Williams Auto Group

2010 4Runner is Here - Are You In?

The 2010 Toyota 4Runner is now in stock at Williams Toyota of Sayre, PA.  4Runner = Hunting, Hiking, Skiing, Camping, Towing, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Fishing, Snowboarding and lots more.  Do the math:  4Runner = What You Like To Do!  More information awaits you here!

Now In Stock - The 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour!

Come see and drive the new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L, now in stock at Williams Honda of Milan, PA.  The sleek, aerodynamic shape give it an attention-grabbing presence, and the 271-hp V6 gives Accord Crosstour performance to match its size.  Add features like an easy fold-down 60/40 split rear seatback, 51.3 cu ft of cargo space with a handy hatchback, and available Real-Time All Wheel Drive, and you have a vehicle that gets you up to speed and thoroughly up-to-date.  Read all about it here! 

Nissan Chief Plugging Electric Cars?

Today we return to the topic of plug-in cars for the everyday driver.  Some estimates are that 20 years from now there will be as many as 120 million electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road in the United States.  They're on the way - quietly, but surely - and the road noise of the future will sure sound very different than it does today.

In a recent post, we reviewed some of the questions about the future of plug-in, fully-electric vehicles. Questions such as "Where is everyone going to plug these things in?", and "Will I really own an electric car someday?".

They're working on that (the "where to plug-in" part, anyway - they are convinced the demand will be there).  Who's "They", you ask?  Part of They, according to AutomotiveNews.com, is the Electrification Coalition, a "coalition of business leaders", including Nissan USA president Carlos Ghosn.  Ghosn is one of the CEOs in the group, which represents the entire value chain of an electrified transportation system - in other words, those industries who will benefit from the switch to electric plug-ins from fossil fuels-powered vehicles.  The plan today is to roll out the electrics using varied business models for recharging stations and compare the data across different markets to learn which strategy best accommodates consumer behavior.  Nissan Motors is fully-involved - not just in bringing the all-electric Nissan Leaf to your local Williams Nissan showroom, but in designing the batteries, charging stations and overall infrastructure needed for these new products to succeed.  Stayed tuned!

Buy the Sizzle, Lease the Steak?

I thought I had my hands full with reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic.  How am I going to do with "Reuse, Resell, Refabricate and Recycle"?  Nissan Motors and Sumitomo Corporation aim to find out.  In this article, they announce a joint venture to recycle the lithium ion batteries slated to power the new Nissan Leaf electric vehicle due out in 2010.

The business model recognizes that after the end of normal vehicle life, the high-performance lithium-ion batteries to be used by Nissan will retain 70 to 80 percent of residual capacity and can be reused and resold to various industries as a solution to energy-storage.  Nissan and Sumitomo's intent is to create a market for these so-called "second life" batteries.  According to the Sumitomo website, "Second-life batteries present an ideal solution to the renewable-energy sector, allowing energy to be stored for later use. Such ecological application of second-life batteries would contribute to a net reduction of CO2 beyond what is achieved by the all-electric, zero-emission car".  This will also serve as a carbon-footprint offset to the generation of the electricity used by electric vehicles.

But wait, you say, these batteries are quite expensive, are they not?  How will the average driver afford them?  "This direct management of the battery's entire value chain is important to ensure that our EV customers do not bear the cost of the battery," said Hideaki Watanabe, head of Nissan's Zero Emission Business Unit. "Nissan is exploring several options including battery lease or credit model based on a monthly payment scheme. With this proposition, the total running cost, which equals the monthly battery payment plus the cost to charge the battery, is comparable to the cost to refuel a similar gasoline-powered car. Ultimately, this is a compelling economic proposition for a zero-emission car that meets all your driving needs."

So, under this proposed arrangement, I may someday buy an electric car, but lease the battery?  And the cost (including charging) should be about what we pay for gasoline?  We'll continue to keep you posted as this fascinating new technology emerges.

Check out the new Honda CR-Z

I can't wait to see this one on our lot.  This is an article from CarandDriver.com:

At this year’s Tokyo auto show, Honda unveiled a second iteration of the CR-Z concept it debuted here in 2007, taking the opportunity to formally announce that the car will go into production and come to the U.S. in the second half of 2010.

With this second take, the CR-Z inches toward reality with a (slightly) more production-ready look. While it still boasts four seats—the production car will only have two—the greenhouse has grown, with a taller roof and a more upright windshield. The rear quarter windows, too, are larger, while the dramatic upsweep of sheetmetal towards the rear of the car still results in a fat, visibility-inhibiting C-pillar. The dual-element rear glass remains, still bisected at eye level by a metal brace.

Other tweaks progressing toward the CR-Z’s final production shape include a reworked front fascia with smaller auxiliary intakes flanking the grille, and more realistic-looking headlights and side mirrors. The interior, too, is toned down from the original—though still retaining a healthy dose of Honda’s current interior flair—and looks production ready, power outlets, auxiliary audio input, and all.

Under the hood will be a 1.5-liter four-cylinder coupled with Honda’s usual Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system. And those who doubt the sincerity behind Honda’s stated intent for the CR-Z to be a sporty hybrid will be silenced by the fact that the CR-Z will come to market boasting a six-speed manual, the first manual transmission in a hybrid since the original Insight.

The wait for more details will be a short one, as Honda has already said it will debut the production version at the Detroit auto show in January.

 

Will Autopilot Pilot Your Auto?

For those of us who grew up in the latter part of the last century, our conception of the future was defined by all things Automatic.  The automatic Kitchen of the Future would cook for you, the automatic House of the Future would clean itself for you, and the automatic Car of the Future would drive itself for you.  We're still waiting for the ease of the automatic Future.

But there is a glimpse of that future here in an article at msnbc.com, which describes the progress being made in developing the systems which may soon relieve drivers of many of the more mundane (and dangerous!) tasks associated with driving a motor vehicle.  Millions of people are injured in traffic accidents every because people, well, just are not very good drivers, the article says, and technology can help alleviate many of the causes of collisions on the road.

Here at Williams, we are proud to sell some of the brands which are leading the way in developing technology designed to keep you and your family safer, and to get you home in one piece.  Whether it's the new Lane Keep Assist feature (see a video demo of it here) available on the 2010 Toyota Prius, or the Adaptive Cruise Control now standard on Honda Accord, which uses a radar pulse to scan ahead for other vehicles and then increases or decreases speed to maintain a safe following distance, the safety and well-being of our customers is and will remain a top priority here at the Williams Auto Group.

Can One Leaf Change Everything?

We mentioned the forthcoming all-electric, zero-tailpipe-emissions Nissan Leaf in a recent post here, now there is a fantastic photo gallery at NissanUSA.com, including the first shots we have seen of the dashboard of a fully-electric car.  Want to learn more about Nissan's  committment to making all-electric vehicles available to the mass market on a global scale?  Visit the Nissan Leaf home page!