With oil prices reaching record levels for the year—and potentially heading higher—the prospects for electricity-powered cars is also on the rise. Deutsche Bank said prices could surge to $100 a barrel in the next two quarters if the US dollar continues to weaken. Rising oil prices alone are not enough to ensure the future of electric cars—but there are clear signs of a massive transition to plug-in hybrids and electric cars.
In May, Subaru announced intentions to produce its first hybrid gas-electric vehicle by 2012. Speaking from the Tokyo Motor Show yesterday, Ikuo Mori, president of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., maker of Subaru cars, reiterated the company’s hybrid plans, saying that a hybrid would help Subaru meet tougher US fuel economy rules.
Volkswagen Golf TDI
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[HCDATE] The 2010 clean diesel Volkswagen Golf delivers lots of spirit and fun with a healthy dose of off-the-line performance and passing power. At the risk of offending the hybrid purists, we found the Golf TDI to be a compelling package of sportiness and practicality, with highway mileage around 40 mpg. At the risk of bothering diesel fans, the Golf TDI doesn't compare to hybrids in city mileage and is not as clean on emissions. The diesel-hybrid debate continues.
When will we ever get a hybrid gas-electric minivan? That’s been the most frequent question over the years from hopeful (but frustrated) hybrid shoppers. After all, they say, Japan has had hybrid minivans for about a decade. The explanation that Japan’s minivans are much smaller than US models—and therefore better suited for gas-electric drivetrains—offers little solace. But help might be on the way, in the form of pint-sized three-row family haulers coming to America, maybe even with plug-in capability.
Toyota Prius Plug-in
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[HCDATE] Toyota is currently running a national print ad promoting the company’s future eco-friendly technologies. As you would expect, it pictures a Toyota Prius glistening by a tree-lined lake, and brags about the fuel and CO2 saved by hybrid technology. The ad copy says that Toyota’s current hybrids are “paving the way for the next generation of environmental vehicles.” And then these five words: “Like cars charged at home.”
Nine of the top 10 vehicles in the Environmental Protection Agency's fuel economy rankings for the 2010 model year are hybrid gas-electric vehicles—putting to rest any question about the technology’s ability to wring more miles from a gallon of gas.
The first mainstream cars that plug into the electric grid are not expected for another year—but the battle to provide charging and battery services to those early adopters is already heating up. The tension between two companies—General Motors and Better Place—which might provide those services was palpable on Monday during a panel discussion in Palo Alto, Calif., entitled “Electric Cars: Transformational Change or Niche Trend?”
Politicians are usually afraid to utter the words “gas” and “tax” in the same sentence. Yet, tight government budgets for maintaining roads and highways—rather than concerns about the environment or oil use—are forcing the issue back on the table.
To get a better understanding of electric car adoption across the pond, the automotive group at global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan interviewed nearly 2,000 consumers in the UK, France, Germany, and Italy—mostly in London, Berlin, Paris and Milan. "Consumers see major barriers to adoption with factors such as infrastructure and range,” said Frost and Sullivan auto industry manager Catherine Butterworth. Adopters of electric cars are likely to be from France or the UK, aged 26-35 or older than 55, male, and have high disposable income.
The theme of the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show 2009 is “Fun Driving for Us, Eco Driving for Earth.” So, it’s no surprise that Japan’s biggest automakers will be rolling out their funkiest electric cars—vehicles that can lean, download files from home, and carry smaller electric unicycles. The show opens to the public on Oct. 24.
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