Efficient engines Archives – The Green Optimistic

Mazda Claims Its New Skyactiv-3 Engine Matches EV GHG emissions

Jose Aguilar — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 20:21:02 +0000

Mazda is said to be working on a gasoline engine to be as environmentally efficient as electric cars. Its latest high compression engine technology for producing the future engine is dubbed Skyactiv-3, and it follows the first generation engines named Skyactiv-G which came online in 2011, and later the second generation, Skyactiv-X set to reach […]

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Skyactiv-X: World’s First Compression Gasoline Engine Unveiled by Mazda in 2018

Guest Contributor — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 21:03:19 +0000

Mazda has decided to use the hype caused by the development of electric cars in order to set the stage for its new, revolutionary gas engine. The newly developed Skyactiv-X engine is much more efficient than any of the motors currently in use. Mazda has designed the new motor to use compression in order to […]

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International agreement to slash aircraft carbon emissions

Natalie Pullen — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 17:01:01 +0000

Airlines are one of the harder sectors to decarbonise and reduce carbon emissions. 23 countries have now signed a landmark agreement to reduce carbon emissions in large commercial airlines. The goal of the international agreement is to reduce aircraft carbon emissions by over 650 million tons between 2020 and 2040. The aim is to reduce […]

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Norwegian Airline Most Fuel Efficient, British Airways – the Least

Mila Luleva — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 20:51:16 +0000

British Airways and Lufthansa top the chart for the least fuel efficient carriers, contributing the most to carbon pollution from aviation. Air travel has quite a huge carbon footprint. Although many studies suggested that aviation tax for carbon emissions should be made obligatory if we are to reduce pollution, little is done about it. Some […]

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Student-Made 2098 mpg Car Won the SAE Supermileage Competition

Satya Sivani — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 07:12:33 +0000

2098 mpg is the mileage achieved by the Quebec’s Laval University team, which won the SAE Supermileage competition, this year. Living in an age of impending climate change and fossil fuel depletion, possible solutions are either we depend on renewable fuels like solar, wind, biomass etc., or use the available fossil fuels really efficiently. While many nations […]

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Daimler’s 12.2 MPG Supertruck Smashes DOE Fuel Efficiency Target

Ari Luis — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:39:00 +0000

The US Department of Energy (DOE) may not be looking for Optimus Prime, but they want his kind to be more fuel efficient. In 2010, the DOE launched their SuperTruck Initiative which aims to “develop tractor-trailers that are 50% more efficient than baseline models by 2015.” Currently, Class 8 trucks, the typical tractor-trailer used for […]

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New Software Could Improve Conventional Vehicle Fuel Economy by 15%

Benji Jerew — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 16:41:28 +0000

Mechanically-speaking, the internal combustion has changed little in the last century, refinements enabling more power and better fuel economy, but there are limits. The first electronic controls on internal combustion engines appeared some forty years ago, tuning for more refined spark delivery, better power output, better fuel economy, and fewer emissions. Fast-forward forty years, and […]

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How Small Engine Turbo Improves Fuel Economy

Benji Jerew — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 13:06:52 +0000

Typically, even a low-boost small engine turbo can deliver 25% more power than its non-boosted sister. That means that even a tiny turbocharged i3 can perform just as well as a large i4, or a small supercharged i4 can outperform a V6 or V8. It may seem obvious that, to improve fuel economy, you reduce […]

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Toyota’s New Engines Improve Fuel Efficiency

Benji Jerew — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 00:33:19 +0000

The internal combustion engine (ICE) may be old tech, finding its roots over a hundred years ago, but it’s certainly not dead. Toyota’s new lineup of engines promise to deliver better fuel efficiency than ever before. Given rising fuel prices and stricter emissions regulations, it should come as no surprise that automakers are working on […]

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Nanoparticle Coating Increases Aircraft Fuel Efficiency and Engine Life

Benji Jerew — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 19:11:27 +0000

Aircraft engines, specifically the turbojets that are used on aircraft from the humble passenger plane to the monstrous C-17, burns millions of tons of fuel every year, meaning fuel efficiency is a major concern. Of course, aircraft fuel efficiency isn’t just a concern for the operators’ bottom line, since better fuel efficiency reduces refueling costs. […]

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Ricardo HyBoost, “The Future of Hybrids?”

Benji Jerew — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:15:35 +0000

Do we really need a “new kind of hybrid?” Perhaps we do, since most people complain about two things in current hybrid vehicle technology. First, hybrid vehicles are typically less-powerful, leading to a reduction in the all-important fun-to-drive quotient. Second, hybrid vehicles are usually thousands of dollars more than their conventional counterparts. True, you’ll save […]

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“Active Air Control” Improves Emissions and Fuel Economy in Larger Engines

Benji Jerew — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 15:40:29 +0000

An internal combustion engine (ICE) is essentially an air pump. The more efficient the air flows through the air pump (ICE), the better power and fuel economy the ICE can deliver. The ICE is a complex high-speed ballet of mechanical parts, designed to extract as much usable power from a spritz of gasoline in each […]

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New Catalytic Converter Increases Fuel Efficiency and Drops Tailpipe Pollution

Danny Harper — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 13:37:20 +0000

One of the most important components in a vehicle for controlling exhaust emission is the catalytic converter. Even though this is common knowledge, there has been little to no progress on improving the design, with the most recent change occurring in the 1940’s. The new catalytic converter prototype, designed by Dr. Benjamin Kingsbury, has been […]

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New Electric Vehicle Range-Extender Allays Range-Jitters Quietly

Benji Jerew — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 17:17:27 +0000

Extended-range electric vehicles (EREV) such as the Chevy Volt and BMW i3, actually suffer from a noise problem. Range jitters are pretty close to the top of the list of concerns that buyers have when considering electric vehicle technology, which is why EREVs, such as Chevy Volt and BMW i3, as such great middle-ground. If […]

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Performance vs Emissions – Mazda Delays SkyActiv-D (Diesel)

Benji Jerew — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 12:53:12 +0000

As emissions regulations continue to tighten, automakers are finding it harder to meet them. Mazda SkyActiv-D, a groundbreaking new diesel-engine technology, still isn’t ready for it. Now, it’s not as if the engine doesn’t work, but Mazda is balancing on a thin line, that most manufacturers haven’t approached successfully, between performance and emissions. Mazda vehicles […]

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2014 Green Car Technology of the Year Award – The Green Optimistic Picks

Benji Jerew — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 12:53:31 +0000

January 22, on the second Policy Day at the 2014 Washington Auto Show, Green Car Journal will announce the winner of the 2014 Green Car Technology of the Year Award. Automakers are constantly on the move, developing vehicle technologies that reduce emissions without sacrificing performance. There are ten nominees for the 2014 Green Car Technology […]

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2014 Green Car Technology Award Nominee – Dodge 3.0L EcoDiesel

Benji Jerew — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 18:32:40 +0000

Green Car Journal’s 2014 Green Car Technology of the Year Award will be announced soon, but at least we know the ten nominees, which we’ve been considering for the last few days. Which green car technology is best? Which will have the biggest impact? Most automakers, if they have any business sense at all, are […]

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2014 Green Car Technology Award Nominee – Ford 1.0L EcoBoost Engine

Benji Jerew — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 14:48:41 +0000

Coming Soon! Green Car Journal will name the winner of the 2014 Green Car Technology of the Year Award. In just a few short weeks, one of ten nominees will be announced at the 2014 Washington Auto Show, and we’ve been considering the prospects. So far, we’ve covered some pretty impressive green car technology, including […]

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2014 Green Car Technology Award Nominee – Audi 3.0L TDI Diesel Engine

Benji Jerew — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 13:33:33 +0000

In just about a month, Green Car Journal, at the 2014 Washington Auto Show, will present the winner of the 2014 Green Car Technology of the Year Award to one of ten nominees. What makes a green car green but the technology that powers it? The first nominee we considered, the Acura RLX SH-AWD’s powertrain […]

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Rotary Engine Resurrected in Mazda2 Extended-Range Electric Vehicle Concept

Benji Jerew — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 19:45:25 +0000

When it comes to fuel economy, smaller vehicles, such as the Mazda2, take high honors, usually sacrificing performance. Electric vehicles, on the other hand, can do both fuel economy and performance without skipping a beat. Then, of course, the question comes up, what if you combined a small conventional vehicle body and an electric vehicle […]

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More Details on the New Diesel Plug-In Hybrid Electric Volkswagen Twin-Up!

Benji Jerew — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 16:21:52 +0000

Last week, we brought you some news about a new concept car, the diesel plug-in hybrid electric Volkswagen Twin-Up!, which shares a lot of technology with the 261mpg Volkswagen XL1. These new diesel plug-in hybrid electric vehicles from Volkswagen are pushing the limits of fuel economy that we’ve come to expect from hybrid vehicles. For […]

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Audi Boosts Fuel Economy by Deactivating Cylinders

Benji Jerew — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 16:39:15 +0000

As emissions regulations for the automobile industry continue to strengthen, automakers are looking for the best ways to reduce fuel economy without impacting performance. Audi’s approach to increasing fuel economy actually isn’t new, but has resulted in a fairly decent savings in fuel consumption. At the same time, Audi hasn’t sacrificed the performance that its […]

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Nobel Prize in Chemistry Given to Research That Could Improve Fuel Economy

Benji Jerew — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 18:47:04 +0000

With vehicle emissions standards becoming more and more stringent, automakers are focusing on improving the fuel economy of their fleets. The internal combustion engine has remained relatively unchanged in principle, but researching fuel economy improvements is ongoing, such as turbocharging smaller-displacement engines, hybrid electric systems, or dispensing with engine altogether. There is still plenty of […]

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Hybrid Diesel Natural Gas Engine Developed with 39.6% Efficiency – ETH Zurich

Benji Jerew — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 18:37:37 +0000

The typical natural gas engine is essentially a modified gasoline engine with slightly different ignition mapping to account for natural gas’ lower energy content. Natural gas engine conversions are fairly commonplace in places where natural gas is abundant [and cheap!], but efficiency often suffers due to poor programming. For example, in Perú, where the average […]

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Daihatsu Mira e:S, the Most Fuel-Efficient Gas Vehicle

Benji Jerew — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:50:11 +0000

The Daihatsu Mira e:S was rated at 30km/ℓ [71mpg] on the JC08 fuel consumption test. It weighs 1,700lb and is powered by a 660cc i3 engine. While we believe that the electric car is, most definitely, the future, we understand that the transition isn’t going to be easy. That’s why it’s so encouraging to see even […]

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New Waissi Engine Simpler and More Efficient, Arizona State University

Benji Jerew — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:12:08 +0000

The Waissi Engine is of an opposed-piston design, much like that being developed by Achates Power or EcoMotors, with one important difference: Waissi’s engine has fewer parts. The idea behind Waissi’s design is weight and mass reduction. Mass in motion that isn’t directly tied with power transmission actually wastes energy. As the internal combustion engine […]

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Airbus A350-XWB, Maiden Flight of Fuel Efficient Composite Jumbo Jet

Benji Jerew — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:15:20 +0000

Fuel efficient aircraft are critical to maintaining the bottom line in the airline industry. Recent developments in engine and aircraft design, such as the Airbus A350-XWB, have helped to push that number ever higher. Airlines don’t measure fuel economy quite the same way as automobile manufacturers do. Where the average Toyota Prius might measure 50mpg […]

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2000 Miles On a Gallon of Fuel, Students From BYU Made It Possible

Mila Luleva — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:00:13 +0000

Students from Brigham Young University (BYU) designed a car which can travel almost 1,700 miles on as little as one gallon of fuel. The super-vehicle took part in the SAE Supermileage Competition last weekend (6-7th June, 2013) in Michigan. As part of the competition requirements, the students had to maximize the fuel efficiency of a […]

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Airbus A350-XWB Composite Design for Better Fuel Economy – Test Flight Soon?

Benji Jerew — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:16:30 +0000

Everyone is looking to cut costs, and in the transportation industry, whether light vehicles or aircraft, fuel economy is the number one way to reduce operating costs. Increasing the size of the plane to carry more passengers per unit of fuel helps, but there’s a certain point at which the increasing mass of the vehicle […]

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Volkswagen XL1 Hybrid Electric Vehicle gets 261MPG with Supercar Roots

Benji Jerew — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 20:51:06 +0000

The XL1 owes its unspeakably awesome fuel economy to the generous application of supercar technology. Question: How do you make the most of the engine power in a supercar? Answer: Make it lighter. Some look at hybrid electric vehicle technology and think performance, while others take a more balanced view, or not. Those interested in a […]

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See Which EU Automakers Fuzzy Carbon Dioxide Emissions Math

Benji Jerew — Fri, 31 May 2013 19:38:11 +0000

Granted, carbon dioxide emissions and fuel economy measurements are hardly real-world, but it seems that some automakers have a little more tolerance built into their calculations than others. Carbon dioxide emissions standards have become more strict, essentially forcing automakers to produce vehicles with better fuel economy. Over time these standards will continue to strengthen, which […]

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Honeywell’s Shroud Turbochargers Improving Fuel Economy

Benji Jerew — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:03:55 +0000

Legislators are pushing for higher fuel economy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but this typically means smaller engines with less power. For most Americans, less power isn’t an acceptable form of transportation, which keeps sales of vehicles with better fuel economy lower than it should be. Automakers are working hard to develop engines that are […]

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Light Hybrid Vehicles May be The Next Best Thing

Benji Jerew — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:27:18 +0000

To reduce emissions and increase fuel economy, hybrid vehicles are a pretty good option that aren’t nearly as expensive as pure electric vehicles. In the hierarchy of vehicle pricing, though, it can be difficult sometimes to justify spending more up front for better technology, even if it’ll save you money at the pump. Given a […]

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Chevy Cruze Turbo Diesel Fuel Economy Rated at 46MPG

Benji Jerew — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:48:36 +0000

Perhaps you may know the Chevy Volt for being a remarkably fuel-conscious vehicle. Engineers at General Motors have produced a remarkable diesel-powered vehicle with some impressive fuel economy ratings. If you’re interested in reducing your vehicle emissions, you’ve got a lot of choices. With the introduction of hybrid electric and electric vehicle technology, you might […]

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Volvo’s New Engines Big on Fuel Economy AND Performance

Benji Jerew — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:59:56 +0000

This fall, Volvo will unveil a new line of engines that offer better fuel economy without sacrificing performance. As concerns over vehicle emissions continue to rise and regulations become more strict, increasing fuel economy is at the forefront of addressing them. Some automakers have turned to vehicle electrification, but there is still plenty of innovation […]

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China’s Turbocharged Future Will Reduce Vehicle Emissions

Benji Jerew — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:42:48 +0000

The main way to reduce vehicle emissions is to reduce fuel consumption. Typically, reducing fuel consumption requires reducing engine size and power, which isn’t very attractive to buyers. Admittedly, it is difficult to reduce engine size without impacting power too much. China needs to reduce vehicle emissions in a big way however, and automakers are […]

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MG Launching Small Turboboosted Engines for Fuel Efficiency and Power

Benji Jerew — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:56:56 +0000

There are a number of ways to increase fuel efficiency, turboboosting, as used in the new Ford EcoBoost engine lineup, adds power, but also reduces fuel consumption. It may seem counterintuitive to make an engine more powerful to reduce fuel consumption, but it all depends on when you add that power. Adding cylinders and displacement […]

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Shell Eco-Marathon Americas Yields Super Fuel Efficient [3,587mpg] Reliant Robin

Benji Jerew — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:32:11 +0000

When we think fuel efficient, we might think hybrid or electric and this maxes out our brains at a little over 100mpge, so how does the 3,587mpg Reliant Robin strike you? The Shell Eco-Marathon Americas is a contest in which college and high school students compete to create the most fuel efficient vehicle. For the […]

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Natural Gas Bus and Truck Fleet to Expand in the EU

Benji Jerew — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:24:15 +0000

Research indicates that by 2018, natural gas trucks and buses will account for 3.4% and 12.7%, respectively, of the entire fleet in the European Union. Natural gas vehicles, especially heavy duty trucks and buses, are gaining momentum in the marketplace. Extraction of natural gas and tightening emissions regulations are making these vehicles both more attractive […]

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BMW i3 First EfficientDynamics Engine Tested in a 1 Series [UPDATED]

Benji Jerew — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Hybrid vehicles we’re looking forward to from BMW, the i8 and ActiveTourer, and they both have one thing in common, a three-cylinder engine. Engines are getting smaller and smaller in order to meet with increasingly strict fuel economy and emissions regulations. This doesn’t mean that all future vehicles are bound to be sanspersonality. BMW’s new […]

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Peterbilt’s SuperTruck Program Makes Trucks More Fuel Efficient

Benji Jerew — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:16:25 +0000

While some two million registered tractor-trailers on the road today average just 6mpg, Peterbilt’s SuperTruck program is developing more efficient trucks for the future. Cargo rail and shipping has revolutionized the way we distribute manufactured goods within the country, but heavy trucks still have most of the final leg from rail stations or seaports to […]

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US Army’s 7mpg HUMVEE Replacement, More Fuel Efficient

Benji Jerew — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:57:30 +0000

Military vehicles are in a class all their own, and the same is true for the US Army’s HUMVEE replacement, which is rated at a whopping seven miles per gallon. Actually, when you think about the Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator’s [FED] 15,000lb curb weight, 7mpg isn’t all that bad. You know what else gets […]

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General Electric Turns to Ceramics For More Efficient Jet Engine

Benji Jerew — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:24:15 +0000

Jet engines run at the very edge of thermal meltdown, but General Electric is turning to ceramics to turn up the heat and make a more efficient jet engine. Jet fuel burns much hotter than even the toughest alloys, so air injected into the core cools things off. This keeps the engine from melting, but […]

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A More Efficient Mazda Rotary Engine Could be Back in Five Years

Benji Jerew — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:09:41 +0000

The Wankel Rotary Engine, of unique design and origins, is the only mass-produced engine to have been conceived in the 20th century, while piston-crankshaft engines can trace their roots back at least 150 years. What makes the rotary engine so desirable is in its simplicity. The rotary engine contains far fewer moving parts than a […]

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Volkswagen XL1, The 270 MPG Diesel Hybrid to be Exhibited in Geneva

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:06:34 +0000

Volkswagen XL1, a diesel hybrid that has a fuel efficiency to be envied by GM or Toyota: 270 miles per gallon, while doing 60 mph, will be unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The Volkswagen XL1 can go for up to 31 miles on electric mode. Its ultra-high mpg is partly due to the […]

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Turbocharged Engines Have Low MPG Performance – Consumer Reports

Benji Jerew — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:00:57 +0000

Marketing and reality may often be two very different things, thus the ubiquitous “Your mileage may vary.” when it comes to automobile performance, handling, durability, and fuel economy. Thanks to various independent testing agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] and Consumer Reports [CR], consumers can get a better idea of vehicle performance and […]

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NASA’s “Flying Wing” Aircraft Prototype Twice as Efficient

Benji Jerew — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:20:16 +0000

While aviation engineers have long known that a “flying wing” aircraft would be more efficient than the traditional tubular fuselage aircraft we see today, the ability to control them in flight has prevented them from making any progress in commercialization. Since aircraft need to take off and land, requiring control at both low speed and […]

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30 MPG 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Has Some Calling “Bulls**t”

Benji Jerew — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:21:11 +0000

I’ve been reading up on the news, a little, and it seems odd that while some makers garner rave reviews when they release a 47 mpg hybrid, such as the Ford C-Max, other makers get dumped on when they release a 30 mpg SUV, such as the just-revealed 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. 18 days into […]

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Achates Power’s Diesel Engine Could be Twice as Efficient

Benji Jerew — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:02:09 +0000

The Achates Power engine could be twice as efficient than today’s best engines, and could be used for the Army. A few months ago, we discussed a radical new engine design from Achates Power in San Diego, CA. Well, the design isn’t radical, but based on a German engine from the 1930s, and with significant design […]

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AB Engine 44% More Efficient Than Any Other ICE

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:12:46 +0000

On November 14, 2012 AB Engine, Inc. was granted a Chinese patent titled “High Efficiency Internal Combustion Engine” which protects and details a method of converting thermal energy of burning fuels in internal combustion engines to mechanical power – leading to the highest efficiency possible. Unlike the somewhat similar Atkinson engine design, the AB Engine’s […]

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Startup Elio Motors to Buy GM Plant for Building 60 mpg Car

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:13:59 +0000

Elio Motors in Shreveport, Louisiana wants to by a former General Motors plant in order to manufacture and sell their low-cost, high MPH car. One green automaker, Bright Automotive, has already gone under in Shreveport while waiting for Federal funding. Bright Automotive had hoped to build a green, high MPG van, but could not hold […]

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“Most Environmentally Friendly” Car Award Goes to: Mercedes Benz B200 CNG and BlueTec

Mike Sandru — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:54:18 +0000

German car magazine, Auto Test, has named the Mercedes Benz B200 CNG and the ML 250 BlueTec 4Matic as the most environmentally-friendly, giving them the award of “Winners in Green”. The criteria considered for the award include emissions and fuel consumption as well as the manufacturer’s recycling, manufacturing and environmental systems. The annual car ranking […]

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Ultrasound Looks Inside Engines to Improve Efficiency

Benji Jerew — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:25:40 +0000

We have long been using ultrasound to look deep into the ground for mineral deposits or even archaeological remnants, and even to lake a look inside the human body to see our vital components functioning. University of Sheffield’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rob Dwyer-Joyce, Professor of Lubrication Engineering, is the first to apply ultrasound technology […]

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HydroICE Solar-Powered Engine May Compete with Photovoltaic Panels

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 08:48:27 +0000

Imagine an internal combustion engine that runs on solar-heated oil and water instead of gasoline. Sound crazy? Two Missouri-based inventors Ben Cooper and Matt Bellue have designed a non-traditional combustible engine that could provide clean energy once hooked up to a generator. The inventors have already built a prototype they call HydroICE, short for Hydro […]

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Fiat 500 Proves Efficient Internal Combustion Engine Not Dead

Benji Jerew — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 06:24:41 +0000

Many manufacturers have been turning to electrification in order to reduce emissions, from the Toyota Prius and Nissan Leaf to high end cars like the BMW i-series and Fisker Karma. Other manufacturers have followed their lead, leading to the introduction of the Ford C-MAX and Chevy Volt, among other hybrid converted models. Fiat, on the […]

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“Transonic” Engine – New Injection System, No Ignition System

Benji Jerew — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:48:41 +0000

Transonic Combustion, a start-up company is developing a more efficient ICE technology that could lead to further increases in efficiency. The gasoline-powered internal combustion engine [ICE] has seen more improvement in the last five years than in the last twenty, Quieter timing chain technology, direct fuel injection, and variable intake and exhaust valve timing, among others, […]

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Rotating Detonation Engines Could Replace Turbines in US Navy

Benji Jerew — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 18:46:23 +0000

The gas-turbine engine, or jet engine, isn’t only found on jets, but in other applications as well. The US Navy doesn’t only use turbines for their fighter jets, but also as generators on their ships. As the Navy moves to all-electric propulsion, they still need some kind of electrical generator. Turbines are well-suited for development […]

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LiquidPiston’s Prototype Proves ICE Technology Can Save Gas

Benji Jerew — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:11:55 +0000

The typical internal-combustion engine [ICE] is no more than 30% thermodynamically efficient, that is, only about 30% of the energy in the fuel actually does any work propelling the vehicle. The rest is lost to heat and friction, which seems to make ICEs a poor choice when it comes to energy-efficient transportation. Electrified vehicles might […]

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BMW Offers a Three-Cylinder in its Latest Hybrid Active Tourer Concept

Benji Jerew — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:11:48 +0000

The BMW Active Tourer Concept vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, with a twist. Instead of the hybrid drive-train being mated with an inline four-cylinder engine, it will be mated with an inline three-cylinder turbocharged engine. The new concept “is powered by an electric motor and a 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 190 hp. Hybrids […]

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General Motors’ 100 mpg Car – The Platinum Anniversary That Could Have Been

Benji Jerew — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:10:00 +0000

In 1992, I built my first PC, the same year Microsoft Windows 3.1 and Works hit the market. Bill Clinton became President of the US, and Space Shuttle Endeavour made its successful maiden voyage into space. Ahead of its time, AT&T also released the first video phone, and not many people know this, but General […]

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New Ultra-Efficient Engine Promises 100 MPG

Benji Jerew — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:21:34 +0000

Today’s internal combustion engines [ICE] are almost nothing like the engines found in cars of years gone by, with the exception of the basic mechanical aspects. Otherwise, a multitude of new technologies takes the place of mechanical controls and has increased the performance and efficiency of a modern I-4 ICE beyond the capabilities of older […]

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Honda to Revive 40 Year-Old CVCC Engine as a Hybrid Version

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 18:46:06 +0000

Once the main innovator in the field of motoring, Honda is now hoping to catch up with fuel efficiency measures from all over the world. Takanubo Ito, CEO, now proposes a new (but conceptually old) CVCC engine as their next move. They want it revamped as a hybrid, but want it to work as a […]

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European Union to Implement Drastic Carbon Dioxide Reductions by 2020

Maria Reyes — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 03:46:55 +0000

There will be drastic reductions in CO2 emissions for new cars and light commercial vehicles by 2020. The European Commission reported this news as plans were revealed to implement these proposals. Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said this is a win-win situation for different sectors. This move will lessen greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. The […]

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Obama’s Proposal to Raise Fuel Economy Creates 570,000 U.S. Jobs

Maria Reyes — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:42:21 +0000

The Obama Administration’s recent proposal to reduce fuel use is expected to create 570,000 jobs in the U.S. by 2030. Of this figure, 50,000 new jobs will be in light-duty vehicle manufacturing and assembly alone. The proposal calls for the implementation of a vehicle fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles built from 2017 to 2025. […]

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Mazda to Use Its Efficient Rotary Engine as Hydrogen-Powered Range Extender in Future EVs

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:36:11 +0000

Recent news spread by Mazda President Takahashi Yamanouchi (to Nikkei) say that the company will use their innovative and unique rotary engine to act as a range extender for their future electric car. This is somewhat copying GM’s model, but Mazda wants to go a step further: they want to fuel the rotary internal combustion […]

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New Concept Gasoline Engine Runs Like a Diesel, Increases Efficiency by 50%

Guest Contributor — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:02:24 +0000

A hurdle that has faced researchers for many decades might soon be overcome by Delphi, a leading supplier of major parts to automakers. The company has developed an engine that could sit between low-emission gasoline engines on one side, and the highly polluting but more efficient diesel engines on the other. The new technology could […]

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Couple Drives 1626.1 Miles in Diesel-Powered 2012 VW Passat

Mike Sandru — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:55:28 +0000

Remember when you used to say clean vehicles couldn’t take you very far? John and Helen Taylor prove you wrong: after 90 fuel economy and vehicle-related records around the world, they have decided to go for one more. What came out of that is a new record for the longest distance covered on one tank […]

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Air Filter That Sensibly Increases Engine Power and MPG Patented by Romanian Engineer

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:31:43 +0000

Corneliu Birtok-Baneasa, a Romanian engineer, has invented a groundbreaking air filter that decreases the fuel consumption by 10 to 15 percent and raises an engine’s power by up to 10 percent. He patented the device that had been already awarded at various international invention congresses. “I am involved in a venture with multiple companies for […]

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Student-Built Ultra-Efficient Car Does 1,980 MPG

Mike Sandru — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:16:33 +0000

The annual Mileage Marathon Challenge near Leicester, England gathered a group of students from several schools and universities this year. The surprising thing is they weren't the ones cheering in the stands, as you may imagine ÃƒÂ¢€Ã¢â‚¬Å“ they were actually the ones driving the models they had designed in class!

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Ford's EcoBoost 1.0-Liter Engine Will Feature 3 Cylinders and Lots of Power

Mike Sandru — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 09:47:39 +0000

US-based giant car manufacturer Ford Motor Co. is planning to introduce one of the smallest engines ever created into the auto market. According to the company, 90 percent of its vehicles will be equipped with EcoBoost powertrains in the United States by 2013.

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Car Built by Romanian Inventor Gets 784 MPG Fuel Efficiency

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 19 May 2011 19:33:11 +0000

Remember Justin Capra, the Romanian inventor of the jetpack? Well's he's done it again. Now, his ingenuity inspired him to build a small car that has a fuel efficiency of 784 miles per gallon! How about that?

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Austrian Hypermiler Does Amazing 1242 Miles and 127.9 MPG In a Classic Diesel, Around Europe

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:02:16 +0000

It's not the Prius, it's not the Volt, it's not any hybrid car, but a turbocharged diesel one: a 1.2-liter Skoda Fabia. Austrian hypermiler Gerhard Plattner has just proved that an ordinary diesel car can go 2,000 kilometers (1,242.7 miles) with just one 45-liter fuel tank, reaching an astonishing 127.9 miles per gallon.

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Ciatti's Gasoline-Burning Diesel Engine Emits Less Soot and Nitrous Oxides

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:16:40 +0000

Diesel and gasoline engines have been the only way to move around since the 19th century (maybe with some small, electric exceptions for a short while). Though having low efficiency numbers (20 percent) when compared to their counterparts, gasoline engines still found their place on the market, mostly because in the first hundred years they had the advantage of being quicker, more responsive and now for not emitting soot and nitrous oxides.

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Laser-Powered Spark Plugs Closer to Reality, Toyota Interested

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:05:10 +0000

Conventional gasoline engine makers may one day replace spark plugs with lasers, as Japanese researchers have designed and prototyped laser devices that are powerful enough to ignite the fuel and small enough to fit into the engine cylinder head (9 millimeters in diameter and 11 millimeters in length).

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Shock Wave Motor Design 20% Lighter and Much More Efficient

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:13:25 +0000

An engine that uses shock waves has been invented by Norbert MÃƒÆ’¼ller at Michigan State University in East Lansing. He presented his baby at a DARPA-E meeting last week and showed how it can reduce fuel consumption and the car's total weight.

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VW's 235 MPG Car to Be Unveiled at Qatar Motor Show 2011

Mike Sandru — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:18:56 +0000

Volkswagen will unveil a vehicle that, according to the company, consumes only 1 liter of gasoline at every 100 km (235 mpg). The two-seater car is an upgraded version of the VW L1 concept and will be presented at the Qatar Motor Show this week.

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Justin Capra: The Green-Hearted Creator of The Jetpack and Several Alternative Inventions

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:35:03 +0000

After presenting Vasile Karpen and his wonderful but yet not understood invention of the battery that's been running for 60 years, now it's time for another brilliant Romanian green-hearted genius: Justin Capra, the original inventor of the jet pack.

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The New Mazda2 To Become World's Most Fuel Efficient Car

Mike Sandru — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:00:23 +0000

Mazda2 is scheduled to be launched in Japan in the first half of 2011, being the first car fitted with SKYACTIV, a technology produced only by Mazda based on next-generation gasoline and diesel engines.

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New OCN Jet Engine Sips 25% Less Fuel and Outputs 75% Less Greenhouse Gases

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:00:25 +0000

An Israeli firm called R-Jet Engineering has designed a new jet engine that could lower the fuel consumption by 25%. Just like current jet engines are twice as efficient compared to those built in the 1960s, this one, if applied on commercial airplanes, could offer significant savings in fuel and greenhouse gases.

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OPOC: The Two-Stroke Engine Revived by Michigan Company Is Cleaner and More Efficient

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:00:35 +0000

EcoMotors, a Troy, Michigan startup company revitalizes the two-stroke engine, making it 50 percent more efficient than currently-used four-stroke engines and less polluting. Even Bill Gates and Khosla Ventures invested a total of $23.5 million in them.

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Fiat's MultiAir Engine Technology Applied to Future Chrysler Models

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:54:33 +0000

The Italian car manufacturer Fiat has acquired Chrysler and now remakes its name through much more efficient engines they had already applied in Europe for some time. For example, Chrysler will adopt Fiat's MultiAir engine, which can get their fleet to acquire an average of 35.5 mpg by 2016, thus obeying federal standards in force.

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Better Place: Electric Car Battery Swapping Service Envisioning Worldwide Expansion

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:17:10 +0000

You may have probably heard of Project Better Place before - it's the business led by Shai Agassi that imposes itself a truly hard to get goal: to make a network of battery swapping and charging stations for the not-so-distant electric cars.

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TwinAir: The 0.9L, 85HP Engine Will Power the New Fiat 500

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:21:53 +0000

Now, along with the crisis, the purchase of Chrysler and the upcoming electric vehicle trend, Fiat is also focusing on making older technologies better. TwinAir is the name of their new engine project, it has 2 cylinders, 0.9 liters and an amazing 85 HP.

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New Engine Prototype That Mixes Gasoline and Diesel Gets 55 Percent Efficient

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:18:38 +0000

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have recently unveiled a concept engine that can be from 20 to 30 percent more fuel-efficient than classic models. It would also be substantially cheaper to produce, since the emissions are lower than those of conventional engines and expensive catalyst units are not needed any longer (in some cases, their price can reach that of the engine's).

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Mazda Adding Start/Stop Technology to All Their Cars by 2015: EPA Opposes

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:48:49 +0000

Idling your car at a stoplight is always damaging your plans of saving fuel and the air quality. I know someone who lives close to a stoplight and he says the air is much more polluted there than in other areas.

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Transonic Combustion's New Ultra-Efficient Engine Gets Up to 98 MPG

Cristi — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:51:56 +0000

A California-based company called Transonic Combustion has recently developed a very efficient fuel-injection system that can put on hold the production of expensive gas-electric hybrids. With a cruising speed of 50 miles per hour, the test car was able to get 98 miles per gallon.

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German Engineers Develop Diesel Engine With Barely Detectable Emissions

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:36:54 +0000

Engineers from the Technische Universitaet Munchen (TUM) have shown an engine prototype whose emissions are very close to the Euro 6 standard, even though the Euro 5 norm has just been put into force three months ago for all new car models.

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Ford Developing Laser Powered Spark Plug for Future Engines

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:03:58 +0000

The auto industry is pursuing various ways to implement more effective fuel saving strategies. Some of them are based on the development of new technology, electric motors, batteries, etc and others are just improving classic petrol-fueled engines to run better. Following the second trend, engineers from The University of Liverpool, UK, in collaboration with Ford and UK-based GSI Group developed a prototype engine ignition based on lasers rather than on spark plugs.

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ETV Motors to Launch Jet Turbine-Based Prius with Higher MPG

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:17:37 +0000

Israeli start-up ETV Motors, located in Tel Aviv has invested about $12 million in this technology that combines a car, electricity and a jet engine. The prototype of a modified Prius will be ready next year for testing.

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EATR Robot Powered by Vegetation and a New, Efficient Steam Engine

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:20:55 +0000

Steam power is being revived as Robotic Technology Inc. develops the "EATR" as in Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot - basically a robot that can have a meal of gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, etc and biomass, thus never having to be recharged as long as it has some wood sticks around.

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HCCI Engine: No-Spark Gasoline Engine as Efficient as Diesel

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:43:59 +0000

If you ever had a diesel car, you know that it's more fuel efficient than the gasoline counterpart. That's because diesel engines use compression to ignite the fuel, and gasoline engines use a spark to do that. Practically, diesel engines could work without any electricity - at all.

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BMW Develops Hydrogen Powered ICE Based on Diesel Technology

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:12:19 +0000

It's a known fact that diesel engines are more efficient than the gasoline ones, and that is because they work a little differently on the ignition side. Diesel engines compress the fuel to a point where it heats and explodes, a process known as self-ignition. On the other hand, diesel engines are still polluting the atmosphere.

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BMW's New 116D (Diesel) as Efficient as Today's Hybrids

Florin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:01:48 +0000

German vehicle constructor BMW is trying to show us that it can produce not only fast, luxury and fuel-greedy vehicles, but also very fuel-efficient cars.

BMW's 1 series is offering the greenest diesel experience from BMW. The 2 liters four-cylinder diesel...

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A New "Open Rotor" Jet Engine That Could Reduce Fuel Consumption

Mike Sandru — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:04:40 +0000

NASA and GE Aviation are testing a new “open rotor” jet engine with a different design that puts the fan blades on the outside of the engine. The jet fuel consumption will be reduced by more than 30 percent. In the 80s, NASA and GE designed the engine named GE36, and developed it into a […]

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Revolting: 114 mpg Avion Sports Car Rejected for Fuel Being "Too Cheap"

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:06:53 +0000

There was a sports car built in 1984 by Craig Henderson and Bill Green from Bellingham, Washington, and at that time it was able to set a record of 103.7 mpg for Guinness Book(in European terms, that's 2.27 liters/100km). Now they're reviving it with the help of the X-Prize Competition.

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Free Piston Engine: Worth Investing In It to Power Future Electric Cars?

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:29:17 +0000

Since the idea of economy started in humanity's mind, everybody wants to reduce the expenses, mostly on energy dependence. Nowadays, when hybrid cars and, generally, electric vehicles are starting to play a huge role in car industry, and electric technology is starting to get cheaper yearly, there still are scientists that get inspired by the old explosion engine principles, albeit they are being used for more than a hundred years and their power source is mainly based on fossil fuel.

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New Electric Field Device Reduces Car Fuel Consumption by 20%

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:40:59 +0000

Professor Rongija Tao, from Temple University, invented a device that, applied to the vehicle's fuel line, near the injectors, creates an electric field that reduces the fuel's viscosity, so that smaller droplets are injected into the engine, leading to better combustion and increased fuel efficiency as much as 20%.

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VW Golf BlueMotion TDI – 74MPG – Better Than Prius?

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:52:15 +0000

The most known German car maker Volkswagen, and the most popular car in Europe, VW Golf, hits again these days as Volkswagen unveils their latest BlueMotion car. They already have unveiled other BlueMotion machines, but this time it is Golf's time to be in the spotlight.

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Fuel Vapors System Runs Car in Charlotte County

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:48:27 +0000

Have your every drove your car on "fumes"? They're gas vapors that form when it evaporates. One man, John Weston, from Charlottle County, FL, has found these fumes useful and made a fueling system out of them so his car gets an incredible mileage: 463 miles per gallon! In European measurements (if I'm correct) this is 0.8L/100km!!! Wow! Not even VW's latest gadget car can't get this mileage!

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Revetec Controlled Combustion Engine: 50% less fuel, 100% power

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:49:27 +0000

A better combustion engine is the one recently patented by Revetec, a small company from Australia. Their engine has been tested by independent parties. It has the same power as an ordinary engine, but it consumes half the fuel and it weights 50% less. It's also smaller than the average car engine.

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