While scanning the news for important green automotive information, we ran across a note from Allstate Insurance which mentions that the average motorcycle rider reports fuel consumption of just over fifty-six miles per gallon. For comparisons sake, automobile drivers report an average of 22.4 miles per gallon. It's impossible to know for sure how many new riders have specifically chosen to ride a motorcycle or scooter for the sake of fuel savings. What's not debatable, though, is the rapid rise in motorcycle registrations in the last decade. As Allstate points out, ten years ago, there were roughly four million cycles registered in the United States. This year, there are over six million bikes registered. Granted, not every trip that's possible with a car is possible with a motorcycle, but when a bike is a viable option, we're pretty sure that the owners of said two-wheelers are enjoying the less frequent fill-ups that their rides require.

Car buyers can be a fickle group. Put another way: we hate pumping gas, but we love chugging coffee while we drive more. General Motors reports that consumers say good fuel mileage is the third-most-important consideration, right there behind styling and value, for customers looking to purchase one of their vehicles.

That may be true, but are their customers willing to pay for high mpgs? All things being equal (which is rarely the case), the answer is usually no, if Mike J. Jackson from AutoNation is to be believed. He says that the only way to force consumers to choose fuel efficient vehicles is to price gasoline higher, which we agree would probably do the trick. Since that's not likely to happen, the government is forcing the automakers to build the types of cars that consumers may not want. According to Jackson, that could be a boon to the used car market at the expense of the newer more fuel efficient cars.

Related:

• Fuel economy slips in car-shopper priorities

[Source: Forbes via Wired Autopia]

Today, we will be listing the top ten easiest to implement green technologies that already exist today. Now, this is a rough list, every car is different and not all of these technologies are applicable to each one. But, let's take a look at each one and see what gains there could be from them, starting with the easiest one, LED bulbs.

LED stands for light emitting diode, and they are already common in all types of devices. One very desirable trait that they posses is that they last a very long time. They also can be quite bright. Additionally, the bulbs draw very little electricity, which paves the way for some of our other gas-saving technologies later on the list.

Next on the list are smaller wheels. With DUBS being ultra-hip these days, I'm not going to go crazy and say we should all go back to fourteen inch wheels. But, style is getting in the way of substance when our wheels get much larger than seventeen or eighteen inches. Also, consider going narrower! Wide tires convince some that the car must be faster. In reality, most of the time they are just using more gas.

Keep reading after the jump for the rest of our commentary.

Responding to criticism from Barack Obama that "three giants of American industry (Detroit automakers) are hemorrhaging jobs and profits as foreign competitors answer the rising global demand for fuel-efficient cars", Bill Ford suggested that Obama trade in his Chrysler 300C for a Ford 500. He also invited Obama to visit the Ford plant in Chicago where the 500 is built to see what it takes to build an automobile. Automakers, including Ford, have been saying that politicians who have little understanding of the research, development and engineering that goes into making modern automobiles should not be making laws regulating their emissions. They believe that there are better ways of reducing harmful greenhouse gases that escape the tailpipes of our cars, and that other industries should be included in the process of reducing emissions as well. Click here to read more of Bill Ford thoughts and we'll have more on his recent comments in a bit.

[Source: Detroit News]

Do you remember when we ran an article about the Shell Eco-marathon? Does the sound of 6,792 miles per gallon jog your memory? Think that's high? That can't hold a candle to the all-time record of 10,705 miles per gallon set in 2003! That kind of mileage is impressive, even if the vehicles used to record such astounding numbers are very small and can seat only one person. Not surprisingly, as you can see from some of our pictures, women are often the drivers, as they often weigh less that us guys, and every little bit helps. Here is a link to our gallery from last year, and here is a link to a sneak peek at some of the newest entrants for this years competition. We'll be sure to keep you updated as the results.

[Source: Shell and The Eureka Reporter]

If you have been on the internets (see, I have... w00t! I M L33t :-) for any length of time, you know that pretty much anything you could ever want to know (or not know) is probably already there. Forums were developed for people with a common interest to get together with people that they don't know, and could be half across the world from, and talk about anything. For instance, say you would like to know what sort of mileage somebody gets with a particular car, fuel source, or driving technique. Maybe you want to brag about how good you mileage is, or isn't. Maybe you want to share some technique to help others out. Check the forum. Chances are, somebody out there can help you in some way or another.

This particular forum is pretty new, so there is not much there yet. But, that is the perfect chance to become a big helper in getting it off the ground. Then you can be one of those snobby Internet forumers who have been on a forum since, like, forever and have a bajillion posts under their name and love to let others know it. Oh, nevermind. Just check it out!

[Source: Daily Fuel Economy Tip forum via Hugg]

Thanks for visiting AutoblogGreen on our opening day, which happens to be the 36th anniversary of the very first Earth Day. Twenty million Americans came together on this day back in 1970 to celebrate the possibility of a healthier planet, and while we, the citizens of Earth, still have a long way to go, we've traveled a great distance in 36 years.

The automotive industry and car culture in general has arguably played one of the largest parts in this planet's environmental decline. Whether you're a conflicted auto enthusiast or someone who begrudgingly accepts the automobile's role in your eco-friendly life, you'll find AutoblogGreen offers you an up-to-the-minute account of the auto industry's efforts to clean up its act.

Hybrids, diesels and vehicles running on ethanol, compressed natural gas and vegetable oil are all on our radar, as well as the promise of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles emitting nothing but that elixer of life - water. What's more, we'll cover the green car culture that has blossomed around the world's ever growing fleet of green vehicles.

So sit down, buckle up and get ready to accelerate gently and maximize your mileage with AutoblogGreen.