Jul

24

Electricity is the key

Filed Under Batteries, EV, News, Off Topic, Plug-in | Leave a Comment 

Pushing cars from pump to plug
James Martin/CNET News

At the Plug-In 2008 conference held this week in San Jose, Calif., advocates of plug-in hybrids touted the vehicles as key to weaning America off of foreign oil.

Andy Grove, former chairman and CEO of Intel, in a keynote speech called for converting 10 million SUVs and trucks to plug-in hybrids within four years. He challenged tech companies, utilities, and researchers to create a plan, engaging open-source technology, for the next U.S. president’s first day in office.

With beefy batteries recharged by connecting to a power outlet, plug-in hybrid cars can run on electricity alone. Once the battery fizzles, plug-ins draw from the gas tank. By contrast, hybrids available today, such as the Toyota Prius, save energy from braking to a battery, but they still require gasoline to get going.

If plug-in hybrid owners recharge their cars at night, when power from the electrical grid is otherwise untapped, utilities may not necessarily need to rush to build new power plants.

However, efforts are growing to build up a public, plug-and-go infrastructure beyond the garages of homeowners. San Jose is pairing with start-up Coulomb Technologies to test the company’s electric car charging stations, which could be integrated within the street scape, such as on streetlights. Drivers would be able to pull up to a 110-volt station, shown here, and plug in.

eTec, a division of Ecotality, announced Tuesday that it’s working with the Department of Energy to develop two-way, fast-charge systems for plug-in hybrids that would return energy to the grid during peak usage times. The company is teaming with V2Green, which has developed technology to control the flow of electricity from vehicle batteries to the utility grid.

eTec supplies charging equipment for electric baggage towing carts at airports and lift trucks in factories. It developed the Minit-Charger for Chrysler’s electric vehicle efforts in the early 1990s. eTec, which uses 240-volt outlets for fleets, maintains that 110-volt chargers could take too many hours to use to be convenient in locations such as shopping mall parking lots. It’s aiming for a 10-minute charge time for plug-in hybrids.

Hybrid and electric cars may be less harmful to ecosystems than those that guzzle gas, but their silence can pose a danger to pedestrians with limited vision and hearing, as well to children and pets.

Enhanced Vehicle Acoustics is engineering systems to make electrified cars noisier. Speakers on the outside of a car mimic the hums and chugs of vehicles with internal combustion engines. Alternate approaches made by other parties largely focus on beeps, whistles, or animal noises.

The Santa Clara, Calif., start-up sells beta aftermarket kits for the Toyota Prius at $300 or less. It has angel funding and support from the nonprofit National Federation of the Blind and is working with the Department of Energy and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Enhanced Vehicle Acoustics is among 44 finalists in the California Clean Tech Open 2008 “startup in a box” competition

Jul

24

If you’re not looking ahead you’re already behind

Filed Under Batteries, EV, New technology, News, Off Topic | Leave a Comment 

Electric Car Market Could Race for Materials
Car and battery makers say the arrival of plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars could intensify the global competition for materials.
by: Ucilia Wang

Electric cars have yet to populate U.S. roads and highways, but car and battery makers already are concerned about the possibility of a battle for raw materials – and how the issue could affect the nation’s energy security.

Speaking at the Plug-In 2008 conference in San Jose, Calif. Wednesday, an executive at the car-battery maker, Johnson Controls-Saft, said discussions about securing adequate lithium supply for making lithium-ion batteries should start now. The company already has started preliminary conversations about the issue with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., said Michael Andrew, director of government affairs and external communications at the company.

“My personal opinion is we don’t want to trade an oil cartel with a lithium cartel,” Andrew said at a panel discussion about battery technologies.

Most of the lithium on the market comes from the South American countries of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. China holds about 30 percent of the world’s lithium reserve, Andrew said.

Strong raw-material demand from developing countries such as China and India has pushed up prices and caused headaches for players in many industries. The emergence of green technologies, from solar power to electric cars, could lead to a greater competition for resources.

At the Intersolar conference in San Francisco last week, Abengoa Solar executive Fred Morse said the price for steel had jumped 30 percent since the company announced a plan in February to build a large solar farm in Arizona. “If you don’t think that scares us – it does. The commodity price is a real concern,” he said at a Greentech Media seminar.

At the Plug-In conference on Tuesday, the head of Ford’s hybrid-vehicle program, Nancy Gioia, said the car industry has to figure out how to better compete for materials.

“The discussion must go beyond comparing electricity cost to fuel cost,” Gioia said. “Steel, aluminum and copper are components for cars and batteries, and their prices have been steadily increasing.”

The electric car market isn’t here yet. Auto makers and their components suppliers are working furiously to bring low- to zero-emission cars to the market. All-electric cars won’t be available for the mass market for several years. In the mean time, carmakers such as General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen plan to launch plug-in hybrid electric cars by 2010.

Unlike traditional gasoline-electric hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, plug-in hybrids can recharge their batteries at standard electrical outlets and can get more than 100 miles per gallon by replacing fuel with electricity.

Some companies, such as A123Systems’ Hymotion, have begun selling kits – including extra batteries and a plug – to convert Prius cars into plug-in hybrids (see Toyota Dealers Sold on Hymotion Plug-In Hybrids).

The Prius uses nickel-metal hydride batteries. But carmakers, including Toyota, are investing in lithium-ion batteries for their future fleets (see Toyota Drives Towards Greener Fleet). Japanese carmakers also recently teamed up to work on setting technical standards for lithium-ion batteries, a move that could give them advantages over their competitors in the United States and Europe (see Japan, U.S. Strive to Set Car Battery Standards).

Lithium-ion batteries are commonly found in laptops and cell phones these days, but their ability to hold a large amount of charge in a compact casing makes them a good option for plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars. Designing them so that they are cheap and safe for the mass car market is a major challenge, however.

Startups are getting into the game. Lithium-ion battery company ActaCell on Wednesday announced it has raised $5.8 million in its first round of funding from Google.org’s RechargeIT program, Applied Ventures, the venture-capital arm of Applied Materials, and Good Energies.

Andrew said lithium supply is adequate for now, but could pose a problem when electric cars of all types become popular, which he expects to be around 2015.

“As good business people, we need to anticipate our needs for the supply in the future,” Andrew said.

Johnson Controls-Saft is a joint venture between Johnson Controls in Milwaukee, Wis., and Saft in France. In January, the joint venture announced the opening of a €15 million ($23.53 million) lithium-ion car battery plant in Nersac, France.

Jul

24

Use of force

Filed Under CAFE standards, Commentary, MPG, News, Off Topic | Leave a Comment 

The Sierra Club is going to “force” automakers? Eh? I didn’t really the Sirra Club could force anyone to do anything. They may be a powerful lobby but powerful compared to the AAM?

The sad part is that Toyota, as part of the AAM, will once again be on the wrong side of the issue.

The other part that is sad is that once again the American companies will whine and cry they can’t afford to change and will close more plants producing SUVs and trucks to do it. As I reported here earlier in the month, Toyota will switch production at two of its US plants away from large vehicle to hybrids or smaller vehicles. Why can’t the American companies do this?

Maybe the Sierra Club can force an answer from someone.

Sierra Club May Force Automakers to Deepen Cuts in Fuel, Carbon
By Gopal Ratnam

The Sierra Club is on the verge of forcing automakers to raise U.S. vehicle fuel economy 22 percent more than Congress ordered last December.

California and 13 other states are set to impose the first U.S. limits on vehicle emissions of carbon dioxide, linked to global warming. While the Bush administration has put the rules on hold, the two presidential candidates, Democratic Senator Barack Obama and Republican Senator John McCain, say they would clear the states to put them into effect.

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions to the level set by California would raise average fuel economy to about 43 miles per gallon by 2020, according to the California Air Resources Board, the state’s emissions regulator. Automakers’ costs would jump $13 billion a year starting in 2016, when the rules would take full effect, based on an industry-commissioned analysis.

“If the states win, the country will import significantly less fuel and there will be significantly less greenhouse gas emissions,” says Lee Schipper, emeritus senior associate at the World Resources Institute’s Center for Sustainable Transport. People “will look back and thank the big states for taking the lead in the absence of leadership from Washington.”

Congress voted last year to raise average fuel economy to 35 mpg from the 27.5 mpg in effect since 1985. While that would have the effect of lowering carbon dioxide emissions, the California standard would result in a 40 percent greater reduction, according to the state clean-air board.

40 Billion Gallons

The Environmental Protection Agency barred California from putting its standards into effect for new autos going on sale in the 2009 model year, starting in October. California, 16 other states and three cities are suing to reverse the ruling.

Based on the original timetable that the rules would be phased in starting this year, gasoline use would fall by 40 billion gallons through 2020, estimated Roland Hwang, an analyst at the New York-based Natural Resources Defense Council. U.S. drivers consumed 141 billion gallons last year.

Automakers have tried before and failed in court to stop the states from implementing carbon-reduction rules, losing two cases last year. If the new president tells the EPA to approve the California standards, the industry may go to court again.

During a six-year campaign, the Sierra Club and other environmental advocacy groups bypassed Washington and focused on state legislatures. The effort included a pitch on a San Diego airport tarmac to convince a California lawmaker to back a measure to limit emissions of carbon dioxide. It also involved a challenge to the automakers on their home turf in Detroit and a driving tour suggesting that Jesus might disapprove of fuel- wasting automobiles.

Read more

Jul

24

Confluence

Filed Under News, Off Topic | Leave a Comment 

High gas prices and a slowing economy is hurting used car dealerships in Chicago. Here is the article.

Here is another story on what gas pricing is doing to the car market…

PAIN AT THE PUMP: Buyers’ Fuel Cost Concerns Are Evident On Car Lots
By TARA KAPROWY
CNHI News Service

LONDON—Pain at the pump is increasingly driving consumers to car dealerships, where they’re choosing smaller, more fuel-efficient cars over gas-ravenous trucks and SUVs.

In May, for the first time since 1992, a sedan was the top-selling vehicle in the country, with the Honda Civic ousting Ford’s long-standing top seed, the F-series pickup.

It’s a turn in tide expected to continue. Kentucky dealerships have seen a big jump in the sales of fuel-efficient and hybrid cars as gas prices continue to rise. Especially in demand are hybrid cars, which run on a combination of gas and electric power.

People are putting their names on waiting lists to get their hands on one, regardless of the color or the vehicle’s features. The Toyota Prius is particularly popular.

“Even brochures are on back order,” said Wes Daulton, a sales representative at Toyota of Somerset. “Every time you have a price hike you have people stopping.”

“We’re getting calls on (the Prius) constantly,” said Robert Daniel, a sales and leasing consultant at Gambrel Toyota in Corbin. “Some people are desperate, they really are. We’re getting e-mails from all over the eastern United States.”

The much discussed Smart car, a tiny two-seater that has been Europe’s answer for good gas mileage, is another hot pick.

The cars, which get 45 miles to the gallon, are sold at Sam Swope Auto Group in Louisville, the only franchise in Kentucky to sell the cars.

Already, the word is out.

“There’s a waiting list on those,” said Norman Walker, vice president for marketing at Swope.

But as small car sales are up, the SUV and truck markets are suffering.

“If you have a big truck or SUV on your lot, it’s hard to get rid of them,” Daulton said. He pointed to one used 2007 Chevrolet Silverado sitting on the lot.

“The book price is $37,000,” he said. “We’re selling it for $31,000.”

Bobby Kidd, of Kidd’s Auto Store in London, has seen similar slashes.

“They have slowed down considerably,” he said. “On the flip side of that, it’s a very good time to buy them.”

Those drops have not been noted across the board, however.

“The only trucks that have really been hurt have been the diesels because diesel is more expensive than gas,” said Sherman Clark, new car manager for Tincher-Williams in London. “The folks who buy SUVs are still buying those.”

Indeed, car sales representatives agree there is still a market for SUVs and trucks — especially for those who tow boats or RVs, or have large families.

“I had a woman with a Suburban come in,” Walker said. “She has seven kids. But the number of miles she drives per day is low. They’re going to drive to Florida this summer in the Suburban. But that’s cheaper than flying. And it’s cheaper than having to take two cars.”

Shawn McGreevy, a sales representative at Jeff Wyler Honda in Florence, agreed.

“There’s still a market for the SUV,” he said. “It’s a good time to buy them.”

Dealers expect SUVs, and larger cars in general, to survive because manufacturers are making them more fuel efficient. Many of them already are, Walker said.

“It’s kind of been an unwritten story, but you have full-size Buicks and Pontiac vehicles like the G5, G6 and The Vibe that are getting 30-plus miles to the gallon,” he said.

While cars get more fuel efficient, drivers are getting more fuel conscious.

“(Gas prices) are getting people to reflect on how they drive, what they drive and where they drive,” Walker said. “It’s part of the decision-making process now.”

Customers are not above being piqued at the pump, however.

“They’re pretty frustrated about it,” Kidd said. “It’s just the gas prices in general. I guess they feel the government hasn’t done enough. It’s basically another car payment to drive your car.”

Tara Kaprowy writes for The Sentinel-Echo in London. She can be reached by e-mail at tkaprowy@sentinel-echo.com.

Jul

24

USPS testing one fuel cell vehicle

Filed Under Alt fuels, Fuel cells, News, Off Topic | Leave a Comment 

Replacement cost aside, I’ve always thought the postal service was the perfect place for hybrids. Hybrid vehicle technology fits postal vehicle use patterns and to a greater extent, this counts double for EVs. Why they are so far behind is beyond me. Nonetheless, this article is a press release detailing GM delivering an Equinox fuel cell vehicle for them to test.

Jul

24

Google tosses money to Aptera

Filed Under Batteries, EV, New technology, News, Non-Prius Hybrids | Leave a Comment 

Google philanthropy funds Aptera and ActaCell
Posted by Elsa Wenzel

Google.org is investing $2.75 million into electric-vehicle maker Aptera and battery start-up ActaCell. The announcement, which follows Google’s request for proposals from companies with electric car technologies, came Tuesday during the Plug-In 2008 conference in San Jose, Calif.

Aptera of Carlsbad, Calif., makes street-legal three-wheelers with a unique, aerodynamic design. The company aims to sell its Typ-1 model for less than $30,000 by the end of year. It’s marketing a pure electric as well as a gas electric plug-in hybrid achieving more than 200 miles per gallon. The vehicles are supposed to accelerate to 60 miles per hour within 10 seconds, drive 120 miles on a full charge, and recharge from a 110-volt outlet.

ActaCell of Austin, Tex., aims to develop long-lasting lithium-ion batteries. On Wednesday it announced $5.8 million in series A financing led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and including Google.org, Applied Ventures, and Good Energies. The company has not yet publicly disclosed details about its technology.

To help speed up the adoption of plug-in hybrid electric cars, the search giant’s philanthropy launched the RechargeIt initiative in June 2007.

Google’s Mountain View, Calif., campus offers plug-in hybrid Toyota Priuses for employees making short, work-related trips. The hybrids achieve 90 miles per gallon and were converted with kits from A123 Systems’ Hymotion.

Jul

24

Desperate measures

Filed Under Off Topic | Leave a Comment 

Pawn shops brimming with business
By John Simerman
Contra Costa Times

The fuel gauge on her Chrysler convertible aimed dead left, so Betty Jean Edwards lifted the gold cross from her neck and tugged another ring off her 65-year-old hand.

She slid them under the thick tinted window inside Marge and Jerry’s Loan Co. in Oakland, gathered the $20 bill and folded her pink receipt in with the stack that lines her wallet. Then she headed past the jewelry display, the shaggy gorilla and the Ouija board and out the door, off to fetch a third of a tank.
“It takes $47 to fill it up,” said Edwards, of San Leandro. “I’ve had a lot of jewelry over the years and now I got to bring it out. Nothing else I can do.”

Amid the brewing cloud of recession and bitterly high gas prices, Edwards is far from alone. The bustle at pawnshops, jewelry and coin buyers suggests many East Bay residents are foraging deep into drawers and attics for keepsakes, family heirlooms, even gold teeth, to hock or pawn for a short-term loan to stretch the miles or make rent.

“They’re selling everything they got for gas,” said Michael Wright of gold dealer Fort Knox of Alameda.
“We’re getting this broad range of people recognizing that the broken chain in their drawer has value,” said Jennifer Grossi of Pleasant Hill Coin and Jewelry Exchange. “We’re busier than we’ve ever been,” added T.J. Grossi, her husband.

The refrain echoes across the East Bay, where pawnbrokers and gold dealers say business has risen 20 percent to 30 percent lately. Coin and jewelry dealers say the economy and higher gold prices have people mining their jewelry boxes or reaching for their gold custom teeth — their grills — for meltdown cash.

“I had a couple last week, they sold me estate jewelry so they could put a down payment on a (Toyota) Prius,” said Nick Tsakoyias of Clayton Jewelry and Loan. “I have people who sell their scrap (gold) just to buy gas. They need diapers, they need food. I feel bad for them.”

Tsakoyias called it cyclical. When the economy flags, the pawn business rallies. But something is different this time, said Bob Goldstone of Danville, a board member with the Collateral Loan & Secondhand Dealers Association, the industry group for pawnbrokers in California.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. This is above and beyond,” said Goldstone, retired from an Oakland pawnshop after a 48-year career. “These brokers are loaning money out continuously all day long.”

Goldstone said pawnbrokers have turned around a seedy image, and more people feel comfortable buying, selling or loaning with them. Another reason: The nation’s mass of “unbanked” or “underbanked” people, including immigrants, with no bank accounts or little access to affordable credit. The U.S. Treasury Department estimates that about 10 million households lack a bank or credit union account. As many as 50 million other people have an account but use other financial service providers, like check cashers, at often much higher costs.

“Where else can you get money instantly?” said Goldstone. “How many people don’t have bank accounts? Where else can you go?”

About 13,000 pawnshops pepper the nation. Most are independent, but earnings have surged 39 percent to 56 percent higher than last year for the second quarter at the nation’s three publicly traded pawn companies, Cash America International, EZCORP and First Cash Financial Services, the companies reported.

Tsakoyias and others spoke of the public service they provide, in some cases offering a last resort for those with rotten credit. They also cite the risks they take in buying what could turn out to be stolen items that police retrieve. In California, pawnshops face stiff regulation. With each transaction they demand a driver’s license and fingerprint, file a form with local police and must keep the items for four months and 10 days. State law caps the interest rate on loans at rates that, adding fees, can add up to about 4 percent per month for the four months.

According to the National Pawnbrokers Association, the average pawn loan runs $75, and about 80 percent of customers repay the loan and reclaim their items. But often these days, pawnbrokers say, borrowers are paying only the interest and rolling over the loan.

“They’re a little short for rent,” said owner Jerry Gevertz of Marge and Jerry’s, on a corner of MacArthur Boulevard in East Oakland. “Someone came in today facing eviction.”

The interest can get pricey. Interest on a $70 loan for four months at Marge and Jerry’s, for instance, runs $15.

Betty Jean Edwards said she didn’t mind getting just $20 for her cross and ring. That just means it’ll cost less to get them back, she said.

“I was on ‘E,’ ” she said. “You don’t have no other choice. You have to take that.”
Reach John Simerman at 925-943-8072 or jsimerman@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Jul

24

Memphis business says yes to hybrids

Filed Under News | Leave a Comment 

Business Pulse: Hybrids get a high-five
Memphis Business Journal

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Buying a hybrid car is a “definite possibility” for the vast majority of Memphis Business Journal readers who took part in this week’s online Business Pulse poll.

Asked if they would ever buy a hybrid, 75 percent, or 169 of the 225 readers who participated in this week’s poll, said yes.

Only 11 percent of those responding, or 24 readers, said they never would.

An equal number of readers — 16, or 7 percent — said they would buy a hybrid only if it were a luxury brand or said they already owned one.

The relevance of buying hybrids, which use a combination of gasoline and electricity, has increased with the continuation of high gas prices and the recent news that Toyota Motor Corp. has decided to build its Prius hybrid and not the Highlander SUV at its new plant near Tupelo.

The majority of comments provided for the poll were in support of more fuel efficient vehicles.

“It’s a definite possibility but only when the alternative fuel is readily available everywhere and priced fairly,” said one reader.

“The questions don’t address the very high amortization cost of purchasing a hybrid,” said another reader. “Until they get the price down and more in line with a three-year payback, I will not even consider purchasing one.”

Beyond those concerns, many said hybrids were a good start.

“The hybrid’s time has finally arrived,” said a reader. “I believe it will be short lived by the next generation of cars which are either all electric or hydrogen powered. The gasoline engines days are numbered.”

Some readers touted other fuel efficient vehicles such as the Geo Metro, VW Golf diesel and hybrid Honda Insight as other good choices.

Jul

23

Not that it is important but

Filed Under Off Topic | Leave a Comment 

Apparently Toyota’s worldwide sales are up 2% for the first half of this year with them selling 2.41 million cars.

Jul

23

What?!

Filed Under Bad reporting, Commentary, Cost of ownership, News, Non-Prius Hybrids | Leave a Comment 

City orders hybrid
By KIM BARTO - Bulletin Staff Writer

The city will add a hybrid vehicle to its motor fleet to see how it stacks up against gasoline-powered cars, officials announced Tuesday.

At Martinsville City Council’s regular meeting Tuesday night, City Manager Clarence Monday said a $28,000 hybrid sport utility vehicle has been ordered for use as a utility locator.

An SUV was chosen because the vehicle needs to have space to carry all the necessary equipment, he added.

“We do have a responsibility to conserve fuel and help the environment as well,” Monday said of the purchase. “However, we want to make sure this is cost-effective before we order a whole fleet of them.”
Monday did a cost-benefit analysis of gasoline versus hybrid vehicles and found that, based on current figures, hybrids offer $200 in savings over the life of the vehicle. In five years, a hybrid would need a battery replacement costing $8,000, he said.

Whoa! Hold on there.

So they figured the hybrid would save them $200 over the life of the vehicle? And they bought it anyway? Well, cheers to them for being so environmentally conscious though I would question their math. Of course the article doesn’t bother to tell us which hybrid SUV this is but that $200 figure is extremely low. And $8k to replace the battery after five years? That’s one terribly engineered and built product if the batteries only last five years and then cost $8k to replace.

Sounds to me like either someone is just nuts or someone is reporting some figures that don’t make much sense.

However, by ordering a hybrid, city officials hope to see how the costs compare in real life.
This move is one of several city initiatives to conserve fuel and money, Monday said. Other measures include installing energy-efficient light fixtures and keeping lights in the municipal building at half-capacity during peak times of day.

Staff members are also investigating alternative energy sources, he added.

“Our electric department is curious about the amount of wind in the city” and how much energy could be generated by wind turbines, Monday said.

Data will be collected from a weather station on the municipal building roof over six months to a year.
Staff also will investigate the cost of solar power per kilowatt hour to see if this could be a realistic option, he said.

When city employees drive, “We continue to ask people to watch the idling of their vehicles, consolidate errands and carpool whenever possible,” Monday said. “Our departments have been very frugal with that.”

Jul

23

Flipped Prius

Filed Under News, Police Blotter | 1 Comment 

I’m very glad to hear both driver and passenger are ok.

DRIVER FLEES SCENE OF ONE WRECK, CAUSES ANOTHER IN SLO
Judge, license plate left in driver’s wake
Perpetrator crashes into a retired judge, leaves plate at the scene; police later arrest suspect Mateo Morales
By Sally Connell

TRIBUNE PHOTO BY DAVID MIDDLECAMP
A Toyota Prius landed on top of a Mazda Protégé after a hit-and-run driver allegedly ran a stop sign and caused the rollover.

A San Luis Obispo man was arrested after a double hit-and-run in San Luis Obispo on Monday afternoon that involved the suspect allegedly speeding away from one crash near Garden and Pismo streets only to cause and then flee from a second one at Garden and Buchon streets.

In the second wreck, a Toyota Prius was hit with such force that it flipped over and landed on top of another car.

“I was driving along, and this car appeared out of nowhere and flipped me over,” said retired San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Donald Umhofer, who was driving the Prius. He received minor injuries. His wife, a passenger, was unharmed.

Mateo Morales, 20, was arrested after an investigation. He was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of felony driving under the influence and hit and run.

The incidents happened about 5 p. m. After hitting one vehicle while headed south on Garden, a speeding Honda Accord, allegedly driven by Morales, continued on Garden to Buchon.

Umhofer’s Prius, traveling west on Buchon, was hit, flipped over and landed atop the hood of a Mazda Protégé being driven east on Buchon.

The hit-and-run driver’s license plate was reportedly left behind at the scene of one of the crashes, giving a clue to the driver’s identity.

Umhofer, who still serves on temporary assignments for the California Judicial Commission, is serving temporarily as a sitting judge in Grover Beach.

The side airbags on his Prius deployed during the crash. Umhofer said he was very sad to see the damage to his 2005 Prius.

There were no injuries to the drivers or passengers of the other two vehicles, according to police.

Jul

23

Getting smaller

Filed Under EV, MPG, News, Off Topic | Leave a Comment 

AdAge says Mini sales are way up, 33% up this year.

He added that Mini’s fuel efficiency is 37 miles to the gallon, which he noted is as good as many hybrids, and fuel efficiency is one of the reasons buyers pick the brand. (Toyota’s hybrid Prius is one of the models most cross-shopped by Mini buyers.)

Well, if I was getting 37 MPG in my Prius I would be banging head into the wall. That said, I continue to be very interested in this…

In late fall, Mini will take the wraps off a fourth model, a low-riding crossover, and by this time next year, expects to have a Mini electric car available, Mr. McDowell said.

An electric Mini would be a perfect for me. Living in the heart of a city, a small, maneuverable car is a huge asset.

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