June 19th, 2009
Upgrade to a Greener Car AND Get Cash for Your Old Car
Stumble it!
So as far as I can tell there are now THREE great reasons why this is the time to get rid of your old hunk o’ junk and upgrade to a cleaner, greener car.
1) It is the right thing to do for the environment. Remember your car is one of the biggest ways you personally contribute to global warming.
2) There are ridiculous deals on cars right now. Dealers are suffering and you can negotiate with abandon.
3) Congress has just passed the “Cash for Clunkers” legislation that will allow consumers to get up to $4,500 for turning in an inefficient vehicle and buying a new, more efficient one.
So hop to it people!
The new bill would even allow consumers to buy a wide range of vehicles — including large pickup trucks — with the government money when they scrap an older, less-efficient model. The cars that are offered for trade-in must get 18 MPG or less, be built in 1984 or later, and be in operating condition. The new car purchased must be at least 22 MPG for a car, 18 MPG for a light truck or 15 MPG for a heavy-duty truck. To learn more about the requirements for the new cars click here.
The proposed program would subsidize the purchase of 600,000 to one million vehicles,
Popularity: 6% [?]
March 26th, 2009
Hybrid News: Honda Insight a Bargain, Toyota Keeping Existing Prius
There are two important pieces of hybrid auto news today. First, according to Reuters, Honda Motors has announced the base price for their new Honda Insightat $19,800, which is 10% lower than the base Toyota Prius. Honda is positioning the five-door Insight as an economical alternative to the Prius, which has so far dominated the hybrid market. We welcome the competition and hope that this aggressive pricing will entice many buyers. But, is it just us or does the Insight look shockingly like the Prius?
Second, according to AP, Toyota Motors announced that it will continue to sell the current Prius even when the revamped version goes on sale in May. This is an unusual move, and is likely directly a response to the Honda Insight’s pricing. The 2009 Prius pricing starts at $22,000.
Let the hybrid wars begin!
Popularity: 5% [?]
March 22nd, 2009
President Obama Announces $2.4 Billion in Funding for Electric Vehicles
Written by Clayton B. Cornell, courtesy of Gas2.0
President Obama announced today that $2.4 billion will be made available for the US-based development of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.
The fund is intended to spur growth in research and manufacturing of next-generation plug-in hybrid vehicles and advanced battery componenents for electric cars, while creating tens of thousands of US jobs and reducing US petroleum dependence. It should also help meet the President’s goal of putting one million plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road by 2015.
The President made the announcement while visiting Southern California Edison’s Electric Vehicle Center. SCE is one of the largest electric utilities in the country and researches battery-powered and hybrid engines, along with potential impacts of having massive numbers of electric vehicles taking power from conventional utility networks.
This investment will not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it will put Americans back to work. It positions American manufacturers on the cutting edge of innovation and solving our energy challenges.
-President Obama
The plan was partially outlined on the Department of Energy’s website:
- The Department of Energy is offering up to $1.5 billion in grants to U.S. based manufacturers to produce these highly efficient batteries and their components.
- The Department of Energy is offering up to $500 million in grants to U.S. based manufacturers to produce other components needed for electric vehicles, such as electric motors and other components.
- The Department of Energy is offering up to $400 million to demonstrate and evaluate Plug-In Hybrids and other electric infrastructure concepts — like truck stop charging station, electric rail, and training for technicians to build and repair electric vehicles.
Popularity: 5% [?]
January 18th, 2009
Green Tax Credits Available in 2009
Written by Dawn Killough, courtesy of Green Building Elements.com
(NOTE: We’ve just published an update (as of March 2 2009) on some of the tax credits included in the final stimulus bill here.)
As was previously reported on Green Building Elements, Congress was contemplating how to include the continuation of energy efficiency tax credits in the “economic bailout.” Well, they did it, and even managed to increase some of the incentives.
Here is a brief run-down of the credits available in 2009:
* Purchase of hybrid car or SUV: $250 to $3,150, depending on vehicle weight and fuel economy.
* Purchase of central air conditioner or heat pump: $300, only some Energy Star products qualify.
* Furnace or boiler: $150, only some Energy Star products qualify.
* Windows: up to $200, all Energy Star windows qualify.
* Insulation and sealing: up to $500, must meet model building code as installed.
* Ground source heat pump: up to $2,000, only Energy Star models qualify.
* There is a limit of $500 in tax credits for home improvements.
Homeowners should also check the DSIRE website for applicable state tax credits.
Businesses can also get in on the act. They are eligible for the hybrid vehicle incentives and incentives for energy efficient buildings. Businesses that sell new energy efficient homes (through 2009) or efficient appliances (through 2010) can take tax credits on these products that may reduce the cost to consumers.
For more on tax credits for businesses, builders, and consumers, see Tax Incentives Assistance Project, or The Alliance to Save Energy. Of course, you should check with your tax preparer for more information on how these credits effect you, and what paperwork needs to be completed.
Popularity: 18% [?]
January 14th, 2009
Detroit Auto Show: Green Cars Galore
The 2009 Detroit Auto Show is this week, and there is plenty of exciting green automotive action going down! The auto companies exhibiting seem to be working to “out-green” each other…. which is fine by us.
Toyota unveiled its new 2010 Prius to great excitement. This new model will offer 50 MPG, up from 46 MPG for the current model. The new model also featured solar panels on the roof which power the car’s cooling system. The new Prius is also faster, accelerating from 0 to 60 MPH in 9.5 seconds. (Although how many Prius drivers are really into gunning it?) They have not yet announced the price (current models start at ~$22K), but the new Prius will be on sale in the US this Spring.
Another green car leader, Honda, unveiled its new Insight hybrid model for 2010. According to MSNBC, the Insight’s hybrid design is quite different from Toyota’s, functioning as a primarily gas-powered vehicle with an electric assist motor, a decision that produces better highway fuel economy than city mileage. The Insight will get 40 in the city and 43 on the highway, according to Honda. The Insight will also likely cost less than the Prius as it has a smaller battery and electric motor. Honda has not announced the price of its new Insight, but said that it will be below that of its Civic hybrid. Likely it will go for around $20,000.
The American companies were also trying to seem like they were on the green super-highway to the future. Chrysler showed off the 200C EV with an electric power train. This is still a concept car, based on the existing Chrysler 300C model. This new hybrid car will go 40 miles on electricity, with an engine generating more energy for additional range when needed. Let’s hope they stay in business long enough to bring this car to market!
One of the sexiest cars on the floor was the Karma from Fisker Automotive. The car is simply gorgeous. While the Karma debuted as a concept car at last year’s show, this year it was back as a production-ready vehicle. They also showed off a new concept– the Karma S, which is a two-door with a retractable roof. (The S stands for Sunset.) Fisker will start delivering the four-door Karma sedan this year and it already has over 1000 pre-orders. The Karma is a plug-in hybrid that, when fully-charged, burns no fuel for the first 50 miles. According to CNET, Fisker says the Karma will go to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds–which is fast, but not outstanding. Still, you’d look so cool in it, who would care? But not many of can afford this height of eco-cool: the starting price for the production Karma is $87,900.
Images: Prius from Jalopnik.com; Insight from Honda; Karma from Fisker Automotive.
Popularity: 9% [?]
