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Happy New Year everyone! We’ve got new hybrid owners, new hybrid models, and a new Congress to discuss, so let’s get to it.
Scott Nathanson
UCS National Field Organizer &
HybridCenter.org Administrator
In this issue:
As many of you know, my outstanding colleague Lindsay Vidal and I have been getting in touch with literally thousands of folks who sent in “Who’s Got Hybrids?” testimonials but were, mostly, just a little shy about sending in their photos. I’m happy to report that we’ve succeeded in getting a number of new folks to “come out of their shell” and join the site! I thought I’d introduce you to a few of them along with some interesting tidbits from their testimonials.
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Don Shelman - Aliso Viejo, CA - Honda Civic Hybrid Gen. 2
Don says he saves $500 a month in gas compared to his old cars, and as a Simpsons fan, I love the “Woo-hoo!” over his HOV sticker. |
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Marsha Smith - Rock Island, IL - Toyota Prius Gen. 2
I spent some time in the Quad Cities—great area right on the Mississippi—so I’m glad hybrids are getting some play out there. Marsha has some of the traditional cold weather issues with her Prius, but gets a serious boost when snow-birding in Florida. |
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Jeffrey Meredith - Highlands Ranch, CO - Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Jeffrey’s picture sums up his interesting comment about how his SUV “runs cool” and doesn’t heat up the garage. Also a note on the need to be careful because it runs so quietly–something I’ve been hearing more about lately with hybrids. |
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Dee Johnson - Nineveh, IN - Toyota Prius Gen. 2
I Love Dee’s story, as it plays into the “drive what you need” notion we preach at UCS. Now I’m not saying that no one needs a large SUV, but it seems that Dee is doing just fine without her Yukon. Also, you’ve got to love the Jonah-and-the-whale name of Dee’s hometown. Hmmm…What would Jonah drive? |
There are loads more new folks, so go check them out when you have a chance. Also, we’re always looking for new people (especially people who drive any of the newly released model hybrids, but we’re always delighted to have more Prius and Civic Hybrid owners too). So please tell your hybrid-owning friends to come join us!
What a difference a year makes! Last year, the notion of meaningful increases in fuel economy standards was a political non-starter. Now, it’s a call to action! 2007 is shaping up to be a competition between members of Congress for who can introduce the latest, greatest fuel economy legislation. Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) threw down the proverbial gauntlet on January 4, when he introduced a bill that would, if fully enacted, raise Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for cars to a healthy 40 miles per gallon in a decade. Senators Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Richard Durbin (D-IL) and others reintroduced their “Ten in Ten” bill and other bills are soon to follow.
 Just a few weeks later, the president jumped in with his State of the Union address. Bush called for the authority to reform CAFE standards for cars in the way he did for light trucks. While I’m skeptical given the truck standard’s lackluster performance, the preliminary details of his plan are actually intriguing. The fuel economy increases are quite similar to last year’s Fuel Economy Reform Act (introduced by senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Joseph Biden (D-DE)), and the overall targets are akin to the “Ten in Ten” bill—both of which UCS supported. Head over to HybridBlog to see what our research turned up on both the fuel economy and the biofuels/“alternative fuels” targets the president laid out, and for our reaction to what he had to say about plugin hybrid development.
With global warming becoming a greater priority for our new Congress, we will keep pushing at the state level to help steer the federal discussion. As the California “clean car” standards on smog forming and global warming emissions gain steam, so too will the respective markets for better conventional vehicles and, of course, a growing market for hybrids.
As the western part of the country moves forward with gubernatorial initiatives to adopt the “clean car” standards in New Mexico and Arizona, the new governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley proclaimed his support for adoption in the Chesapeake State. UCS Washington Representative Eli Hopson was invited to testify at a hearing on the bill on January 25, and here’s his report:
 In a repetition of a debate from two years ago, I testified about the many technology options that are available and in use today to reduce emissions, while the automakers told the committee that the costs would be exorbitant and Maryland consumers would have limited choice in vehicles. UCS analysis shows that exactly the opposite is true, with the cost of cleaner vehicles balanced by gas savings at the pump, and the zero-emission vehicle and low-emission vehicle requirements actually mean that Maryland consumers will have more vehicle choices under the California standards. Hybrids, electric vehicles, and eventually fuel cells will all receive a boost under the California requirements, something the weaker federal standards will not accomplish. Overall, the committee seemed eager to put Maryland on the path to more hybrids and cleaner cars, so hopefully we will see action on the bill soon.
It’s a brand new ballgame in ’07, and with some determined effort, it is one that we could actually win on both the state and federal level. So gear up—we’ve got a busy year ahead!
- Study Claims Long-term Hybrid Savings: A study by Intellichoice.com finds that hybrids have better total ownership cost over five years or 70,000 miles than their direct competitors. The study accredits the long-term savings to the fact that hybrids retain their value better than conventional vehicles, have moderate maintenance and repair costs, and have lower fuel costs. Intellichoice.com listed the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and Ford Escape Hybrid as vehicles with the biggest five-year savings. For more information, check out the Hybrid News Center.
- Honda Talks Hybrids: There was more buzz this month regarding the development of Honda’s newest hybrid, a five-passenger version of the Insight. Honda officials anticipate annual sales of as much as 100,000 units once the vehicle is released in two to three years. To learn more, visit the Hybrid News Center.
- The Altima Hybrid Qualifies for Tax Credit & Toyota Weighs-in on Tax Credit Cap: The Internal Revenue Service has certified the 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid for a $2,350 tax credit. Taxpayers will be able to claim the full hybrid credit amount until the manufacturer meets the 60,000 vehicle sales cap set by Congress. As you may remember, Toyota reached this cap last spring, signaling the eventual elimination of the credit for its Prius, Highlander, and Lexus hybrids. This month, Toyota continued to press Congress to extend the federal hybrid tax credit for its vehicles, citing the importance of incentives for encouraging hybrid consumption and thereby, more efficient hybrid production. For more information, check out the Hybrid News Center.
This month’s Detroit and Washington Auto Shows were a bit of a game of dueling banjos between GM and Ford for “green tech” supremacy. GM stole the show in Detroit with a preview of the Chevy Volt plugin hybrid concept. Ford, in turn, dominated the buzz in Washington with its Edge fuel cell plugin concept. UCS vehicles engineer Don MacKenzie was good enough to break through the hype and give an assessment of the two “buzz” vehicles of the ’07 shows.
 Chevy Volt Flex Fuel PHEV concept
GM previewed its new E-Flex system on the Chevy Volt three-cylinder sedan. The vehicle is expected to achieve an estimated 40 mile electric-only range (city driving after a six hour charge) in addition to the 640 mile range provided by the engine. The Chevy Volt concept incorporates various weight-reducing materials developed by GE Plastics. These lighter materials help the Volt achieve a fuel economy equivalent to 150 miles per gallon of gasoline if the full battery charge is used and the total driving distance is 60 miles per day. GM claims it will introduce the E-Flex system globally on a range of compact and intermediate vehicles—as soon as battery technology matures. This is all well and good, but when GM has so many conventional technologies sitting on the shelf, it should not be waiting for “someone else” to refine battery technology. GM should be putting cost-effective technologies—like low-cost, lightweight, and strong materials—to work in its vehicles right now.
 Ford Edge and Airstream Hydrogen PHEV concepts
Not to be outshone, Ford introduced its Airstream crossover concept which uses the newly-developed HySeries Drive system. The Airstream has a 25 mile battery range in addition to the 280 mile range provided by the hydrogen fuel cell and delivers a combined fuel economy equivalent to 41 miles per gallon and 85 miles per gallong if the full range is used for 50 miles per day.
The Ford Edge concept also incorporates the HySeries Drive system and, according to Ford, is the first plug-in to use an on-board fuel cell instead of an internal combustion engine (ICE) for backup power—though an ICE can also be used. The Edge costs $2 million to build and was partially financed by the Department of Energy. The prohibitive cost of these vehicles reinforces the need for Ford and other automakers to take advantage of low-cost, conventional technologies to make immediate improvements to their vehicle lineups, while the cost of more advanced technologies declines over time.
Other highlights from the 2007 Detroit Auto Show include:
• A “Prius on Steroids”: Toyota introduced the FT-HS hybrid sports car concept, a vehicle that combines a 3.5-liter V6 with a targeted 400 hp parallel hybrid system. The concept vehicle, a joint project of Toyota’s Calty and Advanced Product Strategy Group, will have a projected zero-to-60 acceleration in four seconds and will be aimed at mid-$30,000 range. Toyota anticipates introducing the vehicle in two to three years.
• The 2008 Mazda Tribute HEV: Mazda’s first entry into the hybrid market is a close cousin of the Ford Escape Hybrid. The 155 combined hp full hybrid can travel up to 25 miles per hour in electric-only mode and will go on sale mid-2007. The vehicle is expected to meet California’s Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards.
The Washington Auto Show gave Lindsay a chance to gain a glimpse into the minds of the German auto industry. Here’s her report back.
German automakers are betting that Americans will go diesel. Just this month, the Volkswagen and Daimler-Chrysler automotive groups unveiled their latest Bluetec clean diesel models which are supposed to meet emission standards for all 50 states, including California’s stringent LEV II tailpipe requirements. The new vehicles also achieve 20 to 30 percent better fuel economy over comparable gasoline models. Bluetec and similar advanced diesel technology aims to reduce particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions that have helped shape diesel’s “dirty” image.
The promise of clean diesel was frequently noted during a symposium I attended this month hosted by the German Embassy. The symposium brought together distinguished individuals from the U.S., European Union, and German auto industries plus government representatives to discuss the future of advanced vehicle technology. Given advancements in clean diesel technology and the introduction of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, the panelists predicted that diesel vehicles would soon comprise a larger share of the U.S. vehicle fleet. Yet, as Patricia Monahan, UCS senior vehicles analyst, noted in a recent HybridBlog entry, “There are reasons to be both excited, and wary, about the new diesel cars we'll soon be seeing on the market” as we’re not sure how the first generation of clean diesels will perform on the road.
 Although it is encouraging that diesels have progressed from the smelly, smoky vehicles of the past, it is important to remember that advanced diesel technology is not a “silver bullet”—in fact, there are no silver bullets. Instead, continued advancements in both diesel and gasoline vehicles, along with the use hybrid and other clean, fuel-efficient technologies, provide the best opportunity to clean-up our vehicles and help us achieve our air quality, climate change, and energy security goals.
For further discussion, please check out The Diesel Dilemma: Diesel's Role in the Race for Clean Cars.
That’s it for this month folks. Stay warm and have a lovely Valentine’s Day!
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