I'm About to Go Further with Ford

Today I am heading out to Dearborn, Michigan to spend some more time with Ford! The last time I was there was back in January for the 2012 North American International Auto Show where Ford debuted the 2013 Ford Fusion. In addition to seeing all of the awesome electric and hybrid cars, I was able to learn about Ford's sustainability initiatives.  This time around I will be there for Ford's "Go Further" Trend Conference.

During this conference, we will explore global consumer trends, what's in store for the future and test drive Ford's latest vehicles. I get to get behind the wheel of a Ford and I can't wait! I am also really looking forward to the "Eco Psychology" trend session. Not only will be discussing green trends, but one of the keynote speakers is Adrian Grenier, whom you probably know from the hit HBO series "Entourage."

So for the next 3 days I will be live tweeting, Facebook-ing and Instagram-ing from the event (What? Those are real words!) If you want to check in on what's going on, be sure to follow me!

Twitter: @GreenMamasPad
Facebook: facebook.com/greenmamaspad
Instagram: @GreenMamasPad

Take a Look at the 100% Electric Mitsubishi i, plus a $100 Whole Foods Gift Card #Giveaway!

I truly love seeing automobile manufactures putting a bigger focus on green cars and alternative fuel. And even more I love learning all about them! Though there is yet to be an eco-freindly car that would accommodate my family of six with our four car seats, that doesn't stop me from checking them out. Ironically this past weekend my husband and I were talking about Mitsubishi cars and how I used to long for an Eclipse back in my early twenties. Then yesterday I learned about the 100% electric Mitsubishi i.

Obviously, the first thing that grabbed my attention about this car is that it is fully electric and gets a whopping 112 combined MPGe. That makes it the most efficient car in production! Here are some other very cool, and green, facts about the 2012 Mistubishi i (i-MiEV):

• EPA certified “real world” rating of 62 miles per charge driving range
• Has an 88 cell, 330V lithium-ion battery pack for a peak storage of 16 kWh
• Includes a convenient, portable charging cable that plugs into a standard 120V household outlet or you can upgrade to faster charging methods
• The braking system automatically reclaims the energy from deceleration and charges the battery

"The breakthrough Mitsubishi i is the most affordable 100% electric-powered mass-market production vehicle available in North America. Its starting MSRP IS $29,125 and the net MSRP* after federal tax credit is a very affordable $21,625 for the standard ES model and only $23,625 for the upgrade SE version, making the starting price for the all-new Mitsubishi i several thousand less than other mass produced electric vehicles available in the market."

Choosing to go with this compact electric vehicle doesn't mean you have to skimp on your safety. The Mitsubishi i has a six-airbag system that includes two advanced dual-stage supplemental front airbags, side-impact airbags (front), and roof-mounted curtain airbags (front and rear). Do you like cars that incorporate cool technology? One of my favorite tech aspects of this car is that it comes with a remote control that allows you to pre-heat or pre-cool your car. That is a feature everyone can appreciate, especially during the scorching summer months!

While I know color choices aren't all that important to many people, I just  have to point out one of  the awesome colors available for this car. Say hello to the Raspberry Mitsubishi i. Isn't she pretty?

If you want to take a closer look at the Mitsubishi i, find a dealer near you and schedule your test drive today!

Connect
Facebook: facebook.com/imitsubishi
Twitter: twitter.com/imitsubishi

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Whole Foods Giveaway!

Courtesy of Mitsubishi, one (1) lucky winner will receive a $100 Whole Foods Gift Card, a Flip & Tumble Reusable Bag and a Pure Balance Water Bottle. Giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on June 22, 2012 at 12:01 am EST. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

I will be receiving a Whole Foods gift card for myself in exchange for hosting this giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Giveaway is courtesy of Mitsubishi.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2013 Ford Fusion Shows That Cars Can Be Sustainable

In January, I had the pleasure to attend the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and get a first hand look at the all new 2013 Ford Fusion. I was thoroughly impressed that this vehicle is going to be available in three different eco engines: EcoBoost, Hybrid and Energi (plug-in hybrid). But that is not all that makes the new Fusion a more sustainable vehicle.

When talking about sustainability, one has to consider all the components that go into making a vehicle as well as the end result fuel efficiency. Ford continues to be an innovator in this area by using green solutions to reduce petroleum-based content. In the 2013 Ford Fusion they used materials like recycled cotton and recycled plastic and even soy.

"Building vehicles with great fuel economy is our highest priority in reducing impact on the environment.With every new product design, we also are charged with increasing the use of renewable and recyclable materials in our cars, utilities and trucks to reduce impact on the environment."  ~ Carrie Majeske, Ford product sustainability manager.

Here is a quick look at some of the sustainable materials Ford is using in the new Fusion:

Cotton - Post-industrial, recycled cotton is used as a sound-absorbing material. In every Fusion, the denim equivalent of slightly more than two pairs of average-sized American blue jeans helps to nullify unwanted road, wind and powertrain noise.

Plastic Bottles - Fusion’s North American cloth seat surfaces are made with 100% REPREVE yarn, which is a hybrid of post-industrial and post-consumer waste.  Cloth-seat models contain the equivalent of 38.9 recycled, clear 16-ounce plastic bottles.

Battery Casings - Every 2013 Fusion utilizes plastic made from recycled car battery casings that were otherwise destined for a landfill. This plastic may be found in fender splash shields and other underbody components. Annually, these applications on the Fusion utilize close to 2 million pounds of recycled plastic.

Soy - The foam used in seat cushions, seat backs and head restraints is a soy-based sustainable material, with the equivalent of approximately 31,250 soybeans. Ford uses soy foam on every vehicle built in North America which has reduced petroleum production by more than 5 million pounds and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 20 million pounds annually.

The 2013 Ford Fusion hits the North American market in the Fall of 2012. To learn more visit www.ford.com/cars/fusion/2013.

Ford Focus Electric Named America’s Most Fuel-Efficient Five-Passenger Vehicle

When I was with Ford at the North American International Auto Show back in January, I learned a lot about their green initiatives. How they are using sustainable materials in their car manufacturing and how they are becoming innovators in fuel efficiency. The entire experience was very informative. So it comes as no surprise to me that the 2012 Ford Focus Electric was just certified by the Environmental Protection Agency as America’s most fuel-efficient five-passenger vehicle.

The Focus Electric is very impressive with its 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) city rating and 99 MPGe highway rating. It also has been certified by the EPA to offer 105 MPGe combined, which beats the Nissan Leaf by 6 MPGe while offering more motor power and more standard features. The Focus Electric also has an advanced charging system that allows the car’s battery to fully recharge in four hours, which is nearly half the time of the Nissan Leaf.

“Ford is giving customers the power of choice for leading fuel economy regardless of what type of vehicle or powertrain technology they choose,” said Eric Kuehn, chief nameplate engineer, Focus Electric. “The Focus and Fusion are great examples of how we transformed our fleet of cars, utilities and trucks with leading fuel efficiency.”

I love to see automobile companies expanding their electric car manufacturing and giving the consumers a range of fuel efficient choices. Let's hope this trend continues and soon all the cars out there will be fuel efficient ones.

Check out the Focus Electric press release for more details.

So Many Eco Cars, So Little Time #FordNAIAS

In addition to checking out the new 2013 Ford Fusion at the North American International Auto Show last week in Detroit, I also spent some time walking around looking for other electric cars. There were actually a lot of them, which is a very good thing. Are car companies finally embracing the fact that alternative fuels are the future for the automobile? I certainly hope so. I wish I had more time to see them all and read more about their details. Unfortunately I never made it over to the Nissan Leaf, which I would have loved to see. Here is a quick peak at a few of the other eco cars I spotted.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is gas free and 100% electric. It is powered by an advanced high-voltage, lithium-ion battery system and boasts 100 MPGe. But the eco-friendly aspect of this car doesn't stop at the engine. Inside the Ford Focus Electric are cloth seats with fabric made with REPREVE® fiber, which is produced from 100% recycled materials. In fact one seat is made from 22 recycled plastic bottles. The foam in the seat cushions is derived from plant oils. Starting MSRP of $39,200.

The BMW i3 electric vehicle is a five door hatchback made from mostly aluminum and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic. This futuristic concept car has a liquid cooled lithium-ion battery and on a full charge can drive between 80 and 100 miles.

The Toyota Prius Hybrid is one of Toyota's top selling models in the United States. It is not surprising with its 51 MPG and affordable starting price of $23,520. In Spring 2012 look for the Prius Plug-In Hybrid model.

The Smart Car Electric Drive is a cute little eco car. This two passenger electric car also has a lithium-ion battery and has a range of about 63 miles. It can be charged in any home socket. Obviously not ideal for a large family like ours, but could be a good commuter car. If I had to drive to work every day again, I wouldn't mind using something like this instead of my minivan.

The Hyundai ix35 FCEV is really cool in that it is hydrogen powered. (FCEV = Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) I didn't even know that car manufacturers were making hydrogen powered vehicles so this was a fun find. The ix35 has a driving range of 360 miles and my favorite part is that the only emissions are water vapors. I would love to get behind the wheel of one of these for a test drive.

The 2013 C-Max Energi is yet another green car from Ford, who really impressed me with their range of alternative fuel cars at the show. This plug-in hybrid has a combined range of 500+ miles and in pure electric mode can reach a top speed of 47 mph.

The Honda Civic Natural Gas took me by surprise. How do they get a vehicle to run on natural gas? All I could envision was a propane tank sitting under the hood, which probably wouldn't be very safe. Though I do love my Honda Odyssey minivan, I'm not all that impressed with this vehicle. Switching from oil to natural gas really isn't all that eco in my opinion, and the Civic Natural Gas only gets 27 MPG city and 38 MPG highway. On the plus side, because natural gas is clean burning, this vehicle produces near zero emissions.

The all electric CODA won "Best Green Vehicle" at the San Diego Auto Show in December and certainly caught my attention in Detroit. While it doesn't have the flash and pizazz that some of the other green cars do, it is what it does that matters. The CODA features a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery, has a range of 150 miles and can reach a maximum speed of 85 MPH. This five passenger vehicle also has an interior fabric option made of recycled materials. Starts at $39,900.

The Chevrolet Volt starts at $31,645 and features a battery that allows you to drive 35 miles gas free. There is also an onboard gas generator that produces electricity so you can go up to 375 additional miles on a full tank of gas.

Toyota once again provides an affordable hybrid option with the 2012 Camry Hybrid. Starting at $25,900, this vehicle gets 43 MPG. This hybrid system consists of teams a four-cylinder engine, a high torque electric motor and nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Finally we have the Tata eMO. Tata Technologies is based in India and had a few green concept cars to show off. This electric vehicle has a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 65 MPH. While this is just a concept car, Tata says that it would start at $20,000.

So that was a quick tour of some of the green cars that I was able to see at NAIAS 2012. Some of these are already on the road or will hit the roads soon while other may never ever see the road. But they are all pretty cool in their own way and I hope that the auto industry continues to make huge strides with alternative fuel vehicles. I'd love to see some solar powered concept cars next year. And yes, someone please make a green minivan for me!

What do you think? Do any of these cars catch your eye or spark your interest?

I was not monetarily compensated for this post. Ford flew me to Detroit, housed me, fed me and showed me a bunch of cool stuff in hopes that I would share what I learned with my readers. I am under no obligation to post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Connecticut

As more and more electric cars start hitting the market and hopefully the roads, the need for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will grow. Though there are not that many registered electric cars here in Connecticut, as of December 2010 there were only 24, there are already some public charging stations available with many more planned. In 2009, former Governor Jodi instituted the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council and one of the council's goals is to get EV charging stations installed.

I am still not sure how I feel about electric cars since traditional electricity still uses oil. I would without a doubt be 100% for them and ecstatic if these stations were all solar powered. All of the existing ones in Connecticut are not, but let's hope that many of the new ones will be.

Here is a list of current EV charging stations located in Connecticut. I will update as new station open up.

Charging Levels:
Level I = 120V
Level II = 240V

Berlin
Northeast Utilities
107 Selden St
Level II / 2 stations
Limited public use, by appointment (860-665-5900)
Free

Darien
Whole Foods Market
150 Ledge Road
Level I / 2 stations
Public / Free
Open to customers during store hours

Hartford
Northeast Utilities
56 Prospect St
Level II / 2 stations
Limited public use, by appointment (860-728-4600)
Free

New Haven
Propark America Garage
260 Crown Street
Level I / 1 station
Pay to use parking facility, free charging

Norwalk
Maritime Garage
Level II / 2 stations
Public

South Norwalk Train Station
Level II / 2 stations
Public

Yankee Doodle Garage
Level II / 2 stations
Public

Plainville
GE
41 Woodford Ave
Level II / 3 stations