Hybrid
Articles by Levi Quinn
November 15, 2011 | 
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Your car is an investment, one that costs thousands of dollars and should be handled with care if you expect it to last. Because cars are such a central part of life, people often take them for granted and treat them as if they are any other possession, but the truth is that your car is a valuable asset that needs to be treated as such. Part of keeping your car in great shape is maintaining the integrity of the upholstery.
Published 27Jun2011, viewed 52 times
The idea of the staycation is not a new one, necessarily, but it is one that has grown in prominence and popularity over the past several years. Read the rest of this entry »
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Domestic Automakers Get Reprieve – Car News – Car and Driver
General Motors and Chrysler got a $17.4-billion reprieve from the Bush administration at almost the last possible minute.
Under the terms of the bridge loan that the automakers will have to pay back, the two struggling automakers have until March 31 to prove that they are viable enterprises.
In the end, the administration was convinced car buyers would have serious reservations about buying brand-new vehicles from a bankrupt auto company, President George W. Bush said.
However, it’s also clear that while both automakers will move forward with the drastic
they presented to Congress, calling for eliminating dealers and closing more factories, viability is something of a moving target. The automakers now are hoping to prove to the incoming Obama administration they really have the right stuff to build more fuel-efficient cars with alternative powertrains.
GM President Fritz Henderson, however, conceded GM has dramatically trimmed its capital spending as it maneuvers to get its finances in order. The lack of sufficient financing for new-car purchases, as well as the drop in overall sales, is effectively thinning the automaker’s oversized herd of dealers, albeit not quickly enough. And additional belt-tightening steps are being taken, including the potential sale of the Hummer brand and the strategic review of Saab and Saturn. An update on the status of brand consolidations is expected in the first quarter of 2009.
Projects Feeling the Pinch GM also has jettisoned or postponed several future product plans as it cut its projected capital spending plan to $5 billion in 2009. A number of projects, such as a new small pickup truck and a small, body-on-frame sport utility vehicle under development in Brazil, have been put on hold for the time being. Even the all-important Chevrolet Volt E-REV (extended-range electric vehicle), on which GM is spending untold billions on to rush to market, is feeling the pinch, as construction of the all-new Flint, Michigan, factory that will build the vehicle’s advanced four-cylinder engine has been halted in the name of conserving cash. However, Henderson defended GM as having a strong product line that it is planning to put on sale over the next couple of years.
“The plan is to conserve capital. Both companies have good product. They just have to get it to the market,” said Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics in Birmingham, Michigan.
GM Chairman Richard Wagoner said the bridge loans represented an opportunity to rebuild American carmakers.
"This is an opportunity to rebuild the U.S. auto industry at a critical time when the world is shifting" towards new forms of energy for transportation, said Wagoner, who also emphasized he had no intention of resigning.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/08q4/domestic_automakers_get_reprieve-car_news
Buying a New Hybrid? Earth Talk
Dear EarthTalk: Short of buying a new hybrid or other “green” car, are there ways I can make my existing vehicle more eco-friendly? I bought my car recently and am not quite ready to give it up. — Bettie Hilliker, Lansing, MI
Choice of vehicle may well be the biggest factor in determining the environmental impact of your automobile-based travels. But a considerable amount of energy is used—and pollutants emitted—in the production of any new vehicle, including hybrids and other more fuel-efficient options.
As a result, many environmentalists believe that practicing good driving habits and performing adequate maintenance on an older car are probably better options for the environment than causing the production of a new vehicle.
According to the website GreenerCars.org, there are many ways to green up one’s driving habits. Obeying speed limits, utilizing cruise control and avoiding jackrabbit starts will maximize fuel economy and minimize tailpipe emissions while also preventing unnecessary wear-and-tear.
Staying off roads during rush hours is also advisable, as stop-and-go driving burns excess gasoline and promotes smog. Opening vents and windows to cool off instead of using the air conditioner, an inherently inefficient appliance that consumes more fuel and leads to more emissions, is also good advice.
Drivers can also help minimize their environmental impact by keeping their cars well maintained. According to GreenerCars.org, getting regular tune-ups—where a qualified mechanic changes fluids and checks for and corrects problems such as worn spark plugs, under inflated tires, dragging brakes, misaligned wheels and clogged filters—can significantly improve fuel economy and minimize harmful emissions. GreenerCars.org also recommends seeking out low-rolling-resistance (LRR) replacement tires, which are specifically designed to improve a vehicle’s fuel economy, when the original ones wear out.
Beyond regular maintenance, a handful of small companies now sell green-friendly fuel additives that purport to increase fuel efficiency while reducing emissions. Such products—including Bluestar Environmental’s Omstar D-1280X gas additive and Suntec Bio-Energy’s diesel additive—are normally targeted at fleets of vehicles, but individuals are free to use them as well.
Owners beware, though: Use of such products could invalidate automakers’ warranties, so read the fine print in your owner’s manual before pouring anything out-of-the-ordinary into your fuel tank.
Of course, getting out of your car altogether—or most of the time—is a far greener choice than driving even a well-maintained new or old car conscientiously. Some employers now offer federally-subsidized “commuter choice” incentives whereby workers can derive financial benefits by telecommuting (working from home), or by walking, biking, using public transit or carpooling to and from the office.
Another option is to join a car sharing service like Zipcar or Flexcar, whereby you pay a modest monthly membership fee and can then rent cars parked nearby by the hour only when needed. The companies operate on both U.S. coasts, as well as in major Midwestern and Canadian cities.
CONTACTS: GreenerCars.org “Green Driving Tips,” www.greenercars.org/drivingtips.htm; Bluestar Environmental, www.ablustar.com ; Suntec Bio-Energy, www.suntecbioenergy.com; Zipcar, www.zipcar.com; Flexcar, www.flexcar.com.