AGS-Energy
Building a new World with environmentally clean and renewable energy technologies
Efficient Vehicles Energy efficient vehicles Using improved aerodynamics to minimize drag can increase vehicle fuel efficiency. Reducing vehicle weight can significantly also improve fuel economy, which is why composite materials are widely used in car bodies. More advanced tires, with decreased tire to road friction and rolling resistance, can save gasoline. Fuel economy can be improved over three percent by keeping tires inflated to the correct pressure. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve a cars fuel consumption by as much as 10 percent. Fuel efficient vehicles may reach twice the fuel efficiency of the average automobile. Cutting-edge designs, such as the diesel Mercedes-Benz Bionic concept vehicle have achieved a fuel efficiency as high as 84 miles per US gallon (2.8 L/100 km; 101 mpg-imp), four times the current conventional automotive average. Another growing trend in automotive efficiency is the rise of hybrid and electric cars. Hybrids, like the Toyota Prius, use regenerative braking to recapture energy that would dissipate in normal cars; the effect is especially pronounced in city driving. plug-in hybrids also have electrical plugs, which makes it possible to drive for limited distances without burning any gasoline; in this case, energy efficiency is dictated by whatever process (coal-burning, hydroelectric, etc) created the power. Plug-ins can typically drive for around 40 mile purely on electricity without recharging; if the battery runs low, a gas engine kicks in allowing for extended range. Finally, all-electric cars are also growing in popularity; the Tesla Roadster sports car is the only high-performance all-electric car currently on the market, and others are in design. Renewable Energy Products and Services in New Mexico |
