TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that it will provide 78 hybrid vehicles and other environmentally friendly vehicles for official...
GM Delivers First Hybrids to Dubai Government
General Motors delivered on Wednesday, its first hybrid vehicles in the Middle East to the Government of Dubai and the...
Used Hybrid Values Rise with Gas Prices
Four dollars per gallon gasoline has not only kept new trucks and SUVs
in the lot at the dealer. It is also makes it more difficult to unload
used gas-guzzlers. Meanwhile, hybrids are quickly to the hottest
vehicles in the market.
"Gas prices and the impact on resale
value are the number one question we are dealing with," said James
Clark, Editorial Director of Automotive Lease Guide, in an interview
with HybridCars.com. ALG monitors and forecasts trends in the residual
values of cars and trucks. Hybrid cars were first in the United States
in late 1999-used as the hybrid market is still in its infancy, making
it difficult to forecast long-term resale values for gas-electric
vehicles.
But the recent trends are revealing. "In the last
month or two, we have seen values up, ballpark of about $ 15000 for a
model of the Prius in 2005 to around $ 17000. This is quite important
for a used car price increase that much in a short time. "
For Americans, try to get rid of their Tahoes and Explorers, for
reasons of better fuel consumption, expensive gas does not only mean
fewer buyers, but a flood of competition from other like-minded
retailers. Unless you have unlimited amounts of money for gasoline, buy
an SUV recently has proved to be a lost bet on oil prices remain low.
Depending on the brand and model, it is not unusual for light trucks
and SUVs to have lost more than $ 3000 in resale value of what a
similar vehicle with the same performance would have been worth just
last year. According to the Wall Street Journal, 36 percent of people
traded in their SUVs in May still owed on the vehicle more than it was
worth it.
Whether this price depreciation lasts depends on
where the gas prices go in the near future. Executives and industry
analysts are not planning for the gas to fall back on 2002 and do not
expect SUVs to their popularity.
"On both sides of the
margins, vehicles with good gas mileage or really poor gas mileage are
both very difficult to predict right now," said Clark. "But if you do
your cost of ownership calculation of more people doing right now-the
impact is substantial."
in the lot at the dealer. It is also makes it more difficult to unload
used gas-guzzlers. Meanwhile, hybrids are quickly to the hottest
vehicles in the market.
"Gas prices and the impact on resale
value are the number one question we are dealing with," said James
Clark, Editorial Director of Automotive Lease Guide, in an interview
with HybridCars.com. ALG monitors and forecasts trends in the residual
values of cars and trucks. Hybrid cars were first in the United States
in late 1999-used as the hybrid market is still in its infancy, making
it difficult to forecast long-term resale values for gas-electric
vehicles.
But the recent trends are revealing. "In the last
month or two, we have seen values up, ballpark of about $ 15000 for a
model of the Prius in 2005 to around $ 17000. This is quite important
for a used car price increase that much in a short time. "
For Americans, try to get rid of their Tahoes and Explorers, for
reasons of better fuel consumption, expensive gas does not only mean
fewer buyers, but a flood of competition from other like-minded
retailers. Unless you have unlimited amounts of money for gasoline, buy
an SUV recently has proved to be a lost bet on oil prices remain low.
Depending on the brand and model, it is not unusual for light trucks
and SUVs to have lost more than $ 3000 in resale value of what a
similar vehicle with the same performance would have been worth just
last year. According to the Wall Street Journal, 36 percent of people
traded in their SUVs in May still owed on the vehicle more than it was
worth it.
Whether this price depreciation lasts depends on
where the gas prices go in the near future. Executives and industry
analysts are not planning for the gas to fall back on 2002 and do not
expect SUVs to their popularity.
"On both sides of the
margins, vehicles with good gas mileage or really poor gas mileage are
both very difficult to predict right now," said Clark. "But if you do
your cost of ownership calculation of more people doing right now-the
impact is substantial."
Civic Outsells Ford F-Series Trucks
Entire history books could one day be devoted to the auto industry’s seismic shift in 2008. Yet, the May sales numbers tell the whole story:
* The Honda Civic, a compact car available with either a hybrid or gasoline engine, displaced Ford’s F-series pickup truck as the month’s best-selling vehicle
* The three Detroit automakers were outsold for the first time ever by their Asian rivals
* A passenger sedan—not a truck—was the top-selling vehicle in the United States for the first time in 16 years
* The Honda Civic, a compact car available with either a hybrid or gasoline engine, displaced Ford’s F-series pickup truck as the month’s best-selling vehicle
* The three Detroit automakers were outsold for the first time ever by their Asian rivals
* A passenger sedan—not a truck—was the top-selling vehicle in the United States for the first time in 16 years
Honda Reports Robust May Sales for Honda Civic Hybrid
Amid record passenger car sales, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., reported robust May sales for Honda Civic Hybrid.
Toyota Prius Global Sales Top 1 Million Mark
Home arrow Hybrid Car News arrow In the News arrow Toyota Prius Global Sales Top 1 Million Mark
Toyota Prius Global Sales Top 1 Million Mark PDF Print E-mail
Written by News Team
May 15, 2008 at 12:00 AM
May 15, 2008 - Tokyo - Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced today that worldwide cumulative sales of the Toyota Prius—the world's first mass-produced gasoline/electric hybrid vehicle—have passed the 1 million mark, with approximately 1,028,000 units sold as of the end of April this year*1. Currently, Prius sales are robust in more than 40 countries and regions, particularly in Japan and North America.
Based on sales figures collected up to April 30, 2008, TMC believes that Prius vehicles worldwide have contributed to a reduction in CO2 emissions (considered a cause of global warming) by producing approximately 4.5 million tons*2 less CO2 when compared with gasoline-powered vehicles in the same class and of similar size and driving performance.
The Prius was launched in Japan in 1997 and began selling in Europe, North America and other markets in 2000. In 2005, Toyota began first overseas production of the Prius in Changchun, China, and sales of Prius vehicles in South Korea are expected to begin in the latter half of 2009.
In 2003, the second-generation Prius, equipped with the Toyota Hybrid System II, was introduced with improved environmental performance and power. In August 2007, Prius G, S and S “Standard Package” Japan models achieved a fuel efficiency of 29.6km/l in the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's newly introduced JC08 test cycle. (The Prius S and S "Standard Package" models achieved 35.5km/l in the older 10-15 test cycle.) The Prius is also one of the first vehicles to meet the new 2015 Japanese fuel efficiency standards set out under the Law Concerning the Rational Use of Energy.
As part of its high-priority environment-management policies, Toyota has made a concerted effort to promote and popularize hybrid technology, chiefly through the Prius. And as hybrid technology can be applied to a wide range of vehicles, Toyota aims to sell 1 million or more hybrid vehicles annually as early as possible in the 2010s.
Toyota Prius Global Sales Top 1 Million Mark PDF Print E-mail
Written by News Team
May 15, 2008 at 12:00 AM
May 15, 2008 - Tokyo - Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced today that worldwide cumulative sales of the Toyota Prius—the world's first mass-produced gasoline/electric hybrid vehicle—have passed the 1 million mark, with approximately 1,028,000 units sold as of the end of April this year*1. Currently, Prius sales are robust in more than 40 countries and regions, particularly in Japan and North America.
Based on sales figures collected up to April 30, 2008, TMC believes that Prius vehicles worldwide have contributed to a reduction in CO2 emissions (considered a cause of global warming) by producing approximately 4.5 million tons*2 less CO2 when compared with gasoline-powered vehicles in the same class and of similar size and driving performance.
The Prius was launched in Japan in 1997 and began selling in Europe, North America and other markets in 2000. In 2005, Toyota began first overseas production of the Prius in Changchun, China, and sales of Prius vehicles in South Korea are expected to begin in the latter half of 2009.
In 2003, the second-generation Prius, equipped with the Toyota Hybrid System II, was introduced with improved environmental performance and power. In August 2007, Prius G, S and S “Standard Package” Japan models achieved a fuel efficiency of 29.6km/l in the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's newly introduced JC08 test cycle. (The Prius S and S "Standard Package" models achieved 35.5km/l in the older 10-15 test cycle.) The Prius is also one of the first vehicles to meet the new 2015 Japanese fuel efficiency standards set out under the Law Concerning the Rational Use of Energy.
As part of its high-priority environment-management policies, Toyota has made a concerted effort to promote and popularize hybrid technology, chiefly through the Prius. And as hybrid technology can be applied to a wide range of vehicles, Toyota aims to sell 1 million or more hybrid vehicles annually as early as possible in the 2010s.
GM's hybrid battery history in question
General Motors voluntarily recalled over 9000 hybrid vehicles, including the Saturn Vue Green Line. GM said the problem in an internal leak in the battery pack that caused the hybrid system is doomed to failure.
A General Motors spokesman told Automotive News that the company planned to sell 27000 mild hybrid vehicles this year, but threatens because their suppliers, Cobasys, provided faulty batteries. In an exclusive interview with HybridCars.com, a Cobasys executive asked not to call-GM responded to statements and press reports, saying: "A lot of it is not right," but declined to elaborate further.
The GM spokesman, was not clear in the Automotive News article, said the company voluntarily recalled about 9000 hybrid vehicles beginning in December 2007. GM said the problem in an internal leak in the battery pack that caused the hybrid system is doomed to failure. The vehicle could be driven, but without the benefit of the hybrid system.
The news about the battery recall comes at a time when GM is trying to ramp, despite its green image menu hybrid sales figures are still much lower than those of Toyota, Honda, and cross-town rival Ford. It is unlikely that the recent introduction of GM's first hybrid sedan, the Chevy Malibu hybrid one of the vehicles affected by the battery problems will reverse the trend.
The battery problems of the Saturn Vue Green Line, Saturn Aura Green Line and Chevrolet Malibu hybrid. By May, 2008 combined sales for the three vehicles were around 1,000 units. The company uses a different supplier for the hybrid system in the society in full-size SUV hybrids, which have sold about a few hundred units so far this year.
Unlike its competitors, General Motors has not consistently reported hybrid sales, but on the basis of figures reported HybridCars.com directly from the Saturn division in 2007, less than 9000 GM mild hybrid vehicles have already been sold. GM spokeman Tom Wilkinson HybridCars.com said that some of the 9000 recalled vehicles were not yet sold, and remained for many traders. Wilkinson told Automotive News: "I do not know how many hybrids we could have sold, but we would have at least 9000 more batteries for the pipeline."
Toyota also some teething problems when it released the redesigned Prius in 2004. A year later, several dozen drivers reported the vehicle on the delayed high speeds. In response, Toyota a service notice asking almost 25000 Prius owners to return vehicles for an hour-long software upgrade. Reports of the delay problem to the extent of the service.
GM is locked in Cobasys as a supplier for the mild hybrid models, at least until next year, because the batteries were designed specifically for the GM models. At the beginning of this year, GM has expressed its concern about the viability of Cobasys, since the company went through financial difficulties because one of its partners, Chevron, stopped funding his money-losing operations. The company was up for sale, but not all customers.
английский
A General Motors spokesman told Automotive News that the company planned to sell 27000 mild hybrid vehicles this year, but threatens because their suppliers, Cobasys, provided faulty batteries. In an exclusive interview with HybridCars.com, a Cobasys executive asked not to call-GM responded to statements and press reports, saying: "A lot of it is not right," but declined to elaborate further.
The GM spokesman, was not clear in the Automotive News article, said the company voluntarily recalled about 9000 hybrid vehicles beginning in December 2007. GM said the problem in an internal leak in the battery pack that caused the hybrid system is doomed to failure. The vehicle could be driven, but without the benefit of the hybrid system.
The news about the battery recall comes at a time when GM is trying to ramp, despite its green image menu hybrid sales figures are still much lower than those of Toyota, Honda, and cross-town rival Ford. It is unlikely that the recent introduction of GM's first hybrid sedan, the Chevy Malibu hybrid one of the vehicles affected by the battery problems will reverse the trend.
The battery problems of the Saturn Vue Green Line, Saturn Aura Green Line and Chevrolet Malibu hybrid. By May, 2008 combined sales for the three vehicles were around 1,000 units. The company uses a different supplier for the hybrid system in the society in full-size SUV hybrids, which have sold about a few hundred units so far this year.
Unlike its competitors, General Motors has not consistently reported hybrid sales, but on the basis of figures reported HybridCars.com directly from the Saturn division in 2007, less than 9000 GM mild hybrid vehicles have already been sold. GM spokeman Tom Wilkinson HybridCars.com said that some of the 9000 recalled vehicles were not yet sold, and remained for many traders. Wilkinson told Automotive News: "I do not know how many hybrids we could have sold, but we would have at least 9000 more batteries for the pipeline."
Toyota also some teething problems when it released the redesigned Prius in 2004. A year later, several dozen drivers reported the vehicle on the delayed high speeds. In response, Toyota a service notice asking almost 25000 Prius owners to return vehicles for an hour-long software upgrade. Reports of the delay problem to the extent of the service.
GM is locked in Cobasys as a supplier for the mild hybrid models, at least until next year, because the batteries were designed specifically for the GM models. At the beginning of this year, GM has expressed its concern about the viability of Cobasys, since the company went through financial difficulties because one of its partners, Chevron, stopped funding his money-losing operations. The company was up for sale, but not all customers.
английский
GM announces major shift away from trucks and SUVs
CEO of General Motors, Richard Wagoner, announced today that the company will shut down four North American plants in a movement to shift production away from pickups and SUVs to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Wagoner said that the plan comes in response to a rapid change in consumer behaviour behaviour in connection with rising fuel costs, a trend that he is not expected to reverse soon.
GM's total production capacity will drop-500000 vehicles, with reductions of 700000 lorry 200000 displaced by an increase in the unit more fuel-efficient cars. The trend towards fuel consumption is the Chevy Volt, a broader range of plug-in automobile Wagoner assured that the public remains on schedule for a release in 2010. "We believe this is the biggest step in our industry to move away from our historic, almost total dependence on oil to power vehicles," he said.
For years, critics and shareholders have blasted GM for a failure to adapt to rising fuel costs and the growing consumer demand for more environmentally responsible vehicles. Until now, GM has sold only a few thousand hybrid vehicles, sales of the Toyota Prius recently crossed the one million mark. Today's announcement leaves no doubt that GM received the message with the company even considering the sale of his infamous Hummer brand. Investors reacted this morning by pushing stock prices by almost 3 percent to the message.
GM's total production capacity will drop-500000 vehicles, with reductions of 700000 lorry 200000 displaced by an increase in the unit more fuel-efficient cars. The trend towards fuel consumption is the Chevy Volt, a broader range of plug-in automobile Wagoner assured that the public remains on schedule for a release in 2010. "We believe this is the biggest step in our industry to move away from our historic, almost total dependence on oil to power vehicles," he said.
For years, critics and shareholders have blasted GM for a failure to adapt to rising fuel costs and the growing consumer demand for more environmentally responsible vehicles. Until now, GM has sold only a few thousand hybrid vehicles, sales of the Toyota Prius recently crossed the one million mark. Today's announcement leaves no doubt that GM received the message with the company even considering the sale of his infamous Hummer brand. Investors reacted this morning by pushing stock prices by almost 3 percent to the message.
Biodiesel’s
Minnesota lawmakers are on track to increase the state's current mandate that 2 percent of diesel fuel be composed of biodiesel. By May of next year, that requirement will be increased to a 5 percent blend, known as B5; then up to B10 in 2012 and finally to B20 in 2015. If all goes as planned, Minnesota could once again be in position to raise the bar nationally on biodiesel.
The group viewed the “food for fuel” issue as a dagger aimed at the heart of corn-based ethanol. Biodiesel gets caught up in the same argument, although its supporters argue that soy-based biodiesel doesn't affect the food supply at anywhere near the level of ethanol.
The ban shows admirable concern, and reflects the multiple and sometimes conflicting goals explored at the California Biomass Collaborative’s Fifth Annual Forum on Bioenergy Sustainability and Lifecycle Analysis. Danielle Fugere, director of climate change at the Friends of the Earth, participated in the forum. She said, “We don’t want a solution that may create more problems than it solves.”
The same new bill that would increase biodiesel content also adds a ban on the use of palm oil as a feedstock—calling for at least half of the feedstock to come from within the state and for at least 5 percent of the feedstock to come from non-agricultural sources, such as waste oil, or eventually, algae or other processes. The palm oil prohibition comes in response to reports of Southeast Asian nations burning down rainforests to plant palm farms to cash in on the biofuel boom.
The second shutdown was even more problematic—the fuel supply met specifications, but truckers complained of fuel filters getting clogged, forcing the state to pull the biodiesel requirement and temporarily revert back to straight petrodiesel. Since those initial glitches though, the B2 in Minnesota has flowed in a smooth and steady stream.
The group viewed the “food for fuel” issue as a dagger aimed at the heart of corn-based ethanol. Biodiesel gets caught up in the same argument, although its supporters argue that soy-based biodiesel doesn't affect the food supply at anywhere near the level of ethanol.
The ban shows admirable concern, and reflects the multiple and sometimes conflicting goals explored at the California Biomass Collaborative’s Fifth Annual Forum on Bioenergy Sustainability and Lifecycle Analysis. Danielle Fugere, director of climate change at the Friends of the Earth, participated in the forum. She said, “We don’t want a solution that may create more problems than it solves.”
The same new bill that would increase biodiesel content also adds a ban on the use of palm oil as a feedstock—calling for at least half of the feedstock to come from within the state and for at least 5 percent of the feedstock to come from non-agricultural sources, such as waste oil, or eventually, algae or other processes. The palm oil prohibition comes in response to reports of Southeast Asian nations burning down rainforests to plant palm farms to cash in on the biofuel boom.
The second shutdown was even more problematic—the fuel supply met specifications, but truckers complained of fuel filters getting clogged, forcing the state to pull the biodiesel requirement and temporarily revert back to straight petrodiesel. Since those initial glitches though, the B2 in Minnesota has flowed in a smooth and steady stream.
No-Brainer Solutions - Drive Slower
1. Drive Smaller
If telecommuting is not an option for you, and it’s too hard to change your speedy ways, then maybe it’s time to trade in the SUV or full-size truck for a smaller car. You’ll be joining a stampede of other car buyers who are downsizing. The trend is intensifying based on May 2008 auto sales. George Pipas, Ford's chief sales analyst, told Bloomberg, “May is all about the accelerated shift from trucks and SUVs to small and mid-size cars.'' So far this year, the small car segment is up almost 40 percent, while the sale of trucks, larger SUVs and big cars is down about 17 percent nationally.
The hybrid car is the poster child of fuel-efficiency, but any combination of driving slower and smaller, and less often, will go a long way to reducing your fuel consumption, as well as the environmental impact that comes with daily driving.
2. Drive Less
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels launched a campaign of local incentives last week to get residents of his city to carpool and take public transit. Nearby Vancouver, British Columbia is beginning its Bike-to-Work week campaign this week. And across the country, people are taking an even more direct approach by leaving the car at home—and telecommuting.
According to a 2007 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, about 48 percent of employers offer an option of telework at least one day a week. In an April 2008 report from the American Electronics Association, an estimated 1.35 billion gallons of fuel could be saved if all Americans who could telecommute did so 1.6 days per week. Employers will have to balance the desire to monitor workers every move with lower office occupancy costs and higher employee retention.
3. Drive Slower
Almost everybody knows that speed kills mpg. Reducing your highway speed from 65 miles per hour to 55 mph can improve your mileage by as much as 15 percent. To spread the message about the merits of slowing down, Michelle Lee and Julie Pearce, two local newscast anchors from Northlands News Center in Duluth, Minn., established National Drive Slow Day. Pearce, who commutes 43 miles each way, keeps her highway speed to just above 60 miles per hour—well below the 70 mph speed limit. As a result, she boosted the highway mileage on her 2002 Volvo sedan from 28 to 32 miles per gallon. She told HybridCars.com, "I tack on about five minutes to my commute. What’s five minutes in the grand scheme of things?"
The couple estimates that easing up on the gas pedal can save you $300 a year. The collective savings would be $85 million a year for American drivers. Before complaining about high gas prices, try slowing down.
If telecommuting is not an option for you, and it’s too hard to change your speedy ways, then maybe it’s time to trade in the SUV or full-size truck for a smaller car. You’ll be joining a stampede of other car buyers who are downsizing. The trend is intensifying based on May 2008 auto sales. George Pipas, Ford's chief sales analyst, told Bloomberg, “May is all about the accelerated shift from trucks and SUVs to small and mid-size cars.'' So far this year, the small car segment is up almost 40 percent, while the sale of trucks, larger SUVs and big cars is down about 17 percent nationally.
The hybrid car is the poster child of fuel-efficiency, but any combination of driving slower and smaller, and less often, will go a long way to reducing your fuel consumption, as well as the environmental impact that comes with daily driving.
2. Drive Less
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels launched a campaign of local incentives last week to get residents of his city to carpool and take public transit. Nearby Vancouver, British Columbia is beginning its Bike-to-Work week campaign this week. And across the country, people are taking an even more direct approach by leaving the car at home—and telecommuting.
According to a 2007 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, about 48 percent of employers offer an option of telework at least one day a week. In an April 2008 report from the American Electronics Association, an estimated 1.35 billion gallons of fuel could be saved if all Americans who could telecommute did so 1.6 days per week. Employers will have to balance the desire to monitor workers every move with lower office occupancy costs and higher employee retention.
3. Drive Slower
Almost everybody knows that speed kills mpg. Reducing your highway speed from 65 miles per hour to 55 mph can improve your mileage by as much as 15 percent. To spread the message about the merits of slowing down, Michelle Lee and Julie Pearce, two local newscast anchors from Northlands News Center in Duluth, Minn., established National Drive Slow Day. Pearce, who commutes 43 miles each way, keeps her highway speed to just above 60 miles per hour—well below the 70 mph speed limit. As a result, she boosted the highway mileage on her 2002 Volvo sedan from 28 to 32 miles per gallon. She told HybridCars.com, "I tack on about five minutes to my commute. What’s five minutes in the grand scheme of things?"
The couple estimates that easing up on the gas pedal can save you $300 a year. The collective savings would be $85 million a year for American drivers. Before complaining about high gas prices, try slowing down.
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