What Is the Electric Car?
Film Answers that Question the Day Before Cars Arrive in Showrooms
The day before 100% Electric cars start arriving in showrooms, a new documentary “What is the Electric Car?” will have its Hollywood premiere to answer the many questions millions have about electric cars. This timely feature film contains insightful interviews with key manufacturers, vendors, drivers & pioneers in the Electric Vehicle (EV) industry predicted to explode over the next 12 months and create thousands of jobs as new cars like the Chevy VOLT, Nissan Leaf start arriving in showrooms this week joining the dozen other EV offerings now available or taking reservations for 2011 deliveries. Viewers will likely consider these new EVs (which plug into a 110 outlet & don’t use a drop of gasoline or oil), before purchasing their next car. Warren Buffet has quoted: “All cars will be electric in 20 years”.
The Hollywood premiere of the film will be held at the historic Lloyd E.
Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian on December 14th. “Thanks to our friends at the North American Int’l. Auto Show and many auto sponsors (including Nissan, Chevrolet, and ZAP), we have over ten (10) different electric vehicles on display which many of our guests attending the premiere will get to see for the very first time.” remarks Producer Cam MacGregor. Many celebrities have also contributed to this “green themed”, enlightening film including Jay Leno (who let producers in his garage to film him driving his 1908 Baker Electric), Ed Begley, Jr. (filmed at the ‘Go Green Expo’), and “Baywatch” star and EV activist Alexandra Paul who hosted a behind the scenes chapter for the DVD. Renowned Artist Romero Britto (www.Britto.com) spent the last 2 months painting the world’s 1st BRITTO TM electric car (a Tango T-600 Commuter Car), and Chábeli Iglesias just signed on to host the film’s Spanish language version of the film which will be available for Latin American and Spanish speaking markets early next year. Read more
Chevrolet Volts Begin Shipping to Dealerships
The first Chevrolet Volts left the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant on Monday destined for initial retail launch markets. Customers in California, Texas, Washington D.C. and New York could receive the world’s first-and-only electric vehicle with extended-range capability in the next few days.
These are the first of 350 vehicles to be shipped this week.
“Today is a historic milestone for Chevrolet,” said Tony DiSalle, Volt marketing director. “We have redefined automotive transportation with the Volt, and soon the first customers will be able to experience gas-free commuting with the freedom to take an extended trip whenever or wherever they want.”
The heart of the Volt is its Voltec electric propulsion system, which combines battery-only electric driving with an efficient, gas-powered engine giving the Volt up to 379 total miles of driving before having to recharge the battery or fill up the small gas tank. The Volt is the only mass produced U.S.-built electric vehicle.
Earlier this year, Chevrolet shipped 15 pre-production Volts to technology enthusiasts and electric vehicle advocates whom were the first consumers to experience the Volt every day under real-world conditions during a 90-day vehicle and charging evaluation program.
MotorTrend, Automobile and Green Car Journal each recently selected the Volt as their Car of the Year.
About Chevrolet
Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly” solutions, such as Chevrolet Cruze Eco with an EPA-estimated 42 miles per gallon highway, and the Chevrolet Volt offering 35 miles of electric driving and an additional 344 miles of extended gasoline range, according to EPA estimates. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
Rentech’s Synthetic RenDiesel® Fuels Audi A3 TDI During L.A. Auto Show Green Cars Ride & Drive Event
Rentech, Inc. (NYSE AMEX: RTK) announced that its synthetic RenDiesel® fuel will power an Audi A3 TDI during today’s Green Cars LA Auto Show Ride & Drive event, hosted by Green Car Journal.
During the event, credentialed journalists will experience the performance of synthetic RenDiesel fuel in Green Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year®, an honor awarded to the Audi A3 TDI at last year’s LA Auto Show. Last month, two Audi A3 TDIs performed “flawlessly,” according to Audi and Green Car Journal editors, during the first-ever extended drive using synthetic RenDiesel fuel.
The four-day, 1000 mile endurance drive, part of the ‘2010 Green Car of the Year Tour’TM, demonstrated that synthetic drop-in RenDiesel fuel and diesel vehicles such as the Audi A3 TDI provide viable solutions to improving the environment and can contribute to a decreased reliance on imported oil.
During the drive, the Audi A3 TDI averaged 43 mpg on RenDiesel fuel, which is greater than the EPA average highway fuel economy rating for that car. The RenDiesel fuel used on the drive was produced from natural gas and can also be made from biomass. The renewable RenDiesel fuel to be produced from biomass using Rentech-SilvaGas gasification technology at Rentech’s Rialto Renewable Energy Center is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis by as much as 97% over conventional diesel fuel and by a comparable amount over electric vehicles. A vehicle using RenDiesel fuel is also expected to be as much as two times more fuel efficient than one running on ethanol. RenDiesel fuel contains approximately 60% more energy per gallon than ethanol and diesel engines typically achieve 20-40% more miles per gallon than gasoline engines. RenDiesel fuel also produces fewer volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions than ethanol or traditional diesel and has lower tailpipe emissions compared to traditional diesel. Read more
Insurance for Classic Cars
‘Classic cars’ is a well used term and is certainly used by car insurance providers to advertise their products to a category of car owner that has, well, a classic car to insure. But what does ‘classic car’ actually mean? Definitions vary, but in general we can say that the car should be old. How old? 20 years if often used as a benchmark, but does that mean a 1994 Porsche 911, at 16 years old, is not a classic car? Does it mean that a 1989 Holden Commodore is a classic car? What about a 1950’s Mercedes? At more than 50 years old many would define this as an antique car.
As well as having age, a classic car probably has some rarity value, either because not many of that brand were sold, or because the model you own has features that were not common on the standard models. For example, a 1970’s GTHO Falcon, Holden Torana XU-1, original Corvette or left hand drive Mustang all have age on their side and are rare in this country (even though the standard Falcons and Toranas are more common). These are clearly classic cars.
While most people would think of a classic car as being well designed or good to look at, that’s not always the case either. A Citroen 2CV is not necessarily nice to look at and is certainly not a ‘sleek’ car, but it is certainly a classic. It has some unusual features which probably helps its cause – windows that fold out and a gear lever that eminates the dash as examples.
You will know if your car is a classic, even if it’s in your own mind. Call insurers and see what they think. In the main, it should be of some age, not too common (which is a by-product of age to some extent), of noteworthy design and/or endowed with unusual features. (Mercedes Gull-wing being an extreme example).
Luckily for you there are a number of insurers that do deal specifically in classic cars. It’s not necessarily going to be cheap insurance, but the policies will be adapted to suit the situation. For example, most standard car insurers simply don’t have a policy that caters for car owners who will only drive the car on the weekend, or once a month. They don’t have an insurance product that recognises this type of use.
So what are some of the things you should look out for with an insurance policy for classic cars?
- • Agreed value. The likelihood is that the value of your car could vary greatly depending on its condition and features. You need to be comfortable that the insurer is giving you the right value, and has the procedures in place to help you assess the value. Do they offer a valuation review or somewhere someone can examine the car?
- • Limited Usage cover. You might own a classic car that you use on a daily basis, but it’s more likely that you only drive it on the weekends or even less often. In order to reduce the cost of the insurance you want the insurer to offer this policy type. If you are driving the car one tenth the amount of time that most people drive their standard vehicles, you want some sort of financial reward because you are certainly reducing the risk of a claim being made. Limited usage cover is not always measured in the number of times you drive, it’s also measured in the amount of kilometres you travel each year.
- What level of excess is required? Sometimes the excess (the amount you are required to pay before the claim can be made) diminishes the value of the insurance cover to the point that you are not sure it’s worth it.
- How many drivers are covered? If you will be the only driver and you have a strong no-claims record and no speeding fines, you should be rewarded.
- Is the car used for weddings and other special events? Classic cars are often sought after for various social events. If your car is used for these purposes make sure that is made clear to the insurer.
As you are in a niche group most of the insurers will make the right noises about understanding your special needs and catering for your special circumstances. That’s fine, but don’t let the nice words get in the way of the right policy. If all you are getting is the standard insurance at an inflated cost then you are not being looked after. As always, do your research and read the PDS.
Note: This information is general and provided as a guide only. It is recommended that you discuss your specific circumstances with an appropriate advisor.
The Green Driver: Emerging lifestyle evolving for the car industry
Green Drivers are very different drivers from the rev-heads of the past. These motorists know as much about the car as their mechanic and perhaps more about it than the manufacturer, in terms of the things that matter to them. They also know what they want, and that includes everything from what they drive, how they drive, and what sort of car insurance they have.
Changing world, changing drivers
The fact is that the whole idea of driving has changed a lot. Gridlock, fuel and on road costs, pollution, and the chronic inefficiency of “normal” driving have left a scar on the psyche of even non-Green drivers, but the Green Drivers have taken it many steps further.
The economics of owning a car have changed enormously, and not for the better. This is “user pays” translated into “loser pays”, and the loser is always the consumer. Green drivers, who are also Green consumers, won’t tolerate that scenario. The car has to be economically acceptable, and since Greens don’t care about status symbols or other forms of smoke and mirrors, that makes them demanding consumers.
The truly Green car is:
• At the very least a hybrid
• Fuel efficient
• Cost effective
• Clean as it can get
• Good on road performer
• Reliable mechanically
• Easy to service
• Cheap purchase cost
Not many cars can meet this very stringent, and totally uncompromising series of demands, and that’s been one of the big forces in the market. The Green driver won’t buy a gas-inhaling SUV, because it’s almost the exact opposite of these criteria. The Green driver also obviously saves a fortune by not buying such monsters, and it’s one of the reasons many drivers agree with the basic Green economics.
The market generally is sick of paying through the nose for anything and everything. Cars, in particular, are now costing about as much as a child to operate, and that very expensive comparison isn’t much appreciated by parents trying to support their kids, not car manufacturers.
The car industry hasn’t been exactly helping itself by telling consumers that cars are “economic to run” when a week actually driving one proves the exact opposite. The fact that anyone on Earth can now just get online and get better information than the car dealers have should also have been considered.
The extraordinarily bad market strategies of US car manufacturers are testimonies to a total lack of comprehension of the realities of driving. Big, expensive, hard to maneuver in heavy traffic vehicles went out of fashion with consumers long ago. It was the fact that the industry took 10 years to notice that was the problem.
This is where the Green drivers originated, and they’ve stuck to their criteria as much as possible. The sheer ease of market penetration by relatively cheap cars which are economic to put on the road is an obvious sign of market sentiment. Everything, from the car insurance quote to the wheel alignment is now costed and assessed. The market should wake up, for once, to where this market wants to go.
How Hybrid Car Affect on Auto Insurance Premiums?
кухненско обзавежданеHybrid cars aren’t only good for the environment. They are easy on your pocket too when it comes to car insurance premiums. The newest fuel craze can help you save much more than you would ever expect with a normal car. Combined with fuel efficiency, you have much to cheer about if you own a hybrid car. These cars help save fuel since they alternate between an electric motor and conventional gasoline engine.
Hybrid cars are considered ‘low risk’ by auto insurance companies, thereby attracting lower premiums. Most auto insurance companies offer a 10% discount to owners of hybrid vehicles. These drivers are more likely to be mature drivers who drive carefully and are less likely to end up in an accident with the need to file claims. Being in the ‘preferred insurance category’ qualifies hybrid car owners for lower insurance rates. Most of these drivers are between the ages of 41 to 60, a group that is considered finically stable and less likely to participate in reckless activities. Some insurance companies are involved in special carbon offsetting programs, where a portion of your insurance premium goes towards the manufacture of environmentally friendly products.
Hybrid car owners are likely to receive cash back incentives, which once again leads to great savings. Besides, it balances out the initial cost of buying a hybrid car. It is advisable to do a bit of comparison shopping for hybrid car insurance. Not every insurance provider offers discounts to hybrid car owners since the repairs in the event of an accident can add up to a significant sum. It is prudent to compare quotes online in order to make a well informed decision prior to purchasing hybrid auto insurance. The bottom line is to save as much as you can and reap the benefits of tax credits along with affordable hybrid auto insurance. Don’t wait for an insurance company to offer you discounts, instead, make sure you ask for them.
Easy Tips to Keep Auto Repair and Maintenance “Green”
With nearly four in five car owners planning to drive their current vehicle for 50,000 (or more) miles longer than they drove their previous one, and the economic crunch driving car owners to do their own car repairs(1), AutoMD.com has released a list of tips – from recycling oil to using remanufactured parts – to help these DIYers keep both their environment and their wallets green.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the oil from one oil change can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water (a year’s supply for 50 people)(2), and the use of reconditioned parts not only saves valuable environmental resources, it can save car owners 50 percent or more compared to the cost of purchasing new parts(3).
To help car owners ‘green’ their auto repair and maintenance, AutoMD.com’s team of mechanics identified some common DIY repair and maintenance activities and applied a simple formula: the “Four R’s”: Recycle – Repair – Re-use – and Be Resource-Friendly.
AutoMD.com’s Green Auto Repair and Maintenance Tips:
1. RECYCLE OIL, ANTIFREEZE AND PARTS
If all the oil from American do-it-yourself oil changers were recycled, it would be enough to supply more than 50 million cars a year(2). Oil, antifreeze and parts can usually be recycled at your local repair shop. Click here for more info: http://www.automd.com/About-AutoMD/Press/9-28-2010/
2. REPAIR, DON’T REPLACE
Extending the life of your vehicle and its body parts through proper repair and maintenance can help save environmental resources, prevent costly repairs and conserve consumer dollars. Click here for more info: http://www.automd.com/About-AutoMD/Press/9-28-2010/
3. RE-USE PARTS AND SUPPLIES
Rebuilt/remanufactured and used parts are easily available and can cost 50% less than buying new parts, while also reducing the amount of raw materials consumed and harmful emissions generated. Click here for more info: http://www.automd.com/About-AutoMD/Press/9-28-2010/
4. BE RESOURCE-FRIENDLY WHEN YOU CLEAN
Chances are that whatever you clean your vehicle with could end up in the storm drain and our streams, rivers, or oceans, so be conscious of the products you are using, or better still, use a commercial car wash, which generally uses much less water. Click here for more info: http://www.automd.com/About-AutoMD/Press/9-28-2010/
5. USE RESOURCE-FRIENDLY PARTS AND PRODUCTS
Look at options for greener or longer-life products, such as extended life antifreeze and organic brake pads. Click here for more info: http://www.automd.com/About-AutoMD/Press/9-28-2010/
“While many auto repair shops have instituted green practices in their shops and have been recycling parts and oil for years, there is little information available to help the average DIY car owner keep his/her maintenance and repair work environmentally friendly,” said AutoMD.com President Shane Evangelist. “At AutoMD.com we want to empower car owners with information to help them ‘green’ their auto repair, not only to help save valuable environmental resources and prevent a polluted water supply but, importantly in this economic climate, to help them save significant dollars.”
About AutoMD.com
AutoMD.com™ (www.automd.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of US Auto Parts Network, Inc., (Nasdaq:PRTS), is the most comprehensive and unbiased free online automotive repair resource designed to empower car owners with the best way to repair their vehicles. Backed by a team of automotive data specialists and certified auto mechanics who are advocates for the car owner, AutoMD.com allows both car owners and DIYers to 1. Troubleshoot car problems, 2. Know how much auto repairs should cost, 3. Understand the steps needed and the time it should take with How-to Auto Repair guides, 4. Find the right local auto repair shop at the right price for their issue, and 5. Get auto repair questions answered by the AutoMD.com community. AutoMD.com was named Best Automotive Website in the 8th annual American Business Awards, also known as the as the Stevie® Awards.
The Green Driver- Emerging lifestyle evolving for the car industry
The Green driver is currently a hybrid driver, or may have managed to get one of the electric cars on the market, or even a home made one. The signs are that the emerging Green driving lifestyle and clear preferences are a big paradigm shift on the way for the car industry. The Green driver is a new demographic, and a new type of car user. Typically Green drivers are educated, middle to upper income, people, and are strongly motivated to find the best, and greenest, cars on the market. This new market will have an impact on everything from car insurance to parking fees. It’d be a good idea if the industry started paying attention to the demands of the market now, before it gets undercut by it.
Green driving essentials
Green drivers are a sort of mobile expo of the emerging market in embryonic form. Their needs are quite different from the conventional driver. Even their relationship with their car is different. They’re extremely conscious of how their cars operate, and don’t drive and consume on auto pilot like conventional drivers.
The car, to a Green driver, isn’t a status symbol. It’s something much more important, a personal statement. The car also isn’t some sort of “hormonal replacement”, like a grunt car with massive gas guzzling potentials and a noisy, show-off sound to it. Green drivers don’t like noise pollution, either, so they don’t buy sound systems with more power going through the woofers than the engines.
Urban Green drivers don’t particularly need sports cars or other high priced luxuries which really don’t even fit the concept of being a Green driver. A Green limo or sports model is more likely to be a novelty, but also a statement. Green drivers need functional cars, preferably with personalized, eco-friendly add-ons and plug-ins.
There are a lot of good economic reasons for the Green driver’s strong preferences, and they’re category killers:
- The realities and economics of being on the road: Green cars are by definition cheaper to run in terms of on road costs. A Green driver will spend roughly a quarter, at most, of the costs of a petrol driver.
- Traffic congestion: Green cars are far more cost efficient in a slow traffic stream.
- The economic environment: The fact is that wages and budgets are always behind prices. Green cars can cut costs and reduce cash outlays on a daily basis.
If in reading the previous paragraphs you had a vision of a lot of standard car culture icons suddenly becoming a lot less remunerative, you’re right. The industry is likely to find itself obsolete and overloaded with unsalable goods, if it’s not careful.
This is a new culture, and it will take time to develop. However, the indications are that technology, rent a car models, and public “U Drive” transport will add a lot to the Green driver’s repertoire, and soon. Don’t be too surprised if you find your car insurance quotes asking for an estimate of your kwh, before too long.