Auto Transportation Blog

You may not be aware of this, but most of the motorsport industry’s cool things come out of Britain. The weight reduction technology seen in NASCAR and Formula One racing was pioneered by British firms and because the industry is forever looking for new ways to make their cars go faster, be lighter and reduce pit times, the people in the design sector need to be creative.

Which is hwy Gordon Murray, a Formula One designer originally from McLauren, is going to invent a brand new car that will adapt all the cool things from the motorsport industry and put it into a safe commercial car that anyone can buy.

The goal is to produce a safe car with the lowest possible environmental footprint, and auto transporters are really excited to see what he comes up with. a new frontrunner in the auto industry could be just what it needs to get sales up again, despite the fact that it would only be availble in Britain for the first few years of its existence. But the fact that someone is looking to build a new, safe, fast, economic and envrionmentally-sound car is something that no one should be overlooking.

The United States Department of Energy is planning on giving out free home charging stations for early Chevy Volt buyers, which will be on sale later this year. Already almost 4,500 customers are slated to get a free 240V charge station, and most of them will also include the home installation costs. Auto transporters are interested as well, as this could boost Volt sales numbers (and shipping numbers), but many people are claiming that the government is overstepping its bounds.

However, the Department of Energy is claiming that this new program will allow them to see just how electric vehicles are used, despite the fact that many people are claiming that the government shouldn’t care how they use their vehicles. I myself am opposed to this greatly, because government and business need to remain separate. But people who are planning on buying a Volt are happy to see that they get a free charging station, so I guess it all works out in the end.

Auto transporters have been shipping new plug-in car models such as the Nissan Leaf for a few months now, but there’s still no clear-cut winner in the plug-in electric race. My question is: so what? There are lots of people betting on different vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt, but there has yet to be a clear-cut winner in the race. The Volt can provide enough power to handle any American’s typical daily commute, while Nissan is claiming that and more.

However, many consumers are wary that purchasing a plug-in vehicle will limit their driving habits. What if they want to drive up to Seattle from Portland to see a Mariner’s game? With only a 100-mile range on an eight-hour charge for both vehicles, that could present a problem. A major problem. It looks like electric vehicles won’t be changing too many people’s minds, but for daily driving it’s a no-brainer; essentially using energy that you would be using at home anyway as fuel for your car has a lot of people turning their heads and demanding the new vehicles; pre-orders for the Volt and the Leaf are through the roof, meeting and beating expectations set by both Cheby and Nissan.

The U.S. Agriculture Department has released a new report on the state of the biofuel industry, and, specifically, the state of achieving 36 million gallons of renewable biofuels - this report is mandated in the Energy Independence and Security Act, and we’re pround to bring you a summary of the report.

The United States will soon have the capacity to produce up to 15 bilion gallons of corn ethanol, but the report still says there are a number of barriers to getting to the 36 billion gallon threshold the bill has set down. Among them is the fact that most vehicles on the road are unable to accept ethanol blends higher than 10% because of their makeup, and to convert engines to run on higher blends could cost a lot of money. But that’s not stopping the biofuel industry, who says that with the right technology it could be the fuel of the future. Many auto transporters are already using ethanol blends in their transport trucks, but the industry is still a long way from putting major ethanol blends into consumer vehicles.

It still has a long way to go - much longer than electric vehicles, for instance - but the idea is there, and they’re still working hard on making it a viable energy source. Only time will tell, as we always say, so keep your eyes open and your ears perked.

A new trial run is being conducted in the United Kingdom, and most people who are testing the new full-electric vehicles are pretty happy with their performance. A majority of drivers have noted that it’s a good experience and, despite original concerns, the range of the vehicle is not a problem. They’ve reported no hassles with charging the vehicles and didn’t even flinch when they took them to the major highways - this could be good news for companies specializing in electric vehicles and could be a major stepping stone to having a full compliment of electric vehicles state-side in the next few years.

Auto transporters have seen that hybrids are dominating shipping lists, but electric vehicles are still present; this test could change many a driver’s mind over the next few years, especially if these tests are run in cities across America, which is the plan for hte next few years. The trials have shown that most vehicles are driven just 23 miles per day, despite having a range of 80 miles or more. While these aren’t vehicles you’d want to drive cross-country, they’re perfect for getting around in, and could be here sooner than you think.

Fuel costs and global warming are major factors in today’s race to build the first real alternative energy vehicle, but many consumers aren’t as concerned as they should be; in fact, most are more concerned with other things such as mileage and emissions. A new J.D. Power study predicts a major surge in global sales of alternative-energy vehicles, and by 2015 it’s expected that hybrids and electric vehicles will account for three million vehicles on the road - that’s 3.4% of all vehicles that will be on the road.

But many consumers are wondering which one will be the best, and who can blame them? Plug-in electric vehicles are great because you don’t have to put gas in them, but for the most part they’re made for city driving; they have a limited range and batteries can be expensive once they run out. Hybrids, on the other hand, can use both, but the problem is that gasoline still needs to be present in the vehicle, meaning you still have to make a trip to the pump.

Studies say that both will play a major factor in the alternative energy debate, but until one triumphs over the other, or a third player comes to town, both will be vying for that top spot. Already auto transporters have moved thousands of electric vehicles, but they still report that hybrid vehicles are topping the shipping lists in terms of alternative-energy vehicles.

The 2010 Automotive News PACE Environmental Award has finally been given out, and its a five-way tie: five different automotive parts suppliers have taken home the price thanks to their industry-changing innovations. The award recognizes suppliers who contribute to the stability of the environment and changing the way auto parts are manufactured; many auto transporters have already started placing orders at some of the award-winning companies, and many more repair shops are on their way.

The innovations include a new NOx sensor, new engines that get better gas mileage and produce less emissions, new fuel injection systems that eliminate waste and promote better mileage, and diesel direct-injection technologies which offer unique cabilities that reduce emissions by over 30% were all awarded, and 2011 is shaping up to be an even better year for the awards.

Tesla Motors, Inc, most famous for its Tesla Roadster and the still-to-be-seen Model S, has increased the amount of its stock that can be sold in IPO, and shares are expected to start trading this week. Originally its IPO was just 11.1 million shares; now, however, it has been rased to 13.3 million shares, mainly because of new revenue sources as well as the looming launch of the Model S, which many people are eagerly awaiting. Auto transporters, however, aren’t buying it - rarely is a Tesla moved, but this could be changing soon as Tesla believes that the average American’s taste in vehicles is changing, however slightly.

Tesla has been around for a while, and this move isn’t surprising anyone - in fact, many are surprised that it’s taken this long for more shares to start being bandied about. But Tesla is just biding their time, because the internal combustion engine is doomed, and they see the trend toward electric cars; this could be the exact right time to get some extra buyers in their stock, some more investors, and perhaps put out some new cars. But, as is our motto here, only time will tell. Let’s just hope that it’s not too long of a wait.

This is an interesting competition. The X-Prize Competition is a competition whose goal is to produce a vehicle which can get over 100 miles per gallon of fuel with no more than 200 grams per mile of CO2 emissions - and it has to be able to hit the market in four years. The available types of fuel are diesel, ethanol, electricity or gasoline, and auto transporters are getting behind it as well - no one wants better fuel efficiency more than auto transport companies and drivers.

The qualifying rounds were held at the Michigan International Speedway, but so far no winner has been declared; much more testing will need to be done before anything significant can be seen. Vehicles entered into the competition also must pass all safety and emissions standards set by the federal government as well as technical standards, but despite these restrictions over 20 cars have been entered into the competition. It’s not for the faint of heart, and not for regular people either - only major auto companies can compete, it seems.

We’ll keep you updated as results from the competition start coming in, but it may be a while, so don’t wait on bated breath. Things like this can take months if not years before true results are seen. But if this works, we could be seeing a whole new vehicle start rolling off of assembly lines in the next few years.

A lot of people don’t understand this, but proper tire inflation is essential in maintaining your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Auto transporters know this - many auto transport companies make sure that their fleets tires are in top condition, but not just for gas mileage; safety also plays a big factor when it comes to tire inflation. About 50% of all vehicles on the road today have at least one underinflated tire, and almost 20$ have a tire with just 8 psi, which is dangerously low. Low tire pressure can lead to many safety problems and hazards.

Underinflated tires can reduce gas mileage by over 3%, and properly inflated tires can save you up to ten cents per gallon at the pump, which is a huge amount of savings when you think about it - you save a dollar for every ten gallons, and the bigger your gas tank, the more you save. Underinflated tires also wear out faster and have reduced load carrying capabilities, not to mention that they grip the road worse which could lead to roll-overs. So, check your tires and make sure they’re inflated properly. It could save your life (and your wallet!).