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ETHANOL AND YOUR SHRINKING MPG
May 6, 2008: We've noticed our fuel economy decrease as ethanol has been blended with gas. So, we're wondering just how big a hit ethanol is on MPG. According to the Boston Herald: "If it's a gallon of E-10, which is a blend of 10 percent ethanol and conventional gas, there's an energy difference of about 3.4 percent. Now that may not seem like much when you're topping off the tank this week. But over the course of a year of normal driving, it would take an additional 40 gallons of E-10 to go the same distance as conventional gas. If they were both priced the same, it would mean an extra $120." And in a side-by-side comparison taking into account energy loss, E85 can also cost a household nearly $100 per year more than conventional gas ... If you're still looking for a way to improve your fuel economy, take a look at your tires ...
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EUROPIFICATION: WE TOLD YOU SO!
April 30, 2008: Have you heard the new, hip term for the transition in America to smaller, gas-sipping cars? Europification. Sound familiar? It should since we reported not only last year but more than two years ago that Americans want access to more fuel efficient vehicles available only in Europe and Asia. Business Week notes: "Call it the Europification of the American automobile. In the Old World, small engines and cars are the norm and have been for years. In a perverse way, higher fuel prices may actually help the carmakers. CAFÉ is based on what vehicles the carmakers sell. With oil at $119 a barrel and gasoline hitting $4 a gallon in some places, consumers are already demanding smaller, more efficient cars. The new fuel rules may be tough for auto makers to hit, but consumers were seeking efficiency even before Congress started mulling tougher fuel economy proposals more than a year ago." ... Those truckers woes we noted in early April have now made their way to Washington, as a convoy of truckers with horns blaring made their way to Capitol Hill to protest high fuel prices and demand government action ... And if you're looking for more details on how the new CAFÉ standards will work, Harry Stoffer of Automotive News explains how the new standards will effect various automakers differently ...
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31.6 BY 2015: TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
April 23, 2008: The new federal fuel efficiency
standards rolled out with much fanfare yesterday would increase fuel
economy to a 31.6 MPG average for cars and trucks by 2015 and "save
55 billion gallons of fuel -- or $100 billion at the pump -- and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 521 million metric tons over the life of the new
vehicles." Our
question is this: Why is Washington shooting so low
on MPG? We already know that much higher levels of fuel
economy are possible faster and others
agree that the time for half solutions has passed ... With
gas prices continuing to rise each week to historical records across the
country, including $4 gas
in California, we need to push for the maximum achievable fuel
efficiency ASAP ... There is a rising uproar around the world blaming the U.S. focus
on corn-based ethanol for driving up world food prices, causing some
lawmakers to wonder if the whole
short-sighted focus on corn-based ethanol was a mistake. Some groups are
trying to help alleviate the problem by looking
to other sources for biofuels ... Some Maryland residents look for
ways to achieve
significantly improved fuel economy ... and a new
small car coming to the U.S. market from Ford by 2010 is part of the
growing movement away from gas-hog SUVS towards gas-sipping smaller vehicles ...
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NISSAN TO THE RESCUE OF LOW-MPG CHRYSLER?
April 15, 2008: Check this out: Nissan and Chrysler have announced a new partnership. Nissan will build and all-new small fuel efficient car for Chrysler, similar to the Versa, and Chrysler will build Nissan a version of its Dodge Ram pickup to replace the Titan pickup. CNN Money notes: "Chrysler badly needs a high-volume small car to cushion it from the precipitous falloff in its pickups and SUVs, as well as to meet stringent new federal fuel economy regulations in 2020. With sales this year down 15.5% - more than any other major automaker - Chrysler also needs to demonstrate more vitality." Could there be any clearer indication of how Detroit missed the high-MPG boat? If you don't want to hear it from us, read the words of Bloomberg commentator Doron Levin, who points out that the Big Three automakers are victims of their own miscalculations in essentially giving the small car market starting in the 90's to the Asian carmakers ... This Buffalo News editorial is right on the money: "With record oil prices topping $100 a barrel this year and gas prices now climbing toward $4 a gallon, America's oil addiction is more painful than ever. So far the government response has been far more rhetoric than action. That must change. ... As the presidential candidates continue to stump for the White House, America's addiction to oil should be on the campaign agenda." ...
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GAS PRICES UP SHARPLY FROM SPRING 2007
April 8, 2008: You may have thought that gas prices last year were painful, but it turns out that was nothing. "At the pump, the national average price of a gallon of gas jumped 3.6 cents over the weekend to a record $3.339, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. That's 58 cents higher than a year ago." That's right nearly 60 cents higher than a year ago! ... Don't hold your breath waiting for gas prices to drop any time soon. As for the long-term outlook, the head of a consulting firm which specializes in the oil and gas market, oil price volatility is here to stay. ... With gas prices sky high, high-MPG vehicles are hotter than ever. A new study by J.D. Power concludes that "sales of high-mileage diesels and hybrid-electric vehicles are expected to triple by the middle of the next decade." Power says that by 2015, the two technologies will achieve a combined 17 percent of the U.S. new car and light truck market ... The Car Care Connection says that simple maintenance can improve your car's fuel economy, potentially saving up to $1,200 or more a year, in addition to improving safety and dependability. They have a few pointers on maintenance that will help you get more for your fuel dollar ...
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(DON’T) KEEP ON TRUCKING?
April 2, 2008: Did people think that energy prices could just keep rising forever without hitting a breaking point? If you're an independent trucker buying swimming pools of diesel at a time, you go on strike to bring the issue to the attention of lawmakers. High diesel prices are making it tough for many independent truckers to stay in business. As we reported at the end of January, 65 percent of Americans said the only reason they had not cut down on their driving to or from work was because they were not able to. If you're commuting to work, that's one thing. But a trucker has no real choice in the matter. The story of the trucker strike is being told here, here and here, along with dozens of other news outlets ... Ford's just released March sales show that consumer's choices are clearly being affected by gas prices and environmental concerns. Not surprisingly, the usually top-selling Ford F-Series pick-up saw a sharp sales drop of almost 24 percent from last year's March figures. And conversely, Ford's fuel-sipping cars, like the Focus compact and Edge, saw an almost 24 percent gain ... Score one for Congress. Lawmakers lambasted oil companies executives this week for "clinging to $18 billion in tax breaks designed to encourage oil exploration, even as their companies post record earnings and consumers are pinched by peak gasoline prices." ...
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NO CLIMATE CONTROL FOR OLD MEN?
March 25, 2008: John McCain ... Isn't he that Republican presidential candidate who embraces action on climate change? You might want to make sure you check out the fine print on that one. In a recent interview with E&E Daily, one of McCain's top advisors said he would consider taking the recent weak MPG standards signed by President Bush "off the books." We're at a loss as to how that would help curb global warming. And it seems as though other people are scratching their heads on this one, too. Some are saying this is not such a big switch after all, given that the League of Conservation Voters gave McCain a lifetime score of only 24 percent. ... If the cost of gas is wiping out your bank account, check out these fuel-saving tips from CNN. ... Diesel prices are climbing fast, too. And it's been a brutal couple of years for truckers, many of whom are going broke. It's so bad that they're now looking to take extreme measures so that the federal government will take note of their plight. "Dan Little, the owner/operator of a livestock hauling company in Carrollton, Mo., estimated Tuesday that at least 1,000 other truckers from across the United States have committed so far to joining him in a strike on April 1." One truck company operator in Maine says that diesel prices have forced him to the brink of bankruptcy. ...
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CALIFORNIA’S HIGH-MPG ROADMAP
March 18, 2008: According to the Bureau of Atomic Scientists (BAS), California has been leading the way in trying to establish a standard for low-carbon emissions fuel. It's plan, signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger in January 2007, called for a 10-percent reduction in the carbon intensity of his state's transportation fuels by 2020. BAS says "implementation of California's plan is likely to become a road map for others." Several members of Congress followed with proposals of federal legislation to lower carbon emissions in fuel. The reason why this makes so much sense? BAS states: "The appeal of a low-carbon fuel standard is that it establishes performance levels and opens the transportation fuels market to new competitors, not allowing the government to lock in on pet programs or technologies. Liquid fuel providers who produce and sell diesel fuel, gasoline, or biofuels--as well as electricity providers who 'fuel' plug-in hybrid vehicles with electricity generated by renewables--can all now compete for the transportation dollar. Competition and market forces are tremendously useful to encourage innovation that lowers costs." ... Unfortunately for poor college students everywhere, those record high gas prices may prevent many from having the spring break trips they were hoping for. ... Amazing but true: Hawaii now has cheaper gas than California. Nonetheless, the state legislature in Hawaii is proposing to require oil refiners to make public their account books to show the public their costs and profits. Sounds good to us ...
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GAS PRICES BREAK RECORD … 40MPG NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD!
March 11, 2008: The pain Americans feel at the pump is growing ever worse as gas prices across the country reach new sky-high records. USA Today reports: "According to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, the average national price of a gallon of gas rose half a cent overnight to $3.2272 Tuesday. That is slightly higher than the previous record of $3.2265 a gallon, set last May." U.S. demand for gas traditionally rises as we get closer to the summer travel months and consistently high demand from overseas is keeping prices high. In January, 71 percent of Americans said that they expect gas prices to reach $4 a gallon this summer and it seems we're right on track to get to that point ... A North Carolina man is touting filling up with CNG (compressed natural gas). "...Ronald Orr thinks we might like to hear about a different kind of gas that costs less than $2. Orr, a retired engineer, has a fleet of six cars and trucks that run on CNG -- compressed natural gas. ... Unlike gasoline, natural gas is abundant in the United States, relatively cheap and squeaky clean. 'It's the only alternative fuel that's demonstrably cheaper than gasoline, unlike ethanol and biodiesel,' said Orr, 68. 'With them, you pay more to be green. And CNG essentially doesn't pollute.'" Here's an interesting side note: ACEEE rates the only new car on the market with a compressed natural gas system - the CNG-fueled Civic -- as the nation's most environmentally friendly "green" car, even greener than the Toyota Prius ... We continue to see stories about rising gas prices causing a change in consumer behavior in favor of buying small, more fuel efficient vehicles. Is that really such a shock to anyone outside of Detroit? ...
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THE EPA: WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF DETROIT?
March 4, 2008: You might expect this EPA to act as a rubber stamp for the auto industry. But is it too much for them to maintain at least some pretense of acting in the public interest? As a Register-Guard editorial states: " In his official decision released Friday, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson failed to make any semblance of a convincing case for blocking California, Oregon and 14 other states from imposing limits on greenhouse emissions from vehicles. Pity the beleaguered bureaucrat assigned the job of defending Johnson's indefensible decision to issue the first complete denial of a waiver request in the entire 40-year history of the Clean Air Act. Recently released EPA documents reveal that the agency's legal and technical staff advised Johnson that California's request was warranted and that its rejection would not survive a court challenge." ... Over the next two years, more than 50 teams will compete for the international Automotive X Prize. To win the $10 million prize, teams are challenged to build a vehicle that is energy efficient, clean and safe. "The winning model will need to travel 100 miles on a single gallon of gasoline or its electric equivalent, emitting just 200 grams of greenhouse gases-barely a tenth of what is now spewed by the typical exhaust pipe. It must also be assembly-line ready; the goal isn't a concept car for flower-power techies, but a mainstream replacement for gas guzzlers that now produce nearly one-fifth of US greenhouse gas emissions." ... Volkswagen will unveil a diesel-electric hybrid, the Golf TDI Hybrid, at the Geneva auto show. Jalopnik reports: "VW has combined a turbocharged 75 HP 3-cylinder diesel, a 27 HP electric motor with a trunk-mounted NiMH battery, and a 7-speed DSG. The result should be an average of 3.4L/100km (69 mpg)." ...
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BAD CLIMATE AT GM FOR VOLT PLUG-IN?
February 26, 2008: Would you let a climatologist design your next car? Of course not. But that isn't stopping GM Executive Bob Lutz from weighing in on weather science. Forget about that IPCC report concluding: "Warming of the climate system is unequivocal..." According to Reuters: "General Motors Corp Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has defended remarks he made dismissing global warming as a "total crock of s---," saying his views had no bearing on GM's commitment to build environmentally friendly vehicles." Is this just a meaningless side comment from a non-expert? Maybe not. We are troubled by signs that GM may be backing away from it's highly touted Volt plug-in car ... Automotive News is saying that Toyota may add two small vehicles to its U.S. lineup to help meet the new fuel economy standards ... And the Detroit News reports that the "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has completed its proposal laying out annual fuel economy increases and sent it to the White House on Wednesday for approval" ...
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SHAME ON U.S. FOR LAME MPG HIKE!
February 19, 2008: Congratulations to the International Energy Agency (IEA), an advisory body for 27 industrialized countries, for calling out the United States on what we here at 40MPG.org have been saying for a long time: "... the IEA pointed out many European nations as well as Japan and China currently have stricter standards in place than the new U. S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for cars and light trucks that won't take full effect before 2020. 'That's not very fast or ambitious enough,' IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka told reporters at a briefing. 'If these kinds of efficiency gains can be achieved outside the U.S., then why not here?'" Amen! ... Thank goodness that state officials take the greenhouse gas auto emissions issue seriously. Minnesota may soon adopt California clean car standards, joining several other states with air quality rules that are more stringent than those of the federal government ... After dipping for a bit, gas prices seem to be heading back up judging from reports across the U.S., including Dayton, OH. , El Paso, TX. , and Nashville, TN. Looks like American consumers are right to fear $4 gas by this summer ...
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FUEL EFFICIENCY … AND PERFORMANCE?
February 12, 2008: Motor Trend has an interesting article that touts a supposed new trend among automakers toward "1970s-style efficiency increases, without the performance penalty" ... Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle have proposed a tax based on fuel efficiency, hoping that using the pocketbook will motivate consumers to drive green. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports: "Senate Bill 6923 would impose a vehicle excise tax on all passenger vehicles based on EPA ratings of a cars' fuel efficiency. For example, the owner of a hybrid car such as, say, a Toyota Prius, would pay $60 in annual taxes, whereas the owner of a Hummer H3 would pay $180 a year. ... The tax would replace slumping revenue collected through the state's gas tax. Rising fuel costs have lured drivers from their cars while the increased popularity of gas-efficient vehicles has cut back on the number of trips drivers make to the pumps. The money raised would be split between the state Department of Transportation and local governments, with 75 percent of the tax going to cities and counties and 25 percent going to the DOT for transportation projects, including 'green' alternatives." You can see the text of the legislation on the Web site for the Washington State Legislature ... In addition to the Legacy and Outback diesels Subaru plans to show in Geneva, Autoblog.com reports Subaru is also looking into the diesel engine for its sporty WRX ... 'Grease Lightning'? This fellow's neighbors can smell when he's coming - his Jetta runs on recycled vegetable oil ...
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