Technology has taken a completely different direction. Cars already do what we need them to do. Hovering would be cool, but wouldn’t really serve any other purpose. The police are busy trying to slow drivers down because our cars already go more than fast enough. In fact, in many places there’s so much traffic that cars can’t use the speed they already have. Aesthetics are still important, but rather than buying the flashiest possible car, people are choosing streamlined, attractive cars. After market upgrades are made to blend in with the original – boring – look of the car. Huge improvements in reliability and safety have become more important than other considerations.

What do cars still leave to be desired? Fuel efficiency – even more practicality. The price of gasoline has soared in recent years, and it’s expensive just to drive around town. Cars that run on less gasoline, or none at all, are the hot sellers. Automakers have a lot of choices for reaching this goal, from hydrogen to biofuel to propane. All of these technologies have challenges, especially in keeping their costs down enough that they will be economically comparable to gasoline powered cars.

In the last few years, one technology has taken the lead and reached the car dealership: electricity. Hybrids were the first to hit the market and fully electric vehicles aren’t far behind. Toyota was the first to get its hybrid, the Prius, to consumers at a reasonable price. The other automakers followed closely on their heels. The Ford Escape, Infiniti M35, Honda Civic and Nissan Altima are just a few of the offerings. Hybrids don’t have to be small anymore, either, as evidenced by GMC’s Sierra and Cadillac’s Escalade. The government has encouraged the use of cars that consume less gasoline and don’t cause as much damage to the environment by offering financial incentives. You can go buy one of these cars today at your local Riverside Ford Dealer, Georgia Honda Dealership or Orange County GMC Dealership with no problem.

The next development we’ll see is the fully electric vehicle. They’ve been out in very small numbers until now, seen at car shows or as part of a fleet of cars driven by the local electric company. The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf are finally hitting showrooms. Limited range and battery price are not completely resolved yet, but clearly this is the direction that new cars are going.

Good old fashioned fuel efficiency is getting overlooked to some degree. A car can run on gasoline, but use a lot less of it. This is a technology that’s been slowly but steadily improving for many years. Look at the non-hybrid version of the Honda Civic, which gets 34 MPG or the Ford Focus with its 35 MPG highway. This was unimaginable back in the 80’s when gas was only $1.35 a gallon and we loved our V8s.

So while we’re unlikely to see cars like the DeLorean from Back to the Future or Kitt from the Knight Rider, cars will continue to evolve to meet our ever-changing needs. America’s love affair with the automobile is far from over.

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

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!

By using new technology, the Fusion Hybrid can help drivers know which driving style receives the best fuel economy.  They have created an ingenious system which is built into the instrument cluster called the SmartGauge. The driver is innundated with info from the dual data monitors next to the gauge cluster. The 1st display in the Fusion gauge cluster tells the power left in the battery packs and the remaining amount of fuel.  The 2nd information monitor shows the tachometer and the electric mode function.  The third screen displays engine and battery output power.  Additional power consumption and power to the wheels are shown in the last data screen.  Knowledge centers in the Fusion have data that consists of Miles Per Gallon, fuel efficiency report, travel chart, and changes in radiator temperatures.  Real time Mile Per Gallon information lets the driver know which driving style gains best fuel economy.

Check the Fusion nav display to see the cool hybrid Energy Flow stuff.  These smart gauges will display the different features of the hybrid powerplant including the 2 drives (electric and hybrid), the boost, charging while idle, and of course regenerative braking.

What is really cool about the Fusion Hybrid is that ford used reclaimed yarns to make the seats, no other hybrid can claim this.  Toyota and Honda have been selling thousands of hybrids per year unchallanged, better late than never with Ford.

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.

What do regular people need? A car that is reliable, reasonably priced, safe, cost effective to run, and can get them where they need to go.  One of the roadblocks has been limited range for the amount of fuel a car can store.  A tank of gasoline can get you about 300 miles before you have to fill up. We’re pretty used to that. We don’t have to stop for gas every hour, and there are plenty of gas stations within our range.  Even if you’re travelling between cities, you can certainly find gas stations less than 300 miles apart.  What if your car ran on something else? First you have the issue of how far it can go on a fill-up or a charge. We need to develop ways to store enough energy in the available space with the available technologies. This presents a problem with some of the technologies, including electric and hydrogen. The second problem is availability of fuel wherever you might want to go. Until more customers buy a fuel, it won’t be cost effective for service stations to offer it.

So what’s the solution?  How are we going to move from conventional to alternative fuels, as we must do? Hybrids. We need cars that can run on an alternative fuel but also have a gasoline backup. They will greatly reduce our use of gasoline immediately, while providing the flexibility to use something we know we can rely on.

Mazda’s new Premacy Hybrid runs on Hydrogen and gasoline. This increases its range to about 125 miles, double that of the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE of 3 years ago. That’s still less than conventional fuel cars. Is it enough? For a lot of people it probably is. Especially when you consider the lower fuel costs and the fact that it produces far lower emissions.

But you won’t see any new Mazda Premacy Hybrids on the road in the U.S. This technology is still in the experimental stage. Mazda has just leased a few of these cars to Iwatani, an energy development company in Japan. They’ll use the cars for business purposes and provide feedback to Mazda.
Will hydrogen hybrids become a viable option in the U.S.?  It’s difficult to say. A lot depends on the advances that Mazda is able to make on hydrogen technology and on how well other technologies, especially electric hybrid cars, perform.

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.

The top five auto manufacturers have been around for a very long time.  All have made it through tough economic times, many through the Great Depression. Ford, founded in 1903 is the old-timer, while newcomer Honda started making cars in 1963. It seems obvious that a company that survives for decades, even a century, must be pretty strong and flexible. They’ve adapted to changes in demand, technology and politics and continued to grow overall.

Will there be a 2013 Mazda Miata?

But things have changed. GM and Chrysler have accepted help from the federal government and will need more.  So far Ford hasn’t asked for assistance, but who knows?  Everything depends on how long this recession lasts. Eventually consumers will start buying cars in greater numbers again, but can the automakers survive until then?

Part of the answer depends on which companies are well-run and efficient. Like many companies in other industries, auto manufacturers who once weathered the great depression have become fat during the long periods of plenty. If they can adapt quickly, everyone will benefit in the long run.

Another related piece of the puzzle is about who can innovate quickly. While sales have fallen drastically, there are segments of the market that are doing relatively well. Hybrids, which should have been an economically viable option long before now, are popular. So are well-built cars that last longer and require fewer repairs. Automakers that excel in these areas will have more sales now, which will help them hang on. When the economy picks up again, their sales will be much better than those who lag behind.

So who is doing well right now? Toyota tops the list with 92,775 vehicle sales in the first two months of 2009. Ford comes in second at 84,072.  Rounding out the top 5 are Chevrolet at 75,025, Honda at 63,916 and Nissan at 47,890.  While these figures are around 40-50% lower than the same period last year, if they can reduce their costs enough, these automakers may live to see the end of the recession.

Toyota Prius was named the Top Green Car for 2009.  This is no big surprise, since the Prius has taken this award for the last five years.  With more hybrids coming onto the market, you’d think the Prius would have some serious competition, but so far no one has quite measured up.  (Although the Honda Civic Hybrid is pretty close.) The base model Prius gets 44 mpg, while the Touring gets 42 mpg. That’s especially important now that gas prices are on the rise again.

2009 Pruis Hybrid

Most Bang for the Buck

The Prius also got the top award in the new Most Bang for the Buck category.  For the first time, Consumer Reports has combined owner cost over the first five years with performance and reliability ratings to come up with a Bucks per Bang number.  Toyota Prius Touring Hybrid got $325 bucks per bang.  Compare that to $385 for the Mazda3 Hatchback and $455 for the Mitsubishi Outlander.

Owner Satisfaction

With almost 425,000 car owners weighing in, Toyota Prius takes top honors in the “Would You Buy Your Car if You Had it to Do All Over” test. That pretty much says it all.

2009 Toyota Prius

Price Isn’t Everything

The most cost effective cars are not always the cheapest cars. If a car isn’t well made, it’s going to cost you in repairs and down time. If it has a low resale value, it was more expensive in the long run.  The smart car buyer takes all of these costs into consideration before buying a car.

Source: Consumer Reports, April 2009

This remarkable feat was achieved by designing a 2-mode hybrid system. The Yukon has the ability to run on electric power alone up to 25 MPH which does wonders for the in town fuel economy. When more power is need the gas engine simply kicks in. And the Yukon also benefits from cylinder deactivation technology which essentially turns the V-8 power plant in to a more economical 4 cylinder when less power is needed. This hybrid can still tow 6,000 lbs. plus seat 8 in the process. The future of manly cars is looking good for the environment and wallet!

Visit theI-10 Auto Mall to see a nice selection of hybrids for sale in Southern California.  Also Iowa BPG has new 2009 Yukon Hybrids on sale now!

2009 Honda Civic Hybrid

There is nothing better than bending the rules of the Law by driving in the carpool lane with only you as the occupant!  That’s right you too can join the ranks of soccer moms and carpooling yuppies.  The state of California only made 60,000 Yellow carpool lane stickers available.  Those were all scooped up in no time at all.   Given mostly to Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrids; these stickers have become a hot commodity, even showing up on the black market (EBAY)!  Although these cars that possess a Clean Air Carpool lane sticker can fetch a higher price than they layman brothers, the trade off is well worth it.  In a City like Los Angeles where rush hour traffic is the equivalent to waterboarding; these stickers are worth their weight in gold.  And Unicars Honda in Coachella Valley has 2 used Civic Hybrids for sale.  So better hurry on down before I get there!