Featured Threads Archive
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Justify a hybrid
So once again, the skeptics speak:
Source: It’s Getting Harder to Justify a Hybrid | TheDetroitBureau.com
If you’re picking a new car, truck or crossover based on the bottom line, you may be in for a surprise, according to a new study. While hybrids tend to deliver better mileage than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles, you may actually wind up spending more in the long run.
Less than one out of four of the 29 hybrids covered by consulting firm Vincentrie’s U.S. Hybrid Ownership study actually had lower costs than comparable gas-powered models. Lower pump prices are certainly a factor, but other issues play into the equation – notably including the fact that the fuel efficiency of non-hybrid vehicles has been fast on the rise.
We've seen this before and once again:
Hybrid Analysis 2016... -
Electric Drive Sales USA/CA 2016 First Half
...the CNCDA.org sales data is now released:
http://www.cncda.org/CMS/Pubs/CA%20Auto%20Outlook%202Q%202016.pdf
See the CNCDA quarterly report:
- Hybrid sales down in CA...I thought CA might hold ground and go up to 35-40% USA Hybrid sales
- Light Truck/SUV way up in CA like elsewhere
- %PHEV in CA down a bit in 2016, I assume due to loss of HOV stickers
- BEV now outpacing PHEV in CA with the loss of HOV green stickers to PHEV
- California is ~11% of USA population so it should be 11% sales in CA (if CA was "normal")
See also: Electric Drive Sales -
Toyota Prius 2017 Official Thread
Now that it's out in the wild with rumors of some being spotted on the road, has anyone seen a release date? It's now live on the official Toyota page with TSS-P feature now on every trim.
I was at the dealership today to buy a 2016 model and while I was there I saw the 2017 on my phone. Now my car being sold to me is on pause . -
Comment Period on CAFE Rules to End
Source: Feds deny request to extend comment period on mpg rules
Federal regulators have denied a request from automakers to extend the period that comments can be submitted over a report showing U.S. automakers probably will miss the 54.5 miles-per-gallon fleetwide average for 2025.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the California Air Resources Board denied a request from 16 auto industry and business lobbying groups in Washington that was led by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and Association of Global Automakers Inc. to extend a 60-day comment period over the report on the proposed emission rules that cover the model years between 2022 and 2025. The comment period began ticking down July 18.
. . .
The... -
Tesla goes even more Ludicrous
Tesla just announced the range of the model s will increase from 300 miles to a maximum of 315 miles - which just coincidentally - ends up ripping-away Toyota's alt fuel preferred hydrogen distance bragging rights . . . .
Even more Ludicrous: Elon Musk says Tesla now has the world's fastest production car - LA Times
Yea - nevermind they're dumping the 0-60mph time too, down from 2.8 seconds to 2.5 seconds. This comes from tesla's new 100kWh pack rumored & written about in PC's ev sub forum not too long ago.
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Gigafactory batteries might have a Prius application
Source: Next Big Future: Gigafactory batteries and factory productivity
The basis of the energy storage system of Tesla products are lithium-ion cells in the 18650 form factor. These cylindrical cells have a diameter of 18 mm and are 65 mm in length, a size used for the batteries of laptops. Cylindrical cells are generally less expensive (costing 190–200 dollars per kWh as of 2014) than large format cells whose active layers are stacked or folded (approximately 240–250 dollars per kWh).
The battery cells that will be produced at the Gigafactory are of a new form factor, larger than the 18650 cells used in the Model S and Model X automobiles. While the cells were originally expected to be at least 20 mm in diameter and 70 mm in length,revised specifications for the optimized form factor are 21 mm (0.83 in) by 70 mm (2.8 in).... -
MIT Study on EVs
Source: Can today’s EVs make a dent in climate change? | MIT News
The study, which found that a wholesale replacement of conventional vehicles with electric ones is possible today and could play a significant role in meeting climate change mitigation goals, was published today in the journal Nature Energy by Jessika Trancik, the Atlantic Richfield Career Development Associate Professor in Energy Studies at MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), along with graduate student Zachary Needell, postdoc James McNerney, and recent graduate Michael Chang SM ’15.
“Roughly 90 percent of the personal vehicles on the road daily could be replaced by a low-cost electric vehicle available on the market today, even if the cars can only charge overnight,” Trancik says, “which would more than meet near-term U.S. climate targets for personal vehicle travel.” Overall, when accounting for... -
Electric Vehicle Shopping Experience
Source: https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/1371%20Rev%20Up%20EVs%20Report_09_web%20FINAL.pdf
To learn more about what is working well and what could be improved in
the plug-in electric vehicle (EV)1 marketplace, the Sierra Club launched
Rev Up EVs — the first-ever multi-state investigation into the consumer
EV shopping experience. Based on surveys from Sierra Club volunteers
who called or visited 308 different auto dealerships and stores across ten
states to inquire about EVs, we found that there is tremendous room for
improvement among the dealerships and the automakers.
. . .
Note that we did not include Toyota, Cadillac,
or Mitsubishi in our study because they currently sell such
low numbers of EVs each month nationwide, and we did
not expect our volunteers to find EVs at many of their... -
HELP!!!!!
I have had a 2007 prius for about a year now. Great little car. Today the warning light, and VSC light came on. Then the ABS light and the car would no longer go into gear. We had a diagnostic and the two codes that came up were 1121 and 1116. A few questions:
1. Can we replace these sensors ourselves?
2. If so, how difficult and expensive, if not how expensive?
3. Would this prevent the car from shifting into Drive/Reverse?
Speed is of the essence as I drive many miles for my job and I need to work -
Local Motors
Source podcast: Autoline After Hours
I listen to them while driving to and from work. Sorry, no transcript but these folks are doing 3-d car printing:
Home - Local Motors
They use a carbon-fiber impregnated thermal plastic. This just made all, current light airplane construction moot.
Bob Wilson -
Upping the volts will make hybrid cars much cheaper
Interesting new article from the Economist on the use of 48 volt systems and predicting growth in "mild hybrids"
"VOLTAGE is to electricity what pressure is to water: the more you have of it the more oomph you get. That is why electrical power lines work at high voltage. In the 1950s carmakers needed extra oomph of this sort to start the powerful high-compression engines then being introduced, so they increased the voltage of their vehicles’ electrical systems from six to 12. Now voltages are going up again—to 48."
Source: http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21704778-upping-volts-will-make-hybrid-cars-much-cheaper-last-48-show -
More CA Green HOV Stickers Soon? (Poll)
That's a question? not an answer. What's your thought?
Personally, I am expecting more CA green HOV stickers to help PHEV and Toyota Prime sales.
But that's just a guess. But I see below the legislative session is still open, so I think that implies we may hear soon.
Time running short for extension of California climate law
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Why the auto industry is in trouble
In my career, I've always gone for the 'high tech' solution. Automate or die so this article struck home:
Source: Why the Auto Industry Is in Trouble (F, GM, TM) | Investing | US News
Automakers are falling behind. Let's just get this out of the way: Tesla Motors (TSLA) is an agent of chaos in its industry.
Tesla has been making all-electric vehicles with ranges of more than 200 miles since 2008, when it came out with its first car, the Tesla Roadster. Today, the company has two vehicles, the Tesla Model X, an SUV, and the Tesla Model S, a sedan, that also go more than 200 miles on a single charge.
"Tesla will absolutely have a huge impact" on the traditional auto... -
EV sales progress one year later
No problem if moved to the EV sub-forum:
Source: Global 10 Best-Selling Plug-In Cars Are Accelerating Forward
When last we checked in September 2015, the tally for all plug-in cars sold had just crested past 1 million units since the count began early last decade. This they did quicker than it required regular hybrids to do, and today they’re past 1.6 million units, with 2 million on the horizon by year’s end.
10. BYD Tang – 37,509
9. Mitsubishi i-MiEV Family – Approx. 37,600
8. BMW i3 (BEV and REx) – Around 49,500
. . .
5. Toyota Prius PHV – Over 75,400
3. Volt/Ampera Family – About 117,300
2. Tesla Model S – 129,393
1. Nissan Leaf – Over 228,000
Bob Wilson -
Looking At Lincoln MKZ Hybrid...
Just took a test drive of a 2017; REALLY nice car! Far from being the greenest of hybrids but feels solid and rides and handles like a dream. A far cry from the Ford Taurus I used to own, though that wasn't a bad car. Biggest caveat is the rather low resale value but I'd keep the car for 5 to 6 years so it's not too much of a detriment. I'd get the lowest trim Premiere model which eschews interior wood trim, the option to get a moonroof and other goodies but this would still be a pricey car for me. I think it comes off as a reasonable alternative to some pricier European and Japanese near-luxury sedans and since it sells in lower numbers than much of its' competition, it's less ubiquitous on the road. One plus is that Lincoln offers its' hybrid MKZ for the same MSRP as the 2.0L turbo gas engine, unlike other competitors which offer hybrids. Wondering if anyone in here has any experience with one of these. Yes, it's basically a dressed up Ford Fusion Hybrid with worse MPG, owing to... -
Fuel Economy Champions
Source: America’s Fuel Economy Champions in Each Class
The ranking for U.S. market vehicles thus defines the “best” as not the fastest, quickest, or most athletic necessarily, but rather the one that makes the biggest contribution in its segment by EPA rating.The following are in Jeff's list but did not show up in the EPA list:
However, these winners culled from our HybridCars.com Dashboard are electrified, meaning they use gas part time – or in the case of battery electric cars, not at all.
. . .
- Hybrid Sedan – Honda Accord Hybrid – 48 MPG
- Hybrid Crossover/SUV – Lexus NX 300h FWD – 33 MPG*
- PHEV Crossover/SUV – Volvo XC90 AWD PHEV – 25 MPG / 53 MPGe...
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