A new study suggests that failing to follow to proper eco-driving practices can hurt a vehicle's average fuel economy by as much as 45 percent.
Goodyear has announced that it is developing a self-inflating tire. In a press release, the Akron-based tire giant trumpeted what it is calling its Air Maintenance Technology, which incorporates pressure gauges and a miniaturized pump inside of each tire to ensure proper inflation at all times.
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.
Hybrid and electric car engineers go to great efforts to maximize the efficiency of drivetrains, components and vehicle design. What’s less known is that they require tire makers to create customized tunings of tires for specific vehicles. The Toyota Prius and Chevy Volt both come with the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max, while the Nissan LEAF uses a Bridgestone Ecopia. “While the name on the sidewall says Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max for the Toyota Prius, it very well may be a very different tune on the Fuelmax used on the Chevy Volt,” said Woody Rogers, product information specialist, at Tirerack.com. In an audio interview, we talk tires with Woody.
There was a time when automakers could meet fuel efficiency standards by shifting to smaller cars. No longer. Thanks to the so-called “footprint formula” used to establish higher fuel efficiency standards, automakers will need to make big gains in all segments in order to meet tougher efficiency levels starting in 2012.Case in point: The next-generation Ford Explorer, once the poster child for SUV-obsessed America, will move to a car-like unibody construction and add an EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission as its standard powertrain.
Last week, the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) stopped Porsche from running an ad claiming that the new Cayenne S Hybrid “can even travel to a speed of 37 mph without using its V6 petrol engine." The agency believes the 37 mph claim is misleading because the vehicle travels only for a limited time and distance using power exclusively from the electric motor and batteries. The ASA is right. Hopefully, the ruling will raise awareness that the ability for conventional hybrids to travel in “all-electric mode” at high speeds is a cool trick—but relatively insignificant.
Bridgestone Corporation unveiled its latest entry in the category of environmentally friendly tires at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. The company’s Ecopia EP422 family of tires are all-season low rolling resistance tires made from recycled materials. Bridgestone says owners can expect about a 4 percent fuel economy improvement, and a quick payback on the extra investment.
At last month's Chicago Auto Show, GM added another dimension to the Chevy Volt story: the push for suppliers to develop energy-saving components in every nook and cranny of the vehicle.
Many of today’s hybrid drivers keep a close eye on the fuel economy reading on the dashboard. Instantaneous MPG readings provide essential feedback about the effects of toes tapping on the accelerator, extended stretches of coasting, and easing on the brakes. But the new generation of fuel efficiency dashboard displays takes hybrid geekiness to a new level—turning drivers into game players on wheels.
Cutting vehicle weight saves gas. And despite idealistic notions of an entire nation driving Honda Fits, it won’t happen—too many people really do need midsize, full-size, or truck-based vehicles. So what’s the actual impact of cutting weight? On Tuesday, Michael Bull, director of technology at Novelis Corporation, presented data from two studies that quantified the fuel savings from a given weight reduction.
