People have always tried to guess how things would be different in the future. The future of the automobile has been a much loved topic of TV shows and cartoons for years. How did you imagine we would travel in the year 2010? The self-driven taxi from Total Recall? Hovering craft like in Star Wars? The sky was the limit, literally, for what cars would look like. Continue reading »

The Cash for Clunkers program is available now, and it’s a great deal for those in a position to take advantage of it. If you would like to get a new car, but don’t have the money yet, you should probably look into this deal. It just might change everything.
First, doo you have a car to trade in? Does it get 18 miles per gallon or less?  If not, sorry – this plan is not for you.  You can’t go to the nearest junkyard and buy a gas guzzler to trade in for the rebate. This has to be a car that you have owned for at least a year, including insuring it and having it registered. There are other requirements intended to make sure that the money goes toward taking gas guzzlers off the road. In order to qualify, your trade-in must:
•    Get 18 MPG or less (according to their chart, not your actual mileage or what the manufacturer said when you bought it)
•    Be in drivable condition
•    Have been owned, registered and insured by you for the last year
•    Be less than 25 years old
•    Must be owned free and clear (the dealership can probably help you pay off your loan as part of the purchase of the new car)
Next, you need to find an eligible new car. You can find a list at cashforclunkersresource.com.  It needs to get at least 4 miles per gallon more than your old car for the $3,500 rebate or 10 mpg better for the $4,500 rebate. The rules are slightly different from trucks and SUVs.
If your trade-in and your purchase qualify for the Cash for Clunkers rebate, it is in addition to other government incentives and manufacturer’s rebates. So research the prices and incentives on the new vehicles you are considering. Also look into other government incentives like the hybrid vehicle credit.  If you can combine government incentives and dealership offers, you could get a really spectacular price on a new car. You must buy the new car or lease it for 5 years or more to be eligible.
The NHTSA  is in the process of certifying new car dealerships to administer this program, but that’s taking time. Don’t wait, though. Go ahead and contact your local dealership now. They may be willing to process the rebate to you, knowing that they will be certified and can submit for reimbursement then.
Get your paperwork in order.  You will need:
•    Proof that you have had the car insured for at least a year. Bring this year’s insurance certificate and last year’s.
•    Proof that you have had the car registered for at least a year. Bring a copy of this year’s registration and last year’s.
•    The pink slip. (If the car is not yet paid off, bring information about the current loan and lienholder.)
•    Financial information to apply for a new loan or lease.

Now you’re ready to go buy a brand-new fuel efficient car or truck!

One day after the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed suspending the popular Cash for Clunkers program, the House of Representatives voted to allocate another $2 billion for the program. The Senate will vote on this plan on Monday.

The problems came when, four days after the official kickoff, the NHTSA estimated that most of the $1 billion originally allocated had been used. They got this number from the National Auto Dealers Association, who had polled its member dealerships. This points to a major flaw in the Cash for Clunkers program. There is no way for the NHTSA to know how much money has been spent.

Dealerships sell cars right now, on the spot, giving buyers credit for the $3,500 or $4,500. The buyer drives off in their new car and then the dealership submits for reimbursement. No one will know when the money runs out until the last dealerships are left holding the bag. This is compounded by the fact that the processing is very slow. Many dealerships are still in the process of getting certified to participate in the program. Meanwhile, they’re holding on to submissions for sales that took place as far back as July 1st.

If Congress approves the additional $2 billion, the Cash for Clunkers program can go on for  while longer. But the problem will still exist when the funds start to get depleted. They need to come up with real-time, electronic submissions so that a dealership will know whether funds are still available.

In the meantime, if you’re hoping to get in on this spectacular deal, go shopping this weekend. Car dealerships are planning to take advantage of the proposed $2 billion increase before it runs out!

What’s better than a car that runs on hydrogen?  A car that can run on hydrogen and gasoline.
Alternative fuels are good for the environment and reduce our reliance on a scarce resource, but they’re not always practical. For a while now we’ve had the technology for hydrogen cars, electric cars, biodiesel cars and more. Why aren’t they in widespread use yet?  Because regular people can’t use these vehicles to meet their needs as efficiently as cars that run on Conventional fuels. Continue reading »

Ford makes a car that gets 65 mpg and is has low emissions, but they’re not selling it in the United States.

The Fiesta ECOnetic gets 65 mpg and emits only 61 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. Compare that to California’s requirement that a 2009 model car emit no more than 323 grams per mile. It’s been available in Europe for a couple of years now. Ford is making plans to sell the Ford Fiesta in the U.S. starting early in 2010, but it won’t be the ECOnetic. It will be a gasoline powered car that gets about 40 mpg.

The Ford Fiesta ECOnetic

At a time when the American public is clamoring for green gas sippers, why in the world would an American car company not sell this car in the U.S.? Well, it’s a diesel. If you add the production costs (these engines are currently manufactured in Britain) to the overseas shipping costs, Ford couldn’t offer the ECOnetic for a competitive price in the U.S. The cost of building a plant to manufacture diesel engines in Mexico would be about $350 million. Ford would have to sell 350,000 cars a year to make that investment worthwhile, and they don’t think they could sell that many in North and South America.

So Ford is making plans to sell a Fiesta in the United States, but it’s not the diesel ECOnetic. It’s a gasoline engine that will get around 40 mpg. Meanwhile, Toyota is selling its Prius like hotcakes and other foreign carmakers are gearing up to offer diesel vehicles in the U.S. By the time Ford finally finds a way to make it work, they’ll be way behind the competition.

If the federal government is willing to invest money in the American auto industry, I see a golden opportunity. Build a diesel plant in Detroit. It might take a few years to recoup the investment, but it would put Americans to work, help the environment and reduce our dependence on gasoline. And when the economy starts turning around and there’s a lot of pent-up demand for cars, an American car company will be in the right place at the right time.