Convert Your Truck To Natural Gas

It’s clean and it’s cheap, so why not use it? That’s the question that has to be asked about natural gas, which has gone largely unnoticed and under-utilized as a vehicle fuel. But that may be changing. A company called Hybrid Fuel Systems has launched a new system designed to convert truck and bus diesels to natural gas.

Lighted gasoline station

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“As truckers and bus operators throughout the world realize that high diesel fuel prices are here to stay, people are looking for practical systems to reduce diesel fuel costs without replacing Read more . . .

Diesel A Winner In Fuel Efficiency

Okay, they might not be as funny as a David Letterman Top 10 list, but they do get better mileage. Four diesel-powered vehicles placed among the Top 10 fuel economy leaders, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.) The Volkswagen New Beetle, Golf, Jetta, and Jetta Wagon diesel models are the vehicles included in the efficiency rankings.

Diesel standee

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“This annual report highlights the near-term energy saving benefits of more clean diesel cars, pick-ups and SUVs in the U.S.,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. “These rankings underscore the role advanced diesel technology could play in improving U.S. fuel economy and energy security.”

Diesel-powered passenger vehicles  Read more . . .

New Tires Reduce Pollution

Perhaps nothing on the average automobile is as taken for granted as its tires. Most people know they’re black and round, and not much else. But tires can not only improve the handling of your car, but also serve as a hidden asset on the forefront of the battle against pollution and fuel waste.

Tires? Tires can aid in the battle against pollution? You’ve got to be kidding me! Well, no, we’re not. Tires are not simply crucial in Read more . . .

Going On A Low-Car Diet

End our reliance on foreign oil? More than a dozen San Diegans are doing a lot more than just talking about it. They literally gave up their cars for a month by dropping their car keys in a lockbox as part of the first ever San Diego Low-Car Diet. Sponsored by Flexcar, Metropolitan Transit System, Amtrak, Air Pollution Control District, the American Lung Association, and Universal Studios, the participants pledged to use Flexcar and other modes of transportation to get around town for the month of February. Read more . . .

Biodiesel Jeep Very Cool

While the media has followed the success of the Toyota Prius gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, it has been virtually silent on the success of the Jeep Liberty CRD diesel, which comes pre-filled with a mixture of conventional diesel oil and biodiesel. While sales of the Liberty CRD have been more modest than the Prius (just 10,000 units versus the Prius’s 100,000+) the Liberty’s sales figure has been double DaimlerChrysler’s projections. And it indicates that, against odds, there could be a growing U.S. market for diesel-powered vehicles, especially in light of the potential benefits of biodiesel, which has environmental advantages and can help wean the U.S. off foreign oil. Read more . . .