EPA and Department of Energy Publish 2009 Fuel Economy Guide

If you are looking for a 2009 model vehicle with excellent fuel efficiency, you will likely look for the EPA projections for miles per gallon (MPG) posted on car windows. The EPA and the Department of Energy have  recently published their Fuel Economy Guide for all vehicles sold in the United States. With a rash of zero percent financing deals on the market today, you may want to look at efficient vehicles if you are looking for a middle ground until truly efficient vehicles hit the market.

The leader for yet another year is the Toyota Prius with a projected 48 city and 45 highway MPG rating. Professionals and couples looking for lower prices at the pump can choose from the smart fortwo (33/41), Mini Cooper (28/37) and Honda Civic Hybrid (40/45). Construction workers looking for pickups without gas-guzzling engines can check out the Ford Ranger (21/26), Chevrolet Silverado (21/22) and GMC Sierra (21/22).

While the top performers may not seem impressive, we need only look at the bottom feeders to see the disparity between fuel-efficient modesty and gas-guzzling excess. The EPA report says that the Nissan Titan is the least efficient pickup at 12 miles per gallon city. The usual culprits sit at the bottom of the EPA/DOE list of least efficient vehicles with Lamborghini, Bentley and Saab anchoring most of the car rankings. Lamborghini’s Murcielago may get the gas-guzzler award with a horrific 8 miles per gallon city, a number that car lovers accept as part of the automaker’s commitment to powerful engines.

BMW’s MINI E Scheduled to Debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show

The Los Angeles Auto Show in November will feature a number of hybrid and all-electric cars at early levels of development. BMW’s MINI E two-seater is ready for testing by a small number of customers as it gets ready for its debut in Los Angeles. The MINI E will be distributed to 500 corporate clients after assembly in BMW’s Munich and Oxford plants at the end of 2008. The time line for the pilot program starts in early 2009 with a lease program giving drivers the option to keep their vehicles for years.

The MINI E looks great on paper in terms of speed, range and battery capacity. BMW has limited the MINI E’s maximum speed at 95 miles per hour to extend battery range. The MINI E has a 35 kWh lithium ion battery that can last up to 150 miles on a full charge. This coupe also has a regenerative braking system that can extend battery range up to 20% in heavy city traffic. BMW’s all-electric vehicle will be able to recharge within three hours using standard household outlets.

MIT SmartBiking Project to Hit Copenhagen Streets by November 2009

MIT’s SENSEable City Laboratory has announced that they will initiate a new biking project in Copenhagen to reduce carbon emissions and increase fitness. The Danish city will be the urban laboratory for MIT’s SmartBiking project starting in November 2009. This start date dovetails with Copenhagen’s duties as host of the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

MIT has developed smart bike technology that will allow easy mobilization, energy conservation and citywide mileage tracking. The SENSEable City Laboratory has created a rear wheel compartment that contains a lithium ion battery, smart tag and other electronic components. This compartment will be tested for durability and efficiency during the Copenhagen project. The goal of the SmartBike’s rear wheel compartment is to add these elements to traditional bicycles throughout the world. MIT wants to make the SmartBike component compatible with mountain and racing bicycles worldwide for easy conversion.  

Audi's Q7 Hybrid SUV

Audi Q7 SUV is known for its opulent style and wealth of amenities, from a rearview camera to BOSE sound system. But even those who can afford the Q7 are seeking ways to cut down on emissions and relieve the extra pinch from poor gas mileage. This is why Audi is looking to introduce the new nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack

Fiat EcoDrive Software Presented at Paris Motor Show

Every driver interested in cutting back on fuel consumption, saving their brakes and learning to be a better motorist should be interested in Fiat’s EcoDrive software. This software was announced at the 2008 Paris Motor Show as a product that Fiat will begin to offer on a large scale by the end of this year. The EcoDrive software package is capable of analyzing a driver’s average speed, braking, gear efficiency and fuel use over thousands of miles.

Fiat’s new software requires drivers to purchase a Microsoft Blue & Me system before analyzing driving patterns. The Blue & Me is a versatile onboard unit that allows motorists to focus entirely on the road. This onboard computer provides audio for incoming text messages, access to hands-free cell phone use and compatibility with most MP3 players.

The Blue & Me features a USB port that allows drivers to transfer the EcoDrive software easily. Every motorist can download the software from their computer to a USB drive and upload EcoDrive into the Blue & Me. The software provides driving suggestions and detailed reports on fuel consumption once the USB drive is inserted back into a home computer. Fiat is also developing a social networking component through its website that will help newcomers navigate through EcoDrive reports. While Microsoft intended this unit to improve the daily commute, Fiat hopes that the Blue & Me can help reduce carbon emissions by 15 percent.

Look at Alternative Fuel Conversion Kits for Your Family Car

While automakers are slowly coming around to alternative fuels, hundreds of companies are jumping into the alternative fuel niche with conversion kits. These kits allow consumers to turn their gas-guzzling vehicles into testaments to sustainable fuels. You should examine alternative fuels like ethanol, propane and vegetable oil carefully before pursuing conversion kits.

Flex Fuel US and other innovative businesses have created conversion kits to take advantage of America’s ethanol craze. Flex Fuel’s conversion kit allows any driver to switch between ethanol and traditional fuel with proper installation. This kit can accommodate gasoline, E10, E20 and E85 fuels for drivers who want to mix up their fuel options.

I-65 Corridor Equipped with E-85, B-20 Pumps From End to End

The drive along Interstate 65 from Gary, Indiana to Mobile, Alabama will be friendlier to biofuel proponents after the completion of a $1.3 million infrastructure project. This project ensures that truckers and families driving biofuel vehicles will be able to stop along I-65 to get refills. The Department of Energy and state clean fuel coalitions have dubbed Interstate 65 “America’s First Biofuels Corridor.”

The impetus for this massive biofuels project was the absence of a single E-85 station on Interstate 65 prior to 2006. The Department of Energy worked with state governments in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Indiana to map out a highway that would meet the needs of frequent users. This collaboration led to the construction of 31 E-85 and five B-20 stations distributed evenly along the interstate for maximum coverage. The Department of Energy claim that a driver operating with E-85 could get a refill within a quarter tank of his last refill.

EDF and Renault Push All-Electric Infrastructure in France

HybridMile covered a story last month highlighting Toyota’s agreement with French utility company EDF to provide all-electric vehicles to test out public charging stations in the United Kingdom. EDF and the French government are showing their commitment to alternative energies through a similar agreement with Renault. EDF and Renault will get some help from the French government through $549 million proposed by President Nicolas Sarkozy last week.

The outline of the EDF-Renault agreement remains vague at the time of this posting. Both partners will conduct testing on infrastructure, financing and regulations that will culminate in a report published in January 2010. EDF’s plan to create test stations for the Renault partnership and unveil vehicles by 2011 must be supplemented by outside partners to ensure nationwide coverage.

Most reports on the EDF-Renault plan indicate that

NREL Report Shows Early Failings of CTTRANSIT Hybrid Bus

Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) began to operate a prototype plug-in hybrid bus in April 2007 with the hopes that additional vehicles could be purchased in the near future. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has issued a report that may put these plans on hold for awhile. NREL conducted a 14 month-long test of CTTRANSIT’s prototype to determine if the current infrastructure and maintenance facilities were sufficient for ongoing use. The report showed that the prototype bus was struggling to meet performance benchmarks set by the Hartford-based transit authority.

The CTTRANSIT prototype uses a hybrid drive system produced by ISE Corporation. This system is powered at 120 kWh by a hydrogen fuel cell system and a sodium nickel chloride battery from UTC Corporation and Zebra respectively. At the time of the report’s publication, CTTRANSIT had run the prototype for a total of 12, 115 miles to adequately test hybrid capabilities.

Clean Your Car to Increase Fuel Mileage

We have been focusing largely on driving behavior and technology when giving our Tuesday fuel saving tips at HybridMile. While a hybrid car or a truck with a continuously variable transmission may cut your gas usage, you may be losing mileage as rainwater and debris collects on your hood. You can make up some of this gas mileage by washing and waxing your car regularly.

This tip may not seem as important as oil changes and using cruise control but it has been proven to cut down on gas mileage. Engineer Tom Wagner Jr. has found that a simple car wash and wax at a local gas station can increase fuel economy by 7% over a long trip. Wagner Jr. drove a decade-old Dodge Ram over 1,600 miles in a single trip, saving plenty of money in the process. While Wagner’s example is anecdotal, it is plausible for a clean car without debris to require less fuel than its dirty counterpart.

The claims made by Tom Wagner Jr. have been repeated frequently throughout the Internet though major publications have not yet taken up this test. About.com, Daily Fuel Economy Tip and other informational websites have encouraged drivers to get their cars cleaned to fight high gas prices. This tip may seem unsubstantiated but it is no sillier than removing boxes from your car or changing your hub caps to reduce drag. Every automaker measures the angles and shapes of each vehicle within millimeters to provide the best aerodynamics possible. Each step you take to keep your car as close to the factory standard as possible keeps money in your pocket.