{"id":2249,"date":"2013-11-25T15:32:21","date_gmt":"2013-11-25T15:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/?p=2249"},"modified":"2024-06-12T19:33:38","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T23:33:38","slug":"driving-our-eco-future-the-la-auto-show-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/2013\/11\/25\/driving-our-eco-future-the-la-auto-show-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"The LA Auto Show 2013- Driving Our \u201cEco\u201d Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Suzanne Maxx<\/i><\/p>\n

Innovation, technology, and \u201cECO\u201d are the themes driving the LA Auto Show<\/a>,\u00a0 now open to the public through December 1st.<\/p>\n

\"Ford<\/a>

Ford C-Max Energi-a leading PHEV<\/p><\/div>\n

Both \u201ceco\u201dnomy and \u201ceco\u201dlogy continue to be in focus and more traditional brands are moving into the alternative \u201cECO\u201d drive space. Leaders and original \u201cfirst movers\u201d like; Tesla, Nissan, Toyota, and Mitsubishi, have carved out this market in the USA and continue to build on their innovative brands, by not just improving their staple vehicles, but adding more.\u00a0 Their competition grows from Porsche, GM (again), BMW, Mercedes, Ford, Fiat, Honda and more OEMs- all with alternative, \u201cECO\u201d vehicles using a wide spectrum of energy options (see AltExpo blog<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The area where there is the most \u201cplay\u201d (besides the literal gaming vehicle the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo to be experienced on a PlayStation<\/a>) is in the growth of the plugin hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid technology in the SUV, sports and luxury markets from traditional OEMs.\u00a0 U.S. sales of plugin electric vehicles were up 147 percent between August 2012 and August 2013. \u00a0The advantage of the PHEV is the flexibility and freedom that comes with the option to choose your source of energy \u2013 both a personal and collective freedom is found driving a PHEV.<\/p>\n

\"Suzanne

Suzanne Maxx with the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid<\/p><\/div>\n

There is the option to be spontaneous to drive a long distance (without range anxiety), and also the option to plugin and charge from renewable energy which has the \u201cECO\u201d advantage. \u00a0There are many new PHEVs in this transition period with infrastructure still ramping up. PHEVs allow traditional fossil fuel or electricity from a renewable energy source. The PHEV choices now include new sporty SUVs that are PHEVs; most designed with an onboard generator, or dual engines.<\/p>\n

Porsche, was actually the first with the hybrid automobile, the Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid<\/a> from 1900(!), and with a variety of hybrid and PHEVs now; the 918 Spyder a mid-engined sports plug-in hybrid<\/a> , the Cayenne luxury crossover<\/a>, the Panamera S E-Hybrid luxury four-door sedan<\/a> and the Macan compact crossover SUV<\/a>— making its world debut at the LA Auto show<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Porsche<\/a>

Porsche 918 Spyder<\/p><\/div>\n

With the new Panamera<\/a> PHEV, you can either stop and plug in after your initial all electric 22 miles, or allow it to charge when driving with innovative ways to recoup energy, and not just from regenerative braking \u2013 it generates energy by simply driving this fast vehicle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nissan\u2019s Pathfinder, arguably the best SUV ever made, is now a PHEV.\u00a0 With mileage of 25\/28 this PHEV improves on the old Pathfinder\u2019s MPGs.\u00a0(Okay, I\u2019m slightly Nissan biased here, as what I have witnessed with this vehicle is \u00a0sustainable over time in the realm of maintaining working order, doing its job, and lasting over decades with minimal repair.)\u00a0The new Pathfinder Hybrid is powered by a supercharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine combined with a 15-kilowatt electric motor for a total output of 250 hp.<\/p>\n

\"Nissan<\/a>

Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid<\/p><\/div>\n

The Pathfinder is likely to lead the sporty \u201cECO\u201d PHEV, SUV market. The older traditional OEMs are moving at a pace that might help the larger population adapt, with many people being more comfortable with gradual change. However Nissan has lead this \u201cECO\u201d \u201cShift\u201d driving down a path with vehicles for the early innovative adopters with the all-electric, Leaf. Now Nissan’s trustworthy staple SUV as a PHEV, the Pathfinder crossover looks to be a win for Nissan.\u00a0 The vehicles are now made in the USA, with the new Tennessee plant ramping up production to meet the rapid demand of \u201cECO\u201d vehicles, that many people are call for, and this supports our \u201ceco\u201dnomy. It is respectable for an OEM to manufacture in the country sold, and Nissan is a leader in this regard.<\/p>\n

The good old traditional USA Ford is becoming a serious new contender. As predicted at the AltCar Expo<\/a> earlier this year, Ford has taken the lead in sales in plugin hybrids in October with 2,179 Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi vehicles sold<\/a>. This fall, Ford launched one of the first dealership training programs for better public adoption of EVs \u2013 (it may be working), a lead all OEMs could follow for better sales and to benefit the public.<\/p>\n

The amount of vehicles that Ford is offering in diverse classes moves it fast forward (see our blog on the LA Auto Show 2012<\/a> which features Ford\/Lincoln\u2019s series of hybrids and PHEVs).<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t just that the Ford\u2019s C-MAX series with C-Max Energi and Fusion models are becoming rapidly popular by the mainstream consumer \u2013 they also drive well, and are affordable– plus they are demonstrating leading \u201cECO\u201d values, not just with the vehicles themselves, but with their company\u2019s new approach to \u201cTeaming Up\u201d for \u201cECO\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Ford<\/a>

Ford is “Teaming Up” with Coca Cola to use Coca Cola’s PlantBottle Technology for bio-based fabric used in the Fusion Energi<\/p><\/div>\n

It is inspiring is to see large corporations \u201cTeaming Up\u201d to go a deeper shade of green like global icons Ford and Coca-Cola. Most people think of these corporations\u2019 brands around good ole\u2019 America virtues, with traditional staple products made in the USA. It\u2019s surprising to think of Ford leading alternative vehicles like the C-MAX Fusion Energi, and Coca-Cola with not just its Odwalla brand of juice successfully produced by Coca-Cola for the masses, transported in electric refrigerated trucks<\/a>, but also their R&D with \u201cECO\u201d plastics and fabric. They are \u201cTeaming Up\u201d with Coca-Cola\u2019s innovative PlantBottle bio-based \u00a0fabric made up of 30% plant-derived material and 100% recyclable bottles to be used in the production of Ford\u2019s Fusion Energi. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But both companies have other surprising commonalities besides their willingness to grow and change \u2013 which is not an easy task for corporations of this size.\u00a0 They both are demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship for the sustainability of our planet. Both have bold corporate sustainability programs with emission targets<\/a>, funds designated, climate action plans<\/a>, and partner programs for stewardship <\/a>for our future.<\/p>\n

The\u00a02nd\u00a0Generation PlantBottle Technology will be 100% plant based<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0Teaming-up for “green”\u00a0the\u00a0Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance<\/a>\u00a0was created with\u00a0Ford; World Wildlife Fund, The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, H.J. Heinz Company, Nestle, Nike, Procter & Gamble and Unilever.\u00a0The synergy of these type of efforts could benefit these companies, and potentially us all.<\/p>\n

The United Nations UNFCCC now ending in Warsaw began to see the light of this possibility with victories with countries starting to \u201cTeam Up\u201d for change with REDD+ and with \u201cLosses and Damages\u201d on climate change (will blog on COP19 next).<\/p>\n

Chevy is getting up there too with the PHEV Volt and the all-electric Spark.\u00a0 The Spark may catch fire, in a good way, by spreading through Hertz\u2019s leading programs that allow all people to rent many of the leading hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs. \u00a0This is a great way to really test out these new vehicles with the Altima, Leaf, Volt, C-MAX, and now the Spark in their arsenal of vehicles available to rent. \u00a0Hertz too is \u201cTeaming Up\u201d with other brands to better promote.<\/p>\n

\"Audi<\/a>

Audi A3 e-tron- photo by Volkswagon of America<\/p><\/div>\n

Volkswagen had half of the new all electric vehicles debuting at the LA Auto show with eGolf<\/a>, and their luxury division’s Audi, rolled out the Audi A3 e-tron<\/a>. The two other EV debuts were BMW\u2019s i3<\/a> and Cadillac\u2019s ELR<\/a>– both claiming to rival Tesla. Tesla, Honda, and Toyota continue to have power stances in their respective vehicles and classes.\u00a0 \u00a0This was the first year Tesla joined the LA Auto Show for Press Days, and they had the Model S at the Ride and Drive.\u00a0 \u00a0Tesla\u2019s strong leadership into new territory inspires innovation \u2013 radically changing the transportation game. Tesla\u2019s EVs are so far ahead of the rest of the traditional OEM\u2019s with their vehicle offerings including the original roadster, and now the Model S.\u00a0 Tesla is now taking orders for its all electric Model X SUV.<\/p>\n

Tesla\u2019s lead is complimented now by other OEMs trying to compare their brands and vehicles to Tesla. \u00a0Tesla’s been the game changer, as I attested to in this test drive of the Model S <\/a>\u00a0year ago.\u00a0Both the Cadillac ELR and the BMW claim to present rivalry<\/a>. In all ways, Tesla is outside the box with their standard for innovation, technology and being all electric with its own built EV infrastructure for charging along freeways to handle distance. Tesla also markets\u00a0electric power train<\/a>\u00a0components, including\u00a0lithium-ion battery<\/a>\u00a0packs, to other automakers, including\u00a0Daimler<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Toyota<\/a>.\u00a0 Their entrepreneurial independent lead has changed the auto industry, raising the bar for what a vehicle could be \u2013 they welcome others as Tesla’s Elan Musk wants EVs to dominate. \u00a0Tesla focuses on pure battery electric propulsion technology, even for larger vehicle segments and real-world ranges greater than 200 miles. The \u201cECO\u201d advantage is not just about saving money \u2013 it also gives our planet cleaner air, creates more freedom, \u00a0with better security, by being more energy independent. \u00a0Elon Musk is indeed a pioneer for the planet \u2013 he was acknowledged with the 2010 Automotive Executive of the Year Innovator Award for hastening the development of electric vehicles throughout the global automotive industry.<\/p>\n

There are now enough OEM\u2019s with alternative models to give hope to the concept of a more secure, healthy planet independent of fossil fuel, and the many negative repercussions of continuing to choose this source of energy for our future. \u00a0We at WTN still stand firm with Elon Musk and others \u2013 that electric charging to a renewable energy source is the ideal way to go.\u00a0 But the hydrogen fuel cells like the Hyundai\u2019s (with the Tucson hydrogen fuel cell crossover, unveiled at the LA Auto Show<\/a>), bio-diesel, and natural gas are some of the other energy modalities considered \u201cECO\u201d that WTN chooses not to focus on.\u00a0 These energies each have side effects or repercussions that may not be in our best interest long run, considering the whole cradle to cradle cycle of \u201cECO\u201d with our energy and our planet\u2019s resources, but still probably better than fossil fuel. For example the Hydrogen Bubble we predict will burst with the combustion aspect of hydrogen, as well as the fact it is a highly energy intensive process to produce hydrogen from electrolysis of water or the dirty alternative from fossil fuels, and, \u00a0natural gas is still a fossil fuel, and has water and air quality issues when it is sourced from shale gas with sloppy production practices \u2013 the debate around hydraulic \u201cfracking\u201d, and bio diesel has environmental impacts as it still burns fuel, which produces CO-2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeaming Up\u201d to \u201cgreen\u201d isn’t just a World Team Now concept.\u00a0 Companies are just coming together to brand around the environment they are also co-branding around innovate technology, for the health of both products, people and our planet.\u00a0 Mercedes-Benz and Google are \u201cTeaming Up\u201d on hardware \u2013 \u00a0the automaker is developing an in-car integration for Google Glass<\/a>. Innovative technology is used not to just better direct drivers, but to also prevent accidents and aide people with automated self-driving vehicles. Technology that allows vehicles to communicate with other vehicles is being developed. People buying EVs or PHEVs represent a growing eco-consciousness.\u00a0 \"Ford<\/a>Technology can help bring the world to a place where we are better stewards of the earth and now days this means connected<\/i> technology. Aware of this, the organizers of the LA Auto Show created the Connected Car Expo<\/a>. It was a one-day conference and three-day expo on connecting the car to its greater environment \u2013 the driver, other autos, and the home or office for enhanced safety, comfort, entertainment, and most importantly realizing the full ecological value of EVs and PHEVs. The connectedness to the greater surroundings means collaboration with other manufactures and interests so headlines like \u201cFord Teams Up to Save Energy with MyEnergi Lifestyle<\/a>\u201d appear. This teaming is with unlikely companies such as Eaton, SunPower and Whirlpool, Infineon, and Nest Labs.<\/p>\n

The Public Days\u2019 Ride and Drive<\/a> grew with many vehicles this year to test out what is green and innovative. Some the Technology demo-ed;<\/p>\n