Fuel efficiency a novel ‘concept’ in automobile design

If necessity is the mother of invention, what role does cheapness play?  

Sound trite?  It’s really just basic economics.  Spurred by customers seeking relief from rising gas prices, automakers are using a combination of new and old concepts to improve fuel efficiency.  

Certainly, some new and intriguing innovations are on the horizon. Take France’s MCE-5 Development, which is working on building gasoline engines to work more like diesel engines, combining the best of both worlds: gas’ relative cleanliness with the efficiency of diesel.  

Mazda’s new Kiyora goes another direction: up. Well, not really, but reflects Mazda’s “gram strategy” of fuel efficiency via weight loss.  The combination of a new platform, small 1.3-liter engine and greatly reduced mass will produce a mere 90g/km of carbon dioxide.  

Several manufacturers are working towards removing fossil fuels altogether, planning to produce fully electric cars for market by 2010.  Electric cars has been the holy grail of auto technology for decades, but the obstacle remains: the lithium for batteries ain’t cheap.  

The one overarching trend in fuel economy isn’t a new concept at all, but a welcome reversal of an unhealthy trend: cars are finally getting smaller.  All things being equal, small cars are more efficient than your average suburban assault vehicle.  Dramatically so.  

While innovation is never bad, sometimes it’s the oldest, simplest ideas that work best.

I feel the need for (less) speed

The Man wants you to buckle up and drive the speed limit, but guess what? You’re James Dean (or whoever the kids are watching these days). You’re living dangerously and thumbing your nose at the powers that be. Until you reach for your wallet, anyway.

Turns out The Man and your fuel tank are on the same page.

With gas prices breaking price records, agencies like the Canadian Automobile Association are offering fuel-saving advice, some of which aims to simply slow us down.

Along with a few common-sense vehicle ownership steps like keeping your tire pressure up and getting regular tune-ups, the CAA recommends keeping to posted speed limits. Ditto fighting the urge to burn rubber off the stop line.

Between 60 and 70 km/h, the argument goes, is where your car is processing its fuel most efficiently. Increases above that limit increase consumption exponentially. In fact, in the throes of the 1973 oil crisis, the U.S. took direct advantage of lower highways speeds’ fuel economy with the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act. But since the act’s repeal in 1995, speed limits have been more about our safety than our fuel consumption.

So while speed limits don’t have the same explicitly environmental purpose as, for example, anti-idling bylaws, their eco benefits do raise an important question: what other environmental benefits are there to being a decent, law-abiding citizen?

Word on the street – scooters are “in”

Let’s face it – fuel prices are driving us up the wall! At an average price of $1.27/litre or so, it’s no surprise that Canadians are looking for a new, more fuel-efficient, way to get around.

That’s where scooters come in. More than just an easy way for seniors to get to the post office – these gas-saving, guzzle-free two-wheelers are the hot eco-friendly, moneysaving way to get around town. Forget about those husky, heavy SUVs. According to Ideal Bite, eco-friendly scooters not only consume gasoline at a dramatically lower rate, they also produce up to 80 per cent less C02 than their four-wheel counterparts.

But before you scoot to commute, beware – some scooters are more eco-friendly then others. If that scooter you’re diggin’ has a two-stroke instead of a four-stroke engine, it will likely produce more emissions, consume more gas and oil and be harder to care for. Also be wary of zero-emission or electric scooters. Although they don’t produce emissions directly, don’t forget it takes energy to power the scooters.

So if you’re looking to ditch the high gas bills, look into a scooter. It’s a vehicle alternative that’s fashionable, fun and fuel-efficient.

Small cars; the next big thing?

You may be of an age to remember the gas price shocks of the late 70s and early 80s. You know, the ones that everyone to park their behemoth gas guzzlers and started driving smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles? You may also recall then, that when prices tanked later in the 80s, the popularity of compact cars crumpled and cars evolved into SUVs?

That bumpy ride continues today. As gasoline prices soar to record levels, car buyers are once again shifting gears. They’re looking for smaller cars and alternative-fuel vehicles. And, according to a recent Globe and Mail article, car manufacturers are trying to find ways to protect their market share by responding to the current demand.

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