SmartEnergyViews

Toyota Prius (Prii?) are hard to find. There are currently no new Prius models on the lots of any Toyota dealer in our area (East Tennessee).

Toyota can't make them fast enough. From the Detroit Free Press

Toyota has also struggled this year to produce enough small cars and Prius hybrids to keep up with customer demand. Sales of the Prius, Toyota’s best selling hybrid, declined 8% in July to 14,785.

Batteries are the critical path. From FTD.de

Waiting lists for Priuses have expanded sharply as demand outstrips the Japanese carmaker's capacity to build the petrol-electric hybrid vehicles. Toyota - normally a paragon of supply-chain management - admits to "bottlenecks", particularly in batteries, which have slowed turnover even as drivers clamour for more fuel-efficient cars.

This has created a hot market for used Prius:

According to data released by the Power Information Network, the average used Prius with 8,000 miles on the odometer is selling for $1,300 over the suggested retail price of a new one. What’s more, even a Prius with 22,000 miles sells for just $276 less than a brand new one.

Glad we got ours last year, just in time to get the tax credit (which has now expired):

(Sorry, ours is not for sale.)

Toyota announced this week that they will begin U.S. manufacturing of the Prius at their new plant in Blue Springs Mississippi starting in 2010. The plant was originally slated to build Highlander Hybrids, but that production will be moved to Indiana as large pickup production there is scaled back and moved to Texas.

In related news, demand for hybrids is so high that many buyers are on waiting lists.

The Tennessean

[Beginning] July 1, medium-speed electric- or gasoline-powered vehicles with four wheels can travel up to 35 mph, and can use roads where the speed limit is 40. Golf carts are excluded.

Tennessee joins Montana and Washington as the only states with such a law. Most of the rest follow a 1998 federal law that allows the low-speed vehicles to travel up to 25 mph.

According to the report, there are 1, 211 low-speed vehicles registered in Tennessee.

According to Car Central in Australia, Volkswagen is bringing a concept car to market that travels 100KM (62 miles) on 1L (.26 gallons) of fuel. That works out to about 234MPG.

The 300CC one cylinder diesel engine car is built using lightweight materials (carbon or possibly magnesium according to some reports) and weighs only 300KG (660LBS). According to the report, Volkswagen only plans to make about 1000 per year, and the cost will be $20K-$30K EUR (approx. $31K-$47K USD).

The 2009 Ford Escape, equipped with a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, delivers best-in-class fuel economy in the small SUV segment with 28 highway/20 city mpg.

The 2009 Escape Hybrid remains the most fuel-efficient SUV, delivering 34 city mpg and an improved highway rating of 31 mpg - a 1 mpg increase versus the 2008 model.

According to Ford, the Escape's new 2.5-liter I-4 engine uses intake variable cam timing (iVCT) technology for increased power and improved efficiency. The powertrain also incorporates electronic throttle control (ETC), dual-mode crankshaft damping and new intake and exhaust manifolds, which contribute to greater fuel efficiency. And a new optional six-speed automatic transmission contributes up to a 6 percent increase in fuel efficiency.

A new front chin spoiler and rear tire spoilers help reduce wind drag, providing a gain of 0.75 mpg at 70 mph. Escape also features new low-rolling-resistance tires developed in cooperation with Michelin.

Escape Hybrid remains the most fuel-efficient SUV on the planet. For 2009, the Hybrid achieved a 1 mpg improvement on the highway, for 34 city/31 highway mpg. The upgraded Hybrid model will use the new 2.5-liter I-4 designed to run on the Atkinson combustion cycle. A new engine processor enables smoother transitions between gas and electric vehicle mode, and control system enhancements provide more electric mode driving, switching over from gas at 35 mph rather than 25 mph with the previous model.

AAA is advising hypermilers to think of safety first and avoid hypermiling techniques that are dangerous to themselves and others and that might damage their vehicles.

"The goals of hypermiling are positive, such as eliminating aggressive driving and saving energy," said Marshall L. Doney, AAA Automotive vice president. "Unfortunately some motorists have taken their desire to improve fuel economy to extremes with techniques that put themselves, as well as their fellow motorists, in danger."

Examples of the dangerous hypermiling techniques include cutting off the vehicle's engine or putting it in neutral to coast on a roadway, tailgating or drafting larger vehicles, rolling through stop signs and driving at erratic and unsafe speeds. "These practices can put motorists in a treacherous situation where they could lose power steering and brakes or be unable to react to quickly changing traffic conditions," Doney said.

"Not only are these extreme driving behaviors dangerous, many of them also are illegal. However, there are several safe and legal driving techniques motorists can implement to conserve fuel, such as smooth and easy acceleration and braking, maintaining a steady speed, using cruise control and looking ahead to anticipate changing traffic conditions," he said.

Proper vehicle maintenance is also key to optimal fuel economy, but extreme measures can be harmful to a vehicle.

Keeping tires properly inflated can improve fuel economy by two to three percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. However, some drivers have taken this advice too far by over-inflating their tires, which the Rubber Manufacturers Association reports can make them more susceptible to road hazard damage and result in premature wear to the center portion of the tread. Over-inflation can also cause handling issues due to less tire surface making contact with the road.

Some hypermilers also opt to use the lowest 'weight' motor oil (or that with the lowest kinematic viscosity) on the market. However, motor oil is not a fluid that can be freely interchanged and using too light of oil can cause major damage to a vehicle's engine.

In both instances, AAA's auto maintenance experts recommend checking the owner's manual for the manufacturer's recommendations. Tires should only be inflated to the pressures specified by the vehicle manufacturer -- and not what is listed on the sidewall of the tire. Motorists also should use the lowest grade motor oil recommended by the manufacturer for their climate.

Wired has a cool story about an engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory who is working on a prototype plug-in hybrid that can go 50 miles on a charge, gets 100MPG, and has a solar panel on the roof that will power the car for five miles.

The car is a converted Toyota Prius, with advanced lithium-ion batteries. It's charged using an external solar array. One of their areas of research is li-ion battery efficiency and thermal management.

There's been a lot of buzz about the CityZENN all electric car that charges in five minutes and has a top speed of 80MPH and a range of 250 miles.

The secret is the EEStor capacitor battery, but some are skeptical. On the other hand, EEStor has recently signed a deal with Lockheed for defense related applications. So maybe it's real after all.

More at Alternative Energy News.

According to Business Week, Hertz has added 3400 Prius cars to their "Green Collection," and Enterprise has 4000 hybrids and 450,000 cars that get more than 28MPG.

But, car rental companies say people on vacation with lots of luggage still prefer larger vehicles and SUVs.

Of course the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid are the MPG kings, but there are plenty of cars that get great mileage.

In fact, of the top 10 most fuel efficient vehicles (with duplicate models eliminated), five are non-hybrid standard models and all get a combined 29 MPG or more.

Here's a list from the EPA database of every make/model that gets 25MPG or more. Buy one used and save even more!

Read more...

If you purchase a hybrid vehicle this year (2008), make sure to check on available federal tax credit incentives.

Here's the current IRS hybrid tax credit schedule for 2008 models.

Here's the IRS hybrid tax credit program summary.

Tax credits for Toyota models (Prius, Camry, Highlander, and Lexus models) have phased out because sales have exceeded their quotas.

Tax credits are still available for the following 2008 vehicles: Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid and Tahoe Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, GMC Yukon Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid (reduced 7/1, phased out 12/31), Mazda Tribute Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Saturn Aura Hybrid and Vue Green Line. Some new 2007 vehicles are also eligible.

Currently, the highest credit is $3000 for the Ford Escape Hybrid along with the Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner versions.

Note that you are not eligible for the hybrid tax credit if you are subject to AMT, and even if you don't pay the AMT your credit amount can be reduced by the AMT calculation and other credits. Here's the 2007 tax year credit form (PDF) with instructions.

Use this handy MSN gas price directory to find the cheapest gas in your zip code. (My only complaint is that it doesn't indicate if the gas is 10% ethanol.)

Ford Motor Co. EVP Mark Fields discussed Ford's hybrid and plug-in electric plans at a recent industry conference. He noted that Ford is launching hybrid versions of its Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan autos later this year and discussed some of the challenges in bringing a PEHV to market.

Read more...

According to a Prius Chat newsletter, the "Next Generation Prius will be unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show in January. The rumor around Toyota dealerships is that the Gen III Prius will be on sale in April 2009."

Edmunds Auto Observer speculates on updates which include 50 more horsepower and improved gas mileage. They suggest plug-in and Li-Ion options won't be available until Gen 3.1 in 2010.

Nissan has announced it will invest $115 million in a joint venture with NEC to mass produce lithium-ion batteries, a key component for the next generation of plug-in hybrid and plug-in electric cars. Production is set to begin in 2009, with an initial capacity of 13,000 batteries per year and eventually 65,000 per year.

Lithium-ion batteries have higher energy density which allows for smaller, lighter, higher-capacity batteries.

Toyota was planning to introduce lithium-ion batteries in the next generation Prius, but safety concerns have delayed that for one or two more model years according to industry analysts.

GM is said to have a lithium-ion battery ready for their Volt plug-in electric car. Whoever gets there first will get a jump on the next generation of hybrids and plug-ins.

GM had a big, green, full page ad in the Sunday New York Times entitled "We need to talk." It touts their commitment to the environment and energy efficiency.

It says that because they have a large environmental footprint they have an obligation to change. They say the are one of the leading users of renewable energy, that they have reduced CO2 emissions at their facilities by 80% since 1990, that they have 14 facilities that send no waste from production operations to landfills.

So far so good.

But then they say "there is no greater proof of our commitment to change than the ongoing development of gas-friendly to gas-free fuel solutions by our Chevrolet brand" and that they are "making vehicles with better fuel efficiency than ever before."

Really?

Read more...

We purchased our 2007 Prius on March 31st of 2007, and it rolled over 10,000 miles sometime during the last weekend of December on a trip to Memphis (trip avg. 52.1 MPG, 95% highway driving).

We have been getting a fairly consistent overall average of about 50 MPG, a little less in the summer (~48 MPG) with the AC running (or when the leadfoot Mrs. is driving) and a little more in mild weather. By my calculations, we have saved approx. $700 in fuel costs.

The only other cost has been the regular 5000 mile service, which was about $90. The only problem we've had (knock on wood) was a power door lock that jammed. Toyota replaced it under warranty at no charge.

So far we love it. Toyota sold 181,221 Prius hybrids in 2007, up 69% over 2006.

A secretive Austin Texas company claims to have invented a solid state battery that will make current electro-chemical batteries and the internal combustion engine obsolete. Skeptics say it is beyond any known technology and compared it to "alchemy."

According to news reports, batteries based on EEStor's ultracapacitor technology would enable you to plug in your electric car for five minutes and drive 500 miles on the charge. It could also be used to store power from solar panels and for "flash" charging of devices such as laptops and cellphones.

A small electric car company, ZENN Motors, has licensed the technology and expects to use it in a short-range, low-speed vehicle later this year.

On the web:

• EEStor Wikipedia

• EEStor Patent 7,033,406

• ZENN Motor Company

The MPG/trip meter was reset to zero in the driveway on our way out, and here it is in the garage after an afternoon drive up to Townsend and around the Cades Cove loop with a short side trip up Parson's Branch Road.

The State of Tennessee is considering a 2.5 cent per-gallon ethanol subsidy. The "pilot" program would target nine counties. A Pilot Oil lobbyist is promoting the bill. According to new reports, the cost would be somewhere around $3.3 million, based on an expected output of 60 million gallons from a producer in Knoxville. The governor is also proposing a $40 million "biomass ethanol production plant" in Oak Ridge.

Read more...

Well, we finally decided between the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Prius. We took delivery of a 2007 Prius yesterday, just in time before the tax credit (assuming we qualify) gets cut in half (again) as of today.

We got a fairly basic model, with option package #2 (upgraded AM/FM CD with six speakers, auxiliary audio jack and MP3/WMA playback capability, Smart Key System, backup camera and Vehicle Stability Control). Sticker price with the option package was $23,970. Here it is:

Read more about the deal and first impressions...

Been out shopping for a hybrid this weekend. Think we've narrowed it down to the Honda Civic Hybrid or the Toyota Prius.

(Eliminated the Camry Hybrid early on because of higher price and lower MPG, but they've got a nice one with leather, moonroof, and all the toys which they claim gets 40 MPG in the city but user reports say otherwise. Plus, it's about $33K. You can't get the Altima hybrid here yet, but it's positioned about the same as the Camry.)

Prius pros: Hatchback, fold-down seats give more cargo capacity and greater convenient. Runs more on electric motor. Higher EPA mileage rating (EPA 60/51, user reported avg. 44). Slightly better acceleration. Slightly roomier in the back seats.

Prius cons: Ugly. Goofy touch screen to control most everything in the cockpit. I want to drive my car, not program it. Goofy startup procedure and gear shifting. Did I mention ugly?

Civic Hybrid pros: Looks and functions more like a "normal" car. Handles great, better ride, more fun to drive. Better layout and operation of cockpit functions and controls. Better visibility out the rear window for backing up.

Civic Hybrid cons: Smaller trunk capacity and no fold-down seats. Slightly less room in the back seat. (And no cupholders!) ICE motor runs more frequently, slightly less MPG (EPA 49/51, user reported avg. 43). Not quite as peppy. (Although neither car will be winning any drag races any time soon.)

Pricing is about the same for base models at around $23K. One difference, though, is that the Civic Hybrid has no options except navigation system, and the base model is nicely equipped. With the Prius, you can get leather seats, navigation, comfort packages, etc. etc. You can also run the price up over $30K. (Sorry, ain't no way I'm paying that.) One other nice option for the Prius is the backup video camera, but on the other hand you almost need it because of the poor view out the rear window.

I like the Civic Hybrid because of handling, ride, and "normal car" styling and operation. The Mrs. likes the techno-geek factor of the Prius, and we both like the hatchback/fold-down seats.

(P.S. Can't compare stereos. The Civic has an adequate to nice system that is XM and Aux/I-Pod ready. So does the Prius, but apparently they can't leave some fuse in because the battery will run down and the salesman was too lazy to install it so we didn't get to hear the stereo or work the $5K option package navigation system. Advantage: Honda sales person.)

The 2007 Detroit Auto Show gets underway this week. I was looking forward to the new model announcements, hopefully some hybrids or other super-efficient cars. But no. Instead we get some new monster trucks and more of the same old same old.

Read more...

Edmunds: We Test the Tips

By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies.

Edmunds tests gas savings tips to find out what works and what doesn't. This article lists the top six that will save you gas and money. The good news: you don't have to turn off your AC!