Hybrid Durango
Lower emissions and a 20-percent drop in gas consumption are two features of a new Dodge Durango that DaimlerChrysler is planning. It would have a hybrid powertrain, including an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries to turn the front wheels and a 3.9L gassed V-6 for the rear, but performance would be on a par with a V-8. DC says it would get 18.6 mpg versus the current 15.5 mpg.
The only catch? It would cost $3,000 more than the 5.9L V-8-equipped Durango that's available now. DC says it is hoping for passage of the Energy Efficient Technology Tax Act by Congress, which would give hybrid owners a $3,000 tax credit.
Political & Environmental Beat
*Illinois' EPA will soon propose a vehicle-scrappage program.
*Also in Illinois is a request from the governor to figure out how to eliminate the hassles of tollways, which are causing congestion. A nonprofit group introduced a No Tolls Action Kit, which is a campaign to convert tollways into freeways and eliminate the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. The kit tells how to contact representatives and has preprinted postcards to send in. For info, call 630/4NO-TOLLS (466-8655).
*Ford has announced that it's the leading manufacturer of commercial electric vehicles in North America-its Ranger version is the most widely distributed on the continent.
*The European Commission has OK'd a plan to make carmakers (not consumers) pay for the recycling of every car on Europe's roads. If the parliament approves, all passenger cars registered from 2001 will have to be recycled, followed by all vehicles in 2006.
*The Journal of the American Medical Association says the results of a study it conducted found that 57 percent of unintentional deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning were from vehicle exhaust. Quantum Group Inc. has developed Costar, a CO sensor for vehicles that clips onto the sunvisor.
*The Sierra Club has decided that mountain bikes are just as dangerous to the environment as other OHVs. The club claims they're not viable forms of backcountry recreation because, among other things, they increase erosion and make it easier for people to get farther into the backcountry.
*The gas-powered 2000 Honda Accord is the first-ever "Super ultra-low emission" vehicle.
*Apparently a bunch of people from the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and the Tire Association have created the Spare Tireless Working Group, which is drawing up guidelines for standard tires, in an effort to make it possible to eliminate the spare tire. They say that radial tires and other technology have made flats more rare, and skipping the spare would be good news for the environment, since there wouldn't be a need to destroy or recycle them.
*The EPA is proposing rules for tougher emissions regulations for the big ol' SUVs and passenger vans (over 8,500-pound gross vehicle weight), compared to those for cars and light trucks.
To voice your support of or objection to a cause, visit Congress.org, a Web site that will help you contact your state rep. You can also check out the Bureau of Land Management (www.blm.gov) for information on this land that's your land.
Lincoln Blackwood Pickup
Hey, we just realized we've been taunting you over the last year or so with stories of a concept coming from Lincoln based on its muy-popular Navigator sport/huge. How'd ya like to finally see what it looks like?
The concept is to mix the luxury of a sedan with the convenience of an SUV. Hmmm, the folks never mention the bonuses that come with having a pickup bed too, but then we guess that's obvious. It has four doors (one for every passenger!) and an enclosed 4-foot 8-inch box "that serves as a trunk." In our circle we might say it serves as a bed. That trunk/bed area is slathered in more than 20 square feet of dark, striated Wenge wood from central Africa, which is sealed with clear epoxy.