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Hey there everyone. It’s time, once again, to see what’s happening in the wild world of hybrids. This issue is mostly devoted to the great work and responses we’ve received from Driving Change Network members from around the country. So enjoy the fruits of their labor, and have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
All the best,
Scott Nathanson
UCS National Field Organizer &
HybridCenter.org Administrator
In this issue:
 As you’ve likely noticed, here at the DCN we like to have a little fun while we’re informing and engaging our members. One of the things I’ve talked about with the rest of the Clean Vehicles team is that our newsletter should have a name. Frankly, we kind of used up all our creativity coming up with the Driving Change Network name itself, so we’re turning to you for a little help.
Over the course of the next few weeks, please send me your ideas about what we should name our newsletter. Our group of “experts” will choose a list of finalists, and we will run a poll for DCN members to choose the winner. The winning entry will win…the first HybridCenter.org Driving Change Network t-shirt! The students from the One Show Competition came up with many of the images we’re thinking of using. We’re still in the process of working out agreements with them, but when we’re up and running, our newsletter-naming winner will get a t-shirt—gratis. So get that slogan cap on and help us out!
Please email me your newsletter name ideas to hybridcenter@ucsusa.org by September 18, 2006. Funny is fine, and puns and double-entendres more than welcome, but let’s keep it clean.
I’ve been working with our great Program and Media Assistants Lindsay Vidal and Aaron Huertas on finding just the right system to get some “mileage” out of our Rapid Response Letters to the Editor Initiative, and we’ve had some success. Several DCN members participated and we had our first DCN member letter published! The greatest path to success seemed to be having multiple members submit similar, yet still personal letters on the same article. We “doubled-up” on the Kansas City Star, and here are both letters members sent:
Letter from Amy Cornwell, Kansas City, MO (Printed in the Kansas City Star, 08/15/06)
“Congress can and should lift the cap on the federal hybrid tax credit. Consumers who want to purchase the Prius will only be able to get half of the tax credit after Sept. 30 due to Toyota's sales success. (Of course, the tax credit shouldn't be the only incentive for people to buy a hybrid vehicle.) The tax credit shouldn't end just because a manufacturer has sold a certain number of vehicles. These incentives need to continue regardless of how many are sold (60,000, according to The Star's article). And with the recent shutdown of the BP pipeline in Alaska, this once again proves the need for the government to empower drivers to make the most fuel-efficient vehicle choices. I've had a Prius for more than a year, and it averages 45 to 50 mpg. The Prius has the best gas mileage of all the hybrids currently on the market. Penalizing consumers because a manufacturer makes a good car is bad for America's oil addiction.”
 Letter from Theresa O’Dell, Harrisonville, MO
“When I bought my Toyota Prius, I received a $2,000 tax deduction. The money I stood to save definitely contributed to my decision to buy a hybrid, and it wasn't nearly as generous as the current tax credit ("That hybrid car could mean a tax credit," August 9). Unfortunately, the manufacturer cap on the federal tax credit is going to cut the incentive for the Prius in half on September 30th. Gas prices are still skyrocketing, so there's no reason to provide disincentive for consumers to choose the car on the market that will do the most to curb gas use and global warming pollution. As a statement of good faith that they truly care about gas prices, oil security, and the environment, Senators Bond and Talent should both lead the effort to have the manufacturer's cap lifted. I love my Toyota Prius and hope legislation will make them more attractive to others so we can reduce greenhouse emissions in our environment.”
Thanks to everyone who participated so far and shared their clean vehicle enthusiasm locally. For those who weren’t contacted in August, stay tuned for a possible Rapid Response Letter to the Editor alert—it could come at any time as we’re always looking for good articles to respond to.
But don’t just wait on us. For example, DCN member Ted Stout from Spotsylvania, VA wrote this great letter to the Fredricksburg Free Lance Star suggesting a very interesting proposal to gradually phase out a Hybrid HOV benefit by keeping the benefit longer for more fuel-efficient models. Here’s his letter:
 “For those of you who categorically oppose all hybrids in the HOV lanes, I urge you to learn more about hybrids ["HOV lanes exist for those who plan ahead, too," July 9].
Performance and SUV hybrids struggle to get 30 miles per gallon and do not offer the same emissions benefit as the economy hybrids.
Those cars get upwards of 60 mpg and emit a fraction of the emissions as a regular vehicle. Emissions from a Toyota Prius are one-eighth the amount from a comparable sedan, so one person in a hybrid is still better than three people in a sedan or SUV.
The argument against allowing hybrids in the HOV lanes mainly contends that the HOV lanes are getting too congested.
As a commuter I know for a fact that there is no problem between Dumfries and Springfield in the morning. No doubt, there is a noticeable increase in the afternoon, but never enough to cause traffic jams.
When the HOV lanes do become too crowded, I would suggest that vehicles that have the highest emissions and the lowest mpg be the first to be removed from the "exemption" list.
Those vehicles would include law enforcement vehicles that are not providing traffic and safety control, hybrids that get less than 40 mpg, motorcycles (an economy hybrid gets better mpg and emits fewer emissions than most motorcycles), and economy hybrids.
I think it just makes sense to reward the people who are doing things that make the environment a better place for everyone.
The folks who complain about hybrids just don't know the facts. Use your energy to complain about how SUVs, pickups, and gas-guzzling sport cars are causing high gas prices by creating an increased demand for petrol in the first place.”
I encourage all of you to write letters to the editor, respond to online articles, make comments on blogs, etc. on your own. If possible, please Blind Carbon Copy me on your letters (make sure you’re doing “BC” or “BCC” and not just “CC”—I’m also happy to take a look at a draft if you’d like). Also, whenever topical, please mention HybridCenter.org as a resource for information about hybrid vehicles. And, if you do get your letter printed, please let me know so that I can share your success with the Driving Change Network.
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More News on Hybrid Perks: In addition to reduced federal incentives for Toyota hybrid purchases, Californians may soon have one less incentive to purchase a hybrid. California’s pilot hybrid HOV exemption program, which was set to expire in 2008, is expected to fill up in just a few weeks as the state has issued nearly all 750,000 decals. The legislature may consider allowing more permits, enabling more solo hybrid drivers access to freeway carpool lanes. San Antonio joined the growing national trend of hybrid perks last spring when it began its parking exemption pilot program, allowing hybrid drivers to park for free at city meters. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s hybrid rebate program is back up and running due to a new three million dollar infusion, and Indiana may join the party, as state Republicans have proposed a $1,000 tax credit. You can learn more about hybrid incentives in your state by visiting the HybridCenter Incentives section.
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At the Races: The Lexus GS430h sedan recently completed the Tokachi 24-hour endurance race in Japan, covering 865 laps (2,945-km) at an average speed of 122 km/h. The vehicle finished in seventeenth position overall, and the Lexus racing team received the Tochu Award for their fighting spirit and determination. In 2008, alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles will join classic cars in the Great Race World 35,000 km, an 80-day race from NY to Paris that has been billed the first ever around the world race for alternative fuel powered vehicles. To learn about other hybrid vehicle happenings, visit the Hybrid News Center.
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Billion Dollar Hybrid Development: General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, and BMW revealed the one billion dollar cost of their joint venture to develop the next-generation hybrid engine. The majority of the funding for the undertaking will be directed at integrating the new hybrid transmission with other vehicle components. GM's Yukon and Tahoe SUVs, due out in 2007, are the first models expected to use the new technology. Projections for fuel economy remain relatively meager, as reports still claim the two-mode system will only obtain a 20-25 percent boost over conventional models. For more information, check out the Hybrid News Center.
 You might remember last month we had a question from a Highlander Hybrid driver in northern Virginia whose mileage wasn’t what she expected (only 18-19 miles per gallon). I asked you to write in if you had any additional advice, and boy did you! I don’t have enough room to reprint all the responses in their entirety, but here is a sampling. Thanks to all who responded—your feedback is what makes the DCN work.
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David Lee, Torrance, CA: “The key to getting good fuel economy in a Toyota hybrid is to use the vehicle in the drive cycle it is intended for: A trip of reasonable length, that includes a lot of stop and go, and low speed driving. The 20-50 mph speeds on busy freeways is a favorable condition for the Toyota hybrid systems.
Driving technique can play a big part in your economy: Drive ahead of yourself, and use this forward-looking technique to anticipate slow-downs and stop conditions. You can then get off of the throttle, and coast more efficiently. This increases your regeneration charging of the high-voltage battery and can lead to the shut-off of the gas engine - enhancing your economy. When accelerating, "pulse-drive" your Toyota hybrid - by giving a fair amount of throttle to get to your target speed briskly, then back off and maintain your speed This allows your gas engine and electric motor(s) to work together to get you moving.”
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Jeff Meredith, Highlands Ranch, CO: “We have owned a Toyota Highlander Hybrid for about a year. We live in Denver, Colorado and take trips up to the mountains. So our driving is also fairly hilly. Driving at altitude is also not good for gas mileage because the air is thinner and you get less power.
Nonetheless, we have been monitoring our fuel economy and we get between 23 - 26 in a combination of mixed city/highway driving. There didn't seem to be a big break in period. So 19 mpg seems too low, especially nearer to sea level. That would indicate that the Hybrid system almost isn't working at all. They could monitor that by listening to how quiet it is, it is obvious when the engine is running. They can also monitor that by looking at the front panel. When going down hill it should be running off the electrical system."
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Tammy Morgan, Baton Rouge, LA: “I'd suggest the VA owner, take it back to the dealership and ask them to check the calibration between the engine and the motor. If that's off even a fraction, that affects the mpg. Also, you mentioned the hilly terrain and chilly weather in March, but the engine runs much more in the summer because of the heat and that can significantly decrease your mpg. There's also other factors such as the road condition, drag from vehicles in front of you and low level wind conditions that significantly influence mpg. I've also noticed that you have to learn how to drive the vehicle more efficiently. I hate to say it but those mpg issues might have a lot to do with how the owner drives the vehicle (sudden starts and stops, speeding etc). Those types of things significantly influence mpg on a hybrid.”
That’s all for August, folks. We’ll be back with you in September with reports on what Congress was up to in their last hectic month before heading home for the elections, so stay tuned!
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