Hybrids challenged by regular cars on fuel economy: Washingtonpost.com

Thanks Hill, interesting reading. We PC'rs forget just how little many AMericans know about fuel economy. The ole 'it's an EPA conspiracy' still has traction on that forum. Fascinating how one guy who is clued in slowly educates the others owners. Anybody think they would listen to us ?

Btw, the angst over there is is due to the consumption meter in the car. This is probably the first time those owners actually *know* what their driving habits incur in fuel consumption penalties.

Ah well, it is not as if we do not have a couple threads a week of the same sort. It's all good -- if a bit pathetic.

 

This line...

"The new Chevrolet Cruze Eco can reach eye-popping fuel economy levels of more than 50 miles per gallon on the highway, which even in this era of hybrid-electric cars stands among the best."

...is absurd for its generalizing publicity (fuelly shows the 2011 Cruzes so far, though with limited samples, at around 27-28 mpg average). But what's hilarious to me is that it's like advertising the Prius by saying "The new Toyota Prius can reach thyroid-bursting levels of more than 140 mpg." Yes, Wayne Gerdes did it once...

As I recall Wayne got 70 mpg in the Prius on a highway "race" with a reporter once. So hypermiling Cruze at 50 mpg and then Prius at 70 mpg is still 40% better in hybrids. The Cruze does not "stand among the best".

Oy, the "journalist" that wrote this "story" (big day for quotes...)...(and ellipses...)...

 

I'm skeptical of both the 50 and the 44. But don't tell WaPo about those EYE-POPPING numbers.

 

I agree. IMO the premium for the ECO is high & the manual transmission which would suck big time in traffic (not to mention the kind of MPGs you would get in traffic). Combined MPG is not that impressive.

Plus I would still rather get a Fiesta @ 40 mpg hwy. The Fiesta, I believe has an automatic manual or a CVT.

 

I wonder how many Cruze owners are Volt wannabees ?

 

They did all of that and they are only 1highway mpg ahead of the auto trans 2011 Hyundai Elantra.

GM took a step forward with the Cruze, it is a big improvement for them. They beat the Corolla and the current Honda Civic (but not the next one!). The big deal is that Hyundai took TWO steps forward with the 2011 Elantra that gets 40mpg at $15,500.

None of these cars really match the Prius of course. They get half the city mpg.

 

That's what $4.00 gasoline is for.
You should hear the people at my work that drive SUVs constantly complaining about gas prices. You should hear these idiots complain! What a bunch of a@@holes.
I hope gas prices go up to $7.00 a gallon. HAAAA!

.

 

I agree

 

I think we forget that if the Prius were the size of a Cruze, Fiesta or Elantra, it would get 60 mpg.

Come to think of it, the Prius c is this vehicle.

 

^^ fingers crossed

 

The original Honda Insight got 60mpg. I wonder if Toyota can do as good as that.
(yes, that is intended as constructive motivation for Toyota)

 

Seriously! When gas was well over $4.00 in 08, I remember driving on highway 99 here in Sacramento and surprised and glad to see everyone driving, *gasp*, the speed limit or lower. Less tension and headaches that year driving...In the back of my head I was selfishly thinking I hope gas goes even higher so my stress level goes to 0!

 

As long as we're talking about discontinued vehicles with funky aerodynamics and rear wheel skirts:

It's ironic, but GM used to be the leader in EV technology. Also green when you consider that lead acid batteries are 100% recyclable.

The middle generation of the EV1 could go 100 miles on 18.4 kWh batteries.

The last generation of the EV1 could go 160 miles on 26.4 kWh NiMH batteries (0.165 kWh per mile) . This is of course, a factor of 2x better than the Volt or Leaf. So even if you say the range is 80 miles, it matches the Volt or Leaf in efficiency.

EV1 Cd = 0.19
A = 0.36 m^2
0-60 in 8 seconds

Top speed 80 mph

A while ago, I remember seeing the same EV1 getting on the freeway.

 

Eye popping. When the press actually gets a story right, that will make my eyes pop.

 

My cube mates don't complain, either because they are above complaining about this--a very strange thing because otherwise most of the talk is petty, mostly comic complaining about something--or because they know I'll sit there mostly mute and they probably think I'm laughing inside because I have a Prius (they would be right).

Although higher gas prices have some benefit insulated from other realms of the economy I believe every recession in the past few decades has been kicked in after an oil spike, which is why many are concerned that if this one gets worse/continues it will double-dip us again. We don't @*#(ing learn, though. Light truck sales recently prove that, people just do not learn.

Great numbers, but the first gen insight as mentioned did well, too, but is tiny, like the EV1.

 

I can beat the highway in combined driving, so it's probably safe to say I've beaten the city.

Most people could probably beat the easier EPA if they were willing to practice some patience and paid attention to the traffic ahead of them.

 

Maybe not in this country. but in Europe there are small diesels that get more than 50mpg AVERAGE all day long. My 5-door toyota corolla 1.6 turbo diesel consistantly gets 5mpg ore more BETTER mileage than my prius in similar driving conditions (city or highway). Lifetime on the prius is about 47, its 52mpg+ on the corolla (yes, I drive both fairly spiritedly)

 

Ok, alright, but, how much would the EV1 have cost to make a reasonable roadmap to full production? Also, it was a 2 seater only.

 

A version of the 91 Honda CRX could get 40/47--those are US gallons, too, on gas. But it was small and slow, like the Corolla you're talking about