Posts Tagged ‘fuel economy’
Report shows mandate, not prices pushing improvements.
by Michael Strong on Apr.29, 2013
Consumer acceptance of electric vehicles will help automakers reach the 54.5 mpg fleet mandate, according to a new study.
Federal mandates requiring automakers to reach a 54.5 mpg fleet average by 2025 is the reason behind the surge in consumer preferences for more fuel efficient vehicles, not a perceived rise in gas prices, according to a study released today.
The team authoring the report ran several econometric models to determine that the price of gas, while a minor factor, was not the biggest push for the public’s acceptance of the mandate and willingness to buy more efficient vehicles.
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The mandate requires automakers to average 34.5 mpg by 2017 and to achieve the 54.5-mpg average by 2025. According to the study, which was released today by the Consumer Federation of America, the mandates are universally endorsed by Americans.
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Tags: TheDetroitBureau.com., electric vehicles, four-cylinder cars, four-cylinder engine, fuel economy, fuel economy standards, gas prices, hybrid cars, hybrid vehicles, hybrids, michael strong, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
Highway mileage near match for Toyota Prius.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.18, 2013
The 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel will have the highest highway mileage rating of any non-hybid passenger car sold in the U.S.
Sedan buyers looking to get hybrid-level fuel economy without having to actually opt for a hybrid vehicle now have a new alternative – the EPA giving the new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel a 46 mpg rating on the highway.
That comes in ahead of the Toyota Prius V, matches the smaller Prius C – and falls just 1 mpg short of Ford’s 47 mpg Fusion Hybrid. But, as is often the case, highway mileage alone can be misleading.
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The “Clean” Cruze is General Motors’ first diesel-powered passenger car in roughly three decades to be sold in the U.S. market. The maker “harnessed generations of diesel expertise to adapt our world-class global engine for the North American market,” said the project’s chief engineer Gary Altman. As with its key competitors, about half of all the vehicles GM sells in Europe use diesel power.
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Tags: 2014 chevrolet cruze diesel, Chevy Cruze diesel, Toyota Prius, auto news, car news, chevrolet news, chevy diesel, clean diesels, cruze tdi, cruze turbodiesel, diesel mileage, diesels v hybrids, fuel economy, gm news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 3 Comments »
But National Research Council wants new fuel fees to get there.
by Michael Strong on Mar.20, 2013
The new study calls for the use of more alternative fuels -- and higher fees on gasoline and diesel.
The United States can reduce its oil use and greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050, if the federal government is willing to continue using a combination of industry and consumer incentives — and new fees, implementing new taxes on gasoline to encourage a move to alternative fuels and technologies.
According to a new report by the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council, fuel efficiency in light vehicles should continue to improve, well beyond the 54.5 mile per gallon Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, target the government set for 2025.
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But achieving an 80% reduction by 2050 would be possible only through a combination of more efficient vehicles; alternative power sources like biofuels, electricity and hydrogen; and government policies aimed at overcoming high costs and influencing consumer choices.
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Tags: NRC oil, auto news, car news, fuel economy, greenhouse gases, mike strong, oil consumption, study sees 80% cut in oil consumption, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
Drivers undercut improvements in fuel economy.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.11, 2013
Motorists are offsetting better vehicle fuel economy by driving further - and more often alone.
The good news, reports the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, is that today’s cars are more fuel-efficient than ever – the window sticker on the average vehicle sold in February climbing to 24.5 mpg.
The bad news? Motorists are driving longer distances, and with fewer people in their vehicles, sharply undercutting the improvements in vehicle fuel economy.
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In a somewhat complex formula incorporating fuel economy, distance driven and the number of passengers traveling in each vehicle, the study concludes that fuel economy – per person traveling – has barely improved at all over the last 40 years, according to UMTRI’s Michael Sivak, who directs the Sustainable Worldwide Transportation program.
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Tags: auto news, car news, fuel economy, michael sivak, mileage, miles driven, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, real fuel economy, thedetroitbureau, umtri
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
“All things are possible,” says CEO Akerson.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.06, 2013
GM CEO Dan Akerson outlines the maker's energy efficiency plans.
It may seem like an odd choice to pitch fuel efficiency and energy independence in Texas, but General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson took that message to the Lone Star State today, telling participants in an energy conference that America is on the right track as it curbs consumption and develops domestic resources while curbing fuel imports.
The former Naval Academy graduate also used his speech to a conference hosted by global consulting firm IHS to outline GM’s plans for sharply improving the fuel economy of its products over the coming years.
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Quoting widely read Texas author Larry L. King, GM’s chief executive said the state one was the roll model for America as a was a place where “all things are possible.” The payoff of cutting energy consumption – and especially the U.S. dependence upon foreign oil, Akerson emphasized, “suggests to me that ‘all things may be possible’ once again – if we play our cards right.”
But the executive also stressed that the nation needs to move away from a reactive approach to its energy policy, “lurching from crisis to crisis,” and form a more effective, well-thought-out, proactive approach.
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Tags: Chevrolet Volt, akerson energy conference, auto mileage, auto news, cadillac elr, car news, dan akerson, fuel economy, gm alternate energy, gm energy efficiency, gm fuel economy, gm mileage, gm mpg, gm news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 3 Comments »
Decline is surprisingly consistent between vehicles.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.23, 2013
Slow down, you move too fast? Even a 10 mph increase in vehicle speed means a sharp reduction in mileage, according to a new study.
Studies show that fuel economy has become the number one concern among American car buyers – but motorists have also been pressing for higher speed limits which can sharply reduce the mileage a car gets.
While that might seem common sense, a new study clearly quantifies the impact of putting the pedal to the metal. And it finds that there are surprisingly few differences between vehicles, whether brick-like SUVs or sleek, wind-cheating sports cars.
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“People really like rules of thumb and if you’re increasing your speed from 50 to 60 miles an hour, we find for the largest number of vehicles fuel economy will go down about 12%,” said Brian H. West, a researcher at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in Knoxville, Tennessee, where the study was conducted.
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Tags: auto news, car news, fuel economy, fuel economy vehicle speed, mileage speed, oak ridge fuel economy study, oak ridge national lab, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
But declining fuel prices could buck trend.
by Joseph Szczesny on Jan.07, 2013
GM claims being first to sell 1 million cars getting over 30 mpg, such as the Chevy Sonic.
American motorists are getting more out of their new vehicles as the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks sold increased 6% and set an all-time high in 2012 as consumers responded to higher gas prices and the increased availability of attractive high-mileage products, according to a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, or UMTRI.
UMTRI’s Eco-Driving Index indicated the average fuel economy of new vehicles purchased in 2012 rose to a record 23.8 mpg, up 1.3 mpg from 2011 and up 2.9 mpg from 2008.
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But whether that trend will continue, especially with the economy recovering and fuel prices falling – at least for the moment – remains to be seen. The University study found the fuel economy of vehicles purchased in December was 23.9 mpg, down 0.2 mpg from November, likely reflecting the recent reduction in the price of gasoline.
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Tags: auto news, car news, ford news, fuel economy, fuel efficient cars, fuel prices, gas prices, gm news, high-mileage cars, joe szczesny, mileage, record fuel economy, thedetroitbureau, toyota news, umtri
Posted in Automobiles | 5 Comments »
Mileage keeps rising even as fuel prices fall.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Nov.05, 2012
As more high-mileage models, such as the 2013 Nissan Altima, roll into showrooms, the nation's fuel economy average is rising to record levels.
The mileage of the average vehicles sold in the U.S. last month hit an all-time record, according to a new study, even though fuel prices fell across most of the country.
The increase comes despite adjusting for the fact that Hyundai and Kia had to reduce the stated mileage of 13 different models they’ve sold in the U.S. since 2010 in the wake of an EPA Audit. The federal agency, TheDetroitBureau.com today reported, may audit other manufacturers to see if they have overstated fuel economy numbers, as well.
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The typical vehicle sold in the U.S. in October had an average fuel economy of 24.1 miles per gallon, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. That’s up 17% from the average in October 2007 when UMTRI became tracking mileage.
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Tags: auto mileage, auto news, car news, fuel economy, hyundai mileage, kia mileage, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, record fuel economy, record mileage, thedetroitbureau, umtri fuel economy, us mileage
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But even mpg numbers that meet regs could be exaggerated, industry insiders concede.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Nov.05, 2012
Those Kia Hamsters apparently fudged the mileage numbers on the Soul and other models.
Watch TV for more than an hour in prime time; pick up a newspaper or magazine; or check the ads that pop up while you’re searching the web. Odds are you’re bombarded with ads pitching the latest fuel economy numbers from one manufacturer or another.
“Mileage has become the number one concern of American motorists,” Ford Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields noted earlier this year.
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But are those numbers valid? That’s the question motorists – and regulators – are left wondering in the wake of the revelation, last week, that Korean makers Hyundai and Kia had inflated their own mileage figures by as much as 6 mpg on 13 separate models. The Environmental Protection Agency is apparently getting ready to review other makers’ mileage claims. Meanwhile, even numbers that meet government scrutiny are coming under question because of the way the industry is promoting mileage in advertising.
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Tags: auto news, car news, epa fuel economy investigation, fuel economy, hyundai fuel economy, hyundai kia lie about fuel economy, hyundai mileage, hyundai news, kia fuel economy, kia mileage, kia news, mileage, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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Is a downsized version in the works?
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Sep.27, 2012
The 2013 Range Rover makes a splashy entrance at the Paris Motor Show.
The world is rapidly changing for automakers and nowhere is that more obvious than in the once-huge SUV segment. Sales peaked at more than 3 million in the U.S. a decade or so back and have been sliding ever since. Only a handful of models continue to exist in the classic, truck-based SUV segment. But don’t think utes are going away.
Certainly not the range-topping Range Rover which is making its formal public debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show. The flagship of the British Land Rover, the fourth-generation Range Rover nonetheless has adapted to rapidly changing market realities. Among other things, it’s nearly a half-ton lighter than the outgoing model and by next year buyers in many markets will be able to order one with an all-new plug-in hybrid drivetrain.
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Nonetheless, Land Rover is eyeing big changes – especially in the wake of the successful launch of its Range Rover Evoque last year. The maker’s first crossover-based model is now its biggest seller, outperforming even the most optimistic expectations for the downsized CUV.
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Tags: 2012 paris motor show, 2013 range rover, Range Rover Evoque, auto news, british cars, british suvs, car news, cuv sales, fuel economy, gerry mcgovern, land rover, land rover news, land rover paris, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, range rover, range rover paris, suv sales, thedetroitbureau
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