Fuel Efficiency
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If the 20th Century was all about improvements in safety and performance for the motor car, the 21st Century see these criteria joined by efficiency. We're seeing a phoenix-like rise by the electric car, and manufacturers are finally taking steps to reduce vehicle weight, improve aerodynamics and the humble combustion engine is being tuned for ever greater efficiency. Volkswagen's speciality lies in diesel engine technology. Europe is awash with Volkswagen-Audi Group (VAG) diesel cars and both VW and Audi have impressive clean diesels on sale in the U.S. Volkswagen is now previewing its most...
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Ford Adding Start-Stop To U.S. Fleet In 2012
Europe is already knee-deep in start-stop technology, but we Yanks haven't been invited to that party yet. Why? Because of differences in the way the U.S. tests fuel economy, for the most part. Without a real numbers difference to sell the feature, it's hard to justify the added cost. Ford...
Nelson Ireson -
GM, Purdue University Working On Thermoelectric Energy Regeneration
Thermoelectric energy regeneration sounds like a complicated topic, but it's really pretty straightforward: recapturing energy that would otherwise be wasted as heat and using it to power something. In the case of GM and Purdue University, that something is a car's electrical system. The benefits?...
Nelson Ireson -
Mercedes-Benz Continues DiesOtto Work, S-Class Still Slated To Be First
The idea of combining the best of the high-compression, high thermal efficiency characteristics with the power and familiarity of gasoline isn't new. There are a number of concepts out there, including sparkless HCCI engines, Lotus' variable compression, multi-fuel Omnivore, and of course...
Nelson Ireson -
2011 Chevrolet Cruze: 1.4T Isn't Quite An EcoBoost Rival
Is GM pitching the new 1.4T with a performance angle, as Ford will no doubt do for that EcoBoost option? It appears not.
Bengt Halvorson -
Confirmed: Porsche Panamera To Avoid Gas Guzzler Tax
The new Porsche sports sedan is just efficient enough to avoid paying hefty fuel taxes.
Nelson Ireson -
Getting more out of the current generation of hardware is becoming increasingly important for the major carmakers as fuel and emissions standards tighten, but getting more power out of smaller, less expensive engines is also advantageous from a cost perspective. That's what makes Fiat's Multiair technology so attractive, and explains why Chrysler might get the technology in the very near future. It's actually surprisingly easy to retrofit the Multiair valve system to an existing engine, Lucio Bernard, director of Fiat Powertrain Technologies, told Automotive News. Internally, the groundwork...
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Foreign luxury carmakers could get loophole in upcoming fuel regulations
In May the White House unveiled a new fuel efficiency policy calling for 35.5mpg fleet averages by 2016, and almost immediately the carmakers began talking about how much it would cost them. But now it looks like the luxury carmakers in the U.S. - primarily foreign marques - could catch a break...
Alex Kaufmann -
Closer look at Mercedes’ new four-cylinder engine technology
Earlier this month Mercedes Benz unveiled two new entry-level E-Class models for the European market. The cars featured highly-efficient four-cylinder engines in both gasoline and diesel guises and are just a taste of what is to come from the German luxury marque. Mercedes’ new engine design...
Alex Kaufmann -
Mercedes-Benz to offer 58 BlueEfficiency models by end of 2009
Green isn't always green - sometimes it's blue. Or at least that's what Mercedes-Benz wants us to think when we think of efficient, environment-friendlier motoring. And to help back up Mercedes' claim to being one of the cleanest luxury carmakers, it has announced it will have 58 BlueEfficiency...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ford details powertrain plans through 2010
The EcoBoost four-cylinder made news today with its impressive 240hp output from a small 2.0L displacement, raising hopes for enthusiasts everywhere that the engine might see use in a small and sporty hatch or sedan - or possibly even an SVO-type Mustang. But that's not the only thing Ford has in...
Ralph Hanson -
Ford puts four-cylinder EcoBoost, Powershift plans on the table: 230hp, 2.0L
Call it EcoBoost, call it TwinForce, it's a welcome addition to the Ford lineup for many buyers, packing more power in a smaller, more efficient engine. And soon the V6 version that debuted the twin-turbo technology will be joined by a four-cylinder, 2.0L 230hp version. That's the latest word from...
Kenneth Hall -
About a year ago we brought you a report that BMW was looking at a four-cylinder 3-series for American sale, but that was at the height of the fuel-price crisis, and since then talk of the efficient BMW four-bangers has died down. A recent report has breathed new life into the idea, however, and once again fuel efficiency lies at the root of the plan. Speaking with Bloomberg, BMW's top North American engineer, Tom Baloga, said that the four-cylinder may be the best solution to meeting higher fuel economy standards without seriously impacting performance - a key aspect to a marque that bills...
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Mercedes Benz expands E-Class range with two economical four-cylinder models
Mercedes Benz is expanding the engine lineup of its new 2010 E-Class by introducing two economical four-cylinder models: the E200 CDI turbodiesel and E200 CGI petrol model. Both cars are labeled as BlueEFFICIENCY models and achieve better than 32mpg in fuel economy. The diesel powerplant in the...
Jeremy Weber -
Honda president says no need for RWD sedans
Front-wheel drive cars, no matter how well-engineered, are always a compromise when it comes to being fast. They do enjoy some advantages in terms of packaging and efficiency, however, and Honda's new president Takanobu Ito is firmly behind the continued absence of RWD cars in the company's lineup...
Nelson Ireson -
House passes bill to double DOE fuel-efficient vehicle fund to $50 billion
Former president Bush signed the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program into life last year, but for the past 8 months, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has sat on the money, carefully evaluating applications to see which companies would make the best use of the...
James Martinez -
Germans, luxury marques lead diesel's U.S. comeback
It's easy to blame the economy or the consequent poor car market for the delay of diesels from Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota, but that hasn't kept the Germans at BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen from turning up the wick on oil-burners. In fact, it's quite the...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW launches new efficient 316d ES for Europe
The U.S. resurgence of diesel may finally be shifting into high gear, but some of the world's best diesels still aren't even offered here. In Europe, however, carmakers such as BMW are introducing new models to meet ever-stricter emissions requirements, and the latest volley is the BMW 316d ES...
Ralph Hanson -
President Bush signed the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program into life last year, but for the past 8 months, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has sat on the money, carefully evaluating applications to see which companies would make the best use of the funds. Today the first announcements of disbursement were made from Ford's Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The three recipients - Ford, Nissan and Tesla - will be getting a total of about $8 billion in loans to help fund the development of advanced technology fuel-efficient vehicles...
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Report: BMW to introduce upgraded 306hp twin-turbo diesel
Diesel is just beginning to make its comeback in the U.S., and BMW is ready to capitalize on that with a more powerful version of its 3.0L twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel engine. The extra grunt will help to move larger cars around more efficiently. And larger cars are likely to be the first...
Alex Kaufmann -
2010 Subaru Legacy scores 31mpg highway in EPA tests
Subaru has been curiously unaffected - or nearly so - by the tremors shaking the foundations of so many other carmakers' sales figures. And despite the 2010 Legacy's not-so-adorable face, it's developing its own following already. Today, that following will have a fairly tough pill to swallow with...
Nelson Ireson -
Volkswagen develops 30% lighter Golf
Earlier this year Audi's plans for a lighter pair of next-generation S4 and S5 performance variants were revealed. Now Volkswagen has been tied to a similar program with its popular Golf platform (2010 Volkswagen Golf Mark VI pictured). The lighter weight makes it easier to maintain performance...
Ralph Hanson -
Mercedes Benz C-Class gets three new direct injection engines in Europe
Mercedes Benz first added its CGI BlueEFFICIENCY technology (Mercedes speak for direct-fuel-injection) to the C-Class range last October with the launch of the C350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY model, and today the automaker has expanded the range of fuel-efficient engines with three new variants. While the...
Jeremy Weber -
Toyota design chief gives insight into future lineup
Gauging the future of automotive design is a tough and tricky business. Anyone that's ventured through the winding courses of Disney's famed Autopia knows exactly how easy it is to get things wrong. But Toyota is charting its own course to the future, and it's using efficiency as its North star. A...
Nelson Ireson