The Hummer, the GM brand of mega-car that gets 9-14 mpg, may soon become extinct. The vehicle has had a love/hate relationship with the public since its debut in the early 1990s, with owners citing its size and power as a reason to own and environmentalists labeling its fuel economy as pure wastefulness. But surging fuel prices over the past few years have prompted General Motors to close four truck and SUV plants in North America, and the automaker may discontinue the Hummer to focus more on smaller vehicles. CEO Rick Wagoner announced this change in June in response to the falling sales of pickup trucks and SUVs due to high oil prices. He also said a market shift to smaller vehicles is likely to be permanent.

Everything indicates that Wagoner’s statement is true. Hummer’s overall sales are down about 40% this year as gas prices have topped $4 a gallon at times. There were rumors that Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, India’s top utility vehicle maker would consider buying the brand, but it turns out that they are not interested, supposedly because they are pursuing their own models which will include a line-up of eco-friendly vehicles. Other worldwide companies, Russian Motors and the Chinese Changfeng Motor Company had also held preliminary talks with GM about acquiring the brand, but also ended up saying no. The Chinese company said that the vehicle was too expensive for their military, and wouldn’t do well with civilians due to the high oil prices.

The only thing for sure is that selling the Hummer will be tough. Drivers more and more are leaning towards more fuel-efficient vehicles, and the Hummer is even less practical today than it was ten years ago during the era of cheap gas prices.

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Most of us have heard the debate about using ethanol as fuel for our vehicles. One on hand, ethanol is a biofuel alternative to gasoline, and the U.S. desperately needs to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. On the other hand, research shows that producing ethanol takes much more energy than the fossil fuel actually puts out when used as fuel. And since ethanol is made from crops like corn and sugar cane, there is also less of these crops for people to eat, and the prices of such crops has as a result increased exponentially.

Ethanol is considered “renewable” because it pretty much is the result of conversion of the sun’s energy into usable energy. The process to get from the crops to E85, the blend found in fueling stations, is a complicated one with many steps. UC Berkeley geoengineering professor Tad Patzek did a study considering often-overlooked stages in the process, like the use of fossil fuels to extrude alcohol from the corn, produce fertilizers, and transport the crops and dispose of wastewater. He and his class determined that ethanol contains 65% less usable energy than is consumed in the process of making it.

Additionally, the price of corn in the U.S. has risen from around $2 a barrel a few years ago, to around $6 a barrel today. An agriculture economist at Purdue University, along with many other notable scientists, says that the increase in ethanol production is the main driving force behind this price increase. And the jump in corn prices is already affecting the price of food - in Mexico, which gets much of its corn from the U.S., the price of corn tortillas has doubled since 2006.

While ethanol used as fuel is a good idea in theory, it may be time for the U.S. to be investing in different forms of alternative energy. It’s nice to be able to fill up our cars with something other than gasoline, but the effects of using ethanol seem to be worse than using gas.

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The cost of teen driving is astronomical in all aspects. A recent report by AAA says that car accidents involving drivers aged 15-17 cost more than $34 billion in medical expenses, property damage, and related costs in 2006. Of that $34 billion, $9.8 billion was related to fatal crashes, and $20.5 billion had to do with non-fatal crashes. The same study found that this age group was involved in approximately 974,000 crashes that injured over 406,400 people and killed 2,541. Also, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention claims that motor vehicle deaths are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, making up 36% of all deaths for this age group.

So what can we do about the problem? Most driver’s education programs aren’t comprehensive enough to fully educate teens about the dangers of driving. But the Mid-Ohio School in Lexington, Ohio, has offered an intense Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program for over fifteen years. Teens are taught how to avoid accidents by practicing emergency driving situations like wet braking techniques and emergency lane-changes in a controlled environment. If you don’t live in Ohio, Tire Rack’s Street Survival program takes place in 50 cities and is open to permitted and licensed drivers ages 16 to 21. The program teaches teens how to become more aware of traffic problems and to better anticipate other driver’s actions.

Car insurance companies have also begun trying to make driving safer for teens. State Farm offers a program that requires drivers under 19 to sign a parent-teen driving contract, and people over 19 to sign a safe-driving pledge. AAA also offers parent-teen driving contracts and supports a graduated driver licensing (GDL) system where teens begin driving under a three-stage system. This will hopefully continue being a significant method of reducing injuries and deaths from driving. A study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety showed that the GDL system in California has led to a 23% overall reduction in the crash-involvement rate of 16-year-old drivers, and a 38% decrease in crash rates with teenage passengers. These statistics are encouraging and are more support for the idea that GDL systems are effective.

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Though gas prices where I live in Raleigh have dropped almost 40 cents over the past month, the era of higher prices is most likely here to stay. Nevertheless, there are numerous things drivers can do to save gas and maximize their miles per gallon. Two of the biggest changes drivers can make relate to how they drive: traveling at lower (or the posted) speeds, and accelerating and braking smoother.

Driving on the interstate can often be a harrowing experience, but I’ve actually noticed less of a frenzied pace on I-40 than I used to. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I think more and more drivers are realizing that reducing their speed just a little can translate into big savings at the pump. According to a CNN Money article, gas mileage for most cars decreases exponentially over 60 mph. For every 10 mph faster, fuel economy is reduced by 4 mpg. So if your SUV only gets 24 mpg on the highway to begin with, remember that it could be as little as 20 mpg if you’re going 70 or higher.

Aggressive driving, like accelerating and braking faster than necessary, can also waste gas and money. If your light turns green, but you see the light a block away is red, why peel away only to have to slow down again? Fueleconomy.gov reports that aggressive driving can lower your gas mileage by about 5% around town; a Consumer Reports study said that starting and stopping rapidly lowered a Toyota Camry’s mileage by 2-3 mpg. While you don’t need to crawl away from traffic lights or stop signs, a smart move would be to look down the road to anticipate potential slowdowns. So whether you’re driving around town or taking a road trip, there are actions you can take to squeeze more miles out of your gas tank. Driving a little slower and less aggressively will go a long way.

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Tags: Auto News, General Auto, travel by Melissa - 2 Comments »

The next time a car near you doesn’t seem to be able to stay in their lane, you may want to glance over and make sure both of their hands are on the wheel instead of on their cell phone or Blackberry. The newest distraction to hit the roadways isn’t simply talking on the phone while driving, but text messaging.

I hope you’re thinking, “text messaging? But that takes two hands!” However, a recent study by FindLaw.com shows that texting while driving may be more common than you’d think. The survey found that 48% of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 and over a quarter of drivers 25 to 34 admitted to texting or emailing while behind the wheel. Interestingly, texting while driving correlates to age; older individuals are less likely to text while driving than younger, more tech-savvy people. And since some states have enacted bans against speaking on cell phones, people may turn to texting because it is still legal in most places, though possibly more dangerous since it usually involves two hands. However, that may change soon. Four states - Minnesota, Alaska, New Jersey, and Washington - have already banned texting while driving, and legislation is under consideration in thirteen more states.

Whether or not text messaging while driving is legal in your state or not, it’s one of the most distracting things someone can do while driving and has been the cause of several crashes and deaths around the country. Even though it only takes a few seconds to type out a message, seconds are precious time while behind the wheel of a car. So the next time you get a text or email while driving, remember that the possible consequences of responding right away far outweigh the consequences of waiting until you’re in a safer situation to respond.

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How many miles-per-gallon does your vehicle get? If your answer was “not enough,” try to be patient - U.S. and foreign automakers will, over the next decade, be required to make more fuel-efficient vehicles. For the first time since 1975, Congress has passed a law requiring a change in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE). The nation’s fleet of cars and trucks today are required to average 25 mpg, but by 2015 that standard will be raised to 31.6 mpg with an ultimate goal of 35 mpg by 2020, a 40% increase over the next 12 years.

While 2020 might seem like a long way off in today’s world of high gas prices, the auto industry has a lot of work cut out for them. Only 2 cars today average 35 mpg - the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid. Others, like the Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Toyota Camry Hybrid, and Toyota Yaris come close, but American car companies in particular will have to get their concepts out of the auto shows and onto the roads.

These changes in fuel-efficiency standards will cut our demand on foreign oil, and also reduce the amount of harmful carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. How much will the new law save? Estimates say that the new standards should save 55 billion gallons of oil over the life of new vehicles built between 2011 and 2015. Carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 192 million metric tons per year, which is the same as removing 27 million cars from the road. Drivers will save $700-$1,000 per year in gas costs, and oil demand will decrease by 1.1 million barrels a day when the new cars and trucks are on the road.

So if you’re stuck with an SUV that gets 15 mpg, at least take heart knowing that in about 10 years, there will be plenty of other, more fuel-efficient options to choose from.

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Do you remember back when you were a kid, sitting in the driver’s seat of your parent’s car and pretending that those dials were controls and the steering wheel was the joystick to your very own airplane? Well, maybe that was just me, but little did I know at the time, that a car functioning as a flying machine was actually a plausible concept, and believe it or not, it’s closer to realization than you may think.

According to a recent article, the great minds at NASA are at it again with a new computer system that is designed to let millions of people fly wherever they please in their own vehicles. How great would it be to bring your kid back to school in a flying car, or arrive at work on the rooftop of your building? “The Highway in the Sky” as it is known will function just like a video game. Drivers (well, pilots in this case) basically just watch a computer screen that is displaying the exterior environment. They then must keep their car within the parameters set by the computer and the computer will then automatically guide them to their destination. The $130 million dollar project will not only be a breakthrough in the automobile world but is also meant to help actual airline pilots fly during bad weather. NASA is also planning on using positioning tracking systems to watch over the flying vehicles and keep them from running into each other.

Believe it or not, “the highway in the sky” is not the first invention to help push cars towards flight. Paul Moller of Davis California has attempted to build a real flying car. The Skycar is built with four rotary engines that when lit up propel the car into the sky, and is designed to cruise at 300 mph. Although still in the prototype phase, the concept is indeed very promising.

So when should drivers look forward to this futuristic breakthrough in transportation? Most likely, cars will be staying on the ground for another 10 years or so but Woody Norris, inventor of the AirScooter, which is a fully functioning flying vehicle similar to a motorcycle, believes that we are certainly in for a pleasant surprise in the future.

“This stuff that we’re surrounded by, that we think is so cool is caveman. The good stuff is coming. The really good stuff is coming.”

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In the past few weeks gas prices have thankfully begun to decline, but the damage continues to wreak havoc on our wallets when filling up at the pump. This has recently begun to challenge automakers to try and create more fuel-efficient vehicles for people to drive, and Volkswagen has stepped up the plate in a big way and hit the challenge right out of the park.

It’s been dubbed the super-thrifty One-Liter Car because that is how much fuel the car requires to go 100 kilometers, or about 62.14 miles. The amazing bullet-shaped concept car has been tested and reportedly gets a miraculous 235 miles per gallon. Could this be the reason that Volkswagen has bumped up the car’s production by two years to have it available in 2010 instead of 2012? Possibly. Or it could just be the fact that the automakers are excited to introduce this new concept to the world. The one-liter car has not only made great leeway in the areas of fuel-efficiency but it has also defied the weight traditionally held by an average sized car. Thanks to its highly aerodynamic design, coming in at 11.4 feet long, 4.1 feet wide, and 3.3 feet tall, this new concept car only weighs an astounding 660 pounds. Engineers used an extensive amount of magnesium, titanium, and aluminum in order to reach this weight, which is actually one-third of the Toyota Echo. So despite being a dream car in terms of fuel-efficiency, it makes me wonder whether a car this small in size and weight can be safe for consumers to drive?

According to Volkswagen representatives, the car is fully equipped with safety measures such as anti-lock breaks, stability control and airbags and is as safe to drive as the GT sports car that is meant for high speed racing. So I guess my concerns are null and void because it seems as though Volkswagen has conceptualized the perfect balance between safety and efficiency. And if you’re worried whether or not this gas saving vehicle will drain your wallet in price, don’t be. The sticker price is estimated to be between $31,750 and $47,622, which isn’t too bad considering how much money you’ll be saving at the pumps.

So what do you think? Have gas prices finally met their match?

Check out some of these links for more automotive information:

• Straight to the Top Productions
• Coach and Motor Repair Services
• Automotive News
• Magnolia Detroit Automotive Resources
• Car Loan Information
• Auto Loans
• Auto Tuning
• Latest Auto News
• Auto & Car

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Tags: Auto News, General Auto, travel by Ashley - 2 Comments »

For a sixteen-year-old teenager, passing the driving test begins a new chapter in which they are given the freedom to explore the wonders of the open road. But according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are four times more likely to be involved in car accidents and this is because often times teens are much more concerned with talking to friends on their cell phones and finding the coolest music to listen to, rather than paying attention to the road. So what are those top distractions for teenage drivers while driving? The following list suggests some of the top reasons why teenage drivers are getting distracted during their time on the road:

1.) Cell Phones: Sadly despite laws in most states banning the use of cell phones while driving, teenagers and adults are still often found chatting away on their phones while driving. This is a very dangerous action that causes a number of accidents every year.

2.) Loud Music: Now, I understand that people love to listen to their ipods while driving, but many younger drivers tend to blast their music at deafening levels, which is not only distracting for the teenage driver, but also for other drivers on the road. Loud music deters the driver from hearing emergency vehicles and can also lead to reckless driving.

3.) Transporting friends: For teenagers, owning your own car and being able to take your friends around town to entertainment events, creates such a wonderful sense of accomplishment and excitement. But for young drivers, energetic passengers can be very distracting and greatly increases the risk for car accidents.

4.) Relieving Anger and Stress: Many people look at the open road as a means of relaxation and often times people will go for a drive in order to relieve any anger or stress that they may be dealing with. These  emotional states however can cause an impaired judgment in the driver thus increasing the chance of getting into an accident.

5.) Text-Messaging: Many people have turned to using the text application on their phones while they are driving because of the consequences that can come from being caught talking on a cell phone. Texting can be very dangerous and puts drivers at a great risk for life-threatening problems.

Driving a car is one of the most exhilarating experiences that a person can enjoy, but along with the privilege comes great responsibility. It is very important for younger drivers to follow the rules of the road in order to ensure not only their safety, but the safety of everyone else on the road as well.

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Driving can be one of the most exhilarating activities that a person experiences, but studies have shown that driving can also be one of the dangerous activities that a person can engage in. According to recent reports, the lifetime risk of dying in a motor vehicle accident for U.S. residents is 1 in 100, and roughly around 57% of deaths take place on rural roads, the Federal Highway Administration has found.

Many accidents are largely due to the fact that drivers may be driving along unfamiliar roads, many of which can be extremely fatal due to the curves and bumps along the way. Believe it or not, rural highways have been found to be some of the most dangerous in the country and because of this researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Excellence in Rural Safety have created an interactive website map that allows drivers to actually see how safe or how dangerous a particular road can be to drive on. The site, which goes by saferoadmaps.org, gives the driver the ability to enter in their address and then a map of the roads will appear displaying those roads that have experienced the most fatalities. The website also informs drivers about each and every fatality with details about whether age, weather conditions, or alcohol were factors in the accident.

The website has been created in order to bring a better driving safety awareness. By advertising the applicable driving laws that are required for that particular area as well, drivers are given an extensive and in depth view of how safe or unsafe their environment may be to drive in. The site itself has just opened up to viewers recently, so its success is still undetermined, but hopefully drivers will take heed to the wonderful service that is being offered to increase the safety and knowledge of car owners everywhere.

Although driving may be a dangerous activity, there are many ways to prevent an accident. By driving responsibly (i.e. no aggressive driving, keeping the radio at a reasonable volume and buckling up), following speed limits, and being aware of your surroundings at all times, you may not be able to stop an accident from happening, but you can certainly reduce the risk of causing one.

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