FuelEfficiency


Average new car mpg levels hit record high in August, spurred by Cash for Clunkers

The success or failure of the Cash for Clunkers program that recently came to an end here in the United States has been and will continue to be debatable, but at least some good was accomplished by the legislation. According to data compiled by Wards Auto, the average new car fuel mileage hit a new record of 23 miles per gallon in August, which is a gain of approximately eight percent from August of 2008. As far as individual automakers go, Toyota came out on top with an average of 26.9 mpg for all cars sold in August, followed by Kia at ... Read more →

From the Clutches of the Grave: Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid rated at 27/30 mpg by EPA Sam Abuelsamid

While perusing the EPA's fuel economy listings, one of our readers stumbled across a vehicle that we didn't even know had been rated. The 2-Mode Hybrid version of the Saturn Vue had initially ...

Ilmor Engineering builds a five-stroke engine Jonathon Ramsey

English engineering firm Ilmor knows all about engine design, having produced powerplants for Formula One, IndyCar, and NASCAR. But its latest internal combustion creation, in contrast to those ...

Ford: Falcon to be first RWD four-cylinder EcoBoost car. Translation? No such Mustang until 2011... if at all Chris Shunk

Ford made news this week when it officially announced its four-cylinder EcoBoost engine; an engine that promises V6 performance with four-banger efficiency. The company's twin-turbo technology is ...

California looking to classify tires by rolling resistance? Chris Shunk

Low rolling resistance tires have been increasingly used to help manufacturers improve EPA efficiency ratings. While the specialty rubber used to be found mostly on hybrids, it is starting to find ...

Commercial Appeal: Ford Transit Connect gets higher-than-expected EPA rating of 22/25 9 months ago on Autoblog

Ford is making an interesting habit of giving low-ball estimates regarding the mileage of their new vehicles, only to later announce final EPA numbers that are higher by several miles per gallon. This happened with the Fusion Hybrid which was estimated at 39 miles-per-gallon city and then ended ...

2010 Ford Fusion 4-banger scores best-in-class 23/34 mpg! 10 months ago on Autoblog

When we drove the thoroughly refreshed Fusion out in California after the LA Auto Show, it proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable ride. It now turns out that the Fusion is not only fun to drive, but also fuel efficient in forms other than the new Fusion Hybrid. The EPA has just finished crunching ...

Bush declines to enact higher fuel-economy standards 10 months ago on Autoblog

Fuel efficiency. It's an issue that has seemingly fallen onto America's the back-burner for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are declining fuel prices and economy along with the auto industry's financial plight. Still, few would argue that the issue of cutting down on petroleum use is ...

Next-gen Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger to beat CAFE standards, get 8-speed auto 11 months ago on Autoblog

It's pretty obvious at this point that Cerberus doesn't want to keep Chrysler, and turbulent economic realities have scuttled what few available prospects there would have been for new ownership. Some have openly wondered whether team Pentastar is even working on new products at all. Product ...

Milking a Bull: Automakers eek out extra fuel economy on older models 1 year ago on Autoblog

Conspiracy theorists have long insisted that automakers could push their vehicles to achieve better fuel economy, and as it turns out, they were right. Of course, it isn't as easy as flipping a magic MPG switch, but automakers are making incremental gains on vehicles even between redesigns. ...

Industry sets fuel efficiency record in first half of '08 1 year ago on Autoblog

In light of the current pain at the pumps, fuel economy is on all of our minds these days no matter what kind of car you drive. That being the case, it might not be surprising to you that the car we're buying are getting more fuel efficient. Don't believe us? The National Highway Traffic Safety ...

Mazda adding 'premium' touches to all models 1 year ago on Autoblog

Since the Mazda3 hit the streets in 2004, it's proven to be a very strong contender in the small car segment. The compact sedan and hatch has been winning customers over with great styling, athletic ride characteristics, and equipment that typically isn't found in small cars. Its rich mix of ...

Nissan ECO Pedal puts pressure on lead foots 1 year ago on Autoblog

As if "shift lights" weren't annoying enough... Nissan's new "ECO pedal" has been engineered to encourage good fuel economy with a servo-actuated gas pedal that will push back on the driver's lead foot when on-board computers detect wasteful acceleration. According to Nissan, vehicles equipped ...

Nardelli: New fuel efficient model might be out next year 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the Dodge Hornet concept Besides the introduction of the Dodge Challenger, there has been very little good news coming out of Chrysler lately. Sales are down 22% for the year due to a lineup that's still heavy on trucks and SUVs, but there may be some help on the ...

Prius Overload: Toyota to bump production 70% 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the Toyota Prius If the Prius went mainstream when Toyota bumped production to 280,000 worldwide units per year in 2007, the fuel efficient hybrid is now primed to kick project green to the next level. When Toyota begins producing the next gen Prius, it'll do so ...

Toyota planning second hybrid model, along with rebadged Lexus variant 1 year ago on Autoblog

To feed the insatiable demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, and follow the striking success of the Toyota Prius, the Japanese automaker will introduce a second hybrid-only vehicle in 2009. The all-new model will have a 2- to 2.5-liter engine, suggesting it will be larger than their current popular ...

All Smarts to get start-stop standard 1 year ago on Autoblog

The already fuel efficient Smart fortwo will soon become even more stingy with the petrol when start-stop technology is employed fleet-wide beginning in October. The start-stop technology, which is called "micro hybrid" by Smart, works by cutting off the engine during braking when the vehicle speed ...

GM postpones redesign of trucks, SUVs 1 year ago on Autoblog

If you've been holding your breath in anticipation of General Motors redesigning its trucks and SUVs, you're probably going to pass out so start breathing again. According to reports, it's gonna be a while. GM has announced that it's postponed any planned redesigns of its pickups and SUVs to a ...

2009 BMW X6 gets some preliminary EPA numbers 1 year ago on Autoblog

When we had our First Drive in BMW's new X6 Sport Activity Coupe, we didn't get the opportunity to really measure fuel consumption, since the vehicles were gassed-up when we got behind the wheel and were then refuelled during our lunch break. A glance at the on-board computer of the '35i we drove ...

How to keep your land barge and still drive green(ish) 1 year ago on Autoblog

These days it seems more common to overhear comments about a particular car's appalling fuel economy than idle chatter about the weather, which makes sense when a gallon of gas costs as much as a cheap umbrella. For instance, just the other day there was some guy going on about how his car was ...

Cheap cars in India = expensive gas in the States 1 year ago on Autoblog

click above to view more images of the Tata Nano A report at CNN kinda states the obvious, that if the $2,500 Tata Nano proves as popular in India as most people think it will be, there will be a huge increase in demand for gasoline there. And if worldwide demand for oil goes up, the price of ...

Are Audi's plans for world domination too big? 2 years ago on Autoblog

It seems like every carmaker has set themselves the goal of world domination. Toyota's internal master-plan memos leaked out, and then there's BMW nipping right along with lofty goals, too. Here comes Audi, deciding that they'd really like to sell 200,000 vehicles in the US market by 2010. While BMW ...

Toyota to launch Eco Drive indicator 3 years ago on Autoblog

Beginning this month, ToMoCo will begin outfitting automatic transmission-equipped vehicles in its home market with what Toyota calls the "Eco Drive Indicator." The dash-mounted display informs the driver when they are operating the vehicle in an ecological manner by monitoring acceleration, ...

FordBoldMoves Episode 6: The Future of Fuel, the Future of Ford 3 years ago on Autoblog

The sixth webisode of the FordBoldMoves documentary begins with a statement of fact: "Ford has the worst fuel efficiency of any automaker in America." That's what we like about these little shorts – they can be brutally honest about the condition of Ford, even if they do tend to end with a ...

2008 Honda Fit Hybrid to get Insight engine 3 years ago on Autoblog

Guess what happens to fit perfectly between the front wheels of a Honda Fit... the Honda Insight's hybrid powertrain. The distance between the front wheel hubs of both vehicles is identical, and a Honda insider confirmed to Bradley Berman of HybridCars.com that the Fit will arrive in 2007 with the ...

Motorcycles getting second looks as gas prices rise 3 years ago on Autoblog

While some people are trading in their SUVs or even large cars for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, others are abandoning four wheels for two. Heritage Harley Davidson owner Toby O’Brien has noted an increase in the number of people coming into his store and purchasing motorcycles after ...

Revamped Dodge Durango takes Dallas 3 years ago on Autoblog

The Dallas Auto Show will be the locale where Dodge officially unveils its refreshed 2007 Durango (shown) today, as well as the hybrid version that DaimlerChrysler is readying for the 2008 model year. The 2007 Durango features revamped cosmetic bits on the body as well as ten new available ...

Auto X-Prize: $25mil - 250 mpg - 10,000 units 3 years ago on Autoblog

Details are emerging about the upcoming auto-related challenge to be issued by the California-based X-Prize foundation. The organization’s new challenge will award a prize of $25 million to the first group that sells 10,000 vehicles capable of 250 mpg. Throwing in the caveat of moving 10K ...

X PRIZE announced for fuel efficiency research 3 years ago on Autoblog

The X PRIZE Foundation has hired on Mark Goodstein as the Executive Director of a new X PRIZE contest that will foster entrepenurial innovation in the area of automotive efficiency. We reported in January that a prize of this nature was likely on the horizon and we’re glad to see it made ...






Autoblog Podcast #153: With Phil Berg

Phil Berg puts his reputation on the line and hangs with the podcast crew.

 
 

Featured Galleries

  • 2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe
  • Hyundai 2.4L Theta-II GDI
  • Ginetta G50EV and John Surtees at the Channel Tunnel
  • 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser
  • Quick Spin: Superformance MKIII-R
  • 2011 Buick Regal Live Unveiling
  • BMW Concept 6
  • Zenvo ST1 Details
  • Building an LS9 V8 at the GM Performance Build Center
  • SEMA 2009: HPP Daytona Challenger
  • LA Design Challenge 2009 Competitors
  • SEMA 2009: 1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1-RS
AOL Autos

Find Your Next Car

Resources

10 Most Searched Cars on AOL Autos

Autoblog Video

Autoblog Green

Daily Finance

Download Squad

Engadget

Joystiq

Autoblog Spanish

Switched.com

FanHouse

Asylum