Honda Windward
45-671 Kamehameha HighwayKaneohe,HI96744(808) 247-3903
About
Headlines From The U.S.News 2008 Car Rankings
The
2008 rankings cover the best and worst cars, trucks and SUVs based on
an analysis of consensus opinions from America's top automotive experts.
New Car Misses
Some
new cars miss the mark. In the same class as the Accord, the all-new
Dodge Avenger places last out of 25 cars. The all-new Nissan Rogue is
also
a less-than-stellar performer, placing in the bottom half of the
compact SUV rankings. Surprisingly, the newly redesigned Toyota
Highlander is a merely
decent performer among midsize SUVs. The 2007 Highlander was ranked No. 1 in its class.
The 2008 Winners As of December 13, 2007, the No. 1 ranked automobiles in the most popular categories were:
Best Economy Car: Honda Fit
Best Midsize Car: Honda Accord
Best Upscale Small Car: Volkswagen GTI
Best Upscale Midsize Car: BMW 3-Series
Best Luxury Cars: BMW 5-Series
Best Compact SUVs: Honda CR-V
Best Midsize SUVs: Honda Pilot
Best Large SUVs: Chevrolet Tahoe
Best Luxury Midsize SUVs: Lexus RX 350
Best Full Size Pickups: Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Best Affordable Sports Cars: Mazda MX-5, Honda S2000, Mazda Speed3 (tied)
As with the 2007 rankings, Honda occupies more No. 1 ranking spots (7 in total) than any other nameplate. Honda's Fit, Civic, and Civic Hybrid
take
the top three spots on the Economy Cars list. BMW retains the No. 1
ranking spot in the popular upscale and luxury car categories. Among
the
very
competitive upscale midsize cars, the BMW 3-Series remains the
benchmark, but now has strong competition from the Lexus ES and all-new
Infiniti G37, each tied for the No. 2 ranking spot.
About The 2008 Car Rankings Methodology
The
2008 rankings of cars, trucks, and SUVs were determined through
U.S.News & World Reports' consensus-based rankings methodology. The
top
vehicles
are those receiving the highest accolades determined by an analysis of
automotive experts' opinions, safety ratings, and reliability
statistics.
Solar energy future looks bright in Hawaii
By Greg Wiles
Advertiser Staff Writer
Michael Stoebner couldn't be happier a year after blanketing the roof of one of his
Kane'ohe auto spa buildings with solar photovoltaic panels.
"So far it's been great," said Stoebner, general manager of Honda Windward, owner of
the car wash and maintenance facility on Kahuhipa Street.
"It's a win-win situation for the business and the 'aina."
The photovoltaic panel system provides 40 percent of the power it takes to run some
200 vehicles through the facility's car wash each day, with the company looking at
selling some of the power it produces to Hawaiian Electric Co.
Across the state similar stories are unfolding as photovoltaic electrical systems sprout
on rooftops of businesses trying to escape Hawai'i's nation-leading commercial and
residential electricity rates and take advantage of federal tax credits before they expire
at the end of the year.
Businesses are also wary of future electricity price hikes as petroleum prices climb and
$100-a-barrel oil is no longer fanciful talk. The state is 77 percent dependent on
petroleum for its electricity production.
INSTALLERS SLAMMED
Local photovoltaic system installers report being busier than ever. Business was so
hectic last week for SunEdison LLC, North America's largest solar services provider,
that its executives had trouble finding time for an interview. Last year the Beltsville,
Md.,-based company bought Kailua-based Island Energy in seeking a piece of the
burgeoning business here.
The list of companies getting systems is growing and includes the likes of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the Bentonville, Ark.,
discounter that in part built its cost-efficiency advantage by sophisticated use of technology at its warehouses and suppliers.
Wal-Mart, with the help of SunEdison, has installed or is installing four systems on Hawai'i stores this year.
Castle & Cooke Inc. wants to install a 1.5-megawatt photovoltaic system on Lana'i that will provide 30 percent of the island's
daytime power needs, while Actus Lend Lease Corp., the biggest builder of military housing here, has contracted another
Kailua company, Suntech Hawaii, to put photovoltaic systems on 3,500 homes. Suntech says the homes will generate 65
percent of their own electricity.
The list continues. The state plans to put panels atop 12 buildings to generate up to 34 megawatts of electricity. Costco
Wholesale Corp. has installed 680-kilowatt systems at its Kona and Lihu'e stores; an 804-kilowatt system is planned for Kona
Commons shopping center.
Hilo's ProVision Technologies Inc. has put in systems atop car dealership buildings on Maui and the Big Island - at a
Kahului linen supplier and at a Pahoa grocer. Even Hawaiian Electric Co. is putting in a 167 -kilowatt system at its Ward Avenue
facilities to gain more familiarity with the technology.
HAWAI'I'S 'AT THE TOP'
Hawai'i has two critical components to drive installation of commercial photovoltaic systems, a technology that's been around
since the 1950s and is commonplace today in calculators and watches.
One of the factors is obvious - lots of sun for the photovoltaic cells to convert light to electricity. The second is savings that
can be achieved by reducing power from an electric utility's grid. Travis Bradford, author of "Solar Revolution: The
Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry" and editor of the PVNews newsletter, says Hawai'i is a leader in
both categories.
"If you lined up all the states in the U.S., Hawai'i is at the top," said Bradford. "Hawai'i is a fantastic market for solar energy."
While there are many good environmental reasons for business to adopt photovoltaic systems, including the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions, there are powerful economic incentives in place for business to jump on the bandwagon. Suntech
Hawaii installed Stoebner's system and estimates the system is saving the dealership $2,000 a month on electricity.
CREDITS, SAVINGS ADD UP
Business owners who buy the systems outright can get 72 percent of the system paid off in tax savings the first year,
according to Sean Mullen, president of Suntech Hawaii. That includes a 30 percent federal tax credit, a 35 percent state credit
and the remainder in accelerated depreciation. On Friday, Honolulu City Councilmember Charles Djou announced a new law
exempting photovoltaic systems from the payment of permit fees.
"We're in a very, very busy time for the industry right now," Mullen said. "It's good for all of us."
There also are a variety of financing options available for businesses including from outright purchases, purchase power
agreements and leases. Some businesses can't use all the tax benefits - a business installing a $1 million system would have
hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax credits to offset profits.
That's where purchase power agreements and leases come in.
Under the PPAs the business signs an agreement to buy power from the company installing the equipment. Where Hawaiian
Electric might charge 19.5 cents per kilowatt hour, the PPA might sell the electricity to the business for 16 cents or 17 cents
per kilowatt hour, Mullen said. Such agreements may run 20 years and include an adjustment clause for inflation.
"You're kind of hedging against the oil price in the future," Mullen said. "The PPA prices we're giving out right now start out
cheaper than what most customers are paying HECO."
He said the lease option is favored by people who can't purchase and don't want to commit to a 20-year PPA. Instead, they'll
agree to pay a set lease amount, say $1,000 a month, for 10 years. Mullen said the lease rates typically are 20 percent less
than what customers would pay for the electricity on the Neighbor Islands, where prices are higher than on O'ahu.
LOCKING IN LOWER PRICES
On O'ahu, the leases may be attractive to businesses who want to guard against electricity price increases in the future.
Businesses are rushing to get photovoltaic installed before the federal tax credit expires at the end of this year. But there are
efforts to extend it in Congress.
Even then, Bradford said, photovoltaic systems should remain popular for the foreseeable future. He said systems have been
declining in price by about 5 percent per year over the past 20 years. While there are some short -term pricing fluctuations
because of shortages for photovoltaic, (Kapolei-based Hoku Scientific is building a polysilicon plant in Idaho to help meet
this demand), the prices should continue to fall over the long run, Bradford said.
"I suspect you'll be seeing a lot more solar in Hawai'i," Bradford said.
Stoebner is completely sold on the systems and is considering installing photovoltaic stems for another Honda Windward
facility and for his home as well.
"It was a great, great thing to do for our facility," he said. "It's a no -brainer if you look into it."
Homeowners warming to technology
While not growing at the same robust pace as commercial installations, photovoltaic systems for homes are
on the increase.
A state tax credit of up to $5,000 and a federal tax credit of up to $2,000 are available.
Sean Mullen, president of Suntech Hawaii, an installer of photovoltaic and solar water systems, said more
people are opting for systems, which can run $40,000 to $50,000.
There are ways to use home equity loans and do the project in phases so that homeowners can make
maximum use of tax credits, he said.
By doing so the homeowner can get 50 percent of the system paid off through tax credits, while the
remainder is offset by electricity savings. Hawai'i homeowners, like commercial users, pay the highest
electricity rates in the country.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Hawai'i residential customers paid an average of
23.51 cents per kilowatt hour in September, the latest available figures. That compared to the national rate
of 10.94 cents.
For commercial customers, the rate was an average of 21.4 cents and compared with the national average of
9.88 cents.
Travis Bradford, author of "Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry,"
said many installers are going after the commercial market now because the ability to scale up quickly. But
he said it's only a matter of time before residential photovoltaic systems become more popular.
Bradford said in Japan photovoltaic systems are primarily found on homes and expects the popularity to
increase here.
Mullen said the residential market is doing better than it's ever been.
"We've probably seen two to three times more customers in the past year," he said.
-Greg Wiles
Solar-power 'farms' catching on as well
Solar electrical systems aren't only being considered for homes and business buildings.
At least three solar farms are being considered for Hawai'i. The James Campbell Co. last month signed an
agreement with a Hoku Scientific Inc. unit to plan a Kapolei Sustainable Energy Park that would be capable of
generating 1.5 mega watts of power, or enough to power 6,700 homes for a year.
The photovoltaic farm would be the largest such facility on O'ahu, though plans are afoot for an even larger
10-megawatt solar farm on O'ahu using a slightly different technology known as concentrating solar power.
Sopogy Inc., a Honolulu-based company, wants to build the facility with the help of up to $35 million of
special purpose revenue bonds.
Sopogy already is in the process of planning and building a 1 -megawatt solar farm using its technology at the
Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority on the Big Island.
Instead of employing photovoltaic cells that convert light to electricity, the system makes use of curved
mirrors that intensify and focus sun energy on a pipe filled with a fluid. After being heated, the fluid can be
used to drive turbines and generate electricity, for use in absorption electricity or steam creation.
While the technology has been around for more than 30 years, Sopogy says it has a design that makes the
process more efficient.
"It's a very interesting approach," said Darren Kimura, president of Sopogy, which last year attracted more
than $9 million in venture capital funding.
"We feel very comfortable with moving forward with a significantly larger project."
Kimura said he is receiving calls and e-mails on a regular basis asking about the technology, which, unlike
photovoltaic, can be used to generate electricity at night by storing the heated fluid during the day for use
hours later.
Kimura declined to say where the O'ahu solar farm might be located and said he has been in discussions with
Hawaiian Electric Co. about the project.
-Greg Wiles
© COPYRIGHT 2008 The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper , a ...2/11/2008
Nissan Quest 'Fails' Bumper Testing
Honda Odyssey Named Top Minivan In Bumper Test
Crash test results weren't kind to some 2008 models of minivans.
According to testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, none of six minivans tested is
designed to resist vehicle damage in many low-speed collisions. The front and rear bumper
systems on these minivans allowed $5,000 or more damage in a series of four crash tests
conducted at 3 and 6 mph.
The Nissan Quest was the worst, sustaining damage that cost more than $8,000 to repair.
"[The Quest] miserably failed the rear full-width test, sustaining more than twice as much damage
as the best performer, the Honda Odyssey," said IIHS Senior Vice President Joe Nolan. "This is
disappointing because full-width tests are the easiest ones. They spread the energy of an impact
across a vehicle's whole back or front. But the Quest's rear bumper system failed when its reinforcement
bar cracked and was driven into the rear body of the vehicle, resulting in expensive repairs. The
tailgate was so badly damaged that it had to be replaced."
The tailgates on 5 of the 6 minivans the Institute tested -- all but the Chevrolet Uplander -- sustained
damage in the rear full-width test. Only the Quest and Toyota Sienna required tailgate replacement.
Those on the other minivans could be repaired at less cost.
The Quest's performance wasn't much better in the two frontal tests. It was the worst performer in the
corner test and second to worst in the front full-width test, during which it slid under the bumper barrier
and sustained damage to the hood and grille. This was the only minivan with hood damage in the
front full-width test.
"Quest owners can expect huge damage repair bills after all kinds of low-speed collisions. This isn't
a good vehicle choice for consumers looking for a minivan with reasonable repair costs," Nolan said.
Other Nissans didn't fare much better in bumper testing. The Maxima racked up more damage in an
earlier series of the same bumper tests than 16 other moderately priced midsize cars, and the Infiniti G35
was worst among 11 luxury midsize cars.
The Honda Odyssey performed best overall. Damage to the Odyssey in the two frontal tests, full-width
and corner, was in line with damage to the other minivans, but this vehicle performed better in the rear
tests. It was the best performer in the rear full-width configuration, sustaining damage costing half as
much to repair as the damage to the Quest.
In the rear corner test, the Odyssey was the second best performer. Damage was largely confined to the
bumper system -- the plastic cover, reinforcement bar, and the energy-absorbing foam. The Dodge Grand
Caravan was the best performer in this test, sustaining the least amount of damage in any of the 24
individual tests in this round of bumper evaluations. Damage to the Grand Caravan, as well as the Odyssey
and Sienna, was limited to the bumpers.
The Toyota Sienna sustained the least amount of damage in the front corner test. But if the crash configuration
had differed slightly, the outcome could have been very different because there's little underneath the Sienna's
bumper cover to absorb crash energy. The Sienna and Chevrolet Uplander were the only minivans to withstand
the front corner test without headlight damage.
"There are good examples in these results," Nolan says. "Although neither the Odyssey nor the Grand
Caravan performed particularly well in the frontal tests and the Sienna didn't do particularly well in the rear tests,
all three of these vehicles did turn in good performances in one or two tests apiece. What we want is for all
passenger vehicles to perform as well or better than the best minivan examples in each test."
All parts don't cost the same: Besides the amount of damage sustained in a low-speed impact, repair
costs are influenced by both the price of replacement parts and the complexity of the necessary repairs.
"Because minivans and other passenger vehicles allow so much damage in low-speed collisions, we
have to pay attention to comparative repair and replacement costs," Nolan concludes. "The best way to
avoid these costs is for automakers to equip their vehicles with bumper systems that resist damage in the
first place. Until manufacturers do this, consumers will have to study our crash test results and shop accordingly."
2008 Limited Edition Mugen Civic
Honda's Mugen line of factory-installed performance products is more than well-known to Honda enthusiasts in
North America, but cars equipped with Mugen goodies haven't been sold here until now. Starting later this month,
Honda will sell the track-tested Mugen Civic Si.
The Mugen model differs in that it sits 0.6 inches lower to the ground on a tightened up suspension, has unique
The Mugen models will be available exclusively in Fiji Blue Pearl. Inside, a Mugen Limited Edition badge and an
Underhood, the Mugen is identical to other Civic Si models. The Mugen will be limited to 1,000 examples and will be