You may really like cars, or driving, but if you’re like most people you probably don’t actually enjoy buying or pumping gas. It’s expensive, tedious, smelly, and flammable, and a new survey finds that a vast majority of us would prefer if our cars could be more efficient so we wouldn’t have to fill ’em up as often. [More]
fuel efficiency
States Will Go To Court To Stop EPA Rollback Of Fuel-Efficiency Standards
By 3.15.17
President Trump has made it known that his administration intends to oblige the auto industry’s request to roll-back longterm standards for greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency in most new vehicles. However, some states say they will go to court to fight carmakers’ attempts to undo these guidelines. [More]
U.S. Investigating Mitsubishi Over Falsified Fuel Mileage Data
By 4.22.16
Two days after Mitsubishi revealed that employees manipulated mileage test data for 620,000 vehicles sold in Japan since 2013, U.S. regulators have opened their own investigation into the carmaker to find out if the same shenanigans occurred stateside. [More]
VW Claims Carbon Dioxide Emission Issue Only Affects 36,000 Vehicles, Not 800,000
By 12.9.15
In early November, Volkswagen added to its mounting emissions scandal by announcing that an internal investigation had found that nearly 800,000 vehicles may have issues with carbon dioxide emissions resulting in inflated fuel efficiency. But now, the carmaker says its was all just a big misunderstanding: only a fraction of those cars are actually affected. [More]
Oregon Testing Pay-Per-Mile System As An Alternative To State’s Gas Tax
By 5.20.15
With more fuel-efficient vehicles and hybrid cars hitting the roads every day and requiring less gas, some states are looking into how they can still collect enough money from drivers to keep maintain their roads and bridges. Oregon is one such state, with a new test program that allows volunteers to pay the state not for the amount of fuel they buy at the pump with a gas tax, but for how many miles they drive. [More]
Why Should I Care About New Fuel Economy Standards? Because Money Is Nice To Have
By 6.14.13
Don’t you just loooove watching the dollars and cents tick up as the gallons slowly glug into your car’s gas tank? No you don’t, because no one likes spending large chunks of change to fuel their vehicles. And maybe hybrids or electric cars don’t have all the bells and whistles you’ve come to expect. What’s a discerning, wallet-conscious consumer to do? [More]
White House Wants Your Car To Get 54.5 MPG By 2025
By 11.16.11
Earlier today, the White House — along with the EPA and DOT — formally announced their proposal to improve fuel economy over the next decade and a half, with the goal of achieving fuel efficiencies equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. [More]
New Fuel-Economy Stickers Actually Display Car's Fuel Economy
By 5.25.11
The U.S. Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency have rolled out the biggest redesign of the car window stickers that display a vehicle’s estimated fuel efficiency since the labels were introduced. The new stickers, designed to be easier to read and to provide more information about fuel savings and costs, will be required for all 2013 cars. [More]
White House Wants To Slap Fuel Efficiency Grades On Vehicles
By 8.31.10
By proposing the assigning of letter grades onto cars to rank fuel efficiency, the Obama administration either wants to shame car manufacturers into making their cars more efficient or stop larger vehicles from getting into Ivy League schools. [More]
Top Ten New Cars, Trade-Ins From Cash For Clunkers
By 8.25.09
With Cash for Clunkers mostly over, Consumer Reports looks at the most popular new cars and the most popular clunkers that were traded in.
Beware The "MPG Illusion" When Comparing Fuel Efficiency
By 6.20.08
Sure, switching from a gas guzzler to a highly efficient (and probably much smaller) car is best for the environment, but it’s not a realistic solution for large families or people who can’t afford it. But don’t let the fact that you can’t buy a 40 mpg car turn you off of a trade up in efficiency anyway. A couple of economists have pointed out that “using ‘miles per gallon’ as a measure of fuel efficiency leads people to undervalue the benefits of replacing the most inefficient automobiles.” Their point: if you’re driving a gas guzzler, even a small improvement in fuel efficiency can generate significant savings.
General Motors Says New Fuel Requirements Will Add $6,000 To Price Of Cars
By 1.17.08
Bob Lutz, GM’s vice president and product chief, told reporters this week that new federal guidelines that require 35mpg fuel efficiency by 2020 (yes, more than a decade from now) are so stringent that it will end up costing an average of $6,000 more per vehicle. “That cost will have to be passed on to consumers,” he then threatened. We can’t help but feel sorry for GM. After all, this whole “better fuel efficiency” topic was only brought up, what, like two or three months ago? And GM only has twelve years to find cost-effective (we’d say “innovative” but don’t want to put too much pressure on such a backwards, fearful company) ways to lighten cars and improve engines.
Top 12 Most Gas Saving Cars
By 1.3.08
Consumer Reports tested some new compacts and a sporty car and found twelve cars with the most fuel efficiency. Some of them even bring in numbers close to what the best hybrids can offer.
Congress Strikes Deal To Match China's Fuel Efficiency Standards By 2020
By 12.1.07
Congress will require American automakers to achieve fleet-wide fuel efficiency of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The deal struck late last night by Congressional negotiators and hailed as “an historic advancement,” would put America on the slow track towards meeting the same efficiency standards that Europe, China, and most of the developed world already enjoy.
Want To Drive In The HOV Lane Without Passengers? The EPA Has A Rule For You
By 5.20.07
The EPA has proposed a rule that would allow drivers of fuel-efficient vehicles to use the high occupancy vehicle lanes without bringing along those pesky carpoolers. Most states require at least two occupants for a vehicle to travel in the HOV lane.
