Category Archives: fuel economy or emissions

Volkswagen Downsizes Engines Once Again

Volkswagen was an early leader with the use of small displacement; highly efficient turbocharged and direct-injection engines in the U.S. Volkswagen first used the now common combination of turbocharging and direct injection in the U.S. with its TDI diesel engines in the Passat in 1996 Continue reading

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Automakers Protest European Laws Targeting Diesel Use

The automakers reason, not without some basis in fact – that the most effective way to improve air quality is getting older cars and trucks off the road. New vehicles less than one year old are roughly 5% of the road population in the EU. As more of the older diesels are replaced, it looks like fewer of them will be diesels, no matter how clean the newest ones are. Continue reading

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NADA, American Truck Dealers Oppose Cleaner Trucks

The groups say that the rule will add $14,000 to the cost of a new truck through mandates based on potentially untested technologies. Similar accusations, of course, by the industry go back to the beginnings of the Clean Air Act and fuel economy regulations where cleaner was thought, dubiously, as too costly. Continue reading

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More Taxpayer Subsidies for Rich Automakers Proposed

It is another raid on the U.S. Treasury sponsored by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), along with Lamar Alexander (R-TN), all from auto making states. Continue reading

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Renewable Biodiesel Fuel Scam from Washakie in Utah

During 2010, Washakie issued more than 7.2 million Renewable Identification Numbers, aka RINs, and reported to EPA that it produced biodiesel associated with those RINs at its Plymouth, Utah refinery. During that time, Washakie did not produce any biodiesel at the Plymouth facility. Continue reading

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Toyota Testing SiC Power Semiconductors for Efficiency Gains

Power semiconductors are in power control units (PCUs), which are used to control motor drive power in hybrids and other vehicles with electric powertrains. PCUs have a significant role in the use of electricity, supplying battery power to the motors during operation and recharging the battery using energy recovered during deceleration. Continue reading

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Hyundai Debuts 2016 Sonata Hybrid with Higher MPG

Today Hyundai introduced the Hybrid version of its seventh-generation Sonata at NAIAS. The 2016 Sonata Hybrid fuel economy is expected to improve more than 10%. Sonata Hybrid is projected to achieve up to 39 mpg in the city, 44 mpg on the highway and have a combined EPA mileage rating of 42 mpg. Continue reading

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EPA Says US Fuel Economy at All Time High – 24.1 MPG

New vehicles achieved record fuel economy in 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency announced today. Model year 2013 vehicles achieved an average of 24.1 miles per gallon, a 0.5 mpg increase compared with 2012 previous year and an increase of nearly 5 mpg since 2004. However, year-over-year it was only 2%. Continue reading

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CA Governor Brown, AKA Moonbeam, Increases EV Subsidies

California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. yesterday signed half a dozen bills to increase EV subsidies for California’s electric vehicle market. Continue reading

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2015 Chevy, GMC Pickups and SUV derivatives Have 8-Speed Transmissions in Fuel Economy Upgrade

In theory, fuel economy should improve on the EPA sticker, but estimates will be announced closer to the start of production in Q4 of 2014. Continue reading

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EPA Forces Ford to Lower Fuel Economy Ratings

Given the ongoing fuel economy rating scandals, with Hyundai and Kia being an egregious example, as well as numerous road tests from independent sources on other make vehicles, including AutoInformed, we no longer have confidence in EPA fuel economy stickers. Buyers beware; mpg is in a lot of cases ‘meaningless per gallon. Continue reading

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Holy Toledo! 2015 Corvette Gets Eight-Speed Automatic

Chevy claims excellent shift times that rival the best dual-clutch designs of which ZF is the leading supplier. Porsche, of course, offers dual-clutch automatics and the new Corvette already outperforms Porsche models costing tens – or much more – thousands of dollars greater. Continue reading

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Republicans Pass Polluter Protection Act

This latest example of the power of money in the Congress is a setback for citizens. In 2009, EPA determined that greenhouse gas pollution threatens Americans’ health and welfare by leading to long lasting changes in our climate that can have a range of negative effects on human health and the environment. Continue reading

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EPA Finally Cleans up Fuel over Big Oil Objections and Money

Once fully in place, the standards will help avoid up to 2,000 premature deaths per year and 50,000 cases of respiratory ailments in children, according to agency that Republicans – owned by big oil – love to hate and obstruct. Continue reading

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SAE World Congress to Review 48-Volt Mild Hybrid Progress

Both systems are based on switched reluctance (SR) motor-generator technology developed for a new breed of 48-volt hybrid vehicles. CPT claims multiple O.E. applications are being explored, particularly in Europe for sub-compact and compact vehicles as a relatively inexpensive way to make big gains in fuel economy. Continue reading

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