Posts Tagged ‘hybrid vehicles’
Report shows mandate, not prices pushing improvements.
by Michael Strong on Apr.29, 2013
Consumer acceptance of electric vehicles will help automakers reach the 54.5 mpg fleet mandate, according to a new study.
Federal mandates requiring automakers to reach a 54.5 mpg fleet average by 2025 is the reason behind the surge in consumer preferences for more fuel efficient vehicles, not a perceived rise in gas prices, according to a study released today.
The team authoring the report ran several econometric models to determine that the price of gas, while a minor factor, was not the biggest push for the public’s acceptance of the mandate and willingness to buy more efficient vehicles.
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The mandate requires automakers to average 34.5 mpg by 2017 and to achieve the 54.5-mpg average by 2025. According to the study, which was released today by the Consumer Federation of America, the mandates are universally endorsed by Americans.
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Tags: TheDetroitBureau.com., electric vehicles, four-cylinder cars, four-cylinder engine, fuel economy, fuel economy standards, gas prices, hybrid cars, hybrid vehicles, hybrids, michael strong, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
But getting buyers back is a problem.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.22, 2013
2013 Toyota Prius again dominated the hybrid and advance battery vehicle segment in 2012.
It’s Earth Day, and if you’re thinking about something more environmentally friendly when it’s next time to trade in, you’re not alone. While sales of “green” cars are often linked to the rise and fall of fuel prices, there’s been a slow but unmistakable increase in demand, especially for hybrids and other battery vehicles which set an all-time record in 2012.
Products like the ever-popular Toyota Prius accounted for 3.1% of the overall U.S. new car market last year, reports data tracking service Experian Automotive, a 49% year-over-year jump from the 2.2% market share in 2011. The downside is that only about one in three hybrid owners buy another gas-electric model when they trade in, according to other industry reports.
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“Hybrid vehicle owners have long been perceived as environmentally conscience consumers,” said Melinda Zabritski, Experian’s director of automotive credit. “While they may have made the vehicle purchase due to caring for the environment, our research shows that hybrid owners are economically minded as well. Hybrid owners tend to have outstanding credit histories, which also has enabled them to obtain financing at lower rates than typical consumers.”
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Tags: auto news, battery car sales, battery cars, car news, chevrolet news, chevrolet volt sales, electric vehicles, ev sales, gm news, hybrid sales, hybrid vehicles, hybrids experian automotive, nissan leaf sales, nissan news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, plug-in sales, thedetroitbureau, toyota news, toyota prius sales
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Subaru could be eyeing other hybrid opportunities.
by Joseph Szczesny on Mar.28, 2013
A Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid in testing.
Subaru, the brand that helped popularize all-wheel-drive, is now trying its hand at hybrids.
The Japanese automaker unveiled its first-ever production gas-electric model, the Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid, at its 2013 New York International Auto Show press preview.
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The official unveiling comes barely a month after the Japanese maker revealed a plug-in hybrid concept, the DIZIV, at the Geneva Motor Show. The two announcements could signal that Subaru sees some serious opportunities going forward in alternative propulsion.
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Tags: 2013 new york auto show, 2013 nyias, auto news, battery cars, car news, hybrid crossovers, hybrid vehicles, japanese hybrid, joe szczesny, subaru diziv, subaru hybrid, subaru news, subaru nyias, subaru plug-in, subaru xv crosstrek, subaru xv crosstrek hybrid, thedetroitbureau
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But despite new Tenn. battery-car plant, hybrid batteries will still be imported.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.24, 2013
The hybrid-powered Nissan Resonance will reappear in production trim as the next-generation Nissan Murano.
Nissan is likely to start producing a new generation of hybrid-electric vehicles at its assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee in the near future.
The Infiniti JX is among the first models assembled in the U.S. that will be equipped with Nissan’s new 1-motor/2-clutch hybrid system, senior sources told TheDetroitBureau.com. Other American-made models, including the new Altima and Pathfinder, along with next-generation versions of the Rogue and Murano may also add hybrid drivelines in the near future.
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But countering some newly published reports, the batteries for the hybrids will likely continue to be imported from Japan despite the recent launch of a new lithium-ion plant alongside the sprawling Smyrna factory complex.
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Tags: Carlos Ghosn, Nissan Resonance, Nissan battery cars, auto news, car news, hybrid vehicles, infiniti hybrid, infiniti jx hybrid, infiniti news, nissan altima hybrid, nissan electric, nissan electric vehicles, nissan hybrid, nissan leaf, nissan news, nissan smyrna, nissan smyrna battery plant, nissan us hybrid production, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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Maker hopes higher mileage will fuel further growth.
by Joseph Szczesny on Jan.23, 2013
The Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept shown at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show featured a hybrid drivetrain.
Subaru is getting ready to roll out its first hybrid as it continues to refresh its product line, which has doubled in its market share in the U.S. over the past five years.
Officials from the Japanese automaker declined to offer any details about the new hybrid, which is expected to make its debut at the New York Auto Show at the end of March. But Kenichi Yamamoto, director of product management and coordination at Subaru of America, confirmed parent Fuji Heavy Industries is working on a hybrid model.
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Other Subaru officials also acknowledged that a hybrid vehicle was in the works and could debut this spring.
Yamamoto explained that Subaru’s interest in hybrid vehicles follows the steady expansion of hybrid sales in Japan. Hybrids now account for a large and growing share of the new vehicles sold in Japan particularly those from Toyota, Honda and Nissan, Japan’s three largest automakers.
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Tags: 2013 ny auto show, auto news, battery cars, car news, hybrid vehicles, joe szczesny, subaru forester, subaru forester hybrid, subaru hybrid, subaru news, subaru ny auto show, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 3 Comments »
Judges swayed by mix of powertrain options.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Nov.29, 2012
Ford plans to play up its Green Car award in spots coming soon to a TV near you.
Despite the popular media’s fixation on battery power, automotive insiders are quick to caution that there is no “silver bullet” solution, no single technology that will likely meet all the needs for tomorrow’s clean and efficient automobiles.
That message was hammered home by the choice of the 2013 Ford Fusion as the Green Car of the Year, an award designed to focus the spotlight on the latest clean-tech automobiles.
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A key to the decision was the fact that the new midsize sedan offers a broad range of powertrain alternatives, from conventional gasoline power up to an all-new plug-in hybrid.
“That’s an example of automotive democracy,” said Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal, the organizer of the annual award.
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Tags: 2013 ford fusion, Ecoboost, LA Auto Show, alternative power, ford fusion green car, fusion car of the year, green car journal, green car of the year, hybrid vehicles, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, prius c, thedetroitbureau
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Two new studies show growing interest in alternative power.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Sep.13, 2012
Ford will offer both hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of its new C-Max "people-mover."
A growing number of Americans are demanding not only more fuel-efficient cars but those that run on cleaner alternatives to gasoline – and they’re willing to pay, according to a pair of new studies.
That could be good news for manufacturers fretting about the cost of meeting the government’s strict new Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, mandates requiring an average 34.5 mpg by 2016 and 54.5 mpg by 2025.
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“Cost is a key issue,” especially with more radical alternatives such as electric propulsion, said Phil Murtaugh, the head of California-based Coda, a start-up in the emerging market for electric vehicles.
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Tags: alternative fuel, auto news, battery cars, car news, clean fuel, coda, diesel cars, electric vehicles, ford fusion, hybrid cars, hybrid vehicles, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, phil murtaugh, plug-in hybrids, thedetroitbureau
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by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.18, 2012
The calculator shows most drivers will need 5 years to recover the added cost of the Toyota Prius C.
The recent run-up in fuel prices led to a surge in demand for hybrids like the Toyota Prius, which has been selling at record levels. Yet sales of gas-electric vehicles still lag well behind what proponents keep forecasting, accounting for barely 3% of the overall U.S. new vehicle market.
Why? Well, that’s a matter of some debate, but for many potential buyers the issue is one of cost. While there are a few models that carry no premium for their advanced powertrains – such as the Lincoln MKZ – most hybrids are more expensive than comparable models using gas power alone. In some cases, the premium can be substantial, $5,000 or more.
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And so, while those hybrids might quickly save you money on gas, it can take years to break even on your up-front investment – what industry types call the “payback period.”
Or will it? A new calculator created by the National Transportation Research Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is designed to make it easy to calculate your fuel savings – and determine the payback period.
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Tags: Ford Fusion Hybrid, auto news, buick lacrosse eassist, car news, escalade hybrid, hybrid calculator, hybrid cars, hybrid payback, hybrid savings, hybrid vehicles, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, toyota Prius C
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Are manufacturers rethinking gas-electric advantages?
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.10, 2012
The 2013 Nissan Altima with CEO Ghosn.
Both Ford and Nissan are abandoning major hybrid-electric vehicles that might seem perfectly suited for a time when fuel prices are rapidly approaching record levels and consumers are looking for higher-mileage alternatives.
Nissan will no longer offer a hybrid Altima when it launches an all-new version of the midsize sedan for 2013. Ford, meanwhile, is scrapping the hybrid version of its Escape, which had the distinction of being the first-ever gas-electric SUV.
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Though such decisions actually were made quite some time ago they impact new products coming to market during one of the fastest run-ups in fuel prices ever experienced in the U.S. market. And the two gas-electric models are dropping out just as hybrids – notably including the Toyota Prius – are setting all-time sales records.
So, why pull two hybrid versions of popular models like the Altima and Escape?
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Tags: 2013 ford escape, 2013 nissan altima, Carlos Ghosn, Mark Fields, Toyota Prius, altima hybrid, auto news, car news, escape hybrid, fuel economy, high mileage vehicles, hybrid sales, hybrid vehicles, infiniti reviews.thedetroitbureau, nissan news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 5 Comments »
Ford wants fuel economy leadership and new Focus Electric is key part of its arsenal.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.05, 2012
Ford's new Focus Electric will have the highest MPGe rating of any 5-passenger vehicle in the U.S.
With gas nudging $4 a gallon — and some pundits predicting it will nip the $5 mark by summer — it’s not a bad time to be adding some new high-mileage models to your fleet. Actually, most manufacturers are doing that these days, but Ford wants to go a step further, not only promising a big jump in mileage for its entire line-up but declaring that it now sells “America’s most fuel-efficient five-passenger car.”
According to the official EPA endorsement, that title goes to the new Ford Focus Electric, the battery-powered version of the maker’s latest-generation compact 5-seater. The government rates the Focus Electric at 105 MPGe – or miles per gallon-equivalent – in the combined City/Highway column, or a full six ahead of the Nissan Leaf.
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The pure battery-electric vehicle is one of five “BEVs” and plug-in hybrids the maker is planning to bring to market. It follows the limited-edition launch of a battery-electric Transit Connect van and will be followed by plug-in hybrid versions of the Focus and the new Ford C-Max microvan, both of those to be labeled “Energi,” a term Ford apparently is reserving for plug-ins. The Detroit maker has yet to identify what the fifth battery car will be.
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Tags: Chevy Volt, Ford Ecoboost, Toyota Prius, auto news, battery cars, car news, ecoboost f-series, electric vehicles, ford c-max, ford c-max energi, ford focus electric, ford fuel economy, ford mileage, ford news, hybrid vehicles, nissan leaf, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, plug-in hybrids, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 3 Comments »
