Chevrolet Capitalizes on Solar Energy

These days, alternative energy sources are all the buzz; who uses fossil fuels anymore? The electric car has already begun the process of divorcing gasoline-powered engines. Chevrolet has taken this technology a step further, using solar canopies to reduce the energy consumption of electric cars.

The solar canopies are a part of Chevy’s “Green Zone Initiative” and will use energy from the sun to charge about 12 Chevrolet Volts daily at Chevy dealers across North America. What’s more, the additional energy produced from the solar canopies can be used as an added power source for the dealership.

The canopies are not only eco-friendly; they are also free. And why wouldn’t dealerships jump on this opportunity? The canopies are beneficial for the environment, plus they reduce the number on the dealers’ electric bills. Chris Perry, vice president of Global Chevrolet Marketing and Strategy, states that, “Just one of these canopies provides…more than 25 percent of a dealership’s energy consumption.” If that isn’t music to a dealer’s ears, I don’t know what is.

Chevrolet invested $7.5 million into a company called Sunlogics to install these canopies. With its Green Zone Initiative, Chevrolet will be the leader in solar power usage among automotive companies.

Two dealers have already jumped on the bandwagon, one in Modesto, California and one in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Judging by the effectiveness of the solar panels and the desire for more eco-friendly energy sources, it is likely that this sun-powered trend will spread like wildfire.

America’s Favorite Hybrid: the Ford Fusion

During times like these, all car companies are dealing with the same concerns: high gas prices, the need for eco-friendly vehicles, a way to improve efficiency and performance. For one automotive company in particular, these concerns have been put to rest.

Back in 2009, Ford Motor Company introduced the Ford Fusion Hybrid, a sedan that received 41 mpg city. Not only was this vehicle fuel efficient, it was eco-friendly as well. Ford effectively responded to the needs of its consumers and their work has paid off: the Fusion has achieved the hybrid-best customer satisfaction rate of 88 percent, surpassing even the Toyota Prius.

Why are Ford Fusion owners so happy with their hybrids? For one thing, the Ford Fusion is the most fuel-efficient sedan in America. If that is not reason enough, the Fusion was also rated America’s most reliable sedan of either hybrid or fuel consuming models.

To ensure this level of reliability, Ford has tested, tweaked, and reworked its hybrid battery cells. Chuck Gray, chief engineer at Global Core Engineering, Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, says that "Ford's battery technology is so strong, the odds of experiencing an issue with one of our hybrid battery cells is around 8.5 million to 1 – about the same odds as a person being struck by lightning twice."

Ford’s impressive reliability and satisfaction ratings have led to the Fusion bringing in more new buyers to the Ford brand than any other Ford car. In addition, customers awarded the Fusion hybrid a 91 percent “overall vehicle quality” score.

And Ford is not going to miss their opportunity to capitalize on this success: by 2012, they hope to have five new electric vehicles on the road in the U.S.

Worried about the reliability of hybrids? Leary of the climbing gas prices? Maybe a Ford Fusion is the perfect solution. Their customers certainly think so.

Nothing like a Little Competition: the Leaf & the Volt

It seems that nothing can go wrong for either the Nissan Leaf or the Chevrolet Volt. No matter the ebb and flow of sales and production, both brands remain continuously optimistic, pledging that the future is bright for electric vehicles.

But no matter the apparent confidence of either Nissan or Chevrolet, the facts tell another side of the story.

From January of 2011 to June, Nissan sold 3,875 Leafs while the Volt’s sales numbers teetered off at 2,745. However, there is more to this reality than sales figures alone.

Because General Motors is currently expanding and updating the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant where the Volt is produced, not one Volt was built in the month of June. Production is planned to resume in mid-July but the Volt will not be widely available again until August. As of now, only 200 models are available for purchase in the United States.

Certainly this lull in production is a great opportunity for Nissan to take advantage of. As such, Nissan is planning on pumping out six to seven thousand Leafs by the end of the summer, hoping to secure its lead.

Keeping with the brother/sister mentality, Chevrolet has planned an offensive. Since summer sales for the Volt will be minimal, Chevrolet plans to use its new and improved assembly plant to supply 16,000 Volts by the end of 2011.

But estimated production numbers and 2011 sales figures cannot predict the future. It was not too long ago that Nissan was dealing with slowed production due to the March earthquake in Japan, sinking to the number two spot. But they recovered and eventually secured the lead. The Leaf is the more affordable of the two, but the Volt offers a backup gasoline system in addition to its electric battery, a more comforting set-up for consumers than electric alone.

From their short six months of production and sales, these electric vehicles have constantly been on opposite sides of the ring. There is not straddling the fence: either you are a Volt person or a Leaf person. Surely in the future, the electric car will become more mainstream and this rivalry will be diminished. Until then, the Volt/Leaf competition lives on.

Aston Martin Goes To the City

With the vast majority of automakers expending energy on green technology and environmentally friendly vehicles, it is no surprise that even luxury car companies want to be a part of this growing trend. Following in the footsteps of Volkswagen’s Audi which introduced the A1 subcompact last year, Aston Martin is launching their version of a compact city car this month.

Known as the Cygnet, this city car is meant to be a solution for urban drivers who face the problem of tight parking spaces as well as the answer to demands for more eco-friendly vehicles. Emitting only 120 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, the Cygnet is a much greener option than other Aston Martin models such as the One-77 which emits 572 grams per kilometer. As Peter Schmidt, editor of Automotive Industry Data asserts, “The attitude of the super-rich has changed…They really do want to be seen to be green.”

In order to reduce cost and production time, Aston Martin enacted a supply deal with Toyota Motor Corporation. Under the deal, Toyota produced the engine, transmission, and frame of the Cygnet, using the Toyota iQ, a similar subcompact car, as their template. Aston Martin needed the partnership to expand the appeal of the Cygnet and ensure a speedy turnaround to increase demand.

While the Cygnet shares several components of the iQ, it remains a characteristically ultra-luxury car. Boasting a hand-stitched leather interior with 3 million possible combinations of trim and color choices, six types of alloy wheels, a navigation system, a six-speaker stereo, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, the Cygnet is worthy of its Aston Martin badge.

However, the green, subcompact car does sacrifice some of the speed characteristic of Aston Martin. The acceleration rate from 0 to 62 mph is only 11.6 seconds, a slug compared to the One-77 which races to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. The price tag on the Cygnet could also be a cause for concern. Buyers will be paying $50,500 for the Cygnet as opposed to the iQ which only costs about half of that price.

But Aston Martin believes the increase in urban populations as well as the pressure for green technologies will persuade luxury car buyers to opt for the Cygnet. Indeed, Aston Martin hopes it will be its second-best selling car, planning to sell 1,500 models a year. While the Cygnet might not live up to typical sports car standards, it certainly will be a car to talk about.

Chevy Volt: 2011 Car of the Year

Chevrolet is making their entrance into the world of green cars this year, and they are making quite an entrance. The Chevy Volt has been impressing consumers and critics alike, and now it has been given one of the most prestigious titles in the automobile industry: the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year. So what exactly is it about the Volt that is capturing the attention of so many?

While the Volt is certainly not the first electric car, it is the first to offer many features that other green cars lack, such as ample seating, practicality, a large driving range, and, on top of that, an affordable price. One of the major ways in which the Volt blows its competition out of the water is the driving range. Unlike the others, Volt drivers can go 40 miles on pure electricity, followed by 300 miles on gasoline. And the annual electric power consumption to fully charge the Volt is about the same as a home water heater.

Other features of the Volt that have impressed critics include an informative dashboard that helps drivers maximize mileage and the eight-year, 100,000-mile transferable warranty on the lithium-ion battery pack. Consumers will enjoy the $7,500 federal tax credit, as well as the 500 gallons of gasoline they will save each year.

Electric Cars Are (Almost) Here

After hearing about them for years, the time has come for two of the largest auto manufacturers to begin rolling out electric cars. Nissan and General Motors are ready to introduce plug-ins by the end of 2010, and several other automakers, including Toyota and Ford, have announced plans to launch electric cars in 2011.

Now I know electric cars are eco-friendly and budget-friendly, as they eliminate the cost of fuel, but I must admit the idea scares me. I was the proud owner of an electric Barbie car as a child, and I still have vivid memories of waiting hours for my car to charge, only to have it run for 30 minutes and leave me stranded on the sidewalk. So when I heard that we would be seeing plug-ins before the end of the year, I decided to do some research to answer some FAQ and ease my fears.

1. How far can you travel before charges?

Depends on the car, but the range is 50 to over 200 miles. The Nissan Leaf will be able to travel up to 100 miles when fully charged.

2. How long will it take to charge?

Rapid charging can charge a battery in 30 minutes. However, the Nissan Leaf will take up to 8 hours to fully charge a dead battery.

3. Where do you charge?

Currently, electric owners are expected to do 80% of charging at home, especially overnight. There are public charging stations in some parking garages and shopping centers. Soon Charging systems will be installed in Best Buy parking lots, and BP and ARCO stations. The Obama Administration has set a goal to have 20,000 charging stations installed nationwide by 2012.

4. What kind of special maintenance do electric cars require?
Electric cars do not require oil changes or tune-ups, and they have 1/10 as many parts as gas cars, so maintenance is relatively easy. The battery will need to be checked often, and may need to be watered. The connections will need to be kept clean and tight, and tires checked.

5. How fast can electric cars travel?

Depends on the car, but most can reach 55-65 mph and some may reach 85-90 mph