|
| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Prius and oil, part deux
More! |
David Roberts |
06 Dec 2005 |
Gristmill |
| About a week ago I did a short post on Prius/oil-related matters that seemed to irritate a few folks. I hadn't noticed until today that our occasional contributor (and pundit nonpareil) Clark Williams-Derry posted a response. He seemed to be approaching the question the same way some other people did, so I thought I'd offer a reply. To recap: A Wall Street Journal editorial (sub.) said this: Petroleum not consumed by Prius owners is not 'saved.' It does not st ... |
|
| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, energy, hybrids, oil, Prius (all these topics) |
|
|
Prius and oil
Calming down the hybrid hype. |
David Roberts |
30 Nov 2005 |
Gristmill |
| Treehugger mocks this, from the notoriously hack-a-rrific Wall Street Journal editorial page: Petroleum not consumed by Prius owners is not 'saved'. It does not stay in the ground. It is consumed by someone else. Greenhouse gases are still released. I'm all for mocking the WSJ editorial page, but this statement is quite true. Oil supply and demand are tightly coupled right now and are only going to get more so. Any dribble of oil you don't use will be snapped up ... |
|
| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, energy, hybrids, oil, Prius (all these topics) |
|
|
Is a hybrid worth it?
Is the fuel efficiency of hybrid cars worth the extra money? |
Sarah K. Burkhalter |
29 Nov 2005 |
Gristmill |
| Anybody thinking about selling their old car and buying a hybrid should check this out: Brandon U. Hansen at OmniNerd calculates the monthly gas savings of trading in your current vehicle for a hybrid; how much you'll need to take out in a loan; monthly payment of the loan compared to current car payment; and (voila!) a pretty graph showing the 'maximum economically justified hypothetical hybrid sticker price vs hypothetical hybrid gas mileages for various gas pr ... |
|
| Topics: cars (all these topics) |
|
|
Who killed the electric car?
|
Chris Schults |
09 Nov 2005 |
Gristmill |
| Currently in production is EV Confidential, a documentary 'about electric cars, hybrids, hydrogen, and the future of transportation.' Word has it that Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) has picked up the North-American/English speaking rights and will release EV Confidential in 2006. Watch the trailer here. |
|
| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, movies (all these topics) |
|
|
Danny's Contentment: Following the experience of an electric car owner in London
|
Chris Schults |
03 Nov 2005 |
Gristmill |
| Now this is what I'm talking about. Take one innovative Brit, one video recorder, one blog, one electric car and ... voi la, you have one cool video blog. Danny Fleet is chronicling his purchase of, and driving experience with, his REVA on his video blog, Danny's Contentment. Watch clips of the delivery, a HOWTO on watering (!) the REVA, Danny's first time in the driver's seat, his first ticket ... you get the picture. Any Gristmillers have a video blog of their own ... |
|
| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, London (all these topics) |
|
|
VW goes lithium
|
Chris Schults |
03 Nov 2005 |
Gristmill |
| I must admit, I enjoy watching Volkswagen TV commercials. They're hip ('Independence Day'), funny ('Airport'), sometimes innovative ('Squares') and sometimes weird ('Sardines'). But I've often wondered when VW will seriously enter the hybrid market. According to Wired's Autopia blog, maybe soon: Volkswagen is exploring using lithium ion batteries in future hybrid vehicles. The German automaker is working with Hybrid Technologies to develop a concept vehicle in North ... |
|
| Topics: business, cars, electric vehicles, hybrids (all these topics) |
|
|
To Top It Off
On diesel vs. standard gasoline cars |
Umbra Fisk |
02 Nov 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I've always heard bad things about diesel fuel. However, I know someone who has a diesel VW that gets 50 miles to the gallon. I'm wondering if you could do a cost-benefit analysis for me. I know I can't afford a hybrid anytime soon, and was wondering if it would be better to buy a used diesel car that gets excellent gas mileage or a regular used car that gets in the 30 to 40 mpg range. Anne Nelson, N.H. Dea ... |
|
| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, biofuels, cars, fuel efficiency, oil, placemaking (all these topics) |
|
|
Electric potential
Electric cars are looking good, but not quite there in terms of quality |
biodiversivist |
19 Oct 2005 |
Gristmill |
| I dropped in on the local electric car dealership the other day to kick some tires and see what's new. I especially liked the look of one model. It has four doors and a hatchback and is about the size and shape of the old VW Bug. When I checked under the hood I found six 12-volt, lead-acid batteries. It also did not have a transmission.Certainly, using lead-acid batteries and eliminating the transmission are engineering compromises that should go a long way toward kee ... |
|
| Topics: cars, electric vehicles (all these topics) |
|
|
Tire-less activism
French SUV-haters deflate gas-guzzling tires |
Todd Hymas Samkara |
11 Oct 2005 |
Gristmill |
| Most every cyclist who's rolled alongside cars for any amount of time knows the feeling, the one that makes you pump your fist at that driver who nearly ran you over, or that one whose tailpipe is emptying its contents into your face, or the one who's emissions are melting that glacier you liked so much (anger rising, rising). It's this sort of frustration that makes regular bicycle commuters and eco-conscious citizens of all stripes regularly curse outright at ag ... |
|
| Topics: bikes, cars, France, grassroots activism (all these topics) |
|
|
Civic's Lesson
On used cars |
Umbra Fisk |
03 Oct 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, With rising -- OK, skyrocketing -- gas prices, I would like to invest in a car that gets good mileage and is reliable. However, I can't afford a new Toyota Prius. Do you have any suggestions for environmentally friendly used cars that those of us on a budget might be able to invest in? Living in Wyoming, I have to travel long distances on a frequent basis, and public transportation is a joke here, so any suggestions would be appre ... |
|
| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, placemaking (all these topics) |
|
|
Pimp My Prius
Customizations and hacks jazz up a hybrid |
|
26 Sep 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Pimp My Prius Customizations and hacks jazz up a hybrid Sure, your Prius saves gas and helps you reduce your personal carbon dioxide emissions ... but does it have mad bling? We didn't think so. Luckily, The New York Times commissioned George Barris, car customizer extraordinaire, to modify a Prius without altering the car's mechanics or electronics for a price the Gray Lady termed "withi ... |
|
| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, news, Prius (all these topics) |
|
|
Could Katrina kill the SUV?
Despite falling sales figures, it's not bloody likely |
Todd Hymas Samkara |
13 Sep 2005 |
Gristmill |
| ... asked the title of an Agence France-Presse story in TerraDaily on Sunday. Uh, not bloody likely. The story cited falling SUV sales figures for August, combined with the even higher-than-usual gas-price spikes wrought by the hurricane's effect on refining capacity, and concluded, via an economist or two, 'Potentially, Katrina could signal the death knell of the SUV in as much as consumers are going to find themselves once burned, twice shy to buy such vehicle ... |
|
| Topics: cars, energy, green living, oil, severe weather (all these topics) |
|
|
Price Guys Finish First
Toyota plans to cut price of its hybrids |
|
13 Sep 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Price Guys Finish First Toyota plans to cut price of its hybrids Aching for a Toyota Prius hybrid, but wilting at the thought of shelling out $3,500 or more over the price of a conventional car? Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe is thinking of you: He's directed the company's engineering chief to halve the price difference between a hybrid and its gasoline-only equivalent. Spea ... |
|
| Topics: business, cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, news, Prius, renewable energy (all these topics) |
|
|
Gas Mileage: Consumer Retorts
Consumer Reports' real-world mpg figures make the Prius even more appealing |
Clark Williams-Derry |
12 Sep 2005 |
Gristmill |
| Consumer Reports recently claimed that EPA's vehicle ratings routinely overstate how fuel-efficient cars and trucks are in real-world driving. For standard cars and trucks, the magazine says, EPA's ratings overstate real-world fuel economy by 30 percent. But for small hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, they claim that EPA overstates actual miles-per-gallon by a hefty 42 percent. (Ouch.) Now, I believe that there's reason to question Consumer Reports' figures. O ... |
|
| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, Prius (all these topics) |
|
|
How green is your car insurance?
Is Esurance the eco-friendliest of them all? |
Chris Schults |
07 Sep 2005 |
Gristmill |
| Last night I caught snippets of a new Esurance television commercial. Thinking I heard the words 'environment' and 'hybrid,' I headed over to esurance.com to investigate. For those of you not familiar with Esurance, they are an online insurance company whose animated television commercials feature Erin Esurance, a secret agent with a mission to help you and me crack the auto insurance code. Once at the site, I headed over to the 'ErinCam' where I located the advert in ... |
|
| Topics: cars, green living (all these topics) |
|
|
Your Love Is Liftin' Me Hybrider
California dealers jacking up prices for scarce hybrids |
|
29 Aug 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Your Love Is Liftin' Me Hybrider California dealers jacking up prices for scarce hybrids Californians may find themselves paying up to $4,000 over the manufacturer's suggested retail price for a gas-electric Toyota Prius -- if they can get their hands on one at all. Folks hankering for a Honda Civic or Insight hybrid also face dealer premiums and lean supply. Thanks to soaring gas cos ... |
|
| Topics: business, California, cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, news, Prius (all these topics) |
|
|
Chain of fuels
The latest solution to pumped-up prices |
Katharine Wroth |
26 Aug 2005 |
Gristmill |
| Because I'm obsessed with reactions to gas prices, I shall tell you about an email I got this morning from a childhood friend in Maine. Maybe you've also gotten it. But not from my friend, a sweet woman who usually forwards the Ann-Landers messages: you know, a poem reminding you to love your kids and scratch behind your dog's ears, because tomorrow you might all be dead, that sort of thing. Today's note is about a campaign to 'force a price war' by not buying gas f ... |
|
| Topics: cars, energy, oil (all these topics) |
|
|
The Pledge of Reason
Dispatches from a student-run clean-car campaign |
|
23 Aug 2005 |
Dispatches |
| The Road to Detroit campaign is run by 11 student organizers from around the U.S., one big, beautiful biodiesel and veggie-oil bus, and many friends and allies. Road to Detroit is a campaign of Energy Action, a student and youth clean-energy and global-warming coalition. Dispatch: 1 | 2 | 3 Tuesday, 23 Aug 2005 DETROIT, Mich. Yesterday evening, the Road to Detroit team of organizers joined up with our brave Drive the Future we ... |
|
| Topics: biofuels, cars, Dispatches, education, energy, fuel efficiency, grassroots activism, Michigan, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
|
|
What's All the Bus About?
Dispatches from a student-run clean-car campaign |
|
22 Aug 2005 |
Dispatches |
| The Road to Detroit campaign is run by 11 student organizers from around the U.S., one big, beautiful biodiesel and veggie-oil bus, and many friends and allies. Road to Detroit is a campaign of Energy Action, a student and youth clean-energy and global-warming coalition. Dispatch: 1 | 2 | 3 Monday, 22 Aug 2005 DETROIT, Mich. In the madness of classic cars and signs reading "Burn Out," "Light Her Up," a ... |
|
| Topics: biofuels, cars, Dispatches, education, energy, fuel efficiency, grassroots activism, Michigan, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
|
|
Biodiesel: it's what you make it out of
Replacing fossil fuels with biodiesel may do more harm than good |
biodiversivist |
19 Aug 2005 |
Gristmill |
| I remember when real environmentalists drove smoking VW vans with bumper stickers that said stuff like, 'You can't call yourself an environmentalist if you eat meat.' They didn't get the best gas mileage, but hey, you could do worse. They were replaced by the forest-green Subaru Outback (Eddy Bower edition if you were really cool), seen by the dozens in any REI parking lot. These are presently being eclipsed by the ubiquitous Prius. But, there is stiff competition fro ... |
|
| Topics: biofuels, cars, consumerism, energy, hybrids, placemaking (all these topics) |
|
|
Mind Over Motor
Dispatches from a student-run clean-car campaign |
|
19 Aug 2005 |
Dispatches |
| The Road to Detroit campaign is run by 11 student organizers from around the U.S., one big, beautiful biodiesel and veggie-oil bus, and many friends and allies. Road to Detroit is a campaign of Energy Action, a student and youth clean-energy and global-warming coalition. Dispatch: 1 | 2 | 3 Friday, 19 Aug 2005 DETROIT, Mich. We know you know about fuel-efficient cars. You may even own one. Peak oil, the rising price at the pump, an ... |
|
| Topics: biofuels, cars, Dispatches, education, energy, fuel efficiency, grassroots activism, Michigan, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
|
|
Changes of Engine
On biodiesel vs. straight veggie oil |
Umbra Fisk |
17 Aug 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I have the opportunity to convert a 1979 non-turbo Mercedes into a non-diesel. The question I have is: to which should I switch, biodiesel or vegetable oil? I can't seem to find out which one is best, just that these two are better than any petroleum-based fuels, which we already know (thanks for your earlier column on hybrids vs. veggie oil). Also, is it possible to switch from biodiesel to veggie oil, ... |
|
| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, biofuels, cars, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
|
|
Su-Su-Pseudo
On true hybrids |
Umbra Fisk |
15 Aug 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I read the New York Times article that reported auto manufacturers are using hybrid technology to boost power rather than improve mileage. It specifically mentioned the Honda Accord, claiming that the mileage difference between the six-cylinder and the hybrid is minimal. What are the facts here? Is there a hybrid that really, actually, no-foolin'-around, gives really good mileage, represents a significant improvement over the reg ... |
|
| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, electric vehicles, fuel efficiency, hybrids, placemaking (all these topics) |
|
|
Flying brick
Beware the hype around plug-in hybrids |
biodiversivist |
14 Aug 2005 |
Gristmill |
| An article in Business Week Online tells us that experimental hybrid cars get up to 250 mpg (a very similar article appeared in the New York Times business section a couple of months earlier). I enjoy reading between the lines of lay press science and technology articles. There was a great discussion in Grist on this subject not too long ago. Gremban ...spent... $3,000 tinkering with his car... [I]n the trunk sits an 80-miles-per-gallon secret -- a stack of 18 brick ... |
|
| Topics: business, cars, consumerism, electric vehicles, hybrids (all these topics) |
|
|
Prius-toric
Team achieves 110 mpg in Toyota Prius |
|
09 Aug 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Prius-toric Team achieves 110 mpg in Toyota Prius If you thought fuel efficiency was cool, wait 'til you meet ... Xtreme fuel efficiency! Rawk! Ahem. A team of five oddly obsessive middle-aged American men, seeking to break the unofficial mileage record set in Japan, recently drove a factory Toyota Prius 1,397 miles on one tank of gas, spending two days circling around one 15- ... |
|
| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, fuel efficiency, hybrids, news, placemaking, Prius (all these topics) |
|
|
|
©2008. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.