A California company has developed a fuel-injection system it says can improve the fuel mileage in your gasoline engine – by more than 50%. The company, Transonic Combustion, has tested the technology in its own engine, and says it is currently testing it with three automakers. Read  more about it here.

Ford recently announced that the 2011 F-Series Super Duty truck will have an 18% increase in fuel economy, bringing it up to about 15 mpg. The trucks are being produced at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant.

By now, most of us know that every time we use our vehicle brakes we’re using  more energy, which translates to burning more fuel. But could a new ‘air hybrid’ technology change that? That’s what researchers at the University of Waterloo are trying to determine.

When you think ‘great fuel mileage’ you may think Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion Hybrid or any number of Hyundais. But now you may want to start thinking Mercury Milan Hybrid. Read here to find out why…

One state is taking fuel efficiency into its own hands.  The Mississippi legislature cut the Public Safety Commission’s budget, and now the department has to find ways to save money. And apparently they have – by limiting the number of miles state troopers can travel.

I realize times are tough all over, and I’m all for saving money and finding ways to cut fuel costs, but is this measure going a little too far? Each trooper can now travel only 2,500 in his or her territory per month, which is down from 5,000 miles per month.

Will cutting fuel costs affect our safety?

Yes, it will save money on fuel costs, and I’m sure it could be argued that it’s better for the vehicles (less wear and tear), but is it the best thing for public safety? I’m picturing high-speed chases where a state trooper is closing the gap, gaining on the bad guys, and suddenly his odometer rolls over and he realizes he can drive no farther. Does he just park his vehicle, throw his hands up and wait for a cab? Or will there be areas that are rarely patrolled due to mileage limits that become havens for criminals? Will the roadways become the Autobahns of America? Ok, maybe my ideas are a little extreme, but you get the idea.

I completely support our country’s law enforcement. They have tough jobs to do, often with little or no reward, credit or thanks. But there’s got to be a better way for the Mississippi State Troopers (and all state troopers) to reduce fuel costs. If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear ‘em. Until then, be careful in Mississippi, my friends.

Looking for an affordable vehicle that also gets great gas mileage? The Ford Fiesta might be the answer. It’s already popular in Europe, but if you want one when they debut in America (Summer 2010), you’d better get your texting fingers ready. Here’s why…

…the Ford F-250 Lariat (diesel). And that may be a best-case scenario, since diesels usually get slightly better gas mileage. According to Consumer Reports, the F-250 gets just 10 mpg, narrowly beating out the Hummer H2, which gets 11 mpg. Check out the other gas guzzlers for 2010 here.

A group of engineering students at Cal Poly have created a three-wheeled vehicle that gets – are you ready for this – 2,752 mpg.  That’s about 13 times more than GM’s Chevrolet Volt, which gets 230 mpg.  The vehicle, called ‘Black Widow’, was created in preparation for the Shell Eco-Marathon student engineering competition. Read more about it here.

Keep tires properly inflated.
Remember when you were a kid and you were out riding your bike and noticed one of your tires was low? Remember how difficult it was to pedal back home? The same principle applies to vehicle tires. The less air they have inside them, the more work it takes to get anywhere – only this time it’s your vehicle’s engine, and not your legs, that are doing all the work. When the engine has to work harder, your fuel efficiency goes down.

Change the air filter.
When I go in for an oil change at one of those quick lube places, I don’t always have them change my air filter. However, I’m beginning to rethink that. Much like a fan in your home gets clogged and coated with dirt and dust, so does the air filter in your car. In your home it means dirt and dust are always blowing around in the air, but in your car, it means the dirt and dust get blown back into the engine. That can reduce your gas mileage and harm your engine.

Curb your aggression.
We’ve all been there – sudden starts and stops, speeding, mumbling obscenities to the driver in front of us. But did you know that aggressive driving can actually lower your gas mileage? It’s true. So observe the speed limit and avoid excessive braking and sudden stops.

Lose some weight.
Do you feel a little slower if you’re carrying a few extra pounds around your middle? It’s much the same with your vehicle. If you carry an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle, your miles per gallon could be reduced by as much as 2%. Try to avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. Smaller vehicles tend to be affected more by extra weight than larger ones.

Be the master of your errands.
Did you know that several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as one trip with multiple stops and starts when the engine is warm? To combat this, combine your errands into one trip, when possible. And you should also try to find the most efficient route. C’mon – you know you want to map it all out on your GPS!

Know your gas.
Are you using the right gas for your vehicle? Using regular gas when your vehicle calls for premium could reduce your gas mileage by around 6 mpg, depending on your make of car. Check the owner’s manual to see what you should be using. If you want to improve your gas mileage, you should also avoid using ethanol because it contains less energy than gasoline and significantly drops your fuel mileage.

Don’t stay idle.
When you’re idling, how many miles per gallon are you getting? If you answered ‘zero’ you’re correct. You’re still burning fuel, but lowering your mpg. Vehicles with larger engines usually waste more gas when idling than vehicles with smaller engines, but regardless of the vehicle size, you should avoid unnecessary idling and turn off the engine for lengthy waits.

Make time for maintenance.
Regular vehicle maintenance goes a long way toward heading off major problems plus those little things that eat into your gas mileage. Most of us get regular physicals to ward off problems and increase our ‘mileage’, so why not treat your vehicle the same way.

Just stay home.
Do you really need to make that run to the ice cream parlor? Probably not. After all, one of the best ways to improve your gas mileage is to cut down on unnecessary trips. Of course, you can always send the kids off on their bicycles to run your errands.

Kia recently unveiled a plug-in hybrid concept car that can go about 746 miles between fill-ups. Check it out here…