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Friday, January 27, 2012:
Some think that youth is wasted on the young but it seems to us that young drivers have the right idea when to comes to driving green vehicles. In what sounds like excellent news for automakers working hard to produce more hybrid and electric vehicles, a recent survey from Deloitte shows that six out of ten Millennials - also know as Gen Y - would prefer to buy a hybrid over any other kind of car or truck. The group, which consist of drivers currently aged 19 to 31, are also looking for technology like smartphone integration and touchscreen controls in their fuel efficient vehicles. Not only do Gen Y consumers know the value of fuel efficiency, they are willing to pay more for it. CBS Moneywatch reports that, "close to half (49%) of Gen Y customers are willing to pay an extra $300 for each mile per gallon of improvement they can get out of a hybrid, according to Deloitte." ... In what sounds like one of the most short-sighted moves ever, Kansas lawmakers are considering imposing a new fee on the power used by electric car and hybrid owners when they charge up their vehicles. As our country makes gains towards lowering our emissions, why any lawmaker would consider a fee that would penalize consumers who are looking to do the right thing for the environment by driving vehicles that get both extremely low or no emissions and are highly fuel efficient is beyond us. Let's hope state legislators come to their senses and figure out another way to recoup possible lost gas tax revenue as cars move towards using less gas in the future ...
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Thursday, January 19, 2012:
Let's take a little break from our usual focus on compacts and subcompacts ... Auto racing is tremendously popular around the globe. Will electric vehicles lead it towards an even brighter future? The American Le Mans Series, International Motor Sports Association and Quimera, a company that works on sustainability projects, are working on developing a racing series around electric vehicles. A good amount of technology developed for the racing world ends up in practical applications for passenger vehicles so it could be a boon for electric car technology. Quimera already has its own electric racecar - the AEGT (All Electric GT) - ready to hit the track in some 2012 demo races ... Although we already have a clear picture which groups fall on either side of the debate about proposed fuel economy standards that would get the U.S. fleet of passenger vehicles to 54.5 MPG by 2025, it's heartening to see so many individuals and organizations are engaged on the issue. As part of the public comment period on the proposed standards, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held its first public hearing in Detroit Tuesday. When more than 90 people signed up to testify, they had to extend the length of the hearing so everyone had an opportunity to be heard. As they have previously, the auto dealers remained staunch in their opposition to the standards. The UAW, along with high-ranking environmentalists and U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), again came out in support of the new standards, noting that although consumers may have to pay $2,100 more on the initial purchase of their vehicles, they will save $4,000 over the life of that vehicle. Seven automakers also attended in support of the new standards. We just keep wondering how long the auto dealers will remain a lone wolf in their opposition to these achievable standards that will benefit consumers and the environment ...
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