Posts Tagged ‘Fuel economy’

MPG: Since 9/11 no one has done more than Toyota

It should have been an American car

30 percent improvement in fuel economy the last 10 years

I can still remember 9/11 like it was yesterday. On that day I decided to make major changes to my lifestyle. Eventually, annoyed by the countless ‘no blood for oil’ bumper stickers on blood-oil guzzling SUVs attending anti-war rallies near my office during the buildup to Iraq, I decided I needed to end my personal foreign oil dependence. In most part, for me, that meant not driving.

But I realized that was impossible for most, so I started advocating for more fuel efficient transportation, especially a push towards alternative powertrains. And since that time no major automaker has done more than Toyota. Read more…

20 percent: Toyota’s hybrid car path to success embarrassing

Prelude to hybrid cars?

Prius family second best seller for Toyota

For the past two months Toyota has been the top retail brand in the US. During those last two months the Toyota Prius family has posted sharp increases in sales. For instance, up 126.9 percent in April compared to last April. In fact hybrids now represent nearly 20 percent of all Toyota US sales.

Years ago, some automakers publicly mocked Toyota’s hybrid direction. Even recently, plug-in advocates have criticized Toyota for being slow to embrace lithium and plug-ins, as well as offering a plug-in with only 12 miles of EV range. Yet, last month, Toyota didn’t just crush the rest of the auto industry in terms of hybrid sales, but the plug-in Prius also outsold all other plug-ins. Read more…

Where is the auto industry taking us?

Energy density according to Exxon.

Hybrids, EVs, fuel cells. Or gas-guzzlers forever?

I was cleaning out some bookmarks and came across this graph in an interesting article regarding energy density. The article and the graph come from Exxon, which used the graph to explain why by 2040, 90 percent of transportation would still be fueled by liquid fuels.

Now, there are countless arguments to make as to why Exxon is wrong, and I’m not going to make any of them. Instead, I wonder just one simple thing: Where is the auto industry taking us? Read more…

If only women were allowed to buy cars

Men need exotic electrification?

New study finds women are embracing fuel economy

Interesting study about the differences between men and women when it comes to car buying. In a nutshell, in 2011 men still loved gas-guzzling V8′s and exotic sport brands while women liked I-4′s.

Even more interesting is the fact that automakers can make fuel efficiency more appealing if they want. Read more…

53 mpg city: Think about it when you’re stuck in congestion

It's pretty, but how does it compare to the Prius C in urban living?

And those 40 mpg compacts turn into 20-something mpg cars

I know, everyone wants to talk about the prototype lithium-ion battery explosion that rocked GM this morning. Why? It was a prototype battery being tested for such outcomes. So, they’ll have to tweak the chemistry. That’s the nature of prototypes. The explosion means nothing in terms of the Chevy Volt.

Anyway, had to run an errand this morning in rainy LA — two things that don’t mix. Thus, I got stuck on the 110, and since I wasn’t going anywhere I had a lot of time to observe the scene around me, and all the pretty little compact cars, pretending to be fuel efficient. Read more…

2014 Chevy Impala eAssist spreads GM’s mild hybrid tech

Impala eAssist up next to help expand GM's mild tech

GM’s eAssist strategy is beginning to become compelling

I’m still not sure what I think about mild hybrid cars. Overall, I’d prefer that automakers take the leap to full hybrid tech so that if a battery breakthrough is achieved, these hybrids could be converted to plug-in hybrids. However, based on consumer demands and expectations, mild hybrid technology might be the most sensible way to increase US fuel economy across the entire fleet as quickly as possible.

And that makes the 2014 Chevy Impala with eAssist, debuting in New York, that much more impressive. Read more…

Auto industry almost back to normal, and that’s not good

Is it 1962 or 2012?

Fuel economy is slightly more important, but not much

Gas prices are almost $4.00 per gallon across the country, and as much as $5.00 in some areas. $6.00 isn’t fantasy by Independence Day. Thus, one might assume that sales of hybrid cars and other fuel efficient vehicles are exploding, while light duty truck sales are getting squashed. Unfortunately, while fuel efficient vehicle sales are up, a bit, pickup truck sales aren’t declining. Instead, automakers are using exceptionally low interest rates to offer huge deals on pickup trucks.

It’s bitterly ironic that higher energy prices are both making it harder for the economy to recover while also helping to fund gas-guzzling. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Read more…

Start/Stop worth $7 billion per year

Highway fuel economy a joke in the city

When that 40 mpg car becomes just a 20 mpg vehicle

I’m not a big fan of highway fuel economy. It’s greenwashing at best, and almost bait-and-switch criminal in the worst case scenario. And a new study finds that highway fuel economy-killing congestion costs Americans about $7 billion per year in fuel costs, hurting Americans in large urban areas the most.

Sadly, the future is only supposed to become even more congested. Read more…

Chevy Malibu hybrid ad blitz coming soon, car this fall

eAssist is better than the hybrid label, sometimes

Is GM focusing on highway hybrid cars?

The new Chevy Malibu eAssist is coming this Fall, but GM will begin an ad campaign next week promoting the 2013 vehicle. Aside from its eAssist mild hybrid technology, the new Malibu hybrid will include a 2.4-liter Ecotec non-turbo engine mated to a small lithium-ion battery that achieves 37 mpg, but only on the highway. Haven’t yet heard the city numbers.

Hybrid cars are no longer just for the city. Read more…

It should be illegal to market only highway fuel economy

Why does the gov make it so easy for automakers to deceive consumers?

Like Honda Civic hybrid lawsuit, automakers should be held libel for deceiving consumers

Hey Los Angeles. Gasoline prices are rising. What’s the cure? A new car that achieves such and such fuel economy on the highway of course.

Who cares that highway fuel economy doesn’t help at all when you’re stuck in LA traffic. In fact almost no one that lives in Southern California and most urban areas averages highway fuel economy — if even anyone does.

I mean, what’s next, going down hill fuel economy? Read more…