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Thanks, that's a very interesting article from Toyota (http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/special/fchv/fchv_1.html). However, you used the tank-to-wheel figures, not the well-to-wheel; the overall efficiency (well-to-tank x tank-to-wheel) figures are: gas, 14%; Prius, 28 %, Hydrogen FCV, 22 %, and Hydrogen FCHV, 29 % They are shooting for 42% overall with the FCHV. Still danged impressive, though I wonder at their projected well-to-tank efficiency of 70% for the target FCHV. Going to take some breakthroughs in hydrogen production.
jprice SoCal '05 Silver, #1, 5500 miles, [non-permissible content removed]. mileage 46.5MPG
Published Date: 6/27/05
Addressing environmental and fuel-consumption concerns doesn’t have to mean sacrificing comfort,utility and performance. Case in point: the GMC Graphyte concept car we drove recently, a vision of hybrid-powered SUVs for the near future that gets much better fuel economy without surrendering anything in seating capacity, towing ability or creature comforts.
Yes, Virginia, clean SUVs are a reality, no matter what your playmates in the pristine national wilderness may tell you. The more extreme advocates of green automotive technology have developed a shibboleth by which we may know them: “If all the SUVs out there were replaced with hybrids like the Toyota Prius, then...” That turn of phrase marks the Utopian visionaries who would insist we all drive the type of vehicle the speaker decrees best. Whether the speaker’s primary concern is the effect on global warming or national dependence on imported oil, we’ve got news for these automotive puritans: It ain’t gonna happen. Americans can be motivated to trade their gas hogs for cleaner machines, but they won’t give up their own lifestyle priorities to do so."
http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102606
Toyota seeks to achieve its 15 percent global market share with the help of its hybrid strategy. Toyota CEO wants to have a car that can go from US coast to coast with one tank full of gas.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111988621712570518,00.html?mod=home_whats_news_us
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/cgi-bin/news/newsbrief.plx?id=2239947490&fa=1
Anyway... I'm glad we have someone representing the Sierra hybrid. To make sure it doesn't get lost in the hybrid shuffle, all the Sierra posts have been moved to a discussion GMC Sierra Hybrid
Congrats again!
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/06/29/136225.html
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/business/article_1025509.php/German_carmakers_slow_in_w- aking-up_to_hybrid_technology
http://www.car.co.nz/newsevents.asp?articleid=8314
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0506/29/B08-231001.htm
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/230461_flywheel29.html
http://info.detnews.com/autosdb/index.cfm?action=details&picture_id=215
Battery, Capacitor, Flywheel
is there any other device in which we can store electricity.
A whole new industry of electricity storage is coming up.
I wish a Plugin Hybrid with just 20 mile range comes up and which can cost just 4K for conversion.
Except that over there they use diesel engines, which increases the average MPG (or KPL, if you wish), so that hybrids are not as cost efficient compared to most vehicles.
Still when compared to gasoline engines (still over 50% of the European market), hybrid makes economic sense . Especially when you compare US/European gas prices.
Yes, but in addition to diesel being popular, the vehicles are smaller over there and generally already get good gas mileage. This decreases the advantages that the Prius may hold. To be really popular, the Prius would need an even smaller engine that boosted MPG to around 70 or so. Then you would see a lot more interest.
Smaller cars are the hottest auto segment in the USA. Many companies are announcing new small econo models for USA. There are alot of announcements about new upcoming diesels from German marques.
In 5 years USA will start to resemble Europe in terms of having a wide selection of small cars and diesels .
If hybrids cannot compete in Europe now, how will hybrids compete in a USA with a variety of fuel efficient vehicles?
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2005-06-29-car-poll-usat_x.htm
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-green-taxis,0,4149988.story?c- oll=sns-ap-nation-headlines
Also, here is a quote from one of the SF cab company managers:
"In San Francisco, a pair of companies added 15 hybrid Ford Escapes to the city's fleet of 1,400 taxis in February. The small SUVs have an in-town fuel efficiency rating of 36 miles to the gallon, compared with 18 for the Crown Victoria -- an important advantage at a time of rising gas prices.
Yellow Cab Cooperative of San Francisco owns 10 of the hybrids. The company's general manager, Hal Mellegard, said customers seem to like them, but he is waiting to see how the vehicles hold up on the city's famous hills. "
http://www.bangkokpost.com/Motoring/01Jul2005_motor94.php
Assisted by the first sales of the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, June posted the second-highest levels of hybrid sales yet, with 19,223 units sold. This is behind only April 2005, with its 20,974 units. For the first six months of 2005, hybrid sales rose to 92,558, some 2.5 times the 36,276 sold during the first six months of 2004.
The Highlander Hybrid sprang to second place among all hybrids sold, with 2,869 units posted during its first month. Toyota’s Prius continued its market-leading sales trajectory, with 9,622 cars sold. The Lexus RX400h hybrid came in with 2,605 units sold. Combined, Toyota’s hybrids accounted for 79% of the hybrids sold in June, with the Prius alone accounting for 50% of that."
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/07/hybrid_sales_in.html#more
Thats great.
After all, a $3,000 savings in upfront cost is more attractive than
the saving same amount over a period of 12-15 years in a Hybrid vehicle.
And now Chrysler & Ford are set to join. We got to see how hybrids
are progressing.
May be this is an opportunity for Honda to sell its Civic-2006 LX in $17,000 - $18,000 range without adding the extras.
Railroadjames
railroadjames
P.S. I always advocate selling your own car after cleaning it up and spending a few bucks on ads. You come out several hundred dollars ahead, if not thousands. It's worth the effort. I know. I've done it.
http://tinyurl.com/bv9n2
If the new Civic has the looks to go with the new drive train it could be a big winner for Honda.
Actually, there was an interview recently with the CEO of one of the big dealer corps (Autonation maybe?) and he stated that their domestic dealers were just as profitable as their import dealers. Basically, it's the manfacturers taking the hit because they provide the incentives.
Now, with the GM employee pricing scheme, the dealers are taking a hit profit-wise. Nobody is complaining now because of the massive sales volume increase, but I bet they will if GM tries to extend it too long.
Am I the only one who sees this new scheme or ploy as a feebled attempt of a band-aid solution to a problem that's not going to go away very soon or not at all.
Seems amazing that the auto industry is so dependent on the rise & fall of fuel prices. Maybe the word is fragile. Scary ain't it?
Railroadjames
http://www.carlist.com/autonews/2005_hybrids.html
I agree if GM continues the program indefinitely or just reverts to massive incentives. However, if this is a segway into bringing down the MSRP's of their upcoming 2006 models to reality levels, then it could end up being a good move.
"The green-car movement has caught on elsewhere, too. Hyperion, a software company based in Santa Clara, Calif., committed $1 million a year toward the purchases of hybrids, offering employees $5,000 each.
Since the Drive Clean to Drive Change program began in November, about 50 employees have taken advantage of it, said Phyllis Davidson, executive communications director, who was one of the first employees to participate.
"It's purely to help keep the worse kinds of cars off the road," said Davidson, reporting the company's CEO also has traded for a hybrid.
Outdoor-apparel firm Timberland in New Hampshire is offering $3,000 toward hybrid purchases to any of its 6,000 employees who have worked at the company two years or more. Four employees have taken advantage of the program, which was introduced at the end of 2004."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002357486_ecocars05.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3334524a2021,00.html
Honda has given specs for Civic-Hybrid 2006, seems its 5% more efficient, which means it should be giving 52 MPG.
I hope it comes in hatchback version also. Prius has 16 cubic feet of space (same as in Camry, Accord, Altima).
If its dubbed as mid-size sedan equivalent, then it will give a good competition to Prius. Will be better if it comes in LX version at 18K.
There is other news about a Chinese company planning to launch a hybrid. If the Japanese dont sell at an economic rate, the Chinese will grab the market.
Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday its "Ford Family Plan" will let all customers buy most of its 2005 models at the employee rate beginning Wednesday. The promotion excludes the Ford Mustang, GT and the Escape hybrid. It also will run through Aug. 1.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/auto_incentives;_ylt=An0ZNeyOrenl57juseqPeekDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBi- MW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
"Still, Boyd said, the 2006 Civic Hybrid will achieve a 3 mpg gain vs. the 2005 model. The 2005 Civic Hybrid gets 47 to 48 mpg in city driving and 47 to 48 mpg on the highway when equipped with an automatic transmission, according to the government's www. fueleconomy.gov Web site.
That means the 2006 version ``will be 50 or better for both city and highway,'' Boyd said.
``In the real world, we'll be very competitive'' with Prius, he said."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/12064294.htm
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2005/tc2005077_1015_tc024.htm?campaign_i- d=topStories_ssi_5
"Q: How much more do hybrids cost?
A: J.D. Power says so far this year, the hybrid version of the Toyota Camry has been selling for $23,510, vs. $20,575 for a conventional Camry. The hybrid Honda Civic has been going for $20,080, $4,270 more than a conventional Civic. And the hybrid Honda Accord for $30,786 -- $9,138 more than a conventional Accord. Ford's hybrid Ford Escape costs $30,178, $8,530 more than a conventional model. Of course, hybrid prices are likely to come down as sales rise and competition heats up. "