The Fiesta ECOnetic depends on a Duratorq TDCi 1.6L diesel powerplant which gives out 95 PS and a torque of 205 Nm. The vehicle will be available as 5-door and 3-door variants and other versions depending on where they will be marketed.

The Ford Fiesta has already been doing well in European markets and the ECOnetic Technology brings into another level its fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions. Ford assures though that the driving quality of the Fiesta has not been compromised even with the dramatic gains in fuel mileage.

The new Fiesta ECOnet features technologies like a start and stop system, Eco mode, regenerative charging, and light to indicate gear shifts. The car also benefits from better gear ratios and better engine calibration. The Fiest ECOnetic also has a lower suspension, wheel deflectors, and undershield which decreases driving resistances.

Before the end of the year, about half of the Ford vehicles that will be delivered to consumers will have the badge of ECOnetic Technology to show that they are among the most fuel efficient in their segment. By 2013, about two thirds of the deliveries will carry the ECOnetic innovations. The move is part of the car manufacturer’s commitment to decrease carbon dioxide emission of its fleet by as much as 30% by 2020.

During a recent interview while in Detroit, he explained that Bentley does not need its own system of hybrid technology just for purposes of differentiation. He said Bentley will handle differentiation thru luxury, craftsmanship, prestige, appearance, and styling while other brands like Porsche and Audi take the lead for the development of they hybrid technology.

The move of Bentley makes sense when you look at it, as the other brands of VW group have more funds for research and development and they have also poured a lot of investments for their hybrid technology.

The CEO of Bentley also confirmed that the hybrid vehicle will be using the new Audi 4.0L twin-turbo V8 for its combustion engine component with the electric components right in between it and the gearbox. This engine is already under the hood of the Continental GT. He also said that the older W12 might be short for the six liter lump and it might be feasible to install the motor behind it.

The Bentley topman also clarified that he wants an electric motor that is not a mild hybrid just like the one used by BMW but something which can have an all electric range of around 25 kilometers.

This hybrid setup though might not be used for the current line up and will possible debut for the next generation of Bentley vehicles which includes the Bentley SUV that still awaits confirmation. VW still has to give the project the go signal.

The design process for the Bentley SUV is already moving forward but he is still looking on the viability of the vehicle as the brand looks at markets like China, Russia, and the United States. Durheimer said it will not be a small crossover, not a Hummer but on the bigger side of the lineup. It will be a good comfy ride but also nice to drive with a good amount of space, comfort zone, and all provisions to be comfortable in the back.

We will update you as soon as the VW Group gives a green light for the V8 hybrid.

2012 Mitsubishi i

This car returns 112 miles per gallon. This small electric car from Mitsubishi may not be the best in the looks department but it sure is in fuel efficiency.

2011 Leaf by Nissan

According to many, buying this car which returns 99 mpg is a wiser choice compared to a Mitsubishi I. It is bigger and easier to drive or in short it is a lot more usable compared to the rival EV from Mitsubishi.

2012 Volt by Chevrolet

The volt has two ratings for its two different modes of driving. Operate it all electric and you will get an MPGe of 94, but turn on the gas powerplant and the mpg lowers down to 37.

2011 Smart ForTwo

This one is the electric drive ForTwo with a range of 62 miles. Of course everyone is awaiting the unveiling of the 2012 model which promises to have a better range and speed.

2012 Prius by Toyota

This list will not be complete without the Prius. The combined rating of 50 MPG still makes it as among the most efficient cars today.

2012 Civic Hybrid by Honda

Honda also has a good track record when it comes to giving us hybrid vehicles. The Hybrid Civic returns 44 MPG.

2012 Prius V by Toyota

This 7-seat Prius is perfect for the family with fuel efficiency rating of 42 MPG.

2012 CT 200h by Lexus

This car might be called a Prius in some fancy clothes. The fuel rating though is still excellent at 42 MPG.

2011 Insight by Honda

A new version will be released by next year but the 2011 has mad a mark for having a 41 MPG rating and its sticker price is also impressive at only $18,200.

2012 Fusion Hybrid by Ford

The last on our fuel sipper list is the hybrid Ford fusion with 39 MPG.

During the Techno-Frontier 2011, Nobukazu’s team showcased their motor invention also with the electric car they also built.

According to Nobukazu’s statement, the university is currently building an electric vehicle that can run without the using rare Earth elements. He said that the electric car they’re building is as big as the 2nd gen Prius and runs on with a motor that is called the Switched Reluctance type The electric car has 50kW of output power of over95% efficiency.

The so-called Switched Reluctance makes use of the difference that exist in the magnetic fields to power the vehicle mechanically. Nobukazu’s team said that the electric car is resistant to heat and mechanical shocks as well. While that sounds might potential, the downside here is that it doesn’t have much torque power compared to the traditional electric vehicles. But hey, this one is definitely cheaper because it makes use of cheaper materials.

This is just the first unveiling. Further modifications and test runs have to be made to improve and asses this electric motor’s performance and practicality.

Recently, General Motors in tandem with The Gas Company plan to setup twenty four H2 stations around O’ahu thru 2015. This plan was first revealed last May as part of the hydrogen initiative in Hawaii. There are new partners pushing for the use of hydrogen including the US Department of Energy; DBEDT or Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; Aloha Petroleum; US Marines; US Air Force; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; University of Hawaii; US Pacific Fleet; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; University of California Irvine; and County of Hawaii.

The move will help a lot in terms of energy and environmental concerns since Hawaii imports oil for its uses. The small size of the island means the planned number of hydrogen stations will be able to supply all the fuel cell cars of around 10,000 users. The small size of the island though makes it perfect for electric vehicles.

Although there is a big push for hydrogen dependent vehicles in the island, the EV supporters are not backing off. Coda and Better Place are still planning to market their electric cars in Hawaii. Before the end of this month, EV fans will host a car rally and they are hoping to get the support of President Obama who visits the island as part of the family’s winter vacation.

The update gives the LCDs new color palletes. Instead of the old blue scheme, the SmartGauge now has green and gold as a classier theme. The leaves which have been present since its intro is still there and still serves its purpose of giving feedback to the driver about the average consumption of fuel on the short term. If you have a thrifty driving style, the system will give you more leaves. Go metal to metal and the leaves will be gone.

The upgraded SmartGauge now provides an indicator for long-term good fuel consumption. There will be flowers, apple blossoms to be exact. If you have a good mileage, though the exact numbers were not shared by Ford, the first blooms will appear after a month or so, and more flowers will appear as you stretch the fuel you have. Earn all the flowers of the system and that will translate to a savings of around $8,000 in fuel and about 30 tons of carbon dioxide emission over the life span of the car.

Pretty cool!

California started to adopt their own tougher rules compared to the federal government in 2004. The Bush administration through the EPA denied the state government of California to impose the stiffer rules.

The U.S. Congress proposed in 2007 to adjust the standard to 35mpg by 2010. With the expected ramp up of these figures, the auto industry will have to shoulder billions in research, development, and production to comply with the disparate figures.

The new standards of the National government are now in line with the path California is taking. Reduction of emissions by as much as 30% will allow car manufacturers to comply in a more cost effective way. This also helps in avoiding vehicle prices to skyrocket.

The waiver also requires the state to hold back on imposing tougher emissions until through 2017. This side of the deal will result to dropping of several cases filed by automakers against Califonia – green cars work!.

The compliance of the car makers in the tougher rules of the 14 states will not really have a big effect on the market today. Vehicle manufacturers have been releasing units which are below the required emission.

The first round of investments amounting to $12 million comes from Quercus Trust based in California and 21 Ventures LLC headquartered in New York. The funding allows ETVM to engage in multi-year R&D in partnership with some organizations and universities.

ETVM believes that the future of transportation will heavily rely on the development of electric vehicles which are highly efficient, environment friendly, and cost effective. The new generation of range extended EVs can be optimally developed using their lithium ion battery technology and the on board charger using the micro turbines.

The micro-turbine that will be used by ETVM will be using the principles of Rich, Quench, and Lean. The dual mode will allow excellent efficiency by operating at two points.

The micro-turbine will also have advanced designs in terms of its ducts, valves, heat exchangers, and sealings. These features will give the technology more freedom in terms of matching the micro-turbine with vehicle categories in need of different drive cycles.

The company also conducted a study which shows the cost effectiveness of using on board chargers in REEVs. The EVTM development team foresees their P1 prototype turbine by Q2 of 2010.

On the development of the battery, EVTM is in collaboration with the Bar Ilan University to produce a 4.7V LMNO or Lithium Manganese Nickel Oxide cathode. They are exploring the possibilities of coming up with an LMNO/Graphite for a 4.7V battery and a LMNO/LitiO for a cell with 3.2V.

Ford is working with Smith Electric Vehicles to make the US release of the electric car series possible by next year. In the UK, on the other hand, the Ford collaboration is with Tanfield.

Presently, the conventional Ford Transit Connect is built for small business entrepreneurs and owners. First released n Europe in 2003, Transit Connect is a front-wheel-drive commercial vehicle that has a spacious cargo. Ford recently powered up its engine to a 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder gasoline. The vehicle also has an automatic four-speed transaxle.

Since its introduction six years ago, the Transit Connect has been sold to at least 600,000 costumers in 58 countries around the globe. It’s initial sticker price begins at $21,475.

What’s in the Battery-electric Transit Connect?

The battery-electric Transit Connect is pegged to set forth new generations of hybrid-electric and plug-in electric vehicles in 2010. The prices of the battery-electric Ford Transit Connect vehicles are projected to be more affordable with more developments in the coming four years.

A new small electric car by Ford will be introduced in 2011, while the hybrid vehicles and the plug in vehicles will be commercial available in North America in 2012 and 2013 respectively. This was announce in Ford’s electric vehicle plan last January.

This mode of personal transportation involves a short-term arrangement of renting a car. It is an urban car rental service wherein the customer who is a registered member can make reservations for a rental car for a period of time, as short as one hour. The customer can pick up the car at the designated place in their vicinity, and can return that car there.

This trend is now slowly increasing in popularity in Japan, specifically in the urban areas, though it is not as widespread as in North America and Europe.

Mazda Car Rental Corp. has been lengthening its horizons on car sharing industry throughout Japan starting July 2006.

Ishikawa Prefecture of Kanazawa City is the first full-blown car sharing system in the provincial operation and was launched last 2006 of November with the partnership of Hokuriku Railway Co., Hokusei Industry CO., the city management and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In here, pre-registered customers can receive points that could be utilized as fares in the bus. Renting environmentally-friendly cars is preferred, for sure!

The largest group in the car sharing industry, the Ornix Auto Corp., began a novel service last 2007. They focused on car sharing service for dwellers in the condominium. They opened their services at five condominium residence structure and plans to offer it to seven buildings by the end of 2009.