I answer the titular question on the Examiner, read it here:
July 1, 2009
June 30, 2009
A New Route Home
Truth be told, I’m not feeling real well today; I think something I ate yesterday is disagreeing with me.
Anyway, I’ll be posting later with a new link to another Examiner.com article that I’ve written.
I just wanted to say to all my readers out there I’ve found a new way home. For now at least, it’s taking North to Gratiot down to 12 mile road, instead of Mound, for you local Warren, MI peeps. Late at night when I’m heading home from teaching my classes, it’s a great route, the light timing is nice, I get a nice scenic drive going through Mount Clemens at a slower speed. Sure it’s orange barrels for a lot of it on Gratiot, but late at night, traffic is light and slow moving, just the way I like it. I averaged 42.1 MPG last Friday and 41.8 MPG the time prior. So, it seems to be working out for me!
June 15, 2009
Beware the Barrel Monster!
Though this was created as an act of vandalism, it is really pretty neat. If he’d gotten permission from the city/township/state/whatever to do it, I’m sure it would be something well received in the community. For added fun, the traffic sign system could even have a warning of the barrel monster ahead.
June 13, 2009
Site Crash!
Talking with my tech friend Tom, who hosts this site, it seems in doing an update, instead of updating the files, they were deemed corrupted and deleted by the server. Fortunately none of my articles were lost, but for the moment, the design/theme is going to be off from the nice road themed site it was. Hopefully it can be found again and re-applied, I rather liked it, and I think you guys did too.
Another 40+ MPG Tank
Being low on fuel, I did a quick check, and found a station that was selling for $2.69. With my 3 cents off fuel card, that was $2.66, good enough for me!
I can add another 40+ MPG tank to my stats, with a 40.1 tank over 554.5 miles. If you’re wondering how come I’m getting gas again so quickly, this tank included normal driving plus two trips to Metro Airport, two trips to Rochester, and a trip to Greenfield village. Lots of driving to be sure! This tank was 138% of EPA, lifetime is now up to 126.31% of EPA.
My current tank is at 41.8; had I checked before I keyed Liberator off, I would’ve taken a picture of it, as I did with the last tank.
Summer is nice, though looking back I seem to have only about 11 more tanks before I’m back to the hum-drum of cold or cooler weather and my MPGs go back into decline. Ugh.
June 12, 2009
HS 250h Information and Test Drive!
Since I now work for the Detroit Examiner as their Alternative Transportation Examiner, please read my content there:
Enjoy!
June 1, 2009
Liberator Turns Four!
It’s that time again! Liberator turned four today. Estimated savings in fuel by having the FEH instead of a standard Escape, $4,916.63, and my previous 1995 Ford Explorer… $8,012.54. At this point, not only have I recouped the “Hybrid Premium”, but I’m ahead by $1,221-4,317 dollars over the Escape and my old Explorer after subtracting said premium.
Still no problems to report, I’ll be going in for an oil change next week or so.
Some fun facts: I filled up 20 times in the last year, at an average of 11.8 gallons per fillup for 8.5K miles, which has been the least amount of miles I’ve ever driven in a year. Worst tank ever: An abysmal 22.4 MPG over 273.9 miles. (Winter, cold, lots of snow, many short drives, etc.) Best tank ever: 44.3 MPG over 719.9 miles. 7 tanks above 40 MPG. 23 tanks above 37 MPG.
As for benefits, that’s always changing, especially in today’s economic climate, but I was hired by the Detroit Examiner to be their alternative fuel and efficiency writer.
May 14, 2009
Ever Changing Discounts and Weather
I don’t want to sound like a shill, especially since I haven’t sold out yet, but I’ve been utilizing the offers made by Speedway. I’ve got their credit card which for well over a year gave me a discount on price per gallon as well as 40 Speedway points per dollar spent there. I’m also a member of their rewards program, so when I buy drinks there, every 6th one is free, plus I redeem all those accumulating speedway points for gasoline gift cards for free gas. So, all in all, it’s not a bad program, since I have to buy gasoline somewhere, and I do use a credit card, may as well reduce the costs and get free gas as often as possible. However, their discount via credit card has come to an end, but they’ve introduced a new program, that using their fuel gift card, they give you 3 cents off at the pump. Which hey, it’s better then a sharp stick in the face.
So, doing some quick research, I’ve noticed gas prices are heading in the wrong direction again, and I was low, so I did the search and found a station that was at a far friendly $2.23 a bit further out from my local station at $2.37. I stopped there, redeemed my points for a $50 fuel card, then filled up at $2.20 a gallon. Not bad really. The fun part was my MPG on the way home. Today was a very nice day, though a bit too windy for perfect driving conditions, but regardless, my Ford Escape Hybrid shined. Here’s a pic taken in my garage at the end of the day; remember EPA MPG for my vehicle is 29 MPG!
That’s the difference just a few degrees in temperatures can make to a skilled hypermiler!
May 4, 2009
A Hybrid Lawnmower!
Well, after multiple problems with my (20+ year) old lawnmower, I was surprised this weekend by my parents with a brand new lawnmower! My old one had problems with the spark plug and the primer pump was gone; I would prime it using a bellow device of my own, and last fall it seized up and I just couldn’t get it started. So, this new one was primerless, “maintenence” free, and brand spanking new!
So, it was unsettling when it wouldn’t work. It would turn over a little bit, but that was it. And with nothing to adjust or fiddle with, there was no way to get it to start. So, back to the store it went. However, that got me a newer lawnmower, one with a battery!
This new lawn mower is a PHEV (Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) with IMA (Integrated Motor Assist). Which is quite nice. Okay, not really, but you do plug it in, and the electrics start the mower and keep it going. I’m unsure if the battery also assists on the self-propulsion mechanism or not, but if it is, then it’s IMA and a hybrid!
April 29, 2009
New Hybrids – The New Insight
LOL, it seems like my rants are working. http://www.richrambles.com/?p=9 I know, specious logic and all that, but still, a bit funny.
$20K buys a 50 MPG hatchback. Wow.
The new Honda Insight may not have the most original look (Looking much like a Prius or the Chevy Volt), but it does have something anyone shopping for a new car will like. A low price tag. Once again, I wish this was a test drive review, but hopefully one of those will be forthcoming.
A friend of mine was asking me for advice on what models they should look at when they go car shopping. They gave me a price range, and a few parameters, so I started looking for them. I was surprised at the Insight. $19,780 for the base model, which was very nicely equipped; I didn’t add a single item from any of the options for a vehicle that’s EPA 40 City, 43 Highway, 41 Combined on the new EPA test cycles. Real users are reporting the gambit, but high enders have been in the 50’s, including a “high score” that I’ve seen of 57.3 MPG. On a first tank, that’s one heck of a number. Combined with a very low price tag, and a heavy advertising route, I can see the new Insight being a hit. I’ve already seen two (2!) here on the roads of the Motor City.
The thing that continues to floor me is the price. Under $20K. This makes it the most reasonably priced hybrid on the market, and even if it can’t deliver the 100+MPG’s it’s ancestor can, it’s still got a lot going for it. Against a similarly equipped Prius, there’s a more then six (6) thousand dollar difference in the Insights favor, almost regardless if you’re comparing just base model to base model or loaded with voice navi to loaded with voice navi. This is actually greater then the difference between most hybrid to non-hybrid counterparts (Ex. Ford Escape Hybrid is $4K more then a standard Ford Escape) With gas prices stable at $2 a gallon, if you have an overperforming Insight and a just at EPA Prius, you’ll always be ahead with the Insight. That’s hardly the fairest comparison, but still, it’s there.
Now, what’s bad about the Insight? Well, from reports it doesn’t seem all that peppy. However, it’s also IMA – Integrated Motor Assist, which means it’s the type of hybrid that is a gasoline car with a electric help. This means it’s not particularly well suited for city driving, while the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) will cut off during a stop, you get no electric drive at low speeds. However, you do get far better highway performance with it, as when you need to accelerate at highway speeds without taxing the engine too heavily, as it instead uses the electric motor to assist, as well as at other times as well. Don’t think of it as being poorly suited for City as much as being well suited to Highway/higher speed/cruising speeds style driving.
I’m looking forward to test driving one. Hopefully it won’t be that long.