fuel efficiency news stories on Newser

Hybrid Cars Don't Pay: Study

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:47:00 CDT

Thinking of buying a hybrid or electric vehicle to ease the pain at the pump? You may want to think again: A TrueCar.com study commissioned by the New York Times shows that, except in three cases, fuel-efficient technology is so expensive that these types of cars take years to...

New US Fuel Standards: 54.5 MPG by 2025

Matt Cantor — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:12:24 CDT

Announcing new fuel-efficiency standards, President Obama hailed his administration’s deal with automakers as “the single most important step we’ve ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” With mileage standards almost doubling, Americans will save some $8,000 per vehicle on fuel, the president said. The...

Obama Pushing to Double Fuel Efficiency Standards

Kevin Spak — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 09:50:05 CDT

The Obama administration is trying to convince automakers to accept a significant hike in fuel efficiency standards that would put US vehicles on par with those sold in Europe, Japan and China. The administration would like to raise the standard to 56.2 miles per gallon, or roughly double the...

Bananas the Key to More Fuel-Efficient Cars?

Kate Schwartz — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:31:05 CDT

It may sound a little bananas, but it turns out that, well, bananas could help create more fuel-efficient cars. Brazilian scientists have come up with a way of using fibers from that fruit, as well as pineapples and coconuts, to make a lighter, stronger plastic. In fact, it's 30% lighter,...

Lost Men Waste $3K on Gas, Won't Ask for Directions

Nick McMaster — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:15:37 CDT

The price of stubborn pride: Men waste $3,000 in gas over their lifetimes because they won't ask for directions when lost, a study says. British researchers determined that men drive an average of 276 unnecessary miles per year trying to figure out their destination. A quarter of men said...

New Ford Explorer More Like a ... Taurus?

Kevin Spak — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:59:34 CDT

The Ford Explorer, the poster child of the ‘90s gas-guzzling SUV boom, has changed its ways. Ford unveiled a very different 2011 Explorer today, one based not on a truck frame, but the humble Taurus platform, the Detroit Free Press reports. Instead of sheer brawn, the new Explorer sports a...

Very Light, Gas-Powered Car Gets 100mpg

Kevin Spak — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:22:14 CDT

The X-Prize competition for fuel-efficient cars is, as you might expect, dominated by hybrids and electric cars. So the Edison2 Very Light Car stands out. It’s a four-door sedan—the last such car remaining in the competition—and it runs on good old-fashioned gasoline, NPR reports. Developed by a retired...

Obama Boosts Fuel Efficiency Standards

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:35:23 CDT

The Obama administration is setting tough gas mileage standards for new cars and trucks, spurring the next generation of fuel-sipping gas-electric hybrids, efficient engines, and electric cars. The heads of the Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency will today sign final rules requiring 2016 model-year vehicles to meet fuel...

Gov't Will Slash Greenhouse Emissions: Obama

Nick McMaster — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:40:00 CST

Federal agencies have until 2020 to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 28% under an executive order President Obama signed today. The order also calls for improvements in energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction. "As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American...