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Overweight and Overfueled - CDC says fat America uses more gas

Autoblog Staff — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a new report on obesity in the U.S. According to the study, the U.S. witnessed a 1.1 percent increase in the number of self-reported people with obesity between 2007 and 2009. The increase amounts to 2.4 million additional Americans admitting that they have joined the category of obese individuals. In addition, the number of states reporting that at least 30 percent of its population fit into the obese category has tripled to include nine states. Rising obesity rates have led to increased medical costs and other public issues, but the automotive industry has felt the added weight as well.

According to the study, an estimated one billion gallons of extra fuel were used up to compensate for the added weight of drivers and passengers from 1960 to 2002. If you look at it another way, 0.7 percent of all the fuel burned in vehicles from 1960 to 2002 has been attributable to passengers who have packed on a few extra pounds. Or, how about this one: 39 million gallons of fuel are burned for each pound gained by the average American. While these numbers will probably make an eco-conscious driver think twice next time they're in line at a fast food joint, it seems unlikely that the majority Americans will slim down for the simple sake of saving fuel.

[Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Consumer Reports, Green Car Reports | Image: Tobyotter - C.C. License 2.0]

Overweight and Overfueled - CDC says fat America uses more gas originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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API: June demand for gasoline at lowest level in six years

Autoblog Staff — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

According to the American Petroleum Institute's (API) Monthly Statistical Report, U.S. gasoline deliveries for the first half of 2010 averaged 8.88 million barrels per day, 0.6 percent lower than the corresponding period a year ago. Though the drop in demand is minuscule, it does provide us with an indication that despite low gas prices and a rebounding economy, U.S. demand for gas continues to wane.

The numbers for the month of June paint a more vivid picture of our declining need for gas. June gasoline deliveries of 9.18 million barrel per day were the lowest level for any June on record since 2004 and were 0.5 percent lower than June 2009 deliveries. To gain a better understanding of the numbers, gasoline prices in 2004 barely cracked $2, whereas prices now sit at a nationwide average just north of $2.70.

API chief economist John Felmy offered additional insight into the declining demand for gas:

The listless economic recovery continues to take a bite out of gasoline demand. It's clear from the gasoline deliveries data that consumer confidence in the economy remains shaky. This certainly supports API's position that increased taxes or other anti-jobs policies by Congress or the administration could increase unemployment and harm our economic recovery.

While economists like to attribute decreased demand for gasoline to our shaky economical situation, we'd also point out that advancements in fuel-saving technologies lead to a dwindling need for gas. Follow the jump for more info from the API.

[Source: American Petroleum Institute | Image: FutureAtlas - C.C License 2.0]

Continue reading API: June demand for gasoline at lowest level in six years

API: June demand for gasoline at lowest level in six years originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A glass of water a day can help keep your fuel consumption at bay

Autoblog Staff — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:36:00 EST

The idea of driving around with a glass of water on your dashboard may seem ludicrous, but if Toyota told you that a single glass of water could help you reduce your fuel consumption by 10 percent, would you think differently? Now, Toyota doesn't want you to literally place a glass of water on the dash. Instead, the company is pushing the idea that driving in such a way that a theoretical glass of water there remains full would reduce fuel consumption significantly. To spread the word about this fuel-saving concept, Toyota has created a website appropriately called "A Glass of Water."

So, how do you keep this imaginary glass of water topped off at all times? Well, provided you aren't in a hurry to get somewhere, it should be quite simple. Begin by accelerating gracefully, leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle ahead, brake gently, and apply tactics used by hypermillers.

If you'd like to learn more about Toyota's "A Glass of Water" challenge and are interested in giving it a try, then click here. iPhone users can also download a virtual glass of water app by clicking here.

[Source: A Glass of Water]

A glass of water a day can help keep your fuel consumption at bay originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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