FAIL fuel standard of 27.3 mpg in 2011.

Three U.S. and a half a dozen other makers offer 40mpg + to non-U.S. countries...
NOT allowing those vehicles in the U.S. by 2011 is a definition of FAILURE.
 
"The New administration is to announce a combined car and light-truck fuel economy standard for the 2011 model year of 27.3 mpg, and has ordered officials to rework proposed standards for model years 2012 to 2016 to comport with plans for economy-wide restrictions on global warming gases.  Source: The Society of Environmental Journalists 

List current vehicles that get over 40mpg...

44 MPG overall minivan by G.M. 

5 Passenger 62mpg Ford Fiesta - Not yours!

110 mpg safe family car in 1984

 EPA verified 25 mpg SUV & 48 mpg non-hybrids

YEP... Another GM 60 MPG Vehicle We Don't Have...Yet

VW - 60 MPG, 90% Emissions Reduction 60 mpg anyone can do for $400

The 204hp - 45mpg Engine we all can have (BMW)

VW' s 7-seater mini-van 38 mpg

Yep VW Caravan, diesel with about 40mpg since 2002

40 MPG BioDiesel MiniVan you can not buy in USA!

VW Polo 73 mpg will not come to U.S.

60 MPG Passat is one of the

61 MPG Urban Lite Peugeot

 General Motors (GM) 200 mpg lean machine

115 mpg Biodiesel Harley

Cry over a few more that get over 40mpg

Model	U.S. mpg
Peugeot 407 Coupé	40 mpg
Mercedes CLC 200 CDI	40 mpg
Volkswagen Passat CC 2.0 TDI	40 mpg
BMW Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo Coupé	44 mpg
Volkswagen Scirocco TDI	44 mpg
Audi TT Coupé  TDI Quattro	44 mpg
BMW 320d Coupé	49 mpg
BMW 120d Coupé	49 mpg
Citroën C4 Coupé	52 mpg

Billions more thrown at Unicorn fuel-efficient car Dreams

Associated Press
In an announcement to day - Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the three automakers would be the first beneficiaries of a $25 billion fund to develop fuel-efficient vehicles.

O000uch... General Motors Corp.  requested $10.3 billion in loans from the energy program, while Chrysler Group LLC has asked for $6 billion... Yet Energy officials have said the loans could only go to “financially viable” companies, preventing GM and Chrysler from qualifying for the first round of loans.

The loans were designed to help auto manufacturers meet new fuel-efficiency standards of at least 35 mpg by 2020, a 40 percent increase over current standards.

“These loans will help the auto industry meet and even exceed the president’s tough fuel standards,” Chu said at Ford’s Research and Innovation Center. “This means the most fuel-efficient cars in the world must be made right here in America.”

Read full from MSN

---

Haase Comments:
Since the 1990's we have had the ability to make nice 70 mpg vehicles that are fast, safe and affordable (Examples below or search blog for 100's more).

However, we have decided once again to give billion dollar companies, billions more to maintain 'status quo'.

Now that we have floated these automakers billions more can they just bring the existing 50mpg* vehicles they 'currently' manufacture to U.S. show rooms*?

But Tesla???  Ford and Nissan at least have dozens of projects 'ready for primetime'. By the time Tesla is ready, peak problems will be solved by nearly every other big player in the field who already has 'done that and been there' with electric cars.

And giving Nissan and ford money to go against Tesla is like giving Coke and Pepsi money to go against TAB.

Regardless of EVERY problem that is being thrown at the U.S. car market to 'stimulate' sales... investing public money into 'researching technological advances that has existed for decades'  may be the largest ponzi scheme yet. This could lead to a 'end of game scenario' that stifles actual progress, leaving consumers with NO oil and NO options by 2015...


*Examples (sorry they are painful but necessary)

Fords 100 year old electric car tech is new
$7,000 builds you a 70 mpg 0-60 in 7 sec...
70mpg was possible in 1995
The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can't Have
60 mpg American made ' Best Cars For The Environment'
We can already have 35mpg trucks...how about 50mpg!
 Full electric cars starting at $1,000 and coming to a Costco or Wal-Mart
5 Passenger 62mpg Ford Fiesta - Not yours!
 110 mpg safe family car in 1984
 YEP... Another GM 60 MPG Vehicle We Don't Have...
 VW - 60 MPG, 90% Emissions Reduction 60 mpg anyone can do for $400
 The 204hp - 45mpg Engine we all can have (BMW)
40 MPG BioDiesel MiniVan you can not buy in USA!
 VW Polo 73 mpg will not come to U.S.
General Motors (GM) 200 mpg lean machine
Non-Hybrid Combined 70 mpg (Not Yours in U.S.)
3 Out of 4 Americans want Clean Cars

VW Polo 73 mpg will not come to U.S.

VIA- autobloggreen

Jealous? Here's a list of European sport diesel coupes the U.S. can't have

Click on any model name for a high-resolution image

Model	Engine Size	Power	Consumption (U.S.)	CO2 emissions
Mercedes CLS 320 CDI 7G-tronic	2,987 cm3	244 HP	31 mpg	200-215 g/km
BMW 635d Coupé Sport-Automatic	2,993 cm3	286 HP	34 mpg	183 g/km
Alfa Romeo Brera 2.4 JTDM 20V	2,387 cm3	210 HP	34 mpg	179 g/km
Audi A5 2.7 TDI Multitronic	2,698 cm3	190 HP	35 mpg	N/A
Mercedes CLK 220 CDI Elegance	2,148 cm3	150 HP	37 mpg	180 g/km
Alfa Romeo GT 1.9 JTDM 16 V Distinctive	1,910 cm3	150 HP	38 mpg	165 g/km
Peugeot 407 Coupé HDi FAP 135 Platinum	1,997 cm3	136 HP	40 mpg	156 g/km
Mercedes CLC 200 CDI	2,148 cm3	122 HP	40 mpg	152 g/km
Volkswagen Passat CC 2.0 TDI	1,968 cm3	140 HP	40 mpg	153 g/km
BMW Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo Coupé	1,995 cm3	214 HP	44 mpg	N/A
Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI	1,968 cm3	140 HP	44 mpg	153 g/km
Audi TT Coupé 2.0 TDI Quattro	1,968 cm3	170 HP	44 mpg	140 g/km
BMW 320d Coupé	1,995 cm3	177 HP	49 mpg	128 g/km
BMW 120d Coupé	1,995 cm3	177 HP	49 mpg	128 g/km
Citroën C4 Coupé HDi 110 FAP VTR Plus EGS6	1,560 cm3	109 HP	52 mpg	120 g/km

Awesome 80′s Thing: 40 mpg, 130 mph, VW Scooter

What you see here is the 1986 VW “Scooter” concept car, first seen at that year’s Frankfurt Auto Show. This little car – I think you’ll agree – is something really special, and (unless you share an apartment with David Hasselhoff or drive a gold Porsche 924) it is surely the most awesomely 80′s German thing you’ve seen all week!

Powered by VW’s then-new 1.4L engine, the small 2-seater offered brisk performance and acceleration, courtesy of its low weight and the engine’s solid low-end torque. The little engine could pull the Scooter to a top speed of more than 130 mph (about the same as an ’86 Mustang or Camaro), all while delivering fuel economy well in excess of 40 mpg … and this compact commuter was built twenty-five (25) years ago!

This little VW, then, is the great grand-daddy of cars like VW’s ultra-efficient, 260 mpg XL1 trike and the minimalist electric Nils (which is being marketed as more “motorcycle” than “car”), and deserves some appropriate, green-pioneer reverie, don’t you think?

VW agrees, and the car currently resides at the VW Museum in Wolfsburg, Germany, where it was recently restored to the excellent running condition you see here – which is excellent enough, apparently, to merit a photo shoot with HP Baxxter, of the German techno group Scooter (really).

Try to enjoy that, I guess?

Source: TechVehi

My comments on the 235 mpg VW... ouch.

I posted the following comments at 'undernews? about the 'new" 235mpg VW

It was hardly 'new news' as I reported it back in 2006 but a reality check regarding the viability of 35mpg standards...

 

Comments:

Amazing that the U.S. has a hard time embracing 35mpg standards.
It is important to note that VW currently offers 90mpg 5 passenger cars (since 2000) and cargo trucks that get over 50mpg (link) .

My fear is that the big two (Ford/GM) are so far behind Nissan (link) and China BYD motors in battery and electric tech. Miles behind VW and BMW in clean high MPG diesels that regardless of the billions we give them... they will be slaughtered unless they build partnerships or offer equally competitive vehicles.

Their foreign competition is not only offering superhigh mpg cars, they are marketing full electric to the mass market for $1,000 and up (link).

It is NOT impossible,

both Ford and GM have 50+ mpg cars and minivans sold internationally (link), a first step to basic survival would be to unconditionally offer those cars here.
And yes, I know they may not meet ALL U.S. safety and emission standards... but how does a Harley or scooter? They don't.

A simple Obama addendum to existing laws could allow deregulation to 'micro car' and 'eco-mileage' classes (50mpg+) with a predetermined safety and emission standard date within a reasonable amount of time (China has already done this-link). Do they understand that now China has the largest car market in the world (link)? In this depression they will need to have a viable product for that market JUST to compete, let alone meet their future 'sales dreams'.

Regardless of the hype and propaganda surrounding 'global warming and peakoil' this is a matter of national security and business prosperity that we actually make cars that conserve and are built for the future of declining resources... and not some 35mpg standard that was clearly obtainable two if not three decades ago.

Earth to U.S. automakers, America needs you.... evolve or face extinction.

261 MPG VW XL1 Concept Confirmed for 2013 Production

Remember the world’s most fuel-efficienct car? Volkswagen has been showing off increasingly-efficient versions of their original 1L concept for the past decade…and now it appears as though VW will do more than tease use. According to one VW exec, the German automaker will start a smaller series of production of the XL1 in Germany starting in 2013.This is the second time rumors of XL1-production have surfaced, in my mind making it more than just hearsay. Powered by a 27-horsepower electric motor and 48-horsepower two-cylinder diesel engine, the XL1 can go 100 km on less than a liter of fuel. That equates to about a 261 mpg rating on the U.S. cycle, thanks to an extremely low weight of just over 1,700 pounds. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of VW Group, told Autonews Europe regarding the XL1 concept that “We will start small series production by 2013 – in Germany.”

With a 0-62 mph time of about 12-seconds, the XL1 isn’t exactly a rocketship. But what it lacks in performance it will make up for in fuel efficiency, or so VW hopes. The reality will hinge on the cost, and I doubt this little foray into extreme fuel efficiency will be cheap. However, it could lead to a future of ultra-efficient commuter vehicles. I also imagine a few of these lightweight pod cars will get a performance boost from thrill-seekers like myself.

What would you pay for a 261 mpg car? And would you be willing to sacrifice any illusion of speed for such extreme efficiency?

Source: Autonews Europe

Chevy VOLT - Forcing dreams into reality is called a delusion...

I am not a pessimist, but I have a hard time with this one... VOLT is innovative?

Big GAV from accross the pond had a great month talking about innovation, but when I read about the Chevy VOLT over the last year. Innovation was NOT in the context.

I have drove, worked on and helped on some amazing vehicles over the last 20 years. 200 mpg fuel sippers, 7 passenger clean 2 cycle CNG's, a garage full of long range electric... I see innovation coming and it is not from volt.

The volts looks just like it the cars it copies (see photos here) .

Is innovation taking other ideas and selling them under different brands?

My 93' GEO (Chevy/Toyota car) gets between 38-44mpg* all the time, regardless of how I treat it.

Before that, I drove a 85 Renault alliance that averaged over 45 mpg*, but sacrificed mpg for the safety and reliability of the GEO due to having a couple kids (they do that to you).

I waited the last decade with dreams, there would be another Chevy that would replace my GEO.  Or just a GEO with a 1.2L turbo clean diesel engine running CNG/Biogas... like Top Gear's $7,000 70mpg VW.

And yes, it is healthy to dream, but when people force their dreams into reality it is called a delusion...

 

The VOLT is the last shred of hope...  Did G.M. watch the Top Gear 70mpg VW or hear about GS and Nissan Motors?

Nissan has a 'ready for primetime full long range electric' - I think will rock the world in 2011.

VW and BMW have a glutton of 45mpg safe + family cars on the table... Even in my budget... there are now full electric and hybrid cars coming to WalMart between $1,000-$5,000 But, a VOLT $40,000+ 'copy car' that shows less innovation than the 1905 Pieper.

 

We also have to equate lifetime environmental and 'true ownership costs'...

The 'Dust to Dust' cost to operate a Prius is still $2.191 per mile.

What will the VOLT be? At least $4 per mile... at $40K (In my lifetime, I have not spent a total of $40,000 on ALL my daily driven cars...)

 

‘Earth to G.M., Time to get in the game!’

Your recent bailout cash could have bought the companies that make better technology and secured a stable future in the global auto market for decades while saving it at the same time !

Seriously, I have purchased great Chevy's in the past, but I am keeping the GEO or buying Foreign until I see affordable, clean innovation in U.S. show rooms.

 

*Yes I did 'tweak' the cars for mpg using EPA rated rim fires, hard rubber skinny tires, light oils and free flow intake/exhaust for 15% better mpg.

60 mpg American made ' Best Cars For The Environment' Not yours but...

American made... but not yours on U.S. shores ;-(
All seat 5 get over 50mpg and these three are FUN and Fast!
It appears someone from Honda and Toyota paid them to leave VW out... as VW would have all top 5 spots.*

#7 Ford New Fiesta

Description: Post 2009 Model Year 1.6 Duratorq TDCi
Fuel: Diesel, 64 mpg

#9 Mazda Mazda2

Description: 2007 Model Year 4 Door
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Fuel: Diesel, 68.9 mpg

#4 Nissan Pixo

Transmission: 5-speed manual
Fuel: Gasoline, 53 mpg

See all ten at The Business Insider

*(VW currently offers 90mpg 5 passenger cars (since 2000) and cargo trucks that get over 50mpg (link) .)

OBAMA knows we can already have 35mpg trucks...how about 50mpg!

With Obama setting a tighter timeline and target on 35mpg standards for U.S., many people are concerned this is a little aggressive... He is not.

I assure you that Obama is fully aware this is a easy and MUCH needed standard. Most family cars in the mid 80's-90's exceeded 35mpg and a few trucks. And both Ford and GM have sold dozens of models  for both trucks and cars that exceed 35mpg for decades.

What will happen if U.S. auto makers ignore timeline?
Easy consumers will buy foreign models like the VW cargo van that gets over 50 mpg.

I repeat these are huge 12 seater CARGO VAN's!

Volkswagen even made a Commercial Vehicle  that the combined mpg figure for the vehicle stated above is 46.3mpg.

However, where vans in this class were driven in real world conditions, found that this vehicle actually achieved 52.48mpg.

Making it the only van in its class to achieve over 50mpg.

How?

These significant achievements are a result of a combination of improvements, including new manual gearboxes, a modified DPF (Diesel Particular Filter), enhanced BlueTDI common rail, direct injection diesel engines and refinements used on Volkswagen's latest BlueMotion models.that have increased engine torque by up to 13.6 per cent, plus improved fuel consumption to help reduce running costs. 

YEP 34mpg city / 50 mpg highway CARGO VAN's   Read more about these at VW

Volkswagen has a 250 mpg (two seater)

Toyota got rid of a 100 mpg car and VW has a 250 mpg car the world is not ready to release.
Why?

Toyota has a better ES3diesel-electric hybrid car, which at 104 mpg gets very close to what I had predicted a diesel-electric hybrid should be able to achieve. Furthermore, it does so using today's commercial quality materials and technology, not some prohibitively expensive space-age materials such as with VW's $1 million prototype tandem 2-seat "1 Liter" concept car,(the "sausage"), which gets 265 mpg. So Toyota could put its new ES3hybrid diesel-electric car into production tomorrow morning if it really wanted to do so and could make a great commercial success of it. But as Toyota told me themselves, they have no interest in doing so.

"The ES3 has a 1.4 litre turbocharged diesel engine and CVT (continuously variable transmission). The engine cuts out when the car stops, automatically and instantly restarting when you touch the accelerator to move off again. Energy that would be lost from braking is used to charge the battery, and the body panels are made from biodegradable plastics. You will see more of these things in future Toyotas.


In developing the ES3, all aspects of recycling were taken into full consideration with special emphasis being placed on the development of materials that are compatible with a variety of recycling methods. As a new type of material, Toyota developed a biodegradable plastic made from starch extracted from sweet potatoes and other plants. This plastic was combined with natural fibers for use in the ES3's pillar garnish and other interior parts. In addition to recylability, the ES3 is free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Also, the reduction of the amount of lead used in light bulbs, paint and other items significantly decreases the overall volume of lead used in the ES3."

http://www.therant.info/archives/000060.html
http://129.33.47.206/about/environment/technology/es3.html

Why can't I own a 190 mpg car? VW had one since 1998.

The Volkswagon Lupo is not a electric super hybrid... it is just an efficient diesel. That the VW, is a small four passenger car that uses a high-technology ultra-clean burning diesel engine and gets over 90 MPG. This car was launched throughout Europe in the fall of 1998. Volkswagen pioneered green diesel engines beginning in the early '90s when they introduced "direct injection" technology, in which fuel and air are pumped directly into cylinders. This innovation decreased fuel consumption of the already fuel-efficient diesels by 15%. Volkswagen engineered not only eye-opening fuel economy into their diesels, but also dramatically lowered emissions.

Volkswagen is not stopping at 90 MPG, however. They world leader in diesel technology announced that they expect to produce a four-seat diesel powered car that can get 190 MPG! Moreover, new filter designs will reduce particle emissions by another 60%, putting diesel engine vehicles complying with ultra-low emissions standards.

If the Lupo isn't a car suited for the American road or the American consumer, that doesn't mean green diesels aren't. Their practicality is compelling. They use diesel fuel, which costs less and is cheaper to produce. Diesel is a fuel that requires less investment at the refining end than gasoline, less additives, and hence a fuel with less earth-impact to produce. Diesel power plants are simpler than gasoline power plants and require less maintenance. Has anyone analyzed the maintenance challenges the new hybrid engines may present as these cars age? Compare this to diesel engines, which run for years with almost no maintenance. And mileage at nearly 100 MPG, with the prospect of mileage at twice that level, is an impressive factor even in America, the land of cheap fossil fuel.

Source: http://www.ecoworld.org/Articles/Hybrid_Cars_EW.htm

06 Volkswagen's Polo 62 MPG of Diesel-Sipping Fun

Fast, fun, 62 mpg - NOT YOURS in the U.S.

 

:Edmunds.com  ...the Polo Blue Motion promises Toyota Prius -beating fuel economy at the low price of $19,990.

 

Its Lupo 3L, the advanced 78-mpg city car masterminded by former chairman Ferdinand Piëch, proved just what is capable if a carmaker is prepared to forgo profits. Unfortunately, the disappointing sales figures — only 28,000 units were sold in six years — meant the mileage champ was ultimately dropped from the German carmaker's lineup. That's a 8.3-mpg improvement over its standard sibling, made even more impressive by the car's 717-mile range.

 

Great 2006 Comments from source at: treehugger

 

What about the the Billion dollar prize at 100mpg posted by The L.A. Times? Time to pony up Dan... The VW Lupo 3l actually does close to 100 mpg not just the 78 mpg. The mathematics are really pretty simple. In the UK a gallon = 4.5 litres. The car goes 100km on 3 litres of diesel so it goes 150km on 4.5 litres or 1 gallon. 150km converts to 93 miles so the Lupo 3L does 93mpg. Even better, it can be simply converted to run on 100% rapeseed oil which is completely renewable and the only co2 emitted is that which was absorbed by the rapeseed plants when they were growing. Rapeseed oil can be bought for 50p a litre in the UK compared to diesel which is now approaching £1 per litre!

 

So, to conclude, we should all be buying up Lupo 3l cars and running them on rapeseed oil.  How does £9 to travel 372 miles sound? 

---

I as well fail to see how this is breathtaking. My parents used to drive a Toyota that got 50pmg from the 70's. Good Ol' Fashioned engineering maybe, but it is certainly not fascinating. If automotive technology had kept it's innovation at the same pace as CPU technology, we would be driving some amazing vehicles.

 

But US manufacturers are still using the same basic combustion engine design that was invented in the late 1800's. This is probably one of the few industries that have been manufacturing 100+ year old technology.

VW broke 119 mpg in 2000. Where the X-Prize?

Back in 2000 (read full press here) VW exceeded 119 mpg in a regular family car.

In 2003 the The Volkswagen Lupo was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records™ for it.

So the question is two part:

Why can no one else (even VW) bring this tech to the US?

And why did VW not win the X-Prize?

From press release (1 November, 2003)

Volkswagen's most economical production car has also recently been placed top for the fourth time in a row, in an environmental car ranking by the prestigious German institute 'Öko-Trend'. This was due not only to its exceptional economy, but also through the environmental consideration demonstrated during the Lupo's production.

Another place in the Guinness World Records™ Book is a major endorsement of Volkswagen's PD ('Pumpe Düse' or unit injector) TDI technology. This system, which uses an individual pump and injector for each cylinder, develops much more injection pressure than common rail, leading to greater efficiency.

The Lupo 3L TDI uses a 1.2-litre TDI PD diesel engine, combined with extensive use of lightweight components and automatic operation of its clutch and five speed gearbox. It is the world's first production car to achieve average consumption of less than three litres per 100 km, which accounts for the '3L' designation in the model's name.

Read more on the Lupo here

VOLT mpg rang erred by about 500%???

First of all, let's talk about fuel economy...

In August of last year, we heard GM's then-CEO Fritz Henderson claimed with all the marketing might it could muster at a Detroit-area press event, that the Chevy Volt would get 230 MPG in city driving conditions. Now, as the Volt's being tested by the auto trade press, we're seeing some surprisingly low fuel economy figures amid the expected lavish praise buff books are heaping upon the Volt.

Let's see what they've found out. Popular Mechanics saw just 37.5 MPG in city driving. Car and Driver apparently didn't choose to use their wheel time for any city driving — but found with all-electric driving

"...getting on the nearest highway and commuting with the 80-mph flow of traffic-basically the worst-case scenario-yielded 26 miles; a fairly spirited back-road loop netted 31; and a carefully modulated cruise below 60 mph pushed the figure into the upper 30s."

Motor Trend, like the rest of the trade press other than Popular Mechanics, didn't appear to do any testing in city conditions, but did find that

"Without any plugging in, [a weeklong trip to Grandma's house] should return fuel economy in the high 30s to low 40s."

They also parrot GM's new line of 25-50 miles of all-electric — a far cry from the 230 MPG they originally marketed — that the "Volt provides 25-50 miles of real-world electric operation no matter how hard you flog it." Read full at Jalopnik

In related GM FAIL news: 

• VOLTS final fail "easier on the environment, but only if you don't mind paying a premium and drive fewer than 40 miles per day." 
• More G.M. VOLT dreams and hype from Bob Lutz 
• GM Volt FAIL - Will be made in China
• The demise of GM VOLT  
• White House Report: GM Volt is Not Ready for Prime Time
• What killed the VOLT's and Tesla?
• Not Yours! - 44mpg overall minivan made by GM.
• YEP... Another GM 60 MPG Vehicle We Don't Have...
• G.M. destine to fail over and over again
• While Detroit fails as VW Wins "Green Car of the Year"
• Why GM is failing... a tragic comedy

VW's new Polo BlueGT - 60 mpg and 140 bhp

Volkswagen's Polo BlueGT was shown at Geneva this week running a turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine.The most interesting aspect of the motor, is that it is the first of the new EA211 series of engines which shut down two of the engine's four cylinder under light and medium loads (below 4,000 rpm, and at torque outputs of less than 100 Nm). Does it work? You bet 140 bhp, a top speed of 210 km/h and using the seven-speed DSG tranny, 4.5 litres per 100 km (62.8 mpg) consumption and CO2 emissions of 105 g/km... Continue Reading VW's new Polo BlueGT - 60 mpg and 140 bhp

VW - 60 MPG, 90% Emissions Reduction

VW's ultra-low emission Jetta BlueTDI will be coming to the US mid-summer...

 VW had to custom modify the Jetta BlueTDI for the North American market. NOx reductions were met with internal engine modifications, some of which are "unique worldwide", and a maintenance-free NOx exhaust trap. Altogether, this system reduces NOx emissions by 90%.

Combining clean emissions with a road-tested 60 MPG highway fuel economy could make this a winner in the US.

Via: AutoblogGreen

Why GM is failing... a tragic comedy

Seriously, would you bail out this friend?

 

GM Announces New Small Car For US Market

GM plans to bring the five-door hatchback G3 to the US early next year that offers an EPA estimated 27 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway while providing the best shoulder and hip room in the segment for seating five adults.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile VW Golf BlueMotion Gets 74 MPG  On Sale Mid-2009

A new hyper-efficient 1.6 TDI diesel engine also means that the latest offering boasts fuel economy of 74.3mpg (combined), an improvement of around 20% on the Mark V, while still enabling acceleration from 0-60 mph in 11.2 seconds, apparently due to improved aerodynamics and a new ’sporty’ gearbox... while providing MORE shoulder and hip room for seating five adults than the GM

 

 

 

MY FATHER HAD A 78' Corolla that sat five and got 40mpg and so does my 93' GEO Prism (Corolla drivetrain)

 

I think GM needs a "technology intervention" and not financial support... giving them more money is like taking a drunk to a bar to talk about their drinking problem.

 

Source of this story »

 

Not hype, not Hybrid... just a 93 MPG Volkswagen

The Lupo is the smallest car manufactured by Volkswagen. It was introduced in 1999 to fill a gap at the bottom of the VW model range caused by the increasing size and weight of the VW Polo.

The car is available with a variety of engine sizes and trim levels, from budget models through to the GTI variant. The 6-speed GTI has been labelled a true successor to the VW Golf Mk.1, the first true hot hatch. Rivals include the Ford Ka and the Fiat Panda.

Various special-edition and test models have set records in fuel economy. The lightweight nature of the car and advanced 3-cylinder diesel engine have resulted in a production model (the Lupo 3L) that can consume as little as 3 liters per 100 kilometers (78 miles per US gallon or 94 miles per Imperial gallon). It was rumoured that it was this model that encouraged Renault to produced the Clio V6, since they assumed 3L stood for a 3-litre engine.

The SEAT Arosa is a badge-engineered version of the Lupo.

Production of the Lupo will cease in 2005, with only the 3L and GTI models continuing production. It has already been replaced by the VW Fox.

Read more here:

VW' s 7-seater mini-van 38 mpg

Yep and a Dodge Grand Caravan, diesel with about 40mpg all sold in the U.K. since 02.

 

It is time America embraces the 20-30% energy savings of clean diesels.

 

Read about VW here

Volkswagen 313 MPG For 2013 - Yep a diesel...

"Volkswagen just unveiled a new car at the Qatar Motor Show that gets an astounding 100km for less than a liter of diesel fuel – that's the equivalent of 313 miles per gallon!

The XL1 concept car is an upgraded version of the VW L1 vehicle, and it features an ultra-efficient diesel engine in addition to an electric motor that is powered by a lithium-ion battery.

The vehicle is currently slated to enter production in 2013 and is expected to cost approximately $29,500." Autoblog calls it 261 mpg, which isn't too shabby, either. At less than a thousand pounds empty, I hope this comes with a really good bike lock. - SlashDot