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2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

So many things are changing in the new automotive reality, it's hard to know where to start. Everything from the kind of hose we connect to our cars (liquid filled? electric?) to the sounds the vehicles make is different now than it used to be. What else needs to change? How about how we think about the costs to own and operate a car.

Naturally, it's always been possible to estimate this cost, but NADAguides.com has just released a "Cost To Own" calculator for new cars, so you can factor in fuel prices in your region into the cost of the car. It's entirely useful. For example, to own a 2010 Prius in Michigan for five years will cost an estimated $33,232. On top of the cost of the car, NADA tells us that the car's depreciation will make up 39 percent of the ownership costs, while fuel equals just 12 percent. A pie chart of the cost breakdown is pictured at right.

On a similar thread, Edmunds recommends a shift away from MPG and towards a cost-of-energy window sticker on a new car. With all of those electric plugs being added to cars, MPG is becoming less valuable and relevant to our understanding how much it costs to get around. Two quick examples: per month, Edmunds estimates it'll cost $53.55 to drive the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt, but $66.78 to operate a Prius. Check out their chart here, and remember that according to a recent study, more efficient vehicles can (and often do) cost less.

[Source: NADAguides.com, Edmunds]

Continue reading Long-Term Thinking: "Cost to Own" mindset grabs hold?

Long-Term Thinking: "Cost to Own" mindset grabs hold? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cost of ownershipcost to ownCostOfOwnershipCostToOwnedmundshybridsnadaownershipownership costsOwnershipCostsSat, 21 Nov 2009 10:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Germany approves new Volkswagen Law]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/28/germany-approves-new-volkswagen-law/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/28/germany-approves-new-volkswagen-law/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/28/germany-approves-new-volkswagen-law/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Porsche didn't win... this round. The German cabinet approved amendments to the Volkswagen Law yesterday, but lawmakers left Porsche's key clause untouched. For those of you who haven't been following this saga, "Volkswagen Law" is the legislation that includes a provision to allow the federal state of Lower Saxony to keep a blocking minority vote in Volkswagen. That minority position is just 20 percent, exactly the amount currently held by Lower Saxony. With Porsche gobbling up shares in VW, intent on capturing a majority position so they can control plant closures, and Lower Saxony determined to protect thousands of jobs in their state... rest assured we haven't heard the last of this.

[Source: Automotive News]

Germany approves new Volkswagen Law originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 May 2008 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amendmentfactoryjobsLower SaxonyLowerSaxonyOwnershipPorscheVolkswagenVolkswagen LawVolkswagenLawWed, 28 May 2008 15:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Porsche denies plan to raise stake in VW to 75%]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/11/porsche-denies-plan-to-raise-stake-in-vw-to-75/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/11/porsche-denies-plan-to-raise-stake-in-vw-to-75/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/11/porsche-denies-plan-to-raise-stake-in-vw-to-75/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


After Porsche moved to increase its ownership in Volkswagen to 51 percent last week, an overzealous German magazine took it one step further over the weekend by reporting that Porsche was going for an even larger piece of the pie... a whopping 75 percent. Porsche pulled in the reigns and quickly released a statement today denying the action, pointing out that such a move, "...overlooks the realities in VW's shareholder structure." For now, there is apparently no truth to the published reports that Porsche is going to continue gobbling up Volkswagen.

Maybe so, but analysts have pointed out in the past that the most economically advantageous position for Porsche is if it can get its hands on Volkwagen's multiple sources of income through a so-called "domination and profit transfer" agreement. Such an agreement usually requires owning - what do you know? - a 75 percent stake in a company. Interesting.

The enthusiast-oriented Porsche has said it needed ownership in Volkswagen to prevent the automaker from falling into unfriendly hands (roughly 30% of the parts used in Porsches come from VW, so it's just protecting its component parts sugar daddy). Meanwhile, Lower Saxony, the second biggest shareholder of VW at some 20% with some serious veto power, has the power to block any maneuver that jeopardizes the 82,000 VW jobs in its state. Stay tuned, this isn't the end of it.

[Source: International Herald Tribune]

Porsche denies plan to raise stake in VW to 75% originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Lower SaxonyLowerSaxonyOwnershipPorschePurchaseSharesStockVolkswagenTue, 11 Mar 2008 07:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Porsche ups ownership in VW to 51%]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/porsche-ups-ownership-in-vw-to-51/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/porsche-ups-ownership-in-vw-to-51/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/porsche-ups-ownership-in-vw-to-51/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The supervisory board of Volkswagen Group just gave approval for Porsche AG to take a majority stake in the people's automaker. Porsche currently owns 31% of Volkswagen, and this move will ultimately increase that share to 51%. The increase in ownership is estimated to cost Porsche upwards of $20 billion, although the financial deets have not yet been released. Porsche is saying that owning a majority stake in VW will not result in the two companies combining, creating a German mega-automaker of biblical proportions. Don't expect things to change overnight for either company, as transactions like these generally take months to complete, if not years.

This move wasn't unexpected, either. Porsche has slowly been increasing its interest in VW over the past several years as we reported in June 2006, April 2007 and again in June 2007. Recent announcements that Porsche may use Volkswagen diesel powerplants in its Cayenne SUV now seem even more likely, and exchanges of technology, components and production capacity between the two are likely to increase.

[Source: Detroit News]

Porsche ups ownership in VW to 51% originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Board of DirectorsBoardOfDirectorsOwnershipPorscheporsche volkswagenPorscheVolkswagenPurchaseSharesStockVolkswagenMon, 03 Mar 2008 13:57:00 EST