Recent Comments:
BMW chimes in on proposed U.S. CAFE standards {Autoblog Green}
Jul 2nd 2008 11:01AM BMW is whining for absolutely no reason. What do you think happens if an auto maker does not meet CAFE standards? The government does not shut the company down, they just fine them.
All BMW has to do is pay the fines and pass the cost along to it's customers. They are a LUXURY car company! People who would shell out at least $33,000 for a 3 series will not care if they now have to pay $35,000.
The return of Sting, Eco-Hypocrite {Green Daily}
Jul 2nd 2008 10:10AM Do as a say, not as I do :-)
Automakers say new CAFE standards will cost 82,000 jobs {Autoblog}
Jul 1st 2008 4:40PM With current gas prices, market forces will force automakers to achieve 35 mpg CAFE before 2020 without the need of any legislation.
High gas prices to keep 10 million cars off the roads {Autoblog Green}
Jun 30th 2008 10:38AM "7. The bad part of all of this, it will hurt the rual poor that can't afford to move and have to drive 60 miles to get to a poor paying job because thats all there is."
It's sad to say but the only profession I see for the rural poor in a future of very high petroleum prices is low pesticide/fertilizer/mechanized farming.
"You say an electric car will cost me? No problem." {Autoblog Green}
Jun 27th 2008 2:14PM Thought experiment:
10000 miles a year time 10 years = 100,000 miles
100,000 divided by 50 mpg (prius) = 2000 gal of gas
2000 gal of gas times $5 per gal (conservative guess about the average cost of gas over the next ten years) = $10,000
$10,000 is a lot of money to spend on gas. I realize that electricity costs money and that the amount of electricity per mile that an electric car will use per mile will vary from car to car.
You also have to look at the amount of money saved on maintenance with an electric car.
no oil changes, no air filter changes, no transmission fluid changes, less frequent brake changes due to regen braking (the prius has this too, but most cars do not), no new spark plugs, no new timing belt, no new muffler, etc.
About the only big expense with an electric car is the battery which automakers say will last for 150,000 miles before it needs to be changed.
"You say an electric car will cost me? No problem." {Autoblog Green}
Jun 27th 2008 10:10AM True, but it will help the cost of oil issue as well as the dependence on foreign oil issue.
Also, coal currently costs 5 cents per Kw and wind 8 cents per Kw and falling fast. As demand for electricity increases, the demand (i.e. cost) of coal will also increase. Therefore, very soon wind power will be cheaper than coal power.
In capitalism when something is cheaper we will switch to it in mass.
Green Daily giveaway: Over $300 in composting supplies {Green Daily}
Jun 26th 2008 4:50PM I would compost fruit and vegetable leavings and stems and in the process reduce my garbage to practically zero.
Nissan considering high-performance V8 version of Z car, more 370Z details {Autoblog}
Jun 26th 2008 3:56PM Dear Nissan,
Please give the Z small round headlights like the original 240Z. I can't stand those L-shaped things.
Sincerely
Chad
European Ford Focus coming to US in 2010! Third shift added now {Autoblog Green}
Jun 20th 2008 5:02PM "We sell some of the best smaller cars and utility vehicles in the world in our profitable European and South American operations, and our plan is to introduce these same vehicles in North America as quickly as possible."
That pretty much says it all.
It's Friday: Mobile meadow captures truck's carbon emissions on the run {Autoblog Green}
Jun 20th 2008 9:14AM How much extra gas does he burn carrying around the weight of all that dirt?
