Alternative Fuel Vehicle Exhibition Gives Portland Drivers Greener Options
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Fiat 500e. Photo courtesy Fiat Motors
With 18 vehicles powered by options including electric, diesel, hybrid and natural gas, and featuring the new, all-electric Fiat 500e, previously only available in California, the competition was fierce.
The event, staged appropriately at OMSI, brought in automotive journalists from all over the Northwest. The vehicles were tested for comfort, styling, and fuel economy along with road capability. The collection of the newest, most sophisticated technology featured everything from the natural gas Honda Civic to the Ram eco-diesel truck.
In the past, “eco” cars and, especially, electric vehicles have been, in a word, ugly. They offered little in the way of styling and comfort.
Over the past couple of years, most every new vehicle manufacturer has gone all in with the various alternative fueled options. They are becoming mainstream, but that only happened with government assistance that is still in place, with a $7,500 national rebate and $750 state rebate.
Rebates were a start, but infrastructure for recharging was still needed.
Limited range
One of the biggest drawbacks to mass demand has been the limited range on the electric cars. The Nissan Leaf and others have, before now, only been able to muster about 60 miles at best on a full charge.
But in the words of Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams," “If you build it, they will come.” The three West Coast states understood they needed to make it easier for those who chose to go electric, and they offered some help. Most notable was the West Coast Green Highway.
According to its website, the West Coast Green Highway is an initiative to promote the use of cleaner fuels. Its goal is to increase the market demand for high-efficiency, zero- and low-carbon-emitting vehicles.
The West Coast Green Highway is the 1,350 miles of Interstate 5 (I-5) stretching from the U.S. border with Canada through Washington, Oregon, and California to the U.S. border with Mexico. Designated a “Corridor of the Future” by the U.S. Department of Transportation, I-5 could soon become the nation’s cleanest, greenest, and smartest highway.
The drivers of hundreds of thousands of cars and trucks that travel on this freeway each day soon may choose from a menu of clean alternative fuel such as natural gas, biodiesel, ethanol, or hydrogen. This provides more flexibility for drivers so they don't get stranded.
Green Car of the Year
So what will folks be driving on the new Green Highway?
They could do worse than try out the winner of the Green Car of the Year, the Volkswagen Golf TDI. The clean diesel Golf combines the great fun that a car with a 2.0 liter, 16-valve generating 236 lb-ft of torque can provide along with 45 miles to the gallon on the highway. The TDI clearly proves that a fuel-efficient vehicle needn't be uninspiring to drive.
Hot on its heels, however, was its sister car, the VW E-Golf. The E-Golf is Volkswagen's first venture in the all-electric marketplace, and they did it in typical VW fashion. It generates a class-leading 199 lb-foot of torque while upping the bar with a range of up to 90 miles on a charge.
As fast as the newest entry comes out, a new competitor enters the marketplace; the Kia Soul EV, for example, just launched.
Fiat 500e Steals the Show
Interior Fiat 500e. Photo courtesy Fiat Motors
The cute little pumpkin-colored Fiat won out over the Golf for the top electric car award. The curb appeal and cute factor definitely helped it win, but it wasn’t limited to its outside look. Inside, the 500e is much roomier than one would expect. And it's really fun to drive.
A drive around the Laurelhurst area unearthed one that almost matched the test vehicle. The owner discussed how the aggressive lease deals and money savings on gas over his old car made the Fiat 500e virtually a free car to drive. His lease was just $199 per month for two years, and he used to spend that much on fuel annually driving to and from work.
That would be music to President Obama’s ears, as he has a stated goal of having 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015. Aggressive, leading manufacturers already have plans for a US cumulative production capacity of 1.2 million electric vehicles.
It almost seems like old technology now, but hybrids are still the most mainstream option for drivers who want to save money on fuel and improve mileage, but need more range than is offered by electric cars. The Toyota Prius is the industry's leader and now offers a plug-in hybrid. It combines the EV capability with a range of 11 EV mode with a hybrid gas engine that can get up to 50 mpg with a suggested retail price of under $30,000.
The winner of the best hybrid, however, went to its luxury cousin, Lexus. The Lexus CT200h was the top pick, propelled by its much sportier look and feel.
“With six hybrid vehicles in our Lexus lineup, the most of any luxury brand, we are naturally thrilled to be recognized with this honor from NWAPA,” said Michael Bevan, general manager, Lexus Western Area. “We appreciate that drivers in the Pacific Northwest want a compact luxury vehicle that is both fun to drive and highly efficient.
"The CT really delivers on all fronts.”
The final category was Green Luxury. It’s not an oxymoron, and the Mercedes-Benz Bluetec clean diesel was the clear choice. Mercedes has been offering the Bluetec for a number of years and has it down.
Event coordinator Bengt Halvorson said, “Luxury is synonymous with Mercedes-Benz, and the new four-cylinder Bluetec diesel model fully lives up to the longtime reputation of the manufacturer.”
All models entered in the event were eligible for the overall winner prize. For NWAPA, the definition of alternative fuel was anything other than petrol.
Brad Boyer is owner of Carcierge, a car concierge company providing expert assistance on anything car-related. He also co-hosts Test Miles on 101.1 FM KXL on Sundays, and is a founding member of the Northwest Auto Press Association. You can email him your car-related questions at [email protected].
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