We recently purchased a new vehicle. Trying to stay within my standards for eco-friendliness and aesthetics, Chris’s green tech and reliability standards, and our joint expectations for cost and space was complicated to say the least, but we finally found the perfect car. This post is not about that car (though Chris promises me there will be one soon).
My husband, Chris, also known as MacGyver in these parts, is extremely knowledgeable in green tech, and is particularly focused on the ecological future of the car industry. While I don’t find most of that stuff very interesting (and have been known to wear a slightly glazed expression when Chris is explaining it to me), I do think it is extremely important. As such, I am very excited to introduce Chris’s most recent guest post on the future of Green Vehicles:
MOVE OVER TOYOTA PRIUS, NISSAN LEAF, AND WHATEVER ELSE MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A GAS-SIPPING VEHICLE
Get Ready for the vehicles of the future. Obviously made by VW!
Many of us have heard about TDI’s, otherwise known as Turbo Diesel Injection. It is a clean diesel technology that actually has lower green house gas emissions than your ordinary gasoline cars and even the Prius to some respect. These fuel efficient vehicles boast around 46 mpg highway and there’s always the option of using used cooking oil or making biodiesel from algae as an alternative fuel. However, now VW has stepped up it’s game. At the most recent auto shows around the world, VW has debuted something that has the auto world on its feet. It’s what I believe will be dubbed the “Prius Killer”.
So what happens if you combine the fuel efficiency of a VW TDI and the hybrid efficiency of a Prius?
You get this, the VW Golf TDI, a car that gets 70mpg, has lower CO2 emissions and can also run on biodiesel made from algae. This is the girl scout of all cars! Not to mention they come standard with a 7 speed dual-clutch transmission. What does this mean? It means it can shift electronically or you can rip through the 7 gears in manual! Forget the CVT (continually variable transmission) transmissions in the Prius that will put you to sleep. This is driving reinvented!
Read more about this car and the other VW TDI hybrids at:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1201_2012_detroit_2013_volkswagen_jetta_hybrid/
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/gas-mileage/vw-hybrid-gas-mileage-460527
Oh but wait, it get’s better!
VW continues to tease auto show audiences with conceptual hints like the Cross Coupe shown below
This little beauty is rumored to have as much horsey power as a 302 V8. Go from 0 to 60 in about 6 seconds. Has nearly zero emissions. Can go 28 miles in electric mode alone going no faster than 75 mph. Has a top speed of 137 mph. And believe it or not, is expected to get 131 mpg! While final details are unknown, an updated Tiguan cross-over concept is expect to be delivered to the US sometime in 2014.
Read the full article at: http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/volkswagen-cross-coupe-tdi-concept-vw-previews-a-diesel-hybrid-crossover
I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll just start saving up now.
Now I’m just waiting for a TDI hybrid engine I can drop into a ’73 Beetle body…
I’ll respond to why I voted Prius over Jetta.I had no isuses in voting in a biased manner after all GreenHuman had no problem producing a biased comparison.I vote against making a big deal of the push button start, what were you thinking when you did that?I voted for a quiet idle, well actually a silent idle.I voted for a flexible hatchback design.I voted for the lowest emissions and the lowest spend at the pump.I drive 37km each way across town each day through 40 sets of traffic lights, and a couple of stop signs. I get better than 4.4L/100km on my daily commute and when I hit the open road, which I do more in my Prius than I have in any other car, I average 5.2L/100km. I don’t mess about with many fuel saving tricks either, I just drive smooth but with the traffic, I enjoy winning traffic light drags up to the speed limit though.I’m an ex-motor mechanic, I quit the trade and drive Toyota because I’m sick of fixing cars. Yes I have had the displeasure of fixing VWs and VW diesels, not fun. I’m glad I don’t have a turbo car too.I’ll stick with the reliable, economical Toyota Prius, I might even buy a new 2010 Prius and pass this car to my wife, The 2010 Prius from all reports will be a much better car than even the near perfect current Prius.
I would just like to mention I think it is the “boy scout” of all cars. Not to start a gender war and in no way supporting the boy scouts previous bias on marriage equality or LGBTQ. I’m a proud supporter and advocate of LGBTQ, but it just goes to the core of the boyscouts learning how to survive in the wilderness. However, now that I think about it, it’s probably more fitting to call it the Junior Navigator Scout leader.
9 36 a 2bcCOULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME ?I have one of the oldest hibyrds in town, a 2003 Civic that I bought in 2002. Battery at 147,000 miles now needs replacement. I am not eager to either pay the $4,000 or get a new car. I will look into junkyard batteries and rebuilds. Thanks for the hot tips. I would however like to know if I could just not replace the battery and drive as a gas-only car for reduced mileage. That way I can delay my next car purchase by a few years. Engine great. Only problem is have to replace catalytic by next emissions test because the cheap 2009 one I bought at Midas died.PLEASE HELP ME KEEP MY CAR.Thanks,LauraCleveland, OH19 b b