Congress has pashed the controversial Cash for Clunkers bill. The program is being pegged as an Automotive Stimulus bill and to get dealers more involved in the program, a new website has been launched. The Cash for Clunkers Headquarters website was set up by the Automotive Consumer Council.

“To be certified by the www.CashForClunkersHeadquarters.com dealers must agree to match a minimum of $500 up to $4500 in additional discounts on top of the government funded vouchers on select models that meet program requirements. In addition, certified dealers agreed to offer a similar program for pre-owned vehicles, an area that was removed from the governments legislation. That means consumers have an opportunity to save up to $9500 off of a new vehicle and $4500 on a pre-owned vehicle while reducing their gas bill at the same time.” Source: PR Newswire

If cash-strapped dealers can muster the funds to join this program, consumers stand to save a big chunk of change on a more fuel-efficient vehicle.

Now on to the details of the bill:

Passenger Car or Minivan – The new vehicle must have a minimum of 22 mpg combined. If the new vehicle is an improvement of 4 mpg over the trade-in vehicle, the consumer is eligible for a $3,500 voucher. If the new vehicle is 10 mpg more efficient, the consumer is eligible for a $4,500 voucher.

Light-duty truck – The new vehicle must have a minimum of 18 mpg combined. If the new vehicle is at least 2 mpg more fuel efficient, the consumer will qualify for a $3,500 voucher. If the fuel efficiency is at least 5 mpg higher, a $4,500 voucher will be given.

The cash for clunkers bill also applies to large light-duty trucks and work trucks.

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Although auto sales are down and dealerships across the United States are closing, MINI has just released the details about an expansion plan. An additional 17 MINI dealerships are planned over the next 18 months; this will bring the total number of American MINI dealerships to 100. Most of the new dealerships will be in new markets for the company.

This year marks the 50th Birthday of MINI. Speaking in New York City, MINI USA Vice President Jim McDowell said, “We are pleased to be in a position to dramatically increase our U.S. dealerships. I have often said that the world is becoming more MINI every day, and I believe that that sentiment is true, now more than ever, as consumer tastes shift decidedly to cars that offer tremendous value. Our cars are not only fuel efficient, and offer great value, but they also provide a fun and dynamic motoring experience and are packed with personality.” (Source: PR Newswire)

The first of the 17 dealerships will be opened in Birmingham, Alabama later this year. Other cities on the list are Pensacola, Florida; Alexandria, Virginia; Austin, Texas; Seattle, Washington; Fort Myers, Florida; El Paso, Texas; Ontario, California; Louisville, Kentucky; Raleigh, North Carolina; Knoxville, Tennessee; Loveland, Colorado; Madison, Wisconsin; Mount Laurel, New Jersey; Allentown, Pennsylvania; San Diego, California and Tempe, Arizona.

The MINI Cooper was one of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s Greenest Vehicles of 2009 and MINI Es are being tested in select markets in the United States.

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KBB recently named its picks for the 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000. With the state of economy as it is, it is important for consumers to have a wide variety of inexpensive cars to choose from. Two of the more fuel-efficient models that made the KBB list are the 2009 Honda Fit and the 2009 Smart Fortwo.

2009 Honda Fit – The MSRP for the 2009 Honda Fit is $15,420. The four-door hatchback has a 27-mpg city rating and a 33-mpg highway rating. The Honda Fit also made KBB’s Top 10 Green Cars for 2009 list.

2009 smart fortwo – The two-seater smart fortwo has a $12,635 MSRP, 33-mpg city rating, and a 41-mpg highway rating. The smart fortwo made the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s list of the Greenest Vehicles of 2009 with a Green Score of 49.

Other cool cars under $18,000 include the 2009 Ford Focus, 2010 Kia Soul, 2010 Mazda MAZDA3, 2009 Nissan Cube, 2009 Scion xB, 2009 Subaru Impreza, 2009 Suzuki SX4, and the 2009 VW Rabbit.

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Nitrogen gas has been touted as a great way to maintain tire pressure in passenger vehicles. The use of nitrogen gas is not without controversy, but it is becoming a popular alternative. In order to help offset the costs for installing nitrogen gas tire inflation systems, Pennsylvania is offering grants to companies in the state that sell tires.

“Automotive service providers who sell tires in Pennsylvania can apply to be reimbursed for a portion of their cost to purchase tire inflation systems that deliver at least 95 percent nitrogen according to manufacturer specifications. Eligible applicants with a 50 percent match of the total cost may request up to $5,000 for systems purchased and installed after July 1, 2008. A total of $100,000 is available for grants in each of the next three years.” Source: PR Newswire

For more information, visit the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection website.

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The cash-for-guzzlers bill being discussed in the U.S. House of Representatives has been revamped. The bill, which passed by a narrow vote, would offer consumers a $3,500 voucher if they trade in a vehicle that gets less than 18 mpg for a new (not used) vehicle that gets 22+ mpg. $4,500 vouchers would be available for consumers that purchase a new vehicle that gets at least 10 mpg more than the trade in.

Although this program may help the auto industry with new sales, environmentalists and other green motoring advocates are saying that rewarding consumers for buying a vehicle that gets a mere 22-mpg is a waste of money. I tend to fall on this side; 22 mpg is hardly fuel-efficient. Sure, it is better than a 15 mpg SUV but I think that the standards need to be set higher. There are a wide variety of vehicles that average 30+ mpg.

If the bill ultimately gets signed into law, the program will expire on 10/1/2010. I’m all for encouraging people to buy vehicles with a higher fuel efficiency, but I don’t think that 22-mpg should be worthy of a financial reward for the consumer.

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Have you ever visited one of those gas stations that have TV shows playing in the pump?  Many of them are based off of the Gas Station TV program and now Toyota USA is teaming up with Gas Station TV to offer consumer-generated TV events for the Prius Neighborhood show.

“It is easy for people to submit their local event details for potential airing on Gas Station TV. The Prius Neighborhood daily segments direct people to http://event.gstv.com/. Once the local event information is submitted to the Web site, it is reviewed and built into the local events listing rotation at the pump and becomes searchable by zip code on the web site.”  Source: PR Newswire

Obviously, we live in the age of social media and events will not only be broadcast on Gas Station TV but also posted to the @GSTVevents Twitter page.  Additionally, you will be able to become a fan of Prius Neighborhood on Facebook.

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Filed Under: Eco Friendly, toyota

The Chevy Malibu Hybrid hit the streets about a year ago but with the release of the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Malibu’s fuel economy looks paltry. While General Motors is going through their bankruptcy proceedings, they have made the decision to reserve 2009 Malibu Hybrids for fleet purchases and hold off on the 2010 model until a two-mode hybrid system is available.

An article that appeared in Automotive News provides more details about the decision, “The base Malibu has a much lower sticker of $22,325, and its fuel economy isn’t far behind the hybrid version. The base 2009 Malibu with the standard four-cylinder powertrain and four-speed automatic transmission gets 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.”

With Saturn on the auction block, the Malibu is GM’s only hybrid car. The company does make several hybrid SUVs as well as the Chevy Silverado Hybrid but it is likely that Malibu’s relegation to fleet sales may hurt them in the short run but turn out to be a great decision for General Motors in the long run.

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Filed Under: chevy

In honor of World Environment Day (today), Hertz has announced that they are relaunching their eco friendly rental program in Europe. Hertz’s Green Collection is comprised of several fuel-efficient vehicles that can be reserved at one of 70 airports and major metropolitan locations across Europe.

“The Green Collection offers eco-friendly models carefully selected according to the company’s enhanced CO2 emissions policy. All models have a CO2 output of less than or equal to 140g/km, with more than half of the models at 120g/km or less - exceeding the average voluntary target of 140g/km CO2 output set by the EU for the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.” Source: PR Newswire

Currently, the Green Collection is available in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Plans are in place to expand into the Czech Republic and Sweden in the near future.

If you are traveling to Europe and would like to reserve one of Hertz’s designated eco friendly vehicles, visit Hertz’s European Green Collection website.

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Filed Under: Europe

Right now, conditions are prime for new automakers to enter the market. Admittedly, that statement sounds a bit odd as Chrysler and GM are in bankruptcy and automotive sales are down across the board. However, these new automakers are coming in to the industry without legacy costs and with products that the market needs. One new automaker is Coda, which has spawn off from Miles Electric Vehicles.

“The Hafei chassis rides on a 102.2-inch wheelbase with a 175-inch overall length. The sedan seats five adults in a pinch. The company says the sedan will have a real-world range of 90 to 120 miles, with a 0-to-60-mph acceleration time of less than 11 seconds. The car is governed to a top speed of 80 mph.” Source: Automotive News

The vehicle will come with an expected $45,000 price tag but will likely be eligible for significant federal and state tax credits. If you don’t live in California, though, you won’t be in the market for the new Coda EV as the initial launch will be limited to California.

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Filed Under: electric vehicles

Yesterday, I posted an overview of the May 2009 auto sales figures for Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. As I usually do every month, now it is time to look at hybrid vehicles, and other small cars, fared in this recession.

The first manufacturer that I checked was Honda; in May 2009, Honda posted an overall sales decline of 41.5% (U.S. sales). American Honda sold 2,780 of the new Honda Insights in May 2009; this is up over the 2,096 Insights sold in April 2009. In other Honda hybrid news, 2,077 Civic Hybrids were sold. This is down, significantly, from April 2009 when 3,361 Honda Civic Hybrids were sold.

Next up is Toyota and its flagship hybrid, the Prius. The third generation Prius is now available and in May, Toyota sold 10,091 Prius models (no information about second or third generation sales were available). While this is down 30.2% over May 2008, it is up from the 8,385 units sold in April 2009.

As the recession continues and the consumer confidence in the auto industry remains shaky, it is unlikely that the June 2009 numbers will be much better. However, one can only hope.

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