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fueleconomy


Greenlings: Why does mileage drop in winter?

This week's Greenlings topic came to us from another reader tip. Don asked why his fuel economy suffers so much in winter weather. In his own experience, mileage drops about 10 percent when the temperatures go from the 60-70 F range to near freezing. This is consistent with our own experience and in fact we've seen even bigger drops than that when testing hybrid vehicles in winter conditions. There are a number of reasons why winter driving reduces efficiency ranging from fuels to driver safety and comfort. If you happen to live ... Read more →

Greenlings: How does weight affect a vehicle's efficiency? Sebastian Blanco

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 ...

REPORT: Detroit ignored voices calling for fuel efficient vehicles, says GM insider Sebastian Blanco

We noted the other day that a recent survey from PriceWaterhouseCoopers that found out fuel economy has finally overtaken cup holders as the most important feature in new cars and trucks for ...

Survey Says: Fuel economy now more important than cup holders Jeremy Korzeniewski

We Americans are a strange bunch... at least according to all of our European friends. Our love for all things that hold cups in cars is known 'round the wold as a uniquely American obsession, and ...

Ford Focus RS tops 32 mpg (US) in UK MPG marathon Sam Abuelsamid

It's no secret that the biggest variable that affects fuel consumption of a car is not the powertrain, or the drag or rolling resistance. It's that bit between the seat and the steering wheel and ...

Average new car mpg levels hit record high in August, spurred by Cash for Clunkers 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

The success or failure of the Cash for Clunkers program that recently came to an end here in the United States has been and will continue to be debatable, but at least some good was accomplished by the legislation. According to data compiled by Wards Auto, the average new car fuel mileage hit a ...

Consumer Reports tests fuel efficiency vs. speed; Honda Insight biggest loser 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

The faster you drive, the more fuel you use. Common sense, right? Absolutely, but it's still helpful to see real-life data, as you'll see by checking out the results of a recent test performed by Consumer Reports. Not all cars perform the same at various speed limits, and as you might expect, ...

C/D drills down to find out what goes into EPA fuel economy ratings 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Ever wonder what actually goes into determining the rated fuel economy of a new car or truck? Anyone with a vehicle that's failed to live up to its EPA estimated figures would surely fit into that camp – especially if the car or truck were purchased in large part to its high mileage ...

Saturn Vue 2-mode hybrid rated at 27/30 mpg by EPA, will never be built 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

One of our readers was was perusing the EPA's fuel economy listings and stumbled across a vehicle that we didn't even know had been rated. The two-mode hybrid version of the Saturn Vue had been scheduled to go into production in November 2008. However as General Motors careened toward financial ...

Helen and John Taylor reset fuel mileage world record at 67.9 mpg 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Helen and John Taylor have done it again. The husband and wife team of hyper-milers fuel stretchers have just broken their own "48 Contiguous U.S. States Fuel Economy Guinness World Record" with an average of 67.9 miles per gallon. That's quite a bit better than the duo's previous record of just ...

Next-gen GM 6-speed automatic to boost mileage another 5 percent 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

It's only been a year since General Motors launched its 6T40 six-speed automatic transmission for mid-size and compact cars. When it was introduced, it brought with it a five percent bump in fuel efficiency. The engineers at GM Powertrain are now developing a second-generation variant of the 6T40 ...

Chevy Volt gets 230 mpg, but how? 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Neither General Motors nor the EPA are making declarative statements about how, exactly, the 2011 Chevy Volt will achieve it's much-touted 230 mpg rating that was announced today. GM's most clear statement (available in full after the break) says that some consumers "may be able to be in pure ...

Hyundai: CARS (cash for clunkers) will improve fuel economy by 60 percent 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Automakers in the U.S. are scrambling to figure out how best to sell their vehicles under the new cash-for-clunkers Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS). BMW is offering "Eco Credits" for some of its diesels and Chrysler is offering "Double CA$H For Your Old Car". Hyundai has been offering clunker ...

Bosch looks for more business as Chrysler starts to build Fiats 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Bosch has long been a major supplier of many different automotive components to Fiat, and the company is hoping to leverage that association with the new Chrysler. Bosch provides a higher proportion of the parts and systems that go into the Italian cars than they ever have had at Chrysler. However, ...

STUDY: The way to profits in Detroit? Make fuel efficient cars 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

According to a new study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, the Detroit three automakers need to make major changes in their current corporate cultures if they truly want to reverse their fortunes, and that will likely require new leadership. Says Walter McManus, ...

Toyota's push to build green cars may destroy 17th century Japanese rice paddies 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Toyota has worked hard to cultivate its image as the "green" automaker. And, with so many hybrids on the road, it can back its claim up. Still, some critics have cited the fact that mining for battery components is bad for the environment and the thousands of miles that massive, CO2-spewing ships ...

EPA rates new CVT-equipped Subaru Legacy at 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

The EPA has finished its work on the new 2010 Subaru Legacy and, in spite of growing in size, the mid-sized sedan now sports better fuel economy numbers. In its efforts to capture a unique niche of the car market, Subaru still makes all-wheel-drive standard on all its U.S.-market cars. ...

Noise cancelling speakers help 2010 Chevy Equinox get +1 mpg 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

The new 2010 Chevy Equinox that was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show has an interesting new bit of technology that aids fuel efficiency even though most people wouldn't think of it that way. When the engineers were working on the calibrations for the new 2.4-liter direct injected four cylinder ...

2010 Chevy Equinox expected to hit 32 mpg highway 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Back in January when General Motors rolled out the new 2010 Chevy Equinox, they announced the four cylinder version with the new 2.4-liter direct injected EcoTec was expected to get 30 mpg on EPA highway cycle. Since then, the powertrain engineers have continued to tweak the calibrations to eke ...

First Drive: Sailing in Stuttgart with Porsche's Cayenne S Hybrid 8 months ago on Autoblog Green

While charging along at 85 mph with a particularly poker-faced Porsche engineer riding shotgun, traffic begins to cluster on the horizon. Not willing to risk our seven-figure prototype, I gently roll off the accelerator, at which point a funny thing happens: Without warning, the tachometer ...

AMG puts up the white flag in the Autobahn power war 10 months ago on Autoblog Green

Over the past two decades, the big German automakers have been continuously cranking up the power levels of their high performance cars to absolutely insane levels. It's gotten to the point where you must have a minimum of 500 hp or more just to get into the game; many cars approach 600hp. ...

2010 Ford Fusion 4 cylinder gets official EPA numbers, 23/34 mpg! 10 months ago on Autoblog Green

Ford's revamped 2010 Fusion sedan continues to run up the big numbers when it comes to the EPA mileage ratings. The feds have just finished calculating the ratings for the four-cylinder model and, just as with the hybrid version, the numbers are best in class. The combination of the new 2.5L ...

Surprise! Bush administration passes on setting CAFE standards 10 months ago on Autoblog Green

With a brief, three-sentence statement, the Bush Administration has done what we've been expecting for quite some time: pawn off future CAFE decisions to the next administration. So, Obama and his future team will now be in charge of deciding exactly how to proceed with tough new regulations that ...

Audi puts 2.0L TDI in high efficiency version of the 44.4 mpg large A6 11 months ago on Autoblog Green

Audi is now offering a TDI e version of its large A6 sedan with the same 2.0L diesel engine that is being installed in the Jetta TDI here in the US market. In the A6, the engine is rated at 134 hp, slightly less than 140 hp available in the Jetta. The high efficiency e-badged variant of the A6 gets ...

NY Times analyzes how the Volt might get that 100 mpg sticker 12 months ago on Autoblog Green

One of the most persistent questions around the Chevrolet Volt - aside from whether or not GM will be around long enough to build it - is the fuel economy rating. The problem arises from the unique combination of plug-in electric drive and internal combustion range extender. The current standard ...

As Chrysler deathwatch continues, most '09s get mileage tweaks 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Things are not looking good in Auburn Hills these days. It's looking increasingly like Chrysler is about to head off to hospice to live out its final days as Cerberus has given up on trying to revive the littlest of the Detroit 3. But even as the turkey vultures circle outside waiting for the ...

The Smart and VW diesels enter the EPA's top 10 efficient cars list 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

The EPA has released the 2009 Fuel Economy Guide and the Smart and the VW diesels appear for the first time in the Top 10 most efficient cars list. The Smarts were not included in last year's list because they only arrived in January and the diesel VWs didn't meet pollution controls. The rest of ...

Fuel stretching Taylors get world record 58.82 mpg around the U.S. 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

After twenty days on the road John and Helen Taylor have completed their journey around America and earned a new entry in the Guinness book of world records. After 9,419 miles through 48 states, the Taylors consumed just over 11 tanks of ultra low sulfur diesel. That works out to 58.82 mpg and 853 ...

Is a Yaris cheaper to own and operate than a Prius? 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Click above image for a gallery of the 5-door Yaris With the soaring cost of fuel and an increased awareness of global warming, more and more people are looking at hybrids as a way of saving a buck and the environment at the same time. The king of all hybrids is the Toyota Prius, which comprises ...

New GM ads focus on fuel economy 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

GM has decided that the fuel economy of its vehicles should be the main focus in its advertising, rather than attempts to merely buff its battered brand image. Even the luxury line, Cadillac, is talking up miles per gallon in its new ads. Take the CTS, for instance. Please. It is capable of a ...

DOE Expands International Effort to Develop Fuel-Efficient Trucks 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

One of the big contributors to rising food prices over the past year has been the cost of getting food from the field to the grocer. Truck drivers across Europe and especially in the UK have been protesting increasing fuel costs for months. The U.S. Department of Energy is partnering with the ...

BMW chimes in on proposed U.S. CAFE standards 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

The deadline for automakers to comment on the latest CAFE standard proposal is today, and at least one manufacturer has decided to speak up. BMW is calling the fuel efficiency standards it would be required to meet 'unattainable.' As you may be aware, the latest proposal takes into account the ...

Kia adds Eco Driving System to Optima sedan 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

So-called "Eco driving" lamps are nothing new in many cars, but somehow they have never been included in any Korean cars until now. Kia has just launched an updated version of the Optima sedan and it features a lamp that changes colors within the speedometer. In a post on the Kia Buzz blog, Hyun ...

Meeting new CAFE regs will cost Detroit double what it costs the Japanese 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

The average cost for Detroit's Big Three automakers to meet the proposed fuel efficiency targets of 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015 has been pegged at $30.6 billion. In contrast, the average cost for the Japanese automakers sits at less than half that amount at "only" $14.85 billion. These numbers ...

VIDEO: Proving once again that there is no silver bullet 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

We've said again and again that there is no one solution that is best for everyone when it comes to fuel consumption. Depending on your needs, wants and budget, different solutions may suit you better than your neighbor. The crew over at Edmunds recently did a fuel consumption comparison test that ...

Facts on the ground may push NHTSA to toughen CAFE rules 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

When Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced the first draft of new fuel economy standards last month, the increases actually appeared to exceed those mandated by recent energy bill. Of course a closer inspection of the rules indicated that they weren't all they appeared to be. Because the ...

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