fuel consumption
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Gasoline prices, which fell below $2 a gallon in many parts of the United States over the winter, have been slowly rising again. And given the supply-and-demand equations in the global oil industry, that means that demand has risen as supplies have stayed steady or fallen. So even though Saudi Arabia has refused to constrain its production to support oil prices, rising global gasoline demand has run head-on into a reduction in output by higher-cost North American producers. DON'T MISS: Average new-car fuel economy keeps falling as SUVs surge The result, as a recent article in The Financial...
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Jobs Are Getting Further From People; That Means More DrivingA new study shows people are driving farther to get to work.
Stephen Edelstein -
Start-Stop In U.S.: 7% Now, 57% In 2020, But Drivers 'Resist': Analyst
Start-stop systems have finally started to arrive on U.S. new cars in noticeable numbers. The systems, which simply turn off a car's engine when it's sitting stationary and then switch it back on as the driver's foot starts to lift off the brake, are now fitted to 7 percent of new cars sold in the...
John Voelcker -
U.S. Demand For Oil Rose 4-5 Percent In 2013, Startling Analysts
With increasing energy efficiency in cars, homes, and industry, plus a surge in domestic natural-gas production, U.S. demand for oil is widely said to have tapered off and in fact begun a structural decline. Except that, as it turns out, last year it seems U.S. demand for oil actually rose by...
John Voelcker -
A Little Math Lesson: Are Used Cars Greener Than Hybrids?
It's a common question: Which is greener, continuing to drive my old car or buying a new, more fuel-efficient one? As with many such questions, the answer is: It depends. But one of the things it depends on is doing the math right. As much as we love CBS's The Fast Draw segments, we think Mitch...
John Voelcker -
Gas Prices: How Much Are YOU Paying At The Pump In Taxes? (Infographic)
Gas prices go up and down, lately more up than down. Today, however, the U.S. government has decided to release a portion of its strategic petroleum reserve, just as crude-oil prices continued a decline that started several weeks ago. Gas prices vary enormously from state to state, due to...
John Voelcker -
With gas-mileage standards through 2016 now in place, the EPA and NHTSA are turning their sights toward rules for 2017 through 2025. Proposals are floating around for CAFE standards of up to 62 mpg (which means the vehicles you might buy would average about 50 mpg in actual use). Ah, the hell with that. Let's talk about how people drive in the real world. Most of them only focus on saving gas once in a while. Sometimes we think that, basically, they don't care--because gas is still far too cheap in the U.S. To assist you in the all-American pursuit of driving however you damn well please...
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Hyundai Elantra Gas Mileage
Unlike other compact cars, the gas-mileage story for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra is simple. There's a single engine, a choice of two transmissions--six-speed automatic or six-speed manual--and any Elantra you order will have the same EPA-rated gas mileage. The figures are 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway...
John Voelcker -
Gas Prices Rising: Driving Tips, Simple Repairs Boost Mileage (Infographic)
We have to admit, we're fond of infographics. This one has three simple parts. It looks at gas prices--which recently rose to an average of $4 a gallon before ebbing slightly--showing national average prices for both three grades of gasoline and for diesel fuel. Then it suggests some driving tips...
John Voelcker -
Chevrolet Cruze Gas Mileage
With two models--one all about gas mileage, with two transmission options, plus the other one, which has two engines and two transmissions--the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze may take some sorting out if you're looking to maximize your fuel economy. At least there's only one body style for the new 2011...
John Voelcker -
How Much Gasoline Can You Save With A Hybrid Or Plug-In Car?
As of the middle of April, gasoline is approaching $4.00 per gallon across the United States and oil is surging past $110 per barrel. More and more energy observers are talking about "$5 per gallon fuel" here in the U.S. So how do you minimize your gasoline costs and maximize your mileage? What...
George Parrott -
Slow U.S. Adoption of Start-Stop Systems: The Real Reasons
Sometimes even well-informed industry analysts get it wrong. Or miss the forest for the trees. A recent posting by Pike Research, entlted "Europe Leads, U.S. Lags In Start-Stop Hybrids," correctly notes that adoption of start-stop systems is well advanced in Europe, but lags behind in the U.S. But...
John Voelcker -
More than a year ago, we wrote an article pointing out the flaws in the U.S. practice of measuring a car's gasoline use with the familiar miles-per-gallon (MPG) measure. Now, no less a body than the august National Research Council has agreed with us. As it noted in a pre-publication summary released by the National Academy of Sciences: Fuel economy data cause consumers to undervalue small increases (1-4 mpg) in fuel economy for vehicles in the 15-30 mpg range. Display consumption as well as MPG Its panel strongly urged that the information should be displayed to consumers as fuel consumed...
