Fuel Efficiency Comes Standard at the L.A. Auto Show

(PR Newswire) Green has gone mainstream. Virtually every automaker exhibiting at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show has a solution for making vehicles run cleaner and use less fuel. At this November's Show, most vehicles on display transcend earlier technologies and are now achieving historically high levels of efficiency. Even high-performance vehicles are delivering vast improvements over previous generations.

..."L.A. Show attendees are increasingly interested in this next generation of fuel-efficient vehicles and this year demonstrates that there is no single technology that satisfies this increasing demand," said Andy Fuzesi, general manager of the L.A. Auto Show. "The show will feature a dramatic increase in the number of advanced vehicles able to satisfy most car shoppers' needs and budgets."

The solution today for most consumers looking to use less fuel and produce fewer carbon emissions is the small and more powerful four-cylinder internal combustion engine. It has replaced the six-cylinder engine as the powerplant of choice in the U.S. While six- and even eight-cylinder powered vehicles have shown significant fuel economy improvements, the 40-plus club of vehicles – those getting 40 mpg or more– is expanding rapidly. An L.A. Auto Show World Debut from a yet-to-be-named manufacturer will add yet another entry to the 40-plus mpg club and will join a dozen other vehicles that achieve the previously-elusive 40 mpg number. Other new entries into this fuel-efficient category include the Hyundai Veloster, the 2012 Kia Rio and the 2012 Mazda3 with SKYACTIV technology.

Mazda's new SKYACTIV powertrain and chassis technologies will also be featured in the North American Debut of its all-new CX-5 crossover. BMW will introduce new, more powerful, four-cylinder engine technology, but placed in popular performance cars - the Z4 and 528. Both boast improved performance and increased fuel efficiency.

...The future of mobility promises to offer even more options like natural gas (CNG), featured in the Honda Civic GX, as well as biofuels like sugarcane-derived ethanol. Hydrogen-powered vehicles have also been tested in various scenarios for over a decade and several will be featured at this year's Show. Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV), are one of the most promising technologies, and are currently being tested by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, General Motors and Toyota. Hyundai is already testing a third-generation FCEV, the Tucson. READ MORE