The Environment

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An electric road map

December 22, 2010: Will there be an electric car in your future? Electric Mobility Canada predicts there will be 500,000 electric vehicles on our roads by the year 2018. To put that in perspective, that’s about the same number of motorcycles now in Canada. Read Article

50 = 37?

December 1, 2010: Hyundai has pledged to meet the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) rating of 50 mpg U.S. by 2025, but due to different testing methods used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CAFÉs 50 mpg only equals 37 mpg at the EPA. Read Article

CAFE and you

October 27, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr Many Canadians may think of a café as a place to get a bowl of soup and a sandwich, but in the auto industry, CAFE is the acronym for Corporate Average Fuel Economy, a standard set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States. Manufacturers who don’t meet the average fuel e... Read Article

Chevy’s Volt

October 20, 2010: Technical Editor, Jim Kerr, explains the technology behind the Chevrolet Volt extended range electric car and how it differs from other electric cars. Read Article

Honda’s CR-Z Hybrid

October 6, 2010: Up until now, hybrids have been mostly about fuel economy; now, Honda targets performance with its CR-Z hybrid. Jim Kerr explains how this new model keeps performance enthusiasts happy even as it reduces their trips to the gas station. Read Article

What will the future hold?

July 28, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr What will our driving future be like? Undoubtedly, we will see big changes in both what we drive and how we drive it. Some of the change is being generated by environmental concerns, some of it by economics, and there is always a bit of politics thrown in to help confuse the issues. Right now, there are four big t... Read Article

Oils that save fuel

July 21, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr Automobile manufacturers use many methods to improve fuel economy. One that you may not have considered is the use of lighter-viscosity engine oils. Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda and Mitsubishi are some of the manufacturers that are specifying the use of 0W-20 synthetic engine oils in some of their vehicles... Read Article

Atkinson Cycle engines and Hybrids

July 14, 2010: Atkinson Cycle engines offer better fuel economy than Otto Cycle engines, but reduced low-speed torque. However, when combined with hybrids’ electric motors which have excellent torque, they work well, says Technical Editor, Jim Kerr. Read Article

Pirelli's "green" tires

May 12, 2010: How does Pirelli’s new Scorpion Verde "green" tire improve fuel economy and reduce its impact on the environment? Technical Editor, Jim Kerr looks into the secrets of the Verde tire’s design and construction. Read Article

What is a Hybrid?

January 27, 2010: We hear the term “hybrid” a lot lately, but what exactly does it mean, and are all hybrids the same? Technical Editor, Jim Kerr explains the differences in gasoline-electric hybrid technology. Read Article

Exhaust heat recirculation

January 20, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr Looking back at all the vehicle technologies introduced in the past year, many stand out: Ford’s EcoBoost system with their twin turbocharged engine produces amazing power with good fuel economy from a small engine. Porsche’s PDK computer-controlled manual/automatic gearbox offers exciting performance with a ... Read Article

Fuel-saving technology

January 13, 2010: caption. Click image to enlarge Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr Achieving good fuel economy isn’t accomplished with a magic spell, add-on gimmicks or a mystery carburetor, although there are some out there who would have you believe otherwise. Good fuel economy is achieved by attention to details, good engine design and having the right combina... Read Article

Lowering fuel costs

July 8, 2009: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr School is out and trips to the lake, campground or family holidays are on many minds. But if you have been watching fuel prices, you are also aware that they tend to rise rapidly around holiday season. While they may not hit the highs of last summer, they are increasing. You can take some action, however, to help ... Read Article

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