Truck
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The U.S. Postal Service is adding seven electric delivery trucks to its fleet in Fresno and Stockton, California, a region in the state's central valley known for its poor air quality. The 1.5-ton delivery trucks have been converted to electric power by Motiv Power, a Silicon Valley conversion company. USPS says it expects each truck to save between $4,000 and $6,000 a year on fuel costs and more than 37 tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the trucks' one-year trial. READ THIS: FedEx and UPS burn less gas to deliver boxes The first Motiv Power mail truck began deliveries in Fresno on...
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Why Robert Bollinger decided an electric utility truck was 'obvious'
One week from today, in a pricey supercar club in Manhattan, journalists, electric-car advocates, and perhaps a few celebrities will gather for the unveiling of a new electric vehicle. It's not another fast, luxurious sedan or crossover utility vehicle. Instead, it's an electric utility truck...
John Voelcker -
Several states want far cleaner diesel trucks; EPA to start rulemaking?
Almost one-third of the heavy trucks on U.S. roads now use the most stringent emission-control systems, which radically reduce their emissions of nitrogen oxides, soot, and other pollutants. Commercial trucks log much higher annual mileage than passenger cars, especially the semi tractors that haul...
John Voelcker -
Workhorse W-15 range-extended electric pickup truck revealed (video)
Workhorse may have the ultimate proposal for commercial fleets with the reveal of its W-15 pickup truck, the first range-extended electric pickup truck to be built from the ground up with fleets in mind. While Tesla says it is developing an all-electric pickup, which will supposedly be revealed in...
Sean Szymkowski -
When will the last diesel truck be sold in the U.S.? Our poll results
Diesel now has a dim future at best among U.S. passenger-car buyers, though its prospects continue to look strong for a minority of pickup truck buyers. Heavy-duty commercial vehicles, on the other hand, largely use diesel engines as a matter of course. We asked our Twitter followers when that...
John Voelcker -
Diesels Still Needed For Truck Fuel Economy Despite VW Scandal: Advocate
Allen Schaeffer probably doesn't have the easiest job these days. He's executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel, and technology. With the Volkswagen diesel-emission scandal soon to enter...
John Voelcker -
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released proposed standards that would further boost the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty trucks and buses, starting in the 2021 model year and running through 2027. The new regulations were announced on Friday by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and the EPA. The White House cited the rules as another element in its strategy to reduce U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions at least 26 percent by 2030, compared to levels in 2005. DON'T MISS: Daimler Unveils SuperTruck; 12-MPG Semi Is More Than Twice As Fuel-Efficient Full details of the proposed rules are...
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Ford Transit Van Gets Add-In Hybrid Kit For Better Fuel Economy
XL Hybrids unveils a conversion kit for the Ford Transit full-size van.
Stephen Edelstein -
Aluminum-Body 2015 Ford F-150 Gets 5-Star NHTSA Rating For Crash Safety
Cutting weight can be one of the most effective tactics to increase fuel economy, but it doesn't necessarily come cheap. The 2015 Ford F-150 pickup, with its aluminum body and bed mounted on a conventional steel frame, represents a huge gamble by Ford on its highest-volume vehicle line. The company...
John Voelcker -
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Pickup Fumes: Technical Service Bulletin For 4x2 Trucks: UPDATE
With the highest rated fuel economy of any full-size pickup truck, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel has been a smash hit for Fiat Chrysler's truck brand. But now the company has acknowledged that some of the trucks--those with rear-wheel drive rather than four-wheel drive--have an issue with diesel exhaust...
John Voelcker -
Amp Electric's Workhorse Wants To Be 'Tesla Of Trucks' For Electric Delivery Vans
Aside from economic recession and cautious buyers, one of the biggest challenges for companies that want to sell electrified commercial trucks turns out to be ... making or converting trucks. Amp Electric, a surviving veteran of several generations of electric-truck development, decided to solve...
John Voelcker -
2015 Ford F-150 Gas Mileage: Best Among Gasoline Trucks, But Ram Diesel Still Highest
Perhaps no gas-mileage ratings have been as eagerly awaited this fall as those for the all-new 2015 Ford F-150 pickup. The redesigned full-size truck with an aluminum body and pickup bed was expected to get better gas-mileage numbers than earlier F-150s. And it has, with a top rating of 22 mpg...
John Voelcker -
A golf-cart maker produces an electric tribute to the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor.
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Achates Closer To Production Of Radically Efficient Two-Stroke Truck Diesel
Suppose you could take an old engine concept discarded in the 1970s, add modern fuel metering and injection control hardware and software, and offer a compact powerplant that cuts the fuel consumption of today's diesel truck engines by a third.. That's the promise of Achates Power, which has been...
John Voelcker -
Ford Compact Pickup Truck: Coming Back After All, Sized Like Ranger?
What a difference a year makes. Throughout the long lead-up to the launch of its aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford F-150 full-size pickup, Ford has maintained that it sees no market for smaller pickup trucks. But now, the company may be changing its tune. DON'T MISS: Will Smaller Pickups Be More Popular...
John Voelcker -
2016 Ford Super Duty Pickups To Adopt Aluminum Bodies Too
Only now are selected media getting a chance to spend time with the all-new 2015 Ford F-150 pickup truck, which has a cab and pickup bed made of aluminum. And it will be a couple of months yet before it appears in showrooms. But Ford is looking ahead. DON'T MISS: 2015 Ford F-150 SFE: Highest Gas...
John Voelcker -
Will Smaller Pickups Be More Popular Than Carmakers Expect?
Sometimes it's the throwaway lines that carry the most interesting news. In a routine report on August sales of new cars and trucks last Wednesday, The Detroit News had this nugget about the upcoming 2015 Chevrolet Colorado mid-size pickup truck: "GM said dealers have ordered nearly 28,000 midsize...
John Voelcker -
2015 Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon Gas Mileage: 20 Or 21 MPG Combined For V-6
General Motors released the first fuel-economy information for its new mid-size pickup trucks.
Stephen Edelstein -
One of the factors making higher gas mileage possible across pretty much any vehicle on sale these days is multispeed transmissions. At the dawn of this century, four-speed automatics were the standard; now it's six speeds--and eight-speed automatics are coming on strong. Future models of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks will get an all-new eight-speed automatic that GM has just introduced in a somewhat more glamorous package. DON'T MISS: Pickup Truck Gas Mileage, 2015 And Beyond: 30 MPG Highway Is Next Hurdle The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette now uses GM's new eight-speed...
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Hybrid Garbage Truck Now On Sale In U.S.: Saving Fuel While Hauling Trash
We can buy a hybrid or electric vehicles and cover the roof of our homes in solar panels, but when it comes to other aspects of our daily lives a fossil-fuel reducing lifestyle is often a the whim of local governments or private businesses. One we often forget about, at least until they wake you...
Antony Ingram -
Ram 1500 Diesel Pickup Fuel Economy: Drivers Beat Mileage Ratings In Real-World Use
This year's full-size pickup truck sales are surging, driven at least in part by increased U.S. oil production, according to Ford chief economist Emily Kolinski Morris. Ironic, eh? But new pickups sold today are far more fuel-efficient than those offered even a couple of years ago--and the highest...
John Voelcker -
2015 Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon Prices: $21K And Up, $5K Lower Than Full-Size Pickups
Americans love their trucks, and in recent years it's a sector that has finally begun to make a push for fuel efficiency. While truly gas-sipping small trucks no longer exist, the mid-size truck market has revitalized itself recently and the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon are next to...
Antony Ingram -
Why Your Car Is A Truck, Under Federal Law, And What Makes It One
If you've got any plans to buy a 2015 Lexus NX 300h when it hits the U.S, you might be surprised to learn that it's not actually a car. According to the EPA, your new luxury crossover vehicle is nothing more than a light truck. It doesn't look like a truck. It doesn't drive like a truck. So why is...
Antony Ingram -
2015 Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon Mid-Size Pickups Almost Here
GM's new small pickups will offer fuel-efficient four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines.
Stephen Edelstein