The Not-So-Slow Death of the SUV

Not too long ago, the vehicle of choice for many Americans was the SUV. However, soaring gas prices have resulted in a tremendous shift in consumer purchasing. The SUV is no longer the king of America’s roads. Families, couples and even single people are now opting for smaller, lighter vehicles that don’t guzzle gas.

Have high gas prices sounded the death knell for the SUV? Take a look at the average car dealership today. While you will still find SUVs for sale, chances are they are outnumbered by crossover vehicles, slimmer sedans, sport coupes and, of course, hybrid vehicles. Even hybrid SUVs haven’t been able to make a dent in the new pattern of consumer spending.

So, the American auto market has changed. Has the global economy undergone a similar dramatic shift? Since the rest of the world does not drive SUVs, as a rule, the spending patterns of global citizens remain largely unchanged. Small cars, motorcycles and mopeds still rule the streets of London and Paris, Milan and Rome.

However, in America, the change has been drastic and left the Big 3 scrambling to find products on which the public is willing to spend money. While GM’s much-hyped line of hybrid SUVs is a fine introduction, it does not seem enough to turn the troubled automaker’s fortunes around. Instead, consumer focus seems to be on the Volt, coming out in 2011. The Volt will be a new breed of car, at least for Americans. Technically a hybrid, it does not use an internal combustion engine to propel the vehicle. Rather, it uses it to charge the battery packs that power the electric motor.

With consumer interest geared towards vehicles that run on alternative fuels, use cutting edge technology to reduce emissions and save big dollars at the pump, it is very possible that the SUV’s days are numbered. A quick glance at your local Auto Trader magazine will show you the truth.

While small compact cars like the Civic and the Cobalt seem to be retaining their value, you can get an SUV in excellent shape for fire sale prices. This is the best indicator that the SUV will soon go the way of the dodo. Unless the Big 3 are able to step up to the plate with innovative new technologies that offer more than the 20% fuel savings touted by today’s hybrid SUVs, the breeds time may have just run out.

Hybrid Technology vs. Full Electric Cars

The looming energy crisis is not far off, adding impetus to the search for viable alternative fuels and transportation methods. Both hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles have been around for some years now. GM introduced full electric vehicles quite some time ago and hybrids have been introduced by every automaker from Honda to Ford. However, the technologies used in these two applications are widely different. Which one will stand the test of time? Which technology will rise to save the daily driver from fuel prices that seem set to put consumers on the track for bankruptcy?

Full electric vehicles are the dream of many automakers. Rather, electric vehicles with unlimited range are the dream of automakers. Today’s electric cars are sadly lacking when it comes to range of driving. For instance, they are fine for puttering around town for a few minutes each day, but don’t try taking a longer trip in one. The charge time for the batteries is usually overnight, meaning that if you become stranded, you’re stuck that way. This is the major contributing factor (other than sheer cost) to the unpopularity of fully electric vehicles.

Hybrids, on the other hand, combine electric technology with an internal combustion engine, giving them the range that their fully electric cousins lack. However, these vehicles are only capable of saving around 20% on your average fuel bill. In addition, they still produce emissions, though they are less than an equivalently sized vehicle without hybrid technology. In a hybrid, an electric motor and an internal combustion engine work in tandem. The electric motor powers the vehicle at low speeds, while the ICE takes over at higher speeds, such as highway driving.

In addition, the ICE shuts off when the vehicle comes to a stop. When it is time to continue moving, the electric motor starts the engine back up, and off you go. Of course, this is not without a noticeable performance difference, but dedicated hybrid owners swear they don’t mind. The electric motor is powered by batteries, but the car does not have to be plugged in overnight. The batteries are recharged through regenerative braking and the use of a generator, powered by the internal combustion engine.

As of today, the hybrid reigns supreme over the electric car. Will it stay that way? The new line of advanced hybrids coming out in the near future is closer to full electrics, so the hybrid’s days may be numbered.

Enjoy! – MotorWeek’s Hybrid Round Up:

Within the industry, they’re referred to as “mild” hybrids. They’re cars like the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu that have conventional engines with oversized starter-motors, which allow the engine to be shut down whenever the car is braking, coasting, or stopped (such as at a red light) without requiring a full re-start. Gauges, systems (like air conditioning) and electronic accessories (mp3 players, GPS systems) run on existing electrical power, and the motor spins the engine back to operating RPMs before any fuel is injected.

While mild hybrids don’t have electric motors, they do still offer some hybrid features. For example, they use less battery power, over all, and some mild hybrids even use regenerative braking to recharge that battery, just like the Toyota Prius hybrid, and their other true-hybrid cousins.

Because these cars do not have actual hybrid drivetrains, and because their fuel economy is generally within 10% of that for similar models with standard, non-hybrid drivetrains, mild hybrids are often the subject of negative feedback. “Why spend more,” people wonder, “on a hybrid that really isn’t one, when there don’t seem to be any obvious benefits?” The truth, however, is that there are still reasons other than the mpg numbers to consider one of these cars.

Those reasons include:

• Mild hybrids are good first steps. For people who are interested in hybrid technology, but not so certain they wish to commit to a whole new style of driving, these cars are a bridge, sort of like automotive training wheels. They are excellent first-hybrid options for those who want a greener vehicle.
• They’re less expensive, over all. While mild hybrids such as the Saturn Aura are more expensive to purchase than the Aura with a standard internal combustion engine, they’re still significantly less expensive to purchase than a true hybrid. As well, since they have fewer non-standard parts, these cars are less expensive to repair than hybrids with battery packs and electric motors. As well, with this summer’s dramatic gas prices sending people shopping for full hybrids in droves, and often being wait-listed, mild hybrids come in many more models, and have a greater availability.
• Hybrid incentives still apply. Like full-hybrid vehicles, mild hybrids qualify their owners for a tax credit from the government (though it’s important to remember that each automaker only has a limited number of hybrids that can be sold before the credit goes away).

The dictionary definition of “mild” is “gentle or moderate in force or effect,” and “moderate in intensity, degree, or character.” While it’s true that so-called mild hybrids meet this definition in the negative aspect – they don’t offer as much fuel efficiency as a fully-hybrid vehicle – these cars meet the definition in the positive aspect as well: they do offer an improvement in fuel economy of about 10 percent, and they are less expensive to own and operate than a true hybrid car. From that point of view, perhaps mild hybrids are worth considering, after all.

Enjoy the video!

Ever since GM announced that they were going to close plants that made big SUV’s and restructure the organization to better meet today’s slumping economy others seem to be following suit such as Toyota. Two of Toyota’s gas guzzlers, the Tundra and Sequoia will not be produced for 3 months. That does not mean Toyota will stop making the Tundra or Sequoia. It means production will be at idle for 3 months while Toyota utilizes the Tundra and Sequoia plant to make more Toyota Prius’s. The Prius remains to be the hottest selling and most efficient hybrid that you can buy at a local dealership.

Below is the excerpt from Automotive News further explaining this new strategy that Toyota will attempt. Sounds good? You bet your ass it sounds good! I was put on a year long waiting list to buy a Toyota Prius for my wife. I don’t want to wait that long just like thousands of other consumers. Do you think this is a good move by Toyota?

[source: automotive news]

Toyota Motor Corp. today revealed that it has scrambled its manufacturing plans to produce fewer light trucks and more hybrid cars in the United States.

Toyota said it will build the hot-selling Prius hybrid at its Tupelo, Miss., factory in late 2010, scrubbing a plan to make the next-generation Highlander crossover there.

Instead, the Highlander will be added to Toyota’s underutilized truck plant in Princeton, Ind. Toyota also will suspend all production of Tundra pickups and Sequoia SUVs from Aug. 8 until November.

When production resumes, all Tundra output will be consolidated at the San Antonio plant.

PRESS RELEASE: Toyota to Build Prius in U.S.

Highlander to Indiana; all Tundra to Texas

ERLANGER, Ky., July 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Toyota is responding to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations by adjusting production mix at three plants. The changes include the addition of the Prius hybrid sedan to its North American lineup.

The changes are as follows:

– Prius will be built at a plant under construction in Blue Springs, Miss. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2010. Prius, which will join the Kentucky-built Camry Hybrid as the second Toyota hybrid built in North America, enables Toyota to better respond to increased consumer demand for hybrid vehicles.

– The Highlander mid-size SUV, originally scheduled to be built in Mississippi, will now be manufactured in Princeton, Ind., beginning in Fall 2009.

– Production of the Tundra full-size pick-up truck, currently built in Indiana and Texas, will be consolidated at the San Antonio plant in Spring 2009.

In addition, Toyota will temporarily suspend Tundra and Sequoia production beginning August 8 due to the declining overall market for full size trucks and SUVs. Production is scheduled to resume in early November. Team members at both facilities, as well as the Huntsville, Ala. plant that builds Tundra and Sequoia engines, will continue to be provided work.

“The truck market continues to worsen, so unfortunately we must temporarily suspend production. But this good news about production mix demonstrates our long-term commitment to our North American operations and to our team members, supplier partners, and communities where our plants are located,” said Jim Wiseman, vice president/external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA). “By using this downturn as an opportunity to develop team members and improve our operations, we hope to emerge even stronger.”

Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates 13 manufacturing plants. In addition, new plants are under construction in Ontario and Mississippi. Toyota directly employs over 43,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $21 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota’s annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals more than $30 billion per year. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com

Do you like saving gas? Do you like driving a stylish car? Well which Toyota does best in either situation? Many of us already know about the Toyota Prius being the most fuel efficient gas powered car that you can buy from a dealership. What about the Toyota Camry Hybrid? People wont stare you down in a Toyota Camry right? Correct, if you are caught driving in a Prius you get this disliking “look” from other people on the road probably implying that you are saving more $$$ than they are at the gas pump… a lot more!

So what if you want to be stylish and save some cash at the pump. It is a no-brainer to go for the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Even though the Camry Hybrid gets slightly less MPG than the Prius, you will be happy to know that you are still SAVING!

Note: Currently the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Toyota Prius require that you get on a waiting list to purchase one. The waiting lists from some reports are between 6 months to over a year at some Toyota dealerships around the US. So, you may have to wait a while to drive home one of the most fuel efficient cars around.

Sponsored Link: Toyota Camry for sale

Hybrid and pure Electric Vehicles (EVs) continue to be on the fringe of the mass market due to costs and range, and these disadvantages are not going away, even with $4 gas. The recent introduction of a new type of electric motor/drive from the aerospace industry is posed to move Series Hybrids into the mass market category. This breakthrough provides more power, better stamina, and increases simplicity which drives down costs.

Until now, there have only been two options for the electric motor for Hybrids, either a Permanent Magnet Motor (used in Toyota and Honda’s drive trains) or a 3-Phase AC Induction Motor (used by GM and Tesla).

Permanent Magnet Motors:
1. Degrade in performance at higher temperatures. (Must be liquid cooled)
2. Always produce voltage when spinning (safety issue)
3. Use ‘rare earths’ that come from China (sourcing issues and expensive)

Standard 3-phase AC Induction Motors:
1. Have less power density than Permanent Magnet motors
2. Can be either low speed-high torque, or high speed, but not both
3. Can operate at higher temperatures (Better stamina – Can be air cooled)

As you can see, each of these two options has their drawbacks. Permanent Magnet motors require complex engineering solutions to address heating and excess current which add weight, complexity, and therefore cost to the vehicle. The other option, a standard AC Electric Motor, has other drawbacks that must also be offset by larger and heavier motors and will still require complex engineering solutions.

Breakthrough: Chorus Meshcon

Chorus Meshcon is a multiphase (greater than 3 phase) AC Electric Motor/Drive that has nearly TEN TIMES the startup torque of a standard AC electric motor. This new motor/drive system is based on the new Chorus Motor (http://www.ChorusMotors.com) and is presently undergoing FAA certification for use on the nosewheel assemblies
(http://www.Wheeltug.com) to be installed on Boeing 737NGs, starting with Delta Air Lines fleet beginning December 2009. Semikron supplies Chorus’ power electronics.

By performing better at high temperatures and having more torque than a similar sized permanent magnet motor, Chorus Meshcon gains a significant edge. A secondary feature of Chorus Meshcon ‘seals the deal’ and makes it the obvious choice by overcoming the second drawback of 3 phase AC motors – the shift from low speed to high speed operations. Chorus Meshcon provides a ‘virtual transmission’ between the two speeds that simplifies power train engineering complexity and reduces costs further.

So why Series Hybrids?

Chorus Motors has determined that the optimal market for Chorus Meshcon is Series Hybrids (http://www.ChorusCars.com) which use electric drives powered by a ‘single-speed’ internal combustion engine to generate the electricity to run the electric motors and to fill the batteries. Hybrids like the Prius rely on a ‘variable speed’ internal combustion engine when load conditions increase. In comparison, a Series Hybrids internal engine (which is not a part of the drive train) will always be operating at its optimal and most efficient speed.

Series Hybrids using Chorus Meshcon will have the flexibility and range of today’s conventional vehicles while providing a simpler drive train and lower component costs than other Hybrid configurations. Series Hybrid vehicles using Chorus Meshcon will surpass conventional vehicles on fuel efficiency, overall performance, and cost. The ability to significantly reduce engineering complexity and weight means that this one technology will bring Hybrids from the fringes of the mass market to the center and will do so without relying on a miracle in battery development.

One day soon you will be able to drive a Series Hybrid to the airport and get on a plane that itself taxis on the ground using Chorus Meshcon.

Other Facts

Chorus Meshcon can even act in both the combination role of a starter/alternator in a conventional vehicle. Replacing two motors with one more efficient unit saves weight and complexity.

To Learn More:
http://www.ChorusMotors.com
http://www.ChorusCars.com (Series Hybrid Applications) http://www.wheeltug.com (Aerospace Application – Delta Airlines December 2009 Launch following FAA certification)

By: Aaron Bianco