In conjunction with the announcement of an $8.7 billion loss for the second quarter, Ford confirmed what had been suspected for some time with a major shift in production capacity from trucks to cars. Starting in December of this year, three truck plants will be retooled so that they can build cars instead. In addition six new models will be coming over from the European lineup and Mercury will live on. Like other automakers Ford will be consolidating production of large trucks into fewer plants. The full-size Expedition and Navigator SUVs will shift from the Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne MI to the Louisville, Ky plant that builds the Super-Duty pickups. The Michigan plant will retool to build to build a vehicle based on the European Focus platform. As previously announced the Cuautitlan Assembly Plant in Mexico will shift from building F-series pickups to the new Fiesta at the end of next year. A second plant in Louisville that currently builds Explorers will switch over to building Focus based vehicles as well.

In other product news, we already knew about the Fiesta and the Euro Focus coming in 2010 as well as the Transit Connect van in 2009. Ford has confirmed that Mercury will get a new small car in 2010. What platform this will be built on is unknown. Ford will also introduce what they are calling a "whitespace" vehicle based on the Focus architecture. This will be in a segment that Ford doesn't currently occupy, and the best bet would be the C-Max MPV. This vehicle is a small van similar to the Mazda 5. The full Ford press release is after the jump.


[Source: Ford]

Autobloggren reader Ron asked us one question: why does it seem that American cars in Europe sip less fuel? As he compared what look like identical models on either side of the Atlantic Ocean and consumption figures seem to differ.

First problem is finding two identical models. Then, pollution regulations are different in the USA compared to the EU. As a general rule, the EPA focus on exhaust air quality while the EU aims about quantity and has longer terms for other pollutants. As a consequence, injection systems might be tuned differently. Some people might think that gasoline is different. Europeans have two different types of gasolines: 95 and 98 RON which are more "premium" than the ones sold in the U. S. but, provided the fact that the injection systems are ready for the gas type, mileage should not affected (remember the "don't use premium if not needed"?). Perhaps the most important factor to consider are the differences between the mileage test procedures. The current EU test cycle is considered to give considerably higher results than the latest 2008 EPA test procedure. Finally, make sure that the numbers you are comparing are in the same units. Numbers from the UK are typically expressed in miles per Imperial gallon. One Imperial gallon is 1.16 US gallons.

Many people in the States still make their living using good 'ole fashioned pickup trucks as their main method of transportation. For those people, the sky-high price of fuel is putting a serious dent in their profit margins, especially when that truck is used day-in and day-out to move heavy objects from one place to another. It's dirty work, but somebody's got to do it, as they say. For these gasoline-weary individuals, Ford, makers of the best-selling pickup truck in the world, is diligently working on its upcoming 4.4L diesel V8 powerplant, which should improve on the bread-and-butter 5.4L Triton gasoline engine's mpg figure by 20-percent while delivering an extra shot of torque.

While we've seen the engine sitting by itself earlier this year at Ford's national dealer conference in Vegas, PickupTrucks.com has managed to get its hands on a few shots of the engine under hood of a new F-150 mule. We can clearly see that it's a tight fit in there with all the associated emissions plumbing, turbocharger and intercooler. Take note too that the engine wears the Power Stroke moniker, though the mill is not made by Ford's traditional diesel supplier, Navistar. Instead, this engine is derived from a diesel engine used by Land Rover in Europe and will be manufactured in Mexico. Those looking to save a few bucks on a fill-up can look forward to a hopeful debut at the '09 Chicago Auto Show with a production release sometime later that year.
[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Click the Fiesta ECOnetic for a high res gallery

At the British Motor Show in London, Ford has unveiled the most fuel efficient version yet of the new Fiesta, the ECOnetic model. Like the Focus and Mondeo ECOnetic models, this Fiesta has been tweaked to minimize fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. In this case the car is equipped with a 1.6L diesel and the usual mix of closing off openings in the front to reduce the drag. A pair of small air deflectors on the trailing edge of the wheel wells helps to control airflow coming off the back of the car. Revised engine calibrations, a taller final drive ratio and low rolling resistance tires yield a combined mileage rating of 65.3 mpg (US) on the EU test cycle. Carbon dioxide emissions are measured at 98 g/km meaning that the Fiesta is exempted from some road taxes in the UK and elsewhere. Unfortunately we probably won't get this version when the Fiesta debuts here in about 18 months. The Ford press release is after the jump.


[Source: Ford]

Every automaker currently selling cars in America is now doing all that they can do to increase fuel efficiency. Even on models which were already launched, redesign time is the perfect opportunity to make another attempt at raising fuel mileage. Such is the case at Ford, as product chief Derrick Kuzak's new mandate for his engineers is to make every new or redesigned Ford the most fuel efficient vehicle in its class, starting with the revised Fusion due for 2010. Currently, the base 2.3 liter four cylinder engine is mated to a five speed automatic transmission. That combo is able to offer up 20 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway. While that is decent, it's not class leading. So, we are expecting a significant bump when the next Fusion appears with both a hybrid model and an enlarged 2.5 liter engine with six speed automatic. We got the chance to sample this powertrain in the 2009 Escape and found that it both increased performance and decreased fuel consumption. Sounds like a winner.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Chevrolet apparently has a hit on its hands in the form of the new XFE model of its Cobalt compact car. Relatively easy tricks such as revised gearing, low rolling-resistance tires and some computer reprogramming was enough to boost the XFE to 36 miles per gallon on the highway, up from the standard model's 33 mpg. GM says it took just eighteen months to make this new version a reality, and rumors indicate there could be more XFEs on the way.

Nancy Libby, a spokeswoman for Chevrolet, says that demand for the car surprised the automaker, as it had estimated that the XFE would make up just two to three percent of Cobalt sales. In actuality, the XFE model accounts for eight percent of sales and sits on the lot for just eighteen days on average -- lowest of any Cobalt model. Perhaps the best news of all is that other automakers are observing the success Chevy has had with the XFE, and the concept is spreading across from GM to both Ford and Chrysler.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click the MINI Cooper D for a high res gallery

For reasons such as imported oil dependency and environmental concerns, there are some people who think personal cars are evil and must be eliminated from our roads immediately. This sentiment is patently unrealistic, and there's no shortage of people, this writer included, who to enjoy cars while using less fuel and emitting fewer greenhouse gases. I'm not ashamed to say that driving quickly is fun and feels good, but that doesn't mean I like to waste fuel or dump pollutants into the air. That's why I love driving cars like the Tesla Roadster. Having fun driving doesn't necessarily mean you need to have an insanely fast car like the Tesla or an Audi R8. Small, lightweight cars like the Mazda MX-5 or or the Honda Fit don't have gobs of power, but they're fun to drive because they handle well and go around corners quickly.

The latest resident of the AutoblogGreen Garage is one of the most entertaining and fuel efficient cars I've driven in a long time. Unfortunately, it's also a car that Americans cannot buy. The 1.6L diesel-powered MINI Cooper D is not available in North America, but fuel system supplier Bosch has added one to its promotional fleet and recently loaned it to us. The aptly-named MINI is indeed a small car and the gas-engined versions offered in the US have been flying off lots at a record pace in recent months. Through the first six months of 2008, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 34 percent compared to last year. Follow the jump to see how the MINI Cooper D rates compared to the regular Cooper.


All Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Let us introduce the Tiger Champ. One of the truck models gets 37 mpg with a three-cylinder diesel engine from Caterpillar. The design is Chinese, by Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., but it's assembled in Oklahoma by Tiger Truck LLC and available at 70 dealerships nationwide. The only problem is that the truck is really, really slow and it does not meet federal safety standards, so it must be off-highways in most states, although it can run everywhere in the Sooner State.

Two options are available: a small Tiger Star with an gas I-4 engine (available with E85 compatibility) able to carry 1,700 pounds. But the Champ outdoes the Star with a diesel I-4 which is rated at 37mpg, and can carry up to 3,780 pounds of weight (32 mpg for the gas version). Tiger can produce about 35 trucks a day at its plant altough currently they are only turning out about 5 trucks per day.

[Source: Automotive News (subs. req'd)]

Ford has everything ready to start selling the new Fiesta in Europe next Fall. Prices start at €11,700 for gasoline variants, and €13,700 for diesels (prices shown are for the French market). If you want 5 doors instead of 3, you have to add €500 to the sticker price. Six different trims(Ambiente, Trend, ECOnetic, Ghia, Titanium and Sport, or Zetec S in the UK) and six powerplants (4 gasoline and 2 diesel) will be available.

All gasoline engines produce CO₂ under 140 g/km and start with two 1.25L options, with 60 or 82 hp. An available 1.4L is good for 96 hp. All three have emissions ratings under 135 g/km. The sportiest version has a brand new 1.6L four-cylinder rated at 118 hp that achieves 41.6 mpg (US), while keeping CO₂ emissions at 139 g/km. Regarding diesels, there's a 1.4L good for 68 hp as well as a 1.6L with 90 hp, producing CO₂ under 110 g/km. The ECOnetic version further improves the car's consumption level to 62.5 mpg (U.S.) and boasts CO₂ emissions of 98 g/km.


[Source: Autoplus]

The Coast to Coast Am late night radio talk show, hosted nowadays by George Noory, often lends a sympathetic ear to those with a bizarre tale to tell or folks making outlandish claims. After being deluged with calls and emails to the show asking about assertions made of increasing gas mileage using kits such as those sold by Water4gas, (they claim to break water down into HHO and burn it along with your gasoline) George decided to try a "real life" experiment to see if it actually worked. With his producer's car.

It took some time for the results to come in but last night, after an update on the latest in alien implants, producer Tom Danheiser came on the air to let the audience of millions hear the result. Before installing the device under the hood of his Mustang, Danheiser calculated his gas mileage to be 17.99 mpg. After driving around with the device for a week his mileage went down to 16.56 mpg. To add insult to HHO hoax injury, he had to have his car serviced. Twice. The bottom line can be summed up with a pair of truisms; there is no free lunch and the laws of physics just aren't made to be broken.

[Source: Coast to Coast AM]

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the Kazamai

As oil wealth has suddenly taken root in Russia in the last couple of years, the Moscow International Auto Show has suddenly become an event that automakers are paying attention to. With that in mind, Mazda will stage the world premiere of its latest concept in the Russian capitol next month. The Kazamai is the latest in a series of concepts that feature the "Nagare" (or "flow") design theme, and is intended to demonstrate what Mazda calls "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom." Mazda hasn't released many details yet, but the Kazamai does seem to point in the right direction for a small crossover. Power will reportedly come from a new-generation direct-injection engine. The body structure will follow the pattern set by recent production modes such as the Mazda2 and Mazda6, with reduced weight and aerodynamic lines. More next month as we get closer to the show.


[Source: Mazda]

Pending carbon dioxide emissions regulations in Europe mean that Mercedes Benz will make a major push toward down-sizing engines in the next three years. Thomas Weber, Daimler board member responsible for research and development has announced that every model in the Mercedes lineup will offer a turbocharged engine the end of 2010. All of the turbocharged engines will feature smaller displacements for reduced fuel consumption, with the turbos providing increased power on-demand.

The down-sized and boosted engines are only one aspect of the drive to get fleet average CO2 emissions down to 138 g/km by 2012. In 2009 Mercedes Benz will also launch a version of the luxury S-Class sedan with a mild hybrid system and an M-Class SUV with the Two-Mode hybrid system. In 2010, an electrically driven Smart ForTwo with a lithium ion battery will also go into limited production. By mid-decade, the automakers wants all of its vehicles to be capable of operating on either biofuels, hydrogen or electricity.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

With gasoline at record prices in the United States for the past several months and the economy in a downward spiral, many people who bought big SUVs and crossovers in recent years are finding it increasingly hard to afford a fill-up. As people desperately try to unload their big guzzlers in favor of something more fuel efficient, they are finding them almost impossible to dispose of. With huge gluts of unsold trucks on their lots many dealers won't accept them in trade.

There is however an alternative, car-pooling. Look around you as you drive to work and consider how many people are doing the same thing all alone. How many of those are commuting in an SUV that gets 13, 14, 15 mpg? If you have a thirst SUV or crossover consider finding 3-5 people to share a ride with. Now instead of miles per gallon, switch to measuring people-miles-per-gallon. That's number of passengers x MPG. Read on after the jump.

Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for more images of the iPhone 3G's GPS capabilities

Alright, so perhaps that iPhone 3G's GPS system leaves a little to be desired for the hardcore automotive crowd, but that doesn't mean that your brand new purchase can't prove useful to you for more than its normal mobile phone abilities. Since you're reading this article here on AutoblogGreen, we are going to go ahead and assume that you are interested in saving gas, either for the planet's sake or at least for the sake of your wallet. Take a look at these five programs which were designed to help owners of a brand spankin' new iPhone save a few bucks on gas. From fuel mileage tracking to finding the best gas prices in your area, developers have jumped on the ability to develop new applications for die-hard Apple users like nobody's business. Best of all... they range in price from free to just shy of $2 bucks.

[Source: Earth2Tech]

Over the next decade, Ford will be putting the focus (no pun intended) on fuel efficiency for all of its powertrains as fuel prices continue to climb. The EcoBoost engines that debut next spring with a 3.5L V6 are expected to become the workhorses of the fleet, but virtually all of Ford's engines will be downsized. When the new F-150 pickups arrive later this fall, they will feature gas V8 engines only. However, sometime in 2010 the 3.5L EcoBoost will likely become the standard engine in place of the 4.6L V8 that's been around since the early '90s. A 4.4L V8 diesel will also join the lineup, giving a 20 percent mileage boost over the current 5.4L V-8. Much like the long-gone 302 cu. in. V8 was once the staple of Ford's engine lineup, the 3.5 will power most of the company's larger cars and CUVs . Many of these will even feature a 2.0L EcoBoost four-cylinder in place of the existing normally-aspirated 3.0L and 3.5L V6es.

Among the smaller cars like the Focus, Fiesta, and Fusion (and the Mondeo when it arrives) even smaller four-cylinder engines will provide motivation. The new Fiesta has 1.25L and 1.4L gas engines in Europe and the 1.4L will probably be the base US engine at launch, though the 1.25L is possible as well. Ford product development chief Derrick Kuzak has said that a 1.0L EcoBoost is possible for the Focus in 2012. To help get the most of the engines, Ford is expanding 6 speed automatic transmission availability. A new 6F35 mid-sized unit is debuting now in the Escape and will be added to the refreshed Fusion at the end of this year. Another smaller 6-speed automatic will debut in the Focus next year, followed by a dual-clutch transmission in 2011.

Ford will also add an upgraded version of its hybrid system to the Fusion and Milan sedans when the refreshed versions debut at the end of this year, and Ford also has a field test program with Southern California Edison for plug-in hybrid Escapes.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]