tagged w/ Fuel Economy
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E-10 ruins fuel economy for vehicles.
With gas prices soaring, people are concerned about how their cars are faring on the road. Of course, gas guzzlers are suffering the worst during this $4+ gas world, but so is the common person. You see, some stations are mixing Ethanol with regular gasoline in small amounts (known as E-10). And there have been reports that this is effecting fuel economy in a negative way.
This is just one recent story where people note the drop in fuel economy of vehicles because fo the E-10 mix. There are others that can be found doing a Google search. The earliest report I found was from 2006. E-10 ruins fuel economy for vehicles.
With gas prices soaring, people are concerned... more
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Axon is a British project in its early stages of development, whose creators claim they’ll produce a 100mpg (70g/km CO2) urban vehicle by 2011. Rather than utilizing batteries or alternative fuels, the Axon plans to use aerodynamic design, lightweight materials and a humble a 500cc, twin-cylinder engine to achieve it's 100mpg fuel-economy target.Axon is a British project in its early stages of development, whose creators claim... more
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Robert Raymond says this is the wave of the future. 4 bucks a gallon is highway robbery and any way you can save and not use this liquid gold to fuel the pockets of the oil companies is a good way to go!
I think the wave of the future is finding out other ways and other alternatives to ancient sun energy, like current sun energy, wind power or even mules like this farmer did. We have to be creative...
In Europe, (Switzerland) where I live most of the year (I live in the States as well), fuel is close to 8 bucks a gallon (2 a liter) and has always been more expensive than the States. What I can offer the states to help save on fuel are a few ideas I see here in Europe.
1. Traffic patterns: Seems like the traffic circles (round-abouts, etc) here in Europe saves you from stop signs and traffic lights ... as you know, stop signs, traffic lights make you STOP, so, when a vehicle stops it needs a large quantity of fuel to rest and then 'go again'. In a circle, you sometimes have to stop, but hardly ever. A large savings of fuel for the masses as well as individual people.
2. Traffic lights here are more friendlier in Europe than in the States. They are for the most part shorter in time, most sense traffic and most have a different method as well as being interconnected. Also, the turn signal is different as it is coordinated a little different and there is less waiting.
3. Traffic cameras save the city from using police cars to monitor traffic as well as issuing tickets. Not only saving fuel, but many man hours riding around in a police car. Just think about the savings on tax you pay in your state/city, then the police can go fight real crime instead of the license plate being a little lopsided! (Yeah, that is a crime in most cities lol).
4. Public transportation: holy makeral! If every city was like NYC or European public transportation! Europe still beats the States, but NYC comes close. If only the rest of the cities and states followed the lead of these cities and offered real solid transportation for the public, not only would we reduce our glut of fossil fuels, but we would reduce the emissions into the atmosphere by a thousand fold. Especially if the electric street car/trolley was brought back. Also, if you miss your bus/train/trolley, you can catch another in 5 to 15 minutes ... tops! (late night schedules are about half to full hour different).
5. School buses!!! Yup, here is a surprise. School buses are used only for real young students, and the vehicles aren't as BIG ... the ones that are 10 years and over use number 4 above! PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!!! So ... less property taxes (that usually pay the school buses) and you pay a discounted rate for the monthly/yearly transportation ticket. And, an added benefit for saving fuel is that there aren't all those lousy stops you have to do if you are behind a bus since there are 90% fewer ... and as an economic benefit to public transportation, there is a built-in income that they can rely on. Of course, moms and dads still do it too!
6. Here in Switzerland, it's illegal to idle the engine more than one minute! So, during a rail road crossing, or cold morning, or road work stop, or any situation that requires no moving, most people shut their engines off.
7. How about this: National Public Transportation Week. Everyone has to use public transportation to work for a week.
Now, let's all brainstorm ways to cut down our fuel consumption....Robert Raymond says this is the wave of the future. 4 bucks a gallon is highway... more
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Follow these simple tips published by the Daily Green to help save money on your vehicles increasingly expensive fuel. Follow these simple tips published by the Daily Green to help save money on... more
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When the Bush administration announced proposed regulations Tuesday to raise fuel economy standards for cars and trucks to 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015, even some environmentalists applauded. But then they read the fine print.
Tucked deep into a 417-page "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" was language by the Transportation Department stating that more stringent limits on tailpipe emissions embraced by California and 17 other states are "an obstacle to the accomplishment" of the new federal standards and are "expressly and impliedly preempted" by federal law.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown called it a covert assault on California's rules. Environmentalists said the language will be used by automakers in their legal challenges to two recent federal court rulings that sided with the states.
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Photo by flickr user ekai:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekai/2429663601/ licensed under a Creative Commons 2.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.enWhen the Bush administration announced proposed regulations Tuesday to raise fuel... more
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The 1908 Ford Model T went at 25 miles per gallon. As of 2004, the average fuel economy of cars and trucks was 24.6 miles per gallon. Despite the fact that modern cars can go faster, the Model T topped at 45 miles per hour. Is speed really worth it when work could be done to make for more fuel efficiency?
http://www.dailyfueleconomytip.com/miscellaneous/100-years-of-improvement/
The 1908 Ford Model T went at 25 miles per gallon. As of 2004, the average fuel... more
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So this bill will get us up to China's current standards in 12 years.
I'm unimpressed. So this bill will get us up to China's current standards in 12 years.
I'm... more
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WASHINGTON Republicans were able to stall a broad energy bill in the Senate on Thursday morning, prompting Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader, to excise controversial parts of the measure in hopes of moving the legislation forward quickly.WASHINGTON Republicans were able to stall a broad energy bill in the Senate on... more
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WASHINGTON A federal judge in Sacramento on Wednesday upheld a California law regulating greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks, another in a string of legal defeats for the auto industry this year.
This is the fourth defeat for the Bush administration and the auto companies, Mr. Brown said, and I hope it sends a powerful message to the White House and to Congress that Californias role as an innovator should be appreciated and not negated.WASHINGTON A federal judge in Sacramento on Wednesday upheld a California law... more
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The centerpiece of the bill is a requirement to boost automobile fuel economy by 40 percent to an industry average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, the first such increase since 1975, when Congress enacted the federal auto fuel economy requirements................... If they filibuster it in the Senate make them stand up and talk for hours like they used to do. Let us see their true colors. Make the Greedy Oil Man in the White House veto it, then let him explain that to the people.The centerpiece of the bill is a requirement to boost automobile fuel economy by 40... more
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The tiny carts known in Japan as kei cars cannot be longer than 14 ft or wider than 5 feet. Here is how one of them, the Honda Zest, compares with familiar American vehicles:
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/11/24/automobiles/25micro_graph.html
We are looking at a number of possibilities for the U.S. market, Hiroshi Tsuda, the president of the Suzuki Motor Corporation, said of the Kei cars during an interview at the Tokyo Motor Show last month.
Would Americans take to the Wagon R the way the Japanese have? Well, did I mention the cars fuel economy numbers? Your mileage may vary, but I averaged nearly 60 miles a gallon.The tiny carts known in Japan as kei cars cannot be longer than 14 ft or wider than 5... more
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