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How does weight affect a vehicle's efficiency?

Over the last few decades, the average weight of a vehicle sold in the U.S. climbed steadily after we got over the oil embargoes of the 1970s. Today, though, auto companies are putting a lot of effort into reducing weight – Lotus set up an entire lightweight structures division, BMW is investing millions into carbon fiber and Jaguar loves aluminum – because every ounce you take out of a car improves the vehicle's performance and fuel economy. Options for weight savings that automakers are investigating include installing things ... Read more →

Megacity will be BMW's first to use carbon fiber "on a large scale" Sebastian Blanco

The idea that BMW's line of electric vehicles will cater to the same premium buyers as the company's other vehicles seems more assured with today's announcement that it has established a joint venture ...

Audi shows off lightweight aluminum/carbon fiber A5 prototype Sam Abuelsamid

As much as we like the Audi A5 with it's lovely lines and proportions and good driving dynamics, we have to admit that it's a bit porky. The lightest version currently available in the U.S. market ...

Volkswagen SuperlightCar project reduces weight of Golf shell by 30-percent Jeremy Korzeniewski

We just learned about a project from Audi that resulted in an experimental lightweight S5 that was capable of lapping the famed Nürburgring racetrack in Germany eight seconds quicker than ...

Audi working on hybrids, saving weight Jeremy Korzeniewski

It's easy to focus on the electrification of the automobile as the next big step towards reducing our fossil fuel consumption, but a lot has to happen before we're all driving electric vehicles. ...

Next gen Audi A4/A5 to go on a major diet and get smaller engines 9 months ago on Autoblog Green

The cars built off of Audi's "B8" platform, including the A4 sedan, A5 coupe and their derivatives, have much to recommend them. Light weight is not among those characteristics. The lowest mass four cylinder front wheel drive A4 sedan weighs in at nearly 3,600 pounds and the V8-powered AWD S5 runs ...

High Performance, Higher Education: Ferrari estalishes lightweight research lab at Italian university 10 months ago on Autoblog Green

If there's one thing on which treehuggers and tire-smokers can agree on, it's the need to reduce weight in vehicles. It hurts performance and it hurts fuel efficiency. Few know that as well as Ferrari, which has just taken things to another level by dedicating a new research lab at the University ...

Future Subaru's to vie for Biggest Loser title 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Future fuel economy and emissions regulations are going to make sweeping changes to the way our cars are designed. While many of the best innovations will be made to the powertrain - whether its electric, diesel, gasoline-powered or a combination thereof - there are plenty more ways to increase ...

Hyundai going down the DI and weight reduction path for more MPG 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Hyundai is already near the top of the fuel economy ranks in the U.S. market, but that's not enough to meet future requirements. Currently, Hyundai trails only Honda and Toyota in the CAFE race. Going forward, Hyundai plans to upgrade its powertrains and reduce mass to get its conventional vehicles ...

Lotus garners award for new aluminum chassis of Evora 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Lotus is increasingly building on its 60 year history of creating more with less with all its recent efforts on electric and hybrid drive cars. Besides the powertrain work, Lotus has plenty of experience with lightweight structures. The latest evolution of that is the architecture of the new Evora ...

Video: KTM X-Bow gets track tested 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

We've been talking about the KTM X-Bow for over a year now and while it's nice to read about a car's innovative lightweight construction and its many event appearances, there's nothing like an in-car video of a few laps around Silverstone to help one gain a true appreciation of how the X-Bow makes ...

IRC: lightweight cars = higher injury claim costs 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

The Insurance Research Council (IRC) has published a report that comes out against small cars. It shows that the average auto injury claim payment in accidents involving lighter-weight vehicles was 14.3 percent greater than the average payment in accidents involving heavy vehicles. What does this ...

Mitsubishi Chemical concept car to spur adoption of lightweight materials 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Lightweight parts integration seems to be something of a theme this week as Mitsubishi Chemical announces their plans to promote the use of more lightweight materials in automotive applications. Divulging an agenda earlier this year to invest millions into a new carbon fiber testing facility and ...

Enter the carbon fiber Axon hatchback, Progressive Automotive X-Prize competitor 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Last year at the Sexy Green Car Show, Axon Automotive introduced the world to their lightweight version of that iconic classic, the Caterham 7, which they dubbed the Eco-M. They said they'd return in 2008 with a more practical design and return they have with a new vehicle which they lovingly refer ...

Lotus creates lightweight structures division 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

The philosophy of Lotus founder Colin Chapman was always to make his cars as light as possible. He is reported to have said at various times "to add speed, add lightness" and "simplicate, than add lightness." Over the years, Lotus cars have often been among the lightest of their kind and innovations ...

DuPont's Zytel can cut weight of auto components in half 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

DuPont has announced a new type of resin that can work as a metal substitute. The new Zytel® nylon resin has replaced steel in exhaust system parts on all Volkswagen vehicles built on the current Golf platform, cutting weight of the component by nearly 50 percent. The resin is used in the ...

Chicago 2008: three (well, two) surprising ways to use less fuel 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

There is nothing remotely green about the F-650-based Alton XUV in the picture above. The Alton beast, on display at the Chicago Auto Show, seems to be designed to provoke, with its insane GVWR of 25,999 lbs and $200,000 price tag. Still, there is at least one area where the aftermarket gearheads ...

Video: Lotus, Ferrari, Tesla are using lightweight aluminum in their cars 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

As you can see in the video above, aluminum is the latest thing in sport car body frames. Ferrari is working with Alcoa on the aluminum "space frame" which weighs just 440 pounds, one third the weight of a steel frame. The way the frame is put together is also very important. Tesla worked with ...

Videos: 83 mpg VW Ecoracer, 94 MPG Fiat Ecobasic 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

The video above is a minute with VW's Ecoracer, which is made from carbon fibre and gets 83 mpg. VW has yet to make it, but a car very much like it for sale is the Smart Roadster. Below the fold is a video of Fiat's Ecobasic which has a modular, plastic design and can get 94 mpg. Fiat decided not ...

Porshce's lightweight technology eyed by VW and Audi 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

The lightweight technology in Porsche's upcoming Panamera is being coveted by Volkswagen. Porsche Chief Designer Wolfgang Dürheimer told Automobilwoche that VW and Audi made it clear that they are interested in using the new materials for their own vehicles once Porsche became a significant VW ...

Frankfurt Preview: Mazda keeps the focus on low weight with new 6 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

The new generation Mazda6 will be debuting next week in Frankfurt and the Japanese brand wants to keep their "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom" strategy going. Like the subcompact Mazda2 that came out Geneva, Mazda has made weight reduction a major part of their design vision for the new car. Taking the ...

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