Quick Cash Auto Blog

It wasn’t that long ago that virtually everyone was awaiting the car of the future; the hybrid. These vehicles were to run on gasoline and electricity, be rechargeable and deliver fuel economy that dusted the competition. However, just as fast as hybrids arrived, it seems now that their fate is uncertain. Many vehicle manufacturers seem to be turning their back on the technology, instead opting for more fuel efficient traditional cars, trucks and SUVs.

In fact, all one needs to do is take a look at the latest info coming out of the recent Detroit Auto Show. There, Cadillac introduced the new ATS sedan, which the company boasts can achieve up to 40 MPG using a traditional engine. Additionally, Ford has announced that it will stop producing its Escape hybrid. It seems the tide may be turning for hybrid enthusiasts and maybe for your wallet as well.

One of the biggest reasons for the recent shift is the cost of ownership of hybrid vehicles. Consumers that initially purchased these cars and trucks to save money on gas have quickly come to realize that the trade-off is higher energy costs elsewhere. What the general public is coming to see is that there is no reason for the extra expense if they can get a traditional vehicle for less money that delivers better fuel economy. If you save a few hundred dollars a year in gas costs, but end up spending many thousands of extra dollars for a hybrid, at what point does it stop making sense to own one?

When taking a look at the numbers, hybrid sales dropped from 2.4 percent of vehicle sales in 2010 to 2.2 percent in 2011. These figures may also be a reflection of the general public’s trust in hybrid models, and with good cause. The recent developments with Chevy’s Volt, in which batteries have been combusting, are a stark reminder that electric technology in vehicles has not been perfected, leaving most people with a wait-and-see attitude. It seems, however, that this has bought enough time for auto manufacturers to play catch up, as they have continued to find ways to reduce energy waste, reduce vehicle weight and develop more efficient technologies in gasoline engines.

Whether the future holds traditional filling stations or glowing electric hubs is uncertain at this moment. While the auto industry is in transition, it may be wise to join everyone else in sitting this one out until a clear winner is decided.

Remember the iconic DeLorean featured in the movie “Back to the Future?” The vehicle was manufactured for a very short period during the early ’80s, resulting in approximately 9,000 of the cars being sold commercially. The DeLorean DMC-12, the technical name for the vehicle produced by the DeLorean Motor Company, was the only model produced by the company. After only seven years in existence, the DeLorean Motor Company declared bankruptcy in 1982.

Today, approximately 6,500 of the DeLorean DMC-12 models are still in existence. However, the highly recognizable model is about to be joined by an all-electric version, projected to be available commercially by 2013.

Although the DeLorean Motor Company went bankrupt nearly 20 years ago, Texas businessman Stephen Wynne bought the rights to the name as well as all of the leftover inventory of the vehicle manufacturer in 1995 and set up headquarters in Humble, Texas. Although the new company is not technically affiliated with the original DeLorean Motor Company, the aim of the new company has been to support owners of DeLoreans.

Since 2007, Wynne’s company has been releasing newly built DeLorean DMC-12s in limited edition, partially building the vehicles using the leftover parts inventory purchased from the original DeLorean Motor Company. There are four dealerships in the United States and one in the Netherlands that are authorized to sell the vehicle, which retails for $57,400.

Since the only model produced by the original DeLorean Motor Company has remained a collector’s item, partially due to its being featured in “Back to the Future,” it makes sense that Wynne would wish to bring the model back with a modern twist. The company is developing the electric vehicle in conjunction with Epic EV, a company specializing in electric vehicles made for on and off-road use.

Currently, there are few details about the all-electric DeLorean. It will be designed to look much like the DeLorean DMC-12, and it will be a completely electric vehicle. While the company projects that the vehicle will be available commercially by 2013, no details regarding whether the vehicle will be available in early or late 2013 have been released.

One of the biggest obstacles car manufacturers have been attempting to overcome when selling electric vehicles is that the charge time tends to be so long. Drivers who have a long commute or like to go on road trips shy away from electric vehicles because of the wait time needed to charge the vehicle along the route. The solution is obvious: develop a charger that can drastically reduce the amount of time needed to mostly or even fully charge an electric vehicle. It may be an obvious solution, but is it possible in practice? Nissan says it is.

Currently, charge times for electric vehicles vary from eight hours to 30 minutes, with the low end being the amount of time it takes to charge a Nissan Leaf to 80 percent power. Shorter charge times are generally limited to commercial charging stations, as the amount of electric current necessary to charge an electric vehicle quickly is too much for a home to handle.

Nissan, in conjunction with Kansai University in Japan, has developed a way to use tungsten oxide and vanadium oxide instead of the traditional carbon charger to cut charge times down to ten minutes without having a major impact on the amount of voltage necessary.

While Nissan has announced the possibilities of the technology, the company maintains that extensive further research is necessary before the technology can be marketed to the general public. The car manufacturer estimates that a decade of further research and development will be necessary before the charger can be offered for commercial sale.

The possibilities of quick charging technology are impressive. Long distance commutes will be available, and, if charging stations are opened up throughout the country utilizing the quick charging technology, road trips with electric vehicles will no longer be a pipe dream. While current technology requires a driver to wait for hours while his car charges, Nissan’s quick charger would allow a driver to completely charge his vehicle while on a quick rest stop.

While the news is good for drivers eyeing the possibility of an electric vehicle, consumers are still hoping that a quick charging alternative comes along faster than Nissan’s estimated ten years.

Have you noticed the publicity behind every release of a hybrid vehicle? The commercials and news coverage are enough to make a person assume that the masses are flocking to dealerships to purchase a new hybrid vehicle. The statistics, however, paint a different picture; despite rising gas prices and an increased concern for the environment, hybrid car sales remain weak at best.

While hybrids hold over 2% of the market share of vehicles sold in the United States, up from less than half of a percent in 2002, popularity has been decreasing steadily since interest in the alternate fuel vehicles peaked in 2009. This trend is even more surprising when taking into account the fact that more hybrid models enter the market every year, giving consumers more choices that they’re passing over for traditional vehicles.

When popularity of the hybrid peaked in 2009, there were 17 hybrid models available to consumers; by the beginning of 2011, this figure nearly doubled to 30. Throughout the years, one model has been able to capture half of the total market share of hybrid vehicles: the Toyota Prius. Experts note that, if the Prius was not on the market, sales of hybrid vehicles would be nearly negligible.

Why aren’t people buying up hybrids when gas prices continue to stay high, and more people are concerned with green living? The biggest reason is the cost of these vehicles. Price differences vary from model to model, but, on average, a hybrid will set a buyer back $5,000 more than a traditional vehicle. Despite the savings at the gas pump, many people do not feel that the extra cost is justified.

Another reason that hybrid sales remain lackluster is the increasing fuel efficiency of traditional vehicles. Smaller sedans and compact vehicles now get between 30 and 40 miles per gallon for highway driving, and, with a smaller price tag than hybrid vehicles, are more attractive to consumers.

Finally, completely electric vehicles are just starting to make it into the market through large car manufacturers like Nissan and Chevrolet, making consumers think twice before buying a hybrid. Although prices of electric vehicles are daunting at the moment, many consumers are purchasing traditional vehicles with high fuel efficiency and planning on purchasing an electric vehicle in the future when prices come down.

Experts note that there will be one way for hybrid sales to take off: gas prices will have to increase drastically.