Right Lane Cruiser
08-12-2009, 07:04 AM
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg With predicted fuel efficiency of hundreds of miles per gallon, tomorrow's cars could mean the end of foreign oil dependency. (http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_13039223)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Nissan_Leaf_BEV.jpgDENVERPOST (http://www.denverpost.com) - August 12, 2009
Many are really ready to ditch fuel burning -- the future looks bright! --Ed.
Yes, there are kinks still to be worked out, but what good news it is that automakers are in the final stages to produce hybrids and electric cars with sky-high fuel- efficiency ratings.
General Motors announced Tuesday that its new Chevy Volt, available in 2011, will achieve 230 miles per gallon in city driving. It also announced that Buick would feature a plug-in hybrid in 2011.
The Volt relies mainly on electricity, but it goes only 40 miles before it wears out its charge. At that point, a backup gasoline engine kicks in and powers the car while also recharging the battery.
Nissan said its all-electric Leaf, which doesn't use a backup motor, will be out in late 2010 and be officially rated at 367 mpg.
(Though we're a little hazy on why the Environmental Protection Agency uses mpg ratings for cars that don't run primarily on gas, the nut of the technology advancement means that fewer drivers will contribute to our dependence on imported oil, and that's a trend we hope accelerates.)
Still, the Leaf goes but 100 miles to a charge, so the cars clearly are meant for getting around town.
Another limitation is the cost. The Volt starts at $40,000 and the Leaf is expected to cost $25,000 to $30,000. Though GM expects the federal government to offer $7,500 rebates, an analysis in the online version of The Atlantic found that a buyer who picked a Volt over the lower-priced (and very popular) Toyota Corolla would have to drive nearly 230,000 miles to make up the cost difference in gasoline savings.
But these are first-generation cars. Remember when personal computers were only... http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_13039223
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Nissan_Leaf_BEV.jpgDENVERPOST (http://www.denverpost.com) - August 12, 2009
Many are really ready to ditch fuel burning -- the future looks bright! --Ed.
Yes, there are kinks still to be worked out, but what good news it is that automakers are in the final stages to produce hybrids and electric cars with sky-high fuel- efficiency ratings.
General Motors announced Tuesday that its new Chevy Volt, available in 2011, will achieve 230 miles per gallon in city driving. It also announced that Buick would feature a plug-in hybrid in 2011.
The Volt relies mainly on electricity, but it goes only 40 miles before it wears out its charge. At that point, a backup gasoline engine kicks in and powers the car while also recharging the battery.
Nissan said its all-electric Leaf, which doesn't use a backup motor, will be out in late 2010 and be officially rated at 367 mpg.
(Though we're a little hazy on why the Environmental Protection Agency uses mpg ratings for cars that don't run primarily on gas, the nut of the technology advancement means that fewer drivers will contribute to our dependence on imported oil, and that's a trend we hope accelerates.)
Still, the Leaf goes but 100 miles to a charge, so the cars clearly are meant for getting around town.
Another limitation is the cost. The Volt starts at $40,000 and the Leaf is expected to cost $25,000 to $30,000. Though GM expects the federal government to offer $7,500 rebates, an analysis in the online version of The Atlantic found that a buyer who picked a Volt over the lower-priced (and very popular) Toyota Corolla would have to drive nearly 230,000 miles to make up the cost difference in gasoline savings.
But these are first-generation cars. Remember when personal computers were only... http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_13039223