The Cash for Clunkers program, which ended this week, may have been more environmentally friendly than originally thought. The concern among environmentalists was that by tossing away old cars and buying news ones, the program encouraged a throw-away society mentality — something Americans are often accused of.

The Sierra Club, says the organization’s policy analyst Jesse Prentice-Dunn, initially had concerns that the bill was weak.

“Now, looking at the final stats,” he says, “consumers did buy more fuel-efficient vehicles. One thing that was very encouraging, was that more than 84 percent traded in trucks and other gas guzzlers; and 59 percent purchased cars.”

They may not have purchased hybrids, says Prentice-Dunn — the Prius was No. 7 on the list of cars purchased. However, the fact that they bought more fuel-efficient cars was important. The Sierra Club, he says, was encouraged by consumers’ choices.

The Cash for Clunkers program made a point, says Prentice-Dunn. “It’s time for national discussion on fuel economy. [The program] helped move us forward on curbing global warming.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation said that under the CARS program — in which consumers traded in outdated vehicles for cash rebates on new car purchases — dealers submitted 690,114 sales totaling $2.88 billion, just shy of the plan’s $3 billion budget.

The biggest industry beneficiaries were Japanese automakers Toyota, Honda and Nissan, which accounted for 41 percent of the new vehicle sales, according to the Associated Press.

That outpaced Detroit automakers General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, which had a share of nearly 39 percent. Toyota Motor Corp. led the industry with 19.4 percent of new sales, followed by General Motors Co. with 17.6 percent and Ford Motor Co. with 14.4 percent, the AP reported.

The Toyota Corolla was the most popular new vehicle purchased under the program. The Honda Civic, Toyota Camry and Ford Focus held the next three top spots. All four are built in the United States.

“This program has been a lifeline to the automobile industry, jump-starting a major sector of the economy and putting people back to work,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “At the same time, we’ve been able to take old, polluting cars off the road and help consumers purchase fuel efficient vehicles.”

The Cash for Clunkers program, as the Sierra Club’s website points out, put the consumer in the driver’s seat to make the best choice. To help with this decision, the site provided readers with advice on making a selection as well as charts to help buyers calculate their savings.

President Barack Obama signed the Clunkers bill, officially named the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Program, in June. The progam was wildly embraced by consumers when it began in July, and ran out of money in just one week. A second infusion of cash put it back in business in August.

Under the program owners of gas-guzzling cars could trade them in for a $3,500 to $4,500 voucher toward a new and more energy-efficient car. The gas guzzlers had to meet certain age requirements and get 18 miles or less to the gallon.

NPR reported on the program’s merits in a broadcast earlier this week, stating that questions still remain about the program’s effect on the environment. The broadcast quoted Michael Gerrard, director of Columbia Law School’s Center for Climate Change Law, as saying the program was wonderful for the economy, but had only a “middling success for greenhouse gas emissions.” In order to make a large impact, says Gerrard, the government should have demanded a greater mileage differential between the required difference in mileage for old and new vehicles.

Prentice Dunn says he agrees that there should have been more stringent fuel economy considerations in the original CARS legislation. “The Sierra Club endorsed competing proposals in both the House and Senate,” he says. “However, over the duration of the Cash for Clunkers program, we’ve seen that consumers have valued fuel economy and indeed traded in clunkers in favor of more efficient vehicles. Would this be the first policy to turn to in an effort to solve climate change? No. However, because of consumer’s decisions, this program has stimulated auto sales, taken gas-guzzling SUVs off the road and replaced them with more efficient cars and importantly, put the benefits of efficient vehicles and reducing oil dependence and global warmings in water cooler and kitchen table conversations across the country.”

Rae Tyson with the US DOT believes the program was a win-win situation. “You get vehicles off the road that use more fuel and at the same time you send the old ones to salvage yards that can recycle the car parts.”

“The engine is destroyed,” says Tyson, “but then we give salvage yards time to recycle as much of the vehicle as possible. Aluminum, for instance, may end up as the metal of a soft drink can. The only parts that can’t be recycled are shredded and crushed. “The vehicle’s end products do not end up in the landfill, says Tyson.

The Sierra Club’s Prentice-Dunn notes that the law is clear. “The car dealers have to show proof that they have disabled the engines — [the part of the vehicle] which has us addicted to oil. Then car dealers have 180 days to recycle the parts, remove mercury and sell the rest as scrap.”

Prentice-Dunn says he’s impressed with  the Department of Transportation, which “has had to do the bulk of the heaving lifting in a short time frame” to put Cash for Clunkers into effect.

Irwin Dawid, a member of the Sierra Club’s California Air Quality Committee, acknowledges that while some environmentalists dismissed the program because of its lack of improvements on vehicle efficiency, the program did succeed on two levels.

“Not only did the motorist purchase a more efficient vehicle, but guzzlers were literally being scrapped. While many parts can be pulled for resale, the engine and the drive train go to the shredder, along with the rest of the clunker that is recycled. More importantly, from an air quality perspective, the gains are more substantial than the energy savings as new vehicles, including SUVs and trucks, are far cleaner than older models because of the advanced emission technology.”

Perhaps Cash for Clunkers was not green enough for everyone. Yet it did bring fuel economy to the forefront of a needed national conversation.

Copyright © 2009 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Gee-whiz technology always starts out expensive. Graying boomers can remember paying $400 for a VCR. That first DVD player probably set you back $600. Now you can buy one at a grocery store for less than $40.

The 2010 Honda Insight is no $40 DVD player, but it proves the point: costly technology eventually becomes affordable. The starting sticker price of the Insight LX, the most basic of the three trim levels available, is $19,800. The MSRP for the top-of-the-line Insight EX with navigation system is $23,100 plus $670 destination and handling fees.

That makes the Honda Insight a couple grand cheaper than its look-alike competitor, the Toyota Prius, and the cheapest gasoline-hybrid now on the market.

Add that lower sticker price to 40-plus miles per gallon and you have a pretty economical economy car. The car tested got 41.8 mpg during a week of mixed driving, including a few episodes of harsh acceleration.

This edition of the Honda Insight has little in common with the car originally bearing the name, introduced as America’s first mass-produced hybrid car in December 1999 and later discontinued. This edition maintains fuel efficiency while adding comfort and practicality.

The car’s cabin contains the typical Honda ergonomic genius. Everything is laid out just so with the only minor gripe that the driver has to reach around the gearshift to get to the cup holder. The set up could make bringing a Venti Americano from holder to lips a bit tricky.

It’s easy to find a comfortable driver position thanks to a height-adjustable seat and telescoping steering column. The driver and front passenger will find plenty of legroom. Legroom for two rear seat riders is decent. The back seat is too narrow for three average size adults, however.

The cargo area accessible through the hatchback is surprisingly roomy and the fold-down rear seats add hauling flexibility.

The Insight is powered by Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist^TM system that pairs an 88-horsepower 1.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that adds 13 horsepower. In this case 88 and 13 adds up to 98 horsepower for the combination.

That sounds slower than it is. Acceleration is good enough to merge into heavy freeway traffic if you’re at all paying attention. But don’t try to pass any tractor-trailer rigs when going up hill. And, as you might expect, the tiny engine complains loudly when forced to work hard.

The continuously variable automatic transmission is smooth and efficient.

But the people who drive this car are the sort of people who avoid jackrabbit starts anyway. And the Insight’s behavior modification will alter that habit if you have it. The Insight has a digital speedometer display that changes background color according to the fuel efficiency of your driving style. On this dash, green equals good. Blue is bad. Punch the pedal, the light goes dark blue. Use a feather touch, the light stays green.

As is the industry standard these days, even the base trim of the Insight comes with a long list of features: automatic climate control, power windows, a four-speaker AM/FM audio system with CD player and iPod jack and an array of airbags. The Insight EX adds electronic stability control, cruise control and an upgraded audio system with six speakers.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Desperate automobile dealers are slashing sticker prices, passing on rebates and offering zero percent financing to move metal, making this a good time to buy a new car. And the good times are about to get better thanks to the federal “Cash for Clunkers” program kicking off later this month.

The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) signed into law last month is designed to help car makers and the environment by providing vouchers of $3,500 to $4,500 toward the purchase of a new vehicle in exchange for a gas-guzzling clunker. The program essentially inflates the trade-in value of older cars and trucks, providing drivers an incentive to go ahead and buy a new, more fuel-efficient rig right now.

Add the CARS voucher to existing tax credits and the generosity of Uncle Sam goes a long ways to paying for a new hybrid or clean-burning diesel vehicle.

Uncle Sam’s definition of a clunker is pretty specific, however. To qualify for a voucher your car must:

• have been manufactured in 1984 or later;
• have a combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less;
• be drivable;
• be owned and insured by you for at least a year.

The new vehicle can’t cost more than $45,000. If the car gets at least 22 mpg (combined city and highway mpg) the voucher is worth $3,500. If the new car gets 10 mpg better than the clunker you’re trading in the voucher is worth $4,500.

The bar is lower for new SUVs, vans and light-duty pickup trucks. The program offers $3,500 if the new vehicle gets at least 18 mpg combined and that is 2 mpg better than the old SUV, van or pickup. If the new vehicle gets 5 mpg better than the old, the voucher is $4,500.

The government voucher is paid directly to the dealer – your old car will be crushed.

The voucher is your down payment, so the program is useful to you only if the trade-in value of your vehicle is less than that of the voucher. Automobile shopping websites such as Edmonds and Kelly Blue Book have compiled lists of clunkers that are likely good candidates for the program.

The math is pretty simple when it comes to gauging the program’s benefits for car buyers. It’s less so when trying to estimate the environmental benefits.

“The fuel economy requirements are so lax in the final version that it’s hard to say with confidence that there will be net environmental benefits,” said Therese Langer, Transportation Program Director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Fisker Automotive, the new green car manufacturer based in Irvine, Calif., announced its first North American dealers. The luxury plug-in hybrid Karma sedan is priced at $87,900 and is expected to achieve the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon.

So far, 32 auto retailers have signed on to sell the Fisker marquee when it launches later this year. The company said its goal is to 40 locations in the U.S. and Canada by the end of June 2009.

Fisker Automotive said board member Vic Doolan has been instrumental in guiding development of the emerging company’s retail network. Doolan led BMW NA and Volvo Cars NA to record sales in the 1990s and 2000s, the company said, and has relationships with top retail principals.

“Our retail partners are our most important assets,” Doolan said in a statement. “To our customers, they are the face of the company. For that reason, we’ve chosen those who will give Fisker owners the comfort and confidence to drive the future.”

Fisker said the dealer showrooms will feature natural and sustainable materials such as wood and textiles. Dealers with have the option to use a solar-powered car port to keep the demonstrator cars fully charged and ready to go.

Here are the first Fisker Automotive dealers:

Alabama: Century Automotive Group

British Columbia: Fields Auto Group

California: Sullivan Luxury Cars LLC (Beverly Hills-Santa Monica), Shelly Automotive Group (Orange County), Serra Automotive (Pasadena), Price Family Dealerships (Sacramento), Price Family Dealerships (San Jose), Marvin K. Brown Auto Center (San Diego), Price Family Dealerships (San Francisco)

Colorado: Rickenbaugh Cadillac Volvo (Denver)

Florida: Warren Henry Automobiles (Miami), Fields Auto Group (Orlando), Elder Automotive Group (Tampa Bay), Palm Beach Motor Cars Ltd. (Palm Beach)

Illinois: Fields Auto Group, Patrick Dealer Group

Maryland: Capitol Cadillac Company

Michigan: Serra Automotive

Minnesota: Borton Automotive

New Jersey: Bergen Jaguar (Bergen County)

New York: Manhattan Motor Cars (Manhattan), The Dorschel Automotive Group (Rochester), Jaguar of Great Neck (Long Island)

Ohio: M2 Motors, Inc.

Oregon: Ron Tonkin Family of Dealerships

Pennsylvania: H.A. Ott Motor Cars LLC (Philadelphia)

Texas: Roger Beasley Highline Group (Austin), Barrett Holdings, Inc. (San Antonio), Frank Kent Motor Company (Fort Worth)

Virginia: Britt Auto Group

Washington: O’Brien Auto Group

Wisconsin: Bergstrom Corporation

From Green Right Now Reports

Honda says the new 2010 Insight hybrid will go on sale March 24, and you could argue its timing is bad as fleets of hybrids are going unsold on dealer lots.

But the base LX model Insight will sell for $19,800, and that might be just the right price for consumers who have rejected paying a premium for hybrids when gas is once again relatively cheap. At today’s gas prices, experts say it would take nearly a decade for most hybrid buyers to make up the higher upfront cost of the vehicle.

The five-passenger, five-door Insight will be powered by a 1.3-liter gas engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together deliver an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon. The Insight also will feature Honda’s new Ecological Drive Assist System, a new technology intended to help drivers obtain the maximum fuel efficiency by providing real-time feedback related to individual driving styles.

A premium Insight EX, available for $21,300, adds features such as Vehicle Stability Assist, alloy wheels, cruise control, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, an upgraded audio system with six speakers, a USB audio input and heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals.

Honda says Insight models sold in California and other states that have adopted the California Air Resources Board (CARB) ZEV standards will receive an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) emissions rating.

Perhaps the car’s most unique feature will be the new Eco Assist technology designed to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency for their given set of driving conditions. Honda says that pressing the ECON button will enhance the efficiency of multiple vehicle systems such as throttle control, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise-control operation. Eco Assist also provides ongoing feedback to the driver about his/her driving style via a 3D-appearing background within the speedometer. The background changes colors from green to blue to reflect how efficiently or inefficiently the driver is accelerating or braking.]

The driver’s results are continuously tracked as fuel-economy ratings are shown per drive cycle and on a lifetime basis in the form of plant-leaf graphics that appear in display . Up to five leaves can be ‘earned’ as the driver demonstrates a fuel-efficient driving style, and a real-time score is shown in the Eco Guide screen.

All that pro-active technology, along with an aggressive pricing strategy, might help Honda reach the larger market of more casual green believers who will opt to drive smarter if the upfront costs are in line with non-hybrids.

Photo: © 2009 Daimler AG

The new Mercedes-Benz S 400 BlueHYBRID is based on the S 350, and features an extensively modified drive train. This encompasses a further development of the 3.5-litre V6 gas engine, an additional magneto-electric motor, the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission specially configured for the hybrid module, the necessary operating and control electronics, the transformer and a high-voltage lithium-ion battery.

Just like you hunt for that Energy Star tag when examining a fridge or washer, people in California can now duck under the hood of any new 2009 model car to get an at-a-glance emissions rating.

The Environmental Performance sticker, mandated to begin on Jan. 1 for all new model cars, will include two scores, one rating the car’s smog emissions and the other its greenhouse gas output. The air pollutants for the latter include carbon dioxide emissions, which make up the greatest volume of greenhouse gases. Gas engine cars emit nitrous oxides, methane gases, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and other emissions.

High mileage cars are almost always considered more environmentally friendly, because they consume less gas overall. But the new labeling system takes a closer look by deconstructing what actually comes out of the car’s tailpipe. Not surprisingly, the winners in this competition are all-electric vehicles that emit no carbon pollution, though one could argue that charging the electric battery required some use of “dirty energy” if the electricity was powered by, say, coal plants.

The all-electric cars are followed in the rankings by hybrids, many of which score a 9 on the ten-point scale (with ten being the top score).

To see the list of top cleanest cars on the new bifurcated ranking system (which replaces previous emissions notifications), visit the California Air Resources Board’s website Drive Clean.

Copyright © 2008 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Add this to the list of “pros” when weighing the purchase of a hybrid car: It might get you a better parking spot.

More and more around the country, retailers, employers and cities are toying with the idea of setting aside prime parking spots for hybrid drivers. Just last month, the Houston Chronicle ran a piece citing trials by big box retailers like Home Depot and Office Depot; the Austin American-Statesman found a gym that allotted a whopping 30 spots for green cars, and Suffolk County, NY legislator Wayne Horsley proposed a law to establish “hybrid-only” spaces at all county facilities.

The trend has stoked debate among drivers, raising some questions of pure self-interest — after the disabled-permit spots, the ones set aside for mothers with small kids, the green ones and the loading/unloading area, where am I going to park? — and others of a more conceptual bent. Some designations, for instance, may be short-sighted in their ahead-of-the-curve-ness: If a sign says a space is “reserved for hybrid vehicles only,” does that mean a do-it-yourselfer’s all-electric plug-in car would be shunned? There’s also the fact that the most efficient conventional cars get better mileage than some hybrids.

Los Angeles, whose years-long green parking policies have been threatened lately, answered that latter concern by doling out stickers that certified vehicles on a model-by-model basis to use H.O.V. freeway lanes (another can of worms); Seattle offers a different kind of conservationist incentive by giving certified carpool groups discounted parking downtown.

But debates over the fairness and desirability of these policies may be irrelevant when it comes to retail parking lots where they’re not enforced. As the American-Statesman reporter observed when visiting that green-minded gym, “at 5:30 p.m. on a recent weekday, 15 of the spots were taken by heavy pickups or SUVs, including one by the poster-boy for gas-guzzling, a Hummer.”

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Residents of the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area will again get a chance to trade in their pollution-emitting old clunker for a newer, less polluting car with the help of state money.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) reports that it has about $12 million for the second year of the AirCheckTexas Drive a Clean Machine campaign, which began taking applications in mid-August. “On-road emissions are the biggest cause of air pollution in the North Texas region,” says NCTCOG spokesperson Lara Kohl. “That’s the whole point of our program — to get those cars off the road that are causing the majority of pollution.”

North Texas residents with cars 10 years or older and who meet the net income requirements can get $3,000 toward repairs to make their cars more air-friendly or to replace their car with one that meets the new, higher clean air standards. The qualifications depend on the size and income of the family. A family of four with $63,600 annual income, for example, would qualify for the $3,000. Those who buy a hybrid vehicle can get $3,500 toward the purchase.

AirCheckTexas was considered a big success in 2007-2008, when interested car owners packed waiting lists for the state assistance. In fiscal 2008 the program issued 11,500 replacement vouchers and 1,500 repair vouchers.

NCTCOG is a voluntary association of North Texas municipalities started in 1966 to plan for common needs.

Jeff Jacoby of the nonprofit Texas Campaign for the Environment says the NCTCOG has done “a solid job” with the AirCheck program but he wishes the Texas legislature would do much more to improve the area’s air quality.

The Environmental Protection Agency has flagged the D/FW area as a “non attainment” zone because it suffers repeated high ozone days during the summer, when heat and car emissions combine to generate ground-level ozone, causing unhealthy air conditions. The TCTCOG tracks ozone alert days in the area (21 days have exceeded safe levels for more than 8 hours each day in 2008) and offers a guide to the alert system, explaining for instance that during “orange alerts” kids and those with respiratory issues should limit outdoor activities.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Pushed by the dwindling prospects for fossil fuels, the auto industry is undergoing changes not seen since the days of Henry Ford. Today’s innovators aren’t just looking to gear up production, they’re trying to dial back energy use, and that’s produced a bumper crop of wild and wacky (and some not so wacky) concept cars.

Here are eight of our favorites:

Air Car

It would cost less to manufacture (and buy), less to maintain, less to fuel and there would be no emissions. The makers of this car, Air Car Factories, are either on drugs or they’ve seized the Holy Grail. Their car would run on compressed air collected by see-saw devices on the road. Each car would be refueled through regenerative driving. The Barcelona-based company expects to begin with electric models, until testing is completed on the Air Car. A green dream? We hope it’s a reality.

Nike ONE

That’s right. This is a car designed by a shoe maker. It doesn’t much look like a shoe. More like…nothing you’ve seen before. The car is intended to be “athletic.” No joke. “An athlete training to drive the Nike ONE uses a physical resistance simulator, that mimics the vehicle’s controls, along with the digital simulation within GT4 to train their muscles and mind for specific tracks and competition scenarios,” explains Phil Frank, lead designer, who said his team was inspired by the principals of Nike founder Bill Bowerman. The long term plan is that any movement by the driver would be converted into electricity through nanotechnology using a “Spark Suit.” Frank calls it “the ultimate in convergent technologies.” We agree.

Toyota Fine-S/ Fine-N

These aerodynamic hydrogen fuel cell cars would employ motors in the wheels, thereby opening up space in the cabin for passengers. The designs have been out for a while. No word on when such a car could be in production.

Honda Puyo

Honda has already hit the road with a hydrogen vehicle, the FCX Clarity, a few select models of which are being test driven by celebs in California. The concept Puyo, though, still seems from another planet. This hydrogen fuel cell car actually glows in the dark, not due to any radioactive fuel on board, but because the body is luminescent to enhance maneuverability. But that’s just where the fun begins. The whole Puyo concept is to produce a cuddly car. “‘PUYO’ is a Japanese onomatopoeia that expresses the sensation of touching the vehicle’s soft body. It is meant to convey a warm, friendly impression,” Honda reports. Looks cool too.

Chevy Volt

This much discussed plug-in is expected to be available by the end of 2010. GM promises that its lithium-ion battery will allow it to run around 40 miles on a single charge – without using any gasoline. Past 40 miles, the engine will be able to use gasoline or ethanol working along with the battery. Unlike some of the cars on this list, the Volt appears very close to production, and no wonder, GM has assigned more than 200 engineers and 50 designers to the project.

Nissan Pivo2

The electric Pivo 2 is not just a car, it’s an “intelligent life form design,” which means…we’re not sure what. But there is a “Robotic Agent” on the dashboard, a sort of alien friend who talks to you. The car is intended to be more like a living creature and less driven by mechanical design. One problem, though, while this three-seater can twirl 360-degrees, it’s not easy to envision a successful double date in this mini-car, unless one in the party is content atop the cabin.

Saab BioPower100

This turbo-charged sedan would use 100 percent biofuel in a production 2.0 liter engine, which with modifications, could produce a surprising 300 hp. The car debuted at the Geneva show in 2007. The concept explores maximizing power within an environmentally responsible vehicle.

Toyota RiN

This literally green car remains shrouded in mystery as to how it’s green, that is, how it will be powered. Toyota has much to say, however, about how the car will work to improve passengers’ awareness of their natural surroundings, improve their posture and overall health. The car’s “meter cluster” would change colors depending on your mood, which would presumably be more “serene” in this car. And…it’s cool looking.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

By Barbara Kessler

If you’ve been considering diving into the hybrid car market, the 2008 model year will tempt you as never before, especially if you still want or need a multiple seat vehicle. Toyota’s top-selling SUV hybrid, the Highlander, has gotten a redesign for 2008. Ditto the Ford Escape Hybrid. Also coming in 2008: General Motors will be rolling out a panoply of new models throughout the year, including a Tahoe SUV Hybrid touting new hybrid technology developed with BMW and DaimlerChrysler that’s expected to improve gas mileage by 25 percent. (Some of GM’s new models are more tempting than others, granted. The new Chevrolet Malibu hybrid officially debuted this month to disappointing reviews because its EPA-estimated gas mileage of 24 mpg/city and 32/highway barely bests its non-hybrid version.)

Still queasy about hybrid technology? Don’t forget the government has a tonic called tax credits. To see what the different models can reel back in from Uncle Sam, check the IRS news release from October. Another source for info on hybrids and tax credits is www.fueleconomy.gov. The credits are phased out after a model sells 60,000 vehicles, which ironically could deter consumers from the tried and true hybrid leaders like Toyota’s Prius, whose tax credits will be expiring. As the IRS tells us: “Taxpayers may claim the full amount of the allowable credit up to the end of the first calendar quarter after the quarter in which the manufacturer records its sale of the 60,000th hybrid or advance lean burn technology in many cases.’’ In other words, consult your accountant.