Category Archives: Electric Cars

Fuel Saving Technology At A Cost

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With fuel prices on the rise, more Americans are turning to electric and hybrid vehicles for the promise of saving money. Today’s consumer is offered a wider selection of vehicles, advertising better fuel economy with super fuel saving technologies. Even the government has jumped on the bandwagon with significant changes to fuel economy window stickers that estimate what a drivers annual fuel costs and savings will be. But, once the consumer starts looking into buying one of these vehicles, the promise of saving money is not always apparent.

According to recent studies, even if gas prices would climb to $5 a gallon, it would take the average hybrid or electric vehicle, six years before the consumer would start to see any savings. Analysts say that the price of these new technologies is a road block that limits the appeal of fuel efficient cars and trucks. The proof in in the numbers, with hybrid and electric car sales accounting for less than three percent of the total market.

So why do consumers pay more for these advanced technologies that promise to save them money? Many are blinded by advertising, but never actually sit down to do the math, or they overestimate the miles per gallon savings compared to actual savings. Some see the better fuel economy as better for resale, and hope to make up the difference when they sell their vehicle. Others just want to do something for the environment. Regardless of what the reason is, every day that gas prices increase, electric or hybrid automobile owners can feel better about the purchase they made.

GM Replaces Charge Cord On Volts

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Complaints from Chevrolet Volt owners about charging cords overheating and melting have been met with a GM customer satisfaction initiative that will have the 120V charging chords replaced. The initiative will cover all 2011 and certain 2012 version of the hybrid electric car. According to GM spokesman Randal Fox, the new cord will be a larger wire gauge making it more durable and able to withstand higher temperatures. The initiative is not a safety recall, but an effort by GM to offer a more consistent charging experience. GM will contact owners about the new cord in a few weeks.

This Chevrolet Volt cord replacement follows an announcement in January, that had owners bringing in their vehicles to have steel plates added around the Volt Battery. These plates are installed to spread the force of an impact over a larger surface area preventing the battery from being damaged. This battery upgrade came after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) experienced a battery fire three weeks after crash tests were done on a Volt.

Slow Sales Stop Chevy Volt Production

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General Motors Co. has announced that they will stop production of the Chevrolet Volt hybrid vehicle for five weeks to allow their surplus of inventory to be depleted. This will be the third time that production of the Volt has been stopped for at least a month since the car first went on sale in December 2010. The lack of interest in the Chevy volt is being blamed on several factors:

  • A recent NHTSA investigation into battery fires resulting after crash testing.
  • The lack of charging stations in some states.
  • Electric car technology is still relatively new and problems need to be solved before it can be attractive to the mass market, the biggest complaints being lack of range and performance.
  • The production of electric vehicles by other automobile manufacturers.

GM hoped to sell 10,000 Volts last year, but ended up selling just over 7,600. Some feel the promotion of the electric vehicle by the Obama administration has failed. Even as gas prices continue to climb and government incentives are used, it is still not enough to get consumers to buy electric cars. The plant shutdown is expected to lay off almost 1,300 workers, and slow down companies that supply parts and batteries for the Volt.

Paying For The Car Pool Lane Experience

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The car pool lane is a roadway reserved for vehicles with at a specified number of occupants. These high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) may have the appearance of being lightly traveled, but statistics show that they carry more people per lane with fewer vehicles and usually at higher speeds. Some places allow hybrid and electric vehicles to access these lanes to encourage the use of a more environmentally friendly means of transportation.

Other states are looking at the concept of putting a price on the convenience of using HOV roadways. They say that tolls would not only raise money to maintain the roads but could manage traffic congestion as well. Motorist would be allowed to “buy their way” into the express lanes using an electronic transponder that logs how long and at what time of day the driver accesses them.

While the goal of the program is to keep traffic in the restricted lane moving at a reliable pace, a coalition of local groups say allowing people to by their way into the lane is having the opposite effect, and they have petitioning to have the program suspended. The state of California has recently restricted some older hybrids from HOV lanes because they were becoming too congested.

Chevy Volts Repaired But Not Recalled

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General Motors is asking its Chevrolet Volt customers to return their vehicles to dealers so they can make repairs that will lower the risk of battery fires. The announcement comes after an investigation into a battery fire that consumed three vehicles at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test facility. Follow-up tests to simulate the incident resulted in two out of three vehicles catching fire. GM and federal safety officials believe that the fires were caused by coolant leaking from damaged plastic casing around the batteries after a side-impact collisions. That coolant caused an electrical short, which sparked battery fires seven days to three weeks after the crashes.

Dealers will add steel plates around the Volt battery that will spread the force of a crash over a larger surface area. Tests carried out by GM and the government have shown that the repairs prevent battery damage and coolant leaks.

Toyota and BMW Share Technology

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An agreement between BMW and Toyota, will have the two automobile makers collaborating on environmentally sustainable technology in the auto industry. BMW will supply Toyota with 1.6 and 2.0 liter engines for their struggling European line, and both companies will work together to develop car battery technology for electric and hybrid vehicles. The alliance will increase efficiency, reduce costs, and allow vehicles to be brought to market more quickly. Because BMW and Toyota operate in different segments of the market, it is unlikely they will encountering competitive conflicts.

Chevy Volt Investigated For Fire

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into General Motors electric hybrid vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt. The investigation comes after a battery fire consumed three vehicles at their test facility, two weeks after performing side impact and rollover tests. Follow-up tests to simulate the incident resulted in two out of three vehicles resulting in a thermal reaction within the battery. According to the NHTSA there have been no reports of real world crashes resulting in fire.

GM has assured customers the the Chevy Volt’s fire risk after an accident is lower than any standard gas engine vehicles. The company said that the vehicles OnStar safety system notifies the company of any crashes involving a Chevy Volt and a team is dispatched within 48 hours to drain the battery. GM has offered to buy back vehicles or offer loaner cars at the customers request. If the investigation should lead to a recall, over 6,000 Volts could be affected.

Honda Civic 2012 Green Car of the Year

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Last years Los Angeles Auto Show focused on the electric car with the debut of the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf. Throughout the year, other automobile manufacturers continued to release electric hybrid and electric cars, but sales were poor even with government rebates and perks. This years LA Auto show still has its share of electric vehicles, but the 2012 Green Car of the Year shows that there is no single solution to efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles.

Some of this years contenders included the Ford Focus Electric, Mitsubishi i, Toyota Prius V and Volkswagen Passat TDI, but the six judge panel decided to award the Honda Civic Natural Gas version the 2012 green car of the year award. According to Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal, “The new generation Civic Natural Gas features greater fuel efficiency, a more attractive and roomier design with tailpipe emissions lower than any other internal combustion produced vehicle. There is no other vehicle like the Civic Natural Gas on American highways, and this recognition has been a long time coming for Honda.”

The Civic Natural Gas is the only natural gas passenger vehicle to be mass produced. It was first introduced as a fleet vehicle in 1998, and is in its fifth generation. It offers 110 horsepower and has a range of about 240 miles on a full tank. It is reasonably priced at just over $26,000, and is available at 200 Honda dealers in 36 states.