Top 10 Fuel Efficient Cars for 2008

       

Toyota Prius Honda Civic Hybrid Nissan Altima Hybrid Toyota Camry Hybrid Ford Escape Hybrid / Mercury Mariner Hybrid Toyota Yaris Toyota Corolla Honda Fit Nissan Versa / ScionxD Hyundai Accent

If you are looking to get the most out of your city driving, hybrid technology continues to be the best bet.  Five gasoline-electric vehicles made their way to the top of the list this year - more than ever before.

This ranking came from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA, which publishes annual fuel economy estimates for most new passenger vehicles sold in the U.S.

As far as numbers go, ratings for the 2008 models will be lower than the previous year because the EPA is updating its computing methods based on faster driving, stronger acceleration, and air-conditioning use.

Gas Prices Finally Dropping

It's about time. Finally, there seems to be some relief in site at the gas pump.

Prices have dropped nationwide by about a nickel and experts predict even bigger declines through the rest of the summer.

"So often we hear gas prices rise like a rocket and drop like a feather, this time, they're starting to drop like a rock and that's a good thing," says Phill Flynn, Vice-President at Alaron Trading.

This is partially because demand is down about 4 percent than normal. Because of the cost, many folks have found alternative forms of transportation this summer.

Though relief equates to only a few cents, consumers are taking notice.

In Detroit, business is picking up at a local Citgo station, where the price of regular gas dipped below $4 starting last Wednesday and fell to $3.89 by Sunday.

"It's very noticeable," says Ben Sandhia, station supervisor. "When it goes below $4, people feel it's a bargain."

Many analysts warn not to assume the worst is over. Just because the situation improved over a week, does not guarantee that prices will stay low.

Bigger No Longer Better

After almost 20 years of putting Americans into big pickups and SUV's, Ford is about to dramatically change its lineup.

The automaker has been struggling and is forced to respond to the rapid, and probably permanent shift in consumer choices.

Changes include converting three North American assembly plants from trucks to cars, and shifting production focus to smaller vehicles, such as the Ford Fiesta.

In addition, the company ends speculation about its Mercury division by making the brand an essential part of their new small-car strategy. Ford says it plans to realign factories to manufacture more fuel-efficient engines and produce six of its upcoming European models for the U.S. market.

Vehicles sales in the States have dropped 10 percent so far this year, and Ford sales have declined 14 percent. For at least 10 years, about 60% of Ford's U.S. sales came from trucks and SUV's.

"Trucks and S.U.V.'s have been so central to their strategy for so long, but the bottom line is that consumers have moved on," said David E. Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Long known for its top-selling F-series Truck, Ford will now shift to promoting the Focus, which has recently become one of its best-sellers.

Plug-in Development Accelerated

Today in San Jose, California, General Motors will announce their partnership with over 30 utility companies in a project to speed commercialization of plug-in vehicles.  The Electric Power Research Institute represents more than 30 electric utilities with operations in 37 states.

The purpose of the joint project is to resolve some issues before plug-in vehicles begin appearing in showrooms in 2010.

Issues include: raising public awareness of plug-ins, ensuring places for safe and convenient vehicle charging, and working with government leaders to ease the transition from petroleum to electricity.

GM claims the project is the largest and most comprehensive between an automaker and the electric utility industry. They believe it will pave the way "for customers to realize the benefits of plug-in electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt and Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid."

The manufacturer is banking on these two models to be the forerunners in this technology.

The big advantage to utilizing electric power is a matter of economics. The estimated cost per mile is 1 cent per mile in off-peak periods and 2 cents during peak time. This is in contrast to gasoline at about 14 cents per mile and more than $4 a gallon.

Lambo Appears in Summer Blockbuster

Setting a box office record, the highly anticipated film "The Dark Knight" raked in over $155 million over the weekend. Making yet another appearance in the Batman film series is the Lamborghini Murcielago, and this time we get to see the car in a daytime car chase through Gotham City.

Production designer Nathan Crowley, who worked on "Batman Begins," was recruited once more to head car design and other production design aspects of the film.

"We asked Lamborghini to give us some cars so we can race them and use them in an action sequence, which we didn't do in the last film," Crowley says.

Because the chase sequence happens during the day, they couldn't use Batman's Tumbler for that particular sequence. Crowley designed the Tumbler for the last film, and it's back again.

The tumbler took 40 mechanics six months to construct, and is equipped with a Chevy big-block V-8. A truck axle was used for the rear axle.

Crowley says he tried to stay away from automakers while designing to avoid outside influences. "Oddly enough, one of the hardest things to develop is the tires-you need to go to a tire manufacturer. If you're looking for large tires, the choice suddenly slims down."

The designer reports that Lamborghini gave them three cars to use, one of which got completely smashed up.

"Wood" You Drive That Car?

In Alfred Station, N.Y. , a guy named Robert Beam has done something pretty cool: he figured out how to power his 1988 Isuzu Trooper on wood chips.

During the summer of 2005, Mr. Beam said he recalled hearing as a child that cars could be made to run on wood. So, after he acquired the tenacity that comes after having a few beers, he decided to start working on his old Trooper.

He read magazines and surfed the Internet, but could not find plans that would work for his project. So, he ended up designing a system himself.

After a trip to the junkyard, Robert took all his scraps to a friend, who welded them together.

After some initial setbacks, the Isuzu finally started late that summer. It will go 20 miles on a 25-pound load of wood chips, which he gets for free. Its top speed is about 45 miles per hour.

Robert begins the process by turning on a fan in the furnace and lighting the chips, which are eventually reduced to their basic components, carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gases are then routed to the engine.

While Mr. Beam does not necessarily encourage everyone to use wood to power their vehicles, he says, "I want to show people there are lots of ideas out there for energy usage."

How Smart is the "Smart Intersection"?

On Thursday, Ford introduced a new safety system that was tested by journalists at its product development campus in Dearborn, MI.

The "Smart Intersection" system consists of a box that contains a traffic control computer, GPS system, short-range Wi-Fi radio, map storage, and a central processor.

When a car approaches, a small transmitter on top of a light pole establishes a connection with the car's navigation system. It transmits the map, and tells the car the status of the light, and how long until they change.

The driver is alerted with visual and auditory cues if he or she is about to run a red light, or if there is not enough time to make it through before the signal changes.

The system can also warn the driver to watch out for upcoming stop signs.

Priya Prasad, Ford's leading safety expert, says that research has shown 40% of all traffic accidents and 20% of all crash-related deaths occur at intersections.

While those involved in the development of this technology insist that it will succeed where other attempts have not, it is difficult to determine how much of an impact this will actually have on drivers' safety.

GM Struggles to Meet New Consumer Demands

Following radical shifts in consumer demand, General Motors is considering bringing a minicar to the U.S. that was originally designed for production in Latin America and Asia.

The Chevrolet Beat, which measures 11 1/2-feet, was first introduced in concept at the New York auto show last year. The Beat is even smaller than the Chevrolet Aveo subcompact, the smallest in GM's U.S. lineup.

So, is this an indication of some major changes to come?

"Everything is under review," says GM spokesman Dee Allen. "Obviously, the market has been changing rather rapidly. "

GM sales have fallen 16% this year; the industry's overall decline is at 10%.

The manufacturer has already found other methods for dealing with shifts in consumer demand including permanently closing plants, cutting truck production, possibly selling the Hummer brand, and developing more fuel-efficient vehicles.

No doubt- GM is definitely under the gun to start re-vamping its lineup. Company shares have recently fallen below $10, their lowest level in 50 years, and Merrill Lynch has voiced concerns over a possible bankruptcy.

In addition to launching more small cars, the company is working to produce gas-electric hybrids and clean hydrogen-powered cars as well.

Prius to be Built in the States

In order to meet customer demands, Toyota has recently altered production and will start building the Prius in the U.S. In late 2010, the model will begin production at a plant currently under construction in Blue Springs, Mississippi.

The manufacturer will consolidate truck production at its San Antonio location, and starting August 8th, the production of Tundra and the Sequoia will be halted for 3 months.

"The truck market continues to worsen, so unfortunately we must temporarily suspend production," says Jim Wiseman, a spokesman for the company's North American manufacturing operations.

Trucks sales have plummeted 28% in the first half of the year as a result of increasing fuel prices, which are currently over $4 a gallon.

Overall, Toyota's U.S. sales have declined 6.8 percent this year, with the popular Lexus luxury vehicle now dropping 14.7 percent.

In June alone, Tundra sales dropped 53 percent and the automaker's U.S. sales fell 21.4 percent.

When questioned about workers, Toyota officials say they refuse to send employees away during tough times: "We don't just want to send everyone home because it makes for a bad startup condition when we start back in November," says spokesman Mike Goss.

Toyota Engineer Worked to Death

A Japanese labor bureau has ruled that a Toyota engineer did indeed die from working too many hours.

The man, whose identity has not been revealed, was one of the top engineers for Toyota and died in 2006. He was reportedly putting in up to 80 hours of overtime a month, while working to develop a hybrid version of the Camry.

Working nights and weekends was a regular habit for the man, and he frequently traveled abroad. At the time of his death, he was dealing with shipping a model to the International Car Show in Detroit.

This case is the latest in a long string of similar findings in Japan, a nation where many employees traditionally work extraordinarily long hours. This practice is referred to as "karoshi," and has been on the rise since first acknowledged by the Health Ministry in 1987.

The ruling was handed out on June 30th, and will allow his family to collect benefits from his life insurance. The family still resides in Toyota City, where the company is based.