some cases, the savings in fuel can however as little as $20 per year. And, in some cases consumers wind Dynamics victims on cheaper Interior and bad way further.

Chevy Cruze eco is a prime example, CR according to researchers. The special model learns some aerodynamic "tweaks" and gets low rolling tires - the price in comparison to similar Cruze lt add $800 but even increased fuel consumption only 1 mile per gallon, to a mid-pack 27 mpg in the city. Highway mileage jumps 4 mpg, 40.

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For the typical owner the income, only $20 per year would save the typical driver speed 12,000 miles a year and numbers $4 per gallon - and a 38-year "Payback" to the Cruze eco require additional cost. Savings would a little better, added the not-for profit publication, for those who follow much highway.

The Honda Civic HF pins on one another $800 to low rolling tires, rear spoiler and closed underbody aerodynamic turbulence reduced. The results in a 3 mpg jump in the compact model kilometers, to a combined 33 mpg. But even annual mileage savings are a modest $135, i.e. a payback period of 6 years - which is longer than most Americans keep a new car.

And the magazine gave the entire driving dynamics of civic HF a bad review, the "it in the bottom places" all small sedans.

The magazine was much more optimistic about the "solid feel" the Ford focus SFE - short for Super fuel economy - which flush wheel covers, a rear spoiler, and the higher mileage tyres. The SFE package gets a bump 3 mpg, $145 per year would save 31 mpg combined, which appreciates consumer reports. The package costs only $495 so payback is one shorter 3.5 years.

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While Toyota Prius hybrid often has praised original model by CR, the magazine report is far less kind to the new Prius c, the compact addition to the expanding Prius "Family." While the new model city mileage rating of 37 mpg is "stellar", the compromise on the General look and feel of the vehicle is.

At a price of only $20.850 explains, "receive the magazine drivers what they pay." "This subcompact hatchback, with the Yaris linked lackluster Toyota, suffers from a stiff ride, very noisy cabin, slow acceleration and cheap-looking Interior."

"Overall the Prius C test result, said consumer reports, puts it slightly under his chief competitors, the mediocre Honda insight, and is too low for us to recommend the model."

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Turn signal neglect a real danger, study shows

Joe Raedle / Getty Images file

Drivers either neglect to use their signals when changing lanes – or fail to turn the signals off – 48% of the time.

By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau
Forget distracted driving. A new study says there’s a far more serious problem that’s responsible for as many as 2 million accidents annually.

When’s the last time you used your own turn signals? According to research by the Society of Automotive Engineers, drivers either neglect to use their signals when changing lanes – or fail to turn the signals off – 48% of the time. And when making a turn the failure rate is around 25%. That works out to 2 billion times a day drivers fail to use signals, or 750 billion times annually.

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A lack of courtesy? Laziness? Poor training? Whatever the reason, the SAE study says the problem results in about 2 million roadway collisions annually. That’s more than twice the 950,000 accidents linked to distracted driving, which has become one of the central topics of the U.S. Department of Transportation under Sec. Ray LaHood.

“This is a first of its kind report on a subject that amazingly, has never been studied,” said Richard Ponziani, P.E., President of RLP Engineering and author of the report. Yet, despite the fact that turn signals are simple, ubiquitous and “extremely effective,” there is an epidemic lack of compliance even though “all drivers have an ongoing duty to use it, just as they have a duty to stop at a stop sign or at a red light.”

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Anecdotal evidence suggests that police put little effort into enforcement, less than they devote to speeding, or running stop signs and red lights. Other than shifting priorities, the new study suggests an alternative that it dubs the “Smart Turn Signal.”

They “are the perfect complement to the Stability Control System since Stability Control predominately prevents single-vehicle crashes, whereas the Smart Turn Signal prevents multi-vehicle crashes,” suggested Ponziani.

Such a system would automatically shut off a turn signal, likely by timing out after a set delay or by detecting when a vehicle has finished changing lanes – much as today’s cars automatically cancel the signals after making a turn at an intersection.

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For scofflaws who simply don’t use their signals, the system would work much like a seatbelt reminder. It would be able to sense if drivers routinely ignore their turn signals and start to flash what the study calls a “friendly” reminder.

Using the latest electronics, a Smart Turn Signal system would actually be simpler and less expensive than the current mechanical trip mechanism, according to Ponziani, a press release concluding that, “This breakthrough represents a perfect opportunity to significantly reduce multi-vehicle crash rates, reduce vehicle cost and make driving a lot more friendly and courteous across the U.S.”

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Study shows just how 'green' electric cars are

By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit BureauSwitching to a battery-powered vehicle will yield measurable savings in a motorist’s energy bills, according to a new study, while also reducing global warming emissions.

But the report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, or UCS, finds that the advantages vary widely depending upon where you live.  In the best regions, savings on energy can add up to more than $1,000 annually – with battery cars cleaner than anything else on the road.  But even in the worst regions, those heavily dependent upon coal to generate electricity, the UCS report says battery vehicles retain a significant advantage over traditional automotive powertrain technology.

“No matter where you live in the United States, electric vehicles are good choice for reducing global warming emissions and saving moneyon fueling up,” said Don Anair, the report’s author and senior engineer for UCS’s Clean Vehicles Program.

The organization bills the new study as a first-of-its-kind, and unlike some more limited reports, it tracked total energy use on a wells-to-wheels basis.  In other words, it measures everything from the energy actually used to pump and then refine oil to the energy used to run an internal combustion engine.  For electric vehicles, the study also considered such things as the energy used and pollution created while mining coal.

But the advantage, reports the UCS, is clearly in favor of pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, as well as plug-in hybrids.

The study shows that 45% of Americans live in what are categorized as “Best” regions, where battery vehicles result in reduced energy costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions than even the best hybrids or internal combustion-powered automobiles – those now getting at least 50 miles per gallon.

In fact, in California and New York State, a hybrid or conventional gas vehicle would need to yield at least 80 mpg to keep up with the likes of a Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt (the latter operating two-thirds of the time on battery power).

About 37% of Americans live in “Better” regions, according to the new study, where a battery car still is likely to meet or exceed the emissions performance of a 40 mpg hybrid.  And in “Good” regions, like Midwest states heavily dependent upon coal power, battery car emissions are equal to the best non-hybrids, such as a Ford Fiesta or Chevrolet Cruze, Anair said.

States in the “Best” category are located primarily along the East and West Coasts and include: California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho and Arizona, New York, Massachusetts and Virginia;“Better” states include Texas, New Mexico, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee;“Good” states are largely concentrated in the Midwest and Plains states and include Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, Kansas and Minnesota.“No matter where you live,” he added, “electric vehicles save you on fuel costs.”  With the Chevy Volt, for example, the annual savings are likely to range between $580 and $890 annually.  The fully electric Nissan Leaf should bump that to anywhere from $770 to $1220 annually, according to the UCS.

The UCS study acknowledged significant differences in the nationwide electric grid that need be addressed, said Anair, but he added that with such efforts already underway, “The good news is that as the nation’s electric grids get cleaner, consumers who buy an EV today can expect to see their car’s emissions go down over the lifetime of the vehicle.”

Consumers have a fair degree of control over how much they save on energy by choosing rate plans – as well as when they actually charge up their vehicles, noted the UCS.  Many utilities now have or are planning to offer interruptible or time-sensitive rates.  And early adopters appear to be taking advantage of these.  The study found the majority of current electric vehicle owners charge up overnight.

That not only means lower-cost power but also reduces the strain on the electric grid as there is less overall demand.  This could permit a significant increase in the number of electric vehicles on the road without forcing the addition of more generators, the UCS report suggested.

Whether that will continue to be the case is far from clear.  Some industry analysts warn that as more battery cars get on the road – and as the number of public charging stations increases – it will become more common for vehicles to power up during daytime.  This could be especially true with the addition of high-speed “Level III” charging systems that could permit a vehicle like the Leaf to get an 80% recharge in as little as 15 to 20 minutes.

That, experts are betting, will enhance the appeal of battery technology beyond the relatively marginal audience now turning to the technology.  So far, plug-ins and battery-electric vehicles are capturing barely a tenth of a percent of overall U.S. new vehicle sales.

But Anair said the UCS is betting that demand will also increase as new models roll out, giving consumers greater choice.  Before the end of this year, a wide variety of makers will enter the market, including Toyota, with its RAV4-EV and Plius Plug-in; Ford with its C-Max plug-in and Focus Electric, and Honda, with its first battery-electric vehicle since the early 1990s, a version of the subcompact Fit.

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Tesla shows new crossover X

Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk is the Tesla Motors model X.

By Paul A. Eisenstein, the Detroit Bureau

It is not rocket science.  Well, maybe it is.  With its other major venture, the space X rocket factory, as a background, moved to Tesla motor co. CEO packs from next new product of the company, the model X-crossover.

Is the new 7-seat 3 rows, crossover share the same basic platform as Tesla's upcoming model S sedan, a Visual outstanding "Falcon uncommon with rear doors".  The extraordinary design enables it them, also a close car park, operated in contrast to traditional gullwing doors. And two rear seats, it offers easy access to the crossover.

The model X model S on the market, bringing the second established range of Tesla, the plans for the first, the sedan later in the year 2012.  The model X will follow within a year.

The frequency crossover unit is same pancake-style battery layout, with the lithium ion Pack mounted on the platform at the cabin use.  One difference is that the small, 40 kilowatt hour Pack offered in the model S not for the model x-crossover customers available 60 or an 85 kWh Pack will have the choice between a.

David Mcnew / Reuters

People look at the Tesla Motors model X electric vehicle at its unveiling in the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, California

Because of the additional weight - the model X, expected the limousine 4,700 pounds - and increased air resistance, less than 15% to area will probably fall about 10% or more.  That would mean something to the tune of 215 miles for the small Pack, 270 for the larger ones.

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Nevertheless, musk promised that, as the model S, the model some X performance together with at least double range of competitors battery cars yield.  He suggested that could be in the range of only 4.4 seconds 0-60 time.

As the model S, the new crossover are a tech showcase, with a variety of advanced safety and infotainment systems.  These include a positive big 17 inch touchscreen display which many systems of the vehicle is operated.

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But the function most likely eye-catcher - and we bets, the interest of potential buyers - will the doors of the Falcon.  Design in contrast to the traditional, single-piece Gullwing Tesla's electric has can swing two articulating sections that remain model X close to the body as they open.  But once they do it enough space that actually can't be beat musk on the windowsill with his head the door is.

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The model X shares the same platform and two of the three battery packs-the Sedan model S.

The model X features a surprisingly spacious rear cargo space.  And his air suspension allowed the car slightly rough or snow patches increase.

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In the meantime are recharge time, allegedly less than four hours with high-current, 220 volt charger.  But, because this system actually requires more juice for a than the typical American home can now deliver most buyers would likely see time recharging, which could provide they range from eight to even 15 hours or more, depending on how much power.

While final prices for the Tesla model X still not been announced, prices expected to be in the range of what Tesla plans, for the model S. for free with a small battery pack the sedan at $49.900 is a federal tax credit of $7,500 taking into account debut.  A top-line performance model with 85 kWh battery, carry a sticker of $94.900 - or $87,400 after accounting for the federal tax credit.

Tesla is betting that the price is low enough, to the new model X close by many mainstream buyers — while area added to overcome traditional concerns about electric vehicles.

Are you itching to buy one of these babies? Share your thoughts on Facebook.

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Hybrids safer than conventional cars, research shows

Yuriko Nakao / Reuters

Prius hybrid vehicles are shown near a Toyota plant in central Japan.

If the fuel-saving benefits weren’t enough, now there’s another good reason for buying a hybrid vehicle instead of a conventional gas-only model.

Research by an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows hybrid vehicles are safer than their conventional counterparts when it comes to shielding their occupants from injuries in crashes.

On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in comparable non-hybrid vehicles, the research found.

“Weight is a big factor,” said Matt Moore, vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute and an author of the report. “Hybrids on average are 10 percent heavier than their standard counterparts. This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don’t have.”

Hybrid cars are heavier than cars that only use an internal combustion engine because they have large, heavy batteries and two engines. They save on fuel by storing the energy produced when braking and using it to power the vehicle at low speeds.

Moore points to other possible factors for the better safety record for hybrid vehicles, such as how, when and by whom hybrids are driven. Researchers said they included controls to account for these factors.

The study estimated the odds that a crash would result in injuries if people were riding in a hybrid vs. the conventional version of the same vehicle. The analysis used data from more than 25 hybrid-conventional vehicle pairs from the 2003-11 model years.

The study’s findings are good news for green-minded drivers who are also looking for safety in their cars. But it’s worth noting that hybrid vehicles still pose a risk to pedestrians.

At low speeds in densely built areas, hybrid cars and pure electric vehicles rely on electric propulsion. That makes them much quieter than gas-powered cars, posing a risk to pedestrians.

A 2009 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found a higher rate of pedestrian crashes for hybrids than for conventional gas-powered cars, especially when the vehicles were turning.

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