Who Needs a Convertible? Buyers Opting for Sunroofs Instead

There is nothing like riding in a convertible: the wind blowing through your hair, the sun warming your skin. However, recent data shows that consumers are shying away from convertibles and instead investing in a close alternative.

Ford Motor Company reports that while convertible sales are dropping, panoramic sunroofs are on the rise. Of those buying the Ford Explorer and Ford Edge, about half have opted for the sunroof. As for Ford Flex owners, a third added the sunroof. Ford reports that this option costs consumers about $1,600, but it seems to be a price buyers are willing to pay.

Part of the reason sunroofs are becoming more and more popular is because they are just more practical than convertibles. They offer energizing natural sunlight while still securing fuel efficiency; the glass roof is also more architecturally appealing and stylish.

Ford models offer either a panoramic sunroof which consists of one long pane of
glass or a vista roof which comes with two glass panels: one in the front that can be opened and one stationary panel in the back. The glass used on both of these options filters out infrared as well as ultraviolet rays, keeping passengers cool and free of sun burn.

You may not get the wind-blown hair style or adrenaline rush that comes from driving a convertible, but the sunroof does offer some of the same perks in a more practical way. Looks like fuel efficiency and UV protection can be cool after all.

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.