Electric Cars – Page 19 – California Lemon Law blog

In April of 2010, when the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) came out with their national greenhouse gas emission standards, there were concerns about how the new requirements would be received. It was expected that automobile manufacturers would turn to more efficient conventional technologies, while others would go one step further and pursue more advanced fuel saving technologies like diesel, hybrid and electric vehicles. Today, with gasoline prices on a steady rise, Americans are demanding that their new cars not only meet, but exceed the standards set by the government. Because some consumers are still skeptical of the new hybrid and electric technologies, many have chosen to trade in their V-6’s for more fuel efficient four cylinder engines.

Four cylinder engines now account for almost 65% of all vehicles built in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This is the biggest shift since the 1980’s when consumers traded in their V-8’s for the smaller V-6 engines. It is expected that within the next five years, over half the vehicles in the U.S. will be four cylinder engines. But todays consumers don’t have to give up power to drive the smaller engine vehicles. New technologies have left the underpowered four cylinder engines a thing of the past, and automakers have changed their marketing strategies to focus on the horsepower and fuel economy instead of the number of cylinders a vehicle has.

Ford new generation Explorer will soon offer two liter four cylinder “Eco Boost” engine and are already working on a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine.

BMW, who has not built a four cylinder engine in the U.S. for over a decade is now offering their customers the new Z4 sports car scheduled to go on sale this year, and have also been working on a three cylinder engine.

Hyundai has almost abandoned anything bigger than a four-cylinder, which accounts for nearly 90% of its U.S. sales.

And finally, automobile manufacturers like Honda, Toyota and Nissan, who were once criticized for their small powerless vehicles, are now leaders in the new fuel efficient, environmentally friendly technologies.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled their new fuel economy window stickers on Wednesday, saying that the new stickers will show the most changes in thirty years. The new labels will allow consumers to compare conventional cars, hybrids and all electric vehicles, giving information on greenhouse gas ratings, emissions, smog ratings, and fuel costs. The new stickers are scheduled to appear on the new 2013 models, but automakers have the option to start using them on on 2012 models as well.

Federal regulators had originally considered using a letter grading system from A to D, comparing fuel economy and air pollution to those of the entire fleet of new cars, but automakers objected, saying that the stickers were too simplistic and potentially misleading to automobile consumer’s. The government instead decided to go with a much busier label with more information and a sliding scale comparing vehicles across classes. According to transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, “These labels will provide consumers with up-front information about a vehicle’s fuel costs and savings so that they can make informed decisions when purchasing a new car.”

The label will also include a Quick Response Code (QR Code) that can be scanned by a smart phone to get information on cost estimates based on a consumer’s driving habits and the price of gasoline and electricity of their area. This information will also be accessible to vehicle shoppers online.

When the first mainstream electric cars, the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, hit the market, they were advertised as being easy on the pocketbook and good for the environment. Because of their size and weight, may consumers had concerns that safety may have been compromised in order to meet the promised fuel efficiency. Recent crash tests done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have shown that this just isn’t true. In fact, both cars have received “Top Safety Ratings” receiving the highest possible ratings for front, side, rear, and rollover crash protection. According to Joe Nolan, the IIHS chief administrative officer, Eco-minded drivers keen on switching to an electric vehicle should not think twice about buying a Leaf or Volt for highway driving. General Motors and Nissan have shown that safety doesn’t have to be sacrificed for fuel economy.

During April, the sales of small fuel efficient cars made up almost 20% of the automotive sales market, that equates to a 19% increase from a year ago. Governments incentives to have more environmentally friendly vehicles on the road as well as rising fuel prices, has led consumers to re-think the buying of big trucks and SUV’s. Some of the big sellers include the new Ford Focus and the Chevrolet Cruze.

The overall industry is expected to report slightly higher sales, as the market continues to recover from the recession. Automobile and automobile part shortages as well as the lack of discounts will be a big factor in consumers decision to purchase new vehicles. Consumers may decide to keep driving their old vehicles until the deals return.

Complaints of starting issues for the Nissan Leaf has prompted an investigation into the electronics of this all electric car. The problem has been traced back to the Leaf’s air conditioning unit, but it is not known if it is a defective component or a problem with the programming of the system. Because the safety of the vehicle is not affected, the decision to issue a recall will not be made until the source of the problem has been identified.

In it’s third recall in just over a month, Think North America will be recalling certain 2011 Think City electric vehicles for a gear shift selector lever and transmission park mechanism that may not be properly adjusted. The improper adjustment may result in the vehicle not being in park when the gear shift is in the park position, allowing it to roll freely. An owner notification schedule has not been released yet, but owner can contact Think’s authorized toll free service line at 855-698-4465 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

California is known as one of the largest automobile markets in the United States. They also have some of the strictest government environment regulations which has made them one of the leading markets for hybrid vehicles. Because of this, the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Ann Arbor feel that the demand for plug-in and electric cars will follow a similar pattern.

California was the first state were the Chevy Volt, Nissan leaf and the Ford Focus Electric was released, and where fuel cell vehicles are leased in small numbers. According to the CAR report the demand for cleaner technologies is fed by incentives such as tax credits, priority parking spaces for environmentally friendly vehicles, and because California has invested into infrastructure to accommodate the electric vehicle.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the 2011 Think City electric vehicle is being recall for two safety problems. The first recall involves 16 vehicles that have improperly installed seat belts. The drivers side seat belt may have mistakenly been installed on the passenger side. As a result, the tensioner needed to restrain a child seat is missing. The second recall involves 23 vehicles that may have inadequate defrosters systems. In cold or humid weather the windshield could fog up impairing the drivers vision.

If you are driving a 2011 Think City Electric car and suspect that your vehicle is involved in any one of these recalls, you can contact Think North America at 855-698-4465 for more information.

Category Archives: Electric Cars

Fewer Cylinders Now Offer More Power

New Fuel Economy Window Stickers

Electric Cars Get Top Crash Test Ratings

Small Cars Profitable For Auto Dealers

Nissan Leaf Electric Car Experiences Restart Problems

Third Recall For Think City Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles Expected Big In California

Think City Electric Car Recalls