Recent Comments:
Lower speed limit movement spreading as John Warner jumps aboard {Autoblog Green}
Jul 8th 2008 12:22PM My car only gets 10% better fuel economy when I average 60 mph instead of 70 mph, (33 mpg instead of 30 mpg). Ironically, I figured that on long trips (> 200 miles or so), my time is worth much more money than the amount I would spend on gas. Environmental benefits aside, do most people really want to use up an extra half an hour to save 2 bucks? I'm sure the situation is different with gas guzzlers and if many people slow down, the benefits add up, but I would rather drive a relatively efficient vehicle faster than a guzzler slower.
Hey, there's an idea... How about we impose speed limits depending on the vehicle you drive and how much fuel it consumes at various speeds?
That would be great to be passing SUV's, but then I couldn't draft them :-)
UH2L
BMW chimes in on proposed U.S. CAFE standards {Autoblog Green}
Jul 2nd 2008 1:55AM I bet the new standards based on wheelbase and track hurt BMW the most because their vehicles aren't that big in size for the weight that they carry. For instance, the new BMW 1 Series weighs 3,300 lbs, and the X6 weighs 5,000 lbs!
It's about time people start looking at the European car makers for being inefficient (in N. America), and stop criticizing the Detroit automakers who actually have a decent assortment of efficient vehicles, (unlike what the press wants you to believe).
UH2L
http://www.thingsivenoticed.com
Notice anything different around here? Welcome to the new AutoblogGreen {Autoblog Green}
Jul 2nd 2008 12:18AM Looks much better and cleaner.
Good job,
UH2L
VIDEO: The opposite of hypermiling - BMW M3 vs Toyota Prius {Autoblog Green}
Jul 1st 2008 1:38AM He should have compared the Prius to a Corvette. That thing gets amazing highway fuel economy for a fast sports car, rated at 26 mpg on the highway (versus 20 mpg for the M3). The GM OHV V8 is designed efficiently to just loaf along at highway speeds and the car is very aerodynamic. If the Vette could be fitted with narrower, lower rolling resistance tires, that could be an efficient (fast) highway commuter car.
First Drive: 2009 Chevrolet Traverse {Autoblog}
Jun 30th 2008 2:51PM If you want to talk senseless, how about the 5,000 lb BMW X6 which holds only 4 people and has hardly any cargo room. It's not a useful SUV and it just pretends to be a car by tuning it to handle that way.
Using invasive species like kudzu as biofuel feedstocks {Autoblog Green}
Jun 30th 2008 11:42AM I suppose tearing up hillsides to get at the roots is no worse than mining deeply for oil sands. And then the kudzu could be replaced with non-invasive plants.
I do like the idea of increasing harvest by building upward.
Veteran journalist John McElroy calls for EV1 revival; too bad it's not that simple {Autoblog Green}
Jun 28th 2008 10:01PM mguy:
Are you blind? The Saturn SKY, Cadillac CTS, Saturn Astra, Chevy Malibu, Pontiac G8, and GMC Acadia are all beautiful vehicles as judged by people in the industry or anybody with some sense of aesthetics.
Hideous would be the new Camry, Maxima, Pilot, etc...
UH2L
2009 Chevy Traverse priced from $28,990 {Autoblog}
Jun 27th 2008 2:29PM I usually don't believe in badge engineering taken too far, but adding this is necessary for Chevy since they need a vehicle to move former Tahoe buyers into. Saturn needed the Outlook to get people into thinking that Saturn is moving upscale with Opel-based products. GMC needs any kind of truck/SUV GM makes, but I don't see the point of GMC, especially with gas prices as high as they are. Buick needs the Enclave because they only have two other vehicles in their portfolio. Remember that lots of people only buy Chevys or Buicks and don't compare the similarities amongst different models from the same corporation.
2009 Chevy Traverse priced from $28,990 {Autoblog}
Jun 27th 2008 2:29PM I usually don't believe in badge engineering taken too far, but adding this is necessary for Chevy since they need a vehicle to move former Tahoe buyers into. Saturn needed the Outlook to get people into thinking that Saturn is moving upscale with Opel-based products. GMC needs any kind of truck/SUV GM makes, but I don't see the point of GMC, especially with gas prices as high as they are. Buick needs the Enclave because they only have two other vehicles in their portfolio. Remember that lots of people only buy Chevys or Buicks and don't compare the similarities amongst different models from the same corporation.
Wagoner to Obama: Automakers need research money from feds {Autoblog}
Jun 26th 2008 5:06PM MK...
And our government providing tax breaks to oil companies and rescuing banks is not an abomination?
You don't understand how important it is to have a manufacturing base in the USA do you? The government needs to make sure that it stays afloat, especially when other governments take care of health care and pension for their companies which puts the U.S. companies at a global disadvantage.
If we ever go into a (real) war and we have no manufacturing base, who will make tanks, ground vehicles, and other military equipment? Are we going to wait for shipments from China?
Our current Republican administration has done little if anything to help any business development. Much of the money has gone towards a senseless war and tax breaks for their rich buddies.
