A 2012 gas E300 MSRP is $48-%56K. The hybrid will be a wee bit more. At least the 1% will have good gas mileage. Maybe a C class will follow in a couple of years.

You know the people in the US I know, have been crying for high mileage diesels for years. From small pickups (Toyota, Nissan) to mid-sized cars. Other than VW where are they? I've been driving a Jetta TDI and averaging 40mpg since 2002. Running on bio-diesel for most of it. A few of us have been talking about diesel-hybrids for years. Where are they? Fuel consumption in this country could take a major hit right now with known tech without waiting for new battery tech or hydrogen. VW's new Diesel Hybrid Crossover concept claims 135 mpg. Volvo's likewise. Bring it on. Even stop and go tech diesels could blow gas ICE out of the water. Even with subtracting your 12% for gas equivelant. With new PM filters, Blue Tech for Nox and stop/go, bring it on. Now. Screw the Middle East and all other oil producing countries and our tendency to exploit the third world. Peace through diesel hybrid.

OMG but it's a diesel. Don't forget to subtract 12% mileage to be CO2 comparable to a gas version. LOL

Thank God we're not getting the diesel here in the US! I don't know what I'd do if I had to drive 900 to 1000 miles on a tank of fuel. But, of course I must subtract 12% of that to be comparable in CO2 output to a gas version.

"Needless to say, such a sane and rational response is not at all part of the thinking that goes on in between the ears of heads of state." Well, that's because they have their lobbyist money and large donor's money to consider and the votes of disbelieving constituents brought to you by bought and paid for media. And please no more quotes about "CRU and GS or Roy Spencer Phd. or hacked e-mails. I can look deeper than that on my own. If the Arctic is NOT losing ice, then how can Russia be using the Northeast Passage or how can we be zooming in on new opened drilling sites where there was once ice. I know, it's all a lie. They even have the satellite images of the Arctic Photoshopped.

Gee Reel$$, you should ask the oyster farmers here in Washington state about ""Excess CO2 is acidifying our oceans". They'd give you an earful. They can't grow oysters from "seed" spores due to acidic conditions eating them up before they can grow a thick enough shell to protect them. Here's a link to the Seattle Times article about it in 2009 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009336458_oysters14m.html Another from NOAH http://www.noaa.gov/features/01_economic/pacificoysters.html But hey, I know you're gonna believe what you wanna believe. Good luck with that.

EURO V regulates Co, NOX, Particulates, Total HC,Non-Methane HC. SOX is regulated under a different standard around industrial, shipping and power due to more emissions from that than transport. EURO VI will be tighter yet. I doubt anyone can emit the same volume of Co2 in a lifetime as that of an average car in a year. Nothing is harmless in over abundance. Not even peanut butter. What propaganda are you listening to EX?

"Engine availability for US versions will be announced at a future date." Code for "No diesels".

And jet fuel does nothing, right?

From the article: "The long atmospheric lifetimes of ozone-depleting chemicals already in the atmosphere mean that Antarctic ozone holes, and the possibility of future severe Arctic ozone loss, will continue for decades." Atmosheric Co2 takes what? 50 to 60 years to cycle thru? Ozone killing chemicals may be similar. When I see articles such as this, for some reason my thoughts go to China and the amount of goodies being pumped in the air over there and wonder if anyone has any real idea of what and how much.

Oh yeah. I listened to an NPR interview yesterday with Chris Bernius driving with one of the commentators doing the Hyper driving techniques. He commented on how mad the driver behind him was getting. IMO road rage incidences would quadruple if a number of people started driving this way. I know they would here in Seattle. Driving etiquette and rules of the road are non-existant as is.

My EPA estimated mileage on my dirty old diesel is 29 city 40 hiway with 33 combined. I actually get 43-45 hiway (depending on whether I drive 75 or 85) not sure about city but average 40-41 combined every tankful. (Miles driven/gallons pumped) Burned B99 for 5 years when it didn't cost $5. If I take 12% off the top it's still 37-40 mpg hiway. And its almost 10 years old. My point is where the hell are the vehicles that get better than this. And the new diesels will have particulate filters and NOX reduction systems. So gas hybrids should be doing much better than this by now IMO. BTW the diesel Smart car in Canada gets 70-75 hiway. Also, where are the diesel hybrids? (hopefully soon to show up) They will blow gas off the map. Check out the 2012 production Volvo V60 Plug-in Diesel Hybrid at 124 mpg. http://green.autoblog.com/2011/09/06/fully-charged-volvo-v60-diesel-plug-in-hybrid/ Peugeot, Mercedes and VW all have concept versions.

From the earlier post; "Kia Motors Corporation premiered the hybrid version of its new Optima sedan (earlier post) at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Created primarily with the US market in mind, the Kia-developed powertrain delivers an estimated combined cycle fuel economy is 38 mpg US (6.2 L/100km) (city 36.0 mpg, highway 40.0 mpg). " I get better than that with my 2002 VW Jetta Wagon with TDI Diesel engine. The article above is about Hypermiling. Nobody drives that way in everyday life. It would seem we should be pushing beyond the 40 mpg mark by now. I mean my wife's '81 Civic almost got those miles. Where are the diesel hybrids? Where are the 75 mpg vehicles?

Short term profit mentality is the Zen of the New Rich. Unions keep the middle class, middle class. Barriers to new factories; you mean environmental laws? Poor work ethic? What does that mean? Being paid for overtime? Agreed no engineering means no base for future projects or need for education, so we have lost the knowledge. But when a country like China steels technical knowledge without earning it and we look the other way to keep from upsetting them, then we are doomed. When they can protect their industry by controlling the Yuan's worth to the dollar, then we are not going anywhere. The current thinking of more corporate tax breaks and more deregulation and getting rid of the EPA's "job killing" regulations is just more political bull that haven't accomplished anything since Reagan and instead have lead us further down the path of self implosion. The global economy has done less for us and more for developing countries. The great equalizer. The only way the US will lower it's unemployment rate is to lower it's population.

Forget it Wes. These guys won't be happy til the US looks like this http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/ with everyone making $.10 an hour and stockholders and CEO's sitting in their air-conditioned penthouses above the smog.

Moses Lake Washington is in central Washington. No-where's ville. But, it has a huge runway (2nd or third longest in the US and virtually unused, was alternate Shuttle runway, ex military, ex JAL training strip) so direct transport via freighter aircraft to anywhere will be a no-brainer. No truck or hiway transport necessary.

Seems the article tackled the problem already. Ultra-low sulphur diesel. Mandate a use it or you get shot program, then let Corning Glass, and an EPA contractor to be named later to make and install all particulate filters in the country.

RP, I believe you are right on. Before Reagan, tariffs were 30-40% and since have dropped to 5-10% with a few exceptions. China is well underway in defying the WTO in demanding manufacturing tech for the right to sell in their country. Ford just signed a contract to that effect and GM is being told that the Volt will not see sales in China unless the tech is shared with China. Which means that market share of those vehicles will drop to nothing within 2 years of entry into the Chinese market because they will have copied them. Just like the Spainish Wind Generator Company Vesta that went from 85% to less than 5% from stolen tech. And when we use gummit money for green jobs, let's make sure it goes to US companies not China. http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/wind-energy-funds-going-overseas/story/renewable-energy-money-still-going-abroad/ Tariffs are the answer and the only answer to get manufacturing jobs back in the US. If China can use Protectionism and get away with then why don't we wise up? Of course this will not happen because multi-national corps. in charge of our gov't (thru lobbying and the now granted thru the supreme court, direct deposit to politicians) don't care who makes the goods or where they are sold as long as they can cash the check.

RP You hit the nail on the head. We need to re-educate people on oil's harm. Also, that the new 100 mile range EV's are plenty for 95% of the average commuters driving. How many people drive 50 miles one-way, or for that matter 100 miles to work? While there you plug in. Most EV's would be purchased as a second vehicle and fit into the small Civic, Fit, Metro, etc. catagory of commuter slowly overtaking it. What we need is to keep the tax break incentive and advertisement aimed at the beny's of electric vs. fuel. Not a Libertarian but the market will help it due to fuel cost. Just educate people they don't need a huge range for a commuter car. Competition as models come on-line will address price. This will take awhile but diesel's and hybrid's and PHEV's will take up the slack. With existing tech we could put a dent in consumption quickly if car manufacturers (Big 3)would shift gears faster. Educating the public and changing demand is how to do it.

"Our studies show that there are great natural variations in the amount of Arctic sea ice. The bad news is that there is a clear connection between temperature and the amount of sea ice. And there is no doubt that continued global warming will lead to a reduction in the amount of summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean." Gee I don't see anything about Co2 in this report summary or anything about current conditions. The gist of it is to say the ice could comeback from greater than 50% reduction. Nothing about what drove it other than warm winds. Hello, that's what's melting the ice today. Warm winds from warmer temps up north driven by changing jet stream patterns driven by warmer oceans driven by absorption of warmer air caused by climate change from greater Co2.

We haven't been able to match foriegn prices on anything since Reagan started the fad of destroying the import tariffs and changing taxes and regulations about offshore manufacturing. Thus unprotecting the US's ability to compete in manufacturing in relatively environmentally safe ways. Instead we buy cheap crap from countries that pour limitless junk into the air, water. Now with the global economy we still can't compete even in the new Green Energy future. The new balanced budget mentality will cut into education, regulations and oversight capabilities and of course no new taxes to fund anything like lightrail or bullet trains or power infrastrucure. The Chinese will continue to eat our lunches. As far as US car manufacturer bailouts, it would have led to a million or more direct and indirect (tire, electronic,paint manufacturers) jobs lost if GM went under.

Seeings how they are going to squash any input to impact on wildlife there should be no problem, right Monnett? No ice so no animals that rely on the ice for their livelyhood.

Go Toyota! I hope the range of the Rav4 EV is close to 200 miles. Being an SUV lite, it will attract the "I want to drive out of town, more than a commuter vehicle" customer. Drove a Leaf the other day. Nice rig though the placement of some of the feedback screens (GPS, etc.) is a little different. The backup camera screen projected path utility is mesmerizing. Great handling and acceleration seemed marvelous. Great 2nd car, commuter vehicle.

Henrik is totally right. It's gone. the article hints at the effects of black carbon and the rise of methane but all that soot and carbon on ice changes the albedo and increases melt. China's thirst for coal is going to be the topper no matter the rest of everything that's gone before. Our greed to have cheaper manufactured wholesale prices sold at not so cheap prices to make the top 2% richer has put the nail in the already built coffin. The fact that these same 2% control our respective gov't's with donations and "expertice" means that nothing is going to happen to change that. The methane produced by melting permafrost around the world is going to put us over the edge and it is going to happen, like everything else, faster than we had predicted. Time to look to your own survival and that of your family and your future grandchildren because no one is going to be able to or be able to help you. The ball is rolling and it's a large one with to much inertia to stop. Over the cliff like fossil fueled lemmings.

The only way something will drastically change the course is to hit people where they live. In the wallet. Massive gas tax. That's gas not diesel or bio-diesel. Mandate 50% of all new vehicles sold have to be diesel with blue technology and particulate filters. That will do away with the NOX and the particulates. No waiting for battery technology or electric refueling infrastructure or hydrogen or fairy dust. Force either Co2 sequestration or complete shutdown of all coal fired plants. Or go to Nuke power. Or ramp up damn building or increase wind drastically. New solar news is that panel efficiency just went way up. Sink huge amounts of money from the military budget and stop the NASA budget for now and take away the oil subsidies. Make these a priority and yell down anyone that stands in the way as being un-patriotic, like the right wing does. Pin a flag on it. Simple. It would cut Co2 in half in no time. But no one is serious enough to do it. It'll be, gee you'll hurt the economy. What economy when we're up to our eyeballs in starving people and sea water. Look at the aftermath of Katrina. Just one itty bitty huricane. Destruction, death, refugees. "We can't afford to do anything about Climate Change". We can't afford not to.