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Study estimates fuel economy improvements to US light-duty vehicles from 1975–2018 saved 2T gallons of fuel, 17B tons of CO2

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A team from the University of Tennessee and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has the fuel savings due to fuel economy improvements over the past 43 years amount to approximately two trillion gallons of gasoline. Also since 1975, light-duty vehicle travel increased by 134% while fuel use increased by only 37%.

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PNNL team develops onboard fuel separation technology to enable octane-on-demand for improved fuel economy

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Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed an onboard separation system that could support increased fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions as part of an octane-on-demand fuel-delivery system. Unfortunately, these engines exacerbate engine knock.

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DOE: all-electric vehicles have the lowest estimated average annual fuel cost of all light-duty vehicles

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The estimated annual fuel costs for model year (MY) 2019 all-electric light-duty vehicles are the lowest of all the different vehicle technologies, ranging from a low of $500 to a high of $900 per year, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). All annual vehicle fuel costs are rounded to the nearest $50.

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NHTSA to propose new fuel economy standards soon; 8% increase per year for MY 2024-2026

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The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it will soon propose robust new fuel economy standards. NHTSA’s proposal comes as the automobile industry is retooling future models in response to market demand for cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

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EIA: fuel economy improvements bring diminishing returns in fuel savings

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Improving fuel economy exhibits diminishing returns in fuel savings, according to a brief analysis by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Similarly, the fuel and cost savings of improving fuel economy from 12 mpg to 15 mpg are the same as increasing from 30 mpg to 60 mpg.

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Argonne study finds BEVs can have lowest scheduled maintenance costs, but highest cost of driving

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Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory, with colleagues from Lawrence Berkeley, Oak Ridge, and National Renewable Energy labs, and the University of Tennessee, have published a comprehensive analysis of the total cost of ownership (TCO) for 12 sizes of vehicles ranging from compact sedans up to Class 8 tractors with sleeper cabs.

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CMU study highlights lower-cost design path to fuel economy compliance: acceleration trade-off

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A team at Carnegie Mellon University has found that engineering design modifications that compromise other performance attributes—specifically acceleration—offer a pathway to reduce the cost to automakers of compliance with fuel economy standards. 1-6) years after the regulations are announced.