General Motors is finally starting to regularly break out the sales figures for its hybrid vehicles and while the numbers are improving, they still look very weak compared to the competition. August was the company's best month yet for hybrids with a whopping 1,629 units delivered of the six available models. Buyers took home a combined 797 examples of the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon plus a single Escalade hybrid. The Escalade only went on sale in late August so we'll be looking for the September numbers to see if there really is any demand for a $70,000+ luxury hybrid SUV. Over on the mild hybrid side of the tally, the Saturn Vue was the winner with 417 sales, followed by the Malibu at 388 and finally the Aura with a mere 26 sales. These numbers are still pretty weak but at least they are trending upward. Over 12 months the current rate amounts to over 19,500 units, a number that will likely grow significantly when the two-mode Vue goes on sale in a few months. With six hybrids on sale though, that's still pretty tame compared even to Ford, which sells every one of the 25,000 Escape and Mariner hybrids it offers. Ford will likely jump well out ahead in the new year with the Fusion hybrid. Next month, we'll be carefully watching Chrysler's numbers as well, since the first sales of the Durango and Aspen hybrids should be recorded.

Related:

• In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited FWD
• In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid
• In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2008 Chevy Tahoe Two-Mode Hybrid

[Source: General Motors]

While KITT gets the headline from Ford in its announcement of FoMoCo vehicles appearing in fall TV shows, the green-minded among us can find a mention of a hybrid powerplant on the set of Fringe a few paragraphs down - after talk of KITT (it turns into a F-150!) and Desperate Housewifes. Fringe is the latest show from J. J. Abrams (Lost and Alias).

Apparently, a main character in the FOX sci-fi drama Fringe, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) will track down E.T. or whatever in a 2009 Escape Hybrid. The use of the honkin' hybrid shows just what a greenie Abrams is, said Ross Mackenzie of Ford Global Brand Entertainment in a statement. "J. J. Abrams is a big environmentalist, and he wanted to have a hybrid vehicle on the show. Since Olivia Dunham is the lead character, the Escape Hybrid was a nice fit."

If you want to know how the 2009 Escape Hybrid performs in the real word, check out our review. There's also the Ford release and a video teaser ad for Fringe after the break.


[Source: Ford]

Click the 2009 Escape Hybrid for a high-res gallery

Contrary to the results from many studies conducted over the past, Consumer Reports has found that some hybrid vehicles actually offer a huge cash savings after just one year of driving. As you would imagine, those savings continues to add up year after year in most cases. Out of twelve hybrids tested, half saved money in the first year of ownership, even without calculating in any applicable tax credits. The six winners: Toyota Prius and hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Malibu and (surprise!) Tahoe, Ford Escape, Saturn Vue, and Toyota Camry.

There were a few losers too, along with some that just about broke even. The worst payback, not surprisingly, come from the most expensive models: the Lexus GS 450h and RX 400h and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. So far, CR has not revealed the math behind its findings, other than to say that fuel savings only accounted for about a quarter of overall cost to their owners, but subscribers will know soon enough. Get the whole story in the October 2008 edition of the print mag.


[Source: Consumer Reports]

Following the examples set down by New York and San Francisco, Boston is now requiring that all its taxis be hybrids by the year 2015. The fleet currently boasts about 50 of the gas saving cars but most of the rest of the fleet of 1825 people movers are Crown Victorias. Although the hybrids can save owners $1,000 a month in fuel costs and halve emissions, change is not always welcomed and there is some resistance to switching over. The upfront cost of hybrids approach $30,000 when outfitted with the complete taxi kit while the old rear-wheel drive guzzlers might be less than half of that when picked up second hand from city auctions. Of course, we might argue that brand new Ford Escape hybrids and Priuses would be twice as nice to drive and ride in as previously ragged-out police cars but perhaps we're biased. In any case, the decision has been made and so hybrids it will be...eventually. The seven year grace period is supposed to help out the owner-operators compete with large cab company fleets while the transition is made.

[Source: The Boston Globe]

Apparently, Marty Padgett and Bengt Halvorson over at The Car Connection had a little extra time over the weekend. As part of the political frenzy being created thanks to the national party conventions happening over the next two weeks, the automotive website has taken it upon itself to predict which types of vehicles will become more popular depending on who is president of the U.S. starting in January. Their take? A President Barack Obama would promote diesel pickups, the Honda Accord diesel, the Ford Fiesta and the Chrysler 300C HEMI. On the other side, a President John McCain would mean more Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrids, Toyota Priuses, Honda Civic GXs, Chevrolet Volts and Nissan EVs on the roads. You can read their reason for these choices after the jump, but it basically comes down to which broad automotive policies each candidate has promoted thus far in the race. Still, I thought the Prius was the car of choice for Obamaniacs?

[Source: TheCarConnection.com]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid

Last week, Honda officially revealed photos of the 2009 Honda Civic range (which is now on the company website, too), which received a mild facelift as part of its mid-cycle enhancement. As was hinted in the spy shots that came out a short time ago, the grille has been reshaped to fit in with the rest of Honda's vehicle range, the front bumper now incorporates a tri-opening look, and out back, the taillamp lenses are slightly more detailed than before. A chrome strip now spans the area between them on the trunklid as well.

The Civic Hybrid soldiers on with its uniquely-styled wheels and gets standard stability control for 2009. As you can see in the gallery below, leather seating is also now available, along with Bluetooth connectivity and a USB interface for portable media players. The 1.3L four with IMA is unchanged and is rated at the same 40 mpg city/45 mpg highway as last year's car. Overall, yes, the car's changed, but only very slightly. Meanwhile, everyone waits with bated breath for the official unveiling of the big H's hybrid-only Prius fighter.


[Source: Honda]

Earlier this week when Hyundai America product development VP John Krafcik revealed that the company would unveil a hybrid version of the Sonata at the LA Auto Show, some of the PR people in the room seemed to be caught by surprise. Now the Chairman of the Hyundai-Kia Auto group, Mong-Koo Chung has confirmed that and more. Over on the Kia Buzz blog, the chairman has affirmed production of a hybrid version of the Elantra in Korea in 2009 followed by a mid-size hybrid (namely the Sonata) in 2010. Mong seems to think that more environmentally-friendly cars actually make business sense judging from this comment "low-carbon, environmentally friendly cars represent a high value-added industry of the future that will promote sustainable growth." The ability to offer more efficient, less polluting vehicles are expected to actually be a selling point as fuel prices and environmental concerns increase.

Going beyond the hybrids, Hyundai and Kia intend to continue pushing forward with fuel cell technology as well. The group wants to commercialize hydrogen vehicles beyond the 66 vehicles they have running in the field today. The company plans to expand the field test fleet to 500 vehicles by 2010 and begin series production in 2012. Mong hasn't indicated where the company plans to sell these vehicles and how customers will get fuel.

[Source: Kia Buzz]

click on the image above to enlarge

California may just pass Maryland as the first State to require hybrid and electric cars to have a minimum sound level. While the East Coast state has created a task force to study the issue, the Senate in the far-left State has just now approved a bill which would establish its own committee for the same purpose. The bill will now be passed on to The Governator, Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, who has apparently not taken a stance as of yet on the politically-charged issue. Although Cali is just the third-largest State by land area, it is the most populous and has a huge collection of hybrids and electric vehicles due to its strict emissions requirements, and we all know how important California's auto legislation is for setting the stage across the country.

While many may argue over whether or not legislation is really required for cars being too quiet, the technology certainly exists to take care of it. Lotus, for example, has already demo'd its Safe and Sound system.

[Source: AP via San Jose Mercury News]

Click above image for a gallery of the 5-door Yaris

With the soaring cost of fuel and an increased awareness of global warming, more and more people are looking at hybrids as a way of saving a buck and the environment at the same time. The king of all hybrids is the Toyota Prius, which comprises the lion's share of all hybrid sales. It'll net you 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway, and when you're done with your hybrid hatch, you can sell it with minimal depreciation. The Prius has a lot going for it, but does it have the lowest cost of ownership? It would, if not for another member of the Toyota lineup.

IntelliChoice figures total cost of ownership over a five-year period by balancing depreciation, insurance, financing, maintenance and repairs, and fuel costs. While the Prius delivers $2,000 in fuel savings over that period of time and very high residual value, the Yaris beat out the Prius in cost of ownership by a rather large $1,300. The reason? There are a few, really, including the Yaris' bargain basement starting price of $13,945, which is much lower than the $22,220 it takes to get you into a Prius. Then there is the fact that the Yaris also gets solid fuel economy, with city/highway numbers of 29/35. Financing $22k is also a lot tougher on the wallet then a meager $14k.

The Yaris may have won the cost of ownership battle, the Prius is still winning the war. Prius sales are killing Yaris sales, and while the Prius is no beauty queen, the Yaris is just as homely while also having far less interior room.

[Source: Automobile Mag]

click to enlarge

The Detroit Free Press' Justin Hyde has a new article out about just how reliant the Big Three are on other countries for all of their new-fangled high-tech parts, especially batteries for hybrid vehicles. We know that the U.S. government is funding hydrogen fuel cell and biofuel research to the hilt, but the dollars for PHEVs and their batteries simply don't match up. Hyde writes about the advantage that Asian countries have in making rechargeable batteries thanks to strong government support there for decades.

The thing is, I'm not sure how this reliance on other countreis for batteries will really be any different from many other aspects of the auto industry. I mean, haven't the past two or three (or more?) decades really been about moving production and sourcing to each and every corner of the world? Or take computer chips - of which how many are in each new car? How many of these are produced in the U.S.? It's the reality of the business/corporate world today, and hybrid vehicles certainly are no exception. Not sure what the surprise is here.

[Source: Seattle Times]

London trucking got a bit greener today as Daimler AG has delivered ten Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids to various customers in the city. The 7.5-ton hybrid trucks are expected to save about 15-percent in both fuel and carbon emissions using a diesel engine and electric drivetrain. The eight customers were specifically chosen to study what the economic benefits of the fuel savings could be, since all the trucks will be used in slightly different roles. Daimler hopes that it will become apparent after the three-year test what roles the trucks are best suited for. Daimler has even created a special service center in London for servicing of the trucks, which were delivered pre-painted in each of the customers' colors. Quite acomodating of the German automaker, wouldn't you say? The trucks themselves were introduced in 2006 and have proven popular in Japan. Daimler hopes that European customers will find that the fuel savings over a couple of years will make up for the higher initial cost that the hybrid trucks are saddled with.

[Source: Daimler AG]

Click above for more high-res shots of the 2007 Toyota Prius Touring

When it comes time to choose their next new vehicle purchase, recent data suggests that hybrid drivers are the most likely to either choose the same model again or, even more likely, the same brand. Experian Automotive reports that Prius drivers, not surprisingly, were the most likely of all to buy another Prius. We'd imagine that this fact may have something to do with those drivers wanting to continue saving gas and lowering their emissions. Forty-seven percent of hybrid owners, regardless of make, return back to the same brand for their next car.

This data shows how important it is for automakers to get in on hybrids while they are still hot. After all, even if little profit is made on that initial purchase, a loyal customer will continue spending their money with the brand in the future. As fully-electric vehicles begin to hit the market, our bet would be that this trend will only continue.


[Source: Experian Automotive]

A blogger over on the Inside Line blog at Edmunds known only as The Mechanic has published an editorial that expresses supreme disdain for hybrid vehicles such as the Prius and Civic. He/she/it does make some valid points in that the really efficient hybrids (as opposed to Lexus hybrids) are generally not particularly engaging to drive. This is true, compared to conventional counterparts, these cars are clearly optimized for minimal fuel consumption and aspects such as longitudinal and lateral acceleration are given short shrift. What the mechanic seems to ignore is that the appliance-like qualities of such cars are generally not seen as a bad thing to most drivers. Aside from the truck segment, look at the cars that have the highest sales; Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Honda Civic. Not a fun car among them. Most people don't car about fun to drive.

The mechanic does have a very good point about not necessarily buying a new car. If you already have a car that is running well and getting reasonable fuel efficiency, the gains from switching to a a new hybrid may not be sufficient to offset the impact of building and shipping that new car to a dealership. The other thing to consider is that not all fuel efficient vehicles are devoid of fun. For those that actually enjoy driving, there are non-hybrid alternatives although few are available to American consumers at the moment. While its true that life is short, the overall tone of the Mechanics diatribe does come off as rather selfish. For those that don't care about the joy of driving, use your hybrid, its not hurting those that do like to drive (at least as long as you aren't driving way too slow). Thanks to Cory for the tip!

[Source: Inside Line]

Proton, the Malaysian state-owned automaker which also owns Lotus, is currently working on a hybrid vehicle which it hopes to bring to market in two to three years. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has already driven the car, and he's pushing Proton to get it ready as quickly as possible. Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, Managing Director at Proton, says, "It is too early to talk of introducing a hybrid car in the local market. I can only say that we are looking at this possibility in two to three years time before we go into mass production." Although the Malaysian government would like to see the automaker act, the fact is that Proton doesn't quite have the know-how in-house to get the job done properly, especially with lithium ion batteries. For that reason, the automaker has contacted Bosch for assistance in getting its first hybrid model out the door.

[Sources: Bernama.com, AFP via Yahoo]

In the wake of a new lithium ion battery joint venture, Bernd Bohr, CEO of Bosch is not concerned that automakers will try to keep battery production in house. In an interview with German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, Bohr was asked about the fact that several automakers including Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan are involved in their own joint ventures for lithium batteries. Bosch is investing $300-400 million in a venture with Samsung to produce automotive lithium batteries. Bohr feels it will take 10-15 years for lithium batteries to become dominant so the company still has the opportunity to come to the forefront of the technology and play a leading role. While the Samsung will start with Korean production Bohr intends to eventually expand to other locations as well. By the time lithium batteries become mainstream in electric vehicles, Bohr expects the energy density to increase by a factor of 3-5 times. With Bosch's experience in power tools and appliances the company already has plenty of in-house motor technology that they are now applying to hybrid and electric drive systems. By 2015 Bohr expects hybrids to account for about 2.5-3 million vehicles annually with another 800,000 battery electrics.

Before electrics take over the world though, Bohr expects diesel engines to pick up another five points of market share taking 28 percent of the global market by mid-decade. In spite of elevated diesel prices right now, Bohr believes that diesel will be the only way to meet coming CO2 emissions standards and taxes in the near to mid-term. According to Bohr investments are being made to increase diesel refining capacity that will alleviate the price pressures by 2010. Bohr mentioned that HCCI engines could appear in production before 2015 which will also help reduce consumption and emissions. Bosch is also focusing on large volumes of the most cost-effective methods such as auto start-stop systems which are expected to be on 50 percent of European cars by 2012.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport]