Recently in Cars Category

The Corner:

Ironic, then, that Congress’s rush to replenish the popular Clunkers program with more money involved raiding the stimulus bill’s Title XVII energy-loan-guarantee program. The energy loans have “been slow to be awarded,” reports the Detroit News (read: bogged down in federal red tape). That’s right. To continue to feed Americans’ thirst for gas-powered automobiles, Washington has diverted $2 billion from the Democrats’ pet $60 billion to remake the American energy grid with windmills and other forms of expensive, non-carbon energy sources.

Ironic - I thought so too.

We have dangerous matchbox cars that barely get 40mpg. They have SUVs that get 45mpg.

I want what the folks at the other table are having.

Excerpts from "New Obama rules will transform US auto fleet" :

Carpenters will still haul materials around in pickup trucks, but they will cost more.

So business' will get hit with higher costs. Especially small business'. Can our bankrupt car companies afford to sell less of trucks - a best seller?

That means cars and trucks on American roads will have to become smaller, lighter and more efficient.

"Smaller, lighter" to me means "less safe." I don't care if a Prius meets government standards, you can't change physics. More steel, more weight, more protection.

Already on Tuesday, some drivers were skeptical. Dixie Bishop, who runs a plumbing business in San Antonio that uses vans, worries the new requirements will drive up her costs at a time when customers are cutting back on repairs.

"Are they going to take my horsepower down?" she asked. "I have to be able to carry old water heaters and toilets. It's not beneficial for me to haul one water heater at a time. We need the power to pull these heavy items."

The government doesn't care about you Dixie. They think they can run your business better than you. And they believe in the Global Warming Hoax, and believe you should believe in it too.

Of course, developing the technology will cost money — billions of dollars — and automakers will pass that on to their customers.

No kidding.

The Obama administration says the changes mean the average vehicle would cost about $1,300 more, although some private analysts say the increase will be much heftier. The administration says gas savings will make up the difference in about three years.

Not when gas keeps rising. Who can wait three years?

Automakers have said they need stable, relatively high gasoline prices to create a market for electric vehicles. General Motors fears rolling out its rechargeable Chevrolet Volt next year with gas at $2 per gallon.

So it's in the government's best interest to not attempt to lower gas prices .

But the Volt is expected to sell for $35,000 to $40,000, and buyers may be unwilling to pay that much for a sedan, even if tax credits help ease the burden, unless gas prices soar.

Who want's to pay luxury prices for a car that - compared to the luxury cars - is a soda pop can?

Is anyone yet regretting electing these people who are intent on ruining your life? Yes, let's improve how we drive, but let's not drive off a cliff in the process. -D

Jeff Yeager writes:

...join me in leaving your car parked at home for at least one week during this season of Lent. Go car-free for a week? Heresy -- if not a metaphysical impossibility -- I know. But let's think about it and give it a try.

According to the AAA, on average it costs almost one dollar to drive the typical car one mile. That's after factoring in the cost of the car/depreciation, gas, insurance, maintenance, repairs, parking, tolls, traffic tickets, etc. The average American spends almost 20% of their income on their cars and spends about 20% of their work week sitting behind the wheel ... much of it to get to and from work, in order to earn that 20% of their income they need to pay for the trip! At about a buck per mile, just think about how much you'll save by going car-free for a week.

And if all that driving is killing our household budgets, it's also killing our planet. How would you like to be stuck at a railroad crossing, waiting for a 50,000-mile long train to pass? According to Environmental Defense, you'd need to burn all the coal that train could carry in order to generate the CO2 emissions generated by U.S. cars and trucks in a single year. That's about 314 million metric tons of CO2, and the train would circle the world, twice.

-D

Excerpts:

Despite opposition from the White House, a proposal to tax motorists on the number of miles they drive each year is gathering speed on Capitol Hill.

Supporters say that a mileage tax would be a more reliable source of funding for the upkeep of the nation's roads and bridges. Many environmentalists endorse it, saying that it would lead to less driving and less pollution.

The proposal already is fueling privacy concerns.

Critics are objecting to proposals to use Global Positioning System devices to keep track of how many miles drivers log and where they go. The technology is part of federally funded test projects that are under way in Oregon and elsewhere.

For [Senator] Boxer, it's a "Big Brother system tracking your every move." While she says a mileage tax "is the way to go," she said she wanted to scrap the technology and rely on an honor system in which drivers would simply certify the number of miles they drove each year.

Many environmentalists endorse the proposed mileage tax, saying that it would lead to less driving and less pollution. However, some critics fear that it would have a disproportionate impact in states with long commutes.

They forgot the part where no one leaves their homes because of the mileage tax and the economic fallout makes current economic problems look mild. -D.

The latest diesel VW = 71.3 mpg. Batteries not required. (h/t)

More: Electric Porsches. Bring it on. But "Greenster?" Uhgh. C'mon guys, you can do better than that.