Auto & Car Blog

Filed under: MPG, Green Daily

Well, there’s no shortage of, um, unusual ideas on ways to increase the miles-per-gallon of the car you already drive. Everything from pills for the tank to Brown’s Gas appear on our radar with some regularity, but this idea is a new one. It’s called “electrorheology” and it means introducing a bit of electricity into the fuel stream just before the fuel is injected into the combustion chambers. The resulting fuel is then more viscous and therefore burns cleaner. According to an article written by researchers at Temple University, this “improves fuel mileage significantly,” and the results are being shown in the lab and on the road.

Sounds good, right? Well, our friends at Autoblog gave this a cold once-over and realized that the groups pushing this technology have been behind a lot of similar mpg-boosting technology in the past, the MagChargR and the Zero Emission Fuel Saver (ZEFS). This isn’t exactly promising, but we’ll be happy to see this work. Until then, I think driving sensibly is the best way to go further on less fuel today.

[Source: Gizmag via Autoblog]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Automotive X-Prize

Following Friday’s report of the agreement between GM and CARB on the status of the Volt, the Automotive X Prize took stock of the deal and issued its statement on the possibility of a 100-MPG rating for the highly-anticipated car. While praising what GM is doing with the Volt, the X Prize also recommended that the EPA, “consider adopting MPGe as a unit of measure that would more accurately reflect fuel consumption of alternative energy vehicles, and we welcome further discussions with them on this topic.” We all know that one of the X Prize’s big challenges is how to rate the many different fuel/energy types in the cars that will compete in the $10 million contest, and AXP executive director Don Foley said in a statement that, “Reliance on an MPG standard alone will soon be outdated and will not accurately reflect the need for higher fuel efficiency.” More details after the break.

[Source: X Prize]

Continue reading X Prize on 100mpge Volt: good, now let’s think of the big picture

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Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy, USA

In some ways, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn’t have it easy. But there is one thing that the agency can point to and say, once again, we’re moving forward: mpg averages. The EPA issued a statement today (available after the jump) that said that the average mpg rating for all new cars and light duty trucks sold in the U.S. will increase in 2008. This year’s increase should be up 0.2 mpg from last year, to a solid but uninspiring 20.8 mpg. I say “should be” because the final tally won’t be known until early 2009. This will be the fourth annual increase in a row and the highest since 1993, and the agency is pushing further.

The main reason for the increase, the EPA said, is not just more efficient vehicles (esp. light trucks) but also that fewer light truck are being sold. The more fuel efficient small cars are sold, the better the nation’s average gets.

[Source: EPA]

Continue reading EPA: Average fuel economy goes up in U.S.

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Filed under: MPG, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Pontiac, Saturn

Hey, always thinking that only Japanese and Europeans have a lot of fuel-efficient vehicle choices? American automakers also have fuel-efficient models in their lineup, usually based on “global” models designed for other markets, like GM does with its Opel/Vauxhall European subsidiary or its Daewoo operations in South Korea. In fact, in a new list compiled by Forbes, GM models took nine of the ten fuel miser models, with only a Ford Focus stealing a spot away from the General.

However, U.S. automakers still have homework to do. While the top three models in the Forbes list get an average EPA estimate of 28 mpg (45 percent highway and 55 percent city driving), these best-performing American vehicles are still behind their Asian-made counterparts, such as the Toyota Yaris (31 mpg) and Honda Fit (30 mpg). The list only includes automatic transmissions, because they’re America’s favorite.

So follow us after the jump to see America’s fuel savers.

[Source: Forbes]

Continue reading GM makes 9 of the 10 most efficient American cars

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Filed under: MPG, BMW, Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen, Legislation and Policy

In an effort to sway consumer’s minds when it comes to the types of vehicles they purchase and the regulations concerning fuel mileage of those vehicles, a consortium of automakers is running radio and print advertising in some states. The group, Auto Alliance, consists of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Porsche, and is known officially as The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Their mission: “The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers represents the common interests of its members and provides a forum to enable them to advance public policies that meet consumer and societal needs for clean, safe, efficient, and affordable personal transportation. ”

Although claiming that “we need a balanced approach that avoids harm to Americans dependent on larger cars and light trucks,” according to Gloria Bergquist, the group is not really taking a balanced approach in the states the ads will be heard and shown in. According to this article, “the alliance said it would spend “way north” of $1 million on the ads to be run in Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — all states with high percentages of truck and SUV owners.”

The ads are said to be targeted towards truck owners and mothers who drive larger vehicles and are concerned with safety. The idea is that fuel mileage regulations would make it more difficult for consumers to purchase heavy duty, work capable pickups and for mothers to find safe vehicles.

Click here for ad one (.mp3). Click here for ad two (.mp3).

Grassroots efforts are also said to be in effect to contact retirees from the large automakers with similar information. At this time, automakers are under regulations that were created in 1975 to regulate fuel economy. So, all of you consumers out there, what do you think?

[Source: Detroit News]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

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