Car care spring 2013

Page 1

THE MINER

MAY 29, 2013 |

3B

2013 SPRING CAR CARE

The best classic trucks to buy today COURTESY PHOTO|DRIVE.COM.AU

Design for Audi’s imaginative eOra commuter vehicle incorporates on-board computers that allow them to be driven using subtle body movements and gestures.

Designers imagine cars of the future LOS ANGELES – Remember the time-travelling DeLorean DMC-12 that featured in the “Back to the Future” movies? Well, imagine it’s just pulled up in your driveway and the film’s wild-haired scientist, Emmett Brown, has offered to take you on a trip 21 years into the future. You step inside and with a snap of the gullwing doors and a surge of the flux capacitor you arrive in the year 2030. What do the streets and cars look like? What are young people now driving? Some of the world’s top automotive designers have tried to answer those very questions (without the use of a time machine) and have come up with some seriously out-there answers. The LA Auto Show, which each winter, features an annual design challenge in which leading brands are asked to submit visions for how the vehicles of the future will look. At the auto show in 2009, the American design divisions of companies including General Motors, Toyota and Nissan were given the

theme Youthmobile and asked to create renderings of vehicles that young people would be driving 21 years from now. At the outset they were reminded of the key role cars played in young people’s lives today and were likely to play in 2030. Vehicles provide freedom and the ability to socialize and they’re also an important means of selfexpression. The designers were asked to consider the impact growing up with mobile phones, online communities and webcams would have on consumers two decades from now. “Automotive designers have always been fascinated with the next generation of drivers,” the director of the Design Los Angeles segment of the motor show, Chuck Pelly, says. “This year’s design challenge has provided them with the opportunity to use their creative talents to revisit the concept of ‘the car’ with new eyes, using

FROM CARS DIRECT JANUARY 2012

To buy a classic truck, it is important to ensure that the model is reliable. Classic pickups are great trucks that can still be driven if they are reliable. It is no fun driving a classic pick up that falls apart each time you take it out. To find a classic truck, it is important to look at the history of the make and model, determine the current condition and the asking price and market value.

Volvo 240 This is a pickup but was also available as a car. This is one of the more affordable and reliable types of classic vehicles produced in the 1980s. The original engine ran on diesel, but it is possible to get a biodiesel upgrade.

1956 Ford F100 This is truly a vintage vehicle, and even though it does not have the electronics that are found in modern trucks, it still keeps on running. While parts will have to be replaced or fixed, it still runs fantastic even all these years later. The main draw to this truck is style, as it has a nose heavy look, but is ac-

Royal Towing Newport LLC

Towing • Roadside Assistance • 24 Hour Service Local folks serving your large & small vehicle recoveries “Look for the Lime Green Towing Machine”

1959 Chevrolet Fleetside This is a jet inspired classic pick up with truck lid, cat’s eye tail amps and batwing fins. This was designed to rival the Ford Styleside lines. This truck offered good performance and many models were built so parts are much easier to find. This was not overly expensive when it was built and can still be found for very reasonable costs. It also gets pretty good COURTESY PHOTO|HEMMINGS DAILY gas mileage. The Volvo 240 came in a sedan model, but also as a truck. It’s one of the less expensive classics.

1957 Dodge D100 Sweptside This truck is a novel classic pickup from the 1950s. At the time of its release, it was considered a less expensive version of the Chevy Cameo Carrier pickup. It is very stylish and comfortable to drive and can be found at bargain prices. This car can be hard to find and restoring it with original parts is very difficult, as most original parts are no longer available.

1958 Chevrolet Cameo Carrier

This is a rare model, as it was the last of the Cameo line produced by Chevrolet. There were only 1,405 built. This is considered a light duty vehicle. The Cameo truck certainly set the new style of trucks, but it originally did not sell well because of the expensive price. This truck has many deluxe features not found in other trucks and is one of the best known light trucks of its era.

1975 Toyota Hilux These are very reliable trucks

A P A N W O N K HOW

SEE FUTURE, 6B

Newport (509) 671-3599

tually considered handsome for a truck. The safety in this truck is quite good for its age and the engine still packs plenty of power, as it is a flat head V8.

Auto • Furniture • Boats Quality Craftsmanship for over 20 years 402 W. 7th, Newport 509-447-5433 • 509-671-2554

as many are still on the road and going strong. This is quite typical of Toyota trucks from this time period. This model is pre-1983 which makes much more rugged then younger models. This is most likely due to the change from dual row chain tensioner to a single row unit. Dual chain tensioners are known to run forever. The only major drawback is the weight of the truck, though the engine had plenty of kick to get the job done.

Steve’s Import Auto Service, Inc. Maintenance & Repair

Imports & Domestic Vehicles VW, Audi, Toyota, Honda & Nissan

3 Locations to Serve You 300 S. Union Ave., Newport WA • 509-447-4515 5398 Hwy 2, Priest River ID • 208-448-1412 514 Larch, Sandpoint ID • 208-263-2171

1111 Michigan Street • Sandpoint, ID

208 -263-4911

CAREY’S INC AUTO BODY

Hi-Tech Collision Repair We work with your insurance company to repair your vehicle to “before-accident” condition

• Computer Estimates • Color Matched Electronically On-Site • Semi-Down Draft Bake Spray Booth • Six Tower Frame Rack • Unibody Universal Measuring System with Upper Body Measuring • The Area’s Finest Technicians • Built by Satisfied Customers

509-684-2587

Fax: 509-684-3549 1101 S. Main. St., Colville


4B

| MAY 29, 2013

2 013 S P R I N G C A R C A R E

THE MINER

Electric car companies meet messy demise BY BILL VLASIC OF THE NEW YORK TIMES

DETROIT – No one answers the phones these days at Fisker Automotive. Its visionary founder has quit; its employees have been laid off or put on furlough without pay. Production of its sleek plugin hybrid car, the Karma, ended months ago. Veering on the edge of bankruptcy, without a buyer in sight, Fisker has become – to lawmakers and others – the Solyndra of the electric car industry. Not only private backers but millions of dollars in government loans gave life to a company, some would argue, that was a shaky investment from the start. No electric vehicle initiative backed by Washington seems more of a debacle than Fisker, which was given a $529 million federal loan in 2009 to advance the project. Two years later, after Fisker repeatedly missed production targets and other deadlines, the Energy Department suspended the loans. The all-but-closed company skipped a large loan payment that was due on Monday, leading the federal government to take the unusually aggressive step of seizing $21 million from the company’s cash reserves to begin recouping the $192 million in taxpayer dollars spent on the company’s flawed strategy. Fisker, with its technical problems, management turmoil and mounting losses, offers a cautionary tale in the fiercely competitive arena of alternativefuel vehicles and of government subsidies for start-up businesses. The company’s messy demise fell under the glaring spotlight of a Congressional hearing in April that was titled “Examining the Department of Energy’s Bad Bet on Fisker Automotive.” Some of Fisker’s top executives involved in the Karma’s development are expected to testify, as well as

agency officials involved in the loan program. “The government is playing in a space where they have to recognize their limitations,” said Van Conway, a corporate restructuring executive in Detroit. “Whatever they spent on Fisker was just not going to be enough.” Others, including members of the Senate and the House, complain that standards for awarding federal loans were overlooked in the rush to promote green technology. “How did the Energy Department determine Fisker’s potential before writing a check?” asked Senator Charles Grassley, a Republican from Iowa. “Was there due diligence, or instead a blind hope that Fisker would produce something useful?” An Energy Department spokeswoman, Aoife McCarthy, said the loan to Fisker was one of only a handful of 33 clean-energy loans that did not prove successful. She asserted that its problems should not be considered representative of the Obama administration’s broader efforts to promote cleaner cars. “There will always be an element of risk with investments in the most innovative companies,” she said. Major automakers like Ford and Nissan received billions of dollars in federal loans to produce electric cars and, so far,

have succeeded. A smaller manufacturer, Tesla, has also been able to meet the conditions of its government loans while producing an electric model. But Fisker never realized its early promise as a tiny start-up manufacturer in an industry dominated by automotive giants. On the surface, Fisker had all the trappings of a potential player in the emerging electric car industry. The brainchild of the Danish car designer Henrik Fisker, the company was based in Southern California and staffed by experienced executives from Ford and other auto companies. A big Silicon Valley venture firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, was among its earliest investors. Its first product, the low-slung Karma sedan, drew attention both for its looks and its $104,000 sticker price. One of a new breed of plug-in hybrids, the Karma could travel an estimated 50 miles on battery power before a gasoline engine kicked in to generate additional electricity. While it resembled the Chevrolet Volt made by General Motors, the Karma lacked the Detroit automaker’s enormous marketing muscle and technical expertise. Fisker did not even have its own production facility. It used a contract manufacturer in Finland to build its first model.

Do you have any household

HAZARDOUS WASTE? r

Motol Oi

Oil based Paints

Don’t Pollute!

Bring Auto Batteries and 5 Gal. max/Day: • Motor Oil • Antifreeze • Oil Based Paints • Stains Solvents, Thinners and Other Hazardous Products from your Home to the County Transfer Stations.

No business or farm waste. Latex Paint Questions Call 509-671-6147-or 509-447-4513

Open 8 am to 4 pm

It’s FREE!!

Pend Oreille County Solid Waste www.pendoreilleco.org

Serious problems emerged almost as soon as the car hit the market. Some batteries from the supplier A123 Systems were defective, and others caught fire. A test drive by the influential magazine Consumer Reports ended abruptly when the Karma broke down and had to be hauled away on a flatbed truck. Even the weather turned on the company when more than 200 new Karmas were submerged in a storage center flooded by Hurricane Sandy at Port Newark, N.J. At times Fisker simply ran short of money, forcing it to suspend work at its gleaming headquarters in Anaheim, Calif. “Every time something went wrong, we trusted that management would find a way to keep us going,” said Sven Etzelsberger, a former top engineer. The company scrambled constantly to prop up its image. After the embarrassing Consumer Reports episode, Fisker hired Tom LaSorda, a former chief executive of Chrysler, to address quality issues and control the damage. A few months later, he was replaced by Tony Posawatz, a retired G.M. executive who had worked on the Chevy Volt. At last year’s New York auto show, Fisker grandly unveiled a concept version of a smaller, less expensive model it hoped to build in an abandoned G.M. plant in Delaware. About the same time, it closed on $392 million in new financing from private investors. But additional financing and shuffling of executives could not change the fact that American consumers were just not buying many electric vehicles. Last year, consumers bought 48,000 all-electric and plug-in models — a fraction of the 14.5 million vehicles sold in the United States, according to the auto research site Edmunds.com. Less than 900 of those sold were Fisker Karmas, Edmunds calculated. SEE ELECTRIC, 6B

Share the road this summer NEWPORT – The Pend Oreille bike or walking, make sure your River Valley and Priest Lake area actions are legal, predictable, is home to five bike tours this visible and courteous to others on summer, and drivers should be the road. Follow signals and signs. aware of cyclists on the road. • Plan Ahead: Always be Whether you aware of traffind yourself W H AT ’S N E X T: fic around reaching for your AUG. 4-10: RIDE Idaho - Coeur you and leave car keys or a bike d’Alene to Sandpoint and beyond enough room helmet, AAA and between you the Bicycle Alli- AUG. 24: PRIEST Lake Triathlon and others ance of Washing- Hill’s Resort on the road ton encourage all to respond roadway users SEPT. 1: GREAT Northwest Bike Tour safely. - Newport City Park to show mutual • Be Attenrespect for one tive: Avoid all SEPT. 14: MOUNTAIN Bike Endurance distractions another. Race - Inn at Priest Lake, Coolin “When it while riding comes to safety, or driving, education is key SEPT. 17-21: WACANID Bike Ride including usfor all roadway Selkirk Loop ing your cell users,” said phone. Jennifer Cook, senior manager of For links to Washington state Corporate Communications, AAA laws on bicycling, trail and Washington. “We need to reinbike maps, and other statewide force the message that people who bicycling resources, visit bicycledrive, bike and walk have a joint alliance.org/growing-bicycling/ responsibility to share the road resources/. with each other.” Founded in 1987, the Bicycle To help us all get to our destina- Alliance of Washington is Washtions safely, AAA and the Bicycle ington’s statewide bicycle advoAlliance of Washington offer the cacy organization and has led effollowing tips: forts for passage of the majority • Follow the Rules of the Road: of bike legislation adopted in the Whether driving a car, riding a past 25 years.


THE MINER

2 013 S P R I N G C A R C A R E

BELLEVUE – AAA released the results of its annual “Your Driving Costs” study, revealing a 1.96 percent increase in the cost to own and operate a sedan in the U.S. The average cost rose 1.17 cents to 60.8 cents per mile, or a total of $9,122 per year, based upon 15,000 miles of annual driving. “Many factors go into the cost calculation of owning and operating a vehicle,” said John Nielsen, AAA Director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “This year, changes in maintenance, fuel and insurance costs resulted in the increase to just beyond 60 cents a mile.” Nielsen continued, “Before you make any vehicle purchase, it is important to determine ownership and operational costs and compare them to your current and future financial situation.”

up 11.26 percent The costs associated with maintaining a vehicle had the single largest percentage increase from 2012 to 2013, growing by 11.26 percent to 4.97 cents per mile on average for sedan owners. AAA’s estimates are based upon the cost to maintain a vehicle and perform needed repairs for five years and 75,000 miles including labor expenses, replacement part prices and the purchase of an extended warranty policy. Driving the increase in maintenance costs is significant increases in labor and part costs for some models and a major increase in the price of extended warranty policies due to high loss ratios by underwriters.

5B

First sunny weekends seem to bring more motorcycle crashes

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Patrol is gearing up for the first sunny spring weekends of 2013, and the unfortunate motorcycle crashes that always seem to follow. In a typical year, one or two riders die that first nice weekend, and several more are injured. The reasons are predictable: speeding or driving under the influence. Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste hates it when his smart phone buzzes with word of yet another fatal collision. “It’s painful to hear that another family has lost a loved one in a completely preventable motorcycle crash,” Batiste said. “For them, a sunny spring day will always be a reminder of their loss.” Batiste urged riders to get out and enjoy the (eventual) good weather, but to ride sober and keep the speeds down. The most common scenario is a rider who enters a curve going way too fast, and loses control. “If a trooper stops you for speeding, there’s a chance you might get a warning. The laws of physics are much more unforgiving.” The good news is that Washington drivers are moving in the right direction when it comes to motorcycle safety. More motorcycle riders are endorsed than ever before. In 2012, there were 83 motorcycle fatalities and the majority of those were caused by the rider and not another vehicle. This is a similar trend law enforcement has seen over the past several years where the majority of motorcycle collisions were caused by rider error. Even though most motorcycle fatalities are caused by the rider, drivers still need to be alert and aware of motorcycles around them. By taking the extra time to check your blind spots prior to making a lane change, allowing for extra following distance,

COURTESY TABLE|AAA

Fuel costs up 1.93 percent Gasoline prices were relatively stable compared to the prior year, leading to a minimal fuel cost increase of 1.93 percent to 14.45 cents per mile on average for sedan owners. The average cost of regular grade fuel (used by most of the study vehicles) actually rose 3.84 percent, from $3.357 to $3.486 per gallon. However, several vehicles in the Your Driving Costs study had small improvements in their fuel economy ratings which partially offset the fuel cost increase. Fuel costs in the 2013 study were calculated using the national average price for regular, unleaded gasoline during the fourth quarter of 2012.

Insurance costs up 2.76 percent

Maintenance costs

MAY 29, 2013 |

Sunshine and tragedy

Cost of cars rises

Increase in maintenance, insurance and fuel drive up average cost for sedans to $9,122 yearly, 60.8 cents per mile

Average insurance costs for sedans rose 2.76 percent (or $28) to $1029 annually. Insurance rates vary widely by driver and driving record, issuing company and geographical region. AAA insurance cost estimates are based on a low-risk driver with a clean driving record. Quotes from five AAA clubs and insurance companies representing seven states showed acrossthe-board modest increases for all sedan sizes, with large cars having less of an increase than small- and medium-size sedans.

Depreciation costs rise 0.78 percent After seeing a drop in 2012, depreciation costs were up slightly in 2013, increasing 0.78 percent to

+

=

$3,571 a year. This change may be a consequence of recovering new vehicle sales, resulting in more used cars available in the marketplace and thus the softening of the resale value of clean older models.

Tire costs remain unchanged 
 The cost of tires did not change from 2012 to 2013, remaining at one cent per mile on average for sedan owners. The stable price is attributed to a leveling off of past increased costs for raw materials, energy and transportation from factories to distributors across the country.

Driving study for 63rd year AAA has published Your Driving Costs since 1950. That year, driving a car 10,000 miles per year cost 9 cents per mile, and gasoline sold for 27 cents per gallon. The study employs a proprietary AAA methodology to analyze the cost to own and operate a vehicle in the United States. Variable operating costs considered in the study include fuel, maintenance and repair and tires. Fixed ownership costs factored into the results include insurance, license and registration fees, taxes, depreciation and finance charges. Ownership costs are calculated based on the purchase of a new vehicle that is driven over five years and 75,000 miles. Your actual operating costs may vary. In-depth findings of this year’s study, including a breakdown of specific costs by category of vehicle and various annual mileages, are contained in the ‘Your Driving Costs’ brochure which is available at select local AAA branch offices or may be downloaded at the AAA Newsroom.

EMERALD AUTOMOTIVE Tune-ups • General Repair Foreign/Domestic Gas or Diesel

DISCOUNTS. See me today and get the discounts and service you deserve. Ed Bryan Insurance Agency Inc Ed Bryan, Agent • www.edbryan.com Deer Park, WA • 509-276-8714 1-800-869-8714 (Toll Free)

900 Bonner Mall Way Ponderay, Idaho (Next to Ponderay Yamaha)

statefarm.com®

Call for all your automotive needs

208-263-3483 We offer you:

More Choices Personalized Insurance ILEA WILSON STEVE WILSON and The Best Service with a smile from LOCAL agents who have been Pend Oreille County residents for over 20 years! 4025 E. Mount Spokane Park Dr. Mead, WA • 509-467-8998 www.MountSpokaneIns.com

Locally Owned & Operated ted

and being aware of approaching powered bikes, and older riders motorcycles, drivers will be able to who lack the appropriate trainavoid potential collisions. ing. The young kids are riding at “Folks driving SUVs, passenger speeds way above their skill level, cars and trucks need to be extra and the older riders are taking up attentive and make sure they the hobby without investing in ‘share the road’ with motorcysafety classes. clists,” said Batiste. All riders would benefit from apTips motorcyclists and motorists proved motorcycle safety classes. can use to stay safe “Folks driving SUVs, They teach you on our roadways. how to recognize a The biggest causes passenger cars and collision developing of motorcycle fatali- trucks need to be while there is still ties in Washington time to avoid it. extra attentive and are excessive speed, The safety of inattention, and inex- make sure they motorcycle riders reperience, i.e. drivers ‘share the road’ with mains overwhelmexceeding their skill ingly in the hands of level. Speed reduces motorcyclists.” riders themselves. reaction time and Automobile increases the serious- Chief John R. Batiste drivers still need ness of injuries. to share the road. Washington State Patrol The two groups Drivers need to be that have the most alert and aware of trouble are young riders on high motorcyclists around them.

10 MINUTE OIL CHANGE!

NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED • RV FRIENDLY •

E Y B F U F L I P S 447-0120

(509) 684-3581

AUTOMOTIVE & TRUCK FOREIGN-DOMESTIC ALL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS • BRAKES/ ALIGNMENTS TRANSMISSIONS • COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS TUNE-UPS/ EXHAUST

CUSTOM EXHAUST SYSTEMS & CATALYTIC CONVERTERS MOST MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED We Employ Technicians Certified By The Na N National tio Institute For Automotive Service Excellence Mon-Fri: 7:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. • 505 S. Main • Colville

GET READY FOR H & D DIESEL, INC. Over 25 Years SUMMER DRIVING Roadside Service CAT Dealer Experience NOW! Licensed • Insured We Stock the Full Line of Amsoil Products!

311 3 1 W. Walnut Newport, N WA (509) (50 447-3933

Antifreeze & Coolant Long Life 50/50 $

11.99 GAL.

Green $

14.99 GAL.

Ready to use $

at the

National Spring Savings Event Now thru June 30, 2013 • See Store for Details

11.99 GAL.

EXIDE BATTERIES Batteries for Cars, Trucks, RV’s, Boats, ATVs, PWCs

Get ready for Summer!

877-447-4699

Time to let us check your Oil • Coolant • AC • Alignment • Brakes • Shocks Certified Master Tech on duty to serve you!

A Proud Member of Your Local Newport Grizzlies Maws and Paws Booster Club “We support our local students in all their endeavors.”

Hwy. 2 Newport

ROD HILDEN “YOUR HOMETOWN DIFFERENCE”

East End of the Oldtown Bridge • 208-437-5669

9381 Coyote Trail Phone (509) 447-4699 Newport, WA


6B

| MAY 29, 2013

2 013 S P R I N G C A R C A R E

Sports fans can show support, benefit kids RENTON, Wash. – Gov. Jay Inslee summarized the state’s new Sounders and Seahawks license plate offer this way, “Buy a license plate, give a kid a great future.” The Seahawks and Sounders FC license plates were revealed in May following the official bill signing ceremony with Inslee. The preliminary Seahawks plate is dominated by a 12 flag highlighted by a fading blue backdrop while the Sounders FC plate features the team’s signature rave green color with an iconic team scarf held by a fan. Both plates

feature the individual team logos. The plates will be available to order by registered car/vehicle owners in January 2014. The bulk of the proceeds from Sounders FC plate sales will benefit Washington State Mentors, a public/private partnership based in Issaquah that provides grants and assistance to youth organizations across the state. Many of the children served by DSHS receive mentoring from Washington State Mentors. Net proceeds from Seahawks plate sales will go to InvestED, a Seattle-based non-profit that

partners with schools statewide to help students from low-income families pay for clothes, shoes, school activity cards, testing fees and other student needs. A third non-profit, the Association of Washington Generals will receive a smaller portion of the Sounders FC plate sales. The AWG recognizes outstanding individuals and promotes a variety of civic and veterans causes. The preliminary license plate designs were submitted utilizing templates provided by the Department of Licensing. DOL will work with law enforcement to ensure

readability. The designs will be finalized sometime this summer or early fall. “The license plates are a distinctive way Seahawks and Sounders FC fans can display their passion and support local non-profits,” said Seahawks and Sounders FC president Peter McLoughlin. The non-profit groups are developing promotional programs to increase fan awareness of the license plate program, including an event to auction off the first 25 team plate numbers. Program details will be announced this fall.

FUTURE | INTERACTION BETWEEN CARS, HUMANS in the same way they subscribe to mobile phone plans. General Motors sees a blurring of the lines between gaming, learning to drive and driving. It proposes cars that could drive themselves to destinations when a passenger puts an address into the on-board sat-nav device. Young passengers would be encouraged to compete with the sat-nav on a driving simulator. When their skills developed they would be allowed control of some features. Advanced drivers would be able to modify vehicles for increased power. Mazda envisions a 2030 where personalization and customization of cars is all-important. It sees young people designing their own vehicles online based around a platform called Souga, with the company then fulfilling these requirements. It paints a future where it costs young people just $2,000 to buy the physical car. Digital communication and information devices, it predicts, will be integrated into fashion apparel, eliminating the need to include these systems in cars. Toyota’s offering for 2030 takes into account that education levels are rising in the U.S. and young consumers are increasingly well educated and proactive. It proposes LINK, “an affordable, customizable, mass-transit vehicle for students with high social-networking demands and continuously evolving preferences.” These small personal vehicles would be kept at central hubs.

FROM PAGE 3B

the hottest technologies to both explore and fulfill the needs of young people.” The submissions from the brands varied widely, although there were common themes. Electric vehicles, cars that were able to morph their shape and cars that leant themselves to clever youth marketing were recurrent motifs. So too were vehicles that allowed connectivity to social networking sites. A winner will be picked by a panel of experts during the show and while it’s unlikely any will ever go into production, they at least show where designers believe we’re heading. So what did the individual companies pitch? Honda sees increased interaction between cars and humans in 2030. “Emerging technologies, such as genetic integration and advanced adaptive polymers, will shatter the current paradigm of what is now considered ‘personally’ unique,” it says in its pitch. The company proposes shapeshifting vehicles that could modify their size and wheelbase depending on the constraints of the environment around them. Nissan sees a rosy 2030 in which electricity has replaced petrol as the main propellant for cars and US highways have been electrified to create an ultra-efficient, high-speed network called the GRID. The company’s electric offering is the crab-like V2G and it suggests consumers would be able to buy access to the electricity grid

Gopher’s Diesel Repair Serving the Tri-County for Over 10 Years 97-A Buena Vista Dr • Colville • 509-684-6637

Car Batteries • Radiators • All Metals

We’ll pick up your junk car Pay Up To $200 Pa Need Titles

1000 Triangle Drive Sandpoint 208-263-2584

Whitey’s Wrecking

They would allow users to tap into social networking sites, trade music and compare class schedules. Finally, Audi went beyond the brief and created two concept cars – a performance vehicle and an affordable, entry-level car. Both blend lightweight metals and composite materials and feature wheels without hubs. The company says its lowprofiled eSpira would be a “technological tour-de-force” performance car. An advanced logic system would allow drivers to steer the vehicle with body movements and gestures, making motoring a more organic experience. Perhaps a more realistic option for (typically impoverished) young motorists is the company’s eOra, which it envisages would share the logic control system with the eSpira but be more of a city car with a small footprint and good agility. Nissan envisages a 2030 in which national highways are electrified (like a dodgem track) to provide power to electric cars. Young consumers would buy ac-

Wolf says. . We Offer all these Services

cess to the system in the way they buy mobile phone credits today. General Motors’s is a selectively self-driving car that allows new drivers to assume full control only after they have proved themselves on on-board driving simulators. As driving skill increases, so do power options. Honda proposes vehicles that can morph to suit their environment. In built-up city areas the vehicle has a small footprint, whereas on the open road it has a larger, more stable platform capable of high speed. In Mazda’s model, young people are able to design their dream cars online and have them built on the Souga platform. Toyota proposes a network of small motorized vehicles, which would be kept at central hubs and personalized by young users. Access to social networking sites is a given. With the eOra commuter vehicle and eSpira performance car, Audi’s cars both incorporate onboard computers that allow them to be driven using subtle body movements and gestures.

THE MINER

ELECTRIC | CAN’T GET ELECTRIC CARS GOING FROM PAGE 4B

In recent months, Fisker unsuccessfully negotiated with two Chinese carmakers to sell the company. The last-ditch efforts coincided with the departure of Henrik Fisker, who resigned from the company on March 13. He left “because of major disagreements” on business strategy, Mr. Fisker said in an email. Bankruptcy now appears unavoidable, and a political reckoning is coming. Mr. Posawatz and Mr. Fisker are among the witnesses expected to testify at Wednesday’s hearing by the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee. Some environmental activists worry about the potential ramifications of a Fisker bankruptcy. “We can’t get to where we need to be in electric vehicles without government help,” said Dan Becker, head of the Safe Climate Campaign, an advocacy group in Washington. Yet Fisker’s legacy will be its record of failure rather than its advances in fuel efficiency. It could not meet loan benchmarks like other automakers, and it never created the jobs it promised at the old G.M. plant. Even its troubled battery supplier, A123, also a recipient of federal funds, managed to attract a Chinese buyer after going bankrupt. But no one

Miner THE

No matter where you are on the globe, your community goes with you.

Online

Miner subscribers have free access all the time. (509) 447-2433 www.pendoreillerivervalley.com

icle ur Veh o Y t e r G fo Ready riving D er Summ

Service for All Makes and Models www.proautomotivepr.com Like us on Facebook

• Brakes • Transmission • Air Conditioning & Differentials • Oil Changes & Inspections • Tune-Ups • Engine Repair • Engine Performance

is bidding to buy Fisker. It is a tough lesson for Karma owners like David Cohen, a 57-year-old New Jersey resident, who said he loves driving the car but wonders whether there will be a company to service it down the road. “If I was aware of the company’s dire financial situation, I would not have purchased the vehicle,” said Mr. Cohen. “But it is what it is.” Fisker’s former employees find its downfall hard to accept. Mr. Etzelsberger recalled the heady days in 2009 when employees worked nights and weekends to deliver the first working version of the Karma. At that point, Fisker was desperately seeking private capital and loans from the federal government to move forward. Management’s message to workers was blunt. “These cars are the future of the company,” Mr. Etzelsberger recalled being told. “Without them, no one will have a job soon.” This month, Mr. Etzelsberger was one of 160 Fisker employees suddenly laid off without severance benefits. He is now the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against his former company and another in a long line of disillusioned believers. “I don’t really feel betrayed,” he said. “It’s more disappointment than anything.”

Snyder Ridge Tire & Lube

Please call for Appointment

• Electronics & Diagnostics • Computers & Programming • Steering & Suspension • Exhaust Service

Tue-Fri 8 am-4:00 pm • Sat 9 am-2 pm 4372 Highway 31, Ione

509-442-5050

Mention this ad get 10% off services Mon-Fri 8am-5pm • 40 High St. • Priest River, ID • 208-448-0112

buy local... with confidence Class 8 Trucks, Local Independent Dealer

Hanson’s Powerstroke Repair Mobile Service

Specializing in Ford Repair

WE Can Help You With Your Truck & Trailer Needs

• Powerstroke Specialist • Diesel • Gasoline • Reasonable Rates • Computer Diagnostics

You Name It... We have it... or, We’ll Look for it!!

Oldtown, ID • (360) 770-1180

www.class8trucksales.com class8trucks@aol.com

(509) 534-9088 521 N. Eastern, Spokane

CASH REWARD • ALUMINUM

ES • STAINLESS STEEL TOP PRIC D I PA • BRASS • COPPER • LEAD • GOLD • SILVER

Copper • Brass • Aluminum Stainless • Aluminum Cans Batteries • Radiators

We also recycle Cardboard • Iron Newspaper

PAYING CASH!* *In accordance with WA State Law.

ACTION Recycling/Phoenix Metals, Inc.

DU-MOR RECYCLING

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Saturday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

N 6404 Perry • Spokane, WA (509) 489-6482 One block north of Francis, 14 blocks east of Division

E. 911 Marietta (East of Hamilton) • (509) 483-4094

Riverside Automotive Service and Repair

North Spokane Auto Licensing

489-3850 1-800-735-2376

Daily Worldwide Shipping

Dealing Exclusively In Import Cars & Import Trucks We Also Locate Hard To Find Parts All Major Cards Accepted Open: Mon. - Fri., 8:00 - 6:00 4330 E. Francis Avenue, Spokane

www. whiteyswrecking.com

Foreign & Domestic Repair • Tune-ups • Diagnostic Service • Brakes • Clutches • Electrical • Engine •Air Conditioning 34612 N. Newport Hwy 2 Chattaroy, WA

(509) 292-8979

Auto, Vessel, RV, Cycle, Trailer, Fleet Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. • WA - Hunting & Fishing Licenses and Discover Passes • ID - Boat, ORV, Snowmobile Licenses, Invasive Species Sticker • MT - Snowmobile Licenses (509) 464-2294 • 10208 N. Division Suite 109, Spokane • North of the “Y” at Hawthorne


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.