What is MPGe?

Greater environmental protection measures have led to a pushfor more fuel efficient vehicles. Along with the development of catalyticconverters, air fuel ratio sensors,and O2 sensorsfor standard gasoline engines, automakers have looked for alternative ways to fuel our transportation needs. Most popular today are gasoline-electric hybrids, butmore recently, fully electric vehicles have been in the spotlight as the mostgreen and efficient option available today.

 One challenge for the EPA was how to relate the fuel efficiencyof fully electric vehicles to consumers. We are all used to the standard MPG –or miles per gallon – rating to compare the fuel efficiency of gasoline poweredvehicles, so the solution has been to provide a MPGe, or miles ger gallonequivalent, rating for all electric and hybrid vehicles.

The MPGe metric was introduced in November 2010 by the EPAto label the fuel efficiency of the new Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt electriccars. The ratings are based on the EPA’s formula, in which 33.7 kilowatt hoursof electricity is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline. This is based on theenergy content of gasoline: burning one US gallon of gasoline is 115,000 BTU.The formula for calculating MPGe is shown below.

Two things must be taken into consideration for MPGe of electric vehicles: one  is the energy consumed to generate the electricity necessarycharge the battery; and the other is the transmission efficiency of that electricity from itssource into the battery. This makes the calculations much more difficult, butit is essential for getting an accurate depiction of the fuel efficiency ofelectric vehicles.

2012 Ford Focus Electric

 Even with all those factors taken into consideration, newall electric vehicles have impressive fuel efficiency. The 2012 Ford FocusElectric gets 105 MPGe and has a range of 76 miles. Certainly not capable ofroad trips, but it will get most people to work and back, and perhaps a trip tothe grocery store, with some charge to spare. This satisfies what most peopledo with their cars on a daily basis, and can save a good amount of money in thelong run on gas.

Does MPGe make sense to you?

How Close Are We To Flying Cars?

We’ve made some major technological advances in the lastcentury – the internet, the AC Compressor and the A/C  Compressorwould have been unimaginable in 1912. Still, there are things that we have beendreaming about in science fiction for decades that still haven’t come to be.One of the most prolific is the idea of the flying car.

Cops and Cabs in The 5th Element

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has dreamed of flying awaywhile stuck in traffic. It would be just like the movies! Highways in the sky,floating traffic lights, silent flying cars whooshing by, and all self-drivenand pre-programmed to whisk us to our desired locations. It’s a beautiful dreamthat many believe is the future for personal transportation. Question is, isit?

Terrafugia Transition

Fortunately, there are some people working on making thisdream a reality. Terrafugia is a U.S. company that will debut a roadableaircraft at this year’s New York Auto Show. The craft, called Transition, is a fixed wing personal aircraft that canfold its wings in and become a street legal automobile. This wouldn’t replaceyour car, although it can fit in a standard parking space, but it could replaceyour own personal aircraft if you had one. This craft also requires a runway,and since it flies, you have to have a pilot’s license and use an airport totake advantage of its flying capabilities. Given all of these limitations, itdoesn’t quite seem like the type of flying car we’d envisioned, though it is avery convenient option for those who love to fly.

Urban Aeronautics AirMule

 Also developing what they dub “fancraft” is Urban Aeronaticsin Israel. They develop Vertical-Takeoff-and-Landing (VTOL) utility aircraft inseveral different models. This looks more like we imagine – smaller craft, cantake off and land anywhere, no body roll when moving from side to side, and theblades are not exposed so there are no risk of losing your (or your neighbors)head. Problem is, this vehicle is intended to be primarily a search and rescueplane to go where helicopters cannot. Helicopters have great difficulty flying closeto buildings or mountains and the exposed blades make them dangerous to operatein tight spaces. The fancrafts produced by Urban Aeronautics can fly right nextto, between, or on top of structures. Also, since it has no body roll and muchmore stability, it can actually partially touch a surface on any side of thecraft without losing control. The cost of these is currently prohibitivelyexpensive for personal use, but they welcome future developments to make theirdesign more accessible to the masses.

What we’re really after is a PAV, or Personal Air Vehicle,but as it stands there are no tested vehicles that truly fit the bill.Thankfully, there are several companies out there with investors that have thesame dream we all do: to fly away from traffic jams and into the future. I’llhold on to my dream and hopefully we’ll see it become a reality within ourlifetime.

How to Choose the Right Vehicle For You

Buying a new vehicle is very exciting, but it can also beoverwhelming. There are so many options for car buyers today that the whirlwindof makes, models, trims, and options(like advanced turbochargers and superchargers) can be dizzying.Fortunately, taking a few things into consideration can help narrow yourchoices and help you make the right decision.

The first and most important thing to define is the purposeof your new vehicle. Are you shopping for a vehicle to take your three kids topractice, or just to take you going as fast as possible through dangerousmountain curves? Is it to get you to work every day, or to haul you and yourfriends to the beach to surf? Carefully thinking and making a decision aboutthis alone will help tremendously in narrowing your choices, and to make yousatisfied with your new purchase.

 Next is to decide a price range. This should be fairly easy– decide how much of a car payment you can afford each month, then find out thelowest car loan interest rate you qualify for. Your credit score will determinethe interest rate and loan amount you are able to take out. Then put thenumbers into an online loan calculator to determine a maximum amount you canget a loan for. Now that you know an absolute maximum, it’s always wise to tryto find a vehicle under that maximum that still meets your needs.

 

 You should be down to just a few select makes and models. Atthis point you get to weigh all of the different options available in eachmodel – the fun stuff! Do you want a car with a more luxurious interior, or avehicle that is more technology-capable? Do you want a modern body-style, orsomething aggressive? This is where you get to match your car to yourpersonality. Most of us have to drive our cars every day, so it’s best to pickone you’re going to enjoy!

After you’ve indentified your main needs, you can alsoemploy the help of online car matching services. This free one from Edmunds.com can help suggest vehicles that will workfor you.

We hope you find just the vehicle you’re looking for. Happydriving!