Orange oil-infused tires are the new green for saving the environment

Yokohama has introduced a new tire model that replaces 80% of the petroleum based products that used to make up a tire’s composition with non-petroleum based products. The new dB Super E-spec passenger tire uses Yokohama’s Super Nano-Power Rubber compound and Advanced Inner Liner to create a tire that is 80% petroleum free, performs better than conventional tires made of vulcanized rubber, and has ultra-low rolling resistance.

The new Yokohama orange oil-infused tire is their first product designed specifically for hybrid automobiles. Introduced in Japan in 2007, the dB super E-spec reconciles the conflict between low rolling resistance - key to delivering improved fuel economy - and superior grip in both wet and dry conditions while offering the quiet, comfortable ride that compliments the silent driving characteristics of hybrids. This translates directly into improved fuel economy as rolling resistance can account for up to 20 per cent of the friction that a vehicle must overcome when moving.

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Japan praised President Barack Obama’s new rules to push green vehicles and transform the U.S. auto industry — a shift that likely puts Japan’s manufacturers at an advantage. Obama announced rules this week that would bring new cars and trucks sold in the United States by 2016 to an average of 35.5 miles per gallon (15 kilometers per liter), about 10 mpg (4.2 kpl) more than today’s standards.

Toyota Motor Corp., the maker of the Prius hybrid, which gets 48 miles per gallon in U.S. city driving, gave Obama “high praise” for promoting technology to boost mileage and fight global warming. And now it appears as though they’re going to be rewarded for it, which I think is great.

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The EPA and Energy Department issued the 2009 fuel economy guide.

The overall fuel economy leader is no surprise. It’s the Toyota Prius, rated at 48 mpg in the city and 45 on the highway.

The new additions to the top 10 list this year are the Smart ForTwo convertible and coupe and Volkswagen Jetta diesels. (Click on the link to read more about the Jetta TDI).

The Jetta diesels were not in the market last year because they did not meet tighter clean air rules. They are back this year with improved emissions controls. The Jetta sedan and Sportwagen with manual transmissions are in seventh place with ratings of 30 mpg city and 41 mpg highway. In September a couple from Australia set a new world record of 58.82 mpg in a Jetta TDI sedan traversing the 48 continental states.

Revised testing and calculation methods meant almost all the vehicles got lower ratings than before. The methodology was changed to make ratings more closely reflect real-world driving.

Here is the top 10 list for 2009:

1. Toyota Prius (hybrid) — 48/45
2. Honda Civic Hybrid — 40/45
3. Nissan Altima Hybrid — 35/33
4. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD; Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD; Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD — 34/31
5. Smart ForTwo convertible; Smart ForTwo coupe — 33/41
6. Toyota Camry Hybrid — 33/34
7. Volkswagen Jetta (manual, diesel); Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (manual, diesel) — 30/41
8. Volkswagen Jetta (automatic, diesel); Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (automatic, diesel) — 29/40
9. Toyota Yaris (manual) — 29/36
10. Toyota Yaris (automatic) — 29/35

The complete fuel economy guide can be found at www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm and is organized by year.

By Kurt Gensheimer

“Back in the day”, to use the parlance of our times, when gasoline was a buck fifty, I used to spend hours in my Mazda RX-8 burying the RPM needle, downshifting to fourth on the freeway, and drifting through corners with hachi-roku zeal. But with the onset of over four dollar gasoline, my zeal for wasting fuel has subsided, and a new style of performance driving has taken over.

It’s called Hypermiling, and although an RX-8 isn’t the best car for this style of performance driving, when you’re averaging less than 20 miles per gallon, any improvement in fuel economy is welcome.
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By Derek Mau

11 Gas Saving Tips

With gasoline and diesel prices continually rising at an astronomic rate, people are looking for ways to keep their fuel bills from devastating their already tight budget. Without investing into a hybrid or some other alternative fuel vehicle - which has an huge initial cost - you can go a little farther on that tank of gas and realize some immediate results by using some or all of the following gas saving tips. We compiled an easy list of things you can do right away and make fewer trips to the gas station.

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