Charged up about green vehicles

"Green" cars were a focal point of the New England International Auto Show earlier this month - everything from electric-gas hybrids to clean-burning diesels to "flexible fuel" pick-up trucks and SUVs. Name your alternative fuel, and there's a 2009 car that employs it (or at least something in the pipeline for 2010.)

This week, part 2 of our recap of 2009 green cars and trucks seen at the auto show, starting with the Big Three auto makers.

Chevy's Tahoe became the market's first full-size SUV in 2008 and is available as a hybrid again ($51,000 2-wheel drive, $54,000 4-wheel drive.) Its 21-mile-per-gallon city estimate doubles that of the non-hybrid Tahoe. Chevy is also making its Silverado pickup truck available as a hybrid in 2009, while the Malibu, a mid-size car, will be available as a "mild" hybrid, which means it runs on electricity only when idling or at speeds of less than 5 miles per hour.

Various Chevy models, such as the Avalanche, are also available in cleaner-burning "flexible fuel" models, which run on either gasoline or a bio-friendly mixture called "E85" made of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

Chevy's widely publicized Volt "extended range" electric car won't be out until 2010. The Volt will run about 40 miles on an initial charge, then, when the battery is dead, it can convert gasoline into electricity to run the engine.

The sister "professional grade" platform to Chevy's trucks, the Sierra pickup and the Yukon SUV are both being offered as hybrids this year, both in 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive versions.

The Big Three automaker has a research team working on electric vehicles for all its lines, including a plug-in electric Dodge sports car that promises up to 200 miles per charge, an extended range Jeep Wrangler, and an extended range Chrysler minivan. They're expected to be released in 2010.

At dealerships, Chrysler's first hybrid comes out this year. The Aspen, a full-size SUV runs on electricity all the way up to 48 miles per hour before switching to gas. It gets 20 miles per gallon city, 22 highway and starts at about $45,000. Dodge has a Durango SUV hybrid with a hemi V8 engine for towing.

The Escalade hybrid features a 300-volt battery under the second row of seats and, like many hybrids, incorporates regenerative braking. "Whenever you hit the brakes under gentle pressure, it actually reverses the polarity of the electrical current. Instead of the battery sending electricity to the motor, the motor sends it to the battery," said Jan Petrous, Cadillac's show manager. The base price is about $73,000 for a 4-wheel drive, $71,000 for two-wheel drive. A flexible fuel Escalade is also available.

The luxury Milan is Mercury's second hybrid car, following the Mariner SUV. It will be released in the first quarter of 2009 as a "2010" model. No price yet, but it's expected to get about 39 miles per gallon in the city, and 37 on the highway, said Ryan Maenza, product specialist. The 2009 Mariner hybrid gets 34 miles per gallon city, and 31 miles peer gallon highway. All Grand Marquis models are now flexible fuel capable.

The Ford Escape hybrid, which incorporates regenerative breaking, is touted as "the most fuel-efficient SUV on the planet." It gets 34 miles per gallon in the city, 31 miles per gallon highway, and is priced starting at $29,000. Ford's other hybrid is the Fusion, which releases this spring. Both vehicles (as well as the Milan) run on electricity up to 47 miles per hour and feature new dashboard displays that "coach" the driver how to get the best mileage. Ford is also expected to begin rolling out "ecoboost" vehicles in 2009, which run on gasoline but recycle engine exhaust to increase fuel economy.

Ford is one of many companies developing extremely clean-running hydrogen fuel cell cars. These cars combine compressed hydrogen gas, which you pump into the car at a fueling station, with oxygen to produce electricity that runs the motor.

The best-selling RX is currently available as a hybrid, the RX 400h. An updated 2010 model, which begins production this spring, will feature slightly more horsepower and slightly better mileage than the current version's 27 miles per gallon in the city, 24 miles per gallon highway.

Lexus also has two hybrid sedans, the GS 450h, or, if you've got the money, the ultra fancy LS 600hL, which goes for about $115,000. While known for high-end vehicles, the company is also expected to come out with a smaller, more affordable, Prius-like hybrid with the next year or two, with more details to be revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. (Lexus is a division of Toyota.)

So far BMW is all about clean-burning diesels, including the X5 SUV model, which produces "25 percent less greenhouse gases" than a standard gasoline engine, according to show representatives. A clean-burning sedan should also be for sale by early 2009, with two hybrid models and a hydrogen car in the planning stages.

"We skipped the hybrid phase. We're looking at electric vehicles instead," said Martin Grapengeter, a product specialist at the show. Mitsubishi's first electric car, the iMiEV, will get about 100 miles per charge and is expected to be available in Japan by mid-2009. It's also being road-tested in California, but there's no timetable on a US release.

Nothing green for 2009, but the company plans on offering its first flexible fuel vehicle in 2010, with a goal of making all its vehicles flexible fuel ready by 2012.

Nissan's only hybrid car, the 2009 Altima, is sold in eight states, including Massachusetts. It's supposed to start selling at $26,000, with mileage marks of 35 miles per gallon city and 33 miles per gallon highway. Nissan also plans to launch a pure electric passenger car in 2010 that should get about 100 miles a charge, a company spokeswoman said.

Mercedes-Benz has won awards for its clean-burning diesels, which it says are the "world's cleanest." Marketed under the BluTec name, they use an additive that breaks down nitrogen oxides, reducing soot and pollution. The high-end car maker also has a flexible fuel car, the 300C, and is expected to release two electric-diesel hybrids, one in the flagship S400 class, by late 2009. On the research side, Mercedes is also testing a small fleet of hydrogen fuel cell cars.

The German sports car maker will have its first hybrid car, the Cayenne, in dealerships by the end of 2010. (It's expected to get about 30 miles per gallon.) A second hybrid - the company's first 4-door sedan - will follow.

What drives you crazy about local drivers? Is there a traffic rule you've always wondered about, or a pet peeve that never fails to annoy you? Send us a message about it: ciweek@globe.com. We'll check it out.