Episode 324 – Prius Recalled Globally, China Car Sales Double, EU Wants To Track Cars
February 9th, 2010 at 12:00pm
Runtime 6:41
Toyota recalled more than 400,000 Priuses worldwide today and added the Lexus HS250h and Sai hybrid to the list. January sales in China more than doubled last month. The EU wants to use satellite navigation for vehicle tracking. All that and more, plus John looks at the effect of Toyota’s recalls. Could this be the beginning of a buy-American movement?
Transcript and Story Links after the jump . . .
Here are today’s top headlines. Toyota recalls Priuses all over the world. Sales in China doubled last month. And the EU wants to be able to track every car no matter where it goes.
Up next, we’ll be back with the news behind the headlines.
This is Autoline Daily for Tuesday, February 9, 2010. And now, the news.
Toyota recalled more than 400,000 Priuses worldwide today and added the Lexus HS250h and Sai hybrid to the list. The Sai is a version of the HS250h that is only sold in Japan. In yesterday’s report I said that if Toyota was going to recall the Prius in Japan it would have to do so everywhere in the world. Why didn’t they just do it yesterday and get it done with? With every delay the company is guaranteeing that it stays at the top of the news cycle, which shows that it’s not managing this crisis very well. And I’ll have more to say about this situation later in the show.
After huge gains last year, car sales in China continue to boom at a staggering rate. According to Bloomberg, January sales more than doubled thanks to government stimulus measures. Total sales, including buses and trucks, nearly hit 1.7 million units. Overall analysts predict that full year sales could grow as much as 15 percent this year.
After struggling through the economic downturn it looks like Nissan has turned things around. According to the AP, the company posted a $500 million net profit for the third quarter and now expects to report a profit for the full fiscal year after it had previously forecasted a loss. Nissan was able to get back in the black with increased sales, especially in China, and also cutting spending in areas like advertising and sales.
Ford has revealed its latest EV at the Chicago Auto Show. The Transit Connect Electric will go into production late this year as a 2011 model. The compact commercial van is powered by a 28-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery supplied by Johnson Controls-Saft. The pack is said to deliver a range of 80 miles and can be charged from either 120-volt or 240-volt outlets. Expect a top speed of about 75 miles an hour with acceleration that’s comparable to the gasoline-powered version. Ford also showed the Transit Connect Taxi that can run on natural gas or propane. The company is also integrating its Works Solutions technology suite into the taxi. It will offer things like internet connectivity, as well as an interactive display screen for passengers. They can follow their route on a map, check out local points of interest and even pay the fare via credit card. Like the Electric, the Taxi goes on sale later this year.
Talk about big brother watching. According to Ward’s, the European Commission wants to use satellite navigation for vehicle tracking (subscription required). If the government knows where every vehicle is at all times, drivers can be fined for speeding, or automatically billed for parking. Employers can monitor commercial drivers to make sure they stay on track and lawmakers can calculate how many miles – sorry, kilometers – you’ve driven and tax you based on that rather than standard tolls. Despite protests about invasion of privacy, this project and others continue to gain traction in Europe.
Coming up next, I look at the effect of Toyota’s recalls. Could this be the beginning of a buy-American movement?
Has Toyota brought the American market to a tipping point? Are we about to see a backlash to the company that turns into a “buy-American” movement? Legislation has now been introduced in the state of California that would mandate all government vehicles be built in the United States. You know what that means? No state employee will be able to get a Prius, or any kind of hybrid from Toyota or Honda, since they’re all made in Japan.
When you look at how hard Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has come down on Toyota it makes me start to wonder if this is payback time for decades of Japan’s trade policies, effectively keeping American companies out of the country. Despite the fact that Japan was the biggest car producer in the world, not one foreign automaker makes cars in Japan. In fact, imported cars in Japan are less than 5 percent of the market.
And others remember blatant trade barriers like banning American-made skis because supposedly they were not safe in Japanese snow. Or banning American made aluminum baseball bats. Or banning American cigarette companies from advertising in Japanese. They could only advertise in English.
As long as the American economy was growing and unemployment was low, Americans didn’t care about any of these issues, or how many cars were imported. But with today’s unemployment levels it’s a different situation, and that’s why, as I look at how hard the media are hitting Toyota, I wonder if this is a tipping point? I think we could be at the beginning of a “buy-American” movement.
Don’t forget to watch Autoline After Hours when Jason Vines will be back, talking about crisis management at Toyota and how they should have handled the situation.
And that’s it for today’s top news in the global automotive industry. Thanks for watching, we’ll see you tomorrow.
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Comments (50)
February 9th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
“..The pack is said to deliver a range of 80 miles..”
Recent tests have shown that the ACTUAL range of EVs is usually HALF the one advertised.
80 miles is tiny, but 40 miles (in the snowbelt, you can bet it will be much more like 40 than 80) is pitiful. How can this work?
And how much will be the price of the EV version? probably prohibitive…
February 9th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
“Coming up next, I look at the effect of Toyota’s recalls”
certainly is a sign of the times
what i’m asking is this: was there a cover up
yes, all manufacturers have had recalls
but when your reputation is one of excellence, a failure in a major components is very real, and especially if you were a dishonest japanese
February 9th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Look out freedom lovers, this tracking technology will be used here in a couple of years to determine how much you drive and thus taxing you based on it. At the same time they’ll know where your car is at all times. Kind of scary when you think about it.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Does anyone know how much pollution control equipment China mandates on it’s vehicles??
What type of safety regulations does China mandate on it’s vehicles??
February 9th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Nick Stevens says:
“80 miles is tiny, but 40 miles (in the snowbelt, you can bet it will be much more like 40 than 80) is pitiful. How can this work?”
It will have to be used for short delivery routes. I suspect the range might be adequate for some urban uses, but I’d think that for most commercial uses, the range would be marginal, or just plain inadequate.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Latest rumor floating around is 2009 & 2010 Toyota Corollas could be under investigation for electric power steering issues – cars suddenly and unintentionally veering off-course. Is there any truth to it? Update, verification please. Yikes!
February 9th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Freedom is gone.
The government can track your bank account, credit card payments, internet use, and phone calls.
In my opinion, tracking my car is minor in comparison, and could be positive.
It would make it difficult to steal a car unless you’re able to disconnect the tracking.
I also believe that taxing based on usage is a better approach than taxing fuel.
Trucks cause far more damage to roads that cars and therefore many states tax diesel more than gasoline since diesel is typically used by trucks. This is unfair to the Jetta TDI user. The price of diesel fuel is a major reason diesel cars are unpopular in the U.S.
Taxing based on vehicle weight and mileage would be a fairer way to collect road taxes.
It would be interesting who would have access to your vehicle location. For example, would a wife be able to track the location of her husband’s car, and could a mother track the location of their teenager’s car?
February 9th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Akio Toyoda will either become a Hero or a Scapegoat when the dust finally settles at Toyota. What did the Ford Family do during the Explorer / Firestone recalls?
We have heard that the residual values of Toyota’s have decrease, does that mean residual values of Honda’s and Other OEM’s increased? The Ford Transit Connect in either Electric or Natural Gas versions will be great for large metropolitan cities like New York.
What is the current status of the NUMMI Plant in California? Would it be a good idea for Toyota to transfer product of the Prius and Lexus Hybrid models to that plant to get around the “Buy American” Movement?
February 9th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
# Kit Gerhart Says:
It will have to be used for short delivery routes. I suspect the range might be adequate for some urban uses, but I’d think that for most commercial uses, the range would be marginal, or just plain inadequate.”
You can use it for short routes, but then you will have to wait to have it recharged. But the biggest problem will probably be its prohibitive cost.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
“Trucks cause far more damage to roads that cars and therefore many states tax diesel more than gasoline since diesel is typically used by trucks.”
True, and the puny tax does not even begin to pay for the horrendous damage the big trucks cause (as much as 9,600 cars, is what one big truck does)
” This is unfair to the Jetta TDI user. The price of diesel fuel is a major reason diesel cars are unpopular in the U.S.”
True too. The TDIs should get tax credits like the fuel efficient hybrids.
“Taxing based on vehicle weight and mileage would be a fairer way to collect road taxes”
Weight per tire contact area would be even more accurate. And remove the diesel gas tax. this should do it.
February 9th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Toyota built a prius plant in Tupelo MS. It has been mothballed until the economy picked up
February 9th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
from green.chinacartimes.com:
“Shanghai is set to only allow the sales of cars that meet Euro5 emissions standards. Shanghai is following in Beijings footsteps, which also enacted a Euro5 emissions standards for all vehicles sold in Beijing last year.
Shanghai’s ban on non Euro5 emission vehicles also stretches to light trucks, motorbikes.”
This will only apply to new vehicles; older ones can remain in service with no restriction, for now.
February 9th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
“In my opinion, tracking my car is minor in comparison”
let me guess … you’re a democrat?
February 9th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
JohnMc, What the heck is wrong with Ford Motors? They could bring the Transit Connect diesel from Europe, but instead Ford decides to make niche hybrids and gas propane, I mean really; its the good press Ford had gotten lately, inflated their heads so much already Ford going back to think their invincible???
— And please put this as my AAH Question for AutolineAfterHours Show–
JohnMc says: Could this be the beginning of a buy-American movement?
simple -no -It just not going to happen… You can say anything about liberals, but they did sign NAFTA and Pres. Obama wants trades with Colombia and South Korea – It just not happening – Also JohnMc, remember the old good Supreme Court just open the gates for any major corporation to prevent just that.
Finally, those E.U. new tracking laws… Well, I wonder went it comes down to each country laws, will it have much traction?? because; I don’t think the Italians are kin on letting the Germans control their driving or for that matter, the French the Swiss or British and so on and on.
-
February 9th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
that’s what i’m talking about – why are we so reluctant to bring politics into the issue? it has everything to do with it
February 9th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Willi B please don’t start down that road.
February 9th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
To any relegating the government tracking as acceptable (or even begrugingly), I quote Benjamin Franklin: “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
And as far as taxing (by using the tracking system to tally miles), the fuel tax is pretty darn linear; trucks, can and already are, controlled in that they can be taxed separateley.
February 9th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
The people that holler the most about invasion of privacy have ulterior motives.
The people who want to make our lives an open book have ulterior motives.
February 9th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
I have nothing to hide and would care less about some idiot in Government tracking my car.
However, I care a LOT that my hard-earned tax dollars are WASTED by these MORONS, especially when there is NO NEED for the STUPID tracking system, the gas tax is a far superior way, it is already there (no extra cost needed to set it up), and it REWARDS switching to fuel efficient vehicles, whereas taxing the Miles, as the corrupt (porkmeister) Moron Ray Lahood proposed (because he does not have the GUTS to do the right thing and increase the GAS tax instead), rewards waste and inefficient vehicles.
February 9th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
re; Euros tracking cars.
I will never forget what one young French woman said to me…, ‘but the government is good!’
February 9th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
LaHood’s proposal of taxing miles rather than fuel didn’t last long. Within minutes, millions of Obama supporters were flooding the White House switchboards with calls to fire LaHood. He hasn’t been fired, but the mileage tax proposal sure didn’t last long.
February 9th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
From Auto news re the Electric Transit Connect:
“75-mile range
Scott Harrison, Azure Dynamics’ CEO, said the electric model will have a range of about 75 miles, a top speed of 75 mph and a recharging time of six to eight hours with a 240-volt connection. While the final price has not been determined, he estimated a sticker price of about $60,000. Sales begin in the fourth quarter.”
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100209/OEM04/100209862/1156#ixzz0f4WSo2DS
Who will ever recover the extra $38,000 over the gas Transit Connect by cheap electricity?
As for electric Taxis, it is dead on arrival, with a puny 75 mile range, it would never work for a taxi that does several 100s of miles daily.
February 9th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
a taxi typically does over 100,000 miles a year. That is about 300-350 miles a day.
February 9th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Like I said damm it, Toyota’s Domelights burnt out.
February 9th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Doesn’t the European government tracking of all vehicles sound like information overload? It appears that they are going to compile loads of digital information that no one could possibly ever use.
As far as buy American thoughts, I hope so. I didn’t think that the British model of an open free trade economy makes sense in a resource rich country like the US.
With all the Chinese buying cars, it’s going to effect the cost of gas through out the world. I better buy a Prius, opps, (I can stop…er they can stop!)OK a Ford Fusion!
February 9th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Sorry to “beat a dead horse” regarding a discussion from a few days ago, but I just located an options list for 1965 “big” Chevys and, as I though, there would be tens of millions of possible configurations. There were 30 individual options that could be ordered, or not ordered, for all body styles and all trim levels. That alone would be tens of millions of possible configurations, without considering the 10 engines, 15-20 paint colors, at least two transmissions for each engine, etc. Then, there were even more individual options that were specific to wagons, convertibles, etc.
February 9th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
“With all the Chinese buying cars, it’s going to effect the cost of gas through out the world.”
Only if the supply of oil does not keep up. There is more than plenty of reserves, and Iraq alone is planning to quadruple its produiction capacity, it may produce even more than Saudi Arabia in a few years.
” I better buy a Prius”
That’s always an excellent choice, nothing comes even close, and sure not the Fusion. A Civic Hybrid or a cheapo Insight from Honda are the only ones that can come close to the prius’s MPG. Any little faults will be fixed long before you buy one.
February 9th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
For now Nick, bu in 2 years thre will be 1 additional cars, that willeiher rival or run circles around insight and Prius.
This new Prius isnt good enough. Remember when it first came out and people were hoping for 100 MPG at least?
That’s what Im talking about with the Japanese. No more new ideas, no more new advances towards anything automotive anymore (except hybrids). They used to be at the cutting edge, and now they are just mediocre car makers in my eyes.
You old guys dont get it, unlike you I dont see Honda or Toyota as this potentially innovative force going forward.
What’s the point of buying a car that’s been pretty much the same since 1995 (yeah to me Toyotas and Hondas have been pretty much the same for 15 years: Interiors, Engine refinement, fuel economy, etc…), while the Koreans are making 2011 stuff now?
Koreans continue to refine their product, and I just dont see that same attention to detail from the Japanese anymore. With Korean cars, you know the next one will be 10 times better than the last, and will feature some tech that was unthnkable just 5 years before.
The Japanese dont give me that feeling at all.
I see the Koreans making most of the short term (15-25) year advances in cars. Honda and Toyota are old school to me, and like everything else they need to go into an attrophy period in order to gain ground in the future. The Japanese will continue to work on hybrids over the next 5-10 yars, but once it makes sense the Koreans will make it better and cheaper.
I do think however, that the Koreans and Ford will be the leaders in advanced Gas only ICE engines, like the Germans are at the cutting edge of diesel. I think the Koreans will make the first car that gets 200 HP+ and 75-100 MPG. The Koreans(that includes GM) and then Ford are at the cutting edge now in these technologies, and they kill make 90% of this dinosaur powetrain tech, which most of it is evoloution of 80s tech obsolete.
February 9th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
10 additional cars
February 9th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
“I do think however, that the Koreans and Ford will be the leaders in advanced Gas only ICE engines, like the Germans are at the cutting edge of diesel. I think the Koreans will make the first car that gets 200 HP+ and 75-100 MPG.”
The Germans aren’t necessarily at the “cutting edge” of diesel, at least in the case of small diesels. The French, yes, the French, have very good diesels in the Euro market, as does Fiat. The cars they put them in are not as good, overall, as the VW group cars, but the PSA, Renault, and Fiat diesel engines are very good.
February 9th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
This tax by tracking is going to hurt already low paid pizza delivery guys and couriers who use light weight cars that don’t damage roads. Those big dump trucks don’t only damage roads, they send rocks flying all over the place, chipping windshields and pay relatively little fees for road destruction, by raising taxes on diesel, you are then hurting diesel car drivers, So just have the truckers pay a heftier fee for their destructive trucks.
February 9th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
You got a point Kit, its just strange that the C3 Diesel that gets about 73 MPG (US) or the Hyundai i20 Diesel that gets about 72 MPG (US) is not made to be as big of a deal as the VW Polo Blue Motion that gets 68 MPG (US).
February 9th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
The brand spanking new MK-V Polo however gets better diesel MPG (75 US) from a 1.6 than the old MK-IV Polo with the old 1.4 TDI.
So, I can see that engine becoming a big deal soon.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
newsflash:
Toyota’s Dome light burnt out. Again.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/09/toyota-corolla-reportedly-suffering-from-steering-woes/
Yeah, as that link implies, Corolla has a steering problem responsible for 10 US Accidents and 6 injuries NHTSA is looking into.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
At $60K, I don’t see the EV version of the Transit connect being a big seller, and I would be surprised to see it go forward. The propane or CNG powered taxi version sounds very good, especially in urban areas because of how clean propane burns. As a business owner the the propane Transit Connect would be my preference as a delivery/work truck. Propane/CNG fueled vehicles generally have lower engine maintence as well.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Already many “buy here, pay here” and Hyundai poor credit risk customers have gps units installed into their cars to make it easy and quick for the repo man (or woman)to retrieve the car. Some shut down the engine if the payment is not made on time. There is an insurance company that offers a discount if you agree to gps monitoring of your driving. I think if European politicians try to track cars and tax them by mileage, they will be one term wonders. However, would anyone consider voluntary federal monitoring of your car to be taxed by mileage instead of a flat gas tax?
February 9th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
HyundaiSmoke Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
“This new Prius isnt good enough. Remember when it first came out and people were hoping for 100 MPG at least?”
100 MPG will be tough indeed for a car with the capability of Prius. We are dealing with the laws of physics, after all. Replacing the gas engine with a diesel would bump it up somewhat, maybe as much as 30%. The Prius body is already very good as far as aero drag. I don’t know what the efficiency is of the motor/generator. I’m sure it can improve somewhat in time, but I suspect this techonology is close to the point of diminishing return. If anyone can mass produce a car with the capabilty of Prius that will get 100 MPG under any conditions, except maybe steady speed of 45 MPG, they will be doing very well.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Kit you have a point, however the point of that
statement was to convey the notion of how the Japanese Ethic has been lost.
Toyota of 10-15 years ago would have found a way to overcome such complex physics, and they would have done it gladly as a challenege to the rest of the world. Its not like they dont have 100+ MPG plug in Prius examples hanging around they could have been selling.
The Old Toyota would have:
1. Used Gen 1 Prius as a hybrid testing plaform, and that tech would have been in everything from Current Generation Yarses to GX’s on the road today.
2. Used Gen 2 Prius as a hybrid testing platform, and that tech would have been in everything from Next gen Yarises to GX’s.
3. Made gen 3 Prius a Plug in, and ran Hybrid verisions of Corolla and Yaris using the system they now have in Prius.
That’s my definition of the Toyota way, except Hyundai/KIA found it.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
C-tech will you stop talking about Hyundai as if it is the year 2000?
February 9th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
HyundaiSmokinWhat? your knowledge of automotive history is poor. You overestimate what can done with a given technology before changing to the next level (i.e. typewriters to word processors). It remains to be seen what company or whose technology will rule the day in 2020 or 2030. Remember Ford’s fortunes have been up and down more than a yo-yo over the last 100 years. The British commercial airplane companies were well ahead of the U.S. after WWII.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
By the way, where’s the Hyundai hybrid? Kia EV?
February 9th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
GM isnt a true American company, as its Technology is Korean, European, and Australian, with Japanese Tech leaving the company, and Chinese tech coming in. GM is a Global company, they might as well call themselves Global Motors.
At least this Administration is smart enough to realize that tough Korean and Chinese trade Policies would only hurt GM and Chyrsler with their Daewoo and Chery Engines from ATECO.
Only White Collar Americans benefit when you buy a GM product.
BUYING AMERICAN=SUPPORTING 3RD WORLD FACTORIES, SUPPORTING LAYOFFS AND EXPLOTATION OF THE AMERICAN WORKER.
If you support Fat Cats and Tycoons, buy American. If you support Blue Collar factory Jobs, buy from Foreign companies that actually create American jobs.
The old days of patriotic car purchasing are over. Enough Foreigners want American cars to always keep them in business, and enough Americans (Like myself) demand Foreign cars to lobby aganst any US protectionist policies.
Open the markets everywhere flood the markets with cars from every country that makes em. GM plants in Seoul and HKAG plants in Saginaw, TATA Plants in Detroit and Chrysler plants in Delhi, Ford Plants in Okinawa and Nissan plants in Ohio.
Why not, whats wrong with that?
February 9th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Its coming C-Tech.
1. Sonata/Optima Hybrid-this summer
2. Accent Hybrid-next year
3. Dedicated Plug in Hybrid-in 2012
February 9th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
KKAG is ahead of the pack in hydrogen, and HKAGs first Hybrid was developed in 1994, from there they didnt work on hybrids much until a few years ago with the Sonata, Accent, and Blue Will programs.
HKAG had their eggs in the Hydrogen basket when Toyota had their eggs in the Hybrid basket.
HKAG never took Hybrids seriously up until they put out those experimental Hybrid Accents a few years back that got tons of interest and Accent Hybrid requests, as well as the inevitablity that a Hydrogen supported infrastructure would take a much longer time than expected.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
You may have your Hyundai in the U.S. (or any other brand from anywhere else), so why don’t you take your complaints to Japan, Korea and India? These are the countries which put up trade barriers to U.S. vehicles. If you follow the money, the profits, the higher paying jobs, the dividends which pay for retirement, health care, and defense come from U.S. based companies, not Seoul, Tokyo, or New Delhi. Most Hyundai workers in Korea cannot afford the cars they build. As far as tech, it wasn’t that long ago Hyundai’s engines were from Mitsubishi. Many automakers share technology, always have, always will.
February 10th, 2010 at 12:51 am
Well, Korea is going to be treated like Germany if I have my way.
A country where American cars are ok, but nobody wants them as they are considered inferior, and blatant trade practices that are unfair towards American (except GM) cars as well.
February 10th, 2010 at 8:29 am
H/S says:
“Only White Collar Americans benefit when you buy a GM product.”
This is not true. GM still has more production workers in America than any other manufacturing company, and they still make more of their own parts in North American plants than any other car company, except possibly Ford.
February 10th, 2010 at 9:22 am
“# C-tech Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
At $60K, I don’t see the EV version of the Transit connect being a big seller, and I would be surprised to see it go forward.”
No private business owner will buy this silly toy. They will never, ever recover the extra $38k over the gas version. If people will bot buy the stupid Volt at $32,500 or $40,000 over the $18k cruze it is based on, why in the world would a business buy a silly $60k transit when they can have the $22k regular gas one and, at 22 and 25 MPG EPA, still save 30%-50% in fuel over the larger vans?
There is only one way to pay the $60k and buy the stupid thing: If you are not wasting YOUR $, but the Taxpayers. Expect many government agencies to buy a ton of them, possibly as part of the next failed “stimulus” package.
“The propane or CNG powered taxi version sounds very good, especially in urban areas because of how clean propane burns.”
In addition, Ford is discontinuing the ungainly dinosaurs, the Crown Vic taxis, so a huge market could go to the Transit Taxi.
” As a business owner the the propane Transit Connect would be my preference as a delivery/work truck. Propane/CNG fueled vehicles generally have lower engine maintence as well.”
Depends on the price premium over the gas variant.
February 10th, 2010 at 9:26 am
“Kit Gerhart Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
HyundaiSmoke Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
“This new Prius isnt good enough. Remember when it first came out and people were hoping for 100 MPG at least?”
”
Kit,
Why dignify this ridiculous strawman with any response???
NOBODY in his or her right mind EXPECTED 100 MPG from ANY hybrid, even the “Awsome” Prius.
A Peugeot DIESEL-Electric Hybrid prototype gets 70 MPG in Europe, but the EPA would probably rate it 60 MPG at best. And I doubt it is on sale, several years after it was presented in a car show.
BUT people, including myuself, DID GET 62 and 69 MPG even with the PREVIOUS, less efficient (see EPA numbers) Prius.
I am amused that the idiot that is posting this 100% STRAWMAN is cheering for these clowns Hyundai and Kia, the cheapo POS that offer NO Hybrid and not even a DIESEL in the US!
100 MPG will be tough indeed for a car with the capability of Prius. We are dealing with the laws of physics, after all. Replacing the gas engine with a diesel would bump it up somewhat, maybe as much as 30%. The Prius body is already very good as far as aero drag. I don’t know what the efficiency is of the motor/generator. I’m sure it can improve somewhat in time, but I suspect this techonology is close to the point of diminishing return. If anyone can mass produce a car with the capabilty of Prius that will get 100 MPG under any conditions, except maybe steady speed of 45 MPG, they will be doing very well
February 10th, 2010 at 10:28 am
” General Motors Co. is doing careful planning as it looks at adding third shifts to meet demand for products, a top official said Tuesday. Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, said the company is looking at everything from short- and long-term capacity increases to manual body shop changes if it resolves capacity constraints.
Vehicles in demand include the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Cadillac SRX, Buick LaCrosse and large crossovers.”
I have praised the NEW 32 MPG Equinox and the NEW lacrosse many times here, so i am not surprised.
“GM also is looking at whether a third shift is needed to make more Chevrolet Malibus. The Malibu outsold the Toyota Camry in January.”
perhaps temporarily, until the Toyota craze dies down.
“We’re starving now,” Reuss said. For example, he said, there are only two Yukons currently available for sale.
“But we need to add capacity responsibly,” he said, and each plant must make money on its own.”
From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100210/AUTO01/2100348/1148/GM-considers-adding-shifts-to-meet-increasing-demand#ixzz0f9BTOzTo