Let's Roll,

Scott Nathanson
UCS National Field Organizer &
HybridCenter.org Administrator

In this issue: 

• Automakers Take Tax Dollars--Still Driving Against Cleaner Cars
• HC Smackdown—Diesel vs. Hybrid
• DCN Newsbytes
• Who's Got Hybrids Now?

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Automakers Take Tax Dollars--Still Driving Against Cleaner Cars

You don’t have to come to us to know that the news is not good from the American automakers. So far, Ford has been able to keep away from government bailout money, but GM and Chrysler are asking for another $30 billion on top of the more than $17 billion that’s already been approved—this just to stay afloat. Ford and GM seem to be making headway with the United Auto Workers on significant restructuring—as was demanded by Congress—but no immediate light at the end of the tunnel can be seen.

With the government stimulus money for the automotive sector relegated mostly to the development of advanced technologies, and bailout money going mostly to help Chrysler and GM shrink, what can help the auto industry turn around?

Well, we have to give Ford some credit, as it looks like they have seen the light. On top of the expansion of their hybrid line such as the Mercury Milan/Ford Focus Hybrids we talked about last month, Ford is hitting the ground running on conventional technologies.

In the “we told you so” division, here’s a little piece of a BusinessWeek article on Ford:

Ford and its U.S. rivals could have acted much sooner. In 2003 the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) published a paper explaining how a redesigned Ford Explorer could achieve 28 mpg instead of the measly 15 mpg that Explorers got at the time. In addition to light bodies and direct injection, the UCS list included six-speed transmissions and turbocharging, a century-old technology in which waste energy from the exhaust helps drive the engine turbine. Ford's head of product development at the time quipped that "the UCS doesn't design vehicles for customers, and we do." 

Now the Explorer team might as well be working off the UCS checklist. To build the 2011 model, it will use the same engineering platform as the Ford Taurus, rather than a truck chassis. And it's shaving more than 150 pounds off the body with lighter-weight steel. Many Explorers will ship with a new "EcoBoost" engine, which uses direct injection and turbocharging, plus sophisticated software, to get maximum horsepower. This will add a slight premium to the price. And in place of today's 4.6-liter V-8 engine, the new SUVs will run on a dainty 2-liter, 4-cylinder design, producing a tire-burning 275 horsepower, vs. 210 hp for the larger model. "Detroit hasn't so much lacked innovation as it has lacked the resolve or mandate to apply it," says David Friedman, research director of clean vehicles at UCS and a co-author of the 2003 paper.

The struggling economy combined with continued consumer fears of gas price volatility and the threat of unchecked global warming pollution would imply that now would be the right time for automakers to step away from their tried-and-failed “oppose everything” tactics and actually embrace the kind of standards that have brought us airbags, seat belts, and the catalytic converter. Especially since automakers are taking billions upon billions in taxpayer money right now.

Alas, there have unfortunately been no signs that the automakers intend to drop their lawsuits against state clean car standards. Instead, they use their financial predicament as a new platform to deliver an old, tired message about “the market” being a better way to bring cleaner vehicles to consumers.

Given their financial state, some automakers are finding renewed sympathy. This makes it all the more vital that clean car advocates fight back, now that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has started their official review of the clean car waiver. Since we released our 2003 redesigned Ford Explorer, we have shown with this UCS Vanguard that conventional technologies can bring cost-effective, clean cars in every vehicle class.

We will be asking clean car activists across the country to join us—not just calling for the EPA to grant the clean car waiver, but also to ask the automakers to embrace strong standards now and honor the very customers that will be responsible for determining their fate. Perhaps if they were to show good faith on cleaner cars, the taxpayers and customers could begin to consider returning the favor.

HC Smackdown—Diesel vs. Hybrid 

Back in the early days of the HybridCenter, nothing touched off more of a debate than UCS vehicles engineer Don Anair’s blog entries about the promise and perils of diesel technology. Now, more than ever the debate on which technology delivers the best environmental bang for your buck—hybrid or diesel—is of critical importance, as new “clean diesel” technologies have entered the market, giving consumers a more significant choice in higher mpg vehicles.

In the latest Hybrid Watchdog, we take this issue head on, and head under the hood. Here are some of the more interesting facts:

• The compression ignition combustion process that occurs inside diesel engine cylinders is more efficient than the spark ignition process that occurs in gasoline engine cylinders, wasting less energy as the fuel is converted into mechanical motion.
• On a per-gallon basis, diesel fuel contains about 13 percent more energy than gasoline.
• Using fuel economies to compare the global warming performance of two vehicles is only applicable when the two vehicles operate on the same fuel.
• Differences in gasoline and diesel fuel properties affect the relative benefit of one technology over another. For example, a diesel vehicle that consumes 25 percent less fuel than a gasoline powered vehicle provides a relative global warming benefit of only about 15 percent.
• Today’s “clean diesels” are certified to meet what’s known as the federal “Tier 2 bin 5” smog-forming emissions standard, along with an equivalent standard in California commonly known as “LEV II” (Lower Emission Vehicle). While impressive for diesels, it is very common for conventional gasoline vehicles to achieve this standard.
• Most of today’s hybrids, and even some conventional gasoline vehicles, are considerably cleaner, with some even the near-zero-emission California Patial Zero Emission Vehicle, or “PZEV” certification.

We then tell the tale of the tape, putting the Honda Civic Hybrid directly up against the Volkswagen Jetta diesel. Who came out on top? Head over to the Hybrid Watchdog and find out.

DCN Newsbytes

• Hybrid Repair Expenses Equal Non-Hybrids: More good news for hybrid owners. According to Audatex, a firm specializing in statistical information for insurers and the automotive industry, the cost of repairing a hybrid is the same as reparing a non-hybrid. This is due to the increased presence of hybrids on the roads and the increased supply of salvagable parts. In fact, the repair costs have been roughly equal for the past two years. To learn more, visit the Hybrid News Center.
• Federal and State Governments Work to Stimulate a Domestic Battery Industry: The advanced battery industry exists almost entirely in Asia. With the current demand for renewable energies and plug-in vehicles, the United States is looking to develop its own advanced battery industry. To give it a much needed boost, the federal government’s stimulus bill contains billions of dollars in loans, grants, and tax incentives for advanced battery research and manufacturing. It also contains incentives for plug-in hybrids and improvements to the electrical grid, which could help create a market for these batteries. The state of Michigan is helping out as well in hopes that Ford and GM will build advanced batteries there, creating jobs and stimulating the state economy. Michigan is offering up to $335 million in refundable tax credits for this purpose.  For more, visit the Hybrid News Center. 
• Demand for Honda Insight Soaring: Honda launched its new Insight in Japan, and demand has far outpaced projected targets. It took one week for the Insight to meet its 5,000 unit monthly target. The Insight is the cheapest hybrid available and comes during a time of a slumping global car market. Honda has also confirmed that the Insight will be priced at under $20,000, making it cheaper than the Toyota Prius. The Insight will be on sale in the United States this April. More on the state of the hybrid market can be found at the Hybrid News Center. 

Who’s Got Hybrids Now?

We’ve got some great hybrid additions and updates. If you are a proud hybrid owner and would like to join us, please submit your testimonial here. Remember to get your hybrid owning friends to sign up too!

Ken Funk of Citrus Heights, CA sent us an update on his 2005 Prius. He still loves driving his Prius and even with two accidents, it performs like new. He says he gets 48 to 51 MPG and hasn't needed to take it in for any major repairs, just the regular 5,000-mile maintenance intervals. He intends to look at, and purchase, a 2010 Prius some time this year.

Clarence Kooi of Sacramento, CA has had his Civic Hybrid for more than 5 years. The battery appears to discharge more quickly now but he still gets 50 plus mpg on the freeway and about 39 mpg in town on a hot summer day with air conditioning on. He once got 52 mpg on a Sacramento - Las Vegas - Sacramento trip with four adults, trunk full of baggage, some city driving, and two 4,000-foot passes but no air conditioning (the trip was in April).

Bill Merchant of Beavercreek, OR bought his Prius in 2005 and loves it. He had never cared much about cars before, but says the Prius is different. He’s known to bore the ears off of anyone who will listen to him rave on about how the Prius is first and foremost a low-emissions car and had fantastic fuel efficiency. When his wife wanted to trade in her Sienna, she wanted a Prius as well, so they got another!

Have a great March, and I'll speak to you again in the Spring!