CAFE Standards

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Diesel Cheaper than Gasoline!

June 10, 2009 in Biodiesel, Consumer News, MPG, diesel by kristen | 2 comments

Diesel prices are, on average, lower than gasoline prices for the first time in two years. The question is, will it matter to Americans?

In the wake of crazy high gas prices last summer and the collapse of the U.S. auto industry over the past nine months or so, all three Detroit car makers shelved plans for new diesel engines slated for pickup trucks. Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen forged ahead with their clean diesel plans, but sales haven’t been as peppy as they had hoped.

Now, with cheaper diesel and tougher CAFE standards in the future, will U.S. car buyers flock to clean diesels? Or will the stinky stigma remain while we save our pennies for the Tesla S electric sedan or the Chevy Volt, which GM has promised not to abondon despite bankruptcy?

I’ve driven a couple of the clean diesels on sale in the U.S. and had pleasant experiences. You can revisit the Mercedes Blue-Tec and VW Jetta TDI posts for the scoop.

Ford EcoBoost: Power and Fuel Economy

May 27, 2009 in Consumer News, New Tech by kristen | No comments

Ford couldn’t have picked a better day to throw a party for its fuel-efficient, turbocharged, direct-inject EcoBoost engine — the same day President Obama announced his new fuel economy standards.

The 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine will go on sale this summer in the Ford Flex, Ford Taurus SHO, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT. According to Ford, the V6 is able to deliver V8 performance in a smaller, more fuel-efficient package.

For 2010, though, Ford will introduce an inline-four EcoBoost engine with even more emphasis on mpg over hp. No models have officially been named for the smaller EcoBoost engine, though the Ford Fusion sedan may be a candidate, according to Automotive News.

Image of drag racing Fords with EcoBoost engines courtesy of Ford Motor Company.

CAFE Standards: What You Need to Know

May 26, 2009 in Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Consumer News, EVs, Hybrids, Hydrogen, MPG, PHEVs, diesel, small cars by kristen | 2 comments

Last week, President Barack Obama announced new CAFE standards. While these new numbers seem like a big leap to require auto manufacturers to make, they were a long time in coming. Fuel economy standards hadn’t been significantly revised in nearly a decade. The new standards have the benefit of being constructed with input from auto makers and states who wanted higher standards, so a bunch of potentially expensive and contentious lawsuits were dropped as a result. Whew.

Here’s how it all breaks down:

  • The average fuel economy of the manufacturers’ car and light truck fleets will increase by 5% every year beginning in 2012 and ending in 2016
  • Cars must average 39 mpg; light trucks and SUVs must average 30 mpg by 2016
  • Overall average will be 35.5; current overall average is 25 mpg
  • Will go hand-in-hand with EPA initiative to reduce tailpipe CO2 emissions by 40%

What’s not known is how extended-range electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt or hydrogen cars like the Honda Clarity will figure into the calculations. The feds say they’re working on it.

If you’d like this information in a live, five-minute video starring yours truly, check out Portland’s KGW NewsChannel 8.