The United States car industry is in major need of a facelift. With gas prices in constant fluctuation, Americans have started to think with their wallets when purchasing a new vehicle. The days of gasoline gluttony have seemingly passed, as the demand for cars in the United States has moved away from the Hummer-esque monstrosities that roam the earth, in constant search for sources of fuel, and toward hybrids, clean diesel-powered engines, electric cars, and crossovers.
The need to move away from gas-guzzling street-tanks may be getting to even the most strident H2 or H3 owner, as a new study by Quality Planning Corporation shows that owners of these Hummers are five times more likely to get a ticket than the average driver. The study doesn’t report that these drivers are also five times more likely to have to stop for gas on the way to the mall, but that’s becoming common knowledge.
The car companies are starting to respond to the growing perception that the American Auto Industry cannot, or does not want to, produce an efficient vehicle, and remedies for the problems facing the Auto Industry are rolling out as we speak. The newest lines of the green-auto revolution are being presented at the Philadelphia International Auto Show, which is being held at the Philadelphia Convention Center from January 31 to February 8.
The major players in the industry have taken, along with taxpayer money, their cues, and on top of the non-environmentally friendly prototypes that they trot out each year, there is a large influx of Green vehicles. The Big Three Auto companies who travelled to Washington, D.C. last month all have a level of Green car to offer to the public.
General Motors
General Motors has released a brand new version of their very popular Escalade, only this time as a hybrid that will provide a 50% upgrade in fuel economy for city driving. It gets roughly 20 miles per gallon, which is an upgrade, however this is mostly a car that adds to one’s style, and not Green portfolio. If you’ve got the money to throw down on a new Escalade, more power to you, but there are definitely better options out there.GM did not stop with just one addition to its Green fleet. They have also added a brand new Chevy Tahoe to their ranks, which features a greatly improved fuel economy as a result of GM’s all-new Electrically Variable Transmission (EVT). It is comparable to the Escalade, as it gets 21 and 22 miles per gallon in the city and on the highway, respectively. To learn more about EVT technology, take a look at the Wikipedia page on Transmissions.
Chrysler
Chrysler is not remiss of its duties to the Green community, and is featuring their new Aspen Hybrid at the Auto Show. The Aspen features a two-mode system that derives power from a hybrid-electric drive system, which improves fuel consumption by 54% for city driving, and still contains the pure force of a 5.7 liter HEMI® V8 engine for the highway. The Aspen Hybrid gets about 20 miles per gallon in the city, and an equally decent 22 miles per gallon on the highway.Ford
The 2010 Ford Fusion is one of the most impressive cars, in terms of fuel economy, to be mass marketed to the American people. It offers an estimated 41 miles per gallon in the city, and 33 miles per gallon on the highway. Compared to the fuel economy on most cars on the road, these numbers are staggering.The key to such an environmentally friendly vehicle is the nickel-metal hydride battery that features 20% more power, coming in a 30% smaller package. This means that the Fusion Hybrid looses a much smaller portion of its trunk space than would a previous hybrid. Also, to make use of the static energy built up in your cars brakes on at every stop, the Fusion features control logic for the regenerative brakes and returns up to 94% of the energy gained while braking to the car’s battery.
Ford is also releasing the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid, which will join the Mariner as the company’s only two Green cars in the luxury fleet. The car will feature a system similar to the Fusion, with a 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine combined with a nickel-metal hydride battery. The car can reach speeds of up to 47 miles per hour without even activating the gas-powered engine, and as the Milan offers roughly 39 miles per gallon in the city, the Milan Hybrid can go for quite a while on one tank of gas.
Foreign Car Companies
President Obama has instructed Americans not to cling to harshly to “Buy American” as the global economy reaches into even the most rural areas of the United States. To stop buying Toyota or Lexus would be to take jobs from Americans working at those company’s American factories, located mostly in the Southern States. With that in mind, you might want to consider the newest eco-friendly rides from Lexus, Toyota, or Volkswagen, who are all featuring cars at the Philadelphia Auto Show.- The Lexus RX 400 Hybrid carries a Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) rating, and in miles per gallon, offers 31 for highway driving and 27 in the city.
- Volkswagen is taking a bit of a different tact in developing environmentally sustainable vehicles. Their idea is to reinstitute the diesel engine, which may sound counterproductive, but your fears should be dissipated by knowing that Green Car Journal named the Volkswagen TDI Sedan its 2009 Green Car of the year. It gets 41 miles per gallon on the highway.
- Toyota is featuring two new vehicles at the Auto Show; the Camry, and the Highlander.
- The Camry Hybrid is very similar to the conventional version, but this one offers 34 miles per gallon on the highway and 33 miles per gallon in the city.
- The Highlander is a “full” hybrid vehicle, which means it can operate either electric-only, or gas-only. It offers 27 miles per gallon in the city, and 25 miles per gallon on the highway.
There are certainly many viable options when deciding on a car to purchase, but you should consider that the most eco-friendly vehicle you can purchase is a pre-owned vehicle, as the production of new cars is very costly in terms of resources and water. However, if you are making the move to a new hybrid or diesel vehicle, make sure to check out the newest Green products from the car companies. After all, we’re all in this together.
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For more information on the Philly Car Show, you can go to their website. Or, to learn about the newest green strategies for sustainable living, check out tips on a Greener Lifestyle from GREENandSAVE.com. And while you’re there, make sure you take a look at their Return on Investment Table before you get started on any Home Remodeling project.
