Autoblog

Audi developing electronic driving coach to boost fuel economy

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Technology, Aston Martin

Few factors affect fuel economy more than individual driving style, and anyone who's gotten behind the wheel of a modern vehicle equipped with an onboard computer has inevitably played the consumption game. Audi is taking the concept of an insta-mile-per-gallon gauge to the next level by developing a system that analyzes driver behavior and then tips off drivers on ways to reduce consumption.

The system was presented at the TechDay 2007 seminar in Germany, where Audi sought to draw focus on drivers, fuel usage and emissions reduction. The automaker contends that just by changing the habits of the driver, fuel economy numbers could be boosted by as much as 30-percent, without having to sacrifice "speed and dynamism."

The system also incorporates the vehicle's sat-nav to make route suggestions based on traffic and road conditions, something that should be available in next generation "digital road maps."

[Source: InsideLine]

Audi developing electronic driving coach to boost fuel economy originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German court requires MPG to be added to hi-po car ads

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Daimler

Since the early nineties, big German car-makers DaimlerChrysler, BMW and Volkswagen Group have had an informal agreement in place to limit the top speed of their cars to 250 km/h (155 mph). Of course, that electronically limited, artificial cap has done nothing to thwart the horsepower wars among these three companies. Every successive generation of their cars has gotten faster, particularly the AMG, Audi S /RS and BMW M models. Of course, in order to make these prodigious power figures, more fuel and air have to be combined in the combustion chambers, and that means more carbon dioxide emissions.

Recently, a German environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe filed suit against DCX, demanding that it publish the fuel consumption figures in their ads for these high power models, as a way of indicating their carbon emissions. Last week a Stuttgart court agreed, and according to a DCX spokesman "We will respect the court's ruling." No word was offered as to why DCX was singled out among the German automakers, but for now it will have to advertise its fuel mileage along with its miles per hour.

[Source: Reuters]

German court requires MPG to be added to hi-po car ads originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are these things really worth it? - What if you made a regular car with all the tricks of a Prius?

Dan Roth — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Hybrid, Etc., Green, Technology, Toyota

Hybrids definitely do work -- we're not refuting that -- how well they work is open to debate, however, especially in light of the revisions to EPA mileage numbers. So, let's examine the Prius. Amazingly engineered vehicle, that's for sure. The way they got all those different systems to work as a team and perform smooth handoffs between functions is pretty incredible. We're not going to bother with the electric powertrain portion of it for now. Have you ever poked around the gasoline engine in the Prius? Interesting stuff, lots of little tweaks to boost efficiency. We're wondering, having looked over the Prius, whether you could realize most of the gains without the batteries and motor.

More after the jump

Continue reading Are these things really worth it? - What if you made a regular car with all the tricks of a Prius?

Are these things really worth it? - What if you made a regular car with all the tricks of a Prius? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eco-friendly skills coming to drive tests in the UK

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 09:51:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Green

There are a myriad of ways to reduce fuel consumption when driving, the most obvious being what type of vehicle you choose. However, one of the most crucial factors in saving dino-juice is the way in which the vehicle is piloted. Heavy acceleration, doing an unnecessary tap dance between the brake and gas, not looking far ahead and anticipating traffic slowdowns, all contribute to burning through fuel at a more prodigious rate.

With that in mind, the UK is considering adding an eco-friendly driving section to their L-test (beginner's exam) that would grade the student on everything mentioned above, including shutting off the engine when stopped in hold-ups. All these skills are currently required of driving instructors in the UK, so it would seem to be a reasonable skill expected of novice drivers.

If and when these new criteria are enacted is up in the air, but considering the deplorable state of driver's testing here in the States, we'd like to see similar requirements put on new drivers as well as people renewing their license. Then again, if we were kings, we might include an IQ test before allowing people to get behind the wheel.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Eco-friendly skills coming to drive tests in the UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Nov 2006 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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