mpg

Gallons Per Mile, Not Miles Per Gallon

khallgeisler — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I was at an event with my fellow automotive journalists last week, two of whom were down from Vancouver, BC. Conversation turned to fuel economy, as it always does these days, whether you write about cars for a living or not.

The Canadians talked about their cars getting "litres per 100," which took me a minute to figure out. Like most countries that use the metric system, Canadian fuel efficiency is measured in the number of liters it takes them to travel 100 kilometers. This is exactly backward from the U.S. convention of measuring the number of miles our cars can travel on one gallon of gas.

It turns out the Canadian system gives a better measure of efficiency, according to researchers at Duke University. The team made this one-question quiz to demonstrate how our intuition fakes us out when talking about miles per gallon, as opposed to gallons per mile.

The article explains the math, which isn't all that complicated, but there's also a handy table so that we can see at a glance how the conversion helps consumers understand their vehicles' fuel usage. A car that gets 20 mpg, to use a pretty common rating for an example, uses 5 gallons per 100 miles driven. A car that gets 30 mpg uses only 3.3 gallons per 100 miles -- a savings of almost 2 gallons per mile, or about $8.50 these days.

But say you're already a Ford Fusion four-cylinder fan getting 30 mpg, or 3.3 gal/100, and you want to upgrade to a Toyota Prius. The hybrid would get about 45 mpg, or 2.2 gal/100, which only saves you 1 gallon of gas, or about $4.30. That slim difference might be enough to get you to keep the Focus, while the mid-sized sedan owner in the last example would do well to get a more efficient vehicle.

All of this is a great way to save money on gas, but let's not lose sight of the fact that every gallon of gasoline we don't use in our cars is one less reason to start drilling for oil willy-nilly. For once, saving money is about saving the planet.

By the way, our Canadian friends are paying CAN$1.40 a liter these days, or US$5 a gallon.

Photo by caribb.

My Smart Test Drive

khallgeisler — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Though they've only been available in the U.S. since January 2008, Smart cars are stirring up a lot of interest for a car so small. Once gas hit $4 a gallon, a seemingly magic number for American drivers, more people started showing up at Smart dealerships to see if the candy-colored egg of a car would suit them. I made the trek and tested the car recently to give you an idea of what to expect.

The car comes in three levels of trim: the Pure, which is so bare-bones it doesn't even have a radio; the Passion, which is the most popular version; and the Cabriolet, a convertible. They all have Smart's Tridion safety cell, the steel roll cage that protects the occupants in case of a crash, and they're all built in France and shipped to their final destinations.

Let's look at the car's pros and cons:

Pros

Affordability. The Smart starts at $11,590. The Cabriolet fitted with every bell and whistle, from metallic paint to heated seats, is still only about $18,000.

Fuel economy. The EPA rates the Smart at 35 city/41 highway.

Safety. Thanks to the Tridion structure, the Smart earned 5-star front and side crash-test ratings.

Roominess. You may be surprised to learn that the Smart was designed with a six-foot, eight-inch driver in mind. The interior is almost entirely devoted to passenger space.

Easy to Drive. There's nothing to learn; just hop in, turn the key (which is in the center console, like a Saab), throw it in drive, and go. If you want more control, use the paddle shifters or the electric stickshift at any time -- no clutch to worry about.

Easy to maintain. The engine is perched in the back under a panel. Oil, air filter, and the like are easy to access, and the motor flips down on hinges for more serious repairs.

Eco from the Get-Go. Plastic panels are recyclable and in some cases made of recycled materials, the factory aims for carbon neutrality, and all vendors are asked to supply parts in returnable containers.

New friends. People give more thumbs-up and waves to this car than any I've driven.

Cons

The Wait. Plunk down your $99 fully refundable reservation today, and you may wait a year before you take delivery of the car. Can't wait? Maybe you can win one.

Transmission. There's a lag when the gears shift, especially between first and second. It's really noticeable, but they tell me you get used to it.

Power. No one expects Lotus-like acceleration from this car, but be warned that it does 0-60 in 12.9 seconds. A Prius manages 0-60 in 10.9 seconds; a Tesla does it in less than 4. No sprinting into traffic here.

Capacity. The 71-hp engine can only carry so much -- about 600 pounds. A driver and passenger likely take up 350-400 of those pounds, and the heavier the load, the worse the mileage.

No Spare Tire. But the car does have tire-pressure monitoring standard, and it comes with an air compressor that can be plugged into the dash and tire sealant for emergencies.

Photo by Doug Geisler.

How to Find the Cheapest, Greenest Travel Options

khallgeisler — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The sun is out, and beach trips beckon. But guilt at raiding the college fund for gas money or spewing toxins into the air just because we want to feel sand between our toes is keeping us housebound. There is a way to get away this summer, if you do a little research.

DrivePricing.com is a new Google Maps mash-up that calculates the cost to fuel your summer road trip. Just enter your zip code, miles per gallon, starting and ending points, and gasoline grade to get an estimate. (If you don't know your car's mpg, there's a link to trusty FuelEconomy.gov on the site).

This info makes for great travel comparison shopping if you're not locked in to driving this summer. Let's take a real-life example: My brother wants me to visit him in Montana this summer (I know -- no beaches), and I'm trying to find the cheapest way to get there.

Drive Pricing calculated the cost of driving my little red pickup truck from Portland, Ore., to Great Falls, Mont., at $281.93. Whoa, Nelly!

Amtrak can get me close enough to Great Falls for $227 on an overnight train. A little better, but train schedules are unreliable.

Kayak, my favorite flight finder, tells me that I can fly directly into Great Falls for $434. Not cheap, especially if my husband wants to join me on this trip.

The greenest option is the train trip, especially if I end up taking this trip by myself. The Nature Conservancy spells it out and does the math, but the bottom line is that the train has the lowest per-passenger emissions of any form of long-distance transportation. (I know, EVers, that your plug-in cars have zero emissions, but for now they have to stop every 40 miles to recharge.)

Hear that, Ryan? You may have to pick me up at the train station after all.

VW Enters Hybrid Race

khallgeisler — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Volkswagen will have three hybrids, one of which will plug in, and an all-electric car in dealerships in 2010. The Touareg SUV and popular Rabbit hatchback will be available as hybrids, while the Jetta will be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.The electric car will be a limited edition of the new up! concept.

No word yet on how many of these four cars will actually hit the market in 2010. German-language car magazine Auto Motor und Sport reported that VW CEO Martin Winterkorn just recently announced the plan to build the green Vee-Dubs. The PHEV Jetta will -- theoretically -- be in good company, as GM is working furiously on the Volt and Toyota will offer a plug-in Prius.

If you were saving up for the VW Golf TDI Diesel Hybrid, rename that account "Rabbit 2010." Volkswagen announced, then pulled the plug on, the Golf project earlier this year. It seems that the Touareg, Rabbit, and Jetta will all have gasoline-electric hybrid systems.

Photo by Deep Frozen Shutterbug.

3rd-Gen Prius Expected to Get 90+ MPG

khallgeisler — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Mark your calendars: the next-generation Toyota Prius is expected to debut next January at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Internet rumor mill has it that the car could debut in U.S. showrooms as early as April 2009 -- a mere three months after its official unveiling in Detroit. Toyota could even up the Prius's fuel economy to more than 90 mpg.

The engine is slated to grow from 1.5 liters to 1.8 liters, which means an extra 25 horsepower -- a noticeable increase. That might be enough to allow the size of the Prius to grow a bit and accomodate even a long-legged driver.

The increase in power doesn't sap the car's efficiency, though; rather, it should increase the mileage, too. U.S. News said recently the Prius 3G could get 94 mpg, while AutoBlogGreen reported a more reasonable -- and realistic -- 50-55 mpg. The EPA rates the 2008 Prius at 48 city, 45 highway.

If you can wait another year or two, Toyota has confirmed that plug-in Prius hybrids with cutting-edge lithium-ion batteries will be available to consumers in the U.S. in 2011. If you can't wait, hacking your Prius is the only way to go today, thanks to companies like Hymotion and Hybrids Plus.

Save Gas: Auto Buying the Smart Way

khallgeisler — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. Enivironmental Protection Agency has a certification program, called SmartWay, that it set up to help buyers find cars with better fuel efficiency and lower tailpipe emissions. Though the ratings have been around for a couple of years, the designation has been slow to catch on with consumers. With gas as expensive as it is, though, it's smart to learn about SmartWay.

There are two levels of certification:

SmartWay: cars with a score of at least 6 out of 10 on air pollution and greenhouse gas tests, or a combined score of 13 or above in those two categories. Many of these cars are LEV II (Low-Emissions Vehicles) or ULEV (Ultra-Low-Emissions Vehicles) that get at least 20 mpg combined city and highway.
SmartWay Elite: cars that score 9 or above on the air pollution and greenhouse gas tests. These cars are either PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles) or ZEV (you got it -- Zero Emissions Vehicles) that get a minimum of 31 mpg combined.

SmartWay vehicles number in the dozens and range from the Acura TL to the Volvo V50. There are fewer SmartWay Elite vehicles available nationally (California has a few more), and they're almost all hybrids. (The two that aren't hybrids are Honda Civics that run on compressed natural gas.)

What does that mean for you, the well-meaning and broke consumer? It means that if you're in the market for a different car -- new or used -- your first stop should be to the EPA's Green Vehicle Guide site. Any car built in the 21st century is rated and ready for you to browse. You can even check out your current car and compare its scores to that potential purchase.

Photo by undergroundbastard.

Three More Ways to Save Money on Gas

khallgeisler — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Anyone with an Internet connection, a newspaper subscription, or an addiction to cable news knows the basics of gas saving by now: drive the speed limit, check your tires, no jackrabbit starts. Here are three more advanced tips to get the most out of that pricey gallon of gas.

Keep the engine warm. A recent Smart Money article pointed out that cars use more gas to start up when the engine is cold, like if it's been sitting for two hours or more. Try trip-chaining, where you run all your errands at once and don't leave the car off for more than a few minutes. The Smart Money people say you could save over $100 this summer by using this tip alone.

Drive right, the UPS way. UPS drivers have long planned routes that require more right turns than left turns. This makes sense to anyone sitting in a left-hand turn lane, idling, waiting for that @(#$ light to change ... come on ... come on ... while right-turning cars stream by your passenger window.

Make sure your next set of tires is fuel-effiecient. The greenest option is always to work with what you've got until it needs to be replaced, but if you're in the market for new tires, make sure they're going to up your mpg, not drop it. Those big, styley, low-profile tires can sap as much as 10% of your fuel efficiency. Shop around, ask questions, and find tires that have low rolling resistance for the best mileage.

Honda's New Hybrid To Do Battle with Prius

khallgeisler — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Gas prices have risen so high -- thanks to oil prices being over $130 a barrell -- that Honda decided to rethink its hybrid program, which to date has exactly one model: the Civic. Why bother to put a hybrid in a small, inexpensive car that already gets 34 mpg on the highway? Because people will buy it, that's why.

After last month's sales numbers, car makers seem to have gotten the message. Buyers want smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. And if there's a hybrid on board, all the better. Honda heard the message loud and clear, then rolled out its plans to have a four-car hybrid lineup by 2015: the Civic; the Fit; the sporty CRZ; and, as early as next year, a hybrid-only model Honda hopes will knock the Prius from its high and mighty (and million-selling) perch.

The unnamed hybrid will debut in 2009 to do head-to-head battle with the Prius. Like Toyota's best-selling hybrid, this car would be a five-door sedan available only with a hybrid powerplant, but Honda head honcho Takeo Fukui wouldn't say how much it would cost. No name, no price ... sounds vague, though it will likely be based, looks-wise, on the company's Clarity hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicle.

Chrysler Comes Late to the Hybrid Party

khallgeisler — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Chrysler Co. announced that its 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango Hemis will be available as hybrids, the first fuel-saving vehicles the manufacturer has offered. The "two-mode" hybrid technology Chrysler uses should, they say, get 25% better mileage than the standard Aspen and Durango.

The EPA estimates that the 2008 Aspen gets 13/17, so a 25% increase over that would be 16/21. The Durango's fuel economy would go from 14/19 for the two-wheel-drive version to 17/24 in the hybrid. Both SUVs will keep their eight-cylinder V8 Hemi engines, so they should have the same towing capacity for slightly better gas mileage.

Chrysler execs say they'll have a hybrid Dodge Ram pickup in showrooms by 2010, and the new Chrysler Journey, another SUV, could get a hybrid version, too.

By way of comparison, the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, a model that's been around the block a few times, gets 34 miles to the gallon in the city and 38 on the highway. Toyota's 2008 Highlander hybrid is slightly less effiecient at 27 city, 25 highway, but those numbers still rank higher than anything Chrysler's got.

It looks like Ford and Toyota showed up early to the hybrid party and brought beer, while Chrysler came late with an open bag of Cheetos.

Analysts Predict $12-$15 a Gallon Gas Prices

khallgeisler — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The sky is falling, but not gas prices. As a matter of fact, things are only going to get worse. Much worse. Worse than the $4 a gallon national average we're likely to see in the next few weeks. Worse than the $8.55 they're paying the U.K. per gallon this weekend (that's $2.26 per litre). At least one analyst is predicting $12-$15 a gallon gas in the next decade.

Robert Hirsch, a "senior energy advisor," gave this dire warning on CNBC last week. He based his prediction on an interview given by Charles T. Maxwell in February. Maxwell, who is apparently known as "The Dean of Oil Analysts," said the crisis will start sometime between 2010 and 2015 and will last for at least ten years.

No less an authority (if by "authority" you mean "TV personality") than Jim Cramer said on NBC's "Today" show that Hirsch is an alarmist. Cramer predicts that oil will hit $150 a barrell by the end of the summer, which will translate to $5 a gallon.

Cramer says double-digit gas prices aren't going to happen, since demand will drop off at $6 or $7 a gallon. Demand seems to be dropping already, with public transportation ridership up, scooter sales up, and SUVs and full-sized trucks dropping out of the market. From the planet's point of view, maybe that's not so doomy or gloomy after all.