EPA Debuts New Fuel Economy Labels

 

From: Mike Levine

Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 11:35 AM

Subject: EPA Debuts New Fuel Economy Labels

The EPA has revealed all-new fuel-economy labels designed to help car and truck buyers determine new vehicle efficiency and operating costs in a world of burgeoning propulsion choices.

The redesigned labels are expected to provide the public with information on fuel economy, energy use, fuel costs and pollution. They are roughly split into three design groups to help buyers compare energy use and cost between conventional fossil-fuel-powered and new-technology vehicles that use electricity and clean fuels. The three groups are:

• Conventional internal-combustion fuels: gasoline, diesel and E85 ethanol, where fuel economy is displayed in miles per gallon (mpg)
• Advanced technology vehicles: compressed natural gas, electricity or hydrogen, where fuel economy is displayed in miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe)
• Plug-in hybrids: vehicles that straddle both of the previous areas will display both MPGe and mpg ratings

Major design elements of each label include:

• Estimates on how much consumers will save or spend on fuel over the next five years compared to the average new vehicle.
• Easy-to-read ratings of how a model compares to all others for smog emissions and emissions of pollution that contribute to climate change.
• An estimate of how much fuel or electricity it takes to drive 100 miles.
• Information on the driving range and charging time of an electric vehicle.
• A QR code that will allow smartphone users to access online information about how various models compare on fuel economy and other environmental and energy factors. This tool also will allow consumers to enter information about their typical commutes and driving behavior in order to get a more precise estimate of fuel costs and savings.

Automakers may voluntarily adopt new fuel-economy labels for 2012-model-year vehicles. Starting with 2013 model year, the labels will be required.

Diesel vehicle

E85 ethanol label that compares E85 driving range to using gasoline

Compressed natural gas vehicle like the GMC Savana van with fuel economy displayed in MPGe

Parallel (blended) plug-in hybrid vehicle like the Toyota Prius Plug-in or PHEV Ram 1500

Series (range-extending) plug-in hybrid like the Chevrolet Volt

Full electric vehicle like the Nissan Leaf

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle like the Honda FCX Clarity

Plug-In Rams Will Protect and Serve as Police Patrol Trucks

 

From: Mike Levine

Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 12:36 AM

Subject: Plug-In Rams Will Protect and Serve as Police Patrol Trucks

Chrysler and the U.S. Department of Energy have delivered the first 10 Ram 1500 plug-in hybrid electric pickup trucks to Yuma, Ariz. for testing in the region's extreme summer climate. Fittingly, they'll also be used to put the heat on criminals.

Eight of the experimental trucks will be modified and used as patrol vehicles by the Yuma Police Department, according to the YumaSun newspaper.

Jerry Geier, Yuma's police chief, said he's "really looking forward to the trucks ... getting them outfitted and out on patrol and putting them to use."

The trucks have several advantages over conventional police cars. Besides getting at least 32 miles per gallon in the city, after depleting its battery's charge, the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and electric motors are rated at a combined 399 horsepower. The PHEV Rams can also generate 6.6 kilowatts of electricity to provide emergency power when needed, such as for spotlights at an accident.

The remaining two PHEV Rams will be used by Yuma's Utilities Department for customer service, such as water hookups, shutdowns and meter reading.

[Source: YumaSun]

Mopar Ram Runner Kit Visual Guide

 

From: Mike Levine

Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 6:15 PM

Subject: Mopar Ram Runner Kit Visual Guide

Mopar has released the full specs for the bolt-on Ram Runner off-road conversion kit that promises to turn a stock Ram 1500 half-ton into a high-speed desert pre-runner.

The Ram Runner details come just in time for this weekend's kickoff of the 2011 Traxxas TORC off-road race series.

Ram Trucks is the official vehicle of the TORC series and a Mopar Ram Runner is serving as the official pace truck. The deal puts five PRO-class drivers at the wheel of a Ram truck during the 14-race season.

If you can't wait for the race to come to a track near you, here's how you can turn your Ram 1500 into a hardened race truck.

[Sources: Mopar, Ram Trucks, Photo: Pat Schutte / TORC]

Fw: Fiat expanding beyond Chrysler-paired dealerships

 

From: Chris Shunk

Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 11:59 AM

Subject: Fiat expanding beyond Chrysler-paired dealerships

Filed under: Car Buying, Chrysler, Fiat

2012 Fiat 500c - Click above for high-res image gallery

Fiat dealerships aren't popping up quite as quickly as the original plans showed they would, but the retail outlets could get a push now that the automaker is looking outside of the Chrysler family. Automotive News reports that Fiat is now offering franchises to non-Chrysler dealers for the first time. There are currently 59 Fiat dealers nationwide, and the automaker plans to open 130 stores by the end of 2011

At one point, there were reportedly 130 Chrysler dealers that had been approved for a Fiat store, but many deals fell through for various reasons. A Chrysler spokesperson tells AN that letters of intent have already been sent out to seven non-Chrysler dealers.

While opening up the franchising process will likely speed up the pace of adding Fiat stores to the U.S., there are still many hurdles for the Italian make. For starters, the 500 is currently the only Fiat available in the U.S., and it could sit alone on the show floor for at least another year. And so far, Fiat has insisted that new franchises will only be awarded to those with plans to build a standalone store.

Though it doesn't sound like a great situation to us, we're guessing there are at least 71 more entrepreneurs willing to sign on the dotted line to gain another foothold in the car business.

Fiat expanding beyond Chrysler-paired dealerships originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford F-150 V-6 Engines Outselling V-8s

 

From: Mike Levine

Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 1:01 PM

Subject: Ford F-150 V-6 Engines Outselling V-8s

For Ford, six is greater than eight. In May, the company sold more F-150 full-size pickups with V-6 engines than traditional V-8 power plants.

The new 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo gasoline direct-injection V-6 engine made up 41 percent of F-150 retail sales in May, up 4 percentage points from April. Sales of the new 3.7-liter naturally aspirated six-cylinder were 14 percent of retail, for a total F-150 six-cylinder engine share of 55 percent, beating sales of F-150s equipped with the new 5.0-liter V-8 and 6.2-liter V-8 mills.

What's stunning about this news is the extremely high take rate for Ford's new six-cylinder engines. Toyota's and GM's V-6 sales are in the single-digit percentages.

What's likely driving the small-displacement adoption in Ford's big trucks? Gas prices are more than a dollar higher than last year's prices, at $3.77 a gallon for regular octane fuel, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

A two-wheel-drive EcoBoost F-150 carries EPA ratings of 16/22 mpg city/highway but can also tow up to 11,300 pounds when properly equipped — the same as the Ford F-150's large-displacement 6.2-liter V-8 that's rated at 13/18 mpg. That makes the EcoBoost attractive to new-truck buyers looking for the right combination of power and frugality.

EcoBoost is also priced aggressively. It's $1,750 more than the F-150's entry-level 302-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6, $750 more than the midrange 360-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 and $1,245 less than the premium 411-hp, 6.2-liter V-8.

[Source: Ford]

May 2011 Top 10 Pickup Truck Sales

 

From: Mike Levine

Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 1:36 PM

Subject: May 2011 Top 10 Pickup Truck Sales

Top 10 Pickup Truck Sales in May 2011

Rank	YTD Sales	YTD vs. 2010	Year-Over-Year	Monthly Sales	Last 12 months

1	Ford F-Series	+10.6%	May 2011	42,399	Coming Soon
	214,461		May 2010	49,858

2	Chevrolet Silverado	+10.6%	May 2011	28,409	Coming Soon
	150,206		May 2010	33,690

3	Ram Trucks	+31%	May 2011	20,117	Coming Soon
	90,536		May 2010	17,298

4	GMC Sierra	+25%	May 2011	10,753	Coming Soon
	55,221		May 2010	11,305

5	Toyota Tacoma	+5.2%	May 2011	9,091	Coming Soon
	44,764		May 2010	8,630

6	Toyota Tundra	-11.6%	May 2011	4,307	Coming Soon
	33,233		May 2010	8,491

7	Ford Ranger	-2.6%	May 2011	5,713	Coming Soon
	23,544		May 2010	6,651

8	Nissan Frontier	+22.6%	May 2011	4,674	Coming Soon
	19,010		May 2010	3,739

9	Chevrolet Colorado	+34%	May 2011	2,944	Coming Soon
	13,104		May 2010	2,535

10	Nissan Titan	-24%	May 2011	1,160	Coming Soon
	7,231		May 2010	2,063

Ford Announces New 8-Speed Transmission, Split Cooling System Technology

 

From: Mike Levine

Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2011 12:32 PM

Subject: Ford Announces New 8-Speed Transmission, Split Cooling System Technology

Ford says it plans to offer new eight-speed automatic transmissions across its vehicle lineup that offer improved fuel economy and ultra-precise shifts.

The gearbox will allow Ford to continue its effort to downsize engine displacement without affecting performance, said Joe Bakaj, Ford's vice president of global powertrain engineering.

"The eight-speed will offer 2 to 6 percent better fuel economy" compared with today's six-speed transmission, like that found in the Ford F-150, Bakaj said. "It will have a wide ratio spread, so customers can run a shorter gear [than today] pulling away from a stop."

The eight-speed will also feature what Ford says is the industry's first torque input sensor. The sensor will measure torque coming into the transmission, enabling faster gear selection, reducing gear hunting and helping smooth out shifts.

"The transmission knows how much torque is needed and will be able to variably control pressure on the clutch packs to deliver smooth shifts," Bakaj said.

Hydraulic actuators that control line pressure applied to clutch plates during shifts will be directly integrated into the transmission case instead of embedded in a separate assembly that's bolted inside the housing, like today's Ford transmissions use. The integrated construction promises tighter component fit and less component flexibility which can stress the sensitive parts.

Bakaj didn't say which cars and trucks will get the new transmission, but we imagine it will be a perfect match for the Ford F-150, which currently uses a six-speed 6R80 automatic gearbox.

Ford also announced a so-called split cooling system that allows the cylinder block to warm up before the cylinder head, improving engine mileage and efficiency. The system saves fuel during cold weather or short trips because oil and engine fluid viscosity rises as temperatures fall, so more work and more fuel is required to overcome friction in the powertrain.

"It's actually a single cooling loop with multiple circuits," said Brett Hinds, manager of Ford EcoBoost engine development. "We [variably] block coolant to the radiator [when the engine is cold] to warm up the engine block sooner while still allowing coolant to flow to the heads [which sit on top of the engine block over the cylinders]."

The split cooling system will debut on Ford's new 1-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine coming to Ford's small cars, but in a case of trickle-up engineering, it will migrate to other vehicles.