Answering the need to be more eco-friendly as far as their business operations are concerned, Team Honda, Team Nissan and Team Toyota have announced the launch of their first carbon neutral dealerships in Lithia Springs, Georgia. After starting out with their tire and oil recycling measures, the auto dealers are now focusing their attention on offsetting their carbon footprint to become the first carbon neutral dealers in Georgia.

The concentration now is to bring down their energy use, a practice that has drawn prices and queries from their customers on where they can get one for their own homes or offices as well. Additionally, employees are given thermal porcelain cups in lieu of the usual Styrofoam which itself is an eco-friendly hazard.

All AutoNation dealerships, Team’s parent company, make it easy for car buyers to shop for more fuel-efficient vehicles with its E-Vehicle program. The program identifies cars and trucks that produce at least 28 miles per gallon or deliver 10 percent better fuel efficiency than average for their class. AutoNation also singles out what they call “F-vehicles” with a yellow leaf logo; these are cars and trucks that use flex-fuel technology.

With the combined efforts of these popular auto dealers, the call to lower carbon emissions and the various practices to attain it should be something customers and employees will learn from. Hopefully they will be the catalyst to improve on the call for better green living needed these day.

(Source) Press

Tags: Auto Dealers, autonation, better fuel efficiency, business operations, car buyers, carbon emissions, fuel efficient vehicles, fuel technology, honda team, launch, leaf logo, lithia springs georgia, miles per gallon, more fuel efficient vehicles, oil recycling, porcelain cups, styrofoam, team honda, team toyota, yellow leaf

Continue reading...

To most car enthusiasts, only a few would perhaps hear about GM’s Equinox. Well for the record, this is another potential SUV for consideration, another vehicles that GM is pinning its hopes on with regards to the growing market we have today.

The Equinox is rising in popularity and if forecasts holds true, we may see another successful GM variant in the works. In fact, GM is expecting a growth of 60% by 2013, and the Equinox is seen as the SUV that will make it all happen. All of this comes after the much heralded reorganization process that General Motors has been through.

The Equinox will get over 32 miles per gallon on the highway and provide a range of nearly 550 miles. It will also have 5-star safety and six airbags, delivering the best in each of those categories.

(Source) Press

Tags: airbags, car enthusiasts, Equinox, General Motors, GM, miles per gallon, popularity, reorganization, star safety

Continue reading...

T3 Motion unveils the latest addition to the growing roster of electric cars offered in the market. T3 Motion lifts the covers on the CT3 Electric Vehicle that is based on the CT Micro Car. T3 Motion Inc. is not a new player in the electric car market. In fact, it has made a good account for itself, acknowledged as a global leader in Electric Vehicle Design, Battery Technology and Power Management Systems.

A version of the CT3 is competing for the Progressive Automotive X Prize in the Alternative Vehicle Class. The “CT3-S” is specifically designed and engineered to be capable of speeds up to 80 miles per hour yet delivering the energy equivalent of over 100 miles per gallon.

“We are very honored to be competing in the Progressive Automotive X Prize. It is energizing for T3 Motion, Inc. to be alongside so many different interpretations of creating the 100 mile per gallon car,” said Ki Nam, T3 Motion, Inc. C.E.O. “With electricity being the most readily available source of fuel today, our zero gas emission CT3-S exemplifies the ‘real world’ opportunities electric vehicles have both today and in the future.”

(Source) Press

Tags: battery technology, car market, electric car, electric cars, electric vehicle design, electric vehicles, electricity, future source, gas emission, global leader, latest addition, micro car, miles per gallon, miles per hour, power management systems, real world

Continue reading...

Controversial or not, Volkswagen of America has vowed its support for the “Cash for Clunkers” program of the government where each of their vehicles for their 2009 lineup qualifies for the said program. Under the “Cash for Clunkers” programs, potential new car buyers can get up to $4,500 off from the purchase price of new vehicles who trade-in their old cars.

In order to qualify, eligible new vehicles must achieve at least 22 miles-per-gallon for automobiles, and at least 18 mpg for small light-duty trucks and SUV’s, and trade-in vehicles must achieve 18 mpg or less.

“Volkswagen of America supports this historic decision of the United States Government to enact the Cash for Clunkers program.” said Stefan Jacoby, President/CEO, Volkswagen of America. “The fact that Volkswagen has long been known for producing fun-to-drive, fuel efficient vehicles, combined with our eight Top Safety Pick rated vehicles by the IIHS, should put Volkswagen on any new car buyers shopping list.” added Jacoby.

Among the new cars that Volkswagen has lined up include:

• 2009 Rabbit
• GTI
• Jetta
• Jetta SportWagen
• New Beetle
• New Beetle convertible
• Passat
• Passat Wagon
• Eos
• CC

(Source) Press

Tags: car buyers, fuel efficient vehicles, IIHS, Jetta, jetta sportwagen, light duty trucks, miles per gallon, new beetle, new car, new cars, new vehicles, old cars, president ceo, rabbit gti, shopping list, Stefan Jacoby, united states government, volkswagen, volkswagen of america

Continue reading...

It looks like it is all systems go as far as the PHEV is concerned. Green Star Products announced that the final phase of the testing protocols for the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle were successfully completed, perhaps shooting down all doubts with regards to the reliability of this concept car.

Test result highlights:

• The PHEV easily completed the scheduled 100 mile range test in simulated intra-city driving.
• The vehicle consumed 0.70 gallons of gasoline during its test, which equates to 143 miles per gallon (143 mpg).
• The vehicle also consumed about 75 cents worth of electricity that was used to charge the battery pack the previous night.
• At the end of the run, the battery pack still contained approximately 35% of its original charge. This was further confirmed by several high speed laps around the track at the end of the test. One of the final laps clocked its speed within 4.5 seconds off the track record, which not only confirms its power but also its handling ability on the race track.
• The most impressive statistic of this demonstration was the fact that the backup engine and generator were only a 1.6 kW unit. In fact, for those people who are not acquainted with electric power, this energy equates to the consumption of the average hand-held bathroom hair dryer. In effect, the backup generator can be visualized as equivalent to a bathroom hair dryer. This unique high-efficiency mini hybrid system is part of a patent pending complete package.

Mr. Joseph LaStella, President of Green Star, stated that a 5-page, in-depth article was published on June 4, 2009, by the Times Tribune in Kentucky, where the writer of the article illustrated her personal feelings about her test drive of the electric vehicle.

(Source) Press

Tags: backup generator, battery pack, car test, depth article, final laps, final phase, final test, high efficiency, hybrid electric vehicle, hybrid system, impressive statistic, lastella, miles per gallon, patent pending, personal feelings, phev, star products, test one, test result, test series

Continue reading...

Given a choice, people would rather just get in their car and go to the point of destination that they wish. However there are some measures that people have to consider and this includes safety checks which includes that of your car’s tires. It goes way beyond making sure that they carry the proper tire pressure. You simply have to check them and see if they may cause potential problems along the way.

Especially for busy seasons such as Summer, frequent car use is expected. Motorists are normally advised to have their car checked in its entirety and tires are included in the fray. For sure, checking the tire thread and condition must be religiously done so as to avoid problems that include tire leaks or potential tire blows caused by the usual wear and tear. This includes checking your spare tires to avoid delays and inconveniences to wherever you may be headed to.

“Underinflated tires can increase fuel consumption, costing motorists extra miles per gallon. In addition, they should avoid severely under- or overinflated tires, or those with insufficient tread depth or structural damage.”

(Source) Press

Tags: fuel consumption, leaks, measures, miles per gallon, motorists, proper tire pressure, safety checks, spare tires, tread depth, underinflated tires, wear and tear

Continue reading...

Much has been said about the highly anticipated plug-in hybrid vehicle PHEV and it looks like its starting stages are getting off on the right foot. Green Star Products, Inc. today announced that preliminary testing of its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) has been successfully completed at the Corbin Motor Speedway in Kentucky.

This was a preliminary test for the full demonstration event scheduled during the first week of June. However, this preliminary test did produce some impressive on-road efficiency data as follows:

1. The test run was designed to simulate an intra-city driving delivery truck route at the test track.
2. The run consisted of 400 laps for a total of 100 miles.
3. The test included eight 10-minute delivery stops and a short lunch break during the 100-mile run.
4. The test vehicle was driven by 3 drivers and included 2 track test drivers and Brooks Agnew, President of Global Green Cars.

Intra-city driving delivery vehicles are the highest polluters and least energy efficient vehicles in use today on a per mile basis. For example, 85% of the huge U.S. Post Office fleet travels less than 13 miles per day yet consumes 2 to 4 gallons of gasoline per day. This is equivalent to a mileage of 3 to 6 miles per gallon. Compare this to the 100 mile test run of the GSPI plug-in hybrid which demonstrated over 100 miles per gallon at its preliminary test run.

(Source) Press

Tags: brooks agnew, delivery truck, demonstration event, efficiency data, energy efficient vehicles, green cars, hybrid electric vehicle, hybrid vehicle, lunch break, mile test, miles per gallon, minute delivery, motor speedway, phev, star products, test drivers, track test, truck route, u s post office

Continue reading...

The Idea from Bright Automotive will be officially unveiled in Washington D.C. The vehicle is expected to get 100 miles per gallon and was developed at Bright’s headquarters at the Flagship Enterprise Center.

“We founded the company based on doing the right thing for the transportation sector,” said Bright President and CEO John Waters. “We’ve leveraged some of our expertise of our team’s abilities, which is strongly experienced in advanced automotive technology, electrification of vehicles and sustainability.”

The Bright team hopes to find capital in the capitol city. The company will lobby to receive $55 million in government funding to produce 50,000 vehicles by the end of 2012. On Tuesday morning, the company will hold a briefing before members of the House of Representatives, including Rep. Mike Pence, and perform a vehicle preview on the streets of Washington. Carol Browner, chief energy counselor to President Barack Obama, is expected to attend, along with companies interested in fuel-efficient transportation, including Duke Energy and Frito-Lay North America.

Waters said the vehicle has undergone “stealth tests” on public streets but, for all practical purposes, Tuesday will mark the Idea’s world premiere.

Bright plans to create 550 new jobs through 2010 and more than 5,000 by 2013. That may sound ambitious for 15-month-old startup company, but Bright has the pedigree to pull it off.

(Source) The Herald Bulletin

Tags: advanced automotive technology, Barack Obama, capitol city, duke energy, electrification, enterprise center, Government funding, herald bulletin, miles per gallon, plug in hybrid car, startup company, transportation sector, tuesday morning

Continue reading...

In a marketing move, General Motors has reportedly combine three of its most recognized brands; Buick, Pontiac and GMC into one sales and marketing channel – which means many dealers, who had one or two of the brands previously, will now sell all three under one roof. GM says each brand will play to its strengths – Buick larger, premium cars; Pontiac sportier cars; and GMC pickups, SUV’s and Crossovers. This will create a middle sales channel, between GM’s global value brand Chevrolet and its high-end luxury brand, Cadillac.

At the 2009 New York International Auto Show, GMC debuted two new models. The all-new 2010 Terrain is a five-passenger crossover SUV that blends bold styling with fuel efficiency and premium features. The all-new 2009 Yukon Denali Hybrid was also unveiled. A luxurious, full-size SUV that seats eight, it tows up to 5,800 pounds and achieves and estimated 21 miles per gallon in city driving, thanks to the patented 2-mode hybrid system.

The Yukon Denali Hybrid arrives in May in dealer showrooms. It joins the Yukon Hybrid and the Sierra Hybrid pickup truck in the hybrid lineup, making GMC the first manufacturer to offer three full-size hybrid models.

(Source) Press

Tags: buick pontiac, crossover suv, dealer showrooms, fuel efficiency, global value, gmc pickups, hybrid models, hybrid system, international auto show, luxury brand, marketing channel, miles per gallon, most recognized brands, new york international auto show, pickup truck, premium cars, sales and marketing, tows, yukon denali

Continue reading...

With a new and improved Ford Escape from its 2008 model, the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid has been unanimously chosen by Kelley Blue Book as one of its “2009 Best New Family Vehicles.”

“After undergoing a major overhaul for the 2008 model year, the Ford Escape Hybrid is improved again for 2009 with a more powerful and more efficient gas-electric powertrain,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. “Its fuel economy rating of 34 miles per gallon in the city is even better than that of the Toyota Camry Hybrid.”

The 2009 model features new comfort-designed seats with soy-based foam that substitutes for petroleum-based products to conserve limited resources and reduce CO2 emissions. Eco-friendly seat fabrics made from post-industrial 100 percent recycled materials also are offered on the

Earning a spot on kbb.com’s exclusive list of “2009 Best New Family Vehicles” is not the only accolade the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid has received. Ward’s Automotive Group named Ford’s redesigned Escape Hybrid engine to its “2009 10 Best Engines” list. The vehicle also was recognized as “Best Crossover/SUV Value Under $28,000″ by Intellichoice.com, a leading source for automotive ownership cost and value analysis.

(Source) Press

Tags: crossover suv, ford escape, ford escape hybrid, hybrid engine, kelley blue book, kelly blue book, miles per gallon, petroleum based products, recycled materials, toyota camry, toyota camry hybrid

Continue reading...