Encouraging the citizens to use more environment friendly cars is fine. But the government also has the responsibility to set the example and this is exactly what is going to be done; the hybrid prototypes of Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT A3) developed by Oshkosh are going to take place of thousands of U.S. Army and Marine heavy tactical vehicles.

As a part of $55 million research contract bagged in 2003 from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Lifecycle Management Command, Oshkosh has been engaged in developing the eight-wheel, 13-ton A3.

These Oshkosh hybrid heavy weight trucks use lot lesser fuel— almost 20 percent lesser— than their traditional fuel guzzling siblings. They also bring 100 kilowatts of exportable power.  Instead of a standard drive train, the truck’s diesel engine drives a generator. The generator in turn powers an electric motor on each of the eight wheels. While put in parking gear, the generator is capable of running a command-and-control center or field hospital. It stores electricity in an ultracapacitor which does not weigh more than typical batteries; this keeps up its efficiency in freezing and extremely hot conditions.

The coming months will determine the fate of HEMMT A3s when their constructional superiority will be judged by the army officials over a 10,000 miles of on- and off-road testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, Md. This will clear all doubts whether these hybrid tactical trucks are sturdy enough to withstand the realities of battle grounds.

The construction of the current batch of A3s is being built by strictly considering the factors of military ruggedness. They are built on a 20-year life expectancy. Joaquin Salas, Oshkosh’s defense marketing manager sums up the advantages of this 8 wheel mobility tactical trucks in this way:

“The truck provides an advanced capability that it sets apart from any current vehicle on the battlefield whether you are talking about power, fuel savings or the ability to off-load a C-130”.

Thus the army seems to have enough reasons to be upbeat about this new generation of hybrid military trucks. Reducing fuel consumption, the HEMMT A3s are expected to considerably slash off military’s logistic budgets; the on-board electric generators ensure greater flexibility too.

As of us, there is no reason why we should not look forward to the production of commercial vehicles using the same technology.

 

Senators Bayh and Lugar introduces Bill aimed at reducing the nation’s oil dependence; the Bill could help speed fuel efficient vehicles too!

Too much dependence on West Asian oils has made the USA the butt of criticism by various bocks in the recent years.

The USA has chosen to rebound in a constructive way!!

The U.S. Senators duo Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar have introduced a new Bill that aims to reduce the nation’s oil dependence by reducing oil imports by 7 million barrels a day over the next 20 years.

All these years USA has been condemned by the international community for having done so little for reducing vehicular pollution despite being the richest country in the world. But this new Bill introduced by the U.S. Senators. Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar sparks off great optimism: the Act not only hopes to end the slavery to the foreign oil imports, it is also expected to boost up the combined programs of conservation, fuel diversification and technological advances.

The ‘Dependence Reduction through Innovation in Vehicles and Energy Act’ (the DRIVE Act), may at first glance appear as a political move from the geo-political perspective; but the Act is ultimately aimed at a brighter and greener future.

So what the DRIVE promise to do for the citizens?

First, the Act aims to increase the availability of renewable fuels such as ethanol to the consumers.

Secondly, the auto manufacturers will be asked to set their production target in a way so that 50% of their production comprise flexible fuel vehicles (FFV), alternative fueled vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles in 2012. After 2016 at least 10 percent of the 50 percent requirement must be met by hybrids, advanced diesels, plug-in hybrids and other non-FFV vehicles.

However tax credits will be awarded to the auto-manufacturers in their efforts to upgrade their factories for producing hybrid electric, plug-in electric and flex-fuel vehicles.

Thirdly, it is also going to lift the per manufacturer cap on consumer tax credits, so that a greater number of consumers receive tax incentives for buying hybrid vehicles.

Lastly, it requires the States as well as the Federal governments to set an example by reducing oil use by 30% by turning the 23% of their entire fleet into advanced diesels, hybrids or plug-in hybrids by 2016.

According to Bayh’s prediction, the Act may cause a cut in oil consumption as big as 2.5 million barrels a day over the next 10 years. Over 20 years, the reduction will be equivalent of 7 million barrels a day. Thus the Senator sees in the Act a solution to the security threats emanating from the volatile region of West Asia.

The common consumers have a simpler reason to rejoice; the act clearly backs up the production and consumption of hybrid vehicles. That means your upfront cost for having a hybrid vehicle is going to be lot cheaper in the coming days.

You are driving an expensive hybrid car… you are already contributing your bits to the environment.

You deserve some luxury man!

Relax!!…of course not at the cost of precious fuel.

Do you know it is now possible to tap all the luxury amenities into your car with the car taking it easy on the environment all the while! After all, the Lexus RX is here to change the notion for once and for all that only hardcore environmentalists drive hybrid cars. A man with a penchant for the fine things in life no longer has to suffer from guilty pangs for his indulgences with car-luxuries; leading hybrid models are all getting upscale makeovers! With the launching of  such chic hybrid cars like Lexus, Honda Accord or Civic and Toyota highlander…the auto-manufacturers are all cramming for attention of the high end customers.

Luxury car owners have always been looked upon as a creed for whom, the subject of fuel efficiency is a matter of little importance! But think about it! Today it is no longer fashionable to be regarded as a person who cares a hoot for environment and precious national assets! So drive in style but also stay concerned about your surrounding….the luxury hybrid cars are there to pamper you with the range of amenities while helping you to stay true to your conscience.

Just take the example of this car: the Lexus that pioneered the concept of a luxury hybrid vehicle. Built on a Toyota Camry platform, the Lexus hybrid models offer you the ultimate indulgence in luxury. The plush interior includes leather upholstery, reclining second-row seats, moon roof, heated front seats, a DVD entertainment system and a high quality audio system. Alloy wheels and traction control ensure better stability and smooth ride. Navigation system with voice recognition takes off loads from your driving efforts.

Yet, the car is environment friendly; it has been certified to be the ultra Low emission vehicle; the feature of Dual Variable Valve Timing continuously adjusts the engine’s valve timing to provide optimum power at any speed; an Electronically Controlled Transmission (ECT) accounts for a smoother ride. In ultimate term, this luxury hybrid car combines the comfort of a luxury Sedan and concerns of an environmentalist!

There is good news for those who want a bit of luxury while riding a green car.

In the New Year, Lexus has become even better.

The 2007 Lexus RX 350 comes with 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine. That means higher performance and greater fuel economy!

On the luxury side you get this new viscous limited-slip center differential. This allows you to stay connected to your favorite tunes emanating from a Mark Levinson audio system with 11 speakers. In addition to that you get 6-disc in-dash DVD/CD changer, DVD audio playback and DVD video playback.

Now the navigation system also comes with a back-up system that projects an image on the navigation screen when the vehicle is in reverse gear.

So, no more guilty complex for riding a fuel sucking luxury car! Ride a Lexus hybrid car and go green in style.

The warm-ups started right in the Orange County Auto Show, 2006 with the unveiling of country’s 14th Hybrid Car. And as it rolls into another new year, the countdown has already begun: Nissan’s 2007 Altima is all set to hit the stores across USA.

This highly sophisticated hybrid car claims to create the “new benchmark, purposefully powerful and refined”. Have a quick look at the unique features and stay informed about this new Nissan model.

Nissan Altima is definitely going to be a trend setter among its other green car cousins with an AT-PZEV(Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) rating up its sleeve. That is to say it virtually runs without any evaporative emissions.

With a power rating of 198 horsepower, the Altima Hybrid is going to be the most powerful among any available 4-cylinder hybrid systems. The car is equipped with 270-hp V6 and groundbreaking Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) that delivers instant response.

So the performance is ensured, but you don’t have to compromise on the style either. With Bose audio system, touch screen navigation, plush finish with metallic accents, and rich textures, Nissan Altima is going to be the ultimate experience in luxury, comfort and safety for both the rider and the driver.

Also the driver-friendly technologies make your driving experience more enjoyable; no need to carry the key to start your Altima…a keyless push-button ignition system cuts down your effort to simply pressing the button and getting the immediate response. However, you get the convenient Intelligent Key all right. In addition to that a touch-screen navigation system with live traffic reporting slashes off the stress of driving at a longer stretch.

A piece of advice from the experts of Nissan: don’t program while you drive. If you are driving in Hawaii and Alaska, you will not get the benefits of navigation system; it is made operational only in the contiguous 48 states of the USA. Also, the mapping is not yet detailed and may not reflect all the current traffic regulations.

Initially the car is planned to be sold only in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont—the states having stricter emission rules than the other 42 states.

Feeling curious? Want to know more about this wonderful car that combines style and performance? The following links may come handy for you:

Orange County Auto Show

http://www.nissanusa.com/altima/interior.html

http://www.nissanusa.com/altima/

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2007-nissan-altima.htm

Every time your hybrid Toyota Prius overtakes a conventional car, you leave a message to the driver behind you; “See, I am doing my bit towards scaling down the nation’s energy dependence, at the same time helping to keep the air clean too”! In return you also expect some incentive; it’s only natural! And the incentives used to come in form of federal tax credit! But as the Toyota–so far the biggest hybrid car makers in the USA—reaches its 60,000 hybrid sales limit, you may no longer get tax credit for Toyota models,  as credits apply only to the first 60,000 hybrid cars sold by each auto-manufacturer. This was intended for making the consumers act early.

However, Toyota wants an extension of a Federal tax credit and that stirs up debate and incites comments from the competitors of TM, reports USA Today.

Before reaching the 60000 mark, Toyota’s Prius helped consumers enjoy a tax break up to $3,150, which was an all time high. Since last October, however, the tax incentive for buying a Toyota hybrid was reduced to half and is going to be slashed once again in half from April 1, 2007. It is going to disappear entirely later this year.

In spite of their attainment of the magic mark of 60, 000, the Toyota puts forward their logic for expansion in the tax credit. Jim Press, president of Toyota Motor North America, said in the Detroit Auto Show 2007, “Demand for Prius declined when there was a step down in hybrid tax credits. We need to have a certain volume to get the mainstream in for economies of scale.”

However, the competitors beg to differ. The spokespersons from Honda, General Motors or Ford… all opposed the idea of extension in the tax credits on different grounds. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, of which Toyota is a member, does not seem to take side of the company in this issue. As of now Toyota prominently stands alone in its demand for reauthorization of the subsidies.

However, Toyota is largely banking upon the Federal decision on the basis of fast track resolution for encouraging reasonable use and conservation of renewable energy. The fate may be decided as early as this week, as reports USA today: “The House could act as soon as this week on a fast-track resolution that could serve as a precursor to the kind of legislation that Toyota is seeking.”

Till then the Toyota loyalists must wait with their fingers crossed. Though the whole issue is expected to be analyzed from a pubic benefit standpoint, the common consumers clearly want the tax credit for their favorite Toyota hybrids to continue.

We are moving with giant strides toward the post-petroleum era. In this age of gross energy shortage when the dynamics of oil prices seem to control the barometer of global economy and politics and the destiny of human kind in general, the issue of energy conservation holds special significance. And the issue becomes even more serious as you consider it in the backdrop of the conditions of several developing countries.

Consider the case of India—the world’s largest democracy, a future economic superpower, a world IT hub and outsourcing giant—is also one of the most polluted countries in the world, where most of the air pollution is caused by vehicular emissions.

However, this emerging Asian superpower seems to be hell-bent on improving her image on the environmental arena as she lures the foreign investors. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry seems to find the solution in the building up of mass awareness and organizes Oil and Gas Conservation Fortnight to be continued till 31st of January.

An innovative feature of the fortnight long program is the participation of the school children. In all the big cities including the country’s cyber capital, Bangalore, special programs have been drawn to educate the school children in conservation and sensible usage of petroleum products. Initiatives were taken by the Petroleum Conservation Research Association officials to make children take pledges for conservation of non-renewable energy resources.

The Indian President in the recent past stressed on the importance of alternative fuel sources and he invited the nation to plant jatropha curcas plants to tap the energy source of biodiesel.

The Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal echoed the president while delivering his speech in the Petrotech conference in New Delhi. He stressed on the exploration of Biomass, jatropha, gas hydrates and various other sources of energy to cope with the future fossil-based energy shortage. He also acknowledged the utility of electric vehicle as a cost-effective solution to the air pollution created by the traditional vehicles.

In the battle against environmental degradation, the Indian high school children are being encouraged to set up their eco-clubs. Grants from foreign countries like Norway are being utilized to fund these awareness programs.

India seems to take a green route towards development. Being the home of world’s largest youth population, the country seems to adopt just the perfect strategy…inculcating the sense of responsibility in the sensible souls; after all the future of the world belongs to them and they should know how to make it beautiful.

Governor Schwarzenegger Re-Affirms California’s Superiority in the Battle For Cleaner Environment

The movement for a greener transportation system received a mega boost yesterday, when Schwarzenegger signed an Executive Order on Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) to reduce the level of greenhouse gases emitted by the automobiles.

This bold step makes the State of Californian a pioneer of sort in the battle against global warming and definitely becomes an eye-opener for the other US states. The right backdrop has already been there in the form of Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, aimed at curbing the greenhouse gas emissions.

What does the order aim to achieve?

Schwarzenegger in his Executive Order tried to portray the magnanimity of the pollution in the state—it was noted that California’s 24 million registered cars consumed 16 billion gallons of gasoline in 2005. The amount is even greater than the total fuel consumption of Japan having a population four times greater than that of California. The reason behind this high level of fuel consumption has been attributed to the small percentage of hybrid-car usage in the state. So the immediate aim of the new fuel standard seems to encourage the use of hybrid cars in the state.

So what consequences are we to expect?

This new fuel standard holds deeper significance for the oil giants like Chevron and Exxon Mobil; they have to sell lower carbon containing fuel in the state. That can be done either by upgrading their production process or by blending ethanol in the fuel. The companies like Pacific Gas & Electric (PCG) that sell cleaner electricity or biofuels are sure to benefit from LCFS.

The Order comes with yet another boon: According to the Governor’s Order, the state’s Environmental Protection Agency will collaborate with the California Energy Commission, the Air Resources Board and the University of California to implement the program. According to a University of California estimate, this can increase Gross State Product by about $60 billion and create over 20,000 new jobs.

Reactions

The industry heavy weights generally display a mood of cooperation: PG&E along with chemicals giant DuPont were quick to issue their reactions welcoming the Governor’s green dream.

The hybrid enthusiasts have enough reason to rejoice: The LCFS demands a cut in gasoline consumption by 20 percent. To meet with the standard, you have to replace traditional cars with  more than 7 million hybrid cars in the coming days…opined Robert Sawyer, chairman of the California Air Resources Board.

The die hard fans of Schwarzenegger may hope to call him the President Schwarzenegger someday….till then three cheers for our Governor for his diehard efforts for a greener world!!

With just weeks to go by, a nail biting countdown has begun over the new Superbowl commercials! The big enterprises are geared up once again to spellbind the world with their power-packed ad-campaigns. For the businesses, Superbowl ads provide one of the best platforms for showcasing their product excellence while for consumers Superbowl ads mean some exciting works of the brainstorming of some of the best creative brains of the nation! No wonder then, the Biggies like Toyota or Honda will attempt to cash on the huge business potential of this event that fetches an enormous T.V viewership.

The Honda was reported to buy a total of one minute of airtime. It will make it poorer by almost $5.2 million. But of course it is the company that makes business…not us and so we just can make wild speculations about how many more millions will be added to their annual profits.

The two 15-second ads from the “Gil, The Crab” campaign are believed to be pitted against the arc-rival Toyota. The ads are designed to tout Honda as the most fuel-efficient hybrid car in the USA. The ad is going to glorify the fact that Honda’s CAFE average rating is higher than rival Toyota. Honda will run two ads for the Element SUV, and their aim is to end the monopoly of Toyota Prius as the most eco-friendly and fuel efficient hybrid cars currently available in the USA.

Honda has the credit of selling top 10 best hybrids of 2006, up its sleeve and so they rightly deserve all attentions during the Big Event of Superbowl. As for us, watching the ad-fighting among the rival brands is as exciting as the game itself! The thirty seconds Honda ads are sure to bring the heady concoction of fun and creativity for the viewers while striking the right chord for the targeted consumers.

They are environment friendly!!

They are cheaper to maintain on the long haul!!

They help you to save on your tax payment!!

….There were myriad reasons why so many people thought it worthwhile buying a hybrid car!

The net result is: Starting from the year 2000, till mid- 2006, the sales curve of hybrid cars depicted a definitive upward trend. However a fall in the fuel price had somewhat interfered with this steep growth (within August to November the sales fall to 19,000 to 32,000).

Cut to 2007. Scenario has changed a bit…tax incentives, at least for Toyota cars are fading out, but people have started to take environmental factors more seriously. Under this circumstance there zoomed in another factor in a rather big way and that relates to the gas price!  According to a survey conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), Gas prices will average slightly more than $4 a gallon by 2015 and just over $5 a gallon by 2020.

With soaring gas price, the fuel economy and emissions regulations are going to be even stricter over the next decade, not in the USA alone, but also in Japan and in the EU countries.

And gas prices during the next few years are going to determine the fate of hybrid cars in a big way.

Keeping with the gas price/pollution control regulations factors, the leading auto manufacturers, especially Toyota and Honda…two world leaders in manufacturing hybrid cars are going to give special emphasis on more environment-friendly greener and cleaner cars, reports Japan Times.

The three US biggies— GM, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler unit are also planning to take green route for competing with Japanese manufacturers in the face of soaring fuel prices in the forthcoming decades.

However, Toyota is one step ahead: It has already started thinking about incorporating alternative technologies apart from their usual gasoline-electric hybrid. As the experts predict; the environment protecting technologies will emerge as the ultimate winners. While fuel cell vehicles hold no such hope for commercial viability in the near future, the ethanol powered cars have earned relatively greater popularity particularly in the countries like USA.

The ‘J’ factor is expected to rule the hybrid market in these coming years too with the Japanese automakers fast catching up with the new technologies. “(Japanese automakers) are working to develop the technologies, but it is too heavy of a burden to pursue all of them,” as declared Fujio Cho, vice chairman of Toyota and chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, in the recent past. The survival secret of hybrid cars in the following years lie in better gas mileage (as for instance, the next generation Prius can offer you a princely 90+ mpg) and in the plugging in technology.

To summarize it all, the future hybrid cars are going to retain their popularity over the coming years with their green features such as ultra-low emissions and fuel efficiency. And the next generation hybrid cars are targeted at the consumers who are more sensible towards environment and for whom hybrid means necessity, not indulgence in luxury.

Growing Interest in Streetcars in the USA

Traffic congestion!!  

Pollution!!

Soaring gas prices!!

Welcome to the reality of US urban living. Every sensible soul seems to be screaming, “Oh! Stop this chaos! Give me a break!’’

But where is the solution? While many people have come to see a possible solution to environmental hazards and fast diminishing energy storage–and their number is increasing day by day—in the hybrid cars, it is still the smaller segment of the population that is driving down the roads in expensive Toyota Priuses or Honda Accords.

In order to effectively tackle the environmental pollution caused by the vehicles, we must consider a complete revamp of the public transportation system. And the recent enthusiasm surrounding streetcars in the USA sparks off new hope in the minds of those concerned about the deteriorating environment.

The streetcars are not new phenomena in the USA; but people in the USA seem to suddenly wake up to its potential as the most environment friendly public vehicle only of late. The buzz is in the media too; everywhere you will come across the speculations about a possible comeback of the streetcars in the USA! (Check with USA Today)

You can already find the streetcars rambling through the tracks in San Francisco, Portland, Charlotte and New Orleans.

More and more cities— about three dozen of them- - including the cities like Tucson, Birmingham, Ala., Miami and Trenton are weighing up the pros and cons of investing in such a mode of transport.

Columbus is finally all geared up for its modern streetcar system.

The Minneapolis city’s 2007 budget includes the researches on revival of the streetcars in the city.

All these trends are pointing towards one definite trend: a resurrection of Streetcar system across the USA. And there is no reason why it should not be welcomed by the greater section of the population. Let’s just check its benefits:

• A passenger carrying capacity of a streetcar is lot higher than that of ordinary buses.
• The usage of fuel per passenger per mile is also lot lesser than any other means of public transport.
• Streetcar tracks can be installed sans expensive infrastructures like that is needed in building subways. As Shelley Poticha, the President and CEO of Reconnecting America likes to put it, “It can be built quickly, inexpensively, right into the street to get around without a car more easily.”
• Most important of all, they provide a pollution free means of transport as the electric streetcars offer you carbon free transit.

While a section of people worry over the possible tax hike following streetcar projects, the business community displays a generally upbeat response; in fact the projects are expected to fetch good amount of investment from the developers who see a possible tourist influx in the areas due to the appearance of the streetcars.

Different people have different reasons to rejoice over the revival of streetcars in the USA. As of us, thumbs up for those Mayors who are taking firm steps for reintroducing this pollution friendly transport system in their cities.