#emissions

Expect  the number of fuel efficient vehicles offered by General Motors grow in the next four years.

Put your ear to the ground. You’re probably going to hear the gravelly sound of a diesel engine coming… at least figuratively.

Gasoline producers and automakers are at odds over fuel only this time it’s about sulfur levels instead of ethanol content.

A report from the National Research Council states that the U.S. could reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 80 percent by 2050 in cars and trucks.

Changes that will affect car manufacturers and fuel companies could be in the pipeline with the aim to avoid two sets of rules.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about one-quarter of all new vehicles sold today meet the 2016 federal emissions standard, which include a 35.5-mpg average for passenger vehicle fleets.

BMW unveiled its specially decorated 3- and 5-series cars bound for the 2012 London Summer Olympics today. 

The Chevrolet Volt will be able to qualify for California’s High Occupancy Vehicle lanes in 2012, after General Motors announced the availability of a Low Emissions Package for their hybird-electric car.

There are many great reasons for owning a motorcycle. They cost less, are cheaper to run, easier to repair and easier to park. They even get better mileage and as a majority of commuter driving is alone, a motorcycle is all you need.

While a typical motorcycle’s mpg numbers do make it seem like its better for the environment, Discovery Channel series “MythBusters” discovers that the relationship isn’t necessarily true.

By testing three cars and three motorcycles, each one representing average benchmarks for 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, MythBusters performed tests to measure levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitric oxide emissions. While it is true that a motorcycle emits less carbon dioxide, it was revealed that motorcycles exhaled more carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and nitric oxide pollution than cars.

To further improve motorcycle efficiency, the team at MythBusters even fitted their own aero bubble fairings onto the most efficient motorcycle in the episode in hopes to push the limits and see if it can compensate for its shortcomings. Even then, it was no match to cars in terms of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitric oxide emissions. Busted!

Be sure to check out the short clip to this Mythbusters segment after the jump!

An updated U.S fuel economy label was unveiled today aimed at reducing gasoline consumption and exhaust emissions. These new stickers will be required on all 2013 models, allowing consumers to quickly glance at fuel consumption.

The sticker will also display estimates of fuel or electricity required to drive 100 miles as well as time needed to charge a plug-in vehicle such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.

Lisa Jackson, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), says the reason for the redesigned labels is to give consumers, “the best possible information about which cars on the lot offer the greatest fuel economy and the best environmental performance.” The EPA developed the updated labels with assistance from the Department of Transportation.

Check out the video after the jump!

Quick, name the European car company that’s made the most progress in reducing their emissions. Peugeot? Smart? Even Dacia? If you had bet on Ferrari, the poster child for irresponsible motoring, you’d have won big.

For the fourth year in a row, the overall Fiat brand has produced the lowest CO2 emissions in Europe, a continent that actually pays attention to CO2 emissions figures.

Mazda is still developing their next-generation rotary engine, dubbed the 16X, but development has been slowed by a number of issues, among them the engine’s failure to meet emissions targets.

Turbocharging is moving away from the performance sphere and into the mainstream as companies seek to get more power and fuel economy from smaller displacement engines.

Honda‘s highly acclaimed Civic Type R will end its European sales run later this year after emissions regulations become too strict for the car’s 2.0L engine.