One day, back in 2009, while driving my ’99 Chevy Malibu home from classes in Marleboro College’s MBA in Managing for Sustainability, I set a target for my next car that it would get over 45 Miles Per Gallon. That basically means a hybrid like the Ford CMax (Edmunds / Ford) pictured above or one of the uber-efficient Volkswagon TDI Clean Diesel (news / autoblog / VW).
Ford Fusion, available as a hybrid
Back in October, 2007, I wrote about the Toyota Prius and the GM Hummer in Prius v Hummer, the Battle for the Streets and the Prius v Hummer, the Battle for the Brains. (Spoiler alert – the Prius won). Now I’m thinking about Ford Motor Company. A few years back their tag line was “Ford Has A Better Idea.” That may not be the current tag line, but I think it is the case. I will go further and say that Ford is on the road to being Sustainable car company, and is a Value Investment.
While Toyota deserves credit for developing the hybrid- the Prius was introduced in 2000 – Ford has an extensive lineup of hybrids and is putting the EcoDrive – which boosts mileage by 20% – on vehicles, from small cars to the F150 truck. And 40% of the F150′s sold today are sold with the EcoDrive engine. Continue reading
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GRM) announced Tuesday, August 11, 2009 that the Chevrolet Volt, to be available as a 2011 model in 2010, is expected to achieve city fuel economy of 230 miles per gallon (Press Release, Official Site – GM-Volt.com).
2011 Chevy Volt
The Volt is powered by an electric motor and battery pack with a 40-mile range. After that, a small internal combustion engine kicks in to generate electricity for a range of up to of 300 miles. “From the data we’ve seen, many Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas,” said GM CEO Fritz Henderson. He also said, “The key to high-mileage performance is for a Volt driver to plug into the electric grid at least once each day.”
They used to say “What’s good for GM is good for America.”
This is true today, given that the Federal government – the taxpayers – owns a significant stake in General Motors. But if it gets 230 miles per gallon, it will sell, and The Volt will be good for GM, good for America, and good for the world.
West Lake Hills, Texas “first community in Texas to add a hybrid vehicle to its
police patrol fleet. Although other law enforcement agencies in Texas use hybrid vehicles for administrative purposes, the City’s new Toyota Highlander SUV will be the first police vehicle to be used on daily traffic patrols. The pilot program was initiated by the West Lake Hills City Council to reflect the city’s dedication to environmental issues.”
: the NYPD has purchased 40 Nissan Hybrids – 22 to be used unmarked, 18 as marked blue-and-white “RMPs” (internal terminology for “Radio Motor Patrol [vehicles]). If it takes – it’ll be significant – but we don’t have the numbers at hand. Cross-posted on Caton Avenue.
100 MPG Plug In Electric Van. Designed by Bright Automotive and Rocky Mountain Institute. Image Copyright (C) Rocky Mountain Institute.
Bright Automotive of Indiana is set to turn Rocky Mountain Institute’s lightweight, hyper-efficient vehicle concept into reality.
The start-up, which launched out of RMI in 2008, is unveiling the IDEA–a 100 mpg equivalent plug-in hybrid concept vehicle–in Washington DC. Bright expects to produce 50,000 IDEAs a year, by 2012 and to create over 5,000 jobs by 2013. For more details go to Rocky Mountain Institute and Bright Automotive.
The best news since the Prius.
Following General Motors announcement of the Volt, Ford Motor Company has just announced two new hybrids for 2010: (Only 7 years after the first Priuses hit the streets!) The Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Mercury Milan Hybird. They will get 39 to 47 mpg, better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid and can operate in battery only mode. The world is changing.