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Oil Use Down in US, Way Up Globally - Oil prices continue to surge to new records. A barrel of light sweet crude peaked above $123 on Wednesday. Gasoline is selling at a national average of about $3.60 a gallon, according to AAA. And according to the Energy Department, prices at the pump will surpass $4 a gallon this summer.
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Hybrid 5-0h! Police Cruisers Go Green - As fuel prices continue to rise, police departments across the country are considering the use of hybrid vehicles within their fleets. It’s a logical move that seems to be following the same path as many mass transit agencies that have switched over to utilizing hybrid buses to save on fuel costs. Since police cruisers are in patrol for most of their active shifts, the fuel savings from hybrids are potentially significant.read more
Getting Small, But Avoiding Econoboxes - Conventional wisdom for American automobiles is being turned on its head by the combination of high fuel prices, concern about greenhouse gas emissions, and a looming recession. The auto industry is responding by taking a page out of Europe’s playbook—where smaller cars and smaller engines rule, but driving fun has not been banished from the equation. Smaller yet powerful engines are possible due to advances in supercharging, turbocharging, and direct injection. read more
Energy Independence Is a Charade - It’s not hard to get behind the idea of energy independence. Most of us know that we are in a terrible fix—with oil consumption increasing every year, with more and more of that oil coming from foreign countries. Nine in ten voters say the United States is too dependent on foreign crude.
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CAFE Footprint Formula Explained - Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced its new formula to calculate fuel efficiency standards based on the footprint of vehicle lines—rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The proposed rules mean that Porsche vehicles will have to reach 41.3 mpg by 2015, while Chrysler’s target is 33.6 mpg. HybridCars.com interviewed John DeCicco, senior fellow for automotive issues at Environmental Defense, to get a better understanding of the logic of the new rules. read more
Auto Industry Lobbying Topped $70 Million Last Year - According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the automobile industry spent a record $70.3 million lobbying Washington in 2007. The $70.3 million figure represents nearly a 20 percent increase over 2006 numbers, and comes in a year when the industry faced the most dramatic increase in fuel efficiency standards in years.
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Small Cars Hit the Big Time - April sales figures for cars and trucks sent a clear and resounding message to the auto industry: Make smaller more fuel-efficient cars or die. Here are the facts:
- About one in five vehicles sold in the United States was a compact or subcompact car.
- Sales of traditional Sport Utility Vehicles are down more than 25 percent this year—and full-size pickup sales have fallen more than 15 percent.
- For the first time, fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines surpassed six-cylinder models in popularity.
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Ford Diesels To Counter Rivals’ Big Hybrids - Ford may have off-loaded its Land Rover and Jaguar divisions, but it plans to use some of those former divisions’ diesel engine technology to keep its big trucks competitive with rivals using a mix of hybrids and diesels. The auto industry’s shift to greater efficiency is occurring throughout entire product lines—including the largest vehicles on the market. read more
Pickup Trucks Evolve into Hybrids - For many hybrid owners, the full-sized pickup truck represents all that is wrong with the American vehicle: big, overpowered, and thirsty for fuel. But the reality is that pickups are immensely popular. Even in the face of $3.50 gasoline, three of the top five bestselling vehicles in the U.S. are still full-sized pickups. And the auto companies are betting that pickups’ popularity will continue, particularly if their fuel economy can be boosted with hybrid powertrains. read more
Hints of the Third-Generation Prius - The second-generation Toyota Prius became an instant hit when it was introduced to the U.S. market in 2003. The vehicle continues to dominate the hybrid market, making up more than half of all hybrid sales. The quintessential hybrid is past due for a redesign and technology upgrade. The first hints about the third-generation Prius are starting to emerge. After speaking with a “well-placed Toyota source,” Edmunds’s Auto Observer is reporting the following details about the next Prius:
- The next Toyota Prius will be unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January 2009.
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