Volvo FH16

The Volvo FH16 is the world's most powerful production assembly line truck, boasting 700 horsepower. And it achieves all that power while meeting strict engine emissions requirements. It gets 7 MPG or uses 14.3 GPHM ( gallons per hundred miles). That means it only guzzles about twice the gas of a large SUV like a Hummer H2, but it is far, far more capable as a prime mover than a mere SUV. The FH16 really gets remarkable fuel economy for the loads it can haul. Saving on gas while getting the job done ... way to go Volvo!

One trucker who works on the demanding, hilly Norwegian west coast reports that the Volvo FH16 saves him 5 liters every 100km even though he he has to drive kilometre-long gradients of between 6 and 10 per cent.



Like spending your hard earned money on gas? Us neither, make sure to read tomorrow's post on Save on Gas.

Fuel Efficient Driving Tips from a Trucker

Truckers know how to drive fuel efficiently. The trucking industry depends on minimizing fuel costs for generation of competitive advantage. We can all learn to save on gas by picking up a tip or two from the truckers!



Think that 7 mpg is good fuel economy? Maybe when you are hauling 50 tons. Tomorrow's post has information on the Volvo FH16-700, a powerful truck with the I-shift transmission that you saw in today's video.

Terminator Urges Detroit to Embrace Fuel Economy

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the current governor of California, urges Detroit to concentrate more on fuel efficiency.



If you like foreign films or want to find out how to harness your vehicle's force to Save on Gas make sure to read tomorrow's post.

Vehicle Miles Travelled : Pulse of the Nation

Our economy depends on transport and travel. If goods and people do not move, nothing can be done. This is still true even in this era of the Internet. Vehicle miles travelled in a period of time gives the total mileage covered by vehicles. Watching highway vehicle miles travelled is like watching an electrocardiogram ... it lets us see the beating pulse of our nation.



The chart above comes from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. It shows monthly data collected on the total number of miles travelled by all vehicles on US highways.

Notice how every year tends to have a similar shaped down-spike and upper peak. The down spike seems to be in January and February, probably because of winter weather. One interesting thing to notice is that the down spike from 2010 is the lowest in 6 years. Perhaps because everyone is trying to Save on Gas.

Make sure to read tomorrow's blog post to find out what advice the Governor of California has for Detroit.

Follow Oil from Well to Tanker

This video shows the path crude oil takes from wells in Ghawar, one of the world's largest oil fields in the desert of Saudi Arabia, to waiting supertankers on the shores. Miles and miles of pipeline crossing empty desert ... and because of that, we have gasoline to move our cars.

Tour Ghawar, Supergiant Oil Field

Ghawar is a supergiant oil field in Saudi Arabia. Without doubt, it is one of the largest in the world. Take a virtual bird's eye tour of this mighty provider of oil!



So they pull oil out of the ground in oil fields like Ghawar, but what happens next? Find out in tomorrow's Save on Gas post.

National Gas Situation

The Energy Information Administration publishes data on the nation's supply of gasoline ( and other petroleum products ) and gas price. Keeping an eye on this data can help us gauge the state of the nation's ( and the world's ) gas tank and warn as about impending price rises.

Here is the total supply of gasoline in the nation:


Here is the history of the price of gasoline going back a couple of decades:


You can see the big jump in price since about the year 2000. Relative to about a decade ago, gas now costs three times as much. So on the 10 year time scale we are not doing very well on affordability. The chart of total national gasoline supply shows that over the same decade, levels have held roughly constant. Amounts of stored gasoline seesaw up and down, but if anything have gone slightly up.

The rear view mirror shows us a picture of stable availability but reduced affordability. I wonder if this trend will continue over the next decade? If it does we will soon enter an era in which rich men have all the gas they want and the rest of us just have to do without because we can't afford to buy it.

Have you ever wanted to see where gas comes from? Tomorrow's post will include a photo-montage of Ghawar, a giant oil field that produces 6.25% of the world's petroleum.

How to Coast Like a Hypermiler

How to coast to save on gas.



Want to save on gas? Make sure to read tommorow's post. As one reader commented "I love your blog; it's like fluff up your popcorn and save on gas!!!"

Five Hypermiling Techniques Demonstrated

Here are some basic hypermiling techniques you can use.



If you want to save on gas using the car you already own, make sure to read tomorrow's post as it has more in depth information on one aspect of hypermiling: coasting.

Fuel Economy Races

Welcome to the races of the future, where it is not speed that counts but efficiency!



In this video they talk about using hypermiling techniques to save on gas. Tomorrow's post has information on 5 hypermiling techniques that will boost your fuel economy. Don't worry, we are not talking about rolling through stop lights drafting behind a semi crazy, but rather techniques that have been endorsed by the AAA as safe and effective. One guy claims that using these 5 easy techniques he can get 46 mpg out of a car that is rated by the EPA at 32 mpg. If you want to find out how to save on gas like that make sure to come back tomorrow.

Europe Saving on Gas

Economy cars in Europe have long been designed to save on gas as well as being cheaper to buy. When they say economy, they also mean fuel economy!



If you like NASCAR and Formula 1 make sure to come back for tomorrow's post as it will be full of information about economy racing, a new twist on car racing. Imagine a race where the competitors get up to 80 mpg, without a driving a Prius.

Chevy Cruze : GM Plays Catchup

The new 2011 Chevy Eco Cruze is supposed to get 40 miles per gallon, or 2.5 gallons per hundred miles. That is very good for GM, but compared to Europe and Asia, which have had vehicles with this fuel economy for years, it is still playing catch up.



You want to read tomorrow's blog post if you're planning a trip to Europe. In europe you can rent economy cars that really save on gas.

Trucking Companies Monitor Idling to Save on Gas

Idling and speeding are two gas burning activities which generate little benefit. Trucking companies have spent decades looking to reduce them. You can save on gas and money too by adopting the habits of the trucking companies ... reduce idling and avoid speeding. You won't miss them and your wallet will thank you!



If you're interested in regular cars that are just a bit more efficient make sure to read tomorrow's post. I will be putting up some information on the Chevy Cruise Eco an the Chevy Cruise RS.

Idling Burns Gas and Money

Idling burns gas and gets you nowhere. Here are some tips you can use to reduce idling time and save on gas ... and money!

Personal Transport of the Future

Lugging tons of metal around with us in the form of a car is an incredibly inefficient way of getting around. Future technologies allow the development of very small, lightweight fuel efficient vehicles. Let us not forget that the point of a car is personal mobility. If we can get mobile without all those tons of metal, so much the better!

Infinitely Variable Geared Transmission

The D Drive is a geared continuously variable transmission. Most continuously variable transmissions use a belt running across two cones. However, a geared transmission can transfer greater torques or loads before slipping. Continuously variable transmissions are important for fuel efficiency because they allow the engine to always operate at its most efficient speed. Then the transmission changes the gearing ratio as needed to run the output shaft ( the wheels ) at the desired speed. If the D Drive can be developed to the point of automobile usage, it could mean a big step forward in vehicle fuel economy. Let us hope the D Drive helps us save on gas in the near future!



If you like emerging high tech solutions make sure to read tomorrow's post. I will be writing about Honda's U3-X, an amazing electric unicycle that makes the Segway look like Granny's walker.