fuel economy
Can’t Get A Prius? Consider The Alternatives
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Given the current state of gasoline, the Toyota Prius has been hotter than Justin Bieber tickets. Unfortunately, there’s a nationwide shortage of the popular hybrid across the American market: Cars.com lists just 9,014 available. Chalk it up to the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, but the Prius has been selling fast for months now…
EPA Offering Fuel Economy Window Stickers For Used Cars
Those of you buying or selling a used car now have another weapon at your disposal during your hunt for the perfect clunker. The EPA is offering window stickers for a all kinds of used cars that give estimates of a vehicle’s fuel economy, so buyers and sellers can advertise (or obfuscate) how much gasoline…
EPA May Be Barred From Regulating Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A House of Representatives committee introduced a bill that would stop the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles from the year 2015 onwards, a key part of a national fuel economy program that is actually favored by many automakers. While the bill was supposedly passed in the interest of keeping vehicle prices…
Ford Ready for $4 a Gallon Gas Says CEO Mulally
If gas hits $4.00 a gallon, which looks to happen soon, Ford is prepared with the right cars says CEO Alan Mulally. The automaker has put into place a new global plan with strong offerings in the compact and sub-compact set, while also proliferating the use of fuel-efficient technologies (ranging from direct-injection, to turbocharging, to…
TrueCar.Com Announces 10 Most Fuel Efficienct Hybrids And Non-Hybrids
TrueCar.com released their rankings of the Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient vehicles in both the hybrid and non-hybrid category, an important distinction according to TrueCar, because “Hybrids offer great fuel economy but most don’t provide the value consumers are seeking.” The hybrid list is predictably topped by the Toyota Prius, followed by the Lexus CT200h…
Mercedes-Benz C350 BlueEFFICIENCY Gets AMG Appearance Package
If you want an aggressive looking Mercedes-Benz C-Class but can’t ante up for the psychotically delightful C63 AMG, the 2011 C350 BlueEFFICIENCY equipped with the AMG appearance package might be a suitable bridge between the standard car and the V8 demon lurking at the top of the C-Class food chain. LED running lights and new…
Spain Lowers Speed Limit to Cut Fuel Consumption in Response to Libya Crisis
As a result, the country is looking to curb fuel usage and one way the Spanish Government figures it can do that is by lowering the national speed limit from 120 km/h (75 mph), down to 110 km/h (68 mph).
Toyota Prius With 200,000 Miles Delivers Identical Fuel Economy Ten Years Later
The Toyota Prius is one of the most polarizing vehicles on the market today, with a legion of fans convinced that they’re doing their part to save the world, and an equal number of detractors deriding it as nothing more than a status symbol for green-obsessed vanity hounds. Strip away the awful rhetoric, and the…
Ford Considers Hydraulic Hybrid F-150
How much? Well, a conventional 4.6-liter F-150 has a combined city/highway mileage ratings of 18 mpg. With the CVT and hydraulic system operating, Li claims the same truck can likely deliver as much as 40 mpg in urban driving.
2012 Fiat 500 Misses The 40 MPG Mark
The Fiat 500 just missed the now coveted 40 mpg mark, returning 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg highway with the 5-speed manual, while automatic versions will net 27 mpg in town and 34 mpg while cruising. While the numbers are nothing to frown about, expectations were higher considering the car’s 1.4L four-cylinder…
2011 Ford Explorer Gets Best-in-Class 25 MPG Highway
Ford has finally released the official EPA fuel economy stats for the new 2011 Explorer, carrying through on a promise to be an mpg leader with every new vehicle it rolls out. That being said, the new Ford Explorer gets a rating of 17-mpg city and 25-mpg highway, a solid 2-mpg getter than any of…
Volkswagen Jetta TDI Lauded By Consumer Reports, Honda CR-Z Gets Dismal Rating
Consumer Reports released their ranking of fuel efficient cars in their upcoming January issue, and their rankings may come as a shock to conventional wisdom. Scoring highest was the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, a car that previously had a reputation for anything but reliability(although it was less about reliability than overall performance). The Ford Fiesta and…
Feds Delay on 62-MPG CAFE Rules for 2025
With automakers currently struggling to meet the 35-mpg Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards set in place for 2016, the thought of a 62-mpg CAFE number for 2025 is unimaginable by many. That 62-mpg number, the result of a proposed 3 to 6 percent increase in fleet fuel economy starting in 2017, has just been delayed….
Next Ford F-150 Could Trade Steel Frame for Magnesium-Alloy
There’s a good deal of logic to this. Magnesium is currently one of the most abundant elements on earth and is 36 percent lighter than aluminum.
Hyundai Plans 10-Speed Transmissions, 50 MPG CAFE Rating
At today’s Michigan tech briefing, Hyundai announced plans for new transmissions, including a 10 speed automatic, and ambitious fuel economy targets. Hyundai claimed that a 10 speed automatic would be part of their overall strategy for 2016 through 2020, along with cylinder deactivation. Even more enticing, Hyundai confirmed that a dual clutch transmission would be…
2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco Rated At 42 MPG Highway, Beats Original Target
Chevrolet‘s Cruze Eco compact sedan has returned 28 mpg in the city and 42 mpg on the highway, allowing it to capture the top spot in its segment for fuel economy. Using the new 1.4T engine that displaces 138 horsepower, the Cruze Eco also has a few aerodynamic tricks up its sleeve, including a front…
Mazda: “We Will Never Give Up” On Rotary Engine
Mazda is still developing their next-generation rotary engine, dubbed the 16X, but development has been slowed by a number of issues, among them the engine’s failure to meet emissions targets. Even though the 16X is expected to bring a 30 percent increase in fuel economy compared to the current 1.3L rotary engine, the 16X is…
2011 Ford F-150 Claims Fuel Economy Crown Thanks To V6
Ford is claiming that the new 2011 F-150 will get best in class fuel economy despite no EPA verified mileage figures. Ford states that the 3.7L V6 model will return 16 mpg in town and 23 mpg on the highway. By comparison a 2011 Ram with a 3.7L V6 will get 14 mpg in the…
Obama Administration Targeting 62-MPG CAFE Standard by 2025
The Obama Administration is considering strict new fuel economy regulations that would make the 35.5-mpg 2016 CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards seem like an easy target to reach. The far-reaching new target would see a 62-mpg CAFE standard set in place for 2025. A preliminary proposal indicating as much was released late last week,…
Toyota Camry V6 To Get Fuel Economy Bump For 2011
Everybody stop what you’re doing. The 2011 Toyota Camry has received a slight fuel economy bump for 2011, with the V6 model 20 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, up from 19 and 28 mpg from last year’s model. New low-rolling-resistance tires help with the fuel economy raise, and for those…
Consumers Reports Announces Best Car For Fatties
It’s always painful to drag out the tired “fat Americans” canard that so many smug Europeans like to bust out everytime your criticize their 35 hour workweek, but the truth is, many Americans are on the larger side. Consumers Reports makes an excellent point; larger people often buy larger vehicles like trucks and SUVs, which…
Hyundai Will “Hit Fleet Average Of 50 MPG” By 2025, Says CEO
Ward’s Auto is reporting via their Twitter feed that Hyundai North America President and CEO John Krafcik told reporters that their North American arm will have a fleet average fuel economy rating of 50 mpg by 2025. Hyundai is currently planning the launch of their first hybrid, the Sonata Hybrid, for this fall, with more…
2011 Ford Explorer to Get 30% Improvement in Fuel Economy
If Ford’s claims are to be believed, that means the 2011 Explorer will likely get 18 miles per gallon in town and around 26 on the highway, versus the 14/20 cycle for today’s truck.
Report: Next Gen Maserati Quattroporte To Get Start-Stop, AWD Technology
Maserati, we hardly knew ye. The one time car of gentlemen, scoundrels and masochists (Maserati is a synonym for “unreliable” in many thesauri) has become positively mainstream, with all kinds of celebrities and nouveau riche types snapping up the GranTurismo and Quattroporte as an alternative to the usual German offerings. Maserati CEO Harald Wester told…
