Sunday, 23 March 2008

• Fuel Economy Leads to Engine Downsizing

  The recent rise in the automotive fuel economy standards will affect car manufacturers around the world. General Motors states, the new rules mandating an average of 35 miles per gallon will lead to smaller engines in their US vehicles. A General Motors representative stated at the North American international auto show in Detroit that they will not invest a lot of money in eight cylinder gas engines in the future.
  
  Large pickups and sport utility vehicles probably will have six cylinder engines or diesel power plants instead of the eight cylinder gasoline versions. General Motors will also use more aluminum and magnesium to make vehicles lighter and more fuel-efficient. This will cause production costs to rise, and along with it the window sticker price of these vehicles.
  
  The US government will require average fuel economy to rise 40% by the year 2020. Under tough energy legislation signed into law by President Bush. General Motors stated that complying with the tougher standards might cost an average of $6,000 more per vehicle. General Motors has also stated that they will try as much is possible to preserve the size of the vehicle the American public wants to buy.
  
  

  More GM auto news.

  
  General Motors is the largest overseas automaker in China, and they will start making hybrid cars in that country this year. The automaker debuted its first hybrid car, the Buick lacrosse in Shanghai. Toyota and GM both are betting that rising fuel prices and growing environmental awareness will convince drivers in the world's second-biggest auto market to buy more expensive hybrid cars. 6.3 million passenger cars were sold in China last year and only .03% of them were hybrids.
  
  Visit my updated hybrid cars page. I also added a home made video about how to fix your own car at home with online auto repair manuals.
  

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