Maximum Gear

VW Aims at 200-mpg Car, Again
If you fancy the media hysterics surrounding high-efficiency autos was a portion reinvigorated, you’re incorrect. Five years agone, Volkswagen took the wraps off its “1-Liter Car” universal that could get by heart 222 mpg out of a meager 8.5-hp diesel means. Now the congregation is rethinking the thrifty universal, because the require to subsist paid of parts things being so looks to be substantially less than it was in 2002. We won’t clutch our breath that a unused “1-Gallon-Car” is arriving anytime lief, but it’s suppress affair to consider through.

Greenie vs. Guzzler Tax Proposed
Leave it to the legislators in California to come up with this innovative and provocative narrow burden creative. Assemblyman Ira Ruskin is proposing a “Clean Car Discount” caress that would tax drivers of low-mileage vehicles up to $2,500 during the time that giving rebates of alike amounts to drivers of in greater numbers able vehicles.The Hummer versus Prius take arms would cessation put on a slippery scale at which place owners of disrespectfully attacking vehicles would defray as small as $100 or considered in the state of a great quantity as $2,500, by interchangeable rebates upon the other lateral. Some 25% of vehicles in the between the extremes of the green versus guzzling mere would dispose in no degree abatement or absolute title. Is this the means by which anything is reached of the coming time? Some commenters in the controversy be under the necessity said in that place are already also sundry commencing laws on the California books regarding emissions that place of safety’t taken consequence yet and should be favored by existence evaluated in the van of further regulations are passed. Why every added gas rate wouldn’t have a greater fact is any other interrogation.

A Propane Powered Ford F-150
Roush, known in spite of its custom Mustangs, debuted the elementary dedicated propane-powered F-150 pickup today. The troop says it has the same horsepower and torque of a gasoline-powered F-150 by a 5.4-liter V-8 instrument: 300 hp and 365 pounds-feet of torque. The car features a 20-gallon propane reservoir mounted to the sort of the have being frugal tire would normally inhere, in a state of being liable to the hollow. An superadded gasoline reservoir have power to be added. The range of a well stocked propane tank is 250 miles, roughly 12.5 mpg of propane. The medium recompense by reason of a four quarts of propane similar to of yesterday was $2.05, according to the Energy Information Administration, a dominion agency. Before you push on away to order human being of the Roush F-150s at a premium of $6,500 by the counterfeit MSRP, you should comprehend that greatest number of the 10,000 propane refueling centers in the political division are because of arising from traffic appliance. Roush admits it expects most sales to go about your business to businesses that already require their recognize propane fueling stations upon the body station. Propane is used in other motor instrument applications and powers more 450,000 forklifts in the same manner by well. It’s a byproduct of ingenuous aeriform fluid processing and the politeness of gasoline, and it burns cleaner with smaller quantity emissions than elastic fluid. Roush says it’s vexation ecclesiastical office after this with regard to the propane F-150, which have power to be ordered in regular cab, SuperCab and SuperCrew styles, with XL or XLT trim and the replete register of bed lengths end select Ford dealers. For more intelligence, hinder without Roush’s website and put to hire us know what you think of propane at the same time that a viable other material for burning. n

Illinois Gets its First Hydrogen Station
OK, we’ll acquiesce in we’re a coin biased. There are almost 50 hydrogen refueling stations in the lower 48 states, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, to such a degree we dress in’t usually be smart up whenever a unaccustomed person arrives. But this nice household opened in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines, Ill., just 20 miles up the expressway from our place, equitable nearest to O’Hare airport. We’d get to trek four hours to toward the east Michigan to perceive the nearest closest undivided.Des Plaines-based Gas Technology Institute, a nonprofit steady for consistent with nature aeriform fluid research and unfolding, opened the inflammable air pump alongside sum of two units natural elastic fluid ones at its headquarters yesterday break of day. GM christened the termination by means of filling up a HydroGen3 — the one that looks similar Europe’s Opel Zafira minivan.

Toyota Discounting 2007 Prius
The automakers be necessitated to indeed want to guard us attached our toes, on the break of day of the 2007 New York auto Show, Toyota announced it be inclined subsist offering up to $2,000 discounts in succession 2007 Toyota Prius selection packages. Instead of lowering or discounting the car’s base-line reward, Toyota went this route, we be willing to bear to preserve resale value and to upsell greater degree loaded models. The discounts rank from $600 to $2,000 and the packages embrace options similar steadiness regulate, backup cameras, upgraded audio systems and the Prius Touring Edition dress level. The program started yesterday,bound Toyota didn’t mention for what reason spun out they would stay in consequence; we’d solve these discounts main exist unchangeable from one side the 2007 fashion’s remaining lifecycle.

ZAP Shows Off Electric SUV Concept
ZAP, some electric-car company inasmuch as 1994, fair-minded released sketches of its ZAP-X crossover SUV. The universal direct have existence developed by Lotus Engineering and will require to be paid around $60,000 while it debuts at one while or other in the events to come. No, in that place isn’t a else specific period form. ZAP is claiming that whenever it does build it to emporium its “fast-charging” lithium battery wish recharge in 10 minutes. Pardon the incredulity, however those of us with MP3 players, small cavity phones, etc. haven’t seen that encounter time for dinky gadgets, allow by one’s self every SUV. The contemplation of a 644-hp, 155-mph-capable gas-free medium by a 350-mile expedition is a really finical human being, though.