Toyota’s New Eco Drive Indicator
Although these kinds of lights and meters have been around in other manufacturer’s vehicles for years, they haven’t been in Toyota’s (except the hybrids, which have a much more powerful driving-economy indication system).
New Feature Aims to Encourage Environmentally Considerate Driving
Tokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that, beginning in October, new Japanese-market vehicle models with automatic transmissions will be equipped with the Eco Drive Indicator, a feature meant to encourage environmentally considerate driving. This development—aimed at reducing CO2 emissions through increased fuel efficiency—is part of Toyota’s efforts to combat global warming.
Based on a comprehensive determination that takes into consideration such factors as accelerator use, engine and transmission efficiency and speed and rate of acceleration, the Eco Drive Indicator, located on the instrument panel, lights up when the vehicle is being operated in a fuel-efficient manner. This is hoped will raise driver awareness toward environmentally considerate driving and contribute to fuel economy…
BMW Reduces Fuel Consumption 4% – with a new Alternator
BMW is looking for methods for increasing fuel economy, and has developed a novel new Intelligent Alternator Control which may reduce fuel consumption by up to 4%. It’s part of an effort to improve fuel economy in their larger luxury cars.
BMW Introduces Intelligent Alternator Control with Regenerative Braking; Reduces Fuel Consumption by About 4%
At the Paris Auto Show, BMW introduced a system it calls Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC) to generate electric power for a car’s on-board network exclusively in overrun and during braking—IAC thus also incorporates a system for regenerating brake energy.
The system is part of a larger BMW initiative to improve the overall efficiency of a vehicle by decreasing ancillary loads on the engine and recuperating more of the waste heat energy. (BMW is currently involved in one of several projects tackling the development of a thermoelectric waste heat recovery system targeted to deliver a 10% improvement in fuel economy. More on this below.)
Only about 25–30% of the energy contained in fuel is actually used for driving the vehicle. Most of the energy consumed is still converted into heat, although the fuel burnt also serves to generate electrical energy for the on-board network.
Honda Announces Cleaner Diesel Car Engine
I’ve always appreciated Honda’s quality and economy – and within 3 years there will be a new Honda powertrain available in the US that meets stringent emission standards by adding a revolutionary new catalytic converter to an already acclaimed diesel system.
Honda designed the catalytic converter for use with its 2.2 i-CTDi diesel engine, which has earned widespread praise for quiet, clean operation and dynamic performance since its introduction in 2003 on the European Accord model. By further advancing combustion control, the 2.2 i-CTDi delivers cleaner exhaust to the NOx catalytic converter. Honda achieved this by optimising the combustion chamber configuration, reducing fuel injection time with a 2,000-bar common rail injection system and boosting the efficiency of the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system. Thanks to these improvements, Honda has reduced the amount of NOx and soot normally found in engine exhaust, while increasing power output.
Along with developing superior technology for cleaning exhaust gas, Honda plans to address other technical challenges in developing clean diesel engines, such as handling diesel fuels with different cetane numbers and meeting U.S. On-Board Diagnostic System requirements. Honda plans to introduce its next-generation diesel engine in the U.S. within three years.
7-11 Fires Citgo
7-11 is creating it’s own brand of gasoline, and giving Citgo their walking papers. Part of the reason is concern over Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s anti-US politics. Citgo is a Venezuelan state-owned company.Â
Convenience store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo as its gasoline supplier at more than 2,100 locations and switching to its own brand of fuel.
The retailer said Wednesday it will purchase fuel from several distributors, including Tower Energy Group of Torrance, Calif., Sinclair Oil of Salt Lake City, and Houston-based Frontier Oil Corp.
A spokeswoman for Dallas-based 7-Eleven said its 20-year contract with Citgo Petroleum Corp. ends next week. About 2,100 of 7-Eleven’s 5,300 U.S. stores sell gasoline.
Citgo is a Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, and the foreign parent became a public-relations issue for 7- Eleven because of comments by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
What is E85?
E85 is an alternative fuel for many of todays production cars. It’s 85% ethanol that is created from crops, and 15% gasoline. There are many cars on the road in America today that can burn either gasoline or E85 – these are “flex-fuel” cars. You may own one of these cars, and not even know it.Â
From: http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/faqs/e85.php
E85 is the term for motor fuel blends of 85 percent ethanol and just 15 percent gasoline. E85 is an alternative fuel as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. Besides its superior performance characteristics, ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline; it is a completely renewable, domestic, environmentally friendly fuel that enhances the nation’s economy and energy independence.
You can find out if your car is a flex-fuel car by contacting the dealer where you bought you car and asking them if your’s is a flex-fuel car, or by checking this resources at this site about E85 fuels.
If your car is a flex-fuel car, you can find a service station in your area that sells E85 fuel. Hopefully there is one close enough to you to be convienent.
E85 has one major drawback, it’s that you won’t go as far per gallon. E85 may cost you as much as 30% in MPG, although this can be offset by lower pump prices, with a net gain of going farther for less money.Â
E85 is a step in the right direction for drivers who want to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and at the same time curb the amount of emissions you personally contribute to the global pollution problem.Â
What’s in a Barrel of Oil?
Ever wonder what exactly is in a barrel of oil?
Product Percent of Total
- Finished Motor Gasoline 51.4%
- Distillate Fuel Oil 15.3%
- Jet Fuel 12.6%
- Still Gas 5.4%
- Marketable Coke 5.0%Â
- Residual Fuel Oil 3.3%
- Liquefied Refinery Gas 2.8%
- Asphalt and Road Oil 1.9%
- Other Refined Products 1.5%
- Lubricants 0.9%
One barrel contains 42 gallons of crude oil. The total volume of products made from crude oil based origins is 48.43 gallons on average – 6.43 gallons greater than the original 42 gallons of crude oil. This represents a “processing gain” due to the additional other petroleum products such as alkylates are added to the refining process to create the final products.
Additionally, California gasoline contains approximately 5.7 percent by volume of ethanol, a non-petroleum-based additive that brings the total processing gain to 7.59 gallons (or 49.59 total gallons).
California Sues 6 Major Automakers
California Attorney General Bill Lackyer sues General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., DaimlerChrysler AG, Honda Motor Co., and Nissan Motor Co. in US District Court in Oakland, CA for causing pollution in California and contributing to global warming.Â
I think this is an interesting, but odd move. Trying to force the global warming issue into the courts also means that you must prove that global warming is being cause by human activities and is not part of a natural cycle, which is still debated among scientists after 30 years. If the scientific community cannot agree with the available evidence, how is one judge supposed to decide?Â
From Bloomberg.com
By Karen Gullo and Alan OhnsmanÂ…The suit, which seeks damages related to pollution, beach erosion and reduced water supplies, is the latest action by California to push businesses and the federal government to address global warming. The legislature approved a measure last month to force utilities to cut emissions, and the state has sued the U.S. for failing to address the effects of global warming.
“Vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of the carbon emissions contributing to global warming, yet the federal government and the automakers have refused to act,” said California Attorney General Bill Lockyer in a statement.
California has already targeted carmakers with rules that would require them to lower emissions. The state enacted rules in 2004 that would force them to cut the amount of carbon dioxide and other tailpipe gases by up to 30 percent in cars sold in the state. Several other states have adopted or are weighing similar rules. Â
What also bugs me about this suit is the idea of suing manufacturers for products that meet all the government standards placed on them. The auto industry in America may be one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. I strongly agree that automobiles should be made more fuel efficient, but I disagree that our courts should be used to legislate.
Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of burning gasoline. Car companies say the only way to meet California’s emissions rules is to reduce vehicle fuel consumption. They claim the state is trying to regulate fuel economy, or the number of miles a car runs on a gallon of gas, a standard which is set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Automakers including GM, Honda, and Toyota said they are developing so-called fuel-cell cars in response to consumer demand for better fuel economy amid higher gas prices. Fuel cells produce only water vapor as a byproduct.
We should require our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to raise fuel standards – or better yet, we need to push automakers to create more fuel efficient cars by buying their most fuel efficient cars and leave the gas-guzzlers sitting in their sales lots.
Won’t Return to Gas-Guzzling Habits
A recent article from America’s cheese-capitol indicates that the sustained high gas prices of this spring and summer have changed the gas-guzzling habits of survey respondents, and that the recent drop in gasoline prices will not change them back. Let’s hope there are similar mid-west sensibilities from the right coast to the left coast.
From Wisconsin State Journal
Survey: Driving won’t climb as gas prices fall
MARV BALOUSEK…After more than a year of high prices driven by a range of factors – increased demand, last year’s hurricanes and global instability – gasoline has plunged in recent weeks, selling for $2.51 a gallon at some Madison-area stations. And analysts say prices could drop further, thanks to the end of the summer driving season and stable supply. Natural gas prices also have declined, setting the stage for decreased energy spending for consumers in the coming months.
But area drivers say they haven’t forgotten the summer’s high prices, which saw gasoline approach $3.20 a gallon in Madison, and they say aren’t returning to their old gas-guzzling ways. That’s because many are aware prices could easily go back up…
…Some analysts are forecasting that gas prices will continue to decline, said Pam Moen of AAA Wisconsin. But she said consumers are smart to be wary.”People are relieved and we should be thankful these prices have finally come down,” she said. “But it’s important to understand that nothing really has changed. Until we address issues with our national energy infrastructure, we are going to be vulnerable to the kind of volatility and extreme pricing we’ve seen in the past year.”
Gas prices accelerated the boom in hybrid cars and now play a bigger role in consumer choices, said Neeraj Arora, a UW-Madison professor of marketing research.
“People are going to reflect back on the prices that have changed over the last month or two more than they did three or four years ago,” he said. “My guess is it’s going to become a bigger factor than it has in the past in making a consumer decision on which (vehicle) brand they should buy.”
Jeff Beddow of the National Automobile Dealers Association said it took a long stretch of higher gas prices before sales of less fuel efficient vehicles dropped, and he doesn’t see buyers quickly coming back to gas-guzzlers.
“Typically, changes in consumer buying habits related to gas prices come after a sustained period of time at either a high or low price level,” he said…
Giving Up Gasoline
Here’s an interesting article out of Alaska. It’s no Tesla Roadster, but it is an all electric vehicle that allows Mike Willmon to commute to work for $20 per month (average monthly cost of electrical charge).
Giving up gasoline
Mike Willmon put an electric motor in his pickup to save on fuel billsBy RICHARD RICHTMYER
Anchorage Daily NewsPublished: September 18, 2006
Last Modified: September 18, 2006 at 07:45 AMAt first glance, Mike Willmon’s 1988 Mitsubishi MightyMax looks like any other pickup cruising Anchorage’s streets.
But instead of the rattling and rumbling sounds that typically go with old pickups, Willmon’s rig emits a gentle whir that gradually fades as he eases it to a stop at a traffic light. And there’s no sight or smell of exhaust fumes as he waits for it to turn green.
That’s because Willmon, an electrical engineer, overhauled the truck, replacing its gasoline engine with an electric motor that runs on batteries…
Hey, he sounds like somebody I know!
Home Heating Prices to Fall
From the Land of the White Squirrel, futures trading has driven the Natural Gas market to a two-year low.
From Olney Daily Mail
Heating prices will drop sharply
By Mary McGlasson and Associated PressNatural-gas futures fell 10 percent to a two-year low Thursday after U.S. government data showed record supplies.
As a result, Richland County homeowners who depend on natural gas for heat should see lower gas bills this winter, assuming normal temperatures.
“We are optimistic that prices will be quite a bit lower than last winter,†said Darin Houchin, General Manager of Illinois Gas Company.
Houchin said supplies are at record highs because there were no hurricanes or other such events during the summer.
Oil prices were weighed down by the sharp sell-off in natural gas, which analysts attributed to the rising inventory of fuel, slack demand and receding fears about possible Gulf of Mexico supply disruptions during this year’s waning Atlantic hurricane season.
October natural-gas futures fell 55.7 cents to settle at $4.892 per 1,000 cubic feet on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The last time front-month natural-gas futures settled below $5 was Sept. 16, 2004.
Holy Electric Car, Batman! (Tesla Roadster)
Forget that frumpy Hybrid and go all-electric like a rock star. Tesla Motors is a California based company with a great idea, an aggressive business plan, and tons of style.
Redefining what and electric car looks like is one thing. Redefining the performance and endurance is another thing.
The Tesla Roadster sports an amazing figure, and amazing figures. It’s 100% electric, so you plug it into the wall at night to charge it. A full charge will take you 250 miles, for about 1 cent per mile (based on California electricity prices). Oh yeah, it goes 0 to 60 in around 4 seconds…
Tesla Motors is a forward thinking young car company. They are looking to change the way people think about all-electric cars. Next they will build a mid-priced family sedan, and after that they will be looking at the lower-priced variety of commuting vehicles. By starting at the top of the food chain (at $90K per Roadster) Tesla plans to use profits from higher-end early adopters, willing to pay a premium for one of the world’s quickest and greenest cars, to fund development into ways to reduce costs to make a more affordable second generation vehicle.
I’ll be keeping tabs on this technology, and will provide more details in the near future.
$1.15 per gallon?
Wow… wondering if I should go buy that Escalade I’ve been wanting… maybe some 55 gallon drums…
From The Seattle Times: Business & Technology
Analyst predicts plunge in gas prices
By Kevin G. Hall
September 14, 2006WASHINGTON — The recent sharp drop in the global price of crude oil could mark the start of a massive sell-off that returns gasoline prices to lows not seen since the late 1990s — perhaps as low as $1.15 a gallon.
“All the hurricane flags are flying” in oil markets, said Philip Verleger, a noted energy consultant who was a lone voice several years ago in warning that oil prices would soar. Now, he says, they appear to be poised for a dramatic plunge.
Crude-oil prices have fallen about $14, or roughly 17 percent, from their July 14 peak of $78.40. After falling seven straight days, they rose slightly Wednesday in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, to $63.97, partly in reaction to a government report showing fuel inventories a bit lower than expected. But the overall price drop is expected to continue, and prices could fall much more in the weeks and months ahead…
Research Finds Biodiesel Performs Well in Harsh Environments
Here’s the take-away for the attention challenged:
“Yellowstone National Park, serving as the soy biodiesel testing ground for the National Park Service, has a pickup truck that is still running on 100% biodiesel after 10 years and 181,000 miles in this high-altitude extreme environment.”
From Farm Futures
September 13, 2006
Soy biodiesel has stood up to the test of time and harsh environment conditions, according to decade-long look at use in national parks including Yellowstone and Grand Teton.In 1995 Yellowstone National Park began serving as the soy biodiesel testing ground for the National Park Service. The park boasts over 300 pieces of machinery operating on soy biodiesel, the centerpieces being the park’s well-known yellow buses and a 1995 Dodge pickup. Yellowstone’s trademark yellow tour buses have evolved into a high tech, biodiesel-powered riding experience including on-board electronic and communications gear. The pickup has been running on 100% biodiesel for over 10 years and 181,000 miles. This is no small feat, with an elevation of 6,241 ft., the mountainous region surrounding the park experiences a variety of extreme weather throughout the year, the United Soybean Board says…
Made in USA: Soy-based Biodiesel
A fledgling fuel company, Milagro Biofuels of Memphis LLC, has actually started processing soy bean oil into diesel fuel, in a “micro-brew” facility nestled in a historic building in Memphis.
While they are getting interest in their products from around the country, they expect to sell most of their production locally, providing their community with a locally brewed and renewable alternative fuel… cool!
The “micro-brew” facility will be followed up with more substantial production plants already in the works…
From Biodiesel Magazine
Memphis biodiesel plant begins production
by David Nillis
September 12, 2006An idle cotton oil mill in a downtown redevelopment zone in Memphis, Tenn., is now home to a biodiesel producer. Milagro Biofuels of Memphis LLC produced its first biodiesel Sept. 11, according to President Diane Mulloy.
The 5 MMgy [ed: MMgy = "million gallons per year"] plant was expected to start-up in late August, but minor start-up glitches pushed production to this week. Mulloy said test batches have been conducted and samples sent to the U.S. EPA for certification. “I’m hoping that process is quick,†she told BiodieselMagazine.com. “We hope to sell biodiesel by the end of September.â€
Falling Gas Prices = The Big Carrot?
It seems like Christmas in September here in the US. Gas prices are free-falling to levels we haven’t seen in a while. It’s such a sudden and drastic change that it’s got me wondering “why?â€â€¦
From USA Today
9/12/2006Gasoline prices continue to tumble, almost free-falling toward levels not seen in five months.
The nationwide average for regular was $2.618 a gallon, the Energy Information Administration reported Monday. That was 10.9 cents lower than a week earlier.
“The reason prices are going down so far so fast is that they shouldn’t have been that high in the first place. Two reasons they were: fear and speculation,†says Mike O’Connor, president of the Virginia Petroleum, Convenience and Grocery Association. It represents gasoline distributors who operate about 4,000 stations.
O’Connor says $2 gasoline “is more likely than unlikely†if the Gulf of Mexico isn’t hit by hurricanes and if there isn’t a flare-up of tensions in oil-producing regions.
So gasoline prices are likely to be down to $2/gallon as long as there are no oil-platform eating hurricanes or a flare-up of tensions in Venezuela and Canada (or was that some other oil-producing regions they had in mind)? Wow, that sounds great… I’m not convinced this is the whole story. Letâ’s keep digging and reading’
2006 cars are as efficient as… 1982 cars?
Ahh, the good old days. I remember 1982 like it was 24 years ago! Those were the days of simple living – before CD’s competed with vinyl records, before the Apple IIe computer, before a touch-tone phone in my home… Wow! We have come a LONG way since then with technology, haven’t we?
Then imagine my disappointment that average fuel efficency ratings for Automakers this year are almost exactly the same numbers for 1982 …
Gas Prices Are Up but Not Fuel Economy
Little Change Since 1980s, EPA Finds
By Sholnn Freeman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 18, 2006; Page D01…
The EPA said its study found the 2006 model-year vehicles to be the heaviest, fastest and most powerful vehicles than in any year since the agency began collecting data. Environmentalists have complained that automakers are investing in technologies that make cars go faster or tow more at the expense of improving vehicle fuel efficiency.
Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents many of the automakers, said the industry is building more vehicles with fuel-saving technology, but consumers are still buying heavier, faster vehicles in large numbers.
“The fuel-efficient models are out there, we just need to sell more,” she said. “We are trying very hard.”
Fuel economy made rapid increases in the mid-1970s and in the 1980s. The 1982 level was 21.1 miles per gallon, almost exactly today’s level. The U.S. government began pressing for improvements in fuel-economy rules after the oil shocks of the early 1970s. Mileage for the industry peaked in 1987 and 1988, when the EPA estimated vehicle fuel economy was 22.1 miles per gallon. But industry economy levels gradually began to decline the 1990s, as large, gas-hungry sport-utility vehicles rose in popularity.
The report’s fuel-economy measurements were based on laboratory data adjusted downward by about 15 percent to better represent real-world driving conditions. The data are equivalent to the estimates provided to consumers on new-vehicle labels.
So far this year, lawmakers have rejected attempts to offer legislation to increase the government’s fuel-economy rules. In a speech in Washington today, James E. Press, chief executive of Toyota’s U.S. division, is expected to reiterate his company’s pledge to build more fuel-efficient models, including a goal to sell 1 million hybrid models annually worldwide by 2010.
Jeep Liberty Diesel w/ 21% better fuel economy
What do you think of when you hear the word “diesel”? The newer diesel powerplants might surprise you if you thought of noisy trucks spewing black smoke. Using new technologies, diesel engines for smaller vehicles are efficient, quite, and powerful – and create the opportunity to use bio-diesel fuels to replace or compliment your use of petro-diesel.
Source: Green Car Congress
…
The 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD, equipped with a 2.8-liter, four-cylinder, turbo common-rail diesel engine, offers 21% better fuel economy compared to a comparable gasoline-powered Liberty (3.7-liter, V-6 engine).
VM Motori provides the engine, an enhanced version of the four-cylinder diesel engine currently offered on this vehicle in Europe. VM Motori is owned in part by Detroit Diesel, a DaimlerChrysler company. VM has been supplying the Chrysler Group diesel engines since 1992 for minivans and Jeep products sold in Europe.
The 2.8-liter CRD engine delivers 160 hp (120 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque at 1,800 rpm, with 22 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, for a combined EPA rating of 23 mpg.
Tax Credits for Toyota Hybrid’s Begin to Phase Out…
One of the ways the US Government has helped motivate consumers to buy more fuel efficient vehicles is through generous tax incentives on the Hybrids. These include various models from Ford, General Motors, Honda and Toyota.
But as the manufacturer sells more of any particular model, those incentives begin to “phase out” in two steps, each one reducing the tax credit for that particular model by half.
Toyota appears to be the first manufacturer reaching those sales numbers, and on October 1st, 2006 the tax credits for the 5 Toyota-made models will be cut in half. If you want a Toyota Hybrid, you have until the end of September to get the full tax credit for your purchase! ($3150 on the Prius)
(From “FuelEconomy.gov”)
Qualifying hybrids purchased or placed into service after December 31, 2005 may be eligible for a federal income tax credit of up to $3,400.
Credit amounts will begin to phase out for a given manufacturer once it has sold over 60,000 eligible vehicles.
…
When does this incentive end?
The credit will begin to phase out for vehicles offered by a given manufacturer after it sells a total of 60,000 eligible hybrid and lean-burn vehicles starting from January 1, 2006. RS will announce when a manufacturer has exceeded this sales figure.
Beginning with the second calendar quarter after the calendar quarter in which the manufacturer sells 60,000 vehicles, the credit will be 50% of the full credit amount. This part of the phase-out will last for two calendar quarters (6 months).
For the next two calendar quarters, the credit will be 25% of the full credit amount. The incentives for vehicles by that manufacturer will end thereafter.
In addition to the phase out rules, any vehicle purchased after December 31, 2010 will not be eligible for the credit.
Oil Prices Continue to Fall – Below $66 USD per barrel.
Just in time for the home heating season, the world oil market continues to slide back down to pre-summer numbers.
Oil prices extend losses, Brent drops below 66 dollars
LONDON (AFP) – World oil prices have fallen to a five-month low point below 66.0 dollars a barrel in London on diminishing prospects of supply disruptions.
Crude futures, already weakened in recent days by expectations that Iran would not face economic sanctions over its nuclear programme any time soon, have been weighed down further by strong rises in US energy stockpiles.
Prices were being pressured also Friday by fading fears over this year’s Atlantic hurricane season and by BP’s announcement it might restore production sooner than expect at the biggest oil field in the United States.
Fuelishness!
“Gas-Saving” Products: Fact or Fuelishness?
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/gasave.htm
Gas prices are up, and so is the volume of advertising for “gas-saving” products. When gasoline prices rise, consumers often look for ways to improve fuel efficiency. Although there are practical steps you can take to increase gas mileage, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns you to be wary of any gas-saving claims for automotive devices or oil and gas additives. Even for the few gas-saving products that have been found to work, the savings have been small.
“Gas-Saving” Advertising Claims
Be skeptical of the following kinds of advertising claims.
- “This gas-saving product improves fuel economy by 20 percent.”
Claims usually tout savings ranging from 12 to 25 percent. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated or tested more than 100 alleged gas-saving devices and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage. In fact, some “gas-saving” products may damage a car’s engine or cause substantial increases in exhaust emissions.ÂThe gas-saving products on the market fall into clearly defined categories. Although the EPA has not tested or evaluated every product, it has tried to examine at least one product in each category. See “Devices Tested by EPA” at the end of this brochure for category descriptions and product names.
- “After installing your product on my car, I got an extra 4 miles [6.4 kilometers] per gallon [3.8 liters].”
Many ads feature glowing testimonials by satisfied customers. Yet, few consumers have the ability or the equipment to test for precise changes in gas mileage after installing a gas-saving product. Many variables affect fuel consumption, including traffic, road and weather conditions, and the car’s condition.ÂFor example, one consumer sent a letter to a company praising its “gas-saving” product. At the time the product was installed, however, the consumer also had received a complete engine tune-up – a fact not mentioned in the letter. The entire increase in gas mileage attributed to the “gas-saving” product may well have been the result of the tune-up alone. But from the ad, other consumers could not have known that.
- “This gas-saving device is approved by the Federal government.”
No government agency endorses gas-saving products for cars. The most that can be claimed in advertising is that the EPA has reached certain conclusions about possible gas savings by testing the product or by evaluating the manufacturer’s own test data. If the seller claims that its product has been evaluated by the EPA, ask for a copy of the EPA report, or check www.epa.gov for information. In some instances, false claims of EPA testing or approval have been made.
Dear Reader
Welcome to my weblog Fuelishness!Our modern lives are saturated in fuels, yet many people are not aware of the impact fuels have on their personal lives, the impact of fuel production and consumption on our environment, or the power exercised by foreign suppliers using fuel supply and price as leverage to influence governments. Yet there are few subject as closely studied and widely reported as fuel.
There is a vast resource of fuel related information available online, from news outlets, official government resources, industry and trade organizations, and grass-roots technical, special interest, or environmentalist sources. There are also vast amounts of money and influence wrapped around fuels and their realted industries, and among those crowds they really aren’t that interested in educating us about their profits.
With this blog, Fuelishness!, my goal is to wade through the sometimes confusing (and boring!) mire of information and bring to you the gems I find, the meat of the subject, and the most interesting and promising ideas for our future.
I am not a professional writer, I’m not even a particularly good writer, but I will do my very best to illustrate to you the important “take-away†ideas that may help you understand your use of fuels more completely – and provide you links to the sources if you want to read more.
It is my hope, that through your understanding of fuels, that you will then have all of the information and resources you will need to decide how YOU wish to live in a fuel saturated lifestyle. Regardless what you decide to do in your life with what you learn here, you will have the information you need to know to make accurate decisions.
This weblog is the companion to FuelClinic.com – a website I am creating to help consumers understand their own personal use of fuels, starting with their vehicles.
These are tools I had built for myself, inspired by paper fuel-economy logs, to help me track and find trends in my own fuel consumption. When I plugged in the numbers for myself, I have to say, I was surprised by what I learned. I did not realize how much of each paycheck went to fuel my lifestyle (which by all accounts, is not a very fancy lifestyle).
If you have not yet created an account at FuelClinic.com, I recommend you do so. It’s free, easy, and eye-opening.
Okay – great – well, that’s mostly it for now! I’m glad to have you here, and I hope you enjoy your visit, and that you come back again to check in as often as you wish. Keep me bookmarked…
Very Respectfully,
Doc Miles
PS: Comments and suggestions are always appreciated.
Join The FuelClinic Community
Fleet Eco-Driving Training
Spread the Fuelishness!
Watch Fuelishness!
Subscribe to Fuelishness!
|
|
| Even if you don't visit Fuelishness! every day, get the latest via RSS or Email. |
Search Fuelishness!
