Global Warming Main Biggest Single Step Main Introduction Innovative Technology Can Help Free Us From Our Dangerous Oil Dependence We Can Safely Improve Our Fuel Economy Creating Clean Cars In America Creates Jobs At Home Take Action! Print the full report! (pdf file) Environmental news, green living tips, and ways to take action: Subscribe to the Sierra Club Insider!

Innovative Technology Can Help Free Us From Our Dangerous Oil Dependence Modern technology is the key to increasing fuel economy and saving oil. Between 1975 and the late 1980s, better engines, transmissions, materials, and aerodynamics accounted for 86% of fuel economy improvements. Existing fuel-saving technology can raise fuel economy even further. In 2002, the National Academies of Sciences found that with current technology we could "significantly reduce fuel consumption within 15 years." The technology exists to make all new vehicles — from cars to SUVs to pickup trucks — go farther on a gallon of gas. These fuel-saving technologies are on the road today in some vehicles, but should be in all. A 2003 study by the Union of Concerned Scientists titled "Building a Better SUV" analyzed the fuel economy benefits of many of these technologies. Advanced Ignitions: By replacing a conventional starter motor and alternator with an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG), a gas engine can switch off when the vehicle is stopped and idling. Vehicles burn as much as 15 percent of their gas while sitting in traffic. The ISG restarts the motor when you put your foot on the gas, just like tapping a computer mouse to awaken a sleeping computer, and saves added fuel by doing it more efficiently than a standard starter. Fuel Economy Improvement: 15-25% High Strength, Lightweight Materials: Strong, lightweight steel, aluminum, and plastics can all play a role in helping vehicles shed weight while enhancing safety. Fuel Economy Improvement: 25-30% Sleeker Design: Improving the aerodynamics cuts down on wind resistance and installing low rolling resistance tires reduces road friction. Fuel Economy Improvement: 5% Smarter Transmissions: A Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission (CVT) allows for an infinite number of gear ratios for the most efficient combination of engine speed and wheel speed. With a CVT, gears are replaced by continuous belts to maximize efficiency. A 2001 study by the trade publication Automotive News estimated a 20% fuel economy gain from a CVT. High-Tech Engines: B By allowing engine intake valves to close early during low demand, variable valve timing prevents inefficient pumping. Adding lean-burn technology, which introduces more air to the combustion chamber, can provide further efficiency. Fuel economy gains also occur when engines have four valves per cylinder instead of two, individual cylinder control, and cylinder deactivation, which improves fuel economy by automatically shutting down unneeded cylinders when less power is required. Automotive News found that Cylinder Deactivation alone would result in as much as a 20% improvement in fuel economy. Hybrids — Evolving to Cleaner Cars Hybrid vehicles are already turning heads and generating excitement. Hybrid vehicles combine an efficient gasoline engine with an electric motor to get great fuel economy. The two engines work in tandem to provide power and speed. When hybrids brake, they recharge the batteries using energy that other cars just waste. This process is known as regenerative braking. And since both the gasoline engine and the regenerative braking charge the electric motor, hybrid vehicles never need to be plugged in! You just fill them up at the gas station like any other car — only not as often. Hybrid technology can help make automakers' fleets average forty miles per gallon within the next ten years. Find out more about how hybrids work. A hybrid exists to fit the needs of almost any driver. There are already several models of hybrids on the road today — from the 5 passenger Honda Civic Sedan and Toyota Prius hatchback to the Ford Escape hybrid SUV. The next few years will see a surge of hybrid vehicles into the market, giving consumers more choices and greater opportunities to reduce our dependence on oil, slash global warming pollution, and save money at the pump. Find out more about available hybrid models. Continued advances in hybrid technology will improve fuel economy and lower vehicle costs. Additionally, hybrid technology is ready to make its appearance in the largest SUVs, vans, and pick-up trucks. The Ford Escape Hybrid is an SUV that gets 33 miles to the gallon. With Innovative Technology, Even SUVs Can Get Great Fuel Economy Using existing fuel-saving technology, automakers can improve the fuel economy of any car, pickup truck or SUV. Sadly, this technology is sitting on the shelf because a loophole in the law has historically held SUVs, pickups and other light trucks to a weaker miles-per-gallon standard than cars. Since light trucks now account for over half of all new vehicles sold, this loophole means that billions of gallons of gasoline are needlessly burned each year, emitting millions of tons of global warming pollution into the atmosphere. But SUV owners can now also get great fuel economy. In 2004, Ford Motor Company unveiled the Hybrid Escape, an SUV that gets 33 mpg. Since then, GM has unveiled its hybrid versions of the Chevy Tahoe as well as the GMC Yukon, proving that even large vehicles can use existing technology to reduce carbon emissions. We Can Safely Improve Our Fuel Economy Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use