(Source: Jalopnik)
According to the photographer, the owner of this camel parks like this every day. Wait, why are we feeling this sense of deja vu? [BP]
According to the photographer, the owner of this BMW 335i parks like this every day. [Imageshack via Reddit]
Note: TransportGooru loves Jalopnik for offering such “priceless” photos.
(Source: TOLLROADSnews)
Americans are driving less because of the recession but a survey by the Pew Research Center show they still rank a car as the number one necessity of modern life. Driving less and eliminating “unnecessary” car trips has been one of the leading ways people say they save money, according to the poll (see bottom of this report.) Asked to say whether an item is a necessity or a luxury 88% say a car is a necessity compared to:
The Pew Center opinion pollers describe the automobile as the “ultimate survivor.” “It’s been around for nearly a century, but in good times or bad, it retains its pride of place at the top of America’s list of everyday necessities.” The survey was conducted April 2-8 2009 with a sample of 1003 persons.
Click here to access/download the survey report. Here is a related article published on Transportgooru reflecting a significant decline in the vehicle miles traveled across the US, somehow validates the data on the above image (“Is there anything else that you have done to save money during the recession”?)
As reported in yesterday’s post, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman, Subcommittee Chairman Edward J. Markey, Chairman Emeritus John D. Dingell, Congresswoman Betty Sutton, Congressman Jay Inslee, and Congressman Bart Stupak reached an agreement on a “Cash for Clunkers” program that will help the auto industry while cleaning our air. This agreement is based on H.R. 1550, introduced by Congresswoman Sutton, and H.R. 520, introduced by Congressman Inslee. The fact sheet published on the Committee’s website offers the following detail:
Consumers may trade in their old, gas-guzzling vehicles and receive vouchers worth up to $4,500 to help pay for new, more fuel efficient cars and trucks. The program will be authorized for up to one year and provide for approximately one million new car or truck purchases. The agreement divides these new cars and trucks into four categories. Miles per gallon figures below refer to EPA “window sticker” values
• Passenger Cars: The old vehicle must get less than 18 mpg. New passenger cars with mileage of at least 22 mpg are eligible for vouchers. If the mileage of the new car is at least 4 mpg higher than the old vehicle, the voucher will be worth $3,500. If the mileage of the new car is at least 10 mpg higher than the old vehicle, the voucher will be worth $4,500.
• Light-Duty Trucks: The old vehicle must get less than 18 mpg. New light trucks or SUVs with mileage of at least 18 mpg are eligible for vouchers. If the mileage of the new truck or SUV is at least 2 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $3,500. If the mileage of the new truck or SUV is at least 5 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $4,500.
• Large Light-Duty Trucks: New large trucks (pick-up trucks and vans weighing between 6,000 and 8,500 pounds) with mileage of at least 15 mpg are eligible for vouchers. If the mileage of the new truck is at least 1 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $3,500. If the mileage of the new truck is at least 2 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $4,500.
• Work Trucks: Under the agreement, consumers can trade in a pre-2002 work truck (defined as a pick-up truck or cargo van weighing from 8,500-10,000 pounds) and receive a voucher worth $3,500 for a new work truck in the same or smaller weight class. There will be a finite number of these vouchers, based on this vehicle class’s market share. There are no EPA mileage measures for these trucks; however, because newer models are cleaner than older models, the age requirement ensures that the trade will improve environmental quality. Consumers can also “trade down,” receiving a $3,500 voucher for trading in an older work truck and purchasing a smaller light-duty truck weighing from 6,000 – 8,500 pounds.
Here is a PDF copy of the Fact Sheet:
(Source: Detroit Free Press & Image: Jalopnik)
The bill still must pass Congress and its price tag was not immediately available. But the compromise gives the bill backing from Michigan representatives, several automakers and other groups who might have had enough opposition to block it.
The vouchers would apply to passenger cars, trucks and work vehicles. The old passenger cars and trucks being traded in under the plan would have to get less than 18 miles per gallon in combined driving.
New cars would have to get at least 22 m.p.g. to qualify for a $3,500 voucher; if the new model gets 10 m.p.g. more than the old one, the voucher would increase to $4,500.
New trucks would have to get at least 18 m.p.g., and get at least 2 m.p.g. better than the old model to get the $3,500 voucher and 5 m.p.g. better for the $4,500 voucher.
The vouchers would be available for one year and up to one million customers.
Click here to read the entire article.
FYI, NY times has made available the following documents that can help you understand what vehicles are eligible in the competing version of the Cash of Clunkers legislation
(Source: Good Magazine)
Amidst the clutter of alternative vehicles that are already in the market and the ones just arriving in the market, how would one decide on the “right” vehicle? Our savvy folks at Good magazine have published an excellent resource that makes this decision-making process less-complicated and easy to navigate.
Whatever happened to hydrogen?
The idea is great: Take the most abundant element in the universe, turn it silently into electricity, and the only byproduct is a wisp of steam. To its fans, the hydrogen fuel cell is a transportation miracle that will cork our carbon output and curb our addiction to foreign oil. To its critics, it’s vaporware.
Are hybrid batteries toxic?
If the forecasts are right, electrons will replace hydrocarbons as the energy source in our cars. Then, of course, we’ll have to face the question of batteries. The batteries favored in hybrid cars—nickel-metal hydride—have an encouraging track record of lasting at least as long as the cars themselves. The lithium-ion batteries used in fully electric cars are similarly enduring. But how bad are they for the planet? Depends on what you do with them when they die.
The amazing Indian Air Car: Coming to America?
Perhaps you have heard that India’s largest automaker, Tata Motors, has created the world’s first commercial car that runs on air. The good news is that they’re bringing it here. A few fun facts:
It is powered by compressed air • Zero Pollution Motors will produce the American version • It’s priced at $17,800 • Reservations in the States will be taken midyear; delivery is early 2010 • ZPM estimates that its Air Car will run up to 1,000 miles per fill-up, and at speeds up to 96 mph • It’s up for the Automotive X Prize (see below), and is considered a front-runner • Made out of fiberglass instead of sheet metal, it’s expected to be safer and easier to repair than a traditional car and rust-proof • It seats six.
Who will build the best 100-mpg car?
After staging a high-profile competition for civilian spaceflight in 2004, the X Prize Foundation now has another $10 million on the table, this time for a 100-mpg car. And after the checkered flag flies and the winning team claims the Progressive Automotive X Prize, there is “no reason you should not be driving a car that gets over 100 miles per gallon,” according to the prize’s creator, Peter Diamandis.
Candid corn: Is ethanol worth it?
A parade of studies has tried to decipher the pros and cons of ethanol. Depending on a multitude of variables, some studies find it environmentally better than gasoline, some much worse. The implications aren’t light: The USDA says that nearly a third of all U.S. corn used this year will go into ethanol production. And globally, food prices have been ratcheted up as more corn is brewed into fuel.
(Source: Autoblog & The Detroit News)
It’s looking increasingly likely that the United States will soon have its own Cash-for-Clunkers program. According to The Detroit News, two bills are currently competing for Congressional votes, and while they would both offer sizable rewards for turning in older vehicles, they vary in what new cars and trucks would qualify for the program.
In addition to promoting energy efficiency, the idea is to boost new car sales and get vehicles on the roads with updated safety features.
The program could cost as much as $4 billion and help retire at least 1 million older vehicles. Senior congressional aides and members of the Obama auto task force met earlier this month in search of the best way to pay for and structure it.
Toyota spokesman Charles Ing said his company wants legislation to apply to all fuel efficient vehicles and adhere to U.S. obligations under the World Trade Organization.
Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act revives “Cash for Clunkers” scrapping plan in U.S
Germany plans to extend Abwrackprämie aka “Environmental Bonus”
The bickering starts over the implementation of the Cash for Clunkers legislation
Obama Favors “Cash for Clunkers”
Britain mulls implementation of “Cash for Clunkers” scheme to boost ailing auto sales
Where the US stands in pushing “Cash for Clunkers”- Four bills in Congress; Details Needed
Time examines the “Cash for Clunkers” initiative: A Deal to Help Detroit — and the Planet?
Following Germany, Britain introduces “Cash for clunkers”scrappage scheme. U.S. is next?
(Source: Autoblog, Telegraph UK)
After weeks of dithering, the Government announced a car scrappage scheme in yesterday’s Budget. Anyone with a car registered after July 31, 1999 will get a cash incentive of £2,000 to trade in their old vehicle for a brand new one.
However, only £1,000 will come from the Government, with the remaining £1,000 coming from car firms; the motor industry had hoped that the Government would foot the entire £2,000 bill.
Participants will be able to buy any new vehicle, including small vans, rather than just low pollution models. Motorists taking advantage of the scheme must have owned the car for at least one year; it will also have to be taxed, insured and have a current MoT in order to qualify.
About £300 million has been set aside to fund the scheme, to be launched in mid-May. About 300,000 consumers are expected to benefit until the scheme ends in March 2010, unless funding runs out before then.
In the below video, you can hear Mr. Tony Whitehorn, Managing Director of Hyundai UK, welcoming Chancellor Alistair Darling’s ‘cash for bangers’ scheme announcement in the Budget.
Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act revives “Cash for Clunkers” scrapping plan in U.S
Germany plans to extend Abwrackprämie aka “Environmental Bonus”
The bickering starts over the implementation of the Cash for Clunkers legislation
Obama Favors “Cash for Clunkers”
Britain mulls implementation of “Cash for Clunkers” scheme to boost ailing auto sales
Where the US stands in pushing “Cash for Clunkers”- Four bills in Congress; Details Needed
Time examines the “Cash for Clunkers” initiative: A Deal to Help Detroit — and the Planet?
(Source: AutoblogGreen; Photo: Jalopnik)
Take a walk through any junkyard in the world and you’re likely to come across any number of vehicles that are a mere rusted-out shell of their former selves. That’s mostly because sheet metal is thin and, as the outer-most skin of an automobile, takes the brunt of the weather’s nastiest beatings. Underneath, it’s a different story entirely.
Photo: Netwind.ru via Jalopnik
An article on AOL Autos examines the major bits and pieces of an automobile and offers rough estimates of how long it takes for the average vehicle to rot away, and there are a few surprises.
Fortunately, nearly every bit of modern automobiles is recyclable, and automakers have been making serious advancements to bring that figure as close to 100 percent as possible. USCAR says that about 95 percent of vehicles go through the end-of-life recycling process. Still, AOL Auto’s sobering figures should serve to remind us how important it is to properly dispose of used-up vehicular machinery, especially with the advent of government-sponsored scrapping programs.
(Source: Time)
A Lot Full of Old Clunkers For Sale
It’s no secret that one of the biggest reasons the U.S. auto industry is teetering on collapse is that, quite simply, Americans have stopped buying cars. U.S. auto sales were down 37% in March from 2008, the latest in a nearly unbroken year-and-a-half streak of falling sales. And if the cratered economy is the main culprit behind backed-up inventory at U.S. car dealers, another is that American automakers have failed to produce the more fuel-efficient vehicles that gas-price-conscious car buyers are beginning to demand. As a result, the U.S. still sends hundreds of billions of dollars overseas for oil — and adds ever more greenhouse-gas pollution into the atmosphere.
Now what if there were a way to tackle both these problems with one policy: to stimulate demand for American cars while making the U.S. auto fleet cleaner, greener and more efficient? It sounds like the kind of slick two-for-one pitch you might hear from a used-car salesman, but that’s exactly what proponents of a “cash for clunkers” program are promising.
In its broad outlines, the prospective policy — for which a number of proposals have been put forward in Congress — would offer Americans cash rebates of up to several thousand dollars if they traded in an old, inefficient car for a new, greener one. The ailing U.S. automakers would receive a shot in the arm — potentially worth up to 2 million additional sales a year — while polluting cars would be taken off the road and replaced with more efficient ones. (All cash-for-clunkers programs require the old cars to be scrapped rather than resold.) “There are significant environmental advantages and substantive benefits for the auto sector,” says Benjamin Goldstein, a policy analyst for left-leaning think tank the Center for American Progress. “This goes right for the source of the problem, for vehicles sales and for oil use.”
But is cash-for-clunkers really two-for-one? That depends. There are currently two main bills in the House and Senate, which, according to greens, are not created equal. One, sponsored by Democratic Ohio Representative Betty Sutton, allows any car from model year 2000 or earlier to be traded in, without any restriction on fuel economy. In return, car buyers will get $4,000 if they buy a new U.S. car that gets a minimum mileage of 27 m.p.g. and $5,000 if they buy a U.S. car with at least 30 m.p.g. Crucially, the new cars have to be made in the U.S. — foreign brands can qualify, but only if they’re manufactured on U.S. soil, which would disqualify super-efficient vehicles like Toyota’s Prius hybrid, made only in Japan.
Whichever bill is chosen — and others are being circulated as well — a successful cash-for-clunkers program wouldn’t be cheap. Germany’s program may end up costing the government some $6 billion, three times the initial price tag. Since Obama has said that money for the cash-for-clunkers program needs to come out of existing stimulus spending, that might take some creative accounting. But a cash-for-clunkers program, whatever its environmental benefits, would provide the government with a way to aid the domestic auto industry without giving Detroit any more direct handouts. “There’s a lot of justifiable taxpayer reluctance to keep helping the auto industry,” says Goldstein of the Center for American Progress. “Politically this is a viable alternative to sending them additional loan money.”
Note: Below is a list of articles on this issue, previously published on TransportGooru. This compilation of articles offer an insight into state of various “Cash for Clunkers” style programs implemented (or currently being debated) across the globe (Germany, UK, etc,). Stay plugged in to TransportGooru for more on this topic in the days to come.
Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act revives “Cash for Clunkers” scrapping plan in U.S
Germany plans to extend Abwrackprämie aka “Environmental Bonus”
The bickering starts over the implementation of the Cash for Clunkers legislation
Obama Favors “Cash for Clunkers”
Britain mulls implementation of “Cash for Clunkers” scheme to boost ailing auto sales
Where the US stands in pushing “Cash for Clunkers”- Four bills in Congress; Details Needed
(Source: Washington Post)
CAR SALES in Germany jumped an astonishing 40 percent in March, thanks in large part to a “cash for clunkers” program in which the government gave those handing over old-model cars roughly $5,000 toward the purchase of newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Lawmakers in the United States have crafted similar proposals, hoping both to provide a boost to the U.S. auto industry and to spur sales of environmentally friendlier cars. But even the best of these proposals is not likely to provide the punch of the German initiative.
A bill co-sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) offers the most sensible approach. Buyers are eligible for vouchers worth $2,500 to $4,500 toward the purchase of a new car if they turn in older vehicles that get less than 18 miles to the gallon. The older vehicles would be junked and turned into scrap. The new car must have a sticker price of less than $45,000 and surpass fuel economy standards by 25 percent. Buyers may also apply the vouchers to fuel-efficient used cars manufactured after 2003. Vouchers could also be used for participating in public transportation programs. A similar proposal in the House provides credits only for vehicles made or assembled in North America; such a provision is problematic because it could violate free-trade agreements.
Click here to read the entire article (free regn. required).
Note: Below is a list of articles on this issue, previously published on TransportGooru. This compilation of articles offer an insight into state of various “Cash for Clunkers” style programs implemented (or currently being debated) across the globe (Germany, UK, etc,). Stay plugged in to TransportGooru for more on this topic in the days to come.
Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act revives “Cash for Clunkers” scrapping plan in U.S
Germany plans to extend Abwrackprämie aka “Environmental Bonus”
The bickering starts over the implementation of the Cash for Clunkers legislation
Obama Favors “Cash for Clunkers”
Britain mulls implementation of “Cash for Clunkers” scheme to boost ailing auto sales
Where the US stands in pushing “Cash for Clunkers”- Four bills in Congress; Details Needed
