Working up a sweat

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Yesterday's news that Toyota in Australia will soon import Hybrid powertrains to install into locally-assembled Camrys is obviously good news for the plant at Altona, Victoria.

But it's bad news for what once considered itself a clever country. There's no local know-how going into these cars: just expensive plug and play electric bits that come out of Japan.

Not even the 2.4-litre four-cylinder already powering the home-made Camry we all know and love gets a gig in this transplant.

Interesting that this announcement came almost on the heels of the news that Holden has decided to dispense with manufacturing four-cylinder engines at Port Melbourne (and that GM globally is shuttering four further factories).

Now, you might be thinking that switching more resources to building more fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines that could possibly be plugged into an electric motor would be the way to go, rather than investing tens of millions into the plant across the road to make ever more V6 engines. But, obviously, Holden isn't thinking like that.

Holden is looking seriously at alternative fuel options for the Big Six Commodore and its successors, perhaps a mix of CNG/LPG/E85 ethanol/diesel/hydrogen and electricity. The Australian motor industry is proving that faced with a $500m carrot it can apply the stick to its engineers and get its act together (not!). The answer from Toyota has been to negatively affect our balance of trade with Japan and import their know-how, ready to wear.

Eight long years ago, you'll recall that just prior to the Olympics in Sydney, Holden rolled out a smoke and mirrors EcoCommodore, powered by a Vectra four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor. It's pretty much what the Camry Hybrid is today -- just neater and a bit plusher. Well, it would be if it had had eight more years of Toyota-grade R&D.

Holden, it would seem, pushed its lean, green Olympic machine into an orchard to give the birds something to perch on at Lang Lang and forgot about hybrids, betting the farm that petrol would stay cheap and Aussies, egged on by constant V8 Supercar glamour, would stay true to the V8 dream. This short-term approach has reached its sell-by date.

Ford and Holden might like to convene a council of war and invite Toyota along. Here's the trade: The "Aussie brands" will allow admittance to their sandpit (V8 Supercars) of the Japanese transplant in exchange for a supply of Hybrid Camry powerplants for their Fal, er, G Series and Commodores.

It's win, win, win... Toyota Japan gets to manufacturer more Hybrid power units (ditto). Ford and Holden get to offer fuel-efficient/lower emitting options to their Fal, er, G Series and Commodores. Domestic manufacturing gets a shot in the arm from increased production as Aussie buyers return to the fold. The average Aussie-made car's CO2 emissions decline, running costs decline, we lead the world in having the largest percentage of new cars sold each year being low-emission vehicles. Oh, and a Toyota wins the V8 Supercar championship and triumphs at Bathurst.

If you think it sounds far-fetched, well it is. But three years ago did you expect to pay $1.50 a litre for regular ULP, and be happy doing so? Or consider $1.80 a litre a reasonable ask for diesel?

It now costs around 50 per cent more to fill the average car than it did a year ago. What about a year from now? Two years?

If Australia really was the clever country we would have had a state-sponsored engineering task force working on alternative fuels for a decade. We have so much gas (not just in Canberra) we could have a huge variety of cars running on CNG or LPG.

Irony of ironies, we are actually partially the architects of our own demise. Our economy rides on the back of a mining boom that has huge masses of rock being ripped from the ground and transported to the ports to ship to China. There, the economy is running at a frightening rate. The Chinese are adding the equivalent of a city the size of Manhattan every fortnight, or so the alarmists tell us.

This growth feeds their need for oil, to run their new industries, keep them warm and power the nine million new cars they'll buy this year. Their thirst for oil, and that of an awakening India, pushes demand higher, raising prices of crude, reflected in higher bowser prices for you and I.

Another interesting point: To buy a diesel alternative of a petrol-powered car in Australia you pay around a $2000-3000 premium. Diesel is also more expensive per litre, so the payback time is extensive.

Unlike LPG installations, purchasing a green diesel-engined car with far lower CO2 emissions attracts no government rebate or cash incentive.

The government of Australia subsidises the conversion of a new car to run on LPG to the tune of $1000, and the gas itself is very cheap at around 63c a litre. The payback time is not as bad as diesel.

Difference being there are a huge array of diesel powered cars in the market right now, requiring no additional hardware, no compromising of warranties, no loss of boot-space in order to achieve higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

For Toyota's Hybrid Camry the fuel economy gain is about 30 per cent (7.0l/100km as against around 9.9l/100km). So with petrol at $1.50 a litre, you'll save around $4.50 per 100km on fuel costs, which adds up to around $1125 saved each year if you cover 25,000km. Most new car buyers cover less.

Figure on owning the Hybrid Camry for three years and if the additional purchase cost is in excess of $3375, then you've saved not a cent, although you'll feel warm and cosy inside thinking about 30 per cent less CO2 you have emitted during that 75,000km ownership period.

Of course, this theory moves both ways. If petrol settles back to 1.25 a litre, it'll take that much longer to make financial sense, and if it goes to $1.75 a litre you cover your additional hybrid costs that much faster.

Much as I love the sound of a V8 being given a good whipping, my money would be on petrol continuing to get more expensive and governments jumping on the carbon tax gravy train in the medium term.

On a lighter note, in order to address both the rising cost of fuel, continuing to stifle exhaust emissions and cure the curse of obesity, Otto humbly suggests modifying the walking/school bus concept by enrolling your work colleagues into Otto's Ford's Fal, er, G Series and Holden's Commodore 21st Century Carpooling and Survival Plan.

First, gather five or more overweight subordinates (shouldn't be hard to find; apparently we're awash with them). Obviously they are all members of the working families generation and therefore devotees of the new Labor mantra, so will be easy to convince that it is good for them (and carbon neutral). Secondly, corral them outside your residence at 0730 sharp each morning clad in jogging attire. Thirdly, enjoin them to stand at the rear of your Big Aussie six and apply their healing hands to the rear bodywork.
 
Now for the smart bit. You hop in, slide the transmission into neutral (or as we Canberra wits like to say, Democrat) and begin to steer. Within minutes your homegrown Aussie hybrid will be conveying you to work.

It's emission free, helps lower cholesterol and reduces waste, ahem; waist sizes, and you still get to travel in your favourite chariot.

Brrr Brrr, Brrr Brrrr. "Hello, Kevin. Have I got an idea for your next election platform. No longer "working families", but, new, improved, "walking families".

"You see, it goes like this. As the price of fuel makes driving unaffordable..."

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