Fuel Efficiency
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A special Launch Edition model brings the 2015 Volkswagen Golf hatchback's base price below $19,000.
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2014 Chevrolet Spark With CVT: Gas Mileage ReviewWe're fond of the Chevrolet Spark minicar; it's by far the best-executed of the several smaller-than-subcompact cars sold today. But our fondness had been limited to the five-speed manual version; the four-speed automatic offered in 2013 was, in a word, awful. Now we've driven a 2014 Chevrolet...
John Voelcker -
Ford's Three-Cylinder Engine Does Well In Fiesta; Focus Next Up
Three cylinders is about three-quarters what many U.S. consumers will tolerate, about half the number they prefer and three eighths that of what some consider ideal. It may come as a surprise then that Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder, as found in the Fiesta, is actually beating Ford's...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Dodge Dart Dumps Dual-Clutch Automatic, Except On Aero Model
The Dodge Dart compact sedan launched as a 2013 model hasn't sold as well as hoped. One thing that hurt its debut was the unfamiliar feel of its dual-clutch automatic gear gearbox, brought over from Europe to boost the fuel economy of versions fitted with the 160-horsepower turbocharged 1.4-liter...
John Voelcker -
Chrysler: Mild Hybrids Coming, Says Electric Cars 'Overblown By Media'
Yesterday's multi-hour presentation of the five-year plan for the combined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was called "Chryslerpalooza" by local Detroit reporters who sat through it. The first green news was that Chrysler will build small numbers of plug-in hybrid minivans and large SUVs to meet emission...
John Voelcker -
FTC Considers Changes To Rules On Carmaker Claims For Fuel Economy
The FTC is seeking comments on potential updates of its fuel-economy advertising guidelines.
Stephen Edelstein -
We're often asked why cars sold in Europe seem to be so much more efficient than those on sale in the U.S. Typically, it's accompanied by the mention of some supposedly 80-mpg car sold in Europe--while the best U.S.-market vehicles barely crest the 50-mpg mark. Now, Reuters highlights one of the main reasons for the discrepancy: Not only are European tests unrealistic, but automakers exploit loopholes in the testing, further blurring the lines between rated efficiency and real-world results. Year after year, European sales figures have shown a bias towards higher average fuel economy and...
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Atmospheric Carbon Is Higher, Faster, This Year Than Last
Atmospheric CO2 levels have already exceeded last year's annual peak.
Stephen Edelstein -
California To Use 1 Billion Gallons Less Gasoline In Six Years?
Analysts predict stricter regulations will cut California gasoline consumption.
Stephen Edelstein -
Drive A Honda Fit With ZipCar's New One>Way Car Sharing Service
Want to drive the new 2015 Honda Fit subcompact without the high-pressure environment of a dealership test drive? You could do worse than to sign up for ZipCar's new ONE>WAY car-sharing service, which will use the new Fit exclusively when the model makes its debut. ONE>WAY could be the most...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Nissan Juke: New Equipment, Revised Features, MPG Unchanged
The Nissan Juke's appearance in the compact crossover segment has spurred several other automakers into fielding their own entries. Three years on from its debut, Nissan has refreshed its quirky offering for 2014--though fuel economy remains unchanged. All Juke models get a 1.6-liter turbocharged...
Antony Ingram -
Washington State Follows CA, Imposes Low-Carbon Fuel Standard
Washington State will follow the lead of California and develop its own clean-energy policy to cut the state's carbon emissions by 2020, its governor said on Tuesday. Democrat governor Jay Inslee signed a major executive order to set up a task force for acting on various climate-related issues...
Antony Ingram -
The EPA reports 2012-model-year vehicles lowered CO2 emissions even further than required by law.
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How Do You Make A Chevy Camaro Muscle Car Green? Students Have 4 Years To Try
If you're currently shopping for a fuel-efficient vehicle, the Chevrolet Camaro probably hasn't appeared on your radar. With combined economy of 22 mpg for the most efficient, V-6 automatic model, that's not a huge surprise. But given some time and some of the finest young engineering minds as part...
Antony Ingram -
Why Can't We Buy Cars That Do 60, 70, Or 80 MPG?
The first-generation Honda Insight hybrid, sold from 2000 through 2006, is renowned even today for its ultra-high gas mileage: 52 mpg combined (48 mpg city, 58 mpg highway). Those ratings remain unmatched today by anything today that doesn't include a plug and a large battery pack. So why, 15 years...
Antony Ingram -
Why Little APUs Can Save Giant Amounts Of Diesel Fuel
If you've never heard of an APU, you may not be a long-haul trucker. The acronym stands for auxiliary power unit, in this case a generator or other form of generating electricity to run auxiliary services like air conditioning in the sleeper cabs of Class 8 over-the-road sleeper tractors while...
John Voelcker -
Fuel-Efficient Elio Three-Wheel Car Hits 15,000 Orders Before Production Starts
You wouldn't think a small, green, three-wheeled vehicle would be the perfect recipe for creating a buzz in the car world. But that's what Paul Elio has done with his Elio Motors firm, and though the vehicle in question is still a fair while from production reality, the company has a loyal...
Antony Ingram -
Smaller, More Efficient Engines Work Harder; Noise Suppression More Important
For a long time in the U.S. car market, bigger was better. From engines to bodywork, size meant luxury and performance. But recently, manufacturers and customers alike have got used to a new concept: downsizing. In terms of engines, this means doing more with less. But engineers have encountered a...
Antony Ingram -
In recent years—especially in the time since EPA fuel economy ratings have become more realistic—40 miles per gallon on the highway has become like a sort of high-water mark for non-hybrid cars. Even in 2014, there remain relatively few subcompact or compact sedans that top the 40-mpg mark in ratings, let alone real-world use. So it's all the more surprising—and delightful—that a big, comfortable luxury sedan like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class can top 40 mpg, easily. DON'T MISS: Five Reasons Small Diesels Won't Dominate the U.S. Car Market That's what we found this past...
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Ford C-Max Hybrid Sales Hurt By Cut From 47 MPG To 43 MPG, Exec Says
They say that honesty is the best policy. It's also said that the truth can hurt. Ford is experiencing both of these with its C-Max Hybrid--with lower sales since the company dropped its official EPA-rated mileage figures. The C-Max Hybrid was launched to great fanfare in 2012, touting EPA combined...
Antony Ingram -
Ultra-Efficient VW XL1: Now An Urban Legend, Debunked By Snopes
Ah, conspiracy theories and urban legends. They lure us in with the promise of dark plots and amazing events--even as our rational minds suggest they're likely not true. Now the ultra-efficient Volkswagen XL1 economy car, the highly aerodynamic two-seat diesel plug-in hybrid we drove last fall, has...
John Voelcker -
2015 Ford Focus Updates: New Front Styling, 1.0-Liter Three-Cylinder Option - Live Photos
The 2015 Ford Focus gets familial Ford styling and an optional three-cylinder EcoBoost engine.
Stephen Edelstein -
U.S. To Stay Global First In Vehicle Miles Driven, Says Futurist
The U.S. may no longer be a car-sales leader, but it may continue to lead the world in miles driven.
Stephen Edelstein -
Toyota Gasoline Engine Achieves Thermal Efficiency Of 38 Percent
Most internal combustion engines are incredibly inefficient at turning fuel burned into usable energy. The efficiency by which they do so is measured in terms of "thermal efficiency", and most gasoline combustion engines average around 20 percent thermal efficiency. Diesels are typically...
Antony Ingram
