Lexus

August 11, 2008

Business Is Brisk at Nation's First Rental Car Company That Loans Only Hybrids

With established rent-a-car companies reporting that they are having trouble meeting customer demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, a Southern California company has begun renting nothing but hybrid vehicles.

Business has been brisk at Eqocar in Burbank since it opened its doors three months ago, General Manager Nick Hamed told Green Car Advisor today. Hamed said Eqocar, which rents only hybrid vehicles, is in talks to open four more rental-car centers, all in California.

Eventually, the company would like to expand nationwide, Hamed said.

Eqocar has a fleet of 45 hybrids, which include the Toyota Prius, Camry and Highlander hybrids, Ford Escape Hybrid, Lexus LS600h L, GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe hybrids, and the Nissan Altima hybrid. Daily rates range from $59 for the Prius to $650 for the LS600h L.

There are plans to add the extended-range plug-in electric Chevrolet Volt, hybrid versions of the Smart Fortwo, Chrysler Aspen, Cadillac Escalade, and Porsche Cayenne and Panamera, as well as the Tesla and Fisker plug-in sports cars and the bubbled-faced three-wheel Aptera to the rental fleet, Hamed said.

The Aptera is reminiscent of vehicles appearing in The Jetsons, a futuristic cartoon series produced during 1962 and '63.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 11, 2008, 2:42 PM
Categories:: Aptera, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Emissions, Fisker, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Lexus, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Porsche, Smart, Tesla, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Camry Hybrid

July 22, 2008

Acura, Smart, Chevy Models Top List of Healthiest Cars Tested by Ecology Center

Soy foam in the seats the Ford F-150 pickups and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Locally farmed hemp, "ethically produced" woolen fabric and floor mats made of sisal in the Lotus Eco Elise.

Some automakers are increasingly going to great lengths to make the interiors of some of their models if not environmentally friendly, at least a bit wholesome.

But others, well...

Early today the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Michigan, posted its second-annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and children's car seats at www.HealthyCar.org.

More than two hundred 2008- and 2009-model-year vehicles and more than 60 children's car seats were tested for unhealthy chemicals that seep in gaseous form from the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, seats and carpet.

The "new-car smell," as the gases are commonly called, mingle with the air occupants breathe and have been linked to allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer.

The Ecology Center reported that Mazda, General Motors and Nissan improved since last year's findings, with GM showing the greatest gains of the domestic automakers, with an average vehicle ranking improvement of 27 percent.

The list of the 10 best and 10 worst vehicles as picked by the Center appears in the chart above.

Average child-car-seat scores improved 28 percent overall. The list of 10 best and worst car seats for 2008 as picked by the Center appears at left. Click on the chart for a better look.

For more information, go to www.HealthyCar.org.

Below are the three worst 2008-model-year vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Suzuki Reno and Volkswagen New Beetle.

Below are are the three best vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Acura RXD, Chevrolet Cobalt and Smart Passion Cabriolet.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 22, 2008, 12:21 AM
Categories:: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Think, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

July 17, 2008

That New Car Smell Might Kill You

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

That's our sensational headline for 2008, but there's more than a smidgen of truth in it.

Last year Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Ecology Center released the first-ever consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats -- and what they reported was sickening.

The odor you inhale when you slide into a new car? It might very well be bromine, chlorine, lead, other harmful chemicals or a witches' brew of them. They've been linked to birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and, no doubt, cancer.

If you think the government protects you against such things, think again. Some of the vehicles on the road today are veritable toxic dumps on wheels. And many drivers are exposed to these chemicals through inhalation and contact with dust every day.

In case you missed last year's report, Ecology Center found the most toxic vehicles were the Nissan Versa, Chevy Aveo, Scion xB 5dr and the Kia Rio. The least toxic vehicles were the Chevy Cobalt, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Honda Odyssey and the Volvo V50.

Next Tuesday -- July 22 -- Ecology Center will release its second annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats, and if you're thinking of buying a new car anytime soon, you'll want to check it out. The guide will be posted at www.healthycar.org a little after midnight on the 22nd.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett July 17, 2008, 1:39 PM
Categories:: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Legislation, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

July 16, 2008

Survey Finds American Consumers Are Hot for Hybrids but Cooling on Ethanol

While most automakers have shifted production to focus on smaller vehicles, nearly 70 percent of consumers want the companies to invest more in existing and emerging powertrain technologies, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Alternative Powertrain Study released today.

Now in its third year, the Alternative Powertrain Study examines the reasons why consumers consider or avoid alternative powertrain vehicles, such as gas-electric hybrid, flex fuel and clean diesel models.

The study includes the Automotive Environmental Index, which rates the 2008-model-year vehicles on the basis of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data to fuel economy and greenhouse-gas emissions, as well as expert input from J.D. Power & Associates.

The study found that more than 80 percent of the 4,000 consumers polled believe the U.S. is currently facing an energy crisis. Only 18 percent of these respondents believe the issue can be addressed by building small, fuel-efficient vehicle.

Thirty percent believe automakers should continue to produce a comparable vehicle lineup with a focus on gas-electric hybrid, clean diesel and flexible-fuel vehicles, while another 39 percent believe carmakers should focus on developing fuel cell and all-electric vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 16, 2008, 3:32 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Emissions, Ethanol, Fiat, Flex-Fuel, Ford, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mitsubishi, Natural Gas, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Pontiac, Smart, Solar, Toyota

July 12, 2008

A Little Knowledge of Transmissions Can Save You Big Bucks at the Pump

All images click to enlarge.

By Robert E. Calem, Contributor

Choosing a fuel-efficient automobile was a whole lot simpler 30 years ago, the last time the U.S. was in the throes of a gasoline price crisis. It was often as simple as buying a small vehicle with a manual transmission.

Today, with gas prices soaring to new record highs almost weekly, finding fuel economy means navigating an almost bewildering selection of vehicles. Even enormous SUVs can qualify if they come equipped with gasoline-electric hybrid drive systems.

Behind this tremendous hike in choices -- to a fairly significant extent, experts say -- has been a concomitant increase in the variety of transmissions.

Whereas in the 1970s there were only four- and five-speed manual transmissions and three- and four-speed automatic transmissions, now there are six-speed manual, six-, seven- and eight-speed automatic, six- and seven-speed "dual-clutch" automatic-manual, and continuously variable transmissions.

The result: more efficient engine operation and higher fuel economy in every car, whether it's a high-performance Porsche Carrera or a modest Volkswagen Jetta.

But there are important differences among these sophisticated transmissions, including in how much they contribute to better fuel efficiency. Knowing those differences may help you the next time you're in the market for a new car.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett July 12, 2008, 12:53 AM
Categories:: Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Honda, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Smart, Subaru

July 2, 2008

Low Supply, Not Economy, Was Culprit as Hybrid Sales Plummeted in June

Even the ever-popular Toyota Prius crashed in June as sales fell almost 34 percent from a year earlier.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Trucks and SUVs weren't the only types of vehicles that took a big hit in June's car market massacre.

Car salesmen who couldn't move conventional cars were equally unlikely to have hawked any hybrids.

From Toyota's popular Prius to Lexus' luxury LS 600h, sales of the usually popular and fast-moving gas-electric fuel savers were down 30 percent from a year earlier and were off 31.4 percent from May.

Premium Not a Big Factor

A small part of the decline is likely due to the so-called hybrid premium that makes the cars cost more than their conventional counterparts because of the extra equipment packed on board. Every hybrid comes with two powertrains, an expensive battery pack and a load of sophisticated electronic controls to make it all work together.

At a time when consumers -- hit hard by falling real estate values and a rising unemployment rate -- are buckling down for what increasingly looks like a national recession, penny pinching becomes the rule of the day.

Cheap but fuel-sipping economy cars that many wouldn't have glanced at on their way to the hybrid sections of their dealers' lots suddenly are looking a lot more interesting to many.

Indeed, subcompact and compact cars captured a 27 percent share of the U.S. auto market last month, up from 17 percent four years ago and a 35 percent gain from just three months ago.

But price was only a small part of the hybrid story in June, said Jesse Toprak, senior industry analyst for Edmunds.com.

Cloudy Crystal Ball

The real reason all but one hybrid model fell from June 2007 levels was that automakers -- like just about every other business in the country -- failed to anticipate such a fast and furious economic decline and such a rapid run-up in the price of gasoline.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 2, 2008, 3:01 AM
Categories:: Ford, General Motors, Hybrid, Lexus, Nissan, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: June Hybrid Sales Slump

June 25, 2008

Hybrids Don't Shine in True Cost To Own Study

Chevy Aveo tops ownership cost study. Civic hybrid and other gas-electric vehicles don't fare well because of hybrid premium in initial purtchase price.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

If saving money is your thing, and in these rugged economic times who isn't into that, then Chevrolet, Honda, Toyota and Nissan all have cars for you.

But they aren't hybrids

Previous studies using Edmunds' True Market Value calculations have shown that the so-called hybrid premium makes it diofficult for the fuel-efficient cars and SUVs to save enough on fuel to earn back the higher price automakers charge for the advanced technology packed into a gas-electric powertrain.

Now a new Edmunds.com True Cost to Own study finds that even with their sometimes hefty federal tax credits, hybrids slip well down into the pack when long-term ownership costs are considered.

The Civic Hybrid is No. 14 in the TCO rankings being released today, while the nation's best-selling hybrid, Toyota's Prius, doesn't even make the top 25. It finished 34th overall, although it is in second place among hybrids.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (10); John O'Dell June 25, 2008, 3:01 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hybrid, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Suzuki, Tax Incentives, Toyota

June 11, 2008

Toyota: New Hybrids, Li-ion Battery Production in '09

The iQ minicompact has been cited as one of Toyota's green initiatives to reduce the size and weight of its future vehicles.

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Toyota Motor Corp. promised two new hybrid vehicles and the start of lithium-ion battery production next year as part of a major push to accelerate development of small electric vehicles for mass production, company executives said Wednesday.

The two hybrids – one badged a Toyota, the other a Lexus – will debut at the 2009 Detroit auto show in January along with the third-generation Prius sedan, also due next year, company executives said at the Toyota Environmental Forum in Tokyo.

Details regarding the Lexus were unavailable, but Masatami Takimoto, Toyota's executive vice president in charge of research and development, said the forthcoming Toyota hybrid "is a totally new car" and larger than the Prius.

For the redesigned Prius, Toyota will stick with the current generation's nickel-metal hydride batteries. The much-anticipated lithium-ion batteries, lighter in weight and much powerful than nickel-metal hydrides, will debut in Toyota's first plug-in gas-electric hybrid, due in 2010, he said.

Additionally, Toyota will establish a battery research department later this month to advance the development of an innovative next-generation battery that can outperform a lithium-ion battery, company President Katsuaki Watanabe said.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 11, 2008, 4:26 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Lexus, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota

Payback For Many Hybrids Grows As Gas Costs Rise

Toyota's Prius is not only the sales leader but the payback champ as well.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

What a difference a little panic buying and $4-a-gallon gas can make!

In a piece posted last month, we reported that the payback period for hybrid cars shrunk a bit in March, with four models -- 30 percent of the market segment at the time -- whose fuel savings could amortize the so-called hybrid premium in under 5 years.

Now we're talking terms like 11 years, 14 years, even 99 years for one luxury model.

The premium is the extra cost of a hybrid over that of the comparable non-hybrid model in the same manufacturer's lineup. The payback period is the time it takes to recoup that difference with fuel savings.

This month, with two new hybrid models in the mix, for a total of 15, there are only three models -- 20 percent of the segment -- with a reasonable chance of paying back the premium in less than five years: Toyota's Prius, Nissan's Altima and Chevrolet's two-mode Tahoe SUV.

The difference between then and now is the rise in gas prices – regular was 37 cents a gallon more when June's figures were crunched – and the rush to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Demand Boosts Premium

Higher demand has stiffened sales prices for hybrids and other cars and crossover SUVs with decent fuel economy while dealers and manufacturers are discounting less-efficient conventional gasoline models to try to move them off the lots.

That boosts the difference between the retail price of a hybrid and the equivalent gasoline model in a manufacturer's lineup, and makes it harder for the hybrid to earn back its price premium from fuel savings alone.

There are a few exceptions.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell June 11, 2008, 3:02 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Nissan, Toyota

May 21, 2008

Hybrid Cars, Fuel Cell Cars, Green Cars Galore

It's turning into a banner year for hybrid and other green car news.

After all the Honda hoopla this morning, word leaks out that Toyota will debut the next-generation Prius, expected to be longer, lower and more powerful, but not radically different-looking, at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show with a sales launch slated for later in the year.

If that's not enough, Toyota's luxury marque, Lexus, is believed to be considering two new hybrids of its own, one of them a premium-priced version of that new Prius, the other a midsize crossover utility vehicle.

Edmunds.com's Inside Line has the details.

We think its great news -- although our aching keyboarding fingers wish it had been spaced out a bit.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 21, 2008, 5:51 PM
Categories:: Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fisker, Ford, Fuel Cell, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen

May 15, 2008

Did It Fly Over Greenland?

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

It was a Lexus in the sky, with carbon, and it is causing Paul McCartney and Lexus no end of grief.

The former Beatle was given a Lexus by Toyota Motor Corp. for his help in promoting the raaather posh and expensive Lexus LS 600H. In Great Britain, the hybrid costs the equivalent of $165,000.

Sir Paul, as the Brits like to call the knighted entertainer and environmental activist, asked that the leather upholstery be stripped out and replaced with cloth (he's an animal rights supporter and a vegan).

Then Lexus loaded the car, which also has a special paint job, onto a Korean air jet and flew it to Britain.

The British press is having a field day, going on about how that flight created a carbon footprint almost 100 times larger than if the car had been shipped by sea, as is usual.

The Telegraph, for instance, quotes an unidentified source in its story as saying McCartney will be "horrified after learning it was delivered by plane."

The paper says that a carbon-offset company, CO₂balance.com, said the plane flight "caused a carbon footprint of 38,050 kilograms [23,591 pounds] compared to 397 kg [246 lbs.] for a three-week boat journey."

McCartney hasn't said anything, but Nancy Hubbell, a Lexus spokeswoman at the company's North American headquarters just south of Los Angeles, called it a case of mistaken assumptions.

"It was a scheduled flight, so the carbon footprint was there whether we shipped the car or not," she said, adding that McCartney shouldn't be shocked or horrified as the decision to ship the car by air "was a joint one."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 15, 2008, 2:56 PM
Categories:: Lexus, Toyota

April 7, 2008

Japanese Automakers To Show Green at G8 Meet

A fierce battle among Japanese automakers is likely to be staged during the Group of Eight summit in Japan this July, with carmakers using the session as a showcase for their fuel-efficient cars, including hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles.

Toyota, Mitsubishi and other automakers will provide about 100 fuel-efficient cars to transport participants at the summit meeting, The Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, reports in Tuesday's edition.

Toyota will provide about 80 hybrid cars, including luxury Lexus models, minivans and compact cars for participants making short trips around the venue. The company also is planning to provide plug-in hybrid electric cars for participants' use...

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell April 7, 2008, 3:03 PM
Categories:: Fuel Cell, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota

January 7, 2008

Panamera Hybrid To Enter a Growing Luxe Market

Egads! First there were only the econobox models: Honda's two-seat Insight and the first-generation Toyota Prius. Now there are more than half-a-dozen hybrid sedans and SUVs and more coming.

Even the luxury market is becoming crowded, giving dual meaning to the term "green car."

Toyota's Lexus brand kicked off the luxe hybrid segment with its Lexus RX 400h crossover SUV...

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 7, 2008, 5:00 PM
Categories:: Audi, BMW, Fisker, Hybrid, Lexus, Porsche

October 11, 2007

Hybrids Still Growing, But Is The Thrill Going?

In case you haven't been paying attention, sales of hybrid cars and SUVs in the U.S. topped the 900,000 mark in September.

If the present pace doesn't change, the million-mark could be surpassed by the end of the year .

That's not one million a year, however, but one million hybrids since the first model, Honda's now-defunct Insight, was introduced in late 1999.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (6); John O'Dell October 11, 2007, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Nissan, Toyota