Gas Mileage Ace » Electric Vehicles

2012 Cars with the Best Gas Mileage

Car Dude — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:57:41 +0000

Below is a list of the best gas mileage cars for the 2012 model year. As you can see Hybrids dominate the list. But the first 2 positions are taken up by electric vehicles. The EPA still gives these 2 MPG ratings based on energy usage but its apples and oranges. Really the Toyota Prius Hybrid is the 2012 car with the best gas mileage.

	1) Nisan Leaf - MPG: 106 City/92 Highway Price: $28,340 – While a True Electric car and thus should not be part of this list, the EPA still gave a Gas Equevalent rating based on energy use.
	2) Chevrolet Volt - MPG: 95 City/93 Highway Price: $28,340 – When running on full electricity the Volt nears the Energy Equivalent usage as the Leaf. When running the gasoline generator the mileage really drops to below that of a normal hybrid car.
	3) Toyota Prius Hybrid - MPG: 51 City/48 Highway Price: $28,340 – Still the best performing hybrid available on the market. And with the plug-in version due out soon, these race for the first 100 MPG hybrid will be over.
	4) Lexus CT200h Hybrid - MPG: 43 City/40 Highway Price: $28,340 – This little Lexus borrows the technology from its big brother the Prius. It does everything right and is sure to be a hot seller.
	5) Honda Civic Hybrid - MPG: 44 City/44 Highway Price: $28,340 – It should come as no surprise that the Civic Hybrid is near the top of the MPG list. The Civic does everything well and when paired with a hybrid power plant, it kicks butt. What makes the Civic Hybrid stand apart from the crowd is the CVT (continuously variable transmission) and the Start-Stop System.
	6) Honda Insight Hybrid - MPG: 41City/44 Highway Price: $28,340 – The Insight is marketed as the Honda’s Answer to the Prius. Well the Insight shares the similar Wedge Design but cannot match the Fuel Efficiency of the Toyota Prius.
	7) Ford Fusion Hybrid - MPG: 41 City/36 Highway Price: $28,340 – All 3 cars (Fusion, Milan, MKZ) share the same power plant and thus have the same fuel economy numbers. The Fusion Hybrid gets such good gas mileage thanks to the Atkinson Cycle Engine and CVT Transmission.
	Honda CR-Z Hybrid - MPG: 35 City/39 HighwayPrice: $28,340 – The Honda CR-Z is small and packed full of technology. It’s a real shame that this is the best Fuel Economy it can muster.
	9) Hyundai Sonata Hybrid - MPG: 39 Combined = 41 City/36 HighwayPrice: $28,340 – The new kid on the block is the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The Sonata Hybrid has a Parallel HEV that allows the car to run on Full Electric Power. This is a major benefit to Gas Mileage.
	10) Smart Fortwo - MPG: 39 Combined = 41 City/36 HighwayPrice: $28,340 – The best Mileage Non-Hybrid on the list. Take a very lightweight small car, add a small engine, and you have the recipe for a fuel efficient car. This has long been the formula and many cars prior to the Smart fortwo have been designed tat way.
	11) Lexus HS250h - MPG: 35 City/34 Highway Price: $28,340 – The Lexus HS 250h has the best from Toyota in that there is an Atkinson Cycle engine, Parallel Hybrid System, and CVT Transmission. Yet the added weight of all the luxury features and options really hinder the Fuel Economy of this car.
	12) Volkswagen Jetta Diesel - MPG: 30 City/42 Highway Price: $28,340 - For some reason American’s think Diesel’s are high polluting gas guzzlers. When in fact the opposite is true. The TDI diesel engine line from Volkswagen (Turbo Direct Injected) get great gas mileage when paired with a tall sixth-gear. These cars have also won Green Car of the Year Awards.
	13) Nissan Altima Hybrid - MPG: 33 City/33 Highway Price: $28,340 – The Nissan Altima is quickly falling off the Top Fuel Economy List as more modern hybrids with newer technology take its place. But the Altima Hybrid still performs very well and sacrifices nothing. But Did You Know that the Hybrid Powerplant is all Toyota?
	14) Chevrolet Cruze Eco - MPG: 28 City/42 Highway Price: $28,340 – The Chevy Cruze Eco utilizes Technoloy and not Hybrid power to get such good gas mileage. The turbo is integrated into the exhaust manifold for better fuel efficiency. The transmission has overdrive in both 5th and 6th gears. And there are Aerodynamics that change at higher speeds to increase fuel economy.
	15) Hyundai Elantra - MPG: 29 City/40 Highway Price: $28,340 – The Hyundai Elantra is another non-hybrid car that employs a very efficient engine combined with a body design that nets a very low drag coefficient. This allows the Elantra to get great highway fuel economy.
	16) Ford Fiesta SFE - MPG: 29 City/40 Highway Price: $28,340 – Ford has stepped up its game with a fuel efficient engine that employs Twin-Independent Variable Cam Timing, a Dry Clutch Transmission, and Electric Power Steering to reach its 40 MPG highway fuel economy rating.
	17) Toyota Camry Hybrid - MPG:43 City/39 Highway Price: $28,340 – The Toyota Camry Hybrid uses a hybrid power train that is more than half a decade old and therefore the fuel economy ratings have not progressed with the times. But the Camry Hybrid does get 27% better fuel economy than the non-hybrid version.
	18) Ford Escape Hybrid - MPG: 34 City/31 Highway Price: $28,340 – The SUV with the best Fuel Economy. The Ford Escape Hybrid has also been around for 5+ years but is still the undisputed SUV MPG king. The wonderful figures are thanks to a small 4 cylinder engine and CVT transmission. But the Escape can also run on full electric power alone which is a big help.
	19) Toyota Yaris - MPG: 30 City/38 Highway Price: $28,340 – The Toyota Yaris is a sub-compact and everything about it is small. The engine is only 1.5 liters and barely cranks out 105 horsepower. But combined with a manual transmission the lightweight Yaris gets over 32 MPG combined.
	20) Mazda 2 - MPG: 29 City/35 Highway Price: $28,340 – A relatively new-comer to the Subcompact world, Mazda’s contribution follows the same formula. Take a small, lightweight car and shove a fuel efficient engine under the hood. Combine with a manual transmission and the result is a nicely rounded car. Look to the Mazda2 to get better gas mileage as the model gets refined.
	21) Honda Fit - MPG: 28 City/35 Highway Price: $28,340 – The name says it all. The Honda Fit is indeed fit to get good gas mileage. What sets the Fit apart from the other subcompacts is its sporty dive appeal. No other subcompact provides as much fun as the Fit. Although if Fuel Economy is your thing, you will not be participating in spirited driving any ways.
	22) Kia Rio - MPG: 30 City/40 Highway Price: $28,340 – Kia has been the kicking stone of the Automotive world for a long time. They feel cheap. But Kia is on the rise and the Rio shows its true colors with its 30 pus MPG rating. Yet the Rio is old and outdated. Kia seems to be concentrating on the Mid-sized level cars as evident with the upcoming release of the Optima Hybrid.
	23) Lexus RX450h - MPG: 32 City/28 Highway Price: $28,340 – Incredibly the Lexus RX450h Hybrid has been on this list for years. Even though it’s the most expensive of the group, the RX Hybrid is on the top of every Hybrid SUV owners wish list. How can you go wrong with Ultra Luxury combined with Technology powered by a hybrid power plant?
	24) Chevrolet Sonic - MPG: 29 City/40 Highway Price: $28,340 – Unfortunately the Aveo suffers from the Cheap car syndrome the same as the Rio. Yes it gets good MPG but would you really want to own one? There are better Subcompacts out there and Chevy will have to kill or update this car if it wants to compete with the Ford Fiesta which is years ahead of the Aveo.
	25) Nissan Versa MPG: 30 City/38 Highway Price: $28,340 – What one Japanese car maker does the others must follow suite. Thus you have the Nissan versa subcompact. Built to compete with the other, the Versa has the lowest mileage thanks to its larger more powerful engine. And the portly curb weight. Still it breaks the 30 MPG barrier.

Fastest Electric Cars

Car Dude — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 21:42:45 +0000

Many Electric Vehicles have come and gone over the past decade or so. And there are very few companies who are actually still around (Tesla). But of course every large can manufacturer says they are working to produce an electric car but here we are 15 years after the GM EV-1 and you still cannot buy an Electric car from one of the major companies. Yes I know the Leaf and Volt are coming out! Anyways see my little list of the fastest electric cars.

Wrightspeed X1

I guess this can qualify as an Electric car even though its not really in production. Anyways the Wrightspeed X1 is based off the Ariel Atom platform but is powered by an electric motor. The Ariel is already fast due to its lightweight and the Wrightspeed is incredibly fast at 0-60 in 2.9 seconds.

Tesla Roadster

The Tesla has had the market cornered for many years now. And here we are still talking about this electric car. It does hold the title of fastest electric car you can buy. Simply because it is practically the only car on the market. Sure there may be other examples but those target the bottom of the car price range where the Tesla is quite expensive. 0-60 MPH times are 3.7 seconds.

Ultimate Aero EV

The Ultimate Aero from Shelby Supercars is on par with the biggest names in the automotive world like Bugatti, Pagani, and Saleen. And recently they have made a big claim. They have threatened to build a high horsepower Electric version of the Ultimate Aero that will be the undisputed king of the world’s fastest electric cars. So all we have right now though is a claim!

AC Propulsion tzero

This little electric car debuted in 1997 and was gone by 2003. Based on a kit car the tzero had an electric motor and lithium-ion batteries. It was lightweight and had 200 HP. This allowed the car to run from 0-60 MPH in 3.6 seconds. But alas it is long gone!

Mini E

The Mini E is based on the Mini Cooper from BMW. This little car is one that everyone recognizes so why not make an electric powered model. There are currently some examples running around the U.S. and there is a nice list if you want to lease one. Horsepower and torque are over 200 but the Mini E is built for commuting so performance is a mute point. 0-60 MPH times are 8.5 seconds.

Fastest Electric Cars	0-60	1/4 mile	Top speed
Tesla Roadster	3.7	12.6	125

Pre-Production	0-60	1/4 mile	Top speed
Ultimate Aero EV	2.5	n/a	208
Wrightspeed X1	3	11.5	112
Mini E	8.5	n/a	95

Not in Production	0-60	1/4 mile	Top speed
AC Propulsion’s tzero roadster	3.6	13.24	140

Here Comes The Ford Focus EV

Car Dude — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:26:06 +0000

For the environmentally conscious customers, plug-in electric cars are the next big frontier. Hybrids seem like the big thing right now but it’s only a trend. Hybrids can’t be charged from a wall current. But an Electric Vehicle like the Ford EV can be charged from home and then driven all day using ZERO gasoline. During the Detroit Auto Show in January, Ford announced they would be offering a fully electric plug-in Focus in 2011.

The Focus EV is still in the development stage although they have launched a prototype “mule”. The prototype version is a product of Ford supplier Magna. Magna will also be responsible for the production version that will be in dealerships. Development vehicles are known to have certain faults, but the EV has no thuds or bumps and is solidly constructed. Refinement and noise-vibration-harshness (NVH) have been particularly focused in the Focus EV to ensure no ambient sounds. The braking system switches between regenerative (for battery) and regular braking.

The EV Focus will have an auxiliary engine. The battery system will charge completely in 6 hours with a 220Volt setup or 12 hours with a 110Volt supply. A fully charged battery allows a driving range of about 100 miles. The gauge system in the EV exchanges the battery meter in place of a tachometer and a small charge meter, although changes in the gauge system might change as production goes through. Although the Ford Focus EV is still a few years away, the prototype version looks pretty developed and almost as if it could hit the streets today.

Adding an electric version of the Focus to the New Ford Vehicle line-up will only add to Ford’s sales and give Ford their first compact electric vehicle in the states.

Say Audios to the Carpool Lane My Friends

Car Dude — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:05:39 +0000

About a week ago I found a great deal on a used 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid with low miles. The icing on the cake was that it had one of those Yellow CARB Stickers. This was the ultimate kicker for me since I drive the 405 everyday and believe me it is absolute torture! On the days that I carpool with my wife, the saved drive time is at least an hour each day. Well the jig is up and the original carpool program is going to expire on January 1st, 2011. Good thing I did not buy that Civic!

A Law was passed in 2004 in order to encourage people to buy hybrid cars. The goal was to give out the CARB stickers to any hybrid that got a fuel economy rating of 45 MPG combined or more. Well that pretty much limited the cars to the Toyota Prius and the first generation Honda Insight. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) gave out 85,000 of these stickers for Hybrid, Natural Gas, and electric powered cars. Cars that have this sticker can fetch a higher resale price. I would gladly spend up to $2000 more since the savings in time spent on the freeway would be huge.

Fast forward to the year 2008 and the program had been extended a few more years. But still the only cars with these stickers were mostly Toyota Prius’ with a few Honda Hybrids like the: Insight and Civic. Honda has the only Natural Gas vehicle on the road so these cars also got a white form of the carpool lane sticker. This created some public outcry as other automobile owners with super fuel efficient cars were shut out of the program. The Volkswagen Jetta TDi is a turbo diesel car that not only nets great MPG, but it has been named Green Car of the Year. Ford has a great fuel efficient car with the new Ford Fusion Hybrid. Likewise Saturn and other manufacturers have hybrid cars in their stable. But since no more stickers were handed out after 2007; none of these new cars and hybrids are eligible.

New legislation is making its rounds that will give carpool lane exemption to new electric vehicles like the Fisker Karma or the Chevrolet Volt, natural gas automobiles, or those powered by other means of alternative fuel like hydrogen. Hybrids may once again make this list if they are the plug-in type or if they net a more stringent highway fuel economy of 65 MPG or more.

source:http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/28/business/fi-hybrid-stickers28

Hurry Up General Motors Release the Volt!

Car Dude — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:06:37 +0000

Well now the GM is on the cusp of bankruptcy and financial ruin…..they have announced the release of the long awaited Chevrolet Volt. Will it be here in time to save GM? Of course not! The slated release date for this new generation of hybrid isn’t until 2011. What’s the deal with that? GM had the EV1 electric car back in the 1990’s and it is only now that they are coming up with a half gas half electric hybrid car. The American population has been scooping up every hybrid in sight for years now. It this kind of foot dragging that has gotten GM into this mess in the first place.

What make the Chevrolet Volt a cool car is that it can run totally on battery power for up to 40 miles. This satisfies the normal daily commute of most of us. After 40 miles a gas engine kicks in to get you to your destination. So really even though this is a hybrid car; the Volt can be considered an electric car for short daily trips. Bummer is you would have to plug in this car in order to recharge it…which is actually true to form of an electric car. The Volt will have regenerative breaking, and once the batteries are recharged to a preset level; the gas engine will shut off and the electric engine will again resume. There are still many factors yet to be set in stone regarding emission of fuel consumption. But odds are these numbers will be low for emissions and high at least above 50 Miles per gallon when the gas engine is running. The Volt platform will be the basis

Go To HELL Gasoline!

Car Dude — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:22:53 +0000

In a few short months, GM will be releasing the Volt; the car that will mark the beginning of the end for the Gasoline Powered Automobile! The Chevy Volt will be able to drive for up to 40 miles on battery power. This is less than the average 30 miles of commuting that Americans do every day! Also keep in mind that this is only the first of the next generation electric cars. Just imagine what things will be like in 10 years.

But what if your commute is more than 30 miles? Well the Volt will be equipped with a gasoline generator to charge the batteries. 15 years ago the GM EV1 was making headlines around the world. But why did it take so long?

How come GM lolly gagged around? Maybe the time wasn’t right. Who knows? I’m sure it has something to do with money(instead of the environment)!

Well one thing is for sure; the American car buying public is ready to get out from under the gas dependent umbrella. All I know is that with the onslaught of solar energy and high tech lithium batteries, Gas will be gone forever!