Top Eco Minivans: The Green Family Car

Having a family can often put you at odds with being green when it comes to your car. Sure we’d all love to drive around in a compact hybrid or a fuel efficient micro-car but, our realities of daily living don’t really fit – literally. As a parent I understand the issues that eco-friendly families wrestle with on a regular basis.

If you have one child you probably couldn’t live with a SMART Car or a Tesla, unless it’s just your fun car but, you could get away with a Toyota Prius or Honda Insight. They are actually pretty roomy and have good trunk space for all the child accouterments i.e. stroller, bags, toys, play pen or whatever.  Once you have two kids it seems to become impractical. With two child safety seats in the back and double strollers – you’re filled to capacity.  Not to mention fitting loads of groceries, grandma or another kid for a play date. So, as many parents do, they let go of their youth and their selfish aspirations for a cool car and give in to the dreaded minivan.  Now mind you, minivans have come a long way.  They come with all kinds of bells and whistles and some are actually pretty sporty looking. One of my friends actually put flames on the side. That’s another discussion all together. So, how do families balance practicality with the environment?

Well, I did a little research. I went to greenercars.org and they have rated minivans by their “green-ness”.  But I feel that many times Green organizations seem to overlook the real-world practicalities of the cars they are reviewing so, I decided to go to the gold-standard – Edmunds.com.  So working off these two respectable sites I put together a nice list.

1. Mazda 5 – Without further ado, the number one minivan voted by both sites is the Mazda 5. It has one of the highest emissions standards with the top green score (Low Emissions Vehicle II) – pretty good on the MPG too with best-in-class fuel economy of 21 in the City and 27 on the Highway.  Edmunds calculated it as the “lowest true cost to own” and was Consumers’ Top Rated.  Although it is considerably smaller than a full-size minivan, it can still seat 6 in relative comfort and since it’s built on the Mazda 3 platform, you get that Zoom-Zoom feeling that most minivans lack.  And the price – awesome! You can get the top trim level for less than $23,000. You save green and you are green and it’s got good safety features too.  What more could you ask for? Never mind.
2. Kia Sedona – Okay.  This baby gives you bang for the buck.  It did not even appear on the greenercars.org’s top 3 – which is a shame.  This is all about value, and in these tough economic times, who couldn’t use that? The Sedona has many of the same features of other top brand competitors and its well-equipped base model starts at only $22, 195. Wait! There’s more. You get the unbelievable 10 year/100,000 mile power train warranty – the longest in the industry. Did I just say that? J Furthermore, it has the same high emission standards as the Odyssey (ULEV-2) and matches the Sienna’s MPG (17/23).  All safety and performance features are similar with just a little less space (142 cubic feet). So, as I write this Sienna has lost its #2 spot and I’m moving the Sedona up to its rightful place.
3. Toyota Sienna – Now I’m not sure why but greenercars.org ranks the Sienna #3 for green but, considering that the #2 green rated Transit is not a family van, it’s effectively the 2^nd greenest family minivan. Its emission standards are actually higher than the Mazda 5, being a ULEV-2 (Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle) but, its fuel efficiency is a little lower with 17 in the City and 23 on the Highway but, it’s much bigger than the Mazda 5 with 7 or 8 passenger seating and a cavernous 149 cubic feet of maximum cargo capacity. So this is great for a large family. If you live in cold areas with lots of snow, higher models have an all-wheel drive option. The Sienna has been a long standing classic – it has high safety ratings and is very reliable.  If you have more than two kids, you definitely want to consider this lean mean green machine. But be ready to shell out some green as the base price starts at $1,500 more than the Mazda 5 with top trim level at an MSRP of $24,540.
4. Honda Odyssey – Not exactly sure why the Odyssey didn’t make the grreenercars.org list but it has the same emissions standards as the Sienna with just a smidgen better gas mileage of 17 in the City and 25 on the Highway. Unfortunately the Odyssey lacks some of the refinements and features found in the aforementioned vans but, personally I like the sporty exterior and it comes with high safety marks as well.  Edmunds still considers the Honda a top pick for its minivan selection.  The roominess is comparable to the Sienna but its price is even higher with an MSRP of $26,805. Unless you’re particularly fond of the Odyssey, I’d stick with the Toyota version.
5. Ford Transit Connect – Well, yes, it’s a minivan but it’s far from a family van.  This car is really meant to be a bare-bones commercial hauler and its clunky tall roof Euro-styling is pretty goofy but, it is a great compact work van.  It ranks #2 on greenercars.org a

   

   

   

   

   

   Kia Sedona

   
   

   

   
   
   

   Kia Sedona

   nd its MPG is comparable to the Mazda with 22 in the City and 25 on the highway.  For a compact van it has a lot of room; 135 cubic feet of space behind its front seats, offering 100 fewer cubes than the full-size Ford Econoline, but the same as a Chevy Suburban. So yes, you can get a second row of seats which are probably meant to carry more work crew but, with a little psychedelic imagination you could customize this baby to be the next hippie-rama VW Van. So much for family functionality. MSRP $21,185

So, the results are in.  Frankly, the Mazda 5 is perfect if you only have a couple kids but, with a much larger family I would go for the value-driven Kia Sedona.  I hope this helps out all you green families out there. Stay tuned for my next blog posting, “How to get your kid out of your bed.”

Celebrities reach for the stars: We need fresh drinking water

Since 1924, the statement “Because it’s there,” spoken by British climber George Mallory when he was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest has been a ubiquitous part of our culture.  One thing that just might not be there is fresh drinking water.  We leave it to Hollywood celebrities and other famous heavy-weights to finally give us a better reason to reach for the mountain tops – fresh drinking water.  No, they’re not going up there to collect ice and melt it.  They are trying to create hoop-la to bring attention to the issue of fresh drinking water. They are calling it, “Summit on the Summit.” You can track your favorite celeb’s heart rate and oxygen levels live without being arrested for stalking.  Some of these altruistic climbers include hotties like Jessica Biel (for the guys) and Emile Hirsch (for the ladies), and, some real people like Elizabeth Gore a UN Humanitarian and Dr. Greg Allgood the director of Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program at Proctor & Gamble.

According to the website there are still over 1 billion people who do not have access to clean drinking water; the most affected are children.  Furthermore, water-related diseases are responsible for 80% of all sickness in the world and are the leading cause of death, taking the lives of over 3.5 million people a year.  You would think that since most of the planet is covered by water we should be fine but, only about 0.007% of it is readily accessible for direct human use.  Wow! It must suck for all those third world countries.  Not so fast!  Currently, over half the states in the U.S. are facing serious drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“My tap is working – what’s the big deal?” Well, yes, for now.  We take it for granted that we have water availability, even though in many places it takes great ingenuity to transfer it hundreds of miles.  Donald Wilhite of the National Drought Mitigation Center says the Southwest and Southeast are “becoming gradually more vulnerable to drought” because the rising population will need more water. “We think of water as an unlimited resource,” he says. “But what happens when you turn on the tap and it’s not there?” Scary thought.

So what do we do? Well, the obvious thing is save water: shorter showers, wash full laundry loads only, plant low-water-use plants, turn off the water while you brush or shave, fix leaky faucets, use a broom to clean your driveway or sidewalk and, of course, how could I forget, use a “waterless” car wash.  I prefer Lucky Earth J And with all that money you save DIY with Lucky Earth you could donate a few bucks to a worthy cause like Summit on the Summit at http://summitonthesummit.com/#/intro .

I hope these stars have more success than Mallory because not too long after he and his climbing partner disappeared on the way to the summit. I’m just too lazy to climb a rock so hopefully Summit on the Summit’s efforts will make real impact on us as people and the issue of fresh drinking water. Cheers!

Top 10 Coolest Electric Cars

Since I was a kid back in the 70’s and felt the brunt of the oil embargo – car lines around the block and odd and even days – I’ve been wondering of a day when alternative fuel vehicles would come into play. Finally, 30 plus years later we have an electric car boom.

Well let’s not waste anymore time.  Here they are, the top 10 coolest electric cars today:

1. Aptera – Come on Trekkies!  Or Trekkers as you might prefer.  This futuristic egg shaped three wheeled vehicle is so cool.  The seats and carpet were made out of old plastic bottles and cups, and the fabrics throughout the vehicle are colored from natural dyes.  If I could, I’d pick up a dozen of these eggs and give them out to friends and family.  Reserve yours today.   http://www.aptera.com/ Price will range between $25,000-$40,000.
2. Fisker Karma – Not fully electric but this is where luxury, sport and environment collide.  This is no hippie car but it is eco-friendly.  The Karma uses Q-DRIVE plug-in hybrid technology. What!?  I know, that’s a mouthful.  A fully-charged Karma burns no fuel for the first 50 miles and after that the gasoline engine powers the generator to charge the lithium ion battery. Once the 50-mile electric range has been exceeded, the car operates as a normal hybrid vehicle.  It’s fast! 0-60 in than 6 seconds. This is a Henrik Fisker design; the man who has created BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9 & V8. There is definitely an ECO-CHIC factor.  The celebs will be flocking.  Pre-order now at http://karma.fiskerautomotive.com/ List Base Price $87,900.
3. Tesla Motors – This is e-sport! Feel the cool.  Reminds me a lot of the Lotus but this electric sports machine is electric and eco-licous. Did I just say that? But it is so awesome.  0- 60 in 3.9seconds. Oh Yeah! Top speed is 125 mph (electronically limited, hint, hint). Takes about 3.5 hours to fully charge with a range of 244 miles. It’s twice as efficient as a Toyota Prius. List Base Price $109,000. http://www.teslamotors.com/
4. Zap Alias – This three wheeled dynamo is a masterpiece of form, technology and environment.  This is the anti-egg. Watch out Aptera.  This is like a Hot Wheels car on steroids. 100% electric. 0-60 in 7.8 seconds with a 100+ mile range. Unfortunately it tops out at 75 mph.  Put down your deposit now. List price is $35,000. http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/electric-cars/zap-alias
5. Persu Hybrid – It’s a stretch calling this a car but, it’s not a motorcycle either. More like a cockpit on wheels. This 3 wheeled vehicle goes 0-60 in 6 seconds with top speeds of about 100 mph.  It gets about 75+ mpg with 20 mile range of electric and a total driving range of 400 miles on 6 gallons of gas. There is no denying the fun factor here.  Pricing not available. http://www.flytheroad.com/
6. Commuter Cars Tango – Out of Spokane, WA combines the agility of motorcycle with the high performance of a sports car.  It looks a lot like a squished sub-compact with two tandem seats. Depending on the type of battery you get, range can be about 150 miles.  This Tango can rocket from 0-60 in about 4 seconds with a top speed of 135 mph.  Watch out Tesla! But at a price of $108,000 for T600, I’ll stick with the Tesla. http://www.commutercars.com/
7. Lumeneo Smera – Is very much in the same class as the Persu being a tandem two seater but, not so space shippy.  Most importantly it’s all electric. Definitely sporty and compact.  Not as zippy as the Persu with 0-60 in 8 seconds but, tops out higher at 80 mph.  This little coupe only has a range of 90 miles.  It went on sale last year for $33,000 but is only available in Paris. http://lumeneo.fr/welcome.html
8. Coda Automotive – Looks very much like a VW Jetta with a top speed of 80 mph (Electronically Limited).  This actually holds 4 passengers unlike many of the other vehicles in this list, making it much more practical.  With a 6 hour charge you can go anywhere from 90-120 miles. It does lack a bit of Zip with just under 11 seconds from 0-60. Price $40,000. http://www.codaautomotive.com/
9. Zenn – Zero emissions and no noise.  It reminds me a shrunken minivan with two doors but, it’s actually a two seat hatchback. MSRP is $14,995. Now that is reasonable!  But much like the Wheego they’re intended for in-town use on streets rated at up to 35 MPH. http://www.zenncars.com/
10. Wheego Whip– Is an all-electric two-seat hatchback car that is comparable in look and styling to many of the new sub-compacts being put out by the big corporations.  Small issue is that it is an LSV, meaning that it is not allowed on roads posted 35 mph or more.  It has a range of 55 miles costs about $19,000. http://wheego.net/

Also keep an eye on the big boys.  GM has come out with futuristic and sporty Chevy Volt, giving new meaning to the muscle car. And now BMW’s Mini, now has the Mini E. Nissan is unveiling the Leaf and Toyota will also unveil an electric hybrid plug-in Prius.

With all these great new alternative vehicles, it’s a fine time to be alive. It seems electric cars are here to stay.

Heal the Bay: Fighting for what’s right

Since Lucky Earth’s inception we have believed in separating ourselves from the barrage of “green” companies by setting higher social and environmental standards.  We figured the best way to show this was by putting our money where our mouth is.  So why not donate a percentage of our profits to an environmental cause.  We searched and found many worthy charities by the one the stood out was Heal the Bay.

So why Heal the Bay?  Well, first off, they are local to our company.  Since we are both based out of Santa Monica, California we figured it would make things a lot easier and we could see firsthand the effects of our charity.   The second major appeal of Heal the Bay was that their focus is clean water. They are dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean. Seems to be the perfect fit and we are happy to do our small part in helping the earth.

If you don’t know too much about Heal the Bay, they started in 1985, when a handful of people learned that the City of Los Angeles was dumping barely treated sewage into Santa Monica Bay; the pollution from sewage and storm drains had led to a decrease in the number and quality of fish in the Bay, dolphins that had reproductive problems and were full of tumors, a large patch of the bottom of the Bay was essentially lifeless, and people who swam and surfed in the Bay complained about infections and other illnesses. This is close to my heart because, in my youth I would go body boarding several times a week in Santa Monica and many times after surfing I would come down with flu-like symptoms. A handful of people, led by founding president Dorothy Green, got angry and they got organized. Heal the Bay was born.

They held rallies at the beach and got the media to inform the public of what was happening.  They also joined the Environmental Protection Agency lawsuit already pending against the City of L.A. Because of these actions, the City consented to comply with the Clean Water Act. Plans were developed to totally rebuild Hyperion to provide full secondary treatment by December 31, 1998, and replace a major sewer line that was regularly causing raw sewage overflows into Ballona Creek. Since that 1985 decision, Hyperion has become a world-class treatment facility.

Heal the Bay believes and acts on the belief that a small group of people can change their world, can literally “fight city hall” and win.

We are proud to support Heal the Bay in their efforts to protect the health of oceans and bays in Southern California by donating 1% of net profits to the cause. With every purchase you make, you are in effect making a personal difference.

Green Gifting Guide

This holiday season, as always, there is tremendous pressure to get the right gifts for the special people in your life. This year more than most, Americans are putting more thought into their gifts and are striving to go beyond the simple video game or pair of socks. But since the economy and the environment appear in to be in a downward spiral, what new gifting trends have evolved this season? What kinds of presents are getting more attention than previous years? This year, presents that can save money AND the environment are hotter than ever.
While you can find presents that help save the environment (re-usable bags, bamboo towels and keyboards, solar gadget chargers ) and you can find presents that save money, (snuggies, water filters, CFL light bulbs, or rechargeable batteries) it can be tricky finding the perfect present that satisfies both concerns simultaneously.
Though traditional “econo-eco-gifts” are functional and are readily available, they often make for boring and bland gifts. Finding one that is exciting and fresh can require some thought. Solar iPod rechargers and e-books are newer gadgets that are in high demand but their high costs, coupled with current economic conditions have many financially stressed gifters running towards more “wallet friendly” items. Have you ever considered a waterless car wash? WATERLESS CAR WASH!? Yes- you can actually wash your whole car without a hose or bucket!
Lucky Earth is a fun and fresh new company which offers a waterless car wash that works great, makes a difference and the price is just right! Each 32oz. bottle of waterless car wash saves up to 1000 gallons of water while washing a regular sized sedan about 10 times and since it is completely non-toxic, it won’t harm the environment or contribute towards any hazardous urban runoff. Simply spray it on your car and wipe it off with reusable microfiber towels and your car is left with a sparkling shine without a single scratch. It makes the perfect gift for every apartment dwelling early adopter, college student trend-setter, and green car buff all for well under $20!

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