Autoblog

Freightliner debuts RunSmart Predictive Cruise Control

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:34:00 EST

The next step in cruise control comes courtesy of Freightliner semis and GPS data company NAVTEQ. Freightliner broadened communication between the cruise control and map data: the GPS transmits information on the road ahead up to a mile, and then the cruise control computes the best speed at which to cover the distance with the greatest fuel efficiency.

It's called RunSmart Predictive Cruise, and it employs slope data from the NAVTEQ system that has been collected on 200,000 miles of the most used truck routes. While RunSmart is looking for peak efficiency, it won't sacrifice speed; the system remains within 6% of the set speed. It's an available option on Freightliner's Detroit Diesel DD15-equipped Cascadia model with the 72-inch raised roof.

[Source: Daimler]

Freightliner debuts RunSmart Predictive Cruise Control originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autogas Chevrolet Matiz Concept = LPG for the masses

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Tuners, Budget, Hybrid, Europe, Green, Hatchback, Chevrolet

Click above for a high-res gallery of the fahgmitgas Matiz LPG Concept

Thanks to a company called fahrmitgas ("go with gas", get it?), our European readers will soon be able to cut their fuel costs to the low, low price of €3 (about $4.20 USD) for every 100 km of driving. Of course, they'll need need to be driving a converted Chevrolet (nee, Daewoo) Matiz converted to LPG, but on the other hand... that's just €3 to go 100 kilometers.

The fahrmitgas Matiz LPG Concept has been put through a suite of bench-tested enhancements in order to be so frugal. Since fahrmitgas is a supplier to Chevrolet, it has intimate knowledge of the Matiz's systems. After installation of the LPG unit and some engine tuning for mid-range power, the company added stop/start, lowered the car a whopping 30 mm, and fitted it with ultra low rolling resistance Hankook Optima 4S tires. A shift light on the center console helps the driver get the most of from his or her LPG.

A liter of gas in Germany is about €1 (@ $1.40 USD), meaning 3 liters/100 km for the LPG Matiz, instead of 5.2 liters/100 km for the petrol Matiz. fahmitgas is looking at a production run, but no timetable or prices have been announced. In the meantime, check out the press release after the jump and the high-res gallery of photos below.

Gallery: Fahrmitgas Matiz LPG Concept

[Source: Fahrmitgas]

Continue reading Autogas Chevrolet Matiz Concept = LPG for the masses

Autogas Chevrolet Matiz Concept = LPG for the masses originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ward's columnist wonders if Americans can handle the truth about gas taxes

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, Government/Legal, Green

People have always had something of an aversion to hard truths. Most Americans say they want their country to get off foreign oil or help the environment, but when it comes to the bottom line, they want cheap fuel. And when the prices on gas pumps start to dip, consumer interest in smaller more efficient vehicles tends to go out the window. Understandably, drivers everywhere tend to make vehicle purchasing decisions in large part based on fuel prices.

Ward's Auto World columnist Drew Winters notes that executives like Bob Lutz have long advocated that fossil fuel prices need to increase in order to make more efficient vehicles appeal to consumers. But with U.S. consumers' almost instinctual avoidance of taxation, it has been difficult for politicians to consider such measures. Instead, it would appear that most constituents want government to mandate both more fuel efficient cars (through mechanisms like CAFE) and cheap gas without impacting the cost of automobiles themselves.

Winters paraphrases The End of Oil author Paul Roberts, noting that "every major fuel shift in history - from wood to coal to oil - was driven primarily by market forces, specifically by competitive advantages of the new fuel over the old." Thus, part of the solution may simply to make the fossil fuels more expensive relative to other energy sources.

Unfortunately, Winters surmises, it appears that nobody can handle this truth.

[Source: Ward's Auto World | Photo: GoodGreentips.com]

Ward's columnist wonders if Americans can handle the truth about gas taxes originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prius schmius -- try an Austin-Healey Sprite and 36 mpg

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:04:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Lifestyle

Of course your wallet hurts every time you have to fill the car up. Nevertheless, in these trying times we must always remember the words of Fernando Lamas: it is better to look good than to feel good. Cars That Matter has put together a list of classic automobiles that get anywhere from 21 to 48 mpg, which means you can look good while you save money.

The heaviest drinker is the Datsun 240Z, just cracking into the twenties. But plenty of cars hover around the 30 mpg mark, like the Lotus Europa, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, and Fiat X1/9. If you want to crack the big four-oh, you've still got choices: BMW Isetta and Honda S800. And the Crosley Hotshot will get you a miserly 48 mpg.

All right, so there are some niggling issues of practicality -- almost all the cars have only two chairs -- unsuitability for winter, plus many of them are mechanical horrors. As such, we must always remember the words of dear old dad: there are no free lunches. But there are choices, and that has to count for something...

[Source: Cars That Matter, Photo by Liftarn | Creative Commons 2.0]

Prius schmius -- try an Austin-Healey Sprite and 36 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One MPG is not enough: Automakers desperate to make a gallon go further

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:33:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Green, Technology

If anyone were to come along and do an updated version of Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing," the could change the background vocal from "I want my MTV" to "I want my MPG" or "I want my low Cd." Coefficient of drag, that is. Carmakers are taking every step they can, starting with aerodynamics, to give cars better gas mileage right now while they wait for more substantial technologies to come online in the near future.

But the tweaks don't stop with aero finessing. The 2009 Dodge Ram spent 200 hours in the wind tunnel, and it also received tweaks to its ECU, which means it spends more time in its cylinder cutoff mode. That, plus eighty pounds of weight savings, adds up to one more MPG on the EPA sheet. Said Ford's Derek Kuzak, "We need to treat every joule of energy in a vehicle like a precious commodity."

In fact, that song hook could also be "I want my XFE." The Cobalt XFE, developed over 18 months to offer the best gas mileage in the Cobalt line, is selling six percent better than expected. Fuel economy, instead of design, is the number one reason people buy a Cobalt now. And the XFE has the lowest on-the-lot time of any Cobalt model. That's how important the price of gas has become.

[Source: Automotive News, sub req'd]

One MPG is not enough: Automakers desperate to make a gallon go further originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes mulling blown four-cylinder for C-Class in the States

Dan Roth — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Sedan, Green, Mercedes-Benz

When the C-Class predecessor launched, it was known as the 190 and carried a four-cylinder powerplant underhood. Mercedes is now considering a return to four-pots in the U.S. market as the price of fuel continues to soar. MBZ is reportedly already testing a 1.4-liter carrying a supercharger, which is strange when you consider there's already a 1.8-liter blown four-cylinder on sale in Europe. The C180 Kompressor seems like it'd be the easy way to get fours back into the U.S. lineup, but Mercedes must have some other ideas driving the decision to develop the smaller 1.4.

Even stranger, while the talk is all about forced induction, the end result will supposedly be underwhelming in the power department, so Mercedes is planning on ramping up the glitter without delivering the gold. Perceived performance is the euphemism for a car that comes with a loud exhaust and twitchy throttle, and that's what Mercedes engineers think it will take to make the car palatable to U.S. buyers. Gee, leave the sound insulation out so that 25 mph feels like 100 and we're sold! Seriously, is this a late April Fool's joke? "Perceived performance?" A car that's not in denial about being thrifty might be more successful than a poseur.

[Source: Inside Line]

Mercedes mulling blown four-cylinder for C-Class in the States originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW 520d beats Prius in gas mileage

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Green, BMW, Toyota

Readers of London's Sunday Times kept telling the auto reporters that the official mileage numbers for the Prius were overstated by about 15 imperial mpg. Intrigued, the Times decided to test things out by running a Prius against a BMW 520d with regenerative braking from London to Geneva, a 460-mile trip. Then they added 100 miles of urban running to give the Prius a chance to recover ground on its proper turf.

The verdict: the conventional diesel with Efficient Dynamics beat the full hybrid by 2.2 imperial mpg, or 1.8 US mpg. This means that an executive sedan with all the mod-cons and 500 extra pounds beat the mollusk-shaped sip-tastic wunderkind known as the Prius. And the diesel's CO₂ emissions are just 32 g/km higher than the hybrid poster-child, to boot.

Admittedly, we find the test a bit unfair -- the Prius is not meant show its muscle at "75-mph into a headwind," and adding 100 miles of urban driving doesn't make up for 460 miles of autoroute. Reverse those driving conditions and then let's see who won. Still, for all of us diesel fans out there, it's a feather we won't mind putting in the cap. Thanks for the tip, George!

[Source: Sunday Times via Technoride]

BMW 520d beats Prius in gas mileage originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gov't forgot to change Gas Guzzler tax

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

Back in December, we told you about the new method the government would be using to calculate fuel mileage. For the first time in twenty years, they decided to make changes to better reflect real-world driving conditions and driver behaviors. The changes went into effect starting with 2008 model year cars, and are evident in the newly styled window stickers on those vehicles (shown above). We correctly surmised that most estimates would go down by some degree using this new formula. In our comments, many of you immediately noticed that this would unfairly bump some vehicles into the gas guzzler tax bracket. Apparently, you had reason to be concerned.

Revealed after some sleuthing by the boys at Dubspeed Driven, the EPA is still using the 1991 tax schedule and gas guzzler calculation method. That essentially means that the exact same car that skirted the gas guzzler surcharge last year, could be a scofflaw in 2008. Cars like a Nissan 350Z, for instance. It's combined 23.15 last year kept it out of the gas guzzler bracket, but under the new formula, it's a $1,300 offender at 21.15 mpg.

There's no mention anywhere on the EPA website about the new testing procedures or the fact that 2008 vehicles will likely be reporting lower mpg compared to 2007 Monroneys. Scared at the possible backlash when their vehicles appear to be getting poorer mileage, major carmakers have banded together to create a website to help educate consumers about the apparent drop in fuel economy, but nothing seems to be in place at the EPA to account for the change. Trucks, some sport utilities and minivans are all still exempt from gas guzzler tax, however.

[Source: Dubspeed Driven]

Gov't forgot to change Gas Guzzler tax originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Columnist discovers used Civic more frugal than new Prius

Chris Tutor — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 09:53:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Maintenance, Green

A columnist for The Economist confirms what many of us thought was obvious. New is not necessarily better and it's good to keep your nose clean.

Moving from London to Texas (what a shock that must have been), the writer needed a car, and wanted one of the (what was then) shiny new Priuses. But not even a bright green nature could persuade the frugal side to part with $30k.

A little research turned up a previously-titled Honda Civic LX 5-speed for just under $11k. At first, the little Honda got 34 MPG, impressive, but not the 60 MPG claimed by the Prius. But after some basic maintenance (new air filter and an oil change) the Civic's highway numbers jumped to 40 MPG. Sweet. The writer's aunt boosted her hybrid Civic's numbers from 46 mpg to 50 mpg just by properly inflating her tires and setting the cruise control.

So by forgoing the latest and greatest, the author saved almost $20k. By spending $25 on an oil change and $10 on an air filter, the Honda burns fewer gallons of gas. No, the columnist hasn't discovered some ancient automotive secret, but the writer does show how small, inexpensive choices can positively affect the wallets and environments of Prius and H2 drivers alike.

[Source: The Economist]

Columnist discovers used Civic more frugal than new Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 09:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill proposed to raise fuel economy standards 4% a year through 2018

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:35:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Green

U.S. Representative Ed Markey, D-Mass., is introducing a bill today that will require automakers to raise their fuel economy standards by 4% a year starting in late 2009 for cars and late 2011 for trucks. The key word here is "require," as President Bush proposed a similar plan that was more of a really strong suggestion with a few loopholes than an actual law with penalties for not being followed.

On the brightside, Markey's plan is reportedly less severe than previous ones he's proposed, though it is estimated that raising fuel economy standards 4% a year will cost the auto industry a grand total of $114 billion between 2010 and 2017. U.S. automakers would likely shoulder about $85 billion of that expense. Markey's plan would even require that fuel economy standards continue to rise 4% a year in 2018 and beyond, that is, if it's technologically feasible. Talk about a big if.

The ultimate goal of Markey's plan would get fuel economy standards for automaker fleets to 35 mpg by 2018. In truth, that's a decade of time to add an additional 10 mpg to the current standard. It doesn't sound impossible, especially if vehicles like the GM Volt reach production and prove that hyper mileage cars can be sold alongside relative gas guzzlers to even out the MPG balance sheets. Unfortunately, that doesn't really account for gas guzzlers outselling high-mileage vehicles many times over.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Bill proposed to raise fuel economy standards 4% a year through 2018 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten states to file suit for tougher CAFE rules

Stuart Waterman — Tue, 02 May 2006 16:23:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

The New York Times reports that California, New York and eight other states plan to file a suit to force the Bush administration to impose tougher CAFE rules on SUVs, trucks and minivans. The suit claims the federal government's analysis of the environmental impact of the new fuel economy regulations was not sufficiently rigorous. The states also assert that the government did not take into account the impact of gasoline consumption on climate change when formulating the new CAFE standards.

Meanwhile, President Bush is pushing a proposal to raise U.S. fuel economy standards, in a bid to address widespread consumer concern about rising fuel prices.

[Source: New York Times - registration required]

Ten states to file suit for tougher CAFE rules originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 May 2006 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevron realizes 49 percent profit increase in first quarter

Chris Paukert — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Earnings/Financials

High gasoline prices have to be good for someone, and in news that will shock few, those fortunate men and women appear to work for Big Oil. Chevron, America's second largest oil company announced Friday that its first-quarter profits hit four billion dollars, a dramatic 49 percent increase over last year. With a profit of $1.80/share, that beat the Street by two cents.

Between ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips, America's top three oil companies raked in more than 15 billion dollars in profits this quarter.

[Source: San Jose Mercury News]

Chevron realizes 49 percent profit increase in first quarter originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Apr 2006 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorcycles getting second looks as gas prices rise

Joel Arellano — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Etc.

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 selling off their SUVs. "With a bike you're getting up to 40 miles a gallon so you're saving significantly so a lot of people are taking advantage of that," says O'Brien.

But he readily admits that new sales means novice riders. Organizations such as the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program and others offer free training courses for newbies.

Would you be willing to switch from four to two-wheels to save gas?

[Source: The Pittsburgh Channel]

Motorcycles getting second looks as gas prices rise originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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