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Hello again everyone, I hope your spring has brought fewer itchy eyes and runny noses than in my home. We have a really interesting issue this month, as our own Senior Vehicles Engineer Jim Kliesch was at the New York Auto Show, and was kind enough to give some of his inside insights on what we should make of the automakers’ new offerings. And if you didn't hear already, we've got a new HybridCenter Green Travel Challenge with some nifty green travel prizes to give away!
So let me get out of the way and let Jim take you right into the belly of the automotive beast.
Scott Nathanson
UCS National Field Organizer &
HybridCenter.org Administrator
In this issue:
An Insider’s Guide to the New York Auto Show
Here’s UCS Senior Vehicles Engineer Jim Kliesch’s take of the big show in Manhattan.
This year’s New York International Auto Show took place just as the federal government finalized new global warming emission and fuel economy rules for passenger vehicles sold in the United States. What I hoped to learn at the auto show was the extent to which automakers were ready to put clean technology to work in getting more drivers behind the wheels of significantly cleaner cars and trucks.
Seeing through the hype and working from the UCS playbook
 Auto shows are a fascinating phenomenon, particularly during a show’s press days. Situated in a cavernous convention center, nearly every make and model of new car, truck, and SUV sits perched upon plush carpet, gleaming under high-intensity bulbs. But the real story is the unveilings. Automakers reveal new vehicles throughout the day, often accompanied by slick graphic displays on projectors, booming techno music, and flashing laser lights. Part rock concert, part infomercial, the AV extravaganzas quickly shift to a company executive extolling the virtues of their product, before the real star of the show—the new vehicle itself—is unveiled. This year, Mercedes-Benz opened the show by comparing their latest car to a well-engineered bobsled, then introduced it along with the U.S. gold-medal-winning bobsled team, complete with gold confetti falling onto the stage from the rafters.
In short, auto shows are rife with distracting visual stimuli. But it’s easy to see past the hype when you’re ready to ask tough questions. While we adamantly support the development of advanced technology vehicles, what I was looking for at this year’s show were new cars that embraced the core suggestions UCS has been making for years: improving conventional vehicles with efficient engines, improved transmissions, streamlined aerodynamics, and use of high-strength lightweight materials. In a keynote speech at this year’s auto show, Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally reaffirmed his company’s commitment to that approach—an approach that, as pointed out by BusinessWeek last year, is straight from the UCS playbook.
 I’m happy to report that Ford, General Motors (GM), and Hyundai are all taking steps in the right direction. But if there was one car that exemplified smart engineering choices at this year’s New York auto show, it was the Chevy Cruze Eco compact car. Using a strategy of streamlined aerodynamics, mass optimization (that’s the engineering term for keeping the weight down while ensuring safety), and powertrain efficiency, Chevrolet has produced a car that achieves 40 miles per gallon on the highway without adopting hybrid technology. (City fuel economy hasn’t been announced yet, but given it’s not a hybrid, there’s little doubt it will be lower than 40). Interestingly, GM said it used aerodynamic technology developed for its plug-in hybrid-electric Volt on the conventional Eco.
Hyundai is a newly resurgent manufacturer and they appear to be moving in a greener direction, too. They are dropping six-cyclinder engine options from many models, instead offering direct injection four-cylinder engines, often with turbocharging that can deliver improved fuel economy with power comparable to their six-cylinder predecessors. In many ways, turbocharging is the perfect example of a "pre-hybrid" technology that could have been used to improve auto efficiency for decades now, but has mostly been thought of as a technology to add more muscle. Just think of the way the word “turbo” and “turbocharged” has entered the popular lexicon and you can see how this technology has been indoctrinated into American culture.
Autos embrace new standards
Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of the automobile industry’s main trade group, the Auto Alliance, spoke at the show’s opening breakfast. While the Auto Alliance fought tooth and nail against improved fuel economy standards just a few years ago, McCurdy told the crowd that the auto industry now looks forward to meeting the new standards as well as any upcoming round of standards. Assuming those standards are set at the appropriate levels, we couldn’t agree more. Of course, whether McCurdy and the Alliance are true to their word remains to be seen, but a vibrant, healthy automobile industry that produces clean, efficient vehicles will benefit not only consumers, but the companies that make those products as well.
 Hybrids
Hybrids were well represented at the show, in a range of classes. In my opinion, one of the more exciting hybrid announcements was that of the new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, which takes a slightly different approach in its design—opting for a six-speed automatic transmission and a lithium polymer battery pack over the more typical continuously variable transmission and use of nickel metal hydride batteries. The manufacturer claims the vehicle achieves 37 miles per gallon in the city and 39 mpg on the highway, which the EPA will confirm in official testing in the coming months. The model is a welcome addition to the midsize hybrid sedans, and will squarely compete against the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid when it is released later this year.
For its part, Ford announced a hybrid version of the Lincoln MKZ sedan, an even more upscale version of the Ford Fusion Hybrid than the Milan Hybrid. We haven’t had a chance to review the Lincoln yet, but generally, our Hybrid Scorecard has found luxury hybrids to be a mixed bag. Ford says the Lincoln will get 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway. If the numbers hold up, that would place it as the most fuel efficient luxury hybrid on the road.
Plugs-ins and electric cars
Ford said it would unveil five electric cars in the coming years. They also announced a partnership with Microsoft to help electric car owners intelligently manage their electricity use to minimize strain on the grid and the cost of charging a car. While it’s laudable for Ford to be thinking ahead, this could be a case of putting the cart before the horse, as at this point it time, Ford has not announced how many plug-in and electric vehicles it plans to sell.
The all-electric Nissan Leaf and plug-in Chevy Volt were both on display, though no new news about these highly-anticipated models was announced. While these new advanced technology cars are exciting, the real questions are how many are going to be sold when they eventually hit the dealer showrooms and what real-world issues will they run into once they hit the road? In order for eco-friendly vehicles to have a limited impact on the environment, they need to be sold in sufficient quantities and help cement a performance reputation that allows the market to grow.
Green Marketing
 On the green marketing front, these autos were going in new, interesting, and sometimes questionable directions.
Toyota’s Lexus brand billed itself as offering a “dark side of green.” A company rep told us that they wanted to convey that green could also be fun and exciting. Personally, I think green actually is exciting, though recognize others might not feel that way. Nevertheless, it’s strange to see a manufacturer such as Toyota downplay “greenness” after so many years of embracing it.
Meanwhile, Hyundai is branding its new hybrid system as “blue” rather than green. Again, their representatives said they wanted a departure from purely eco-friendly marketing so they could also convey that their cars were exciting to drive.
Conclusion
 One additional piece of marketing I recognized at the show was Honda proudly displaying its designation as UCS’s Greenest Automaker, a title the company has retained for the past several years. Our biennially-conducted Automaker Rankings are based on real-world smog and heat-trapping emissions from automakers’ entire fleets. The automaker that wins the title is the one doing the best job of deploying clean technology across their fleet.
I’ll be doing the bulk of that analysis for our new rankings, due out later this year, and based on what we’ve seen so far, it may well be a photo finish. Stay tuned…
DCN Newsbytes
- Hybfeds: Last Fall President Obama signed an executive order for the federal government to reduce its gasoline use by 30 percent by 2020. In a step in that direction, the General Services Administration (GSA) just announced they will be purchasing about 5,600 hybrids for the federal fleet. These hybrids will replace older, less fuel efficient vehicles. This move will nearly double the amount of hybrids driven by government employees and the Energy Department estimates the additional hybrids will save 7.7 million gallons of gasoline over the next five years. GSA also announced they will purchase 100 plug-in hybrids in 2011. More on this story at the Hybrid News Center.
 NYPD Green: After the successful testing of hybrid vehicles, the New York Police Department announced they will purchase 200 hybrids this year, doubling the number of hybrids in their fleet. NYPD tested out the Nissan Altima Hybrids, which they will keep, but the new hybrids being added to their fleet are all Ford Fusion and Escape Hybrids. They assert the advantages of going hybrid are the superior mileage and that they require less maintenance due to longer lasting brakes. Officers reported the hybrids preformed better and withstood the wear and tear of patrols. More hybrids in public fleets at the Hybrid News Center.
- Early returns--Volt getting 50 mpg in hybrid mode: Road testing of the Chevy Volt shows the vehicle achieving the desired 40-mile range on the battery alone, and then 50 mpg once the gasoline engine kicks in. GM says they are still on track to release the Volt in 2010. As part of their commitment to advanced vehicles, GM recently doubled its investment in their U.S. battery lab to help speed up the development of electric vehicles and to expand their expertise in advanced batteries. Established in 2009, GM’s battery lab employs more than 1,000 engineers to test battery cells and packs for hybrids and all electric vehicles. More electrifying information at the Hybrid News Center.
It Might Be, It Could Be, It IS! (probably) The Prius Minivan
As you long-time Up The MPG readers know so well, I have been opining on the need for a hybrid minivan almost since the very beginning of this newsletter. The Driving Change Network has written, begged, and cajoled the automakers, showing Toyota quite clearly way back in 2007 that the market for a high-mpg minivan was here for the taking.
 Well, according to a story originally reported by the Japanese daily Nikkei, Toyota is going to turn the Prius into a full line of vehicles starting with a minivan in 2011. (Insert mental image of Scott clapping hands like a giddy schoolgirl here.) I had assumed at this point that I was holding onto my ever-crumbling Saturn wagon for one additional year to pick up the Ford C-Max compact minivan when it finally arrives on U.S. shores next year (it’s been in Europe for some time). According to the reports, the Prius minivan would be the first Toyota with a lithium ion battery as well.
Now, who knows, I still might go with the C-Max, as I’m looking for my best fuel economy at a reasonable price (the Highlander Hybrid’s nearly $35k price tag and 26 mpg rating did not break my personal “reasonable” barrier). But I had assumed that I was only going to have one real choice next year, and now it looks like I’ll have at least two. And with Honda looking like they’ll have an Odyssey Hybrid in 2012, it looks like we’re going to have some real competition for fuel-efficiency in the family vehicle class. As you might expect, I’ll let you know about developments on this as soon as I hear anything. Fingers crossed…
Take the HybridCenter Green Travel Challenge!
As many of you know, the HybridCenter.org’s “Who’s Got Hybrids?” feature, hosted by Bill Nye “The Science Guy,” showcases the personal experiences of hybrid drivers across the nation. Well, we’re now actively on the hunt for lots more great testimonials like the two new ones you’ll see below—and we’re willing to help green up your vacation to do it!
If you help us find new hybrid owners, or post your own testimonial, you’ll get a chance to win one of our great summer season green travel prize packs courtesy of the UCS Getting There Greener report.
So head over to our Green Travel Challenge homepage now and get typing!
 Brad Horton of Montrose, IL is thrilled to show off his 2010 Prius. He got the type V model that has all the bells and whistles! Next week, he and his boyfriend are going to Wisconsin to get an eight kw plug-in conversion installed. So instead of getting 53 mpg, he could get up to an average of more than 100 mpg! He thinks the car does great on any road.
 Barb Nicolson of Santa Ana, CA sent us a fun photo of her Gen.2 Prius in Yosemite. She did a fantastic job of matching the photo of her Prius to the image of the California Yosemite license plate. She enjoys driving her Prius to Yosemite without a guilty conscience.
That’s all for this month—remember to take a minute and get your chance at one of our great green travel prize packs!
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