Yamaha

Did it work? Maybe!

More about the seemingly production-ready HV-X hybrid concept—including video—after the jump…

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GM’s recent “230″ PR campaign (previously covered HERE and HERE) has certainly caused a lot of controversy, most of it centered on the fact that the EPA initially “backed away” from the automaker’s optimistic (?) Chevy Volt mileage claims.

Despite the fact that the 230 mpg rating will likely stand (once GM gets a final-production Volt into the hands of the EPA, that is), so much attention has been paid to the matter that the good in charge at Progressive’s Automotive X PRIZE decided it was time to chime in, asking “Is MPG still relevant?”

Short answer:  No.

Read the X Prize group’s long(er) answer, and learn about their proposed MPGe rating system, after the jump.

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Politico.com is reporting that Obama plans to announce a national Fuel-Economy and Greenhouse Gas standard for automobiles that will finally get everyone on the same page.

This is something that Bush had promised to do, even going as far as citing a federal regulation as a reason that individual states couldn’t up their own auto emission standards… but he never seemed to get ’round to setting the numbers.   The announcement, set to go public tomorrow (according to the Politico.com source, and now NPR) will have the backing of many of the industries big movers and shakers.  Arnold Schwarzenegger is planning on attending the event, a big deal when one considers that California was leading the charge against Bush’s EPA to get the ability to set higher standards themselves.  Hopefully, this means that the 13 states and D.C. legislation can go by the wayside, and we can get down to the business of actually building better more efficient cars.

From NPR’s story:

Officials said Tuesday’s announcement moves toward the 30 percent goal by 2016, starting with model years 2011 and beyond.

Obama’s move also would effectively end litigation between states and automakers, who sought to block state-specific rules. The new federal rules would prompt automakers to drop their lawsuit. Two car companies that have been part of the litigation — General Motors and Chrysler — have received billions in government loans during a dramatic downturn in car sales and weakened economy.

Sounds like things have been happening behind the scenes (isn’t that always the sense you get from Obama?  “Look over there at the abortion issue while I get things done over here”):

In secret conversations, the Obama administration has lined up support from many state governments and a huge array of domestic and foreign automakers, including GM, Ford, Chrysler, BMW and many more.

Perhaps we are reaping the rewards of the Socialism of the Car Industry faster then we all thought possible!

Image from flickr user: Guilherme Kardel under Creative Commons License

It wasn’t that long ago when it seemed like I spent more time fixing my friend’s Hyundai Elantra than she spent driving it.

It was the basest of base model cars, and it would throw mechanical temper tantrums almost weekly, and I thanked the car gods when she finally splurged on a used Lancer. But the Hyundai of today is an altogether different beast, coming out with cars like the Genesis Coupe, a punky, cheap, rear-wheel drive racer that runs as good as it looks. Now Hyundai is looking to break into the American hybrid market with a California-designed concept called the Nuvis, which debuted a few weeks ago at the New York Auto Show.

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A few months ago Cleantechnica reported on the new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan’s graphical display known as SmartGauge. Now Ford has released a video showing the interactive display in action.

Probably the coolest part of the video is where it shows how the driver will get instantaneous driving habits feedback by displaying how efficiently he or she is driving. The gauge does this through a constantly changing display of green leaves — the more green leaves on the display, the better you’re driving. For the less creative among us, that same information can also be displayed in a history graph (fuel economy over the last ten minutes). This is a nice, non-intrusive way to help promote good driving habits and maximizing a driver’s fuel economy.

Video after the break (skip to minute 2 for hybrid-specific graphics and display).

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Globally, we now access cash from a machine and we carry and use mobile phones for a significant percentage of our calling.  Its this type of basic change that will be required to have significant impact on socially and environmentally responsible consumption habits.

Shai Agassi has just such aspirations.  The electric car has been the talk of the town at the Detroit auto show this year but Shai’s concept is the most intriguing and well thought out.  In this week’s Newsweek, Fareed Zakaria talks to Shai about his idea for a Better Place in “Switched-On Highways”.    Shai does exactly what is necessary for radical innovation – he flips the approach.  Instead of framing the problem as “how to build a better car”, he frames it as “how to run a country without oil”.  He takes an ambitious approach that looks at both the infrastructure, the model of ownership and of course, the power source.

Return to electricity

Even with oil returning to under $50 a barrel, Shai’s new model is betting on the electric car to remove our dependency and make the switch to clean electricity.  With the required infrastructure in place, the cost ends up somewhere between six and eight cents per mile which is motivation in and of itself, even if oil got down to $25 a barrel.

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The BYD F3DM is the first mass-produced plug-in vehicle in the world. While the car will not be available in the United States until approximately 2011, according to an article on Bloomberg.com, the release of the vehicle provides a boost for the sagging vehicle market, and for the Chinese market in particular.

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Being powered by an engine lead-developed by partner Renault SA, the “clean” diesel refers to the fact that the X-Trail meets Japan’s new emissions standards that are set to kick into effect October 2009. These standards are said to be the strictest in the world.

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Do The Green Thing put this and other great videos together. Each one’s a little piece of green comedy manna. Watch this video and then check them out for more.

This story contains additional media. Click here to view the media.

Via: Times Online

He said the car’s computerized engine management system was stolen twice, and it cost him 500 yuan ($70) each time to get the parts back. Now he’s built a cage to house his car and thwart thievery.

Source 

Have regular tune-ups. Your car will run more efficiently, it will also be safer and will last longer. Keep an eye out for those spark plugs. A misfiring one can reduce a car's fuel efficiency by up to 30%.

Replace air filters. The engine air filters get clogged with dust, dirt, and more. This reduces fuel efficiency by as much as 10%.

All in all, be good to your baby! Keep her tires properly pumped and don't top 'er off. When the time comes to change that oil, tires, or battery, make sure they get recycled. Oh, and don't forget to unload the junk in your trunk.

Rebecca says: These car tips were inspired by my little baby: 1999 Toyota Corolla with 62,000 miles. Super mileage, super car.

Don't forget, you can suggest tips to me here. Even if you don't have a tip, let me know what topics you'd like to hear more about! Thanks for reading!

EPA: Car Maintenance

Bankrate.com: 11 Car Care Tips That Save Gas

Mr. Jolissaint was speaking at a private breakfast where the chief economists of the "Big Three" US car firms presented their forecasts for auto industry sales this year. He also criticized the recent Stern Report on Climate Change, commissioned by the UK, which called for urgent action on the issue. His remarks come in stark contrast to the 'green' image presented by GM this year at the Detroit Auto Show.

The chief economist said that he had been spending more time in the UK recently because he was concerned about how much more alarmist Europeans are than Americans over climate age. Does this mean Mr. Jolissaint is overseas to downplay the issue? Adding more fuel to the fire, Chrysler argued that demand for larger, gas-guzzling cars will recover in 2007 as oil prices remain low.

Hmm…while some car companies seems to understand that there is a need for green automobiles, Chrysler is back-pedaling on the issue. Is 'going green' simply another marketing tool or a true paradigm shift for the auto industry? What will it take for fewer question marks to accompany global warming on economic reports?

Source: Chrysler Questions Climate Change

"The team assigned fuel consumption factors for three types of car on 22 streets in a satnav's digital map database. These were based on the street's class - which took account of information such as its width and speed limit - and typical traffic flows in both peak and off-peak hours."

Results of the test showed fuel savings of about 8%. Reaserchers admit, however, that such technology still has a long way to go. "Commercialising such a system will be no easy task", says Liévin Quoidbach at Navteq, a supplier of digital satnav maps based in Zaventem, Belgium. "Making the measurements to give every street in the world a fuel consumption factor will be too expensive," he says.

Still, the article points out that enough volunteers with 'probe' cars driving around the world could easily build a database that would help reduce fuel consumption in some of the more populated place on Earth. If anything, it's a very positive step towards making our world more efficient–and getting you home in time for dinner.

Source: NewScientist