Friday, February 12, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

Rally Fighter Takes Flight

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 01:50 PM PST

I am a big fan of Local Motors and their crowd-sourced Rally Fighter. A custom vehicle with its own frame and body–built borrowing many bits from dozens of other cars–the Rally Fighter manages to merge fun and fuel efficiency in one cool-looking body. Plus, CEO Jay Rogers built it to prove that there is a better way to build an automobile.

The Rally Fighter has been under development for some time now, but it is finally ready to take flight, as this video (after the jump) shows. The video combines some quality off-roading with interviews, some technical info, and a brief explanation of why Teddy Roosevelt and Pancho Villa adorn the Rally Fighter’s doors.

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In case you missed it, I had a chance to sit down with Jay Rogers and talk to him a bit about the Rally Fighter, Local Motors, and their future plans. Here is Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of the interview. A brief overview of the Rally Fighter; the design was selected from a contest where Local Motors asked designers from all over the world to come up with an idea for a vehicle. Then a devoted community voted for what they thought was the best design, and Local Motors decided to make the Rally Fighter, based on the design of Sangho Kim. Part P-51 Mustang, part off-road mud machine, the Rally Fighter definitely looks at home away from the asphalt.

Local Motors has plenty of other designs in the pipeline, and their idea of having the consumer design the car is one that could have huge impact on how cars are designed. I for one am rooting for them, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. For now, I’ll enjoy this awesome off-roading video.

Source: Local Motors

Fiat 500 Could be On Sale in the U.S. at the End Of 2010

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 01:45 PM PST

I remain on the fence regarding the Chrysler-Fiat merger. On the one hand, Chrysler needed saving and Fiat was willing to lend a hand (though no cash). On the other hand, Fiat’s reputation for reliability both here and abroad remains shaky at best. Fiat also shed over a billion dollars in 2009, and says it won’t make it back into the black without the help of another Cash for Clunkers program. Of course, Fiat still managed to outsell any of Europe’s other big car makers, and actually saw its market share increase by almost 9%. See why I am on the fence?

But then there is the Fiat 500. While I may not care for small cars… there is something about the 500 that makes me want to give it a chance. It is cute and fuel efficient, but it also has the mean Abarth edition that looks like it could be a lot of  fun. And according to Ralph Giles, design chief of Chrysler, the Fiat 500 could go on sale earlier than expected, coming to US showrooms by the end of this year. What about the Abarth edition, Ralph?

The Fiat 500 could be to Chrysler what the Neon once was; a small car with big appeal. The name is well known, and the car even managed to impress the guys at Top Gear (in both regular and Abarth configurations). What’s more, it has a base price of about $14,000 in Europe; it might sell for even less here in the US, once production in Mexico gets under way.

Speaking of which, production wasn’t supposed to begin until December of 2010. So either Fiat thinks it can bring production up to speed sooner than December, or it plans to import a large batch of 500’s from Europe, and sell them at a loss. Or maybe not. I think it is also a good move to not try to re-badge the 500 as a Chrysler, adding unnecessary costs (and an embattled badge) to what is otherwise a very good car.

One thing for sure; it can’t get here soon enough.

Source: AutoBlogGreen | Image: Fiat

People Putting an Extra 50,000 Miles Or More On Their Cars

Posted: 12 Feb 2010 01:35 PM PST

2009 was a pretty terrible year for auto sales, and the most obvious culprit is the economic downturn. While things are looking up for 2010 (ignoring the whole recall scandal blown entirely out of proportion), new car sales may not return to pre-recession levels for years, if ever. And while the economy may still be a factor, that may be an important paradigm shift in how people regard their cars.

According to a study by Auto MD, which is owned by the US Auto Parts Network, Inc. (i.e. people who have a vested interest in making parts for used cars) 77% of people are, on average, planning on driving their current cars at least 50,000 miles more than their previous cars.

Considering the average American racks up between 12,000 and 15,000 miles per year, this means people plan on keeping their cars an extra 3-4 years. Why? Well there are plenty of reasons if you really stop and think about it.

For one, the quality of cars today is much better than the quality of cars from say, the 1990’s. Without making too much of a sweeping generalization, many cars from that era seemed more prone to breakdowns and reliability issues. If you go back forty years, many cars were barely making it to 50,000 miles before needing a major overhaul like a new engine (I’ve seen lots of muscle cars whose odometers were just 5-digits). In fact, 56% of those surveyed plan to drive their current car until it completely dies.

Then there is the obvious reality of a new financial climate. Many people seem to be willing to take a step back and reconsider what is important in life. Do I really need a brand new car, right now, even though my current car is still running? Many people would rather repair their cars right now, because no matter how you cut it, it is almost always cheaper to keep an old car on the road than replace it with something new (unless you are replacing your transmission on a monthly basis).

Another big reason may also be that people realize we are reaching the apex of a car revolution. Electric and plug-in electric cars are on the cusp of making a mass-market emergence. While not everyone can afford to be an early adopter, in five years time there will be plenty of electric vehicles to choose from, as well as an emerging market for used EV’s. So why not hold on to that old car a little longer when your next car might not need gas at all?

My fleet of cars (three Fords and a Jeep) has a combined mileage of well-over a half-million miles. I don’t plan on owning a new car anytime soon, though I definitely need to thin out my stable. My daily driver, the Jeep, just keeps plugging along, no matter how much I neglect it. I’ve met people who have old Mercedes turbodiesels that have upwards of 500,000 miles on them, all because they perform the recommended maintenance.

How many miles have you managed to rack up on a single car? My current record is 212,000 miles on a ‘92 F-150 (I bought it with 150,000… I drive a lot).

Source: Auto MD |  Auto Parts Dealer Network, Inc.
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