As we watch the Gulf oil spill eco-disaster unfold, we are reminded that one of the best ways for us to work towards reduction of our oil use is already taking root: stronger fuel efficiency standards. The Obama Administration says the rules to increase passenger vehicles fuel economy to 35.5 MPG "will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of cars and trucks sold between the 2012-16 model years with those vehicles' improved efficiency." Others put it this way: the new rules will cut oil consumption by 1.3 million barrels a day. Additional ways to add to the impact of the new fuel rules abound, including use of wind energy to power new electric vehicles. If you're wondering how automakers will meet the newly published fuel economy and greenhouse gas requirements, look no further. Car and Driver waded through 1500 pages of the new regulations and walks us through how they will work, the ways the regulations take into account feedback from automakers themselves and some of how automakers will meet them ... Mercedes-Benz will introduce a new V6 engine that gets almost 31 MPG and a new V8 that gets 24.7 MPG, improvements of 24 percent and 22 percent respectively from earlier versions. A main factor in the improvement is direct injection but another piece of the puzzle we have discussed before is the addition of start-stop technology. And power-hungry driver can also note that the engines will have increased horsepower as well. The official MPG numbers may not show the full benefit of the new technology due to current EPA testing, which don't currently take into account start-stop benefits, as we have discussed. The new engines should make it to U.S. shores in a few months to compete with the new engine lineups from Ford, Mazda and Audi, among others ... You're probably aware that keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your MPG but have your tires ever told you that themselves? Most tires on new cars nowadays have a systems to tell the computer when they are underinflated but an Irish company is beefing up the system. From Autobloggreen: "Shrader's 'talking tire' monitoring system will not only keep drivers apprised of their tire pressure, it will also provide feedback on the condition of the tire's tread as well as real-time information on road conditions, especially traction." republished with permission of 40mpg.org
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