Vauxhall's VXR8 Sport Saloon Wins MPG Marathon Award, No Really

In an eco-marathon, you normally expect the winner to be a hybrid, a diesel or some other super-frugal -and usually underpowered- car. Well, in the Fleet World MPG Marathon the champion had no less than 431-horses kicking and screaming to be unleashed under its bonnet.

You read that correctly: the LS3 6.2-liter V8-powered VXR8 - essentially a Holden HSV rebadged as a Vauxhall for the UK market- won the two-day, 350-mile economy trial.

How did this happen? There's a simple explanation: this award wasn't given to the most fuel efficient vehicle in absolute numbers, but to the one that recorded the highest percent improvement over the official fuel consumption figures.

Read more »

Obama Administration Pushes Back Announcement on 54.5 mpg CAFE Regulations

The stricter fuel consumption standards that the Obama administration planned to introduce this week will be delayed, according to a report from Reuters. The government pushed hard to gain the automakers’ approval, and after making some concessions, it achieved its goal.

However, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the Transportation Department that were expected to announce the new CAFE regulations for model years 2017-2025 by the end of the week are not yet ready. Therefore, the announcement will be delayed by a month, or possibly even more.

Read more »

ACEA Wants Carmakers to Adopt Standardized Charging Plugs for EVs

The European Union has already agreed with cell phone manufacturers to adopt a common charger format for their new phones. Therefore, consumers we will be able to buy a new phone without a charger, which up until now, was different to the one used by their old cellphone.

Now ACEA, the European car manufacturers association, is following the example and wants carmakers to adopt a common standard concerning chargers for their plug-in electric vehicles. To that end, it has already compiled a set of recommendations that stipulates the use of a uniform type of plug regardless of the country or power provider.

Read more »

Toyota Invests in Safety, Demonstrates Hybrid Synthetic Sound Alert and More

Toyota has taken a lot of heat in the past couple of years over safety issues, especially in North America. But last January, the Japanese company announced that it will invest $50 million over five years in its Collaborative Research Safety Center (CRSC) to develop new safety technologies.

Recently, Toyota Motor Sales USA organized a Safety Seminar in which it displayed the technologies developed by the CRSC and its partners while also announcing plans to launch 10 new research initiatives with leading US universities and institutions.

Read more »