Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[EDITORIAL: Attention <i>Wall Street Journal</i> - Ford does <b>not</b> use Toyota's hybrid system!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/05/editorial-attention-i-wall-street-journal-i-ford-does-b-n/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/05/editorial-attention-i-wall-street-journal-i-ford-does-b-n/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/05/editorial-attention-i-wall-street-journal-i-ford-does-b-n/#commentsFiled under:


2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

In a recent op-ed piece published in The Wall Street Journal, Alan Reynolds of the Cato Institute starts by making a few decent points about fuel taxation and fuel economy rules. Unfortunately, he undermines himself with some blatant errors and misinformation. In discussing how Detroit automakers will deal with new fuel efficiency requirements, he makes the all-too-common mistake of referring to Ford's hybrid system as licensed from Toyota ("Similarly, Ford has the Toyota-licensed hybrid Fusion and will soon produce the European Ford Fiesta in Mexico").

The reality is that Ford independently developed its own hybrid system at the same time Toyota was masterminding its own. The basic architecture of both systems is the same and both are based on the concepts developed and patented by TRW engineers in the late 1960s. When Ford introduced the Escape Hybrid, Toyota went after the Blue Oval for infringing on its patents. Ford had patents of its own on the technology that Toyota was using. Eventually, the two companies reached a cross-licensing agreement that gives both companies the right to build their own systems. Such cross-licensing agreements are common in these kinds of cases, but Ford did not use the Toyota hybrid system. The only other company that uses Toyota's system is Nissan for its Altima hybrid, and they actually buy hardware from Toyota. We continue deconstructing Reynolds' arguments after the jump


Gallery: Review: 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid


[Source: Wall Street Journal]
Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading EDITORIAL: Attention Wall Street Journal - Ford does not use Toyota's hybrid system!

EDITORIAL: Attention Wall Street Journal - Ford does not use Toyota's hybrid system! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alan reynoldsAlanReynoldscafecorporate average fuel economyCorporateAverageFuelEconomyeditorialfuel taxfuel taxesFuelTaxFuelTaxesgas taxgas taxesGasTaxGasTaxeshybridhybrid patenthybrid patentsHybridPatentHybridPatentshybridssmall carSmallCarwall street journalWallStreetJournalSun, 05 Jul 2009 15:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Oregon considers taxing mileage, not gas]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/04/oregon-considers-taxing-mileage-not-gas/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/04/oregon-considers-taxing-mileage-not-gas/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/04/oregon-considers-taxing-mileage-not-gas/#commentsFiled under: ,

Oregon ran a pilot program in 2006 and 2007 that fitted 300 cars with GPS receivers, which kept track of the cars' mileage. The receivers also kept records of when the cars were on the road, noting whether they traveled during rush hour or not. When the drivers went to several specially-equipped gas stations, they paid a mileage tax based on how far they had driven and when they drove, rush hour being more expensive than the wee hours.

Taxing mileage -- as opposed to trying to raise fuel taxes -- is an idea that's not only raising eyebrows, it's also raising interest. Seven other states are reported to be interested in finding a publicly-palatable way to tax mileage. A panel in North Carolina even recommended that drivers be charged a quarter-cent-per-mile for their year's driving. In such a scenario, after 15,000 miles you'd owe the state $37.50.

Naturally, the hurdles are many and it will be years before we see anything like this happening -- but beware: it's gone beyond "Let's think about it" to "Let's look into this." States envision working with manufacturers to get the standardized mileage-reporting technology installed in cars. In addition to the substantial privacy issues that would raised by such a move, there's a question of whether a flat mileage tax would blunt the move to energy-efficient vehicles -- the gent in the Prius might not be happy about paying the same as the gent in the F-250 Super Duty.

[Source: Yahoo!]

Oregon considers taxing mileage, not gas originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diesel taxDieselTaxfuel taxFuelTaxgas taxGasTaxgovernmentmileage taxMileageTaxtaxtaxesSun, 04 Jan 2009 10:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Road commission calls for gas tax hike]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/03/road-commission-calls-for-gas-tax-hike/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/03/road-commission-calls-for-gas-tax-hike/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/03/road-commission-calls-for-gas-tax-hike/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

A gas tax is about more than putting liquid into your tank and subtracting a higher amount from your bank account. A gas tax is -- just like CAFE and hybrids and $25 billion set aside to finance fuel efficient technologies -- about reworking and redefining our entire system of private transportation. And since that system is most certainly going to redefined, it is no surprise that the National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing has recommended a jump in the federal fuel tax.

Congress created the commission to examine the federal taxes on fuel -- currently 18.4 cents for gas and 24 cents for diesel -- and the commission came back with the same results as everyone else: people are driving less, and driving more fuel efficient cars, and that has killed revenue for transportation infrastructure. One member of the commission said, "I'm not excited about a gas tax increase, but the reality is our current gas tax doesn't pay for upkeep of the system we have now. We can either let the roads go to hell or we can pay more." If the roads go to hell, though, guess what? We're going to pay more, but that money will go to service departments and auto parts stores.

The proposed solution is to make the gasoline fuel tax 24.4 cents, and the diesel tax between 36 and 39 cents. That would begin to make up for the $105 billion difference between actual revenues and the money needed to upkeep our roads and highways. It is conceivable that a higher gas tax could also encourage people to buy those high-mileage vehicles the government keeps commanding Detroit to make. But before that happens, it will probably just make a lot of people anguished and angry.

[Source: CNBC]

Road commission calls for gas tax hike originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>congressdiesel taxDieselTaxetcfederal gas taxfederal taxFederalGasTaxFederalTaxfuel taxFuelTaxgas taxGasTaxgovernmentgreenlifestylestudytaxesSat, 03 Jan 2009 15:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Ward's columnist wonders if Americans can handle the truth about gas taxes]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/wards-columnist-wonders-if-americans-can-handle-the-truth-about/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/wards-columnist-wonders-if-americans-can-handle-the-truth-about/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/wards-columnist-wonders-if-americans-can-handle-the-truth-about/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



People have always had something of an aversion to hard truths. Most Americans say they want their country to get off foreign oil or help the environment, but when it comes to the bottom line, they want cheap fuel. And when the prices on gas pumps start to dip, consumer interest in smaller more efficient vehicles tends to go out the window. Understandably, drivers everywhere tend to make vehicle purchasing decisions in large part based on fuel prices.

Ward's Auto World columnist Drew Winters notes that executives like Bob Lutz have long advocated that fossil fuel prices need to increase in order to make more efficient vehicles appeal to consumers. But with U.S. consumers' almost instinctual avoidance of taxation, it has been difficult for politicians to consider such measures. Instead, it would appear that most constituents want government to mandate both more fuel efficient cars (through mechanisms like CAFE) and cheap gas without impacting the cost of automobiles themselves.

Winters paraphrases The End of Oil author Paul Roberts, noting that "every major fuel shift in history - from wood to coal to oil - was driven primarily by market forces, specifically by competitive advantages of the new fuel over the old." Thus, part of the solution may simply to make the fossil fuels more expensive relative to other energy sources.

Unfortunately, Winters surmises, it appears that nobody can handle this truth.

[Source: Ward's Auto World | Photo: GoodGreentips.com]

Ward's columnist wonders if Americans can handle the truth about gas taxes originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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