We invite you to join us in working to make 40 miles per gallon the standard for all automobiles in the United States. http://www.40mpg.org en-us Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:43:01 -0500 tires are a major issue when it comes to MPG.  Tires drain about a fifth of the energy needed to power the car - and that comes from tires providing friction so vehicles can grip the road. In addition to Yokohama's "orange tires", some manufacturers have tried to reduce the rolling resistance to increase the vehicle's fuel economy.  In the past, this has caused cars to lose grip and shortened tire life.   Now, manufacturers are starting to use "nanocomposites" to create tires that can improve fuel efficiency by up to 8 percent and make tires last longer ... With Toyota suffering in the light of the wave of recent recalls, will the new Mercedes-Benz diesel-hybrid beat out the Lexus HS 250h? Mercedes previewed the E300 BlueTec Hybrid at the Geneva Auto Show.  It will get close to 60 MPG and is expected to go on sale around the world in late 2011.  In comparison, the Lexus hybrid gets 35 MPG city and 34 MPG highway.  It's not clear yet what the price will be for the Mercedes but it doesn't look like it will have serious competition in its class on the MPG front ... ]]> http://www.40mpg.org/weeklyupdate.cfm#269 as refineries switch to the summer blends, a better-than-expected U.S. economy has pushed up crude oil prices, increasing prices at the pump.  Another factor in higher gas prices - the Chile earthquake will reduce the overall supply, even though the country is not a major producer. States across the country - California, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Massachusetts to name a few -   are already seeing price increases ... Who would have thought this would happen: "U.S. automakers and the EPA have become frenemies in the fight for - get this - more federal regulation," according to BNET. It may seem unusual but it does make sense. The alliance was forged to oppose Sen. Lisa Murkowski's campaign to prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.  Automakers warn that without federal regulation, they would have to contend with a patchwork of state regulations, which would be costly and cumbersome. The EPA was given the authority to regulate GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act as a result of a 2007 Supreme Court ruling. The U.S. has been woefully behind in setting greenhouse gas emissions targets and the EPA needs to step in for us to be a real part of the global movement towards reducing global warming.  However, even if GHG regulation is delayed, higher fuel efficiency targets will still be set by the U.S. Department of Transportation ...]]> http://www.40mpg.org/weeklyupdate.cfm#268 new EPA standards for greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) for model year 2012-2016 vehicles will make an appearance shortly.  EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson laid out the timetable for the agency to regulate  GHG emissions in a letter to lawmakers this past Monday.  She stated that the new standards would be issued by the end of March and the Department of Transportation would issue the rule raising the fuel economy for the same light-duty vehicles in conjunction with the EPA.   (The EPA doesn't explicitly increase MPG through its rulemaking, but the agency's limits on tailpipe emissions works out to be pretty much the same thing in practice.)   Jackson says:  "Together, the EPA and DOT standards will reduce the lifetime oil consumption of the affected vehicles by 1.8 billion barrels while eliminating 950 million metric tons of greenhouse-gas pollution." That's what we're talking about ... If fuel economy is the most important criteria when you go shopping for that new car, look no further.  MSN provides a handy guide to the fuel-economy leaders by class as determined by the EPA. Not only can you see what the leaders are for each segment - like the Toyota Yaris in the Subcompact class with 29/36 MPG - comparisons are offered with a couple of other vehicles in the same class.  In addition to fuel economy, they include price, MSN expert and user ratings, Consumer Reports ratings, and warranty information, among other information ... Using fuel injection and turbocharging to improve fuel economy?  A few years ago, some seemed to think they were a novel idea but now they are becoming standard, as automakers look for any way they can to wring higher MPG out of their cars.  We've known for years that automakers would need to start using more of the existing technologies that were already available to them to improve fuel efficiency even if it took them a while to catch up. The benefit to consumers is they get more power to go with the lower MPG which saves them $$ at the pump.  While some of these vehicles may cost more at the moment, the additional cost is offset some with savings at the pump and prices will come down as the technology becomes standardized ... ]]> http://www.40mpg.org/weeklyupdate.cfm#267 one of the small cars that are finally making their way to the U.S. from Europe, you can make your reservation for the 2011 Ford Fiesta by texting "reserve" to 4Ford.  The company says they already have 6,000 reservations - half from non-Ford customers - for the 2011 Fiesta, which is estimated to deliver 40 MPG highway. You can also make an "old school" customized reservation, where you build your own Fiesta and get the price -  at www.fordvehicles.com/2011fiesta.  Who would think that "building" your dream car on the Web would end up seeming, well, "so two years ago"?  ...  The weather experts are saying snow was on the ground this week in 49 of the 50 states.  As you dug your vehicle out and starting driving around in the snow and ice, you may have noticed you weren't getting the best fuel economy.  If you have wondered how you can prepare for winter weather in order to improve your MPGs, Bankrate.com offers a few tips, including checking your coolant, which might be something you think is most important in summer rather than winter. Ensuring you have the proper mix of antifreeze and water and that your coolant is clean can help up your MPGs  ...  Looks like a domestic automaker is anticipating demand for fuel-sipping delivery vehicles.  We've reported that MPG for medium-duty trucks had risen in past years and that it was possible a new fuel economy standard for the trucking industry might be announced soon.  So it fits that Ford would start offering a smaller, more fuel economical option to fill the niche for businesses that need a larger transport option than a mini-van but something smaller than a huge delivery truck ... ]]> http://www.40mpg.org/weeklyupdate.cfm#266 who didn't?), you may have seen a TV spot that was a favorite of ours - the "Green Police" ad for the Audi A3 TDI clean diesel, which was named 2010 Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal.  We weren't the only ones who took a shine to the smart messaging.  Energy Outlook blogger Geoffrey Styles makes an observation that explains why diesel is growing in popularity: "Having had the opportunity to drive one at the recent Washington Auto Show, I can attest that the A3's environmental credentials come wrapped in a very attractive package, requiring no sacrifice other than the sticker price. Even if the comparison to a variety of intrusive green practices lampooned in reductio ad absurdem fashion may have annoyed some observers, the positive side of the message seemed smart and timely: Diesel cars are available now in appealing models delivering greatly-reduced fuel consumption and emissions, but without requiring major behavioral changes on the part of their owners." ...   We're not huge fans of ethanol, as we've seen our fuel economy decrease since it's been in the mix gasoline.  Sounds like Oregon has the right idea to us. "In response to complaints of poor gas mileage and system-clogging complications from the 10 percent of ethanol flowing into tanks since 2008 mandates, the state Legislature recently added a new fuel option - premium non-ethanol," according to The News-Review.  Starting this month, service stations throughout the state are adding the new fuel option their lineup.   We love it and look forward to that idea traveling East soon! ...  ]]> http://www.40mpg.org/weeklyupdate.cfm#265