Autoblog

Click above for more shots of the Ford Escape PHEV

In what seems like a convenient answer to Mark Fields' request just yesterday for government assistance for the development of plug-in hybrids, the Department of Energy has just announced that it will be granting up to $30 million for just this type of vehicle. Not that thirty-mill is a small sum or anything, but that amount of money will be spread rather thin, being divided across three separate projects from three different manufacturers. Ford is one of them, while General Motors will receive funding for battery development and Chrysler, in partnership with General Electric, will also get some love.

The end-goal of this funding is a plug-in hybrid vehicle that is capable of traveling 40 miles on electric power alone. The DOE hopes that these specifications can be cost-effective by the year 2014 with vehicles on the road around 2016. We're a little puzzled, however, by the relatively small amount of money being handed out to reach these goals. Hydrogen fuel cell technology has received over four times as much funding and is nowhere near as close to production as PHEVs. Regardless, we look forward to seeing some of these investments bear fruit as soon as possible.

[Source: DOE via Green Car Congress]

The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that gasoline prices have hit their lowest average since April of this year. Although this is expected at the end of every summer driving season, forecasters are predicting that by November of this year, fuel will be closer to $2.00 per gallon, versus the $3.00 seen recently in most parts of the country.

What this means is open for debate, however, as Edmunds' Inside Line notes in their article, supply and demand is in full effect. Whether or not this will change American's driving habits or, more importantly, their car purchasing decisions is the real question.

[Source: Edmunds' Inside Line]

The Department of Energy says that having a hot booty isn't necessarily a good thing. In fact, it argues that ventilated seats (like those of the Cadillac STS that pull away warm air and moisture), could save as many as 522 million gallons of gas if all cars on the road were equipped with the technology. How so? The DOE reasons that if drivers' rumps and backsides are kept comfortable, fewer people would find it necessary to turn on the air-conditioning... thus saving money and the environment.

The catch? Vented seats generally only come on higher-end models, and are often high-cost options bundled in with other features.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]