Car Blog Green » diesel

Saab improves efficiency of 9-3 diesel, now up to 44.4 mpg (U.S.)

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Saab has just tweaked the diesel versions of the 9-3 to reduce the fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions. Over in Europe, the Saab is available with a 1.9L turbodiesel four in two power flavors. The milder single turbo 150 hp variant is now rated at 44.4 mpg (U.S.) in the sedan or 42.8 mpg (U.S.) in the wagon. The CO 2 emissions of the two body styles are now at 139 g/km and 144 g/km respectively. The average 7 percent gains in efficiency are due to revised gearing, taller (lower numerical) final drive ratio, revised engine calibrations and lower rolling resistance tires. Gallery: 2008 Saab 9-3 diesel [Source: Saab] Continue reading Saab improves efficiency of 9-3 diesel, now up to 44.4 mpg (U.S.) Auto Blog: Diesel , MPG , Saab Saab improves efficiency of 9-3 diesel, now up to 44.4 mpg (U.S.) originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

The rest is here:
Saab improves efficiency of 9-3 diesel, now up to 44.4 mpg (U.S.)

Jetta TDI spotted doing taxi service in New York City

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:57:00 +0000

An alert reader in Manhattan recently noticed an unusual new vehicle decked in the yellow paint scheme of a New York cab. This is the first known example of a Volkswagen Jetta TDI doing livery service in the Big Apple. Much has been made of the city’s taxi and limousine commission requiring new cab vehicles to get a minimum of 25 mpg and the assumption that this would mean hybrids only. In fact most of the vehicles approved for use in the city are hybrids, with the exception of the old Ford Crown Victoria, wheel chair accessible vans and the diesel Jetta. It’s not known how many Jettas are operating in Gotham right now but there is at least this one. Thanks to Nate for the tip! [Source: GolfMKV.com ] Auto Blog: Diesel , Volkswagen Jetta TDI spotted doing taxi service in New York City originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

Here is the original post:
Jetta TDI spotted doing taxi service in New York City

Naysayers alert: cost of diesel drops below premium gas

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:18:00 +0000

At least one barrier to diesel ownership may be falling by the wayside now that the average price for a gallon of diesel fuel has dropped below that of premium gasoline in the United States. According to the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. government, the average price of diesel fuel in this country on February 16th was $2.18. By way of comparison, the average gallon of premium gas: $2.19. Of course, even that isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison because a gallon of diesel fuel contains more potential energy than a gallon of gasoline. Add in the fact that internal combustion engines running on diesel fuel are more efficient than their gas-powered counterparts, and diesel starts making even more sense. Still, it’s not all rosy for diesel engines in America. There are many ways to measure emissions, and in some cases, diesels aren’t so clean. Specifically, oil-burners exhaust higher levels of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides along with particulate matter (soot) in the form of unburned carbon compounds. All of these issues can be mitigated somewhat, but that costs money. Still, diesel (including biodiesel) is an alternative that is looking more and more practical as time marches on. [Source: Energy Information Administration via The Car Connection ] Auto Blog: Diesel , Green Daily , USA Naysayers alert: cost of diesel drops below premium gas originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

Car Blog Greenmore:
Naysayers alert: cost of diesel drops below premium gas

VIDEO: New charging post juices old electric GMC van

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Click above and scroll down to watch the video While perhaps not as spectacular as San Francisco getting a fancy Smartlet charging station in front of City Hall , the addition of two charging posts at Truckee Meadows Community College in Northern Nevada are a welcome addition to the nations slowly-growing charging infrastructure. The posts, which use a traditional parking meter interface and ask for only 10 cents an hour, are getting put to good use, as we learned from a bit of video by the local NBC affiliate, KRNV. As interesting as the posts were, the station found one of the vehicles regularly using them was just as interesting: a 1991 GMC Van. Around the time GM was refining the Impact prototype that would go on to become the EV1 , some GMC vans were built with an electric drivetrain for the Department of Defense, according to the vehicle’s owner (Southern California Edison got some too). Able to go 70 miles on a charge, the vehicle requires little maintenance and its driver seems very happy with his old EV ride. If you are thinking that you’d like a van like this yourself, you may be in luck. A nice looking 1989 copy is listed on the EV Album by someone who says, “I’m considering selling this, contact me with offer.” If that doesn’t pan out and you’re good with a wrench, there’s another in need of extreme TLC on eBay for the next few days. Video after the jump. [Source: YouTube / eBay / EV Album ] Continue reading VIDEO: New charging post juices old electric GMC van Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , GMC , Green Daily , USA VIDEO: New charging post juices old electric GMC van originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

See original here:
VIDEO: New charging post juices old electric GMC van

Still stealing: 606 gallons of diesel fuel taken in Fort Myers

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:02:00 +0000

“Stealing Diesel” photo by wili_hybrid . Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0. Who needs high gas prices to participate in pernicious deeds? While the rash of fuel thefts has died down from its crazy heyday last summer, fuel is still a valuable commodity and some folks in Florida thought they’d help themselves to 606 gallons of diesel. Late last month, a Fort Myers gas station was plundered by someone on a motorcycle and people driving two semi trucks. According to an MSNBC report, surveillance video shows the crew pulling up to the pump, taking the fuel, then driving away. As Brian Chee of Tank of Diesel writes in a letter that starts “Dear Diesel Thief,” the fuel stolen in Florida was worth just $1,357 (using national diesel fuel price averages) compared to the $2,514 it would’ve been worth eight months ago. Wonder if the authorities will take this into consideration? [Source: Tank of Diesel , MSNBC ] Auto Blog: Diesel , Etc. , Green Daily Still stealing: 606 gallons of diesel fuel taken in Fort Myers originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

See more here:
Still stealing: 606 gallons of diesel fuel taken in Fort Myers

Volvo XC60 diesel beats gas over 662 miles in Northern California

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:29:00 +0000

Auto Blog: Diesel , MPG , Volvo The guys at Popular Mechanics recently had an opportunity to test out Volvo’s new XC60 crossover in Northern California. When the XC60 goes on sale in the U.S. next month, it will only be offered with a 281 hp turbocharged 3.0L inline six cylinder. For the media drive, Volvo brought over some examples of the European-spec diesel model. The PM crew took one of the 182 hp 2.4L five cylinder diesels out on a 662-mile trip alongside a U.S. gas model. While the gas model proved a bit more responsive than the diesel, the oil burner’s torque proved itself useful climbing the hills when they got into San Francisco. To no one’s surprise, the diesel handily beat the gas version, so much so that even with the higher price of diesel fuel it still came out ahead. The diesel XC60′s 27.3 mpg was 39 percent better than the gas engine and with diesel at $3.00 and gas at $2.30, the operating cost of the diesel was 13.5 percent less. Volvo is expected to debut a new diesel engine at the Geneva next and rumor has it they may offer it in the U.S. [Source: Popular Mechanics ] Volvo XC60 diesel beats gas over 662 miles in Northern California originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

See the rest here:
Volvo XC60 diesel beats gas over 662 miles in Northern California

New BMW diesels feature incorrect fueling protection system

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:01:00 +0000

Auto Blog: Diesel , BMW Click the 335d for a high res gallery One of the risks of owning and operating a diesel vehicle is mis-fueling. Just as putting diesel fuel in the tank of a gas-powered vehicle will cause some very expensive damage, so to will gas in a diesel tank. The former is largely prevented by the use of two different sized nozzles. Diesel nozzles on pumps are larger in diameter than gas nozzles so they don’t physically fit. However, it’s not uncommon for drivers to mistakenly insert a smaller gas nozzle into the diesel fill neck on the vehicle. BMW has devised a mechanism that locks the flap in the filler neck to prevent fuel flow if the smaller nozzle is inserted. Only the larger diesel nozzle will unlock the flap allowing fuel to flow. The new system is now standard on all diesel-equipped BMWs, both in Europe and North America, including the new 335d and X5 xDrive35d. Hopefully, BMW will share this technology with other automakers. Gallery: ABG First Drive: 2009 BMW 335d Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading New BMW diesels feature incorrect fueling protection system New BMW diesels feature incorrect fueling protection system originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

Originally posted here:
New BMW diesels feature incorrect fueling protection system

New BMW diesels feature incorrect fueling protection system

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:01:00 +0000

See the original post:
New BMW diesels feature incorrect fueling protection system

Volvo announces new 2.4L 5-cylinder diesel for S80

admin — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 10:02:00 +0000

Filed under: Diesel , Volvo Over in Europe, Volvo’s top end model – the S80 – will be getting a new engine option this year in the form of a new 2.4L five cylinder diesel. This engine replaces an existing one with the same displacement and configuration.

Car Blog Greenmore:
Volvo announces new 2.4L 5-cylinder diesel for S80