Category Archives: Hybrid Automobiles

Mazda Teams Up With Toyota On Hybrid

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Mazda’s long time relationship with Ford is weakening as Mazda looks to Toyota for hybrid drive train technology. In the past Mazda has used Ford’s hybrid system in its sport-utility vehicle, the Tribute, but because Mazda plans to make their new hybrid car in Japan, they decided to lease the technology from Toyota instead. Masaharu Yamaki, Mazda’s executive vice-president, said the group had chosen Toyota’s technology over Ford’s because, “We need to procure components quickly and reliably from domestic suppliers.” The agreement which the two companies had been negotiating since last spring, will include hybrid components such as control systems, inverters and the regenerative braking mechanism.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota’s executive vice-president, said the Mazda deal would help lower production costs for Toyota’s own hybrid cars by expanding the market for shared components. As a result, “We hope that the cost of parts will fall and new innovations will emerge.”

Ford Shines At The Detroit Auto Show

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Based on the Detroit Auto Show, the automobile industry may be undergoing a huge transformation. There are dozens of hybrid vehicles and countless pure battery-powered cars. The market for energy alternative cars remains weak, but if strict emissions standards are imposed, demands could soar.

Ford Motor Company had a very strong showing, winning North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year Awards. The car award went to the Ford Fusion Hybrid and in the truck category, Ford’s Transit Connect van. This is the sixth win in the truck category for Ford, the most of any automaker.

The awards recognize the vehicles that are “benchmarks” in their category based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. Vehicles must be new or “substantially changed” to be considered.

Some other memorable displays are: General Motors with their new Chevy Volt, Mercedes B Class pure hydrogen fuel cell car, Audis A8 which won the eyes on design and Chrysler’s Gem which has sold more than 40,000 since 1999 and reportedly owns about 70 percent of the electric vehicle market.

Honda Mileage Over Inflated

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In March of 2007, John True of Ontario, California purchased a Honda Civic hybrid hoping that he could save a bit on fuel and do his part for the environment. He chose Honda because they had advertised their hybrid mileage as 49 miles per gallon in the city and 51 miles per gallon on highways. After about 6 000 miles of driving he found that it was almost impossible to reach this. Many other Honda hybrid owners came to the same conclusion including one by Consumer Reports. John filed a lawsuit against Honda claiming Honda had inflated the mileage. The settlement covers almost 160 000 people who owned or leased a 2003 through 2008 model Honda Civic Hybrid.

The class action has been settled, but more than half the nation’s state attorneys are objecting to the settlement. In this class action, Honda will send DVD’s to current and former Civic owners with tips on improving the fuel economy. Owners who trade in their Honda Civic Hybrid for certain Honda or Acura vehicles could get up to $1,000 rebate on some vehicles or $100 in cash if they had made a complaint previously. Others who no longer owned their hybrid would get a $500 coupon. “The coupons offered to consumers are of limited value: They are worth only a fraction of the price of the original car,” the attorneys general said in a court filing Monday. ” “Cars like the Honda Fit, Insight, Civic Hybrid and CRZ are the class of vehicle these hybrid owners would most likely buy, yet they have been excluded from the list.”

In the beginning of 2007 new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests, were unveiled to better reflect real world driving. As a result, fuel economy for all vehicles fell an average of 12% in the city and 8% on highways.

Yes We Can!……Or Can We? One Million Plug-In Hybrids on U.S. Roads by 2015?

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green symbolPresident Obama’s goal of 1 million plug-in hybrids on U.S. roads by 2015 seems like a good idea for the environment, but is it really possible?

With new advances in battery technology, electric cars can go almost 100 miles on a charge. And for those who fear being stranded with a dead battery miles from a plug in, there is a gasoline engine as well. This range should be enough to suit up to 80% of U.S. drivers on the road. With federal government incentives for EV buyers, such as tax credits of up to $7,500 for buyers of the first 200,000 vehicles from each manufacturer, this could be true. According to Jason Wolf, an executive at Better Place, a Palo Alto firm aiming to provide charging services for plug-in drivers. “Over 70% of major manufacturers have some kind of mass plug-in coming in the next two years.”

This however, involves a huge change to the nation’s electric grid infrastructure. People charging cars in their garages may need to upgrade their home circuits, which often requires permits, building inspections and other headaches. Neighborhood upgrades like new transformers would also be needed. These upgrades would be expensive, and in the interest of encouraging electric cars, the utility companies would most likely pay for it through our electric bills. In the end we need to ask ourselves, “Would the emissions released by the utility companies making extra electricity really be less than the emissions from the car itself?”

Honda’s Hybrid

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Honda’s remade Hybrid, the Insight, is not doing as well as originally predicted. It debuted in March and was thought to be a serious contender for Toyota’s Prius. Unfortunately the reviews have not been kind and sales have not gone well.

Many people are not aware that Honda was the first auto manufacturer to bring hybrids to the United States 10 years ago. Sources are not sure why Honda has not done as well and it seems other automakers are gaining ground such as Ford, General Motors, and Nissan.

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Hybrid Car List

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Hybrid cars today are typically a combination of gasoline and a battery powered engine. The following is a list of some of the current hybrid cars plus some that will become available in 2010 and 2011.

Currently available Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Insight, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Lexus HS 250h, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Lexus RX 450h, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Lexus RX 400h, Lexus GS 450h, Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid, Lexus LS 600h L, GMC Sierra Hybrid, GMC Yukon Hybrid, Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, Chrysler Aspen Hybrid, and Dodge Durango Hybrid.

Those that will become available in 2010 or 2011 are Mercedes ML 450 Hybrid, Honda Global Subcompact Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Saturn Vue Green Line Two Mode, Hyundai Accent Hybrid, BMW X6 Hybrid, Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid, Honda Fit Hybrid, Mercedes S400 BlueHybrid, Dodge Ram Hybrid, Honda CR-Z, Volkswagen and Touareg Hybrid.

If you think your hybrid is a lemon, call the California Lemon Law Firm, Delsack and Associates for a free consultation. The toll free number is 1-888-Ex-Lemon (1-888-395-3666).

Success in California Market Critical to GM’s Future

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Earlier this month General Motors started a new advertising campaign to acquire a larger share of the California market. Californians tend to buy more hybrids and those in other states and are more environmentally conscious. Chrysler, too, wants to grab a share of California’s penchant for small, fuel-efficient car sales which it hopes to fulfill with its partner Italian automaker Fiat. GM has already gotten rid of its high fuel consumption lines of vehicles, in particular Hummer and instead will now focus on more fuel-efficient Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles. Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC already have gas-electric hybrids in their current 2009 product lines, which include the Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Silverado, Cadillac Escalade, and GMC Yukon.

The main focus of GM’s green strategy will be the Chevrolet Volt, an electric hybrid designed to travel 40 miles on one charge, and thereafter have a three cylinder gas engine take over to recharge its lithium-Ion battery pack. The car will be offered for sale in the 2010 model year.

California, in 2008, represented 24.2% of America’s hybrid market which is more than two times the state’s historical share of new vehicle sales in this past decade. Although GM has been steadily losing ground to Toyota and Honda it was still ahead of Ford and Chrysler. In 2008 GM had a 14.2% share of new car sales whereas Ford had an 11.4%, and Chrysler’s was 7.5%. These were significantly less than Toyota’s 25.6% share and Honda’s 13.4% share.