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Honda mileage target

2007-10-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

The Japanese automaker said it opposes moves in Congress to set efficiency targets for vehicles.

In its annual North American Environmental Report, Honda emphasized that it favored tougher federal fuel-economy regulations and touted its status as the most efficient full-line automaker. But its fuel-economy pledge falls far short of the 4% annual increases and hard targets that environmental groups maintain the auto industry should be forced to meet.

To me it makes a lot of sense that Honda doesn't want to sign up for the 4% per year. If you are a person that is already thin it is harder for you to loose 10 pounds than for someone who is overweight. Their cars are very fuel efficient already.

Honda has not taken sides in this year's congressional debate over fuel economy and tends to cut its own political trail in Washington. It has joined with Detroit automakers and its Japanese competitors in opposing California's efforts to set state controls on greenhouse gases from cars and trucks. Thanks to its long-held decision against building engines with more than six cylinders, Honda had the highest fuel-economy average among the six largest manufacturers in 2006 at 29.1 miles per gallon.

Isn't it amazing how Honda doesn't need a V8? They do just fine in the North American market without it. That's because they make and excellent 4 cylinder engine that you is really nice to drive.

Bush fuel economy plan has rough debut in Congress

2007-03-13T18:25:00.001-07:00

Automotive News had an interesting article on Bush's proposal to increase our nations fuel economy. Here's the article along with my comments.

The Bush administration estimates that its plan to improve fuel economy would raise the price of the average General Motors car $1,800 by 2017. In contrast, the price of the average Honda would increase less than $600. President Bush wants to raise fuel economy standards by as much as 4 percent a year, to meet his goal of cutting U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent over 10 years. You know unfortunately I think it has to be done. We have to challenge the our automotive industry improve the overall fuel ecomony. I think that this is a real opportunity for our "D3" automakers to work together and find solutions that will help them get to the goal faster and cheaper. The bottom line is the Japanese have been working on perfecting their engines and improving fuel economy for years.

Data on the plan's possible disparate impact on automakers emerged last week during a House hearing. Administration officials appeared before a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to defend the plan. They conceded it is a work in progress, especially the 4 percent-a-year provision."It's a target," said Nicole Nason, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "I don't know that we'll get there." NHTSA has set higher fuel standards for light trucks through the 2011 model year, although nowhere near 4 percent a year. The administration wants Congress to authorize NHTSA to set separate fuel standards for different sizes of cars. The fleet car standard has been at 27.5 mpg since 1990. Amazing, the same since 1990. We had 16 years to work on improving the fleet fuel economy and we didn't improve it. So with flirting with $3 gas again, we need to get on with it.

Lawmakers of both parties challenged details of the plan. The debate over vehicle fuel economy is further complicated by the growing interest in Congress to enact a broader law that would limit greenhouse-gas emissions from all sources. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the full committee, historically has allied himself with automakers opposed to higher standards. But he said last week, "The old debate is no longer sufficient."

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Locking In Gas Prices When They're Low

2007-03-13T16:36:00.001-07:00

I saw an interesting article at NPR on locking in low gas prices. Here is what they said along with my comments.

There you are, steamed at paying $3 for a gallon of gasoline. So how does it feel to learn that some people are paying $2 dollars, or even a buck a gallon? That's because they bought it from a small chain of gas stations in central Minnesota that allows customers to pre-pay for gasoline, and stockpile it for when prices jump. Remember the summer of 2006? I paid as high as $3.40 per gallon. I would love to be able to lock in low gas prices now and use it up in the summer. Like most people our summer hobbies end up consuming a lot of gas and the gas companies tend to like to raise the prices during the summer.

First Fuel Banks has six gas stations in the St. Cloud, Minn., area, where customers can buy as much gasoline as they like, whenever the price seems right. First Fuel then stores the gasoline in its oversized tanks, or buys futures contracts for really long-term purchases. Pre-paying for gasoline requires that customers tie up their money for a while. Think about it, if you buy 400 gallons of gas today at roughly $2.50 per gallon that is $1000 dollars. If gas goes up to $3.50 this summer you end up saving $400. That is a 40% return on you hedge. Take a look at the 3 year chart below compliments of Gas Buddy. Gas prices over the last 2 out of 3 years peaked in August. Even if gas didn't peak they sure didn't go down in the summer.

But otherwise, there's no charge for the program, aside from a one-dollar membership fee. And it can yield huge savings. Thousands of First Fuel customers are able to fill their tanks for less than $2 a gallon. CEO Jim Feneis says that a few hundred of his customers actually locked their prices in at less than $1 a gallon. The advance-purchase option was once only available in Minnesota. But soon it will get a tryout in 11 northeastern states. Gulf Oil CEO Joe Petrowski plans to introduce the advance-purchase option later this year at about 1800 Gulf stations from Delaware to Maine. Bring it on. I hope more gas companies will do this. When you think about it how often do you go to the same gas station. Chances are you buy from a lot of different locations. If you pre-bought your gas, guess where you would buy it from? The same station. In principle gas station owners told the general public that they did not make anymore money when gas was $3.00 vs. $2.00 per gallon. So if that is true the gas companies can sell it to you when it is low price and then you can consume it when it is higher. Sounds like a great idea to me.

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New EPA Ratings Hit Fuel Sippers Hardest

2007-03-11T06:06:00.000-07:00

Scott Anderson at WardsAuto.com had and interesting article called New EPA Ratings Hit Fuel Sippers the Hardest. Here is what they said along with my comments.

Makers of the thriftiest cars and trucks on the road have less to brag about under new vehicle fuel-economy ratings the government says better reflect Americans’ real-world driving.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released new vehicle fuel-economy estimates that, for the first time, account for current interstate highway speeds, heavier use of air conditioning and other modern-day driving habits. In some ways it is hard for me to believe that it has taken this long for the EPA to get around to this? When did we change the speed limit from 55 MPH to 70 MPH/ That is pretty much the day when people started driving 80 MPH. When did you no longer need a radar detector? Remember back in the days of 55 MPH on the freeway, everyone had a radar detector. I think over that time period I bought 3 different types because the technology kept changing so fast. Another thing that doesn't make sense to me is when they say "air conditioning use". In most cars the auto setting or default setting is air conditioning on? I am constantly turning my A/C button off in my car. During the winter months the only time I need to run the A/C is when I have 3 people in the car with me and the windows get all fogged up. Otherwise you don't need it.

Under the EPA’s new ratings system, city mileage for all ’07 U.S. light vehicles, on average, falls 12%, while average highway estimates drop 8%. Combined fuel economy for the current fleet is about 10% lower. I am sure the automakers will whine about this and complain or already have but come on fellas the Corporate Average Fuel Economy hasn't changed since 1988. What was up with continuous improvement during this time frame, I know there wasn't any. I would love to drive a Ford Expedition that gets 30 MPG but it is not available. No one cared, fuel was cheap.

For some vehicles, particularly fuel-sipping power trains, the new ratings system can mean as much as a 30% reduction in city fuel economy and a 25% cut in highway driving averages.
“The most efficient vehicles on the market are gas-electric hybrids,” an EPA spokesman says. “They’re more affected downward as a percentage than other vehicles. Smaller engines pay a higher penalty for accessory usage, such as air conditioning.” This makes sense, when you consider the amount of power required to run an A/C compressor or to fire up 2 heated electric seats. That little 2.0L engine is going to pay a lot higher price than my 5.4L V8. It is all in the percentages. It is sort of like comparing a Clydesdale horse to a pony pulling a wagon. Put another 4 people on the wagon and the Clydesdale doesn't even know they are there. The pony on the other hand will just stop and eat grass.

Toyota Prius fuel economy dips 16% as result of new ratings.
For example, Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius hybrid-electric vehicle saw its combined city/highway numbers fall from 55 mpg (4.2 L/100 km) to 46 mpg (5.1 L/100 km), or a 16% drop, according to the new measurements. The impact is far less on trucks and SUVs. The ’07 Chevrolet Tahoe, for instance, when equipped with a V-8 5.3L engine, slipped from a combined rating of 18 mpg (13 L/100 km) to 16 mpg (14.7 L/100). So the Prius goes from sort of amazing gas mileage to just great gas mileage. The Tahoe goes from crappy mileage to really crappy. The point here is that when you buy a car and the sticker says here is the mileage that you should get you really should get that mileage. Don't you think? It is sort of truth in advertising. I don't really care what mileage the car will get sitting on the test dyno in the back of a lab, I want to know what I will get when I a barrelling down the road at 80 MPH with the heated seats on, the A/C blarring (because I forgot to shut it off), my arc source head lamps and fog lights on, navigation system's LCD telling me which way to turn, charging my Treo and the Bose stero system thumping out the new Daughtry CD.

The new mileage ratings do not affect auto makers’ corporate average fuel economy totals. It is funny how the article ends with this. This is the root of the problem. When the SUV craze hit the U.S. market and we had low fuel prices there was no incentive to improve. And it looks like here we are in the year 2007 flirting with $3 gas prices again and we still don't have an incentive to improve. American's want to drive large cars, we will always want this, if the CAFE targets don't change then we will never improve. The auto industry has not self regulated it self over the last 20 years so what makes us think they will do it now. It was a missed opportunity to not improve the CAFE over the last 20 years it is a missed opportunity now. The Japanese car manufactures on the other hand have quietly develop powerful gas engines and hybrid electric vehicles. The Europeans manufactures have developed small displacement diesel engines to cope with $6.50 per gallon gas prices. The "D3" automakers have not.

How to meet a higher CAFE

2007-02-14T03:41:00.001-08:00

BUSH ENERGY PLANBush's shocker: How to meet a higher CAFE

Richard Truett Automotive News 1:00 am, January 29, 2007
First the good news: In theory, automakers can meet President Bush's call to improve fuel economy simply by commercializing off-the-shelf technologies. But it's going to cost plenty. If light-vehicle CAFE standards rise by a third by 2017, to 34 mpg, as President Bush proposed last week, we'll see a more small cars, diesels and hybrids.Here are the technologies that could deliver big gains in fuel economy, along with ratings for practicality and cost. A score of 5 five means the technology could be on your driveway soon. A rating of 1 means the technology is the modern equivalent of the 100-mpg carburetor.We grade these technologies on the curve. No "pass-fails" here!
TURBOCHARGERS: In Europe, automakers improve mileage by shrinking the engine, then adding a turbocharger or supercharger.
Volkswagen uses both devices on the 1.4-liter gasoline engine in the European version of the Golf GT. The results: A 0-to-60 mph time of about 7.6 seconds, and close to 50 mpg on the highway. GM has installed a smaller but more powerful engine in its Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine gets better fuel economy than the base 2.4-liter engine. Practicality: 4. These technologies are proven and easy to install.Cost: 3. Turbochargers and superchargers can add $1,000 or so to a vehicle's price.
Best betsHow various fuel-saving technologies are likely to fare.Winners: Turbochargers, diesels, starter generators, efficient transmissionsThe jury is out: Lightweight materials, plug-in hybridsNot in this lifetime: Fuel cells
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DIESEL ENGINES: Diesels can improve fuel economy by about 30 percent, and German automakers are vigorous in promoting their use in cars and SUVs. In the past, diesels were the province of heavy-duty pickups. Now that low-sulfur diesel fuel is available, diesels are poised for a comeback.
Practicality: 5. Many vehicles sold in the United States today are available elsewhere in the world with a diesel.Cost: 2. The big challenge is reducing the cost of the emissions system so diesels can be sold profitably in small cars.
LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS: Ford engineers once calculated that they could improve fuel economy by 1 mpg for every 150 pounds shaved off the Explorer. But Ford never actually cut the weight.
Maybe it's time to give lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and aluminum another look. On the Audi A8 and Jaguar XK, the aluminum unibody has saved hundreds of pounds. The A8's body weighs 475 pounds, about half as much as it would if it were made of steel. Automakers commonly use aluminum for hoods and trunks. Lightweight carbon fiber also is appearing on a growing number of vehicles.Practicality: 3. Plastics, magnesium, aluminum and other lightweight materials are becoming more popular.Cost: 3. Aluminum remains expensive, while carbon fiber and magnesium are reserved for pricey exotic cars.
STARTER GENERATORS: Engineers are finding ways to reduce the engine's workload.
Last fall, GM launched the Saturn Vue hybrid with an alternator that doubles as a starter and returns energy to the battery when the driver brakes. It improves fuel economy on the Vue Greenline by 20 percent over the standard model. The Vue Greenline costs $1,995 more than the regular model. Other energy-saving devices include electric power steering, which uses less energy, and reduces weight by eliminating the hydraulic pump and lines. Other ways to save energy include regenerative brakes, which recharge the battery when the vehicle is slowing down. BMW is pioneering these technologies, which can boost fuel economy by 8 percent. Practicality: 5. The race is on to make components more efficient.Cost: 3. Items such as regenerative brakes require costly redesigns.
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EFFICIENT TRANSMISSIONS: In most vehicles, six-speed automatics and continuously variable transmissions boost fuel economy about 6 percent. But they add $750 to $1,500 to the price of a vehicle with a standard five-speed manual.
Practicality: 5. A record number of CVTs and six-speed transmissions are available in vehicles today.Cost: 3. Premium vehicles will get highly efficient transmissions first. When economies of scale drive down costs, the technology will migrate into less expensive vehicles.
PLUG-IN HYBRIDS: A production version of the Chevrolet Volt could get the equivalent of 150 mpg if the owner recharges its batteries at night with relatively low-priced household current.
Other hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape, could also see dramatic gains in fuel economy if they are retrofitted with plug-ins to allow recharging.Practicality: 2. The engine technology is achievable, but battery makers have yet to develop reliable lithium ion batteries.Cost: 2. Like any hybrid, plug-ins need two power sources -- the battery and the gasoline engine -- to provide acceptable performance. A conventional hybrid typically carries a $3,000 premium. A car like the Volt, which would require pricey lithium ion batteries and plug-in technology, would cost even more.
FUEL CELLS: Practicality: 2. Engineers have solved many technical hurdles, and test vehicles are on the road. But automakers must improve their durability, and gas stations would have to be retrofitted to supply hydrogen for the fuel cells.Equally critical, the production of hydrogen will require massive amounts of electrical power, much of it probably from nuclear power plants that aren't even on the drawing boards yet.Cost: 1. Each fuel-cell test vehicle costs $1 million or more. They are at least a decade away from being cost effective.Now that we've rated these technologies, we will offer a caveat on our grades. If Congress approves a steep increase in fuel economy, automakers inevitably will speed up introduction of these technologies.One way to improve CAFE would be to manipulate the marketplace: Raise the price of big trucks and other gas hogs, then lower the price of smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. In the world of CAFE, this is a time-honored technique.So maybe we'll have to switch to pass-fail grades after all.You may e-mail Richard Truett at rtruett@crain.com

The Audi A8's aluminum body weighs 475 pounds, about half as much as a steel body. A 2007 model is shown.
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Gas Price Drop Below $3

2006-08-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

Gas Prices Drop Below $3

Average U.S. gas prices fell below $3 a gallon Wednesday for the first time in several weeks.
Pump prices across the nation are averaging $2.99 a gallon, reports Heathrow, Fla.-based AAA. The last time gas was under $3 was July 24. It is amazing how I get excited about buying gas at $2.85 per gallon and my wife tells me it isn't the best price. Just goes to show you how we become use to higher prices. I remember when gas prices went over $2 per gallon we thought it was terrible, now if they dropped back down to $2 we would really be excited.

Looking for lower gas prices: Bargain shoppers can realize further savings by logging on to several Web sites including MichiganGasPrices.com, Automotive.com and AAA's Fuel Finder Web site, http://aaa.opisnet.com, to find the best prices. For example, at AAA's site, consumers can enter their zip code and find the cheapest gas available within 10 miles. According to aaa.opisnet.com, the Clark station on Pine Grove in Port Huron was selling gas for $2.76 a gallon Wednesday afternoon. Ford a list of tips on how to save fuel goto Fueleconomy.gov which provides motorists with money-saving tips and strategies to lower fuel costs.

On Monday, gas prices dropped 10 cents to an average of $3.02 in Michigan, after the UN-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon. A year ago, prices were averaging $2.53 a gallon across the state. As always it pays to shop around and understand where the lowest gas prices typically are. Also make sure you pay attention to weekly trends. For example gas prices tend to go up on Friday's and down on Sunday's.

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Gasoline Rebate Checks

2006-05-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

Gasoline Rebate Checks

Interesting article over at Smartmoney.com, here is what they said:

While congress debates whether to send consumers $100 gasoline rebate checks or temporarily suspend the 18.4-cent federal gas tax, it's up to you to fill your tank for less. With prices topping $2.92 per gallon of regular unleaded, according to the latest figures from AAA, chances are you're fully aware of — and maybe even employing — tactics that will help you get better mileage. Your tires are filled to just the right amount of air pressure, you've finally removed all the junk you were hauling around in your trunk, and you've actually been trying to obey the speed limit. I don't know about you but I guess I would rather have the 18.4 cents per gallon suspended. I buy a lot of gas so depending on how long they suspended the tax it probably would be pay back in about 40 weeks.

But the best way to cut your gas bills is to make sure you're buying the cheapest gas around. Gas prices can vary — sometimes significantly — from station to station. In Chicago, you might pay as much as $3.29 per gallon or as little as $2.79. So stay informed. Keep a notebook in your car to jot down the prices at gas stations you pass. And for this to really work, you'll need to note the time and date you passed by, too. (You do want to save money, don't you?) A lot times I find that the gas stations that are the closes to the freeways tend to be more expensive. If you can try to find a station that is a few blocks down from the freeway. Additionally, stations located in less expensive areas also tend to have better prices. Sometime it might be worth driving a half a mile to find the cheaper gas. If you are going on a trip try filling up before heading off to the vacation spot. Again a lot of times you find that vacation spots are much more expensive.

There are no hard and fast rules as to which day of the week or hour of the day will yield the lowest prices, says Jason Toews, co-founder of GasBuddy.com, an online a gas-price monitoring web site. Taking good notes comes in handy. Say your closest station updates its prices late every night. If prices are on the rise, you'll know that you shouldn't wait until the next morning to fill your tank. You might also call your local gas station to find out what time of day it posts new prices. A good rule of thumb is that the prices are probably going to go up on Friday's, try to fuel up on Thursday, especially if you are in the summer months. Also if you notice a big jump in the morning try waiting until the afternoon, even if you have to only buy a few gallons in the morning to get you to where you are going.

Try the following resources to find the lowest gas prices around.

http://GasBuddy.com

http://GasPriceWatch.com

http://wcco.com/gasprices

http://www.wndu.com/gasprices/

http://aaa.opisnet.com/Index.aspx

http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/

http://www.fuelmeup.com

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Soaring Gas Prices

2006-04-29T06:11:00.000-07:00

Soaring Gas Prices

The Wall Street Journal had a good article on facts about how much we drive and spend on gas each year. Here is what they said.

Driving More Miles: In 2001 the average US family drove 5700 miles commuting back and forth to work vs. 4900 miles in 1990. In 1990 social and recreation driving was larger than commuting back and forth to work. You know what this says to me is the metro areas we live in are getting larger and larger. Also I really think that people want to live where they want to live and not always live where they work. One big way to reduce the cost of the commute is to car pool, not many people do it but it can cut your gas costs in half with just one rider, not to mention the reduction in wear in tear on your car.
Average Gas Spending Per Year: Trying to reduce your gas cost? The average American driver uses 500 gallons of gasoline a year. So if gas is up a buck you get to spend $500 more per year buying gas, which is $10 per week or $40 per month. It is not life altering but it does hurt putting $90 of gas into your wife's Ford Expedition. Some people that I know have bougth a commuter car. They have picked up a nice used Grand Am or something that gets about twice the mileage that there Chevy Tahoe gets.
Increase in gas theft: With rising gas prices many gas stations are reporting an increase in gas theft. In 2004 gas theft cost the industry $237 million which was about 1 in every 1100 fillups was a drive off. First of all in a lot of states I think you loose your license and get a fine so it really isn't worth stealing gas, pretty big penalties. You know these facts are from 2004 and they increased $37 million from 2003. I can only imagine how high the drive off rate is now. Make sure if you park your car outside at night that you invest in a locking gas cap. If you can park in a well lite area do it. You never know when someone will want to steal gas from you car too. It happened to my Dad when I was a kid back in the 1970s when we had 70's the oil crisis.
Who has the highest gas prices? Not surprisingly Hawaii has the highest gas price in the nation at $3.30 per gallon, followed by California, New York, Connecticut and Maryland. You know this is probably classic supply and demand. Hawaii supply cost has to be high because of the location, I don't feel too bad for them Hawaii is really nice. The other states have high population and high demand. To find the lowest gas prices checkout my post on Gas Buddy a website that finds the lowest prices in the nation, pretty useful.
Mars & Venus: WSJ says that women drive 36 miles per day vs. men who drive 45. This doesn't surprise me. My wife hates to drive very far anyway.
Motor Home and RV drivers don't care: The WSJ says that motorhome and RV drivers don't seem to be affected by the high gas prices. They say that there are 8 million homes that own at least one RV, which is a 15% increase over 4 years ago. They point out that RV owners spend about 65% less that other travelers on food, accomodations and travel, largely beacuse of inexpensive camping sites and lots of backyard barbeque. That's the way I look at it. We have an RV and I rationalize it this way, if I stay in a cheap hotel in a resort area it cost me at least $100 to $125 per night and this is a cheap no frills place. The wife will not be happy at the place. If I stay 3 nights that would be lets says $300. Food for a family of 4 will cost me $15 for breakfast, $25 to $30 minimum for lunch, and $30 to $50 for dinner especially if you have some drinks it could be even more. You could eat of the dollar menu all the time but that gets old quick. So that is a minimum $70 for food/day if you are eating out multiply by 3 and that is $210. So hotel plus food is $510. If I travel 200 miles with the RV in each direction, that is 400 miles at 10 miles per gallon or 40 gallons of gas x $3 per gallon I spend $120 on gas. But remember you were going to drive there anyway lets say in a car at 20 MPG so the extra fule cost is only $60 bucks. When we RV we mostly eat the food we brought so we save big on the food cost as well as the room costs. Most of the time the camp ground cost is only $25 to $35 a night. Additionally when we RV we don't have to look for entertainment all day long which is also expensive. We ride bikes, go swimming, play games, it really is great family time. Anyway I am rambling, the fact is I own the RV and that is the largest expense anyway, using it really isn't that expensive when you compare to staying in a hotel. Of course staying at home would be cheaper but then we would just go shopping and out to dinner and that isn't cheaper either.
Fuel economy stays steady: In 1979 the average passenger car fuel economy was 17 miles per gallon and light trucks were about the same. The MPG climbed pretty well up to 1993 when cars leveled out at 27 miles per gallon and light trucks at around 23. After that they stopped increasing. You know what happend we entered the roaring 90's the age of the SUV. Bigger is better, more Horse Power is better. The US automanufacturers did an effective job of lobbying congress to not increase CAFE or corporate average fuel econony and it stood still for 13 years. Now the Big 3 are complaining because no one wants SUV anymore. Duh! They had 13 years to figure out how to make them more fuel effiecient. Why doesn't every SUV have a clean diesel in it with an 8 speed automatic transmission. They would probably get 30 MPG! Ahhh! What were they thinking.
Spending on oil and gas up: In 1983 the average person spend 5.5% of there income on gas. This went down to 2.5% throughout the 1990s. Probably why no one worried about increasing the mileage of an SUV. In 2005 this increased slightly to 3% and now everyone is worried. However, that is the main reason why the $3 gas prices haven't launched the US into another recession. The amount we are spending on gas is still lower than what we were spending in 1983.

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Ways to avoid pain at the pump

2006-04-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

Ways to avoid pain at the pump

The Daily News Online had a good article on ways to avoid pain at the pump. Here is what they said.

The With gas prices hovering around the $3 mark and the summer driving season nearly upon us, here are a few ways to save money on gas this year.

At the top of most lists is carpooling. It was big during the gas crisis of the 1980s and with projected shortages again this summer, it might be time to hit up a buddy who works at the same job for a ride. By sharing a ride to work or by taking turns driving your kids to baseball and soccer practices, you can stretch a tank of gas further each week. Most communities have public transit. Now is the time to catch a ride to the grocery store or to the library. You know it is really amazing to me how everyone complains about the gas prices but take a look next time you are on the freeway how many cars have more thant one person riding in them on a typical day. It is a great way to save gas and it reduces where and tear on your car.
Looking at a summer trip? Try taking a train into Chicago or to Detroit. The price is right and you can save the wear and tear on your personal vehicle, as well as save on gas. If getting around town after you get there's a problem, rent a car or use that city's public transportation. Or instead of staying several days or a week, plan some summer one-day trips. You will have to do some searching around to make this one work and if you can do a last minute trip it might work. A friend of mine took here family from Detroit to Chicago on Amtrak and it was only $11 per person.
Do a little research. Local news agencies are providing information on the lowest gas prices in their coverage area on a regular basis. The World Wide Web can also be a good source of information for cheaper gas prices. Do I have a solution for you check out my article that has links to the sites like Gas Buddy where you can look up the lowest gas prices on a daily basis.
Need a little exercise? Ride a bike or walk to the local grocery store or over to a friend's house. You can save gas, help the environment and shave off a few pounds in the process. I have a friend of mine that works in Japan he doesn't even own a car anymore. When I visit Japan I don't notice a lot of fat people. Everyone has to do some walking everyday there so this helps them stay in shape.
This might be a tough one to accomplish, but it certainly will save you time and help improve the environment. Try to avoid any situation where you are stuck in traffic with your motor idling. By not having to stop and start frequently, you will use less gas. By avoiding gridlock, you may also help your blood pressure as well.The weather is getting warmer and school is coming to and end. Now is the time that people start gearing up for vacations and long distance trips. If gas continues to soar throughout the summer months, we may have to take a hard look at our travel plans or learn to conserve on gas. Hey this is a great tip, if you have flex hours at work sometimes just leaving 15 minutes early really helps out on the commute home. If I leave at 5pm it take me 20 minutes longer to get home. If I bail at 4:25 pm it really helps.

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Top 10 Hybrid Myths

2006-04-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Businessweek had an interesting article about the 10 ten hybrid myths. The myths include:

1. You need to plug in a hybrid car.
2. Hybrid batteries need to be replaced.
3. Hybrids are a new phenomenon.
4. People buy hybrids only to save money on gas.
5. Hybrids are expensive.
6. Hybrids are small and underpowered.
7. Only liberals buy hybrids.
8. Hybrids pose a threat to first responders.
9. Hybrids will solve all our transportation, energy, and environmental problems.
10. Hybrid technology is only a fad.

For the complete article.

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Carpooling for Grown Ups helps Save Gas and Reduce Your Driving Costs

2006-02-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

The WSJ had an interesting article on carpooling last Thursday. There are several new websites that make it easy for you to find a ride to work, to share a ride to college, or buddy up for a trip to Florida. The average driver spends $2800 annually at the current gas prices. Carpooling even 1 day a week could add up to significant savings. Additionally if you are leasing your car or buying you will reduce the miles you accumulate on your car which will help you in resale or staying under the allowable miles for your lease.

NuRide.com Provides service for Connecticut, New York, DC, Houston. It is kinda of cool since they have a reward program that encourages ridership.

Alternetrides.com Serves every zip code however, I checked it iout and it doesn't have a lot of ride information for all of the states.

Rideshareonline.com Serves Washington state. Lets users find rides to special events.

Carpoolworld.com Has carpool information for a large variety of locations. I checked Michigan and they had a significant number of ride share requests.

eRideshare.com Serves US and Cananda. The site was launched in 1999.

Craiglist.com is another location to find people interested in carpooling. Last check there were over 13,000 posts for people looking to share a ride.

Either way carpooling is a great way to save gas and reduce your fuel cost. Check out my other blog posts on car pooling.

"Gas-Saving" Products: Fact or Fuelishness? the truth about fuel additives

2006-01-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

Gas prices are up, and so is the volume of advertising for "gas-saving" products. When gasoline prices rise, consumers often look for ways to improve fuel efficiency. Although there are practical steps you can take to increase gas mileage, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns you to be wary of any gas-saving claims for automotive devices or oil and gas additives. Even for the few gas-saving products that have been found to work, the savings have been small.

"Gas-Saving" Advertising Claims
Be skeptical of the following kinds of advertising claims. "This gas-saving product improves fuel economy by 20 percent."Claims usually tout savings ranging from 12 to 25 percent. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated or tested more than 100 alleged gas-saving devices and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage. In fact, some "gas-saving" products may damage a car's engine or cause substantial increases in exhaust emissions.

The gas-saving products on the market fall into clearly defined categories. Although the EPA has not tested or evaluated every product, it has tried to examine at least one product in each category. See "Devices Tested by EPA" at the end of this brochure for category descriptions and product names.

"After installing your product on my car, I got an extra 4 miles [6.4 kilometers] per gallon [3.8 liters]."Many ads feature glowing testimonials by satisfied customers. Yet, few consumers have the ability or the equipment to test for precise changes in gas mileage after installing a gas-saving product. Many variables affect fuel consumption, including traffic, road and weather conditions, and the car's condition.

For example, one consumer sent a letter to a company praising its "gas-saving" product. At the time the product was installed, however, the consumer also had received a complete engine tune-up - a fact not mentioned in the letter. The entire increase in gas mileage attributed to the "gas-saving" product may well have been the result of the tune-up alone. But from the ad, other consumers could not have known that.

"This gas-saving device is approved by the Federal government."No government agency endorses gas-saving products for cars. The most that can be claimed in advertising is that the EPA has reached certain conclusions about possible gas savings by testing the product or by evaluating the manufacturer's own test data. If the seller claims that its product has been evaluated by the EPA, ask for a copy of the EPA report, or check http://www.epa.gov/ for information.
In some instances, false claims of EPA testing or approval have been made.

Product Complaints and Refunds
If you're dissatisfied with a gas-saving product, contact the manufacturer and ask for a refund. Most companies offer money-back guarantees. Contact the company, even if the guarantee period has expired.

If you're not satisfied with the company's response, contact your local or state consumer protection agency or the Better Business Bureau.

Shifting Gears: Real Money-Saving Steps
There are numerous no- or low-cost steps you can take to combat rising gas prices. The most important place to start is at the gas pump; buy only the octane level gas you need. All gas pumps must post the octane rating of the gas under the FTC's Fuel Rating Rule. Remember, the higher the octane, the higher the price. Check your owner's manual to determine the right octane level for your car.

Here are some additional tips from the EPA to help you get better gas mileage.
Drive more efficiently
Stay within posted speed limits. The faster you drive, the more fuel you use. For example, driving at 65 miles per hour (mph), rather than 55 mph, increases fuel consumption by 20 percent. Driving at 75 mph, rather than 65 mph, increases fuel consumption by another 25 percent.
Use overdrive gears. Overdrive gears improve the fuel economy of your car during highway driving. Your car's engine speed decreases when you use overdrive. This reduces both fuel consumption and engine wear.
Use cruise control. Using cruise control on highway trips can help you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, reduce your fuel consumption.
Anticipate driving situations. If you anticipate traffic conditions and don't tailgate, you can avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration, and improve your fuel economy by 5 to 10 percent. In city driving, nearly 50 percent of the energy needed to power your car goes to acceleration. Go easy on the gas pedal and brakes. "Jack-rabbit" starts and sudden stops are wasteful.
Avoid unnecessary idling. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a lengthy wait. No matter how efficient your car is, unnecessary idling wastes fuel, costs you money and pollutes the air.
Combine errands. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.
Remove excess weight from the trunk. Avoid carrying unneeded items, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by one to two percent.
Maintain your car
Keep your engine tuned. Studies have shown that a poorly tuned engine can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10 to 20 percent depending on a car's condition. Follow the recommended maintenance schedule in your owner's manual; you'll save fuel and your car will run better and last longer.
Keep your tires properly inflated and aligned. Car manufacturers must place a label in the car stating the correct tire pressure. The label usually is on the edge of the door or door jamb, in the glove box, or on the inside of the gas cap cover. If the label lists a psi (pounds per square inch) range, use the higher number to maximize your fuel efficiency.
Underinflated tires cause fuel consumption to increase by six percent.
Change your oil. Clean oil reduces wear caused by friction between moving parts and removes harmful substances from the engine. Change your oil as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.
Check and replace air filters regularly. Your car's air filter keeps impurities in the air from damaging internal engine components. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter improve your fuel economy, it also will protect your engine. Clogged filters can cause up to a 10 percent increase in fuel consumption.
Consider buying a fuel efficient vehicleDeciding which vehicle to buy may be the most important fuel economy decision you make. The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG (miles per gallon) and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $1,500 over 5 years, assuming gas costs $1.50 per gallon and you drive 15,000 miles a year.

Visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ for more information. You'll find gas mileage estimates and other data from EPA for 1985-2003 model year cars.

EPA Evaluation Efforts
The EPA evaluates or tests products to determine whether their use will result in any significant improvement or detriment to fuel economy. However, the EPA cannot say what effect gas-saving products will have on a vehicle over time because it hasn't conducted any durability tests. It's possible that some products may harm the car or may otherwise adversely affect its performance. In fact, today's vehicles' emission control systems are very sophisticated and complex. They have On Board Diagnostic features that alert the driver to problems associated with the emission control and fuel delivery systems. Retrofit products may have an adverse effect on these systems.

Devices Tested by EPA
The following list categorizes various types of "gas-saving" products, explains how they're used and gives product names. Those with asterisks may save measurable, but small, amounts of gas. All others have been found not to increase fuel economy.

Air Bleed Devices. These devices bleed air into the carburetor. They usually are installed in the Positive Crankcase Ventilation line or as a replacement for idle-mixture screws.

The EPA has evaluated the following products: ADAKS Vacuum Breaker Air Bleed; Air-Jet Air Bleed; Aquablast Wyman Valve Air Bleed; Auto-Miser; Ball-Matic Air Bleed; Berg Air Bleed; Brisko PCV; Cyclone-Z; Econo Needle Air Bleed; Econo-Jet Air Bleed Idle Screws; Fuel Max*; Gas Saving Device; Grancor Air Computer; Hot Tip; Landrum Mini-Carb; Landrum Retrofit Air Bleed; Mini Turbocharger Air Bleed; Monocar HC Control Air Bleed; Peterman Air Bleed; Pollution Master Air Bleed; Ram-Jet; Turbo-Dyne G.R. Valve.

Vapor Bleed Devices. These devices are similar to the air bleed devices, except that induced air is bubbled through a container of a water and anti-freeze mixture, usually located in the engine compartment.

The EPA has evaluated: Atomized Vapor Injector; Frantz Vapor Injection System; Hydro-Vac: POWERFUeL; Mark II Vapor Injection System; Platinum Gasaver; V-70 Vapor Injector; SCATPAC Vacuum Vapor Induction System: Econo-Mist Vacuum Vapor Injection System; Turbo Vapor Injection System.

Liquid Injection. These products add liquid into the fuel/air intake system and not directly into the combustion chamber. The EPA has evaluated: Goodman Engine System-Model 1800; Waag-Injection System*.

Ignition Devices. These devices are attached to the ignition system or are used to replace original equipment or parts.The EPA has evaluated: Autosaver; Baur Condenser; BIAP Electronic Ignition Unit; Fuel Economizer; Magna Flash Ignition Control System; Paser Magnum/Paser 500/Paser 500 HEI; Special Formula Ignition Advance Springs.
Fuel Line Devices (heaters or coolers). These devices heat the fuel before it enters the carburetor. Usually, the fuel is heated by the engine coolant or by the exhaust or electrical system.The EPA has evaluated: FuelXpander; Gas Meiser I; Greer Fuel Preheater; Jacona Fuel System; Optimizer; Russell Fuelmiser.

Fuel Line Devices (magnets). These magnetic devices, clamped to the outside of the fuel line or installed in the fuel line, claim to change the molecular structure of gasoline.

The EPA has evaluated: PETRO-MIZER; POLARION-X; Super-Mag Fuel Extender; Wickliff Polarizer [fuel line magnet/intake air magnet].
Fuel Line Devices (metallic). Typically, these devices contain several dissimilar metals that are installed in the fuel line, supposedly causing ionization of the fuel.

The EPA has evaluated: Malpassi Filter King [fuel pressure regulator]; Moleculetor.
Mixture Enhancers (under the carburetor). These devices are mounted between the carburetor and intake manifold and supposedly enhance the mixing or vaporization of the air/fuel mixture.

The EPA has evaluated: Energy Gas Saver; Environmental Fuel Saver; Gas Saving and Emission Control Improvement Device; Glynn-50; Hydro-Catalyst Pre-Combustion Catalyst System; PETROMIZER SYSTEM; Sav-A-Mile; Spritzer; Turbo-Carb; Turbocarb.
Mixture Enhancers (others). These devices make some general modifications to the vehicle intake system.

The EPA has evaluated: Basko Enginecoat; Dresser Economizer; Electro-Dyne Superchoke; Filtron Urethane Foam Filter; Lamkin Fuel Metering Device; Smith Power and Deceleration Governor.

Internal Engine Modifications. These devices make physical or mechanical function changes to the engine.

The EPA has evaluated: ACDS Automotive Cylinder Deactivation System*; Dresser Economizer; MSU Cylinder Deactivation*.
Accessory Drive Modifiers. These devices reduce power to specific auto accessories.

The EPA has evaluated: Morse Constant Speed Accessory Drive **; P.A.S.S. Kit**; PASS Master Vehicle Air Conditioner**.

Fuels and Fuel Additives. These materials are added to the gas tank.

The EPA has evaluated: Bycosin; EI-5 Fuel Additive; Fuelon Power; Johnson Fuel Additive; NRG #1 Fuel Additive; QEI 400 Fuel Additive; Rolfite Upgrade Fuel Additive; Sta-Power Fuel Additive; Stargas Fuel Additive; SYNeRGy-1; Technol G Fuel Additive; ULX-15/ULX-15D; Vareb 10 Fuel Additive; XRG #1 Fuel Additive.

Oils and Oil Additives. Usually these materials are poured into the crankcase. The EPA has evaluated: Analube Synthetic Lubricant; Tephguard.

Driving Habit Modifiers. These are lights or sound devices to tell the driver to reduce acceleration or to shift gears.

The EPA has evaluated: AUTOTHERM**; Fuel Conservation Device; Gastell; IDALERT**.
Miscellaneous. The EPA has evaluated: BRAKE-EZ; Dynamix; Fuel Maximiser; Gyroscopic Wheel Cover; Kamei Spoilers**; Kat's Engine Heater; Lee Exhaust and Fuel Gasification EGR; Mesco Moisture Extraction System; P.S.C.U. 01 Device; Treis Emulsifier.

* Indicated a very small improvement in fuel economy but with an increase in exhaust emissions. According to Federal regulations, installation of this device could be considered illegal tampering.
** Indicated a very small improvement in fuel economy without an increase in exhaust emissions. However, cost-effectiveness must be determined by the consumer for a particular application.

2007 Chevy Tahoe Fuel Ecomony

2006-01-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

Chevrolet has announced the debut of the 2007 Chevy Tahoe, the next generation of the industry's best-selling full-size SUV. The new Tahoe is comprehensively redesigned and delivers a sharper, more precise driving feel, more power with improved, segment-leading fuel economy, increased interior refinement and improved quietness.

Improved efficiency
A new Gen IV small-block V-8 family – the newest chapter in the small-block's 50-year history – offers more power than comparable powertrains in previous models. Fuel-saving Displacement On Demand technology also enables better fuel economy. When combined with other vehicle-wide features, including improved aerodynamics, the small-block V-8 helps give the Tahoe the segment's best fuel economy. Preliminary testing with 5.3L-equipped models shows unadjusted combined fuel economy ratings of 20.5 mpg with 2WD models and 20.1 mpg with 4WD models. That's better fuel economy than any other full-size SUV

The new Tahoe takes over at the top of the segment in sales, quality and comfort – Tahoe has been the best-selling full-size SUV since 2001. The outgoing model (along with its longer sibling, Suburban) has ranked first in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Survey for five years, topping all import and luxury models. Engineers built on Tahoe's established credentials with a “no compromises” mantra that realized improvements in many areas of performance, quality and comfort.

Contributors to the 2007 Tahoe's segment-leading capability include:

• Superior ride, handling and quietness
• Improved efficiency
• Refined interior with thoughtful conveniences built in
• Distinctive, sporty exterior design
• Enhanced safety and security

“Tahoe is known for delivering whatever its customers want, whenever they want to do it – a hard-earned reputation reflected in countless independent quality studies, buying guide recommendations and customers who have returned to buy another vehicle,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. “The '07 model enhances the attributes that have made Tahoe the industry's best-selling full-size SUV and improves them with dramatically increased attention to detail in smoothness, quietness and refinement. We believe it is simply the best Tahoe yet.”

Superior ride, handling and quietness
The 2007 Tahoe is built on GM's new full-size SUV platform, which incorporates features such as a new, fully boxed frame, coil-over-shock front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and an all-new, premium interior system that bolster the vehicle's comfort, quality and capability. Wider front and rear tracks enhance handling and lower the center of gravity for a more confident road feel.

Tahoe's engineers paid extensive attention to detail to ensure a quiet driving experience. It starts with a new, stiffer frame, which reduces vibrations transmitted to the passenger cabin. The strength and accuracy of the full-boxed frame also enables more precise mounting and tuning of chassis and suspension components, which also helps reduce vibration. Even the tires on the large, 17-inch standard and 20-inch available wheels, were designed to reduce noise.

Noise-reducing components and materials are used throughout the body structure, including the headliner material, door seals and front-of-dash area. The engine also features a quiet-tuned alternator and an acoustically tuned engine cover that dramatically reduces engine noise heard inside the vehicle. New door seals help reduce seal “pull away” at highway speeds, which can cause wind noise. Also, Tahoe's more slippery shape, thanks to improved aerodynamics, streamlined exterior mirrors and roof rack, and tighter body gap tolerances, makes Tahoe quieter as it slices through the air.

Tahoe also features details such as spray-in expanding foam, which helps reduce noise by filling in space to eliminate sound paths. The foam, located mostly in the A-pillars, expands to fill the void of a space. Tahoe's quietness and smoothness is complemented by the Autoride suspension system, which is standard on LTZ. This segment-exclusive bi-state, real-time damping system provides an extremely refined ride with greatly reduced body motion. The system consists of a semi-active, two-position damping control system that responds in real time to road and driving conditions, based on body and wheel motion sensors.

Tahoe's quietness and smoothness are complemented by capabilities full-size SUV customers depend on. Tahoe 4WD models offer up to 7,700 pounds (3,492 kg) of towing capability.

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Hybrid tax credits a win-win situation

2006-01-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

The credit is aimed at helping the environment and the U.S. auto industry. Last year Americans had their pick of 11 hybrid vehicles — cars and trucks that use a combination of gasoline and electric power — available in the market. This year consumers who choose one of these vehicles can take as much as $3,400 in tax credit on their purchase or lease.

The credit, part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, is aimed at helping the environment and boosting domestic auto sales. The credit also applies to less common types of energy-efficient cars using other alternative-fuel technology. Unfortunately, the credit will be phased out for each manufacturer as they reach sales of 60,000 qualifying vehicles. This might help jump-start the auto industry temporarily and encourage consumers to buy hybrids now rather than later, but it will not encourage the long-term solutions presented by fuel-efficient cars.

Many students decide to purchase new cars when they graduate from college and begin earning regular salaries. Anything that allows them to choose an energy-efficient car should be a permanent change to the tax code, something that will continue to encourage each generation of automobile consumers to choose the most environmentally friendly option, they can afford. Because many cutting-edge technology cars are not usually the cheapest option any incentive should be a top priority.

Implementing the credit permanently also will send a strong environmental message to auto manufacturers to continue producing these efficient vehicles, as they will become increasingly popular and “cool” among consumers, especially young adults. Keeping the tax credits intact is win-win situation for the manufacturers and the environment.
The domestic manufacturers now must compete with the more-popular foreign options. The Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner still lag behind the Toyota Prius in sales, and if the new tax credit is to work, U.S. companies will be forced to come up with more in-demand and recognizable products.

In any event, now is the time for students who will soon graduate and be in the market for new vehicles to consider buying an environmentally friendly car, and they’ll save a bit when it is time to pay the Internal Revenue Service, too.

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Are gas rebate cards worth it?

2006-01-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

UNDATED -- Instead of just complaining about high gas prices, how would you like to get money back every time you fill up? Gas rebate cards can save you big if you use them right. But not all cards are the same and there are some pitfalls to watch for. Ira Stoller, uses several gas rebate cards. "I get a five percent rebate every time I gas up," said Stoller. "I save about $300 a year. Stoller is one of millions of people who now use gas rebate cards, credit cards where the incentive isn't airline mileage or bonus points, but money back on gas. The popularity of these cards has surged in the last year or two, according to Cardratings.com spokesperson Curtis Arnold. Arnold says there are different kinds to choose from. Some are brand specific but a growing number of cards offer rebates on nearly any gas purchase. "If you want to shop around for the best gas prices in town," said Arnold. "you're still going to get that rebate." But do your homework. Some cards promise sky-high rebates but they're merely introductory offers that drop in a month or two. And know how to claim your rebate. Some cards mail you a check, others credit your account...and some wait for you to ask. "A key thing to worry about on these cards is the expiration of the rebate," said Consumer Action's Linda Sherry. "It can expire if you don't ask for it on some of the cards. So, that can be within even as short a time as six months." Sherry also warns that if you typically carry a credit card balance, these cards are not for you, because they often have high interest rates! But, if you play it right, you can save big. One customer boosted his savings by using his rebate card to buy a discounted gas gift card. His combined savings: 26 cents a gallon! It's also worth noting that many of those cards also offer rebates on things like groceries and drug store purchases.

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TOYOTA PONDERS A POWER SWITCH FOR HYBRIDs

2006-01-14T05:39:00.000-08:00

TOYOTA PONDERS A POWER/ECONOMY SWITCH FOR HYBRIDS. Toyota Motor Corp. is studying technology that would equip drivers of hybrid vehicles with a switch that enables them to shift between “green” and “power” performance settings, reports The Wall Street Journal. Jim Press, president of Toyota’s U.S. sales operations, says the concept would enable the company to address criticism that it’s fuel-sipping Prius hybrid is too lethargic but its RX400h SUV hybrid is too performance-oriented. The system would allow drivers to maximize fuel economy or, in the words of another Toyota executive, “drive the wheels off” whenever they want a surge of power.

OEMs PUSH HYBRIDS, CROSSOVERS AT DETROIT SHOW. Automakers are using this week’s pre-show media events at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to trumpet a bevy of vehicles aimed at the U.S. market’s two hottest segments: hybrids and crossovers. General Motors, Nissan and Toyota are among those adding hybrid vehicles or expanding their hybrid lineups this year. Other OEMs—including BMW, Hyundai, Subaru and Volkswagen—either plan to add hybrids a few years from now or are showing concept hybrids at the show. Companies touting new crossover vehicles—trucklike models that ride on carlike platforms—in either production or concept form include Acura, Buick, Ford, General Motors, Jeep, Lincoln and Mazda.

HONDA PREPARES DIESEL FOR US MARKET

2006-01-14T05:36:00.000-08:00

HONDA PREPARES DIESEL ENGINE FOR U.S. Honda Motor Co. says it is developing a four-cylinder diesel engine to offer in some of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. by the end of the decade, Automotive News reports. It wasn’t clear whether Honda is developing a new engine or modifying either the 1.7- or 2.2-liter diesel it currently offers in Europe.

HONDA MIGHT BUILD MINICAR IN THE U.S. Honda Motor Co. says it will consider building its little entry-level Fit car in the U.S. if the little four-door is a success, Reuters reports. The Fit will debut in the American market in April as a Japanese-made import. Honda predicts first-year sales
between 30,000 and 40,000 units. The company is adding the Fit to its U.S. lineup to compete with an impending flood of small entry-level models from competitors. Honda tells Reuters it will
consider local production only if the Fit doesn’t cannibalize sales from its larger Civic car line.

EPA Mileage Tests to be Updated

2006-01-14T04:21:00.000-08:00

EPA Mileage Tests to be Updated Existing Tests Don't Reflect Actual Driving Conditions

January 10, 2006

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to announce new tests to determine automobile and truck gasoline mileage estimates that will more accurately reflect the actual mileage drivers see with their cars and trucks.

The new tests and standards will begin with the 2008 model year.

Consumer advocates have repeatedly criticized the existing EPA mileage estimates as inaccurate and have called on the agency to update its tests that were first developed in the 1970s.

Modern automotive technology and changing driving demands make the EPA's laboratory numbers misleading at best. The EPA tests fail to take into account clogged commuter roads as well as high speed interstate driving.

Last year Consumer Reports said that of 303 vehicles it tested, 90 percent failed to achieve the mileage standards stated on the vehicle’s window sticker. Some of the tested vehicles missed the mark by as much as 50 percent.

The EPA estimates are important to automakers. They use the numbers to meet federal fuel economy standards.

Most recently, hybrid drivers have complained that the EPA estimates and manufacturer claims are inaccurate.

The controversy over Prius mileage continues as many owners tell ConsumerAffairs.Com that the hybrids are not living up to their EPA estimates. Deborah in Louisville joins a growing number of Prius owners complaining about the EPA estimates and Toyota’s mileage claims of 60 mpg in the city and 55 on the highway.

"After six months of tracking," she writes, "the best mileage I ever got was 43 miles per gallon. Most often my mileage is between 30-36 miles per gallon and that is no better than cars I have had in the past. I am very disappointed in (their) fraudulent advertising and the money I have shelled out only to be disappointed."

Toyota continues to insist that it just is not possible for a properly driven Prius to achieve such poor mileage and blames the results on driver error, not the EPA mileage estimates or company claims.

Carol in Evanston, Illinois found her actual Prius mileage far below the Toyota and EPA numbers.

"When my husband and I first bought the car in August 2005, the average mileage came in at around 55 mph, which I thought was pretty good since I drive 60 miles for work each day. But after a month or two, the mileage began to go down, and right now in December I'm hovering around 42 to 44 miles per gallon," Carol wrote.

"This is very disappointing, especially since I'm very careful to watch the display, watch my foot pressure on the accelerator, keep the air conditioning off," she said.

The new EPA mileage tests will be phased in two stages. The first stage will begin with 2008 model-year vehicles and will lower mileage estimates to reflect the drain of air-conditioning and other high technology and equipment now part of modern vehicles.
Phase one could cut mileage estimates by as much as 13 percent.

Phase two begins with the 2011 model year. The specifics of those tests that the EPA is contemplating are unclear but the mileage estimates are likely to include emissions as well as mileage.

After the EPA formally proposes the changes, the agency will have 90 days for public comment before taking final action.

Currently the EPA tests mileage for city driving as well as highway driving. City driving speeds are limited to 52 mph and highway speeds do not exceed 60 mph.

The tests are conducted at room temperature with the vehicle's air-conditioning turned off.

The agency tests only about 10% of new models, relying on automakers to use the guidelines to test their own vehicles.

Diesel engines make a comeback on the Jeep Liberty

2006-01-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

Record high gas prices pushed U.S. consumers to consider the new generation of clean-running, quiet diesels. The newest U.S. offering is the Jeep Liberty which easily exceeded it sales goal of 5000 units. As of December 22, 2005 the 8240 were sold by the Jeep brand.

Toyota's Hybrid Prius help keep the Green image

2006-01-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

Toyota offers a fair number of gas guzzling SUVs and large pickups. However, they have managed to keep their image clean by featuring fuel effiencient vehicles such as the Prius Hybrid. Toyota started focusing on Hybrid by in the 1990's, their cars offer distinctive aerodynamic styling and feature vehicles that get almost 60 miles per gallon (MPG).

At first naysayers called hybrids nothing more than a glorified marketing strategy. Most experts felt that customers would not pay the premium price for a vehicle just based on the operating costs savings. However, consumers flocked to hybrids, could it be a trend or a feel good factor that drives the sales. Also, taking a $3000 hit on the price of the car happens once when you buy it, however, most people buy gas once or twice a week and when gas was at $3.40 a gallon driving your SUV made you feel bad every week.

The Toyota Prius sold more thand 100,000 units in 2005, outselling entire brands such as Suzuki, Audi, Hummer, and Mini. Toyota will expand it hybrid presense to the Highlander, camry and Lexus. The popularity is reinforced by the success of the Ford Escape Hybrid whose demand is greater than Ford's capacity to build them.

GM introduces new vehicles at LA auto show focused on fuel economy

2006-01-08T05:55:00.000-08:00

GM focus on the ecocology and fuel savings in last December's LA autoshow.

2007 Chevy Suburban: The all-new 2007 Suburban is Chevy's flagship SUV and is built on GM's brand-new full-size SUV architecture, combining advanced fuel-saving technologies and changes in design aerodynamics for best-in-class fuel economy. The 2007 Suburban will go on sale in the second quarter of 2006.

Chevy also introduced the newest member of the passenger car family the 2007 AVEO sedan. Saab presented a fueled concept vehicle the Aero Bio-Power which is powered with 85% ethanol and 15 percent gas.

Heat your house with corn? Demand for corn furnaces are heating up

2005-12-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

The latest wapon in battling soaring heating bills is the corn furnace. The WSJ reported that one customer use to have a $400 heating bill with a traditional gas furnance. However, switching to a corn furnace his monthly bill for heating his home has dropped down to around $60. Over 30,000 corn furnaces have been snapped up this year as the nation struggles with record high natural gas prices. A major concern for consumer is the worry that traditional fuel prices may continue to rise. Corn on the other hand is $1.60 per bushel. The beauty of a corn furnace is that it hooks into your houses duct work and heats the hole house just like a traditional furnance. The corn is loaded into a hoper and a screw feeder continues to push the corn into the burner.

Save gas with an upscale economy car

2005-12-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

General Motors, Nissan, Toyota and Honda are all planning on launching new sub-compacts next year. These new sub-compacts are not the stripped down cars of the past. The cars have options that are upscale for sub-compact cars and previously only available on higher end cars. Considering that these cars start at around $10,000 to $12,000, having the option for a six disc CD changer, power sunroofs, steering wheel mounted audio control and so on is pretty amazing. High gas prices have pushed car sales into the lead past trucks and SUVs, for the first time since 1981.

GM will be launching the new Chevrolet Aveo LT next year. This is a quick update since the vehicle was only launched 2.5 year ago. The new Aveo equiped with a manual trans gets 27 miles per gallon city and up to 35 on the highway.

Honda will be introducing the new Fit car since the Civic has grown show much that it can no longer really be considered a compact. Nissan will introduce the Versa in June and Toyota will introduce the Yaris next year.

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Fuel effiecient SUVs

2005-12-18T04:37:00.000-08:00

Do you live in an area with a lot of snow? Are you reluctant do drive a vehicle without 4WD or AWD? Are you concerned about high gas prices and the fact that you may need to make a choice of either living in your car or your house in order to pay for gas? Well you have options. There are several four wheel drive (4WD) or all wheel drive (AWD) models available on the market today and several of them get reasonable fuel ecomonomy for a truck based vehicle.

1. Ford Escape Hybrid, 4 cyl, 4WD, 33 City, 29 Highway
2. Toyota RAV4, 4 cyl, 21 City, 28 Highway
3. Honda CR-V, 4 cyl, 22 City, 27 Highway
4. Subaru Forester, 4 cyl, 23 City, 28 Highway
5. Saturn VUE, 4 Cyl, 21 City, 26 Highway
6. Chevy Equinox AWD, 4 Cyl, 19 City, 25 Highway

Ford Escape Hybrid: The Ford Escape Hybrid is really the vehicle to beat as far as mileage. If you do a lot of city driving the vehicle is ideal because it actually gets better mileage in the city. The Escape's hybrid engine system is very smooth and it is difficult for you to tell anything different is going on under the hood, except for of course when you are running on battery mode the vehicle is silent.

Toyota RAV4: The RAV4 is the vehicle that started the mini SUV or cross over segment. At this time however, the RAV4 sales lag its other competitors. The Ford Escape is the number 1 seller in its segment. However Toyota coming up with a 3rd generation version that will be 14 inches longer and 3 inches wider. They are also offering larger and more powerful engines. Pretty sure this won't help the gas mileage.

Honda CR-V: The Honda CR-V is the number 2 selling compact SUV. It has a large spacious feel on the inside with a very compact outside foot print. The CR-V has a starting price of $20,945 and and can go up to $25K for the fully loaded version

FORD UNVEILS NEW V-6 AND SIX-SPEED TRANSMISSION.

2005-12-10T05:31:00.000-08:00

Ford Motor Co. has announced a new 3.5-liter V-6 that fits into the same space as the engine it replaces but generates 23% more power. The engine will be mated to a new six-speed automatic transmission that Ford says will improve highway fuel economy by 7% compared to a conventional fourspeed automatic. Ford developed the transmission in partnership with General Motors Corp. Ford plans to debut the new engine-transmission combo next fall in the front-drive Ford Edge and Lincoln Aviator crossover vehicles. The company estimates about 20% of its vehicles on the road by 2010 will use the new engine. It previously forecast that six-speed transmissions will grow to 15% of the North American market by 2010 and 50% by 2015.

High fuel prices not going away

2005-12-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

According to the Energy Information Administration they predict that high fuel prices will not go away soon. With oil hovering around $60/barrel and natural gas costing double what it did a year ago at $15 per thousand cubit feet the EIA does not see a lot of relief in the near future. Making things worse, the EIA predicts that electricity price will also continue to rise. For a chart on the latest crude oil prices goto NYMEX.

New Fuel Saving Device Increases Gas Mileage up to 35%

2005-12-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

On November 29th, is was annouced by scientists that the Enviro-Max Plus Fuel Catalyst is the greatest automotive discovery of our time. Savings up to 50 cents per gallon of gas while protecting the environment. The automotive world is raving about Enviro-Max Plus which is marketed exclusively by Extreme Research Corporation of Dallas, Texas.Enviro-Max Plus is a revolutionary fuel catalyst, not to be confused with the thousands of existing additive products and gadgets already on the market.

It has been used successfully for 9 years by thousands of people, as well as city governments, large trucking lines, railroads,farming, and boating companies.The fact is our country is a country that depends a great deal on cars and trucks as our mode of transportation. The gas prices are inching up closer and closer to $3/gal in many parts of the country and it is burning up our bank accounts and poisoning our environment.The Enviro-Max Plus is a unique product that will impact air quality and fuel economy worldwide. Enviro-Max Plus is used and endorsed by race car driver Jonny Rutherford, three time winner of the "Indianapolis 500".

Documented results of Enviro-Max Plus Fuel Catalyst:

1.Incresed fuel mileage up to 35% on both gas and diesel engines, which can save over 50 cents per gallon or $10 per fill up of 20 gallons.
2.Provides up to 80% reduction in emissions ofexhaust pollutants, protecting our air and environment.Imagine the possibilty of smog free,clear skies for future generations.
3.Saves on engine repairs and/or tune-ups by reducing engine wear and tear.
4.Increases horsepower and performance in all gas and diesel engines.
5.Will not harm engines or void any warranties.Our Vital Mission...Help drivers stop throwing away money at the gas pumps and help protect the environment now and for future generations.

Lee Perry, an independent co-partner with Extreme Research Corporation is lauching a national promotion, seeking representatives from all 50 states who want to stop being part of the problem, and become part of the solution.Anyone interested in representing or using this product may visit my website at http://www.sbradley.myextremeresearch.com/ for complete details on the product and financial opportunity.

IRS adjusts mileage rate to 44.5 cents

2005-12-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Today the Internal Revenue Service change the mileage deductible rate that workers can claim next year for using personal cars on business at 44.5 cents a mile. This rate is less than the temporary rate that the tax agency put in place for the last four months of this year, reflecting higher prices at gas pumps nationwide. The temporary rate is 48.5 cents a mile.

Read entire article

Speedway Rewards program - Gas discounts

2005-11-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

Speedy Rewards transforms your everyday Speedway and SuperAmerica convenience store experience! Now every time you make a purchase, excluding restricted items, you will immediately start earning points towards gasoline discounts (where applicable) and/or free merchandise, as well as coupons for valuable savings just for using your Speedy Rewards membership card inside the store or at the pump! You can even instantly review and/or redeem your points simply by using the Speedy Rewards redemption terminal located inside the store.

Energy Efficiency Windows - Save Gas with Insulated Blinds

2005-11-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Energy Efficiency It's No Laughing Matter
You may not spend much time thinking about your windows. On beautiful days, you enjoy the view. On cool summer evenings you may open your windows to enjoy the smell of fresh flowers and the sounds of night owls.

But what about when the cold of winter hits? You close your windows to keep the icy air out, but when the snow blows and the cold wind howls, do you still feel cold drafts coming in? Have you ever thought about the warm air inside your home you've paid to heat that is seeping out those drafty windows? The average American home spends about half its energy costs in heating and cooling the home. Investing in energy efficient window treatments may be the wisest decision you ever make!

Shop For Window Blinds

Weatherizing Your Home to Save Gas and Reduce Heating Cost

2005-11-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

Weatherizing Your Home--Weatherstripping:
This guide discusses the practice of weatherizing your home through weatherstripping. Selection of materials, types of weatherstripping and buying and installing these products are discussed. Goto guide

Michigan Rideshare - Car pooling to save gas

2005-11-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

What is Ridesharing?
Rideshare is a free, computerized carpool and vanpool matching service that assists individuals and groups with their daily work commute. There are thirteen Local Rideshare Offices (LRO) in Michigan that provide services for commuters commuting into and within their region.

Find a Local Rideshare Office near you. Rideshare assists in forming carpools and vanpools. MichiVan, a vanpooling program sponsored by the Michigan Department of Transportation, will supply fully insured 9 or 15 passenger vans to groups of 9 or more commuters, with cost to be shared among the riders. Rideshare helps employers develop and implement ridesharing programs for their employees. Rideshare also provides a Guaranteed Ride Home Program (GRH) to all registered carpool and Vanpool participants.

The following MDOT publications are available in PDF format:
Rideshare Brochure

Rideshare participants can conveniently take advantage of the Michigan Department of Transportation carpool lot program. There are 216 carpool parking lots located across the state providing over 8,000 parking spaces. Approximately 2,500 vehicles park in these facilities on an average weekday.

For Information: Jean Ruestman 517-373-6625 ruestmanj@michigan.gov

Ride-sharers driven by rewards - Save Gas - Car pool for rewards

2005-11-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

NuRider service offers commuters flexibility, along with incentives such as gift cards

Cheryl Moeller fancies the idea of being paid — rewarded, even, in the form of gift cards — for what she's already doing.

She and her husband have been commuting together for more than four years. She's a real estate analyst for the El Paso Corp. and her husband, Jim, works for the city of Houston's Neighborhood Protection Corps. They live in far west Houston, almost to Katy, and their commute downtown takes about 35 minutes, mostly in the High Occupancy Vehicle lane.

Since late August, when they enrolled in the NuRide ride-sharing program, the couple has earned two $35 gift cards from Shell and two $25 cards from T.G.I. Friday's restaurant. By using one vehicle, they have also saved roughly $410 in gasoline, limited wear and tear on their pickup and eliminated a ton or so of emissions that would otherwise end up in Houston's air.

"The big attraction was the rewards. NuRide pays us to do what we'd already been doing for all these years," Moeller said.

NuRide, first launched in the Washington, D.C., area in March 2004, is the nation's first incentive-based, ride-sharing program. It started in Houston on Aug. 1, and some 2,100 commuters have enrolled in the program, which is administered by the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

"We've made it convenient as possible. You do it all online, you pick who you want to ride with, when you want to ride, everything. You customize it your own way," said NuRide spokesman Michael Nolan, based at the program's headquarters in Arlington, Va.

For each commute, participants are awarded points, redeemable at various businesses for gift cards and other rewards.

NuRide members pick the days and times they would like to share rides, almost like booking an online airline ticket. The program — at www.nuride.com — matches riders with others traveling to the same destination, and its flexibility enables them to ride daily or once a month.

For security, NuRide is set up through employers, which permits verification of each rider's identity. Participants must have an at-work e-mail address. A potential ride-sharer researches other NuRiders by clicking on their user names to reveal where they work, their travel information and their rating by other NuRide members.

"That's what I like best — the flexibility. It's almost like online dating — not that I've ever done that," said Colleen Martin, education manager for the urology department at Baylor College of Medicine.

Martin joined NuRide in early September and now shares rides with a man and a woman from her neighborhood who had already been car pooling and who also work in the Texas Medical Center. They rotate driving every three weeks and split the center's $150-per-month parking fee.

"I'm an ecologist. That's my main motivation. I care about our finite resources and I can't stand the crowded freeways, but I like the rewards, too," said Martin, who has earned gift cards from Shell, Old Navy and Home Depot.

Nationally, Nolan said, NuRide has about 9,000 members who have shared 150,000 commutes, resulting in 4.5 million fewer miles driven and 2,000 fewer tons of emissions.

Source

Space Heaters - Reducing Your Home Heating Costs

2005-11-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

When winter approaches many of us are scurrying around trying to find the best space heater. This year oil and liquid propane gas prices have sky-rocketed and people are thinking about just heating the space they are using, as opposed to keeping the whole house “up to speed,” heat wise. There are many heaters from which to choose. Some of them are the old standbys and some of them are fairly high tech. So, here’s a primer that may help you sort through the sale flyers you are receiving from the home stores, and figure out what you want, and what you need in a space heater.

Electric Heaters
Convection Heaters. These heaters have heating coils running through them and heat up very quickly. Most of these heaters have a thermostat that will cycle the heater off and on according to your desired heat level. The coils in these heaters get red-hot and they can easily be a fire hazard. My convection heater turns off if it is knocked over, but all heaters don’t have this feature. Mine also became a lot louder to operate after I tripped over it! The convection heaters have small fans that circulate the warmth throughout a room. This heater works well if you want to heat more than one person in a room. The fan usually has a setting for just air, which is a nice feature in the summer. You can purchase one with different heat settings (750, 1000, and 1500 watts). As a rule, the more settings a heater has, the more expensive it is to buy. These heaters can be a safety hazard if you have toddlers around the house.

What is a watt? When trying to figure out how effective a particular heater will be in the space you need heated, it is good to know some comparisons of heating lingo between electric and other fuels. Most fuels besides electricity are measured in BTU’s. Your fuel oil furnaces, kerosene heaters and woodstoves all are rated with BTU’s. You’ve probably heard it before, but what does it actually mean? A BTU is a British Thermal Unit, and one BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1lb of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. Furnaces can be rated 80,000 BTU’s. Many gas heaters have a rating of 39,000 BTU’s. Kerosene heaters are usually around 15,000 BTU’s. Electricity, however, is measured in wattage. If you multiply the number of watts by 3.41 you will get the amount of BTU’s you can expect from the heater. 1500 watts X 3.41 = 5115 BTU’s. Electric space heaters are usually much lower in their heat output than kerosene heaters, but for many rooms a heater giving off 15,000 BTU’s would drive you out!

Ceramic Heaters
This second type of electric heater is new on the heating scene. It delivers quite a bit of heat from a little box. It is highly portable and doesn’t use as much electricity as the coil type of heater. Some of the disc heaters are equipped with a rheotstat that sends full voltage to the element when the room is cold and slows down its output of electricity to the fan as it heats up. This is a nice feature, but it can override your own choice of the desired temperature for your room.

Oil Filled Radiant Heaters
These heaters look like an old fashioned radiator. They are electric heaters that are permanently filled with oil. They also seem to use less electricity than the coil type of electric heater. Most of the models come with wheels on them for easy portability. Although these take a little longer to warm up a room, it is a steady, economical heat source. Many people seem to be very satisfied with this type of heater.

Non-electric heaters

Kerosene heaters(non-vented)
These heaters would be the next step up in heating larger areas, and garages. As they are unvented it is recommended that you don’t use them in an enclosed area, but many people do. The heaters are radiant and have a wick that soaks up kerosene from a refillable tank. Most are equipped with automatic shut-offs if the heater is tipped or knocked over. They are about double the heating capacity of the largest heater mentioned above.

Natural or LP Gas Heaters(Non Vented)
Very popular heaters that require no venting according to the manufacturer. Many of these are wall mounted heaters, or come on a base. They need to be hooked up to your natural gas line, or a propane cylinder. Some brands come with oxygen depletion sensors that will shut the heater down if the air is getting oxygen poor. This could result in carbon monoxide poisoning. These can have heating capacities up to about 39,000 BTU’s. Today’s decorative fireplaces and even heaters that look much like wood stoves, can have gas as their fuel source. There are also vented models that only have to have a pipe that goes through the wall of an exterior wall. When you are figuring out how fast you will go through your tank of LP gas, remember that a gallon of LP is actually 4.25 pounds.

Wood Burning Heaters
Very popular in the 1970’s wood burning heaters have taken a second place to gas heaters, however, with the high price of gas and oil they are making a comeback. The biggest drawback to using a wood burning stove is that it requires an adequate (and usually expensive) chimney system that extends above the roof line. You must also follow certain safety guidelines about the placement of the stove in relation to the floors and walls. Check with your insurance agent before having a wood stove installed.

When you purchase your space heater, be sure to read the safety guidelines carefully. Remember, if your clothing does catch on fire, don’t run. Drop and roll to extinguish the fire. Teach all the members of the household about safety issues with the new heater. If you are using a heater that burns kerosene, LP or natural gas, or even wood you should also have a carbon monoxide detector installed on every floor of your house.

Source

Home Heating Costs Save Money on Heating Costs

2005-11-24T17:29:00.000-08:00

WSJ had an interesting chart on the cost of heating your home. Whats interesting is that the chart indicates that heating your house with electricity is less expensive than natural gas. The primary reason for this is the dramatic increase in the price of natural gas, heating oil and propane over the past 2 years. I am not sure if I believe this but I will do some additional research and check into it.

Below are some tips on reducing your home heating costs.

Reduce Heating Costs With These Money Saving Tips from About.com. If you live in a region that is cold in the winter, heating costs take a big bite out of your monthly budget for 25 - 50% of the year. Due to the rapidly escalating costs of home heating oil, propane, and kerosene, you may be paying twice as much to heat your house as you did just a few years ago. You can cut your heating costs significantly by following these money-saving tips.

Do an energy audit of your house, identifying areas where heated air is leaking out. Check around doors, windows, fireplaces, and other areas that may feel drafty. Use caulk, weather stripping, door sweeps, plastic, and other appropriate means to close off these leaks. If your house is poorly insulated, adding additional insulation will pay for itself in reduced heating costs.
Minimize your use of ventilation fans such as bathroom fans and kitchen hood fans in winter. A bathroom fan can suck all the heated air out of the average house in little more than an hour. Over the course of the winter, ventilation fans can increase your heating costs by a surprising amount.
Don't heat areas of your house you don't use regularly, such as guest rooms. Close heating vents or turn back thermostats in those areas and close the doors for a painless reduction in heating costs.
Turn down the heat and use space heaters to heat the room you spend time in.
Keep your furnace, heat pump, or other heating equipment in top operating condition. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of your furnace or heat pump. Poorly tuned units are inefficient and use more fuel. An annual maintenance agreement is well worth the money to ensure that your equipment is properly maintained and will last as long as possible.
Don't turn your thermostat up above the desired temperature. It won't heat up any more quickly and will make your furnace work harder. Also, while it makes sense to turn the heat back when you're sleeping or not at home, turning it down too low can actually cost you more because the contents of the house have to be re-heated in addition to the air. 68 to 70 degrees while you're home and awake, and 60 to 65% while you're asleep or not at home are reasonable temperatures.
Consider a programmable thermostat to raise and lower the temperature at pre-set times.
Check the temperature setting on your hot water heater. If you have a dishwasher, your water should be heated to 120%. Otherwise, it can be somewhat lower. If your water heater is in an unheated space like an unfinished basement, wrap it in an insulation blanket available at hardware stores to prevent heat loss. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible.
It's tempting to stand under a hot shower on a cold morning for as long as possible, but cutting your shower time in half can save up to 33% on your hot water heating costs.
In winter, open the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house (the south-facing side) when the sun is shining and close them as soon as the sun goes down to retain the solar heat. Close curtains on the shady side of the house (north-facing side). If you don't have curtains, consider installing some. Curtains made from heavy fabric with lots of folds (fullness) can prevent cold air from seeping in and warm air from seeping out, which reduces your heating costs.

ScanGauge MPG Gauge

2005-11-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

ScanGauge - A Plug In Digital Gauge That Displays Car. Tested on Hybrid Cars and Non Hybrid Cars

Guide Rating -
ScanGauge is Linear Logicas 3-in-One automotive computer than reads information from your car's computers and displays it on a backlit digital screen. It integrates a Scan Tool, Digital Gauges, and a Trip Computer into one self-contained unit. No tools are needed to install it because it plugs into the diagnostic connector found under the dash on 1996 and newer cars and light trucks.

I tested the ScanGauge on several hybrid cars and non hybrid cars over the past few months and have been pleased with its usefulness. It was especially helpful to provide feedback to improve fuel economy in non hybrid cars as well as provide more detailed information that is not available in some hybrid cars.

As a scan tool it reads and displays engine trouble codes which can then be cleared/reset via the ScanGauge. It can also reset the dreaded Check engine light. I was able to use this feature with ease on both my hybrid car and my non hybrid car. Heck, this feature alone saved me two $70 trips to the car dealer to get that darn light reset.

As A Set Of Digital Gauges
The ScanGauge is very intuitive making it easy to quickly move it between hybrid cars and non hybrid cars alike. It has the ability to display up to 4 of the 12 predefined gauges on its realtime display screen while still allowing you to easily toggle to the remaining 8. In non hybrid cars I generally set the gauge to display the RPM, MPG, Water Temperature and Gallons per hour. In hybrid cars I often had RPM, throttle position, intake air temp, and Water Temperature displayed. Again, you can change any of these selections with a press of a button. While I found it did not read all info on all cars, it did a pretty good job getting the info I needed. (Go to page two of this review for the full list of 12 gauges available.)

As A Trip Computer
In addition to the instantaneous readout, it also tracks three additional sets of trip data including current trip, cumulative for today, and cumulative for the previous day. For these trips it can track maximum RPM, speed, and coolant temperature, as well as driving time, driving distance, amount of fuel used, and trip mpg. The ScanGauge does not have the ability to export data to an external source, but that seems common for units in the under $150 price range.

Why Would You Want One?
For Cars That Do Not Have An Instantaneous MPG Gauge. Often people ask me how they can improve their fuel economy. While hybrid cars have gauges that give fuel economy feedback, usually non hybrid cars do not. With ScanGauge, non hybrid cars can now have fuel economy information at their fingertips, too. Drivers can immediately see the fuel economy difference between driving 75 mph and 65mph. What they do with this knowledge is up to them.
For Hybrid Cars That Do Not Provide Data You WantEven though hybrid cars come with lots of neat gauges, sometimes there is still a desire to see even more detailed information. What exactly do the segments on the temperature gauge equate to in real numbers? What RPM is the engine spinning? What is the intake air temperature? The ScanGauge can answer these questions and more.

Two Caveats For Hybrid Car Owners. First, I found the ScanGauge mpg calculations cannot accommodate the lean burn engine found in specific hybrid cars, such as the 5-speed Honda Insight. If tracking mpg in your lean-burning vehicle via the ScanGauge is of utmost importance, you may want to skip the ScanGauge for now. I do not expect a current update to this unless there is enough demand.

Second, the ScanGauge does not compute mileage when a hybrid cars Internal Combustion Engine is not running. (Stealth mode as some hybrid car owners call it.) There may be a future correction for this, but if tracking mpg in your hybrid car via the ScanGauge is important toy you, you may want to wait until this is feature is updated. In the meantime you can ask Linear Logic to put you on a waiting list and they will contact you when this particular update is made. As a side note: If you are a hybrid car owner in the Phoenix area, you can help get the update to market more quickly by contacting Ron Delong at ScanGauge and allowing him to try out the beta version of the hybrid-car-tweaked unit on your car before they produce them for the rest of the hybrid car owners. Contact Ron via email at scangauge@linear-logic.com

Conclusion
Overall the ScanGauge is fun, easy to use, and works as promised. First, as a scan tool it efficiently allowed me to view and reset engine trouble codes, and reset the Check Engine light in both hybrid and non hybrid cars. Secondly, as digital gauges it provided the feedback needed to improve fuel economy in non hybrid cars. It also displayed detailed engine information that was missing on hybrid cars. And although it was not always effective at calculating fuel economy in hybrid cars, the fuel economy calculation for non hybrid cars was right on.
I find the ScanGauge to be a good value, and with a 30 day money back guarantee, it is clear the company stands behind its product.

Technical Details Price $129.95 Goto ScanGage Website

Features:

Scan Tool Feature
Reads Trouble Codes
Reads conditions that set the Trouble Code
Clears Trouble Codes
Turns off "Check Engine" light
Make and store up to 10 rewritable special codes to send to the vehicle computer
12 Digital Gauges Available (Four Can display at one time, with the rest available to toggle through.)
Fuel Economy (MPG - gasoline engines only)
Fuel Rate (GPH - gasoline engines only)
Battery Voltage
Coolant Temperature
Intake Air Temperature
Engine Speed (RPM)
Vehicle speed (MPH)
Manifold Pressure (not available on some vehicles)
Engine Load
Throttle Position
Ignition Timing
Open/Closed Loop
Trip Computer info Automatically tracks three sets of trip data - Current (short) Trip Days (total) Trips Previous Days Trips
Maximum Speed
Average Speed
Maximum Coolant Temperature
Maximum RPM
Driving Time
Driving Distance
Fuel Used (Gasoline engines only)
Trip Fuel Economy(Gasoline engines only)Dimensions5.2" wide by 2.7" high by 2.1" deep.
The cord from the diagnostic connector to the control/display is 8' long and about 0.2" in diameter.

Source

EPA TO REVISE CAFE TEST

2005-11-21T18:49:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working on updates to the procedure it requires for estimating vehicle fuel economy in an effort to make results more realistic. The agency is likely to propose changes by about the end of the year, although adoption won’t occur until sometime next year. EPA says the proposed changes—the first in 21 years—could reduce the official fuel economy numbers for at least some vehicles by as much as 10%, says The Wall
Street Journal. The current test procedure assumes average city and highway speeds of about 21 mph and 49 mph, respectively. But the agency says motorists actually cover between one-third and one-half of the total miles they drive at speeds above 60 mph. It says drivers also accelerate and brake harder than the original test specifies. The agency also notes that the current test doesn’t consider the impact of such things as running the airconditioning
system on a hot day.

Save at the pump by maintaining your car

2005-11-19T05:32:00.000-08:00

High fuel prices make motorists more concerned than ever about saving money at the pump.

Relief is here: keeping up with regular vehicle maintenance can improve fuel economy. Clogged fuel injectors and air filters, dirty spark plugs and underinflated tires make engines and other vehicle components work harder and consume more gas.

"With our busy lifestyles, taking the time to have routine vehicle maintenance performed can seem like busywork, but it pays off in numerous ways," said Peter Lord, executive director, GM Service Operations. "Regular vehicle maintenance and inspections can help improve a vehicle's fuel efficiency and achieve peak performance."

Travel Tips

Be a Planner: Map your route beforehand to maximize efficiency.
Control Clutter: Avoid packing unnecessary items-according to the Environmental Protection Agency an extra 100 pounds in the trunk can reduce fuel economy by up to 22 percent or about six cents per gallon.
Take a Cruise: Cruise control helps you maintain a constant speed on the highway and can help save gas.
Avoid Idling: It's a prime fuel waster. When tailgating, don't use the vehicle's heater to keep warm; bring a boom-box to listen to the pre-game instead of the car radio.
Drive Smart: Hard starts, stops and other forms of aggressive driving can reduce fuel economy 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent on city streets, according to the EPA. Motorists can save between 15 cents and $1.01 per gallon driving sensibly.
Relax: Contrary to popular belief, the faster you go, the more fuel you use. The EPA estimates every five miles you drive over 60 mph equals an extra 21 cents per gallon of gas. Plan ahead and allow yourself a little extra time. When possible, drive your household's most fuel-efficient vehicle.

Source

Fuel saving tips

2005-11-19T05:20:00.000-08:00

Some good fuel saving tips from KVEU Austin:

Don't top off the tank. Overfill can slosh out of the tank and waste gas.
Consider filling up at cooler times. Gasoline can expand in the heat and overflow.
Gravel and dirt roads can cut fuel efficiency by 30 percent. Urban pot holes can have the same effect, but try to keep your route smooth.
Keep your car clean. One government study finds a clean car can get up to 7 percent better fuel efficiency. "The amount of dirt and grim that we keep on our car increases something called the coefficient of friction between our car and the atmosphere," said Summer Smith, with The Science Place. It's the same principle that makes tire pressure so important. I like to use the $4 touchless wash. I use it in the morning and it doesn't take more than 4 minutes to wash my car.
Minimize idle, for example when you goto the drive through look inside first most of the time the line inside is smaller and you probably need the exercise.
Park in the shade. A/C compressors tax the engine and lower efficiency.
Try to park so you don't have to back out. Reverse maneuvering uses more gas.
Tip number eight dispels a myth about keeping the windows rolled up. Turning off the air conditioning and rolling down the windows does not save fuel. In fact, at highway speeds the drag can cut fuel efficiency by ten percent. However, if it is cool enough just to run the vents ten shut the air off and use the vents.

SURVEY: PICKUP BUYERS VALUE FUEL ECONOMY.

2005-11-18T22:05:00.000-08:00

Contrary to their image as stump-pulling guys hungry for horsepower, pickup truck owners these days are much more interested in better fuel efficiency, according to a new survey by R.L. Polk & Co., the auto industry’s oldest statistical service. The poll, which was commissioned by New York Citybased environmental advocacy group Environmental Defense, finds fuel economy ranking three times as important as passenger space, the next most-cited attribute, among truck owners The survey says trucks are used 80% of the time for personal use. Towing, hauling and off-roading were each mentioned by only 4% of owners. Environmental Defense says it plans to submit the study to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to bolster its argument for higher fueleconomy standards for trucks

HONDA’S LATEST HYBRID: A TRIPLE-MODE SNOWBLOWER

2005-11-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

Honda Motor Co. has developed a new hybrid snowblower that uses electric motors for propulsion and a gasoline engine to drive its snowblowing mechanism and recharge its battery. It’s the fourth model in the company’s hybrid snowblower lineup, which debuted its first model in 2001. The new midsize gasoline-electric system generates up to 15 hp and features an advanced control unit that regulates throttle opening to maintain the same speed as load conditions change. Users also can preset snow discharge distances. Honda has sold more than 20,000 hybrid snowblowers since introducing the technology four years ago. The new SM1590i model is the first midsize blower to use a hybrid drive and the first with three operating modes: auto, power and manual.

Honda Posts

TOYOTA SPEEDS UP DEBUT OF CHEAPER HYBRID

2005-11-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

In 2008 Toyota Motor Corp. will replace its current second-generation gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain with a new system that is more compact and about 50% less expensive, according to a Japanese media report cited by Reuters. That timetable is two years sooner than the one mentioned in September by Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe. Toyota tells Reuters “2008 is certainly a possibility” but declines to confirm that date as a target.

FUEL PRICES STILL INFLUENCE AUTO BUYING.

2005-11-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

Consumers say fuel prices continue to influence their choice of vehicle, though not quite as much as last month when costs were higher, according to a survey by consultants AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, Calif. About 25% of those currently driving V-8-powered vehicles say they’ll shift to smaller powerplants—the same proportion as in September. The number of SUV drivers who claim they are ready to switch to another type of vehicle declined to 22% from 27% a month ago. A steady 15% of those surveyed say they’ll consider a gasoline-electric hybrid. Although consumers say they paid 7 cents less per gallon for fuel in October than in September, they expect fuel prices to be 5 cents per gallon higher a year from now.

The subcompact is back

2005-11-16T18:39:00.000-08:00

The subcompact is back -- with a twist. With gasoline prices hovering around $3 a gallon, automakers are rushing to introduce several subcompacts in the United States next year. The cars will be more stylish, better equipped and pricier than their entry-level ancestors from the 1970s and 1980s. And if gasoline prices spike again, the anticipated revival of small-car sales could become a stampede.

Japanese automakers are ready to pounce with a batch of new products:

Next year, Nissan will introduce the entry-level Versa, which is smaller than the Sentra. In 2007, the automaker is expected to introduce the aptly named Cube.
The Toyota Yaris will debut next spring as a three-door hatchback and sedan. It replaces the Echo, one of Toyota's rare failures in the United States.
The Honda Fit hatchback will debut next spring or summer. Honda already has raised sales projections to reflect rising gasoline prices.
Mitsubishi may build a small car in Normal, Ill.

While the Japanese automakers are moving quickly, domestic automakers are still in the hunt.

General Motors offers the Chevrolet Aveo, which is built by Daewoo.
Ford Motor Co. plans to unveil a subcompact entry-level vehicle in 2007. "Consumers are little-by-little starting to be convinced that high prices are here to stay," said

Renault/Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn at a meeting with journalists at the Tokyo Motor Show last week. "They are probably shifting their attitude and behavior on the market." Two factors are feeding the proliferation of subcompact nameplates. Automakers already sell these vehicles in Japan, Europe and South America, so they don't have to spend large sums on product development or build assembly plants. Difficult to predict It's a lot like the 1970s, when twin fuel crises put Japanese carmakers on the map in the United States. When prices soared and lines formed at the pump, they introduced cars such as the Honda Civic. To be sure, gasoline prices are notoriously difficult to predict. Lower prices could puncture demand for these cars, says Kazuo Okamoto, Toyota Motor Corp.'s product development chief. "For sure for now there is a shift of preferences to smaller, fuel-efficient cars," he says. "But whether that will continue is uncertain. If current price levels are taken for granted, then there may be a reversal to larger cars." But the low cost of entry into this new segment will allow Japanese automakers to take chances. And the Japanese can move faster than ever.

For example, Nissan can spin a new model off its B small-car platform in less than 11 months -- from design freeze to production. "We've got two very good, very modern small-car platforms as well as diesel technology if the market shifts that way," says Simon Sproule, Nissan's vice president for global communications. Nissan, which has experienced a sales shift to Altima and Sentra from its larger models, will launch the Versa as its new entry-level car. The Versa is about the size of a Ford Focus. That introduction will allow Nissan to shift the Sentra upmarket. The next rendition of Nissan's boxy Japan-market Cube likely will follow a year later. "We've haven't made a decision about the Cube," Sproule says. "But the next generation of all small cars will be engineered for the U.S. market."

Big 3 respond General Motors is relying on its Daewoo subsidiary to design and produce subcompacts such as the Chevrolet Aveo. The Korean automaker enjoys the same advantages -- minimal product development costs and available plant capacity -- as its Japanese competitors. Through September, GM sold 55,225 Chevrolet Aveos in the United States, up 44 percent over the year-ago period. Industrywide, U.S. small-car sales are up 9.5 percent in the first nine months compared with the same period in 2004.

Meanwhile, Ford plans to introduce a small sport wagon based on the EcoSport, which is produced in Brazil. The EcoSport is a variant of the subcompact European Fiesta. Suppliers say the U.S. version will debut in the 2008 model year. Ford's assembly plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico, will produce the vehicle, and it may produce a second Fiesta-based subcompact for the United States.

The Chrysler group has adopted a different strategy. Instead of focusing on the subcompact segment, the automaker is introducing slightly larger vehicles to compete with compact cars such as the Civic and Focus and Toyota Corolla. Thus, the Dodge Neon will be replaced next year by the Caliber five-door hatch. Chrysler says it has no plans to introduce a subcompact car. While Ford and GM have entries in the rapidly evolving subcompact segment, the Japanese automakers appear better positioned to exploit the trend. "General Motors and Ford are global carmakers, but they are regional product planners and manufacturers," says Jim Hall, an analyst with AutoPacific Inc. in Southfield, Mich. "The Japanese take consideration for all markets when they develop a product. They sell and plan for around the world."

Honda Insight

2005-11-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

The Honda Insight is one of the highest mileage cars available in the U.S. The car equiped with a 5-speed manual trans and gets 60 MPG city and 66 MPG highway. With a price range of $19,330 - $21,530 it is also a reasonably price car as well. The styling on the insight is less than something to right home about. However, if you are looking for a economical ride it's hard to beatht the Insight.

Using a gas credit card

2005-11-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

Shell has a way to reduce your gas bill by 5%: Use a gasoline rebate card. Shell has one, of course, and the Shell MasterCard grants 5% rebates on Shell gasoline purchase, plus 1 percent on anything else. The company estimates (based on $2.33 a gallon, which is about the national average now), that users save 11 cents a gallon

Other Companies offering Gas Credit card discounts

BP and Amoco offer a Visa card with 3% back.
Exxon and Mobil have a platinum Mastercard ofering 3%.
Speedway has just launched a rewards club, that doesn't require a credit card. Also Speedway has gift cards that you can buy right at the store that provide 4% off on over card. So if you don't want to use a credit card use the gift card.
Citibank Dividend Platinum Mastercard, because it offers 5% cash back on all gas purchases.

Ford Freestyle 27 MPG and Six Passengers with Ease

2005-11-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the Ford Freestyle gets 27 MPG on the highway and can hold six passengers comfortably. When I say 6 people I don't mean two people sitting in the middle of the car. The Freestyle has 3 rows of seats and is a very functional people hauler. It is one of Ford's first CUV or cross over utility vehicles. If you like the styling of Ford's SUVs than you will like the Freestyle.

GM touts cars with 30 miles per gallon or better

2005-11-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

GM has been doing a lot of advertising lately on the fact that they have a large lineup of cars that get 30 miles per gallon or better. So which cars are these. Here's the list of the cars that we could find that get better than 30 MPG on the highway.

Pontiac Vibe (30 City/36 Highway)
Pontiac Sunfire (26 City/36 Highway)
Pontiac Grand Am (25 City/34 Highway)
Pontiac G6 (22 City/32 Highway)
Pontiac Grand Prix (20 City/30 Highway)
Chevy Aveo (27 City/35 Highway)
Chevy Cobalt (25 City/34 Highway)
Chevy Malibu (24 City/34 Highway)
Chevy Monte Carlo (21 City/32 Highway)
Chevy Impala (21 City/32 Highway)
Saturn Ion (26 City/35 Highway)
Buick Century (20 City/30 Highway)

The car that appears to be the largest car on the list is the Chevy Impala. However, if you looking for read leg room the Malibu has almost 1 inch more leg room that the Impala. However, some versions of the Impala are classified as 6 passenger vehicles, but that means some one is sitting in the middle of the front seat which really isn't practical for most people with kids.

The Least Fuel-Efficient Cars

2005-11-13T05:08:00.000-08:00

Forbes.com has an interesting article on the least fuel-efficient cars. Fortunately for most of us we cannot afford to by any of the cars.

You've heard the saying, "Waste not, want not?" The motto for the cars in the following slide show should be, "Waste and want." They are wasteful, and you want them. Our list of the least fuel-efficient 2006-model cars, according to recently released data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), includes such dreamboats as the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti from Fiat, the Continental Flying Spur from Bentley and the Aston Martin DB9 from Ford Motor. To the people who buy these exotics, fuel-economy figures mean squat. Read more.

New Fuel-Saving 6-Speed Transaxle to Propel Ford

2005-11-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

Ford Edge and Lincoln Aviator to debut next year with new class-leading 6F 6-speed transaxle The new 6-speed delivers up to 7 percent improvement in highway fuel economy – nearly two tanks of gas a year compared with typical 4-speed automatics * - Ford Motor Company today is an industry leader in 6-speeds with 24 nameplates offered – and more are on the wayWith consumers focused on gas prices, the market is demanding more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies. Ford Motor Company’s innovative new 6F 6-speed automatic transaxle delivers just that – with up to a 7 percent improvement in highway fuel economy and more refined performance at the same time. Ford Motor Company today is an industry leader in 6-speed technology with 24 nameplates offered – and more coming next year, including two new crossover utility vehicles (CUVs). “Ford Motor Company will pace the industry in advanced transaxles, which provide increased performance and increased fuel economy,” says Barb Samardzich, Ford vice president of Powertrain Operations. “With the introduction of the Ford Edge and Lincoln Aviator crossovers next year, our 6-speed leadership continues, and we have more on the way.” The new 6F was developed to cover a wide range of vehicle applications. It initially will be teamed with the new 3.5-liter V-6 in the Ford Edge and Lincoln Aviator CUVs. The transaxle also is designed to handle up to 300 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque with shift speeds up to 7,000 rpm. Link

Engine tricks attempt to pump up SUV gas mileage

2005-11-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

KATU has a great article about diplacement on demand. Dodge is using Demand on Displacement in their hemi engines. There is a lot to like about the much-maligned Sport Utility Vehicle, or SUV. You sit up higher in traffic, the crash protection is better than a small car and it can haul a ton of people and gear- literally. And when you push down the gas pedal, the power just flows. But there is one thing most SUV owners hate: the terrible fuel economy. With high gas prices apparently here to stay, the pain at the pump is real and immediate for SUV and most large truck owners. Most of the big rigs get less, sometimes much less, than 20 miles per gallon, and usually premium fuel is required.

Confronted with slumping SUV sales and a rising outcry about poor fuel mileage, carmakers are turning to a readily available technology called 'displacement on demand' to preserve the power of an SUV while significantly increasing the fuel mileage. 'Displacement on demand' is not very new, Cadillac was using it in the 1990s to improve the mileage in their big cars.

But the concept is catching on again at other carmakers, since it is relatively easy to design into current engine designs, and does not increase the cost of a vehicle like a hybrid design.
The concept is fairly simple: when cruising down the highway, the engine management computers restrict gas delivery and spark to some of the engine cylinders, saving fuel when only a small fraction of full power is needed to keep the car moving at highway speeds.
Step on the gas to pass or accelerate, and all the cylinders come back into play, supplying the full power of the engine. The changes are transparent to the driver.

Displacement on demand does not boost the gas mileage of an SUV up to that of the miserly hybrids, but it can lift a gas guzzler into the 20-plus m.p.g. level, or even higher.

So for those that must have the power, carrying capacity and other benefits of an SUV but are tired of the wallet-emptying gas bills, help is one way.

Drivers Try Tricks To Increase Gas Mileage

2005-11-10T18:03:00.000-08:00

WMUR has a great article on some testing that has been done on testing some of the gadgets that are suppose to increase gas mileage. Here is what they said. Now that $2.30 for a gallon is considered a good price for gasoline, some drivers are using unorthodox methods to squeeze extra mileage out of their cars.

Special devices claim to improve mileage, and some fuel additives also promise greater efficiency. But do they really work?

First up is the Tornado Fuel Saver. The small metal device is placed into the air-intake system and claims to channel air better to increase mileage. Driver Brad Fyfe installed the Tornado and tried it out for a few weeks. He calculated that he was getting 18.5 miles per gallon before it was installed, but achieved 19.5 miles per gallon afterward. The $47 device appeared to result in an additional one mile per gallon.

Next up is acetone. The claim is that adding a couple of ounces to a tank of gas will help the fuel burn more efficiently. Driver Joe Bourke added it to his tank and calculated that his mileage went up from 28 miles per gallon to 30 miles per gallon. Acetone is available at hardware stores and costs $4.50 for a quart. The downside is that experts warn that it could wear down engine parts and may not be a good idea in the long run.

Some mechanics are offering another way to boost mileage by filling tires with 95 percent nitrogen instead of regular air at a cost of $5 per tire. The claim is that nitrogen doesn't leak as quickly from tires, yielding better gas mileage. The results are hard to measure because simply having properly inflated tires is one of the best ways to keep cars efficient. Studies claim that drivers could see an improvement of one mile per gallon because the nitrogen can keep the tires properly inflated for longer.

Experts said that any car owner who wants to improve their vehicle's efficiency should check with a mechanic first.

Can Nitrogen in your tires improve gas mileage

2005-11-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

With gas prices as high as they have been over the last year, anyone is looking for way to get more miles per gallon. KDKA Consumer Editor Yvonne Zanos reports that something as easy as filling up your tires with nitrogen could help. Some experts say if you fill your tires with nitrogen, you may get longer tire life and a smoother ride. Already, NASCAR drivers and airlines use nitrogen. Local driver Victor Ndinyah is among those using nitrogen. "As soon as I took off, I noticed the difference," says Ndinyah.

Nitrogen in tires is not new to the auto industry. Service Manager Anthony Tisone says, "Nitrogen has been around for a long time. Mario Andretti has been using it since the sixties, it's been out there and available to the professional but to the average consumer, it's not been available. "But now nitrogen is available to consumers. Tasone says the tires offer a smoother ride because the outside temperature has no effect on the nitrogen inside the tires. "This maintains a steady temperature. It does not fluctuate up or down. Thirty two pound of air on a five below zero day and that does not change," says Tisone. Ndinyah says he notices that his car now gets better gas mileage. He says, "So far I'm getting about an extra mile a gallon driving back and forth. "Some experts says there are reports of some people getting about 30 miles more per tankful when using nitrogen. "There is also benefits of longer tire life, the big thing is the safety of the tire.. by keeping the tire inflated properly, the vehicle has better stability"One drawback is that nitrogen is not free like air is. You can expect to pay about $6 per tire to get the nitrogen in. For the average driver, it would pay for itself in a month. Locally, Andretti Toyota in Moon Township offers nitrogen tire fill ups.

SMALLCAR INTEREST DROPS

2005-11-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

SMALL-CAR INTEREST DROPS AS FUEL PRICES DECLINE. Three Web-based car-shopping services say a surge in users seeking information about gasoline-electric hybrids and other relatively fuel-efficient vehicles appears to have waned as gasoline prices dropped over the past few weeks, according to a roundup in USA Today. It notes that Edmunds.com says consumer interest in fuel economy peaked at 19,500 data searches on Aug. 29 when Hurricane Katrina hit. Such queries are back to their early August level of about 3,000 a week. Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com Web site says the number of visitors interested in hybrids and economy cars has dropped a few percentage points in each of the last two months. It didn’t provide more details because its survey isn’t finished yet. Cars.com says searches for fuel-sipping cars are down, with queries about the Toyota Prius hybrid sedan dropping the most.

40 plus miles per gallon

2005-11-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

Top Japanese car companies are preparing a new wave of 40-plus miles-per-gallon subcompact cars for America just as high gasoline prices and fuel shortages have made U.S. motorists acutely interested in such vehicles.

The Yaris will replace the Echo as Toyota's subcompact in the U.S.
The three models from Toyota, Honda and Nissan will hit the market close to one another next spring, starting at about $12,000 and expected to sport fuel economy ratings of roughly 40 mpg in mixed driving, even better on the highway. (Photo gallery: Small cars at the right time)
Nissan's Versa, the biggest and probably least fuel-efficient of the new trio, is recording 38 mpg in combined city-highway use in Nissan tests, the automaker says.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2005-10-25-little-cars-usat_x.htm

Ultimate Fuel SAVER

2005-11-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate Fuel SAVER Caplet is an excellent detergent dispersant, combustion improver and top cylinder lubricant. UFS comes in bottles of 10 caplets.DIRECTIONS FOR USE:One caplet of UFS will treat between 10 to 20 gallons of gasoline or diesel fuel. UFS eliminates the need for you to use premium grade gasoline. Insert in gas tank prior to fill up. Dissolves in fuel down to -25º F. INTRODUCTORY INTERNET SPECIAL -

For more information, please visit this products webpage.

The Fuel Energizer

2005-11-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

The Fuel Energizer is a frequency resonator that uses Neodymium Super Conductor Magnets, which break and then realign the hydrocarbon chains in the fuel passing through the fuel line of your vehicle. The magnetic field created by the Fuel Energizer ionizes the fuel being fed to the engine, which itself produces a more complete combustion, maximizes fuel economy, improves fuel efficiency and reduces polluting emissions.
By installing these Neodymium Super Conductor Magnets close to your carburetor/injection system, your vehicle will start to feel the result of the Resonance frequency of the Neodymium Super Conductor Magnets and by making the fuel flow smoother your engine will run more efficiently. The way to ensure that you will gain the best results from The Fuel Energizer is by following the easy "Golden Seven Steps Rule".

Special Benefits of The Fuel Energizer:

Upto 28% Fuel saving on your mileage per litre
Increased acceleration
Reduction in AC drag
Up to 40% Reduction in Carbon Monoxide emissions
Reduction in exhaust smoke
Extends your engine life, cleans out carbon deposits
Up to 30% increase in life of your catalytic convertor exhaust system
A smoother running engine

http://www.thefuelenergizer.com/

CONSERVE FUEL WITH A CONDENSATOR!

2005-11-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

Attention: If you’re looking for a way to get better economy, and performance, from your personal or fleet vehicles, you’ve landed at the right web site. Please take the time to fully examine the information presented here at Condensator Sales. The Condensator is well proven with over 200,000 units installed worldwide. It’s one of the few devices that actually works! While requiring a small one time investment, it pays for for itself many, many, times over.
We’re Distributors, and Manufacturers of Condensator Products, manufactured by Condensator Sales, located in Northwestern Montana. While there’re only several authorized dealers of Condensator products, we’re the “only” authorized distributor of Condensator products in the World. http://www.condensatorsales.com/ Read how this 1997 Ford F-250 4x4 with a 460 CI Engine is now getting 20 MPG. How this 2004 Dodge Durango is Getting 22MPG!

Eight-Speed Semi-Automatic kit for the Pontiac GTO

2005-11-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

Improve your GTOs fuel ecomony with the Bolt-on ratio/splitting overdrive gives the four-speed automatic GTO close ratios and .55 overdrive gear like the six-speed manual. Ratio progression is 3.06/2.39/1.63/1.27/1.00/.78/.70/.55 final for improved performance and economy. *Additional Product Information* Company: Gear Vendors, Inc. Address: 1717 N Magnolia Ave El Cajon CA 92020 USA Phone: 800-999-9555 ext. 54 Website: http://www.gearvendors.com/

Tornado Fuel Save

2005-11-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

Tornado Fuel Saver is a non-moving vortex generator, which installs in the air-intake of vehicles and functions as an automotive air channeling device by creating a swirling air motion. This car accessory device allows the air to move faster and more efficiently by continuously whirling around bends and corners. Tornado Fuel Saver essentially creates a sideways mini-tornado moving through your vehicle's intakes, causing better fuel atomization. Tornado Fuel Saver is an easy to install car accessory device can improve gas mileage distance anywhere from 7-24%, and can even increase horsepower! No maintenance is required for this car accessory device. Not only is Tornado Fuel Saver affordable, but pays for itself as a gasoline saver.

Shop for Fuel Saver Now!

Increase Gas Mileage with High Performance Air Intake

2005-11-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Intrested in increasing horsepower by 5-10 horsepower and improving gas mileage try replacing your stock air intake with a high performance air intake. Performance air intakes use a high performance air filter at the end of a wide high performance intake tube. The result is outstanding airflow that's many times better than limiting stock parts and a few steps more advanced than a performance air filter alone. Not only does this improve your performance it also increase your gas miles.

Shop for Air Intakes

Is your truck a drag, use a tonneau cover

2005-11-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

If you are not using a tonneau cover on your pickup truck you could be holding yourself back. The tailgate of your truck can be a real drag. The air rushes over your truck's cab and flows directly into your open bed. Purchasing a tonneau cover to your provides a tight surface for airflow to blow right past. Without a drag-prone tailgate to slow your truck down, you can see an average gas mileage improvement of 5% to 10% immediately.
Additionally the cover will improve the looks of the truck and provide security to the times that you might want to leave in your truck.

Shop for Tonneau Cover

Improve gas mileage with window deflectors!

2005-10-31T17:58:00.000-08:00

Easy to install to your window channels or door frame. Deflectors let you leave the window part way down, allowing fresh air in while keeping bugs, rain and rushing air noise out of your vehicle.
The deflector improves gas mileage by letting the outside breeze into your vehicle, it's easier to leave the air conditioner off. Few people know that your AC can be quite the power hog on your system during city driving, dragging down gas mileage as much as 10%.

Shop for Deflectors

Diesel fuel prices stay high

2005-10-30T18:07:00.000-08:00

It is an interesting phenomenon during this current oil crisis. Even though the prices of crude and gasoline is falling the price of diesel fuel is not. Some say it is because we may run in shortages of heating oil this winter. Others feel it is just price gouging. The bigger issue is that the trucking companies need to pass this cost onto there customers who will be forced to pass it onto the consumer.

Prepaid Gas Cards

2005-10-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

Do you every drive down the road looking for a gas stations with gas $.05 cheaper than the next station. Well how would you like to save $.08 more per gallon. If you buy 30 gallons of gas you save $2.40 on the tank full. All you need to do to get this discount is purchase prepaid gas cards. I use Speedway and BP prepaid gas cards and I receive a 4% discount on every gallow of gas purchased.

GM Launches 6 speed transmission boosting fuel economy

2005-10-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

General Motors Corp. is expected to unveil today the first of a new generation of transmissions that will improve the fuel economy and performance of its cars and trucks.
The transmission -- called 6L80 -- will be used in a range of GM's highest-profile vehicles, including the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac STS-V and XLR-V and GMC Yukon SUV.
GM plans to introduce 10 six-speed automatic transmissions by 2010. GM says the transmissions will reduce fuel consumption as much as 4%. GM also estimates the transmissions can trim 0-to-60-m.p.h. times up to 7%. "Six-speed automatics improve fuel economy and make a car feel a lot more refined," said Jim Hall, vice president for industry analysis at the Southfield office of consultant AutoPacific. "As well as fuel economy, six-speeds offer great performance benefits because the shifts are quicker and more precise," said David Petrovski, analyst of North American powertrains with consultant CSM Worldwide, Farmington.

Honda 65 MPG Hybrid

2005-10-25T19:05:00.001-07:00

HONDA ANTICIPATES A 65-MPG HYBRID. Honda Motor Co. says it might be able to build hybrid vehicles that get 65 miles per gallon—30% better mileage than the company’s latest Civic hybrid—with the help of a high-tech compression-ignition gasoline engine, notes The Wall Street Journal. Honda, like other OEMs, is working on so-called homogeneous-charge compression-ignition, or HCCI, engines. Such powerplants ignite their air-gasoline mixture by compressing it, as a diesel does, rather than using a spark plug—but at lower temperatures. HCCI promises to boost the fuel efficiency of a gasoline engine by 20%. But engineers have had trouble controlling the combustion at low and high speeds. Honda says its HCCI engine now runs smoothly at
low and medium speeds, although high-speed operation remains a challenge. The company says it expects to show a prototype four-cylinder HCCI system to the press as early as next year.
Last August General Motors, Bosch and researchers at Stanford University announced an HCCI program they hope will lead to a prototype system in a few years.

Fuel Economy Is Cool

2005-10-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

MORE CAR ADS TOUT FUEL ECONOMY. The number of automotive TV commercials touting vehicle fuel economy tripled in the U.S. after gasoline prices shot up in early September, reports Automotive News. Citing data from TNS Media Intelligence in New York City, it says fuel economy was the focus of only five in 120 new TV auto ads aired between Aug. 22 and Aug. 28. But between Sept. 1 and Sept. 14—right after Hurricane Katrina hit—TNS says 18 of 136 new auto commercials highlighted mileage performance. Auto companies tell AN the statistics are merely a coincidence. They say they were gearing up more fuel economy messages even before the hurricane pushed gasoline prices to record highs.

Save money on gas while giving your engine a boost!

2005-10-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

The Fuel OptiMiser fuel saver is proven to increase gas mileage up to 24% while cleaning up auto emissions.* You save money and save gas while helping the environment.
It will also increase horsepower as a result of improved gas combustion.
Best of all, our product costs little more than a tank of gas and will not affect your vehicle's warranty.

Save Gas with XenTX oil treatment

2005-10-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

Increase horse power, lower friction, increase torque and get better gas using XenTx oil treatment.

The Best Gas Saving Tips

2005-10-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

About.com has some great gas savings tips. Do you want to know how to save money on your automobile gas?

Here are 15 Hot Tips to improve your gas mileage:

Drive at a steady pace - Stop and go driving increases your gas consumption by as much as 33%. If you pay $2.50 per gallon, for every 10 gallons you lose $8. 25.
Avoid quick stops and quick jumpy accelerations. Instead drive at a steady even pace. Use cruise control when highway driving. This will maintain a constant steady speed and save gas.
Don't Speed - Gas efficiency decreases quickly when you drive faster than 40 mph. If you drive at 65 mph instead of 55 mph it is the equivalent to paying $0.20 cents per gallon more. Use overdrive or higher gears. This will reduce the rpm speed of your engine and increase gas mileage by as much as 45 percent.
Turn off the Air Conditioner - Avoid using the air conditioner as much as possible. When the air conditioner is on the engine works harder, increasing gas consumption by about 20 percent. Not using your air conditioner this summer might save you $80 (based on 4,000 over 3 months in a 20 MPG car and paying $2 per gallon).
Don't Idle for long periods - Idling your engine for one minute uses the amount of gas equal to what is used in starting the engine. So, if you need to wait for someone longer than one minute, turn off your engine.

Howstuffworks "What speed should I drive to get maximum fuel efficiency?"

2005-10-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Howstuffworks "What speed should I drive to get maximum fuel efficiency?"

Save money on gas - Let Advance Auto Parts show you how

2005-10-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

With today's uncertain fuel prices, it's more important than ever to make sure you are getting the most gas mileage for your dollar. There are several quick, simple and inexpensive things that you can do yourself to save gas.

Save money on gas - Let Advance Auto Parts show you how:

Tubro Charge Any Car!

2005-10-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Turbo Charge Any Car! Increase Gas Mileage by 24%.

The Turbonator is a non-moving vortex generator that goes inside your air intake hose, right after your air filter.

It is made entirely from stainless steel, requires no maintenance, and only takes 5 minutes and a screwdriver to install. If you don't feel comfortable installing it, have your mechanic do it for you. If he doesn't install it for free, find a new mechanic.

How does it work?
The Turbonator's airflow dynamic produces a swirling, fast-burn effect in the combustion chamber. This creates finer particles of atomized fuel, allowing better flame propagation and more complete combustion.

By enhancing fuel atomization, the Turbonator increases horsepower and fuel economy. An emissions lab, licensed by the EPA conducted tests on non-moving vortex generators that produced results as high as 20 horsepower and 24% increases in mileage. Other independent studies yielded results as high as 35 HP and 31% MPG. Although results varied from vehicle to vehicle, gains were evident, and considering the unit is inexpensive, easy to install, and requires no maintenance, the Turbonator is a worthwhile investment.

Does any one know if these actually work?

Getting more miles to the gallon.

2005-10-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

There's lots of technology available to increase the fuel economy of a vehicle. Unfortunately the traditional U.S. automakers all but ignored improving fuel economy on there vehicles because gas was cheap. Mean while the Korean and Japanese manufacturers quietly improved the fuel economy of there vehicles and worked on hybrids, variable valve timing, and increasing horse power per liter of displacement.

Most of the ideas that are now being implemented on new vehicles existed for years. However, there really wasn't any effort to take on these technologies. For example:

1. Demand on displacement: This technology has been available for years, however GM dropped the idea a long time ago and now it is coming back in a big way. It is even available on high performance vehicles like the new Dodge Charger.

2. Use lighter materials: If you drop the weight of a vehicle by 10% you can improve the mileage by around 5%. One way is by combining body and frame elements into a simplified "unibody." Today we are finally doing this by the introduction of the cross over vehicles which are part SUV, Car, and Minivan.

3. Reducing drag . Did you know that the Honda Pilot SUV has almost the same drag as some cars. Honda was careful in how they laid out their components and was able to reduce the drag on the vehicle. Proper tire inflaction reduces rolling resistance of the vehicle. Now days a lot of vehicles have low tire pressure sensors. This is a great idea because most people do not check there air pressure very often.

4. Using smarter engines, today's engines are very high tech. The key is technology to achieve the horse power vs. raw displacement. European's now buy more diesel engine equipped cars than gas powered. Variable valve timing, allows for increased power and fuel economy.

5. Using the stop start technology called starter generator is also another idea that is coming back. About 15% of gas is wasted when a car's engine idles during stops. GM will be introducing this on this years Saturn View. Basically it is golf cart technology that has been available for years. When you put you foot on the gas the vehicle moves, when your foot is on the brake the engine shuts off. Sounds like a simple idea that could have been implemented a long time ago.

6. Six speed transmissions, did you know that the new six speed transmission will allow vehicles to get better mileage than a manual 4 speed trans.

2006 Fuel Economy Data Released

2005-10-15T05:59:00.000-07:00

See article at http://www.autospectator.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2394

Its Got a Hemi

2005-10-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Amazing the Dodge Hemi engine won't cost you as much at the gas pump as you'd think. It gets a respectable 17 mpg around town, but lifts the mileage figure to an impressive 25 mpg on the highway, thanks to its Multi-Displacement System that shuts down four of the eight cylinders during highway driving, a time when they aren't really needed. Reacting in just 40 milliseconds to your foot on the pedal, it fires all eight back up whenever you require some additional muscle.

Thinking about buying a new car, want to compare fuel economy and specs

2005-10-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking about buying a new car and are concerned about fuel economy make sure you check out sites like http://autos.msn.com/. This site allows you to compare up to 3 cars side by side. You can see the estimated MPG, the interior room, features, etc. After about 5 minutes on this site when you go to the dealer you will probably know more about the car then the sales person.

Instructions for using the site.

Goto http://autos.msn.com/
Click on the new cars link
Click on compare
Click choose vehicles to compare
Select the cars that you want to compare.
Make sure you click on the more details tab, it allows you to get the entire specs on the car.

For example, I want to switch from driving an SUV to a 4 door sedan. I have been doing a lot of shopping around. The car that I was interested in was the Mazda6. It is made in Michigan and supports the local economy. However, my neighbor suggested that I look at the Chevy Malibu Maxx. I am interested in rear leg room for the kids and in 2 minutes on MSN I figured out that the Maxx has 4 inches more rear leg room. One draw back that I see it that the mileage of the Maxx is 1 MPG less than the Mazda6.

Looking for the lowest gas prices around?

2005-10-03T05:47:00.000-07:00

Gas Buddy has all of the latest prices. You can search by area for the latest information.

Air conditioning effect on gas mileage

2005-09-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

Did you know that driving with your air conditioning on all the time can decrease your gas mileage by almost 10%. The air conditioning system increases load on the engine by 10 to 20%. If it is cool out and you don't need the air, shut off the air conditioning in your car and just cool down with the vent system.

Calculate Fuel Cost and Save Gas

2005-09-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

Looking for ways to do some research on gas prices on a national average. Check out AAAs site at www.Fuelgaugereport.com

AAA also has another site that allows vistors to calculate the cost of an actual trip. Check out www.fuelcostcalculator.com

Increase gas mileage with proper tire inflation

2005-09-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Did you know that underinflated tires is one of the best ways to reduce gas mileage. 20% underinflation reduces gas mileage by 10%. The best thing to do is purchase a good air pressure guage and check your air pressure at least once per month to maintain your optimum gas mileage.

Buy tire pressue monitors

Stay tuned to this blog for more resources to save gas, reduce your fuel cost, improve your gas mileage.

Get 10% cash back on your gas purchases

2005-08-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Did you know that some credit cards offer cash back rewards. Some offer as much as 5% rebates on purchases of gas. At $3.20 per gallon you would be getting a $.16 reduction per gallon. What our though some credit cards only allow you so much cash back per year and then you don't receive any additional rebate.

Stay tuned to this blog for more resources to save gas, reduce your fuel cost, improve your gas mileage.

Top 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars for 2005

2005-08-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

The 10 most fuel-efficient cars currently sold in the U.S. with the exception of the Plymouth Neon are all transplant cars, the Pontiac Vibe is made by the GM/Toyota joint venture. Fuel economy is calculated based on the following 55 percent of city mpg rating plus 45 percent of highway mpg rating. The rating for each vehicle below is expressed in mpg as a city/highway ratio. Whats kinda of amazing is the Honda Civic Hx which gets 44 mpg on the highway. This is almost as good ad the VW Golf which has a diesel engine.

Honda Insight — 61/66
Toyota Prius — 60/51*
Honda Civic Hybrid — 45/51
Volkswagen Golf TDI — 38/46
Volkswagen Jetta TDI — 38/46
Volkswagen New Beetle TDI — 38/46
Honda Civic HX — 36/44
Toyota Echo — 35/42
Toyota Corolla — 32/41
Scion xA — 32/37
Honda Accord Hybrid — 30/37*
Pontiac Vibe — 30/36
Toyota Matrix — 30/36
Scion xB — 31/35*
Dodge Neon — 29/36
Toyota Celica GT — 29/36*

Slow down and improve your gas mileage

2005-08-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Did you know that aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.

For the complete story on driving tips go to: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml

Car fuel economy ratings

2005-07-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a fuel efficient car? Buying a used car and not sure what type of mileage it might get. Check out http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm this site provides you with a search engine that allows you to look up mileage for cars by year, make, and model.

Another link on the site allows you to do a preselected search that automatically finds the highest and lowest mileage vehicles. Click here to view this site. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bestworst.shtml

Stay tuned to this blog for more resources to save gas, reduce your fuel cost, improve your gas mileage.

Find cheap gas resources

2005-06-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

Are you trying to find the cheapest gas around, stop driving around and looking for the cheap gas. Goto one of the following resources, they have up to date prices on gas in your state.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/
http://www.gaspricewatch.com/new/

Always Compare Gas Prices.This sounds obvious, but gas prices can vary up to 25 cents per gallon from station to station and city to city. If you live near another state, try checking gas prices across the state border. State taxes vary significantly and can affect the price dramatically. Also the so called "generic" gas stations are usually cheaper than the name brand ones by about 10%. Sometime name brand gas stations have to spend extra money on marketing and pass that cost to you.

Prepaid Gas Cards

2005-04-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Another way to reduce the cost of driving is through purchasing discounted gas cards. Speedway gas stations offers gas cards at a discount. Purchase a $50 gas card for $48 per card. This is equal to a 4% reduction in the cost of the gas.

Stay tuned to this blog for more resources to save gas, reduce your fuel cost, improve your gas mileage.