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Showing posts from October, 2009

Seven Ways to Increase Fuel Efficiency

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If all you have is a car to fill up, consider yourself lucky. Airlines, truckers and boat owners are feeling the gas price pinch even harder than the vast majority of Americans. That isn’t to say $4 a gallon isn’t hard on the wallet, however. Below are some tips you can use to increase fuel efficiency. Every car or truck is different, and some of these tips may not apply to all. Remember, applying as many tips as possible will give you greater fuel economy, as they have an accumulative effect. 1) Keep your vehicle properly maintained. Taking your vehicle in for regular maintenance as described in it’s manual will ensure that you keep your driving machine in fine working order. Dirty oil, old air filters, etc. make vehicles work harder to go the same distance, thus reducing efficiency. Also, learn to do basic maintenance yourself. Doing your own basic maintenance will save precious money you would otherwise pay for a mechanic. It is simple to do and learn, and if you aren’t afraid to

Car sales hit record high in Sept on festive fervour

Hyundai, Honda, General Motors and Ford sold record number of cars in a month in September as buyers — more confident of jobs and bonuses than last year — lapped up cheap financing schemes offered by banks flooded with deposits. But Maruti, which accounts for about half the cars sold in the country, missed the monthly record as it suspended production of the SX4 sedan. Total car sales surged to over 1.53 lakh in September, from highest monthly sales of 1.29 lakh units reported in March this year, provisional numbers released by companies showed. “Money is coming into the system and the higher liquidity could result in even better volumes in October and set a bigger sales record in the domestic auto market,” said Ramnath Subramaniam, director (research) at capital market firm IDFC-SSKI Securities. Final numbers could be higher as some, like Toyota, are yet to report the numbers. South Korea’s Hyundai posted its best sales in 11-year history in the country. Domestic sales grew 25% to 27,

Reva to roll out two new electric cars soon

The maker of India's sole battery-run car, Reva Electric Car Co., is setting up a second plant in the country's tech hub to roll out two new models next year for domestic and export markets, a top company official has said. "We are investing Rs 300 million (Rs 30 crore) in the second plant that will eventually have an installed capacity of 30,000 units per annum," Reva co-founder and deputy chairman Chetan Kumar Maini told IANS. The 14-year-old firm has raised $20 million (Rs 960 million) from global investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Global Environment Fund for this. The company displayed prototypes of the two models at the 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) Sep 15-27. The first model - Reva NXR (next revolution) -- is a four-seat, two-door hatchback family car. The second model -- Reva NXG (next generation) -- is a sporty two-seater with a targa roof, designed by renowned automotive designer Dilip Chhabria. "We plan to roll out NXR by mid-2010 and