Thursday, October 21, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

Ford 3, Chevy 0

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 05:06 PM PDT

2011 Focus: 40 mpg ... with an automatic.

Chevy threw down the 40 mpg gauntlet earlier this year when they announced that the Chevy Cruze ECO model would deliver up to 40 mpg city and 43 mpg highway … which has, over time, turned into “Coming late 2010, Cruze ECO is expected to offer up to 40 mpg highway.” on the company’s Cruze website.

SO, to recap:  before anyone can even test the cars, GM’s already backing down from their initial Cruze’s mpg claims, much as they’re backing down from claims that their upcoming Jesus Car Volt will be motivated by purely electric power …

… what does it all mean?

In case you hadn’t noticed, that’s a picture of a 2011 Ford Focus up there, not a 2011 Chevy Cruze ECO – and that has to have the marketing guys at GM shaking in their boots because, as Jack Baruth points out over on the Truth About Cars blog, the new 2011 Ford Focus is offering 40 mpg from their new Focus compact – which would seem like a direct competitor to Chevy’s Cruze ECO if not but for one very important fact:  the Chevy Cruze ECO wants buyers to row their own gears.

Last time I cruised a dealer’s lot, it seemed to me that the vast majority of cars actually being sold were automatics.  The official numbers read 91% automatics for 2009 MY cars.  I think that figure is probably higher, by now – and if you start comparing the Ford to the Chevy in a more apples-to-apples (or, “automatics-to-automatics”) sort of way, you’ll find that the automatic Cruze gets about 36 mpg.  To put it another way:  less.

Adding insult to injury, the new Focus offers buyers 160 hp (vs. the ECO’s 138 hp) and is fully E85 capable, for those of you who (as Jack puts it) “take particular joy in helping America's trade balance by running up the price of foodstuffs.”

For those of you keeping score at home, that’s:

  • 2011 Ford Focus auto:  40 mpg, 160 hp, E85
  • 2011 Chevy Cruze ECO manual:  40 mpg, 138 hp, not E85

SOURCE:  The Truth About Cars.

Mercedes Brings the F-Cell to Cali

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 04:05 PM PDT

Mercedes-Benz is officially taking orders for its new B-Class hydrogen-powered vehicle.  100 examples of the awkwardly-branded Mercedes-Benz BlueEFFICIENCY “F-Cell” B-Class will be leased to Californians, beginning with L.A. and San Francisco (as those cities have – what Mercedes believes to be – adequate access to hydrogen refueling stations).

Mercedes will select the initial lessees (between 5 and 15 individuals) from the initial pool of “applicants”, who will be able to take delivery of the initial batch of F-Cells by mid-December.  Other (approved?) lessees will have to wait until sometime next year, when Mercedes decides to ship over more of the hydrogen hatchbacks.  Interested parties should CLICK HERE to fill out Mercedes’ questionnaire and get the process started.  If you’re lucky enough to be selected by Mercedes-Benz, expect to pay between 600 and 800 USD for the privilege of driving one of the rarest and most technologically advanced vehicles available anywhere.

SOURCE:  Detroit News, via the Autoblog.

Russia’s CNG Hybrids Revealed

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 03:21 PM PDT

Just 6 months and $210 million into the project, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov and truck manufacturer Onexim group unveiled the designs for their new natural gas hybrid cars … and (woo-hoo!) they look nothing like a Ladas!

The 2-door looks ... pretty sharp, actually!

Prokhorov is planning to show two prototypes next month, utilizing a significant amount of domestic (to Russia) parts and know-how to produce the natural gas/electric hybrid.  The cars are expected to weigh about 1,500 lbs and achieve about 100 km (62 mi) per gallon of gas.  Prokhorov’s claims that either version of his upcoming “City Car” will be able to transport four adults at speeds of up to 120 kmh (74 mph) and sell for the equivalent of 12 – 14,000 USD.

NOTE: rear-mounted electric motor ??

No word on batteries or drive-train, but the car’s backers claim their design is “modular” enough to be adapted to different exteriors. "A single platform allows us to bridge the gap between engineers and car designers," wrote Prokhorov on his blog.  Only time will tell if this exciting CNG hybrid project lives up to Prokhorov’s lofty ambitions.

Production is expected to begin in 2012.

SOURCES:  Autopia, Autoblog.

Tata Tower A Super Garage for the Future

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 03:07 PM PDT

I love cars, but I am very aware of their shortcomings. Perhaps nothing bothers me as much as parking lots. They are in many ways just wasted space, and the bigger the store the bigger the parking lot. We’ve sort of grown into though, and parking lots make great meeting places for all sorts of events…though I believe we could do away with a lot of them.

What about countries like India though? Just seven people in every 1,000 own a car (whereas America has 647 cars per 1,000 people), and yet have you seen the traffic jams they already have to deal with? What will happen when that number goes up and up and up as India makes big economic strides? Well, you might start to see super-garages like this Tata-designed on sprouting up.

I’ve seen video of the traffic jams in India, and it sends shivers up my spines. Imagine what it will be like 20 years from ago? Some studies say that by 2030, 25% of Mumbai will be covered by cars and parking lots. That is a lot of space devoted to just parking cars, and in Mumbai, space is at a premium. The Tata Tower, however, acts as a vertical parking garage, providing ample space (and charging for electric vehicles) to 4,050 Tata Nanos, the world’s cheapest car. The towers would lift the Nanos up into slots along the tower, and I am assuming some sort of ticket system or code would retrive the car for you.

Not only would they hold Tata Nanos, but Tata employees as well. Starting to see a pattern here? The Tata Tower would have up to 930 residences for employees. The towers wouldn’t just be self-sustaining, but actually provide power to charge the cars. It all looks good on paper, but is such a project feasible? It might have to be, as Mumbai is the second most-populated city on the planet. They are going to need somewhere to park all those cars, or come up with a better public transportation system.

Source: Inhabitat via The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

Meet The Contenders For The 1,000 Pound Car

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 12:19 PM PDT

Weight is the enemy of fuel efficiency, literally an anchor weighing our cars down and causing them to consume more gas. Alas, Americans keep demanding more from our cars; more power, more room, more safety, and of course more cupholders. I do not envy today’s engineers who somehow have to fit everything into the car and still make it weigh less than a tank.

What if we could go back to a simpler, lighter time though? Design Los Angeles invited car makers from the world over to build and design a fully-functioning, four-passenger car with modern conveniences that weighs in at just 1,000 pounds. Meet the contenders.

First up is the Cadillac Aera from General Motors. Yes, GM participated in this design study, and their car is one of the sharpest in the bunch. Decidedly futuristic, the Aera uses a 3D lattice mono-formed frame that optimizes strength and minimizes weight, utilizing designs found in the grouping of bubbles. The Aera gets power from a compressed air engine, and as a Cadillac I expect it would be rather well appointed in the luxury department.

Nissan Leaf; Your Mileage May Seriously Vary

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 09:34 AM PDT

The furor over the Chevy Volt seems to have subsided a bit, which means I can go back to picking on the other guy. I am of course referring to the Nissan Leaf, which unlike the Volt is a 100% electric car. No gas motors here. Furthermore, the Leaf is about $7000 less than the Volt, in part because unlike a hybrid there is no gasoline engine to mesh with the electric motors or drive system. Just a simple, battery-operated automobile.

As the old saying goes though, you get what you pay for. In the case of the Leaf, that means a lot less range. How much less? It all depends on how you drive.

GM has touted the Volt as a car for people who have “range anxiety”, i.e. those who don’t want their electric car to run out of juice while they are driving. The Volt boasts a total driving range of between 300 and 400 miles, including 25-50 miles of electric-only power. The Leaf, on the other hand, has been marketed as having a 100 mile all-electric range, which would cover many commuters. However, there are some important caveats, as this chart from Nissan below shows.

The reality is, depending on how you drive and external conditions, your mileage will more realistically range from 62 miles to 138 miles. The maximum range of 138 miles (which is very respectable for an electric car) is attainable only in ideal conditions on flat roads going a constant 38 mph. 38 mph? Seriously? That means it would take you over 3.5 hours to travel 138 miles…while at highway speeds (65 mph) the same trip would take just two hours.

Lets say you dare to take the car up to highway speeds of 55 mph in 95-degree weather with the air conditioning on? Well then your range plummets down to just 70 miles. If you’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic in the same weather, your mileage eeks even further down to just 62 miles. If it is a nice day out and you’re just running around town, averaging 24 mph, you can get about 105 miles out of your Leaf.

I appreciate Nissan’s honesty in this matter, and for many people who can plug in at work or home, this range is still perfectly within their commute. If you’re stuck in one of those infamous California traffic jams and your battery is running low, you might have some problems. For me, the only major drawback is the speed. The Leaf does not seem very comfortable at highway speeds, and I just can’t see myself stretching a 138 mile journey out over 3.5 hours. Soon-to-be Leaf owners, I hope you are a patient bunch.

Source: Automotive News
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