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Backseat Driver: Driving slower can definitely save money.

Well, I experimented with driving slower this week and found I can definitely save money.

My 1999 Volvo has readouts that tell me my miles per gallon at any one moment and also for a preset trip. I found I could average 32 mpg at around 60 mph over the 30 mile trip from Jamestown to Providence compared with 27 mpg on a more normal, faster run.

(Even at 60 mph, I guess I was exceeding the speed limit. But that is the speed in the slow lane and cars drive were driving around me.

It reminds me of the time an officer pulled me over in a 25 mph zone. I make no defense for the speed I was going, but have you actually tried driving at 25 mph? It is remarkably slow!)

Getting back to my experiment, I should point out that I was driving most of the time on the highway. City driving in a heavy Volvo quickly brings the fuel economy down.

But all in all, there is no question that a lighter foot on the pedal will save money – and lives.
Meanwhile, as if to confirm that fuel economy is on all our minds, J.D. Power and Associates announced that “drivers of new cars were less satisfied with their vehicles this year for the first time in at least five years due mainly to rising fuel prices.”

It noted in its annual survey of vehicle owner satisfaction that part of the problem is that gas prices have risen dramatically over the last 12 months while fuel economy has basically stayed the same.

And the latest Auto Pulse Survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center shows more than 77 percent of consumers cited the government’s failure to implement an effective energy policy as a root cause for high gas prices.

It also found that nearly 80 percent of car shoppers intend to buy a vehicle with better fuel economy, with 80 percent considering a diesel, flex-fuel, or hybrid vehicle.

Indeed, 31 percent of new-car shoppers said fuel economy was the most important consideration. That is nearly double the share recorded in 2007.

And 54 percent said they would pay more for a more fuel-efficient vehicle while 74 percent are driving less due to fuel costs.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:54 PM to Fuel prices , Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Paul Bailey Chrysler-Dodge makes pitch for Speedcraft customers

No sooner did I blog the decision by Speedcraft to close its Chrysler-Dodge dealership, than Paul Bailey Chrysler-Dodge takes out an ad in the South County edition of The Providence Journal welcoming “the customers of the former Speedcraft Chrysler-Dodge.

“We invite you to bring your vehicles to our totally renovated facility in North Kingstown for service, maintenance and collision repairs,” the ad reads.

Actually, Speedcraft general manager Harry Garabedian said the Chrysler-Dodge service department will remain open to service customers.

Speedcraft may lose some customers, but it would probably not begrudge Bailey the business. Speedcraft, after all, has just made over its Volkswagen dealership and that is where its focus is now directed.

And with five new models coming out this year, including the exciting clean diesels Jettas, there is good reason to believe that VW sales will be up as the year progresses.
But what of Chrysler?

The company is crippled with almost no small cars at a time when they are what people want, and has been offering all sorts of promotions – including the famous $2.99 a gallon gasoline for 12,000 miles for three years – in face of awful sales declines and rumors of imminent bankruptcy.

So good luck to owner Maureen Bailey and general manager Larry Cronin, good folks we profiled back in February of last year. I fear they may need it.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:03 PM to Local dealerships | Permalink | Comments 0

GM leads way into downward spiral as auto anxiety soars

The Detroit auto industry appeared to be imploding Thursday, according to USA Today.

Shares of General Motors (GM) stock hadn't traded so cheaply since the 1950s. Ford Motor (F) stock was at a 52-week low. Privately held Chrysler doesn't trade but still felt compelled to deny a rumor that it will file for bankruptcy protection.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:53 AM to Auto industry , Chrysler , Ford , GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil reaches $142 on view dollar will keep falling

NEW YORK -- Oil futures climbed briefly to a new record above $142 a barrel Friday on expectations that the weakening dollar, a major factor in crude's stratospheric rise, will extend its decline and add to oil's appeal, according to the Associated Press.

Retail gas prices inched lower overnight, but are likely to resume their own trek into record territory now that oil futures have broken out of the trading range where they had been for nearly 3 weeks.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:51 AM to Crude oil market , Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Projo blogs upgrade set for Saturday

Saturday morning we plan to upgrade the active projo blogs to a new version of the Movable Type software. All blogs will remain available during this process. Afterwards you’ll see a new look and some new features, and we’ll welcome your comments about them.

Posted by Sheila Lennon  at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil jumps above $140 on OPEC, Libya comments

NEW YORK -- Oil futures shot above $140 Thursday after OPEC's president said crude prices could rise well above $150 a barrel this year and Libya said it may cut oil production, according to the Associated Press.

The advance raised the likelihood that gasoline prices would also extend their march higher, and that prices of goods and services throughout the economy would also keep rising.

Light, sweet crude crossed the $140 level minutes before the New York Mercantile Exchange closed Thursday, then retreated slightly to settle up $5.09 at a record $139.64. In after-hours electronic trading, prices rose as high as a record $140.39.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 5:15 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil jumps on OPEC, Libya comments

NEW YORK -- Oil futures shot up to nearly $139 a barrel Thursday after OPEC's president said oil prices could rise well above $150 a barrel this year and Libya said it may cut oil production, according to the Associated Press.

Light, sweet crude for August delivery rose as high as $138.95 a barrel shortly after the New York Mercantile Exchange opened before retreating some to trade up $3.59 at $138.14.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:48 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

High court: Stiffer penalties apply to breath-test refusals

Providence — The state Supreme Court today ruled that harsher penalties approved in 2006 do apply to motorists who refuse to take Breathalyzer tests, according to The Providence Journal's Edward Fitzpatrick.

In making the ruling, the high court rejected the argument that the new penalties were wiped out when Governor Carcieri signed a budget bill containing the law’s old language.

Justice Paul A. Suttell began the court’s 13-page opinion with a quote: “If you like laws and sausage, you should never watch either one being made.”

Suttell said, “Otto von Bismark’s laconic observation is apropos to this appeal in which we are asked to consider two legislative acts passed in the waning days of the 2005-2006 session of the General Assembly.”

Before the penalties changed, nearly 85 percent of motorists suspected of drunken driving in Rhode Island were refusing to submit to Breathalyzer tests, while the national average was 25 percent.

So in 2006, the General Assembly passed a law aimed at cracking down on those who refused to take the tests. For first offenses, the law doubled the minimum license suspension to six months, and it made subsequent offenses criminal rather than civil. For second offenses, the law provided penalties of up to six months in prison, fines of up to $1,000 and up to 100 hours of community service.

Governor Carcieri signed the bill on June 28, 2006. And two days later, he signed the annual budget bill, which added a $200 assessment for refusing a Breathalyzer test but did not include the stiffer penalties contained in the other legislation.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:46 PM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Speedcraft closes Chrysler-Dodge dealership, keeps service department

Speedcraft has closed the Chrysler-Dodge new car and truck dealership next to its Volkswagen shop on Old Tower Hill Road in Wakefield, according to General Manager Harry Garabedian.

But it is keeping the service department open and will continue to sell pre-owned vehicles out of the location, he said.

"We have closed the Chrysler-Dodge (new car) dealership, but will continue to service Chrysler-Dodge cars with our factory trained technicians," he said.

"We're still selling pre-owned (vehicles) and still servicing our customers," he said. "But we are no longer selling new Chrysler-Dodge (vehicles)."

Meanwhile, Speedcraft's Volkswagen dealership has just had an extensive makeover and Garabedian and owner Lisa Lichtenfels are bullish about the new products the German auto maker is bringing in this year.

As we recently reported in a profile of the dealership, VW could rack up strong sales with its new vehicles, especially with its clean diesel technology which is due with the new Jetta range of sedans and wagons, starting in August.

However, Chrysler has been hard hit with the surge in gas prices, having only a limited number of small cars on its books. The company's sales have fallen nearly 20 percent so far this year compared with the first five months of 2007, including a drop of nearly 25 percent in May.

Garabedian declined to comment on Speedcraft's decision to shutter the Chrysler-Dodge dealership, but it is hard to believe that Chrysler's declining fortunes did not play a part.

Meanwhile, he said, Speedcraft is "always looking for other opportunities."

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 4:05 PM to Local dealerships | Permalink | Comments 0

Drivers slow down as costs accelerate

Some drivers across the nation apparently are cutting their speed slightly to squeeze more mileage out of $4-a-gallon gasoline, according to a USA Today review of preliminary state traffic data for the first five months of 2008.

Average speeds along some stretches of interstate highways were down in Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin and unchanged on others, electronic monitoring showed.

Of 20 states providing data on speeding citations issued by state troopers, the number of tickets was down in 13 states — Arkansas, California, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington — and up in seven — Alabama, Connecticut, Idaho, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina and Ohio.

The state agencies emphasized that the data are preliminary and apply only to roads patrolled by state police.

Transportation experts and some law enforcement professionals caution that it's too soon to establish a link between gas prices and driving speeds.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:51 PM to Gas prices , Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: What’s going on at Speedcraft in Wakefield?

We recently profiled the Speedcraft Chrysler-Dodge-Volkswagen dealership on Old Tower Hill Road in Wakefield and focused on the smart redesign of the VW shop which was just being completed.

Now it seems Speedcraft is closing its neighboring Chrysler-Dodge dealership, although the company declined to comment on the possible development.

But with just a few new Chrysler vehicles outside and the Chrysler-Dodge brand names removed from Speedcraft’s Web site, it would seem the small dealership is being shuttered. The dealership is still signed Chrysler-Dodge.

Indeed, the only Chrysler vehicles listed for sale on the Web site are in the pre-owned category, although there do seem to be a bunch of new Dodge Nitros parked round the back.

Speedcraft, which is owned by Roderick and Lisa Lichtenfels, acquired the Fred W. Smith Chrysler-Dodge dealership, which had a long history in South County, along with its 30 or so employees in December 2005. The plan called for operating both dealerships alongside each other.

But both Chrysler and Volkswagen have been navigating declining sales.

With some exciting models coming out this year, VW could be on the verge of a comeback, especially with its clean diesel technology which is due with the new Jetta range of sedans and wagons, starting in August.

Chrysler, on the other hand, has been hit in the chops with the surge in gas prices, having only a limited number of small cars on its books. The Dodge Caliber may be holding its own, but even the PT Cruiser is not selling well, with sales down nearly 40 percent in the first five months of this year compared to last year, according to the latest edition of Automotive News.

Indeed, as I reported in last week’s blog, Chrysler has seen overall sales drop nearly 20 percent so far this year compared with the first five months of 2007, including a drop of nearly 25 percent in May.

As a result, it has made a number of moves to push sales, including the grand offer of guaranteeing $2.99 a gallon gasoline for 12,000 miles a year over three years for each new vehicle, and a decision to follow General Motors and sell certified used Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles on eBay.

The company also announced it plans to undercut GM in the pricing of its hybrid SUVs – the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango – but does anyone want such oxymorons anymore?

As for closing dealerships, all three Detroit manufacturers have been moving toward cutting costs and increasing profits by closing small shops and bringing all corporate brands under one roof in the remaining ones.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:55 PM to Chrysler , Local dealerships | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Prices Rise After Saudi Meeting

JIDDA, Saudi Arabia — A hastily convened global energy summit meeting led by Saudi Arabia ended largely in disagreement on Sunday, with only a modest pledge of increased production by the Saudis and no resolution on what other practical steps should be taken to ease the crisis over soaring oil prices, according to The New York Times.

On Monday, the global oil market shrugged off the news, pushing up prices and oil was up $1.59, to $136.95 a barrel in New York.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 4:44 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

McCain proposes $300M prize for advanced auto battery

PHOENIX — John McCain hopes to solve the country's energy crisis with cold hard cash, according to the Associated Press.

The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting is proposing a $300 million government prize to whomever can develop an automobile battery that far surpasses existing technology.

The bounty would equate to $1 for every man, woman and child in the country, "a small price to pay for helping to break the back of our oil dependency," McCain said in remarks prepared for delivery Monday at Fresno State University in California.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:32 AM to Alternative fuels | Permalink | Comments 0

Tasca out early in tragic racing weekend at Englishtown, NJ

NHRA funny car driver Scott Kalitta died after his car explodes an engine during qualifying for the Super Nationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ.

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – On a day when winning is usually the only thing on the minds of teams and drivers in the NHRA, race day in Englishtown today was different, according to Bob Tasca III's publicist Alexis Kinch.

NHRA funny car driver Scott Kalitta in January.

Scott Kalitta died Saturday when his Funny Car burst into flames and crashed at the end of the track during the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, according to The Washington Post.

The NHRA said the 46-year-old Kalitta _ the 1994 and 1995 Top Fuel season champion who had 18 career victories, 17 in Top Fuel and one in Funny Car _ was taken to the Old Bridge division of Raritan Bay Medical Center, where he died a short time later.

Kalitta's Toyota Solara was traveling at about 300 mph when it burst into flames.

“It’s hard to be happy about racing when you’re sad,” said Tasca. “Not being out here as long as some of the other guys, I wasn’t fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with Scott. But, during the time that I did spend with him, he was always a gentleman. I’m just brokenhearted for him and his whole family. The unthinkable and the unspeakable happened yesterday. It’s just a very bad day in the NHRA world.”

Tasca competed at his hometown track for the first time in his professional career on Sunday. Tasca lost to point’s leader, Tim Wilkerson, in the first round of the NHRA Supernationals, but was able to hold on to his 10th position in the championship.

“We had a tune-up in the car to run a high 4.90,” said Tasca. “It probably would have run that, but I shut it off when I saw Tim go through the lights. That’s why our time was down a little bit.

“We qualified eighth, but we ran against the No. 1 guy in the points. That’s just the way the draw was. He’s No. 1 for a reason. Tim Wilkerson has run really, really well this season and you’ve got to give his team a lot of credit. They made an amazing run in the heat yesterday, which probably gave them some great data for today. Now, we just pick up and move on down the road, but it’s been a tough, tough weekend.”

The Motorcraft/Quick Lane/Custom Accessories Shelby Mustang team will leave right from Englishtown and head to Norwalk, Ohio for the 2nd annual NHRA Nationals June 26-29. The race marks the halfway point of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:59 AM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

R.I. gas prices drop for first time since March

Gasoline prices in Rhode Island have dropped by one cent this week, according to AAA Southern New England and reported by projo.com.

It's not much, but it follows 12 straight weeks of price increases, for a total of 93 cents, according to AAA.

AAA’s survey of prices found self-serve, regular unleaded averaging $4.099 per gallon in Rhode Island.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:10 AM to Fuel prices | Permalink | Comments 0