Green Cars

Who says green cars have to be teardrop-shaped with around 50 mpg and boldly state tree hugger? Porsche certainly doesn’t, and it’s bringing a new concept car to light that delivers features different from what we typically expect in a hybrid. The newly announced Spyder prototype claims 78 mpg and accelerates 0 to 60 mph in about 3.2 seconds.

Compare that to a 2010 Toyota Prius which can do 0 to 60 in about 9.8 seconds and the Spyder’s road warrior status shines. How does Porsche do it? An electric drive system provides power to the wheels and with enough battery charge can kick into high gear while partnering up with the V-8 gasoline engine.

The Spyder hybrid allows its driver to choose from three car modes, one all-electric, one hybrid, and one performance. Porsche says:

Governments have often used subsidies to help spur the adoption of greener choices. The US had the Cash For Clunkers program, Germany gave subsidies to solar panel owners, and now the UK wants to subsidize plug-in or electric cars.

GM has taken a long time to bring a strong hybrid offering to market, and recently chairman Bob Lutz made it clear that the company’s decision to pursue hybrid cars is bittersweet. The 2010 Chevy Volt is a popular topic, made obvious by the amount of buzz streaming across the Internet and its already extensive waiting lists of orders.

With all of the positive publicity why then is Lutz down on hybrids? He says that GM loses money on many of its hybrids and will continue to do so in the intermediate future. Marring the future of hybrids further he also predicted that they will own a small piece of the overall car market, at 10% or less over the next 10 years!

Without question, the success of the plug-in car is riding the initial plunge of the Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius (plug-In), Fisker Karma, Nissan Leaf and Tesla Roadster into the US market in 2010 and 2011. Each manufacturer is going out on a limb with highly priced plug-in vehicles in the hopes of eco-friendly, gas-saving enthusiasts wanting to avoid trips to the pump.

One car specifically, the 2010 Chevy Volt, may hold the key to the legitimacy of the plug-in car and further yet, the fully electric car. With a release date already scheduled, Chevy will unveil a car that will no doubt excite audiences with its 40 miles to the charge battery life, smartphone remote control, and sleek, sporty body. Chevy believes it will have at least 50,000 buyers ready to invest when it is released.

Not more than a week ago, it felt as though Fisker had the car to compete with the likes of the Chevy Volt and Tesla Roadster. With sporty luxurious designs and high performance plug-in technology, Fisker Automotive's  electric cars promised to utilize Henrik Fisker's BMW background to engineer top tier electric and hybrid cars. That was, however, before Fisker lost the power behind its electric engine.

Fisker announced today that it would be moving away from its anticipated battery manufacturer, Ener1 (parent company of EnerDel), because it could not meet Fisker's production requirements. In other words, Fisker doesn't have the battery to meet the specs it promised.

All the anticipation of the Fisker Karma's 100 miles to the gallon and a fuel-less 50 miles may be dispelled without a lithium-ion electric battery to power the engine. 

GM has been banking on the Chevy Volt for some time now, hoping the plug-in hybrid would give the company a needed boost in public image and profit. New GM chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre hopes than an earlier launch will help their cause.

The Volt was slated to be on sale in November but sources tell the Detroit Free Press that a late September or October target is more likely. Many have speculated that the Volt will cost about $40,000 before tax credits. Whitacre has basically confirmed the rumor stating that it will be about $32,000 after the credits, still higher than the Toyota Prius.

Smartphones like the iPhone, Motorola Droid, and Blackberry Storm have, from the moment they arrived, packed a whole lot of smart into one little device. With thousands of apps, unlimited html browsing, constant access to media, and unique sleek designs and interfaces, smartphones have revolutionized the way the world does business and play.

Now, the iPhone, Droid, and Storm are brightening their IQs a little more with the ability to remotely control the Chevy Volt.

Hybrid car enthusiasts have high expectations for the 2010 Chevy Volt. Its 40 mile fully electric range, smart engine, and plug-in technology have made the Volt an industry leader.

GM is making a dash toward profitability, and changing its brand profile is big part of that process. Essentially it wants to shed brands that are less relevant to the current public opinion, which is demanding fuel efficient cars with high reliability and low cost.

Customers could always rely on purchasing Saturn cars without the usual negotiation antics but the brand hasn't been successful in convincing people that it has a high level of fuel efficiency. Pontiac is known for sportier vehicles with some pep and that isn't a mix GM wants to market right now either. But what does this all mean for you?

Ford is benefitting from great hybrid sales and legislative moves that may put them in a position to challenge  Toyota’s dominance in the future. 

Overall hybrid sales are down 11 percent but Ford’s models made gains in 2009. The company says the Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion were keys in the 67 percent increase in their hybrid sales over last year. Almost half of their hybrid numbers are from sales of the Fusion alone.

Ford sales analyst George Pipas noted that "We are seeing a growing number of conquest sales, many of them from customers coming from import brands, mostly Toyota and Honda."

The 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid has a lot going for it with fuel efficiency rivaling that of the 2010 Toyota Prius, sleek looks and a decent price tag. But that still isn’t enough for many to make the leap and buy. Ford knows that and in another effort to spur its bottom line the company just announced it will introduce mobile hotspots in its vehicles using the next generation SYNC in-car connectivity system. Would WiFi be the golden nugget that makes you want to buy?

Ford is hoping so, and with this move it’s targeting the Millenials, which grew up on the Internet and are usually seeking better ways to access it in every avenue of life. Internet connectivity has a host of implications like the ability to update the car’s operating system, the potential of keeping maintenance logs updated online automatically, even building in video conferencing on a central monitor.