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Category Archives: fuel economy or emissions
President Obama Calls for $2 Billion Energy Security Trust Using Fossil Fuel Development Taxes to Wean U.S. from Oil and Gas
Leaving aside the controversy over President George W. Bush’s plan to do so under the flawed Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which mandates ethanol that apparently is now adding $1 per gallon to the price of gasoline, the question remains is this just Washington politics from an Administration whose approval rating is dropping or sound national policy? Continue reading
EPA Reports Significant Gains in Fuel Economy During 2012
In its annual report that tracks the fuel economy of vehicles sold in the United States, EPA today said that between 2007 and 2012 fuel economy increased by 16% while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have decreased by 13%. In 2012, EPA said the one-year increase of 1.4 miles per gallon for cars and trucks was “significant.” Continue reading
Posted in auto news, fuel economy or emissions, news
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, cafe, epa, Ken Zino
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Volkswagen to use CO2 as Air Conditioning Refrigerant
The Volkswagen Group is developing air conditioning systems that use CO2 as the refrigerant. Currently automotive air conditioners, depending on age, use R12, which is banned because of global warming effects, R134a, a replacement for R12, which is also now being phased out for its role in global warming, and its replacement R1234yf, which apparently poses safety threats. Continue reading
Volkswagen Group to Cut CO2 emissions to 95 g/km by 2020
In the ongoing battle of the green press releases, Volkswagen Group has restated its strategic goal of becoming the world’s most “environmentally sustainable” automaker by 2018. The announcement was originally made a year ago when VW Group undertook an ecologically oriented restructuring designed to coordinate responses to increasingly tough global regulations covering vehicles and how they are made and recycled. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, environment, fuel economy or emissions, news analysis
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, co2, eu emissions, Ken Zino, vw group
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Land Rover Shows a 9-Speed Automatic Trans at Geneva
Land Rover showed the world’s first 9-speed automatic transmission for a light duty vehicle at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The ZF 9HP transmission is said to be specifically designed for transverse applications, and is claimed to be one of the most efficient and technically advanced transmissions ever used in a production vehicle. The first volume production will come later this year in the Range Rover with the 9HP manufactured at ZF’s Gray Court facility in South Carolina. Continue reading
CountryMark Refining to Install $18 Million in Pollution Controls to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations at its Indiana Refinery
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced today that CountryMark Refining and Logistics has agreed to pay a $167,000 civil penalty, perform environmental projects totaling more than $180,000, and spend $18 million on new pollution controls to resolve Clean Air Act (CAA) violations at its refinery, located in Mount Vernon, Indiana. Continue reading
Posted in environment, fuel economy or emissions, litigation, news
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, caa, clean air act, countrymark, flaring, Ken Zino, refineries
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Acura RLX Uses New Steel and Aluminum Bonding for Doors
When the Acura RLX goes on sale in the U.S. next month, its outer door panels will be made of aluminum joined to an inner steel frame. This unusual combination of dissimilar materials results in a reduction of door panel weight by approximately 17% compared to the conventional all-steel door panel. Continue reading
Honda Expands Fit EV Leasing to East Coast Markets
The all-electric 2013 Honda Fit EV will be available for leasing later this month in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. The three-year term costs $389 per month, which computes to a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $36,625. Collision coverage, maintenance costs and roadside assistance service are included in lease-only vehicle. Gasoline fueled versions of the Fit sell in the $16,200 to $21,000 range. Continue reading
Chevrolet Debuts 2014 Cruze Diesel at Chicago Auto Show
In the latest example of how complicated the global auto business is, Chevrolet will sell a Cruze diesel this fall in North America that has an Italian engine design, a German-built 2-liter turbo diesel, which will be installed in the Cruze at the final assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. The 2014 model will start out at $25,695 with destination and a two-year maintenance plan included. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, fuel economy or emissions, new vehicle
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, cas, cruze diesel, jetta tdi, Ken Zino
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GM Cuts Powertrain Locations in Efficiency Move
General Motors will close three leased facilities in Wixom, Michigan; Castleton, Indiana, and Torrance, California and consolidate their powertrain engineering activities into a Global Powertrain Engineering center in Pontiac, Michigan. GM R&D’s Propulsion Systems Research lab in Warren, Michigan will also relocate to the Pontiac campus, including its electric motor engineering . Continue reading
Milestones – Nissan Begins Assembly of 2013 LEAF EV in Tennessee
Nissan is starting U.S. assembly of the 2013 LEAF electric car at its manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, where it will be made along with the far more popular Altima and Maxima models. Since 2010 Leaf has been imported from Oppama, Japan. Continue reading
Honda Environmental Report Shows CO2 Cuts, Fuel Economy Gains
The eighth annual Honda environmental report just released for the North American regions show that the Japanese automaker reduced on average its output of CO2 with corresponding increases in fuel economy. During the 2012 fiscal year that ended last March the CO2-adjusted fleet-average fuel economy of Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the U.S. in model year 2011 rose 0.8 mpg, or 3.2%, to 25.7 mpg, compared to the previous model year. Continue reading
EPA Releases Annual Enforcement Results
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or EPA today issued its annual enforcement results, which the Agency said showed significant environmental and public health protections achieved during 2012. EPA said that there was a reduction of 2.2 billion pounds of air, water and land pollution, and 4.4 billion pounds of hazardous waste, as well as $252 million in civil and criminal penalties levied. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, environment, fuel economy or emissions, news
Tagged 2012 election, air pollution, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, co2, epa, Ken Zino, sustainability
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EPA to Review Consumer Reports Data Claiming Ford C-Max and Fusion MPG Claims are Bogus in Real World Driving
The U.S. Environmental Protection agency will review Consumer Reports data claiming that Ford’s 47 mpg hybrid mileage claims were not realistic during real world – as opposed to computerized dynamometer – driving conditions. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, fuel economy or emissions
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, bogus mileage, epa, Ford, Ken Zino, mpg claims
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Honda Claims Ecological Paint Breakthrough
Honda Motor Company said today that it would put into production a new paint process that uses less energy. Starting next July a new painting technology at its Yorii Plant at Saitama Factory in Japan will eliminate a middle coating process from a commonly used 4-coat/3-bake auto painting process. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, fuel economy or emissions, manufacturing
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, co2, honda, Ken Zino, water based paint
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