Can You Afford It? – The Model-S Makes Tesla Affordable
The Tesla Model S has been promoted as the Tesla for the common person. Tesla’s roadster was a high-end, high performance model that showed off what electric engineering could do at any price. Now Tesla is releasing a car that shows what an electric powered engine can do at a more affordable price.
Pricing Comparable to Standard Sedans
The Tesla Model S is a four-door luxury sedan that is expected to retail at around $50,000. That puts it right in the mid-range for luxury sedans, even before customers can take advantage of the tax break that goes along with purchasing an electric car. The Model S is still in the later phases of testing, but Tesla plans to release 20,000 models by next year. With a design that has been compared to high end sedans from Jaguar and BMW, the Model S is the furthest thing possible from the compact electric cars that have been released by Chevrolet and Nissan.
Electric Sedan Offers Three Battery Lengths
Customers can choose from three different batteries for their Model S. The low end offers 160 miles per charge. Mid range is a 220 mile option, with the high end at 300 miles per charge. The automaker has not released a pricing scale that reflects the different mileage options yet. The $50,000 price tag is for the 160 mile battery and other standard package features. All of the batteries are capable of being recharged in as little as 4 hours using the charging cable that is included with the purchase of the vehicle. A 45 minute quick charge option can be used when you need a quick top off of energy.
High Tech Interior
The dashboard of the Model S looks straight out of a science fiction movie. A comfortable 17″ touch screen control panel allows you to control the stereo, the GPS navigation system, and the temperature controls. Every Model S comes equipped with satellite radio and 3G wireless internet as a standard feature. The touch screen is fully internet capable. To underscore the environmentally friendly message of this electric car, the seats are upholstered in chrome-free Italian leather and the carpeting is made entirely from 100% recycled materials. The Tesla offers ample room, with seating for five adults and two extra rear-facing seats in the back.
Zero Emissions with Zero Sacrifice
Although you will be driving one of the greenest cars on the market, you will feel like you are driving any standard luxury sedan. The sedan can go from 0 to 60 mph in just under 6 seconds, and tops out at speeds of 120 mph. Drivers will have to become accustomed to the unique single speed transmission, but it shouldn’t take very long in this comfortable green machine. The money you save on gasoline will also make it easy to enjoy the luxury of the Tesla Model S.
Jessica Bosari writes for Car Insurance Quotes Comparison, a site that seeks to educate consumers about cars and help them compare car insurance.
Prius vs. Volt: which one to buy?
There’s been a lot of buzz around the unveiling of the 2011 GM Volt. The long-awaited American electric car promises the greenest ride on the market and the lowest power costs, as well as reduced car insurance prices. While we don’t know yet if it will fulfill its promises, the Volt is a very popular subject among green car owners and future owners. But how does it compare to the long-established Prius? Can GM take over the electric car market?
At first glance, looking at both cars’ technical specs, we must say that we are indeed impressed with the Volt. The dependence on gas has been reduced to a minimum in this model; whereas the Prius relies on both electric and gas to power itself, the Volt’s only power source is the electric battery. There is a small gas motor, but it is only used to recharge the battery should it empty on the road; gas is not used to power the car itself. Theoretically, the battery itself has a range of 40 miles (not much, you might say) but the gas generator kicks that number up to around 300 miles, for a fuel usage of 230 mpg. That sounds great, right? But the problem is, you’ll pay a lot for that range: the car comes at the price of a Corolla, while it is about $20 000 more expensive than the base model of a Prius.
GM claims that the battery can be completely charged in 3 hours with a 240v plug, and 8 hours with a 120v. That means that unless you fit your house with a 240v plug, you’ll have to leave the car plugged in for extended periods of time in between trips. GM also says that powering your car takes less energy annually than your home fridge and freezer. You’ll only see a small hike on your electricity bill, the equivalent of one cup of coffee (probably not Starbucks’) a day for the charging, and two cents per mile for gas (considering the current price of $2.75 per gallon). So if you can handle the premium price, driving the car itself is pretty cheap.
So what happens to the Prius? Well, the model has been out for some time, and despite a few problems, it has proven to be popular and reliable. It is relatively cheap for a hybrid car (cheaper than the Honda Civic Hybrid, for example) and has made green driving accessible to a larger market. However, for those who want to have the greenest ride and reduce their carbon footprint to a minimum, the Volt is awfully attractive, if they can pay the price for it. Whether it is worth it or not, however, is something that each consumer should figure out on his own, especially if they have a lease with Toyota for the Prius.
No matter what you choose, make sure to also get a reliable car insurance quote before you make a final decision. Maybe the price of insurance will be the tipping point in favor of one model or the other. Remember that you can also get a used Prius, whereas it’ll take some years before used Volts show up on the market.
Can You Save on Insurance by Driving Hybrid Vehicle?
A hybrid car is undoubtedly environmentally friendly, low on fuel consumption, and gives us the opportunity to save money in the long run. However, when it comes to insuring a hybrid car many people are of the opinion that insurance rates are very high. Agreed, insurance for hybrid cars may be a more at present but there are plenty of benefits and way to keep insurance costs to the minimum. Once you learn about ways to reduce monthly insurance bills, you will be able to save a significant amount.
To begin with, some car insurance providers do offer several benefits to those who drive eco-friendly cars. Cheaper premiums are offered to hybrid car drivers who are statistically considered safer, leading to a reduction in insurance costs. Environmental concerns cause these drivers to clock less miles on an average every year. As far as insurance providers are concerned, hybrid car owners are low risk drivers since they most likely to drive cautiously. Moreover, these drivers are in the married and middle aged group, which is another reason to attract lower premiums. Even with a reduction of 10% on insurance bills, hybrid car owners end up saving a significant amount when combined with lesser fuel consumption.
As automobile manufacturers continue to bring out cheaper hybrid based vehicles, insurance prices are set to drop even further. In addition, there is a tax incentive for hybrid car owners, which results in further savings which can be had as early as in the first year of ownership. Some states also have extra credits for cars using alternative energy sources, with tax credits as much as $7,000 and more. With an increasing number of hybrid cars on the road, insurance companies automatically tend to lower prices. The bottom line is that it makes economical sense to own a hybrid car when you combine all various benefits and incentives available.
Nissan begins construction of Portuguese battery plant
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., has begun construction of a state-of-the-art, advanced lithium-ion battery plant in Cacia, Portugal to support the rollout of electric vehicles from the Renault-Nissan Alliance in Europe.
The battery plant is being built on a 30,450-square meter plot of land belonging to the Renault CACIA gearbox assembly plant following an investment of 156 million euros. The facility will start operations in December 2012 and will have a total capacity of 50,000 units a year. About 200 jobs are expected to be created by the new plant.
“The Cacia plant will be one of three facilities in Europe supplying batteries to electric vehicles produced by the Alliance, starting with the 100% electric Nissan LEAF. Together, the three plants will enable the Alliance to rollout electric vehicles in Europe on an unprecedented scale, bringing the world one step closer to a zero-emission future,” said Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga, speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Last April, Nissan began construction of a battery plant in Sunderland, United Kingdom, which will start operations in early 2012 with an annual capacity of 60,000 units. Renault’s battery plant in Flins, France will have a total production capacity of 100,000 units a year.
Philippe Klein, Renault’s Executive Vice-President of Corporate Planning, Product Planning and Programs, said: “The inauguration of the Cacia battery plant is another concrete step in the electric mobility revolution spearheaded by the Alliance. The plant will supply batteries for one of the four electric vehicles in the Renault Z.E. range, Fluence Z.E., which will be launched in autumn 2011.”
Renault’s gearbox plant in Cacia, 244 km north of Lisbon, was chosen as the site for the new battery facility thanks to its easy access to road, rail, sea and air transportation. The project also benefitted from support from the Portuguese government who shares the Alliance’s vision for zero-emission mobility.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance aims to be a global leader in zero-emission mobility. By 2015, the Alliance will have the capacity to produce 500,000 electric vehicles and batteries at its plants around the world, making it the only automotive group in the world to build electric vehicles and batteries on this scale.
The Alliance is taking a comprehensive approach towards the mass-marketing of electric vehicles which encompasses both the product and the infrastructure. To date, Renault and Nissan have entered into more than 90 partnerships with governments, municipal authorities and companies around the world to put in place the necessary incentives and infrastructure for the successful adoption of such vehicles.
In 2008, Portugal became the first country in Europe to partner with the Alliance for zero-emission mobility. The country is building an extensive network of charging stations and this summer expects to have installed 1,350 units across the nation, including 50 quick chargers
Nissan delivered nine Nissan LEAFs to the Portuguese electric mobility consortium MOBI.E and one to the Portuguese government in December ahead of the car’s official launch to individual customers in Europe shortly.
How Many Will Truly Change From Prius To Volt?
With Verizon getting the iPhone, industry experts are wondering how many people will leave AT&T to enjoy the phone with its new carrier. And with the launch of the Chevy Volt, experts are also wondering how many people will switch from the Toyota Prius to drive the much-hyped new American car.
While LeaseTrader.com can’t comment on the latest cell phone fad, the nation’s most popular car leasing marketplace may have interesting insight into the potential Prius to Volt switch. While experts at LeaseTrader.com anticipated a handful of questions from Prius lessees inquiring about escaping their lease contract to pursue the new Chevy Volt, the company thus far has received far more calls than it originally anticipated.
“No doubt about it, the Chevy Volt has been the star of the auto world as we head into 2011 and this has not been lost on the average driver,” said Sergio Stiberman, CEO and founder of LeaseTrader.com. “GM has done a fantastic turnaround job with the company and the excitement about the Volt continues to grow headlined by many naming it the 2011 ‘Car of the Year.’”
Toyota Prius lessees interested in getting out of their lease contract to pursue a different hybrid such as the Volt would normally face thousands of dollars in early contract termination penalties. But LeaseTrader.com allows lessees to transfer the remaining portion of their contract to a third-party individual in the market for a short-term lease. The “seller” avoids the termination fees and the “buyer” avoids a down payment. Read more
G-Power BMW M5 Hurricane GS – the world’s fastest LPG vehicle
G-POWER is known first and foremost for spectacular supercars, enormous power hikes and world speed records. What is less well-known, however, is the fact that environmental protection and resource conservation also enjoy a high priority in all G-POWER developments.
The power increases achieved by G-POWER are not paid for by an exorbitant rise in fuel consumption, but by maximization of the specific efficiency of the modified driveline. In its December 2008 issue, German magazine “Auto Bild sportscars” calculated an average fuel consumption of 18.3 l/100 km for the G-POWER M6 HURRICANE equipped with a 635 hp bi-supercharger system. In the January 2009 issue, the series production BMW M6 was found to have a fuel consumption of 18.1 l/100 km. This equates to an added fuel consumption of around 1% paired with a power increase of around 25%!
The whole package becomes even more environmentally friendly when the increased output is delivered courtesy of LPG instead of petrol. The conversion, however, is not that straightforward, even for series production high-revving engines. The even bigger challenge comes when the engine in question is also supercharged via two ASA radial compressors. By lucky coincidence, G-POWER is not only a supercharging specialist, but also one that happens to have particular expertise with BMW V10 power units. It is not without reason that G-POWER is the only company worldwide to offer an aftermarket supercharger system for the BMW V10 engine. Read more
Top 5 Hybrid Cars of 2011
Many of the new cars rolling out of factories in 2011 will be hybrids. Hybrids are growing in popularity as more drivers want to do more for the environment than use eco-friendly engine oils, and as high gas prices persist. Hybrids are also becoming more affordable, but whether you want middle class or luxury, there’s always car financing available.
With a hybrid, when you get a car inspection, you’re certainly not going to fail the emissions test. Hybrids offer high fuel-efficiency, fewer emissions and, overall, they save you money on gas. Here’s our list of the top hybrid cars of 2011.
2011 Toyota Prius
At 50 miles per gallon, the best rating in its class, the Prius continues to set high standards for hybrids. This third version comes with 22 percent more power and, of course, better fuel efficiency than the previous model. The various driving modes allow the driver to control fuel consumption and throttle response, and for greater fuel efficiency, the Prius system returns part of the gases that didn’t burn back into the combustion chamber.
2011 Kia Optima Hybrid
Kia’s first ever hybrid comes racing into the market at full speed. With an estimated 40 mpg and a lithium polymer battery, this car is up to competing in the fight for top hybrid.
The Optima hybrid comes with a fully electric, zero-emission mode and an automatic engine shutoff to eliminate unnecessary fuel consumption and emissions. These features, as well as high fuel-efficiency and a sleek look, put the KIA Optima in the top five.
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Hyundai was the first auto maker to integrate a highly efficient lithium polymer battery pack, and the Sonata Hybrid puts out 37 mpg — not the highest miles per gallon by any means, but it’s competitive.
The Sonata Hybrid is affordable and seems to be in its own class for style. Hyundai has put a lot of effort into styling and it shows, so this Sonata isn’t just good for the environment — it looks good too.
2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
A bit more expensive than the other hybrids on our list, the MKZ is definitely worth the price if you like cool features. Drivers get real-time feedback about their level of fuel and battery use, and a program lets the driver see how their driving habits affect the vehicle’s fuel economy.
Surprisingly, the MKZ hybrid has the same $35,000 base price as its V6 gas engine counterpart. At 41 mpg and with 191 hp, this car gives good mileage with a notable kick. Its smooth ride and luxury features place it in hot competition with other 2011 hybrids.
2011 Honda Civic Hybrid
At 41 mpg and with one of the lowest base prices, the Civic Hybrid has styling and features very similar to those of the Civic sedan. Tight handling and smooth driving allow it to keep up with other cars in its class.
Under certain circumstances, the Civic Hybrid can turn off all of its cylinders and run on only the electric motor. Although it doesn’t completely shut off its engine like some other hybrids, through this feature it nonetheless saves around the same amount of fuel.
ICOM North America wins EPA approval for bi-fuel propane engines
Icom North America, the leading innovator, developer and manufacturer of liquid injection propane systems for commercial and consumer vehicles, has attained the first U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval for its Liquid Injection Propane bi-fuel systems for the Ford 6.8 liter engines, produced for Ford Econoline vans.
Ralph Perpetuini, CEO of Icom North America, said his company was given the green light by the EPA to convert applicable Ford 6.8 liter gasoline engines for E-250, E-350 and E-450 platforms covering model years 2010 and 2011 for propane and gasoline (or bi-fuel) use. Most end users of this technology will be commercial fleets of ambulances, shuttle buses, flatbeds, cutaways and cargo vehicles.
“This is the first time the EPA has certified a bi-fuel engine system using liquid propane injection,” Perpetuini noted. “We believe propane is the most energy-efficient and practical alternative fuel currently available.”
“Coupled with gasoline in a bi-fuel engine, propane gives fleet owners the option of refueling with either fuel, providing extended range,” he said. “This is ideal for the fleet user who has numerous delivery vehicles, including those with small fleets at many locations.”
Since 2004, Icom North America has been supplying its patented JTG liquid-injection propane mono-fuel systems to leading bus, truck and commercial vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. Read more