The Environmental Protection Agency has begun using a new method to estimate fuel economy starting with 2008 model year vehicles. The new method is more accurate than the EPA’s older method. The EPA adopted the new method in December after complaints that fuel economy estimates have been too high. The new estimates more accurately reflect such driving factors as higher speeds, harder acceleration and greater use of accessories like as air conditioning.

The more accuracy rating will result in lower MPG ratings for nearly every vehicle on the road. Not that the vehicles have suddenly become less fuel-efficient, it’s just the EPA’s estimation of the fuel economy numbers.

So how can you compare your pre-2008 vehicle? What’s the more accurate 2008 standard estimate? The EPA’s web site at fueleconomy.gov has recalculated fuel economy numbers for past model year vehicles so you can see how your pre-2008 vehicle compares.

## Source: EPA via Automotive News ##

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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced it plans to develop new regulations for child safety seats by the end of the year to improve child safety in cars. NHTSA chief Nicole Nason said her office plans to update the federal regulations governing safety seats and the LATCH system for securing them without using safety belts.

While the LATCH system has been required on all new cars since 2002, a 2006 showed that 40 percent of parents are still using seat belts to restrain children. Although just 5 percent of children are completely unrestrained, they account for 30 percent of child fatalities.

NHTSA hasn’t decided whether to mandate side-impact crash tests for child seats, but it is being considered. Recently Consumer Reports ran side-impact tests and reported that most infant car seats failed its side-impact crash tests.  The magazine has since retracted the report due to some errors.

## Source: The Detroit News ##

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Colorado Governor Bill Ritter and General Motors officials on Thursday announced an expansion of E85 ethanol-fueling locations in the state. Colorado will open 40 new E85 ethanol fueling locations statewide by the end of 2007. The new pumps will more than triple the number of stations in the state — up from 13 E85 fueling stations currently.

The new ethanol fueling stations are part Ritter’s drive to support “new energy economies” for renewable energy, including biofuels. Colorado’s plans are the largest one-time announcement made by GM and any state partner to-date. Ritter said increase availability use of E85 will help decrease oil dependence, reduce particulate emissions, benefit corn growers and stimulate economic development.

“One of my top priorities is to establish a New Energy Economy for Colorado built around renewable and cleaner sources of energy,” Gov. Ritter said. “Today we’re announcing some major progress towards that goal.”

“We’re not doing this just to be doing it or even just for the economic development,” Gov. added. “It’s important for the environment.”

The new ethanol fueling locations will be promoted by GM as part of a broader, ongoing national GM campaign to boost the use and awareness of ethanol-based E85 fuel in the United States. Installation of the new pumps will be funded by $1 million in federal grants, state funds and from the Colorado Corn Growers Association.

## Sources: General Motors and State of Colorado ##

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The California Air Resources Board announced that it has slapped Jesse James, host of “Monster Garage”, with a monster fine of $271,250 for selling more than 50 new or custom-built motorcycles that did not meet agency standards.

James, known for his outlandish custom cars and motorcycles, was informed of the noncompliance with agency standards in 2005. The agency said James was guilty of “a number of things,” including changing fuel systems and gas tanks and using replacement parts not certified by the agency. An air board representative told him the registrations of all motorcycles he manufactured since 1998 had been revoked.

James said that he thought he had complied with all the agency’s rules, and offered to recall all the bikes and install the charcoal filter in the emissions system that he said would have brought his bikes into compliance. He said the offer was rejected, but the agency said the offer was never made.

While we approve of emissions standards, the settlement seems crazy to us, as it does not require the bikes to be brought into compliance or taken off the road. Now that the fine had been paid, registrations had been reinstated, and the money goes to fix other pollution problems.

What?

## Source: New York Times ##

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The California Department of Motor Vehicles has announced that it is no longer accepting applications for carpool stickers from owners of the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic or Honda Insight hybrids. A state law allowed the DMV to issue 85,000 stickers, which allowed these hybrids to access the carpool lanes without the require number of passengers. The stickers were available on a first-come, first-serve basis. A DMV spokesman said today that they are 700 applications over the limit.

“We have no more stickers available to issue and any applications sent to DMV will likely not be successfully processed,” spokesman Steve Haskins said. “Any unprocessed applications and checks will be returned as soon as the last of the stickers are mailed to customers.”

“It looks like we have reached the end of this program.” he added.

The stickers remain with these hybrids when the cars are sold, which likely means that used hybrids with the stickers will go for a premium over the same vehicle without the sticker.

## Source: San Jose Mercury News ##

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General Motors announced it is recalling 98,000 Chevrolet Cobalt coupes from the 2005-2006 model years. The specific vehicles are not equipped with optional roof-mounted side impact air bags.

The affected cars don’t have sufficient padding to meet federal requirements. GM spokesman Alan Adler said the head impact protection would only be an issue for motorists not wearing a seat belt while belted motorists would not be affected.

General Motors will upgrade the car’s head impact protection by adding “an energy absorbing plastic” to the headliner trim.

## Source: The Auto Channel ##

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Yesterday at the Washington Auto Show, Volkswagen officially unveiled its cleanest diesel ever, which will be found in the next Jetta TDI. As we told you about earlier this month, the new diesel Jetta is powered the 2.0L BLUETEC diesel four-cylinder, which will meet emissions standards in all 50 states without the use of urea injection.

Instead, the new TDI uses a nitrogen oxide storage catalyst, which reduces NOx emissions by up to 90 percent. The engine management system in the Jetta changes operating modes periodically to treat the NOx that has been stored in the catalytic converter. A particulate filter in the exhaust system further reduces emissions.

Volkswagen didn’t release any detailed information like power, pricing or fuel economy numbers. But the new clean diesel Jetta will be available in the U.S. market in the spring of 2008.

Full press release after the jump.

## Source: Volkswagen ##

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Yesterday at the Washington Auto Show, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), together with the Department of Energy (DOE), Chrysler Group and Cummins, recognized the new BLUETEC-equipped 2007 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty will be the cleanest mass-production diesel-engine pickup truck on the market.

When it becomes available in March, the Dodge Ram’s 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engine will be the first diesel truck to meet 2010 truck emissions standards in all 50 states.

“This new technology is a significant validation of industry’s ability to meet EPA’s 2010 clean diesel standards. These innovations help power our economy and drive our environmental successes,” said Bill Wehrum, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.

The new 6.7L Cummins uses a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to virtually eliminate particulate matter emissions and an adsorber catalyst to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by as much as 90 percent.

“The Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickup truck with the new 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine is the cleanest diesel truck available on the market,” said Tom LaSorda, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chrysler Group.

Full press release after the jump.

## Source: DaimlerChrysler ##

(more…)

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Today in his keynote speech at the Washington Auto Show, DaimlerChrysler’s CEO Dieter Zetsche encouraged U.S. lawmakers to support a diversity of approaches to reducing dependence on foreign oil. Zetsche cautioned against policies that favor hybrids over other fuel-saving technologies, pointing out the new generation of BLUETEC clean diesels.

“What we need to avoid in this country is a legislative bias that favors a single technology, be it hybrid or anything else,” Zetsche said. “State and federal governments shouldn’t be in the business to giving certain vehicle drive technologies an edge in the market.”

Zetsche’s speech encouraged legislators to rethink fuel economy policies, with new policies that encourages more technologies and offer a great choice.

While the majority of DaimlerChrysler focus is on clean diesel, it “is not pursuing diesel to the exclusion of other alternate fuel technologies.” DaimlerChrysler has invested more than $1 billion in fuel cell technologies, and, working with GM and BMW, has developed a state-of-the-art, two-mode, full hybrid powertrain.

## Source: DaimlerChrysler ##

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Toyota has launched another massive recall on its full-size Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV involving the front suspension. Toyota notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will recall 553,000 2004-2006 Tundra trucks and 2004-2007 Sequoia SUVs to inspect and possibly replace ball-joint assemblies.

This is the Tundra and Sequoia’s second recall involving the front suspension in less than two years. In May 2005, Toyota recalled over 750,000 Tacomas, 4Runners, Tundras and Sequoias from the 2001-2004 model years because of similar ball joint problems.

Six injuries and 11 accidents are attributed to the issue, which lead to the recall. Toyota will notify Tundra and Sequoia owners of the recall in February. Replacement of the left and right front suspension lower ball joint will be done at no charge.

## Source: Automotive News ##

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Honda Motor Co. is recalling 81,000 Accord sedans because of issues that could cause failure of an air bag-related sensor. The affected models are from 2004-2005 model years to fail. In a letter to the NHTSA, Honda said that the wiring for the seat position sensor, which detects the driver’s seating position and adjusts the air bag inflation pressure, was attached in the wrong location and is also potentially overtightened.

These issues could cause the sensor wire to break, which would cause the air bag warning light to illuminate and cause the sensor to fail. If the sensor fails, the air bag would inflate at full pressure. This could increase the risk of injury from the airbag for smaller drivers in a frontal crash.

Honda is unaware of any injuries connected to the recall. The recall is expected to begin in February.

## Source: MSNBC ##

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German environmentalists are again calling for the imposition of a 120 km/h (75 mph) speed limit on the country’s no-speed-limit autobahns. Over the last several years, that have campaigned against the country’s no-speed-limit autobahns. About two-thirds of Germany’s autobahns do not have a speed limit and rely on common sense.

Environmentalists and other supporting groups claimed that if the speed limit was set at 120 km/h, emissions would be reduced by around 30 percent, and the overall health of the nation would be improved.

Germany’s transport minister is opposed to the idea. “I am committed to a reduction in emissions but a general speed limit on open stretches of road does not make sense,” said minister Wolfgang Tiefensee in a statement.

Germany’s Financial Times Deutschland agrees: “Derestricted driving on the autobahn is to the Germans what pesto is to the Italians and the baguette is to the French. No one in Italy or in France would dare to try and ban the cultural characteristics of their country.”

## Source: Automotive News ##

Note: Subscription required.

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DaimlerChrysler will pay $1.2 million in civil penalties to settle allegations that its Mercedes division failed to notify the EPA about faulty air pollution controls in vehicles. The EPA said Mercedes failed to promptly notify it about air pollution control defects installed on several models from 1998-2006 model years.

After EPA initiated its investigation of this matter, Mercedes commenced voluntary recalls for two of the defects and notified owners that it would extend the warranty coverage to address a third defect. Mercedes will incur an estimated cost of $59 million to implement the recalls and the extended warranty.

Mercedes must also improve its emissions defect investigation and reporting system to ensure future compliance, at an estimated cost of approximately $1 million per year.

## Source: Automotive News ##

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In a victory for the U.S. auto industry, the U.S. International Trade Commission dropped tariffs on steel imported from Australia, Canada, France and Japan. The vote follows months of debate and an aggressive campaign against the tariffs by the world’s six largest automakers, which banded together on a trade issue for the first time.

The tariffs were put in place in 1993 to protect the struggling steel industry after accusing producers in six countries (the four listed and Germany and South Korea) of selling steel below cost in the United States. Now 13 years later, the U.S. steel industry is healthy, and the tariffs are protecting a healthy U.S. steel industry and creating artificially high steel prices in the U.S.

“We were hoping to at least win a moral victory with a 3-to-3 split,” said Stephen Biegun, vice president of international governmental affairs for Ford. “The fact the ITC came down on our side on a majority of these was a pleasant surprise.”

About half of the corrosion-resistant coated steel sold in the United States ends up in cars and trucks. The rising cost of raw materials, steel in particular, is just one of the issues facing the domestic auto industry. Automakers say the steel tariffs helped prices rise from $496 per ton in 2001 to $729 this year, adding $3 billion to their costs over the past 2 1/2 years.

## Source: The Detroit Free Press ##

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unveiled new fuel economy rules effective for 2008 model year vehicles. The new fuel economy rules will result in ratings some 8 percent to 12 percent lower with the new testing and labeling rules (one proposed version shown). The EPA’s new rules were designed to make fuel economy estimates more accurate. The old rules have received frequent complaints of over-optimistic projections for fuel efficiency.

The EPA said city miles per gallon estimates for most vehicles will drop by about 12 percent, with some vehicles losing up to 30 percent. The highway mpg estimates will take an 8 percent cut on average, with some estimates going down as much as 25 percent.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers will launch a new web site at www.mileagewillvary.com to explain the differences between the old and new ratings to consumers.

## Source: The Detroit Free Press ##

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