Lexus has launched a promotional campaign to garner attention and interest in the all-new 2010 Lexus HS 250h hybrid vehicle. Potential customers may post a profile and statement in order to garner votes on the DriveHS.com website. The top vote getter will receive a one-year lease on a HS 250h, a weekend resort vacation, and a gift package. The next top 100 vote getters will receive the gift package and an opportunity to drive a 2010 Lexus HS 250h for a week.

“There’s no other luxury car like the HS 250h hybrid and we know that people who get behind the wheel will be amazed by its innovation, luxury and sustainability,” said Dave Nordstrom, Lexus vice president of marketing. “This promotion is an opportunity to introduce people to the HS and it gets them excited about the possibility of driving it.” Source: PR Newswire

The contest closes on July 31 so the earlier you get your submission online, the better. Head on over to DriveHS.com for details.

Although we’ve been hearing about “green living” more and more over the last few years, it seems like with the recession, the whole sustainable living has been overshadowed by the current economic crisis to a degree. This however hasn’t stopped us here at the Green Motorist from publishing the latest green auto news, and apparently it hasn’t stopped the TV networks from pushing forward with TV shows focusing on green living as well.

Here are a few of our favorite green living shows.

1. Carbon Cops

Carbon Cops is a show on the Sundance channel (channel 332 on Dish Network ) that premiered in the spring to a very welcome reception. Basically the hosts of the show (Lish Fejer and Sean Fitzgerald) calculate a family’s carbon footprint and then the family has to figure out how they can cut their footprint in half using conventional and sometimes not so conventional methods. It’s sort of like a green version of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

2. Garbage Moguls

When I first heard about this show I expected it to be just another reality job show like Deadliest Catch or Ice Road Truckers but with garbage men. However I was surprised to find out the show is actually about a group of guys that create / develop useful products using everyone elses trash. That’s right, these guys take everything from candy wrappers to beer bottles and figure out how to make them into surprisingly useful inventions. You can catch Garbage Moguls on the National Geographic Channel (If you have Dish Network Satellite TV it’s channel 186.

3. Survivorman

Ok you may not think this show is exactly about “green living” but I actually disagree and would even argue that this is the best green living show out there. If you haven’t seen Survivorman yet, it’s about a guy who treks out into the wild and has to survive for a week using nothing but the few minor provisions he brings with him. What sets Survivorman apart from some of the other survival shows out there (*cough Man vs Wild *cough) is the fact that Les Stroud does all the camera work himself, which means he really is completely alone in the wilderness.

The show isn’t necessarily about just surviving but really about how to live off the land using just what you need, and I think this philosophy is in line with green living in general. You can watch Survivorman on the Discovery Channel, Dish Network Satellite TV channel 182.

Zipcar provides car-sharing services in cities across the United States and the United Kingdom. Additionally, the company operates on more than 100 university campuses across the nation. The company has recently announced plans to launch electric vehicle pods.

“While EVs are showing great promise, and increased manufacturing capacity is projected in the coming years, large-scale consumer adoption appears to be limited by two key concerns — the lack of widespread availability of charging stations and limited battery range. These two issues may curb the allure of EVs to the mainstream consumer audience for some time. However, with an average trip-duration of just under four hours and less than 25 miles, more than 95 percent of Zipcar trips would fall within the range of an EV, meaning EVs are ideally suited for early, large-scale use in Zipcar’s car sharing platform.” Source: PR Newswire

The EV pods will be using the Citroen c1 (a French vehicle) and a plug-in version of the popular Toyota Prius Hybrid. For more information, or to locate a Zipcar pod in your area, visit Zipcar.com.

Last summer about this time, gas was spiking at $5 gallon in some parts of the United States. I filled up this morning for $2.59/gallon. While this is a big improvement over the $4+/gallon I paid last summer, it is up by $1/gallon from what I paid just a few short months ago. Although June 2009 auto sales figures are down, it is interesting to see how hybrids vehicles fared as gas prices crept up.

The third generation Toyota Prius has a combined fuel efficiency of 50 mpg and a pretty snazzy advertising campaign to go with it. As a result, Prius sales were up 6.1% when compared to June 2008. Toyota sold nearly 13,000 Priuses in June 2009.

For comparison, the Honda Insight only sold 2,079 units in June 2009. Prior to the Insight’s launch, it was dubbed the Prius-killer because of its fuel-efficiency and sub-$20k price tag. The Insight has only been available for a few months so we can’t compare it to 2008 sales. However, this is down from the 2,780 Insights sold in May 2009 and the 2,096 units sold in April 2009.

The Honda Civic Hybrid sales were also down. In June 2009, American Honda only sold 1,583 Civic Hybrids. This represents a 43.9% decline from June 2008 and a ~23% decline over May 2009 sales.

Ford fared the best, overall, with only a 10.7% decline in total sales for June 2009. However, the company posted a new record for hybrid sales in the month of June with 3,649 hybrids sold. This represents a 91% increase over June 2008.

It’s that time again – monthly auto sales figures. I just looked over the table that Automotive News created from the company’s figures and I see a little bit of good news. Sales are down for most companies but the losses aren’t as drastic as we’ve seen in previous months.

Domestic Automakers

As always, I’ll start off with the Detroit 3. Unless you’ve been unplugged for a few months, you know that Chrysler and General Motors are dealing with bankruptcies while Ford is faring the best.

The trend continues as Ford’s June 2009 sales figures were only down by 10.7% when compared to June 2008. While this is still a double-digit decline, it is so close to a single digit drop that I smiled with excitement! Ford moved more than 154,000 vehicles in June 2009 compared to 173,000+ in June 2008.

Chrysler is beginning to emerge from bankruptcy and has begun to reopen idled plants. The company closed nearly 800 dealerships earlier in June and so they had fewer dealers available to sell cars for the majority of the month. The company reported a 41.9% decrease in sales over June 2008. Although this is a big drop, it is an improvement over the 46.9% decline seen in May 2009 and the 48.1% decline posted in April 2009.

General Motors, which is overburdened by significant legacy costs and stagnant brands, sold more than 174,000 vehicles in June 2009. This represents a 33.4% decline when compared to June 2008. This is up from the 29% decline seen in May 2009 and the company’s bankruptcy, and dealership closings, likely led to this jump.

Imports

In addition to the three major domestic automakers, I always look at the top three auto manufacturers from Japan – Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. American Honda’s sales were down 29.5% from June 2008; this is an increase from the 25.3% decline seen in May 2009.

Nissan’s sales were down by 23.1% and Toyota posted a 31.9% decrease in June 2009 auto sales. In April 2009, Toyota’s sales were down by 41.9% and in May 2009 the company sold 40.7% fewer vehicles. The drop to a 31.9% decrease is significant and the popularity of the all-new 50-MPG Toyota Prius may be partly responsible for the increase in sales.

Check back tomorrow for the June 2009 hybrid auto sales figures.

Photo by The Consumerist

Congress has pashed the controversial Cash for Clunkers bill. The program is being pegged as an Automotive Stimulus bill and to get dealers more involved in the program, a new website has been launched. The Cash for Clunkers Headquarters website was set up by the Automotive Consumer Council.

“To be certified by the www.CashForClunkersHeadquarters.com dealers must agree to match a minimum of $500 up to $4500 in additional discounts on top of the government funded vouchers on select models that meet program requirements. In addition, certified dealers agreed to offer a similar program for pre-owned vehicles, an area that was removed from the governments legislation. That means consumers have an opportunity to save up to $9500 off of a new vehicle and $4500 on a pre-owned vehicle while reducing their gas bill at the same time.” Source: PR Newswire

If cash-strapped dealers can muster the funds to join this program, consumers stand to save a big chunk of change on a more fuel-efficient vehicle.

Now on to the details of the bill:

Passenger Car or Minivan – The new vehicle must have a minimum of 22 mpg combined. If the new vehicle is an improvement of 4 mpg over the trade-in vehicle, the consumer is eligible for a $3,500 voucher. If the new vehicle is 10 mpg more efficient, the consumer is eligible for a $4,500 voucher.

Light-duty truck – The new vehicle must have a minimum of 18 mpg combined. If the new vehicle is at least 2 mpg more fuel efficient, the consumer will qualify for a $3,500 voucher. If the fuel efficiency is at least 5 mpg higher, a $4,500 voucher will be given.

The cash for clunkers bill also applies to large light-duty trucks and work trucks.

Photo by youngthousands

Although auto sales are down and dealerships across the United States are closing, MINI has just released the details about an expansion plan. An additional 17 MINI dealerships are planned over the next 18 months; this will bring the total number of American MINI dealerships to 100. Most of the new dealerships will be in new markets for the company.

This year marks the 50th Birthday of MINI. Speaking in New York City, MINI USA Vice President Jim McDowell said, “We are pleased to be in a position to dramatically increase our U.S. dealerships. I have often said that the world is becoming more MINI every day, and I believe that that sentiment is true, now more than ever, as consumer tastes shift decidedly to cars that offer tremendous value. Our cars are not only fuel efficient, and offer great value, but they also provide a fun and dynamic motoring experience and are packed with personality.” (Source: PR Newswire)

The first of the 17 dealerships will be opened in Birmingham, Alabama later this year. Other cities on the list are Pensacola, Florida; Alexandria, Virginia; Austin, Texas; Seattle, Washington; Fort Myers, Florida; El Paso, Texas; Ontario, California; Louisville, Kentucky; Raleigh, North Carolina; Knoxville, Tennessee; Loveland, Colorado; Madison, Wisconsin; Mount Laurel, New Jersey; Allentown, Pennsylvania; San Diego, California and Tempe, Arizona.

The MINI Cooper was one of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s Greenest Vehicles of 2009 and MINI Es are being tested in select markets in the United States.

KBB recently named its picks for the 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000. With the state of economy as it is, it is important for consumers to have a wide variety of inexpensive cars to choose from. Two of the more fuel-efficient models that made the KBB list are the 2009 Honda Fit and the 2009 Smart Fortwo.

2009 Honda Fit – The MSRP for the 2009 Honda Fit is $15,420. The four-door hatchback has a 27-mpg city rating and a 33-mpg highway rating. The Honda Fit also made KBB’s Top 10 Green Cars for 2009 list.

2009 smart fortwo – The two-seater smart fortwo has a $12,635 MSRP, 33-mpg city rating, and a 41-mpg highway rating. The smart fortwo made the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s list of the Greenest Vehicles of 2009 with a Green Score of 49.

Other cool cars under $18,000 include the 2009 Ford Focus, 2010 Kia Soul, 2010 Mazda MAZDA3, 2009 Nissan Cube, 2009 Scion xB, 2009 Subaru Impreza, 2009 Suzuki SX4, and the 2009 VW Rabbit.

Nitrogen gas has been touted as a great way to maintain tire pressure in passenger vehicles. The use of nitrogen gas is not without controversy, but it is becoming a popular alternative. In order to help offset the costs for installing nitrogen gas tire inflation systems, Pennsylvania is offering grants to companies in the state that sell tires.

“Automotive service providers who sell tires in Pennsylvania can apply to be reimbursed for a portion of their cost to purchase tire inflation systems that deliver at least 95 percent nitrogen according to manufacturer specifications. Eligible applicants with a 50 percent match of the total cost may request up to $5,000 for systems purchased and installed after July 1, 2008. A total of $100,000 is available for grants in each of the next three years.” Source: PR Newswire

For more information, visit the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection website.

Photo by david.nikonvscanon

Although this program may help the auto industry with new sales, environmentalists and other green motoring advocates are saying that rewarding consumers for buying a vehicle that gets a mere 22-mpg is a waste of money. I tend to fall on this side; 22 mpg is hardly fuel-efficient. Sure, it is better than a 15 mpg SUV but I think that the standards need to be set higher. There are a wide variety of vehicles that average 30+ mpg.

If the bill ultimately gets signed into law, the program will expire on 10/1/2010. I’m all for encouraging people to buy vehicles with a higher fuel efficiency, but I don’t think that 22-mpg should be worthy of a financial reward for the consumer.