Mercedes-Benz: Same as BMW. More power, size, luxury and glamour but nothing new on the green side. With all their expertise, they should do better. They are also very recyclable cars. Grade: D
Toyota: They make the most efficient hybrid cars, their explanations are clear, and they even had a see through car to make it even easier to understand. The are the leaders of the green generation. My only criticism is that they build more and more large trucks. Grade: A-
Lexus: Finally, a luxury division that makes a hybrid SUV. A hybrid car is coming soon as well. Grade: A-
Hyundai and Kia: The two sister companies have nothing new to offer on the green technology side but they make vehicles that are fuel efficient and they haven't fallen for the race for power. Grade: B
Mini: The not so mini Minis are modern cars with reasonable fuel consumption. No new green technology. Grade: B
Smart: A very small and fuel-efficient car that emits very few greenhouse gas emissions and pollutes moderately. It emphasizes the fact that some of us don't necessarily need such big vehicles. Grade: B
Saab: They have two new models; a bigger one and a smaller one. These cars are built to be safe and are relatively clean. They are also very recyclable and their fuel consumption is reasonable. No new green technology. Grade: C
Saturn: All their models are fuel-efficient; their emissions are reasonable and they even have a green factory. No new green technology. There might be a hybrid Vue on the horizon. Grade: B-
Subaru: This brand has a purpose; all-wheel drive. It does it well and should be an answer to all those who say they want the safety of such a technology. Plus, the fact that they have a lower center of gravity makes it better than most SUVs. A very good alternative for most Sport Useless Vehicles. They have no new green technology.
Grade: B-
The high end luxury brands
Now, let's talk about brands like Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Bentley, etc.
It seems that those who can afford the ridiculous amount of gas that these vehicles need (some of them drink just as much as a big SUV) to carry even less people have the automatic permission to pollute and emit more greenhouse gases.
Does it mean that the richer we get, the less responsible we can be? It certainly seems to be the case. When people say that these folks live on another planet, they apparently think that it's the case.
As for the Hummer, for some strange reason their fuel consumption was not indicated at the show. I wonder why... Nevertheless, a friend corrected that little mistake. He wrote it on a piece of paper a slid it under the glass...
Collective grade: G! ( I know, I know...)
The other aspects of the show
First, let's talk about the green section. This section, reserved to green technology was a first. I think that the mix of vehicles, conferences, specialists and cars was a good start. It deserves an A. The cars themselves, being nothing special since we already know them or are not available deserve a C. And for the location of this section, I would give the organizers a D.
Toyota: They make the most efficient hybrid cars, their explanations are clear, and they even had a see through car to make it even easier to understand. The are the leaders of the green generation. My only criticism is that they build more and more large trucks. Grade: A-
Lexus: Finally, a luxury division that makes a hybrid SUV. A hybrid car is coming soon as well. Grade: A-
Hyundai and Kia: The two sister companies have nothing new to offer on the green technology side but they make vehicles that are fuel efficient and they haven't fallen for the race for power. Grade: B
Mini: The not so mini Minis are modern cars with reasonable fuel consumption. No new green technology. Grade: B
Smart: A very small and fuel-efficient car that emits very few greenhouse gas emissions and pollutes moderately. It emphasizes the fact that some of us don't necessarily need such big vehicles. Grade: B
Saab: They have two new models; a bigger one and a smaller one. These cars are built to be safe and are relatively clean. They are also very recyclable and their fuel consumption is reasonable. No new green technology. Grade: C
Saturn: All their models are fuel-efficient; their emissions are reasonable and they even have a green factory. No new green technology. There might be a hybrid Vue on the horizon. Grade: B-
Subaru: This brand has a purpose; all-wheel drive. It does it well and should be an answer to all those who say they want the safety of such a technology. Plus, the fact that they have a lower center of gravity makes it better than most SUVs. A very good alternative for most Sport Useless Vehicles. They have no new green technology.
Grade: B-
The high end luxury brands
Now, let's talk about brands like Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Bentley, etc.
It seems that those who can afford the ridiculous amount of gas that these vehicles need (some of them drink just as much as a big SUV) to carry even less people have the automatic permission to pollute and emit more greenhouse gases.
Does it mean that the richer we get, the less responsible we can be? It certainly seems to be the case. When people say that these folks live on another planet, they apparently think that it's the case.
As for the Hummer, for some strange reason their fuel consumption was not indicated at the show. I wonder why... Nevertheless, a friend corrected that little mistake. He wrote it on a piece of paper a slid it under the glass...
Collective grade: G! ( I know, I know...)
The other aspects of the show
First, let's talk about the green section. This section, reserved to green technology was a first. I think that the mix of vehicles, conferences, specialists and cars was a good start. It deserves an A. The cars themselves, being nothing special since we already know them or are not available deserve a C. And for the location of this section, I would give the organizers a D.