Written by:
Victoria A. Brownworth
» Order
this Issue of Curve:
18#3
Detroit, like Americans themselves, has been slow to accept that we can no longer drive like there’s no tomorrow. But in January 2008, GM won the award for the most improved hybrid technology for 2008 cars from Automobile magazine.
The cars using that technology aren’t quite off the assembly line yet. The 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the 2009 Ford Flex Crossover are destined to be among the hottest cars out of the Motor City since the Prius hit America’s shores.
Both will be on the lots by July 2008 (The Tahoe Hybrid is already available), these two cars answer the question, can we still have big American cars while also driving green. The Flex utilizes the new technology, while not being a true hybrid and the Tahoe is the first fully hybrid vehicle from GM.
Both vehicles are roomy (the Flex can seat up to seven) SUV-type vehicles and according to GM, are the most fuel-efficient big vehicles on the market.
However, that’s not quite the same as a truly fuel-efficient vehicle. The Tahoe gets 25 mpg highway, 21 mpg city—superb for an SUV, but nothing like a sedan. However, GM is banking on the fact that it looks American, it’s huge and it’s hybrid to draw Americans not-quite-ready for the SmartCar to the greener side of the car lot. Both cars are tanks and offer myriad safety features, if not the grandest of fuel-efficiency. If you want big, and greener (if not greenest) and American, these are the vehicles to preview.
It’s unlikely the Tahoe will sell like the Prius, but how sales proceed will indeed spur a difference in attitude in the Motor City. When the Toyota Prius—still the most fuel-efficient hybrid on the road at 48/45—hit the lots, the back-orders were stacked up for two years.
When GM is trying to get SUV hybrids on the lot, it means most of us want fuel efficiency because we can’t stand the thought of killing off all the polar bears just for a ride to the supermarket. The question is, hybrid or standard? Which is better for the planet?
Hybrids lead in fuel efficiency, obviously, but questions remain about what to do with the dead batteries, how to handle the electrical outflow and whether the carbon footprints made while making the batteries don’t invalidate the energy saved in gas. Do hybrids inevitably use more energy than a standard car? The data is still being compiled on this, and not everyone can deal with maintaining the hybrid technology. But if you can and feel it’s the best thing, consider the Toyota Prius, which leads the pack. After the Prius, the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid have the top Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy rankings and come in at 40/45 and 33/32.
The new Chevy concept car, the Volt, is probably the best-looking hybrid on the road (it debuts in 2010). Plug-in, like the Prius and other foreign hybrids, it is a four-door sedan, sleek, low windows, roomy and, well, hot. It runs for 40 miles on the battery alone, if you never go more than 40 miles, you might never use gas, but it sure looks sportier and sleeker and thus more appealing to the American buyer.
The other cars on the EPA’s top 10 are not hybrids, but are almost as fuel-efficient as the Civic and Camry. The Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Mini Cooper, Mercedes Smartfortwo and Toyota Scion xA and xB come close to hybrid standards at between 45/32 and 35/30. So what are you looking for? The least expensive of this lineup is the Toyota Yaris, which at $11,000 is the best car for fuel efficiency and price on the market—less expensive even than the Hyundai Accent and the Kia Rio, which are also in the top 10 for fuel efficiency. And far less than the Flex and Tahoe, obviously.
The Yaris is compact, but comfortable. While the Mini Cooper might win on adorability, it is the most expensive and least comfortable of the group. The Mercedes Smartfortwo—better known as the Smart Car—is $15,000 and a full 2 feet shorter than the Mini Cooper. The smallness is its best feature, a major plus for city drivers. And with a fully reinforced chassis, it is safe despite its size. Nevertheless, it’s not exactly a comfy ride for long drives. Think of the Smart Car like a scooter with an exterior.
The Toyota Scion has the boxy sedan (xB), which is nearly SUV-sized, and the sub-compact (xA). According to Toyota, the Scion has the lowest average age of buyer of any car in the United States, which means it gets the cool-but-efficient youth vote. My wife owns the xA and while it is the smallest car on the road after the Mini Cooper, at 5 feet, 9 inches, I am still comfortable riding and driving it. Because of the boxiness of the styling, it actually rides higher than my much larger Geo Metro. The back seat is as comfortable as the front. Fully loaded, the Scion xA comes in at $14,000—making it one of the five least expensive new cars on any lot.
Europe and Asia outstrip the United States on automobile technology and have for years, much to the chagrin of Detroit. Impediments for Detroit and General Motors and Ford in particular have been the American consumer. Where else but the United States are people driving Hummers, Expeditions and Escapes in a city? These mammoth vehicles get less than 18/15 and cost a fortune. They are vehicles that scream, “Global warming is a liberal lie.”
But with the Tahoe and other SUV and sedan hybrid vehicles in development, the Motor City is stating declaratively that green matters to its bottom line. And since the best-selling cars are also among the most fuel-efficient, it’s clear that American consumers—and the demographic shows, women in particular—care about greening their cars.
There are many things to consider when buying a new car, but green should be top on the list. With Detroit offering more and more green vehicles in all sizes and the foreign market expanding its range every year, there’s no reason not to buy green. Hybrids are no longer the only option with regard to fuel efficiency, as GM, Toyota and other makers race to get higher fuel efficiency standards as the market demands it.
Making Your Car Greener
Not everyone can go out and buy a new car to match their new desire to go green. But there are easy steps you can take to increase your fuel efficiency, cut down on excess emissions and make your old car—whether it’s American-made or foreign-born—as green as possible.
Maintain your car. Women are notorious for not keeping their cars well maintained. Change your oil every 3,000 miles no matter what. This cuts emissions and keeps your engine ship-shape. If possible, use your dealer or a private mechanic. The chain lube places are not much better than doing it yourself and can even damage your crank case. Regular oil changes will save you between 500 and 1,000 miles per year in gas. Keep your spark plugs clean. Fast firing will cut down on the unnecessary use of gas. Keep your tires well inflated, which means checking them every two weeks. For every pound of pressure missing in the tire, you are losing between five and 15 mpg. Also get tires rotated with every inspection, whether your mechanic says to or not. This prevents wear and minute lop-sidedness, which can also drain your mpg ratio.
Don’t run your engine if you don’t have to. If you are caught in a major traffic jam, turn your car off. Never run your car when you are just waiting for someone. It sends excess carbon into the atmosphere, wastes gas and is an annoyance to anyone near you. “Drift” when you can–take your foot off the gas and just coast to the stoplight.
Slow down in city traffic. Most lights are timed to 29 mph, so if you just rev up to a stoplight, you are wasting gas. Lots of it.
Only use the heater or A/C when you really need it. These both drain your car’s energy and thus gas mileage. The older the car, the more true this is.
Take off some pounds. Most of us keep a lot of extraneous stuff in our cars, but excess weight uses energy. The lighter the car, the better the mileage. Don’t use your car as another storage compartment. But do take passengers whenever possible–that also saves gas.
Don’t drive if you don’t have to. More than two-thirds of all American women are overweight to obese and driving is a prime culprit. If you are traveling no more than two miles and it’s not to pick up the kids or the dog or the week’s groceries, why are you driving? Walk or bike. It’s better for you and for the environment. Carpool.
Finally, think green. The more we consider what we do vis–ŕ–vis the environment, the more we will be able to restructure our lives to incorporate a green philosophy.
|
