Archive for July 14th, 2008

Filed under: Hybrid, Cadillac
Click the Escalade hybrid for a high-res gallery
This fall, GM is adding its 2-Mode hybrid drivetrain to the Cadillac Escalade in an attempt to actually make some money off the system. Those of you who thought the existing Tahoe and Yukon hybrids were too rich for the average Joe, with prices starting… »

Filed under: Diesel, Volkswagen, USA

Volkswagen dealerships are reporting strong demand for the brand-new 2009 Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen TDI. Some dealers have even sold out before their first TDI even showed up on the lot, despite the fact that customers won’t actually be getting their cars for at least another month or so. The two-thousand… »

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, MPG, Ford

Over the next decade, Ford will be putting the focus (no pun intended) on fuel efficiency for all of its powertrains as fuel prices continue to climb. The EcoBoost engines that debut next spring with a 3.5L V6 are expected to become the workhorses of the fleet, but virtually all… »

Filed under: Legislation and Policy, European Union

Friends of the Earth, Ecologistas en Acción, Greenpeace, Jóvenes Verdes and WWF/Adena have launched an online campaign demanding a drastic reduction of CO2 emission limits in Europe. The EU is set to establish limits next fall and these associations are lobbying in for stricter ones. According to figures managed… »

Filed under: Ethanol, GM
The National Governors Association is teaming up with General Motors to promote the expansion of E85 distribution around the country. While no one seriously expects the corn-based ethanol that we have today to be anything more than a very small piece of the fuel puzzle, GM is firmly committed to next-generation biofuels…. »

Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Kia

Kia has released the specifications for the new Forte, the Korean marque’s new compact sedan. While the car is slightly larger the current Spectra (wider by 65 mm and 25 mm longer), the announced specs manage to reduce fuel consumption.
In its home market in South Korea, the Forte will have… »

Filed under: Etc., MPG, USA
Low rolling resistance tires aren’t just for hybrids anymore. In search of every improvement to fuel consumption figures they can find, FoMoCo is shoeing its entire 2009 compact SUV line up in eco-rubber. They expect the 16-inch Michelin Latitude Tour tires, like the one pictured to our right, to net an… »

Formula DRIFT and Red Bull are poised to move the sport of drifting from a mostly national sport to an international competition with the announcement of the Red Bull Drifting World Championship, to be held at the Port of Long Beach on November 15, 2008. The competition is set to bring 32 professional drifters from… »

Grocery stores are designed to make you pass through as many aisles of stuff you’d only buy on an impulse to get to things you need, like milk or Makers Mark. All the best rides at Disney World are behind six or seven miles of stores selling crap merchandise and overpriced eateries. Our world is… »

Grocery stores are designed to make you pass through as many aisles of stuff you’d only buy on an impulse to get to things you need, like milk or Makers Mark. All the best rides at Disney World are behind six or seven miles of stores selling crap merchandise and overpriced eateries. Our world is… »