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Overweight and Overfueled – CDC says fat America uses more gas

Filed under: Etc.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a new report on obesity in the U.S. According to the study, the U.S. witnessed a 1.1 percent increase in the number of self-reported people with obesity between 2007 and 2009. The increase amounts to 2.4 million additional Americans admitting that they have joined the category of obese individuals. In addition, the number of states reporting that at least 30 percent of its population fit into the obese category has tripled to include nine states. Rising obesity rates have led to increased medical costs and other public issues, but the automotive industry has felt the added weight as well.

According to the study, an estimated one billion gallons of extra fuel were used up to compensate for the added weight of drivers and passengers from 1960 to 2002. If you look at it another way, 0.7 percent of all the fuel burned in vehicles from 1960 to 2002 has been attributable to passengers who have packed on a few extra pounds. Or, how about this one: 39 million gallons of fuel are burned for each pound gained by the average American. While these numbers will probably make an eco-conscious driver think twice next time they’re in line at a fast food joint, it seems unlikely that the majority Americans will slim down for the simple sake of saving fuel.

[Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Consumer Reports, Green Car Reports | Image: Tobyotter – C.C. License 2.0]

Overweight and Overfueled – CDC says fat America uses more gas originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Chevrolet Volt has knock sensor, can run on regular gas

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM

2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery

When General Motors announced pricing for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt last week, one new technical detail grabbed some attention. Vehicle line director Tony Posawatz was apparently the first exec to mention to the press that the range-extending engine in the Volt had been calibrated to run on premium gasoline.

There have been some question about what happens if you put regular gas in the tank and whether that would damage the engine. GM powertrain spokesman Tom Read confirmed to Autoblog that the Volt’s 1.4-liter inline-four is equipped with a block-mounted knock sensor like virtually every other modern engine. The engine is calibrated for premium with extra spark advance to optimize the efficiency and output of the engine. If regular gas is used, the knock sensor will adjust the spark advance to prevent engine damage. Premium gas also reportedly has a longer shelf life than regular, which could be an issue for Volt drivers who maximize their plug-in’s electric capability by using as little gasoline as possible.

Gallery: Quick Spin: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Facebook, General Motors]

2011 Chevrolet Volt has knock sensor, can run on regular gas originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Chevrolet Volt requires… premium gas?

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

As we’re sure you’ve noticed by now, General Motors has been making lots of waves over the past few days with the pricing announcement (finally!) of its 2011 Chevrolet Volt. And, as you’re surely aware, GM’s plug-in hybrid is capable of traveling at least 40 miles per charge without using a single drop of gasoline. But what happens when the time comes to pump some good ol’ crude into the tank? You’ll be using premium.

Yes, you read that right. Premium gasoline only in GM’s mostly gasoline-free automobile. It seems a bit odd that The General would force its customers into using higher-priced gasoline if there wasn’t a good reason for it, but it certainly wouldn’t seem that the engine is highly stressed – 80 horsepower from 1.4 liters isn’t exactly bleeding edge.

There is a possibility, however, that the car’s engineers were able to wrestle a bit more efficiency from its constant-load engine/generator setup by using higher octane fuel. In any case, the automaker has not offered up any specific explanations on why premium is required or, for that matter, what kind of fuel mileage the Volt will attain when the gasoline-powered engine is in operation.

We feel compelled to point out that it probably doesn’t matter much that the Volt requires premium fuel considering how little gasoline the average user is likely to go through any given month. But naturally, your mileage will vary.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt