New data from University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) indicates that the average new vehicle purchased in the United States has become nearly 20 percent more efficient since fall of 2007.
Today Toyota released most details about its redesigned-for-2012 Camry models, including the highly competent Camry Hybrid.
As the best-selling car in America for nine years straight, the line of mid-size sedans have been so competent, it’s almost a hum-drum story – unless you happen to be one who prizes their near-appliance-like functionality.
As is the case for its siblings, the Hybrid retains the same dimensions as the outgoing Camry, but sheds weight – about 220 pounds in the Hybrid’s case, the most weight reduced of them all.
Citing desire to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, the Obama administration is continuing to push hard to increase the U.S. fleet-wide mpg standards required in just a few years from now.
Ongoing negotiations between the White House and auto industry are now centered on a proposed 56.2 mpg Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard for 2017-2025.
If settled on in September, so high a mandate would largely be applauded by environmentalists and some others in favor of more efficient vehicles, such as hybrids and electrics, who now favor the administration’s stance.
In contrast, the strict mpg requirement is being decried as a virtual death knell to SUVs, high-power vehicles and safer (more massive) cars by opponents in the auto industry.
Though idle-stop technology has been available on European cars for years and is projected by the EPA and NHTSA to be included on a whopping 42 percent of vehicles by 2016, there are currently only three non-hybrids offering the feature in the United States: the BMW M3, and the Porsche Cayenne and Panamera models. Unfortunately, these 2011 models using idle-stop get absolutely no boost in MPG on window stickers, or for CAFE standards, compared to 2010 models without idle-stop. This is despite the technology’s great promise to improve efficiency at a modest cost.
The auto industry is sending mixed messages about fuel economy. Major car companies are spending billions of dollars advertising affordable 2011 models rated at 40 miles per gallon, and pushing its latest hybrid and electric cars. But then it says consumers don’t care about fuel efficiency.
Advertising campaigns from Ford, Chevy, and Hyundai have proudly attached the “40 mpg” badge to some small, non-hybrid models in advertisements. In truth though, there are currently no gas-only vehicles available in the United States offering EPA-rated combined fuel economy exceeding 40 mpg.
A few weeks ago, we checked out a manual shift CR-Z EX with navigation for a week. Logging 379 miles during the seven days, fuel mileage was recorded in three segments: 73 miles of normal running errands and shopping in town; 132 mile drive from Olympia, Wash. to Seattle during morning and late afternoon brake lights and gridlocks; and 174 miles of hey, let’s flog this thing and see just how sporty it is, and oh yeah, how much gas did the little four-banger guzzle.
The EPA has released its annual list of the top 10 most fuel efficient cars in the U.S. and the second consecutive year, nine of those vehicles are hybrids. The only conventional ICE on the list is again the Smart Fortwo, whose diminutive size allows it to muster a 33 mpg city rating.
The luxury segment has just taken its first step over the 40-mpg line. Toyota announced over the weekend that the all-new 2011 Lexus CT 200h—the first luxury hybrid hatchback—will be rated with a combined city-highway mileage of 42 mpg. Does the Lexus CT 200h illustrate that a gas-electric car needs to earn its hybrid badge by reaching beyond 40 mpg?
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The National Automobile Dealers Association has come out against a proposed letter-grade system for fuel economy, saying that it would confuse consumers and be "imbued with schoolyard memories of passing and failing."
