Driving update for January 2018: Pearl plus hybrid and electric cars at NAIAS

I noted that "Pearl turned over 37,000 miles on Wednesday, November 15" in November 2017 driving update for Pearl plus Tesla Truck and Chevy Bolt news.  She just turned over 38,000 miles on Thursday, January 25, so it's time for a driving update.

From November 15, 2017 to January 25, 2018 is 71 days, which translates into 14.08 miles per day and 429.58 miles per standard month.  That's much less than the exactly 20 miles per day and 610 miles per month.  It's also less than the 16.95 miles per day and 516.95 miles per standard month I drove Pearl between November 2016 and January 2017, the comparable period last year.  In terms of reducing my driving both month over month and year over year, one of the actions in the sustainability dozen, that's good, but I need to examine the reasons for both.

The month-over-month reason is simple; I didn't drive to work for nearly a month.  The year-over-year comparison is more complex.  First, I did not drive to the airport and back as part of a trip to see my mom, sisters, niece, and nephew.  In addition to being diagnosed as a Type I diabetic, I found out I had a deep-vein thrombosis in my calf, which I probably got from flying and precluded my flying until it cleared up.  Second, I drove Snow Bear for a week while my car was snowed in.   Third, I dropped the biweekly meeting I had been attending for the past two years.  Only the last reason is a lasting one; I'd prefer not to repeat the first two as I would rather have been able to see my family and driving the other car only transfers mile to it, so the overall impact is the same or worse, as Snow Bear is less fuel-efficient than Pearl.

The other year-over-year comparison involves how long it took for Pearl to drive 7,000 miles this year versus last year at this time.  It took 384 days from the January 2017 update to today's update to drive 7,000 miles.  This translates to 18.23 miles per day or 6653.65 miles per normal year or 6671.88 miles per leap year (which last year was).  That's closer to the goal of driving 6,500 miles per year that I set for myself in September than the usual almost exactly 7,000 miles per year that I noted first in June and then July 2017.  I failed to reach that in November 2017, but at least I can say that I got close enough now.  Let's see if that trend continues at the next update, which I expect to happen in March.

Since June 2017, I've concluded Pearl's updates with news about Elon Musk and Tesla.  In addition, I usually post about the North American International Auto Show, although I skipped last year.  Follow over the jump as I combine the two with reports from Roadshow on YouTube.

Chevrolet Bolt wins Green Car of the Year

I wrote a lot about the Chevrolet Volt during the first three years of this blog, including defending it against Newt Gingrich.  Now it's time to write about its little sister, the Bolt, which was just named Green Car of the Year.  Take it away, Detroit Free Press!

LOS ANGELES — General Motors'   long-range 2017 Chevrolet Bolt electric car was named Green Car of the Year Thursday at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Bolt's 238-mile range on a fully charged battery approaches that of a Tesla. Yet the Bolt, in many cases, is about half the price. It will be priced at $37,495 and is due to go on sale by the end of the year. After tax incentives, Bolt prices will start just under $30,000 out the door.

“There’s been a lot of talk about building an affordable electric car with a 200-mile range that brings electric vehicles to the mainstream, but only one manufacturer has done that, and it’s us,” Chevrolet marketing manager Steve Majoros said.

It's the fourth triumph of the week for the audacious Chevy, which aims to steal the mantle of electric vehicle leadership from Tesla. The Bolt won Motor Trend magazine's car of the year award Monday, was named a finalist for North American Car of the Year Tuesday and made Car and Driver magazine's coveted 10 Best list Wednesday.

Agence France Presse shows the car and the reaction of the GM executives to winning the award in Chevrolet Bolt EV wins 'Green Car of the Year' award.

The Chevrolet Bolt EV wins the 2016 Green Car of the Year award in Los Angeles, beating out the BMW 330e iPerformance, the Chrysler Pacifica, the Kia Optima and the Toyota Prius Prime.

Congratulations!

CNNMoney has more about the car itself in Taking the Chevy Bolt out for a spin.

Chevrolet's newest all-electric vehicle is estimated to have a larger range than the similarly-priced Tesla. But will the cars be a hit with consumers?

The answer to the question is "I hope so."  In the meantime, I wish GM and the Bolt design team good luck with the judges for North American Car of the Year.

President Obama visits NAIAS and talks about Flint water crisis

While I've been busy with entertainment news, there are two stories that I've been ignoring, the North American International Auto Show and the Flint water crisis.  In the case of the former, which I'm usually all over every year, the awards shows proved to be shinier objects.  In the case of the latter, I've been watching the story, but just couldn't find much to say until it got national attention, much like the Courser-Gamrat scandal. Yesterday, something happened to finally direct my attention to both: President Obama visited Detroit.

President Barack Obama was in Detroit today to visit the auto show.

PBS has more: Obama tours auto show, pledges help for Flint’s water crisis.

DETROIT — President Barack Obama hailed the revival of the nation’s auto industry on Wednesday while acknowledging the water crisis in nearby Flint, Michigan, saying the detection of high levels of lead serve as a reminder that the government can’t shortchange basic services.

Speaking to auto workers after taking in the North American International Auto Show, Obama said he would be beside himself if his children’s health were put at risk. He said he met with Flint’s mayor the day before and promised federal help.

“I told her we are going to have her back and all the people of Flint’s back as they work their way through this terrible tragedy,” he said.
...
Obama spoke at the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, the national headquarters of the joint relationship between the United Auto Workers and General Motors. His visit took place as longstanding problems with the drinking water in Flint have begun to capture the nation’s attention.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder asked Obama on Wednesday to reconsider his denial of a federal disaster declaration to address the drinking water crisis, saying its severity poses an “imminent and long-term threat” to residents. Obama declared an emergency — qualifying the city for $5 million — but determined that it is not a disaster based on the legal requirement that such additional relief is intended for natural events, fires, floods or explosions.

In his appeal letter, Snyder called it a “narrow reading” and likened the crisis to a flood, “given that qualities within the water, over a long term, flood and damaged the city’s infrastructure in ways that were not immediately or easily detectable.” He also said the state and city cannot meet all the needs of Flint residents. He again painted a bleak picture of the city and said the “economic injury” from the crisis is significant.

I could see the beginnings of the Flint water crisis in Detroit Regional Water Authority talks in the news, when I wrote about Detroit's contracts with Flint and Genesee County expiring in 2014 so they would stop using Detroit water.  I thought it was premature for Flint to leave the system then, as the new system wouldn't be finshed, but I had no idea the results would be so disastrous.  Sometimes, I'm not pessimistic enough!

Last day of 2015 NAIAS

3D printed car at NAIAS wasn't enough of a post-mortem on the Auto Show.  My students who went to the final day also remarked about how crowded it was.  It turns out it wasn't just them, as WXYZ reported Last day of NAIAS 2015 draws big crowds.

More than 100,000 people attended the final day of the auto show.

Also, more than 800,000 people attended the entire event, the most in at least a dozen years.  I'm glad it was a success, even if this year's show highlighted a lot more gas guzzlers and and fewer energy efficient cars.  My students managed to have a fun and educational time anyway.

3D printed car at NAIAS

I recommended that my students go to NAIAS as a field trip for extra credit and several of them took me up on the suggestion.  The one exhibit that they all remarked about was the 3D printed car that was being manufactured on the floor of the show.   Here is a video report from last September when the auto made its debut in Chicago: Fully Functional 3D Printed Car Made in 44 Hours - The Know.

The Strati, a fully functional 3D printed car, is being printed, built, and driven by this Saturday.

The demonstration was a success, as GeoBeats by way of Gadgetsbuzz reported in World's First 3D Printed Car.

Local Motors recently created a 3D printed car called Strati. The vehicle was made during the six-day long International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago.

That was what happened in Chicago last September.  For what happened last week in Detroit that got my students so excited, I refer my readers to The Verge: Local Motors just 3D-printed a car live at an auto show.

Local Motors is building the Strati right on the floor of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit with printing and routing equipment that it brought in just for the occasion. The machines, encapsulated in glass for safety's sake, don't take much more room than a very small apartment (or a very big closet, depending on how you look at it).

The car could be ready for sale to customers as early as later this year.  We live in Science-Fiction Times, or as my friend Nebris puts it, SciFi is Now.

NAIAS opens to the media

One of my traditions at this blog is to cover the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).  That's a habit I want to continue.  Fortunately, WXYZ has made it easy for me to do so.

Economic impact of the Auto Show in Detroit explains the larger picture of the event.



One of the announcements that segment mentioned was that of the 015 North American Car & Truck of the Year announced.



WXYZ has a lot more coverage of NAIAS. Stay tuned.

NYTimes and Reuters on NAIAS

WXYZ has posted several videos a day since the two I included in Preparations for NAIAS 2014 have begun and I found the NAIAS Detroit channel, so if I wanted to post entries using nothing but local officially sourced videos, I could.  However, I like to get an outside perspective and I got two yesterday from major news outlets, the New York Times and Reuters.  First, the N.Y. Times, which concentrated on the changes to the U.S. auto industry using the auto show as a backdrop and excuse in Big Changes for the Big 3 - Detroit Auto Show 2014.

The Detroit auto show is ready to shine a light on developments for American automakers. As General Motors shed government ownership and Ford gambled on a redesign, Chrysler took on an Italian accent.

Reuters took a more conventional look at the show itself in Big, sexy power Detroit Auto show.

American auto companies are choosing brawn over brains at the 25th Detroit Auto Show with a Chevy Corvette and Silverado truck grabbing top honors as U.S. auto sales head into a five-year recovery. Conway G. Gittens reports.

A third major outside news source, CNN Money, is also covering NAIAS, but they're doing reports more like WXYZ's, so I'll use them for a change of pace, much like I used Detroit News during Dream Cruise last year.  WOOD-TV is also covering NAIAS, and I'll include their videos to show their perspective on the event.  Looks like I'm not going to run out of things to blog about any time soon.

Preparations for NAIAS 2014 have begun

In this morning's Final night of 2013 Dream Cruise from WXYZ, I noted that "WXYZ is already posting videos about the preparation for this year's NAIAS, so my entries on the event should begin very soon."  How soon?  How about less than 12 hours later?

First, Julie Banovic is reporting on the physical preparations outside Cobo Hall in Preparing for the North American International Auto Show.


I remember that 1999 blizzard.  I was teaching in Detroit Public Schools at the time, and it took the city all week for the streets to be plowed enough that students could get to class.  It didn't inspire any confidence in the city's ability to provide basic services.

Next, Julie describes the PR preparations for reporters and other visitors in D:hive to provide an insider's view of Detroit for journalists visiting for 2014 auto show.

Jeanette Pierce of D:hive shows us some of the stops on her organization's tour of Detroit. D:hive is offering tours of the city for visiting journalists who want to better understand the city during their coverage of the 2014 North American International Auto Show.

I enjoyed the tour of restaurants and shops.  All of them look like fun.  Also, I liked Price's comment about Detroit, that it's big enough to matter in the world, but small enough that an individual can matter in it.  I think that's one of the reasons I've become attached to the place, problems and all.

Education Day and eco-diesels at NAIAS

I've been accepting reports on visits to NAIAS as extra credit for years now.  It looks like I'm not the only one who thinks of the auto show as an educational opportunity.  Others do, too.  WXYZ has a report on "Education Day" at the North American International Auto Show.


I'm not trying to encourage my students to be designers or engineers. Instead, my interests are in getting students to examine the cars for innovation and efficiency in using energy.  In particular, I want them to look at the electric, hybrid, and high-mileage cars, whether they burn gasoline or another fuel.

I'm not alone in emphasizing that aspect of the show.  Researchers at the University of Michigan do, too.  Here's a video from the University of Michigan pointing out that diesels are picking up speed at the auto show in Detroit.

Bruce Belzowski of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute explains the appeal of diesel engines at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

My wife has owned a number of German cars over the years and wants to buy another when I inherit her current vehicle.  I wonder if she'll consider a diesel based on this information.  Stay tuned.

Transportation Secretary LaHood to deliver good news (and money) for light rail

The last time I wrote about the prospects for light rail, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was making encouraging noises at the 2012 NAIAS.  This year, he's coming back with more than encouragement.  Here's what crossed my feed last week.

WXYZ on YouTube: Transportation Secretary LaHood to visit Detroit


The Detroit Free Press had more speculation in Woodward light-rail project will receive $25 million in federal funding.

Here is what showed up tonight.

WXYZ on YouTube: Funding expecting for M-1 rail system


That's a pretty complete report, but if you want something you can read, the Free Press has a three paragraph blurb with the headline U.S. transit chief Ray LaHood in Detroit Friday to make light rail announcement.

The announcement is probably the most anticipated transit news of the year so far.  I hope it lives up to the hype.

James Bond's car at NAIAS

I called the previous post When fandoms collide at the auto show.  There, it was cars, comic books, and acrobatics, although only two at a time.  Now I've found more examples where my fandoms overlap--James Bond, first with cars and then with music.  In tonight's installment, here's James Bond, or at least his most iconic car, at the auto show.


This video illustrates what I meant when I described James Bond as science fiction.  In this case, the Aston Martin from Goldfinger celebrated the latest technology (or what could be imagined as possible with technology at the time).  As the spokesman from Covisint explains, it was the first example of a "connected vehicle", a car using radar and radio to track position and "stay in contact with the home office"--all back in the mid 1960s.  Thanks, Covisint and WXYZ, for making my point for me.

I have more on James Bond, or at least his latest cinema chanteuse Adele, along with other songs from films on topic for this blog, in a future entry.  Stay tuned.

When fandoms collide at the auto show

I concluded Finally, the last night of 2012 Dream Cruise by looking forward to the next major automotive event here in Detroit.

That takes care of last year's Dream Cruise, just in time for the 2013 North American International Auto Show to start.  Watch for coverage of that event to start next week.

NAIAS began yesterday, so there is already a lot of news and video clips, which means I'm behind on covering it.  I should post clips and items in chronological order.  Instead, I'm starting with three clips from WXYZ that caught my eye today on my YouTube feed.  All of them illustrate the idea of "when fandoms collide."

First, WXYZ interviewed Duo de Luna, a pair of trapeze artists who are at NAIAS to promote VIA Motors, which makes electric cars.


Then, as promised, WXYZ showed their performance.


And yes, he actually said "electify the crowd"--appropriate for entertainers there to attract attention to electric vehicles.

What car company's name rhymes with Via?  Kia!  The manufacturers of my car found another way to attract attention.  The Korean car company licensed DC Comics' characters to brand some of its concept cars.


Batman and Green Lantern might consider themselves a step up from a bunch of hip-hop hamsters.


Then again, the superheroes might be wrong about that.

Finally, the last night of 2012 Dream Cruise

In the previous installment of my coverage of the 2012 Dream Cruise, I made a promise in a programming note.

The next post about Dream Cruise, if not the next post period, will be Saturday evening's coverage by WXYZ. Stay tuned.

It only took me five months, but here it is, thanks to WXYZ posting a series of videos on their YouTube channel that highlighted what they considered to be the big stories of 2012.  Enjoy the cars, the music, the dancing girls, and the nostalgia for a bygone era, along with saying farewell to two of my favorite WXYZ personalities, Mary Conway and Diana Lewis, and some serious auto reporting scattered amidst the fluff.

2012 Woodward Dream Cruise


That takes care of last year's Dream Cruise, just in time for the 2013 North American International Auto Show to start.  Watch for coverage of that event to start next week.

More politicians visit NAIAS plus a cameo by Bill Ford, Jr.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Governor Rick Snyder weren't the only politicians to show up during the Press Preview at the auto show. The same day Governor Snyder showed up, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Commerce Secretary John Bryson, and, of course, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing all toured the show. In the category of "one of these things is not like the others," Ford Chairman Bill Ford, Jr., was also interviewed making important points about how changes in the auto industry have managed to diversify the economy. Energy storage (advanced batteries for electric cars) was not a major factor in Michigan and the U.S. 10 years ago. It is now.

WXYZ has the report.



As the saying goes, success has a hundred fathers, while failure is an orphan. Looking at how many important people want to be associated with the auto show, both the event and by extension the automotive industry look to be successes. Based on the good automotive news that began 2012, I can't say that I blame them.

Governor Snyder interviewed at NAIAS

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was not the only important political figure to visit the auto show. Governor Rick Snyder also attended and was interviewed by WXYZ-TV.

Governor Rick Snyder speaks with Action News Anchor Stephen Clark at the North American International Auto Show.

Snyder talks a good game, but if he's so interested in doing what is good for business, including attracting the best talent, then why did he sign a bill that discriminated against LGBT partners of public-sector worker, which resulted in his getting sued? Not everything that the "pro-business party" does is good for business.

On another note, he sounds like he wants to cooperate with Mayor Bing regarding Detroit's financial situation, although he's being coy about something he should be claiming as a great success, the unexpected surplus in the state's budget. It's almost as if he's not happy about losing an excuse for austerity.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visits NAIAS

From WXYZ-TV on YouTube comes this auspicious beginning to the North American International Auto Show.

Anchor Vic Faust speak[s] with United States Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at the auto show in Detroit.

Not only is Secretary LaHood talking about the auto industry and the show itself, but also about the revival of light rail in Detroit. He sounds cautiously optimistic while he praises Mayor Bing and Governor Snyder. I hope he's right.

Good automotive news to begin 2012

The local news about cars will be dominated for the next two weeks by the North American International Auto Show, which begins today with the Press Preview, but other things worth paying attention to happened this past week. To view and hear them before they get buried in all the auto show coverage, click "Read more."

WXYZ begins its North American International Auto Show coverage

While the automotive highlight of the year for amateurs is probably the Woodward Dream Cruise, the automotive event of the year for professionals is the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which also serves as the kickoff of the year for car enthusiasts of all kinds here. It's such a big event that hotels and motels are booked up for miles around, as I found out back in 2000 when I tried to book a room in Livonia--but that's a story for another post.

Like the Dream Cruise, the NAIAS attracts a lot of local coverage, in particular from WXYZ-TV. The station has already begun. Here are the clips from yesterday.




NAIAS To Exhibit Technology For People With Disabilities

Inclusiveness is something that is good for people and for profit.





Urban Wheel awards to kick off Auto Show

John Quinones should bring his 57 Chevy from San Antonio to the Dream Cruise. He and his car would be a big hit and he'd probably love the event.





Auto show behind the scenes

I'm glad to post such good news about a Detroit event that is so important for the local economy.

Expect a lot more coverage of this event between now and the 20th.