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Featured Threads Archive
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Update on State fees for Hybrids/Plug-Ins
So far about 11 states charge an EV annual fee for road usage. Only one state (Idaho) apparently hits hybrids and just a few hit PHEV with fees. Sounds like Washington considering a new PHEV fee (PiP is free, looks like!). NH has a proposal for a road usage fee for all vehicles over 20 MPG, prorated Based on MPG (this is better than taxing hybrids per se). WI has been considering.
Green Car Congress: 11 states assessing fees on EV owners in lieu of traditional fuel taxes
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NHTSA Delays "Quiet Car" EV Ruling
Source: NHTSA Delays “Quiet Car” EV Ruling | TheDetroitBureau.com
Pushback will delay program until 2018 model-year
Federal regulators have delayed a proposed rule that would require new battery-based vehicles to emit warning sounds to reduce the likelihood of hitting a pedestrian or bicycle rider, especially those who are sight-impaired.
. . .
But NHTA estimates a hybrid vehicle is 19% more likely to be involved in a pedestrian crash than a conventionally powered vehicle. It estimates the new rule could ultimately result in 2,800 fewer injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists annually. Currently, about 125,000 are injured in crashes each year.
. . .
But NHTSA is looking to come up with something more standardized, and it will set specific speeds at which the vehicle will have to produce warning sounds. Currently, the plan is to require that when a vehicle is operating in electric mode... -
Washington Post: Coal and Electric Cars
I think we all knew that coal-fired electric plants reduce the climate benefits of electric cars. And we know how dependent China is on coal for electricity. However, I did not realize that the problem is big in the Netherlands and some other highly developed, climate-conscious countries as well.
Electric cars’ dirty secret: All the coal needed to run them
Quote on "break even points" in the US:
"In coal-fired Colorado, a gasoline car with fuel economy better than 34 miles per gallon will be better for emissions than the average electric car, according to calculations from the Union of Concerned Scientists. In hydropowered Upstate New York, in contrast, the same gas car would need to achieve 112 miles per gallon. In the Washington region,... -
Tesla exec tells it like it is
Source: Tesla Tells Detroit To Stop Fighting Electric Cars
A top Tesla exec said Friday that traditional automakers have stunted electric vehicles by building bad cars, lobbying against new environmental rules and attempting to circumvent ones already in place.
“We want other manufacturers to succeed,” said Tesla Vice President Diarmuid O’Connell at the Detroit Athletic Club. “But there is nothing in their design that is viscerally appealing.”
Part of Tesla’s long-term plan, O’Connell said, was to start with a ground-breaking vehicle but expensive Tesla Roadster, then build a more luxurious but less expensive vehicle like the Model S and Model X and then, eventually, create a vehicle like Model 3, a $35,000... -
spare tire donut
I have toyota prius 2006. We are planning a long trip in a week and I checked my spare tire - donut. It is losing air. I checked on some tire dealers and our Toyota dealer and they don't have a donut spare tire. Are there any options available that not will kill me financially? What is the best option?
Please advise. -
What Drives Us Podcast - #164 I Just Got A Woman Pregnant - What Drives Us
This week it’s all about the fourth generation Prius and it call comes from Danny Cooper. Paul Guzyk, Tony Schaefer, Patrick Conor and Russell Frost break down the new Prius, a car which Danny just drove. See Prius Chat for the video reviews (link below) http://priuschat.com/threads/priuschats-2016-toyota-prius-first-drive-video-review.159651/
Read more about this episode on WhatDrives.Us -
Company aims to capture Pilbara sunlight in hydrogen, ship it to Japan
A plan to "bottle" sunlight via hydrogen in Western Australia's Pilbara and export it to Japan is edging closer to reality, according to a Sydney-based company.
Renewable Hydrogen is planning to establish a small 10-megawatt-hour PV solar farm near Karratha.
As part of the pilot program, the company is proposing to purify seawater before separating hydrogen from oxygen via electrolysis, a process powered by solar energy.
The hydrogen becomes a vehicle for storing renewable energy and is converted into transportable forms for export.
Renewable Hydrogen's initial plan is to export the hydrogen to Japan as ammonia, but executive director Andrew Want said the hydrogen could also be converted into other forms such as synthetic methane or LNG.
"We will effectively bottle it and ship it to Japan on a true industrial scale," Mr Want said.
The company, along with the Pilbara Development Commission and a confidential Japanese partner, is finalising a feasibility study into the pilot... -
25km of hydrogen pipeline constructed in China
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The pipeline, with a diameter of 508mm and a distance of 25km, starts at the hydrogen generation station at the Jiyuan Industrial Park and ends at Luoyang Petrochem complex in the Jili district.
The working pressure of the pipeline is 4 MPa, and it is capable of delivering more than 10,000 tonens of hydrogen every year.
The company also noted that due to the mountainous and steep geography along the route of the pipeline, many obstacles have to be overcome, including the need for tunnelling and crossing railway lines and highways.
25km of hydrogen pipeline constructed in China | News | gasworld
The article did not say how they got around the problem of hydrogen embrittlement. Perhaps, they just painted to separate hydrogen frim the metal pipe. -
Police pull over Google driverless car!
Police pulled over the Google driverless car for going 24 in a 35 mph zone, but couldn't give it a ticket because there was no driver! The computer probably explained that some stupid human had capped its speed at 25 mph, but questions remain:
If the programming includes an incorrectly high speed limit, would the Google car get off with speeding?
Did the Google car correctly recognize a cop pulling it over, and was it cooperative when questioned?
How would the.car take a breathalyzer test if required by the police?
We need an "auto-drive" option on the Gen 4 Prius! -
Emission Study; EV's Beat ICE, Cradle to Grave
Even on coal based electricity it would seem;
Electric vehicles beat gasoline cars in cradle-to-grave emissions study - LA Times
Although the study is not posted in the article (but linked to a summary here; Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave (2015) | Union of Concerned Scientists full copy is downloadable), it seems to be based on everything from manufacturing to recycling -
The summary has a short youtube video;
But it isn't mentioned whether there's accounting for the substantial ratio of home charged ev's - which would even further make the environmental point. But the article does go so far as to sum up in this fashion;
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EVs continue getting cleaner!
The latest paper from UCS on EVs and greenhouse gases is out!
http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-full-report.pdf
From the summary:
As a side note, the EPA thankfully changed their "egrid" naming conventions. So now, the year in the name is the year the data is from, rather than the year of release.
The report above is using the latest, 2012, electric... -
What Drives Us Podcast - #163 Pre-Death Systems - What Drives Us
This week we tackle the really big themes… VW offer owners a band-aid for arterial bleeding http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100852_vw-gives-owners-of-2009-2015-2-0-liter-diesel-cars-debit-cards-roadside-assistance Audi says yes to H2 http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/a7/93409/audi-on-the-brink-of-showing-a-fuel-cell-vehicle Chasing the will o’wisp that is Faraday Future http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100860_more-faraday-info-chinese-billionaire-backer-ex-tesla-staff-for-electric-car-startup Luxury Toyotas recalled for “auto braking” http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1100862_2013-2015-toyota-avalon-avalon-hybrid-lexus-es300h-es350-recalled-to-fix-auto-braking-problem
Read more about this episode on WhatDrives.Us -
We're number 2, long haul ownership
Source: Which Vehicles, Owners in It for Long Haul | Sales & Marketing content from WardsAuto
The top five vehicles and percentage of original owners maintaining a long-term relationship with them:
The Honda CR-V CUV (28.6%), Toyota Prius hybrid (28.5%), Toyota RAV4 CUV (28.2%), Toyota Highlander SUV (26.5%) and Honda Odyssey minivan (25.6%).
Time to salute Consumer Reports and a few other automotive press sources for all the wonderful things they've written over the years about the Prius . . . as I raise my 'social' finger.
Bob Wilson -
2016 RAV4 Hybrid Prices/Spec (incl. Towing)
Canada:
RAV4 Hybrid XLE AWD-i: $34,465 ($2,815 more than the XLE AWD)
RAV4 Hybrid Limited AWD-i: $38,265
Limited w/ Tech Package: $40,940 ($3,440 more than the Limited AWD). Tech Package includes TSS-P, JBL Synthesis Audio System, Birds Eye View Monitor and Front/Rear Parking Assist Sonar. FYI, JBL Synthesis is JBL's surround sound audio system, similar to the one found on the Sienna, Venza and Avalon.
Good news! The RAV4 Hybrid is rated to tow! In Canada, it's 794kg (1,750 lbs).
Fuel economy: (city/hwy/combined)
6.9 / 7.6 / 7.2 (34 / 31 / 33) L/100km (US mpg)
As far as I can tell, the hybrid gains SKS (regular XLE loses SKS) and rain-sensing wipers. It's a technology-laden, towing capable (lite), AWD hybrid SUV with Corolla fuel economy. I don't know why the Limited w/ Tech Package has a greater price difference compared to the XLE. You'd think both trim levels will have the same price increase considering they're practically identical to... -
Dashboard Summary: October 2015
Once again, excellent work by Jeff Cobb's team:
model Oct_15 Sep_15 Aug_15 Jul_15 1 Prius Liftback 9611 9952 10450 11203 2 Ram Pickup Diesel 4283 3836 4093 4775 3 Prius c 3373 3367 3844 3517 4 Camry Hybrid 2545 2629 3314 2756 5 Prius v (lowercase v) 2128 2575 3119 2620 6 Model S 2100 2400 1600 1800 7 Fusion Hybrid 2050 2002 2441 2157 8 Volt 2035 949 1380 1313 9 Sonata 1342 1185 1647 1837 10 Optima Hybrid 1262 1136 1167 873 11 Leaf 1238 1247 1393 1174 12 CT200h 1077 1131 1504 1374 13 Avalon Hybrid 993 1064 1322 1175 14 i3* 986 1710 792 935 15 C-Max Hybrid 912 1247 1501 1225 16 ES Hybrid 895 907 1281 891 17 Fusion Energi 849 808 949 852 18 C-Max Energi 695 719 723 693 19 MKZ 646 596 713 725 20 e-Golf 596 343 381 313 21 RX 400 / 450 h 514 443 599 530 22 Q7 Diesel 497 326 412 506 23 Civic Hybrid 455 613 590 463 24 Q5 Diesel 455 406 421 567 25 Accord Hybrid 442 854 1369 1481 26 Touareg Diesel 418 373 411 374 27 Q50 Hybrid 381 356 384 381 28 Highlander Hybrid 375 367 377 304 29 Cayenne Diesel 356 276 288 254 30 Grand Cherokee Diesel 321 315 343 317... -
GA EV sales plummet after tax credit expires and EV registration fee increase
Georgia Electric-Car Sales Plummet After Incentive Replaced By Tax
So, what are your thoughts on this?
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