As far as their site is concerned, CarMax can confirm the wandering thoughts on which cars are being searched for today. And the two popular cars are the hybrid and diesel vehicles, two cars that cater to cheaper fuel that is easy on the pockets.

This is not entirely surprising considering that this trend has been all over the news and rampant among automotive discussions. People are becoming wiser, turning to these vehicles mainly because fuel is getting costlier by the day. Motorists are shifting towards alternative vehicles but you can be assured that a lot of the famous car brand names still come up.

Popular hybrid vehicles on carmax.com include the Toyota Prius, Lexus RX400h and the Honda Civic hybrid while popular diesel vehicles include the Ford F350, Dodge Ram 3500 and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

As you can see, the big name cars are still there. This stems from the fact that these auto manufacturers were ready since the whole fuel issue hit us. So with this post, you now have a guide for yourself in case you are looking for a reliable car to use.

(Source) Press

Tags: auto manufacturers, car brand, carmax, diesel vehicles, dodge ram 3500, ford f350, honda civic, honda civic hybrid, hybrid vehicles, lexus rx400h, motorists, pockets, popular cars, toyota prius, two cars, volkswagen jetta, volkswagen jetta tdi

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Related to the declining demand for cars in the U.S. market, the Japanese auto industry is feeling the pinch of it all as it has experienced a severe decline in the local production of their cars for export. All 12 Japan-based vehicle makers suffered a 41% decline from May output.

And as far as sales, companies are already lagging behind the auto group’s forecast for the fiscal year, expected to be the worst in three decades, due to falling wages and growing unemployment. It predicts Japan industry-wide sales will drop 8.5 percent to 4.3 million in the year ending March.

Japan has implemented tax cuts and subsidies on some fuel- efficient cars to spur auto sales. Consumers can apply for a 250,000 yen ($2,600) subsidy if they scrap a car more than 13 years old to buy a new one and 100,000 yen for a new car purchase without scrapping an old one.

The government expects the incentive to lead to the sale of an additional 690,000 vehicles this fiscal year. Electric, hybrid, natural gas, and some diesel vehicles also qualify for an exemption from the country’s weight and purchase taxes.

(Source) Bloomberg

Tags: auto industry, auto sales, diesel vehicles, feeling the pinch, fuel efficient cars, japan car, japan industry, japanese auto, purchase taxes, three decades

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For the motorists looking for a better alternative towards fuel use, PetrolCard has announced the opening of a “Clean N’ Green Fuel” compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in South Seattle, the first public-access CNG facility in the city. For businesses and consumers with CNG-compatible vehicles, the facility offers a readily available, affordable, and environmentally friendly fuel. The station, which is open 24/7 accepts all major credit cards and PetroCard fleet cards, and sells CNG at prices typically one-third below gasoline and diesel.

There are currently more than 120,000 CNG vehicles in the United States and more than 8 million worldwide. In the U.S., a majority of those vehicles are government or business fleets. Locally, several municipalities, airport shuttles and taxis run fleet vehicles on CNG including vehicles from the King County Government fleet and STITA airport taxis. The Honda Civic GX is currently the only consumer CNG vehicle on the American car market, however many standard engines can be converted to use CNG.

CNG is sold in gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs), with each GGE having the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline. Vehicles using CNG typically have similar or better fuel economy ratings than standard gasoline or diesel vehicles, and today CNG is approximately one-third lower in price. The Clean N’ Green Fuel station will sell CNG to business fleets, including Waste Management, as well as individuals with CNG equipped vehicles. Current pricing at the station is in the range of $1.70-$1.80/GGE.

(Source) Press

Tags: airport shuttles, airport taxis, american car market, cng vehicles, Compressed Natural Gas, diesel vehicles, energy content, fleet cards, fleet vehicles, fuel economy ratings, fuel station, fueling station, gasoline vehicles, green fuel, honda civic, honda civic gx, king county government, south seattle

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Volkswagen of America’s contribution to the green effort is now officially available in the market as the all-new Touareg TDI will be available in dealer showrooms in all 50 states this May. Value priced at $42,800, the Touareg TDI is the lowest priced diesel SUV currently available in the marketplace.

Purchasers of the 2009 Touareg TDI are eligible for a $1,150 Federal Income Tax Credit. The Internal Revenue Service has issued a certification letter affirming that the Touareg TDI qualifies for the Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle Federal Income Tax Credit.

“The $1,150 tax credit provides an even greater value to the upcoming Touareg TDI,” said Mark Barnes, COO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “All of our clean diesel vehicles offer consumers the fuel efficiency they’re looking for while providing power, utility, performance, safety and excellent value. The Touareg TDI is an excellent addition to our clean diesel model line.”

The Touareg TDI showcases the best of both worlds, an alternative fuel Sport Utility Vehicle that provides fuel efficiency and go anywhere driving capability. Touareg TDI meets the most stringent emissions standards of all 50 states.

EPA estimates the Touareg TDI’s fuel economy at 17 city and 25 highway. At 25 miles per gallon on the highway the Touareg TDI provides better fuel efficiency than many hybrid SUVs.

Also standard for 2009 is Volkswagen’s Carefree Maintenance Program. With this program there are no charges for the scheduled maintenance described in the vehicle’s maintenance booklet for the length of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty — three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

(Source) Press

Tags: best of both worlds, better fuel efficiency, clean diesel, dealer showrooms, diesel vehicles, federal income tax, first source, fuel economy, hybrid suvs, income tax credit, lean burn, maintenance booklet, mark barnes, model line, sport utility vehicle, volkswagen of america, volkswagen of america inc, volkswagen touareg

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We all know that the Mercedes Benz has been known to project class if you are seen owning and riding one. But apparently, today’s celebrities are getting these Mercedes Benz models for the green of it. Just take the case of singer, musician, songwriter and environmental supporter, Sheryl Crow, who is part of a growing group of well-known musicians and actors who have become passionate about the benefits of the Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC clean diesel vehicles.

Her Mercedes-Benz R320 BlueTEC is one of today’s modern diesel vehicles that are extremely quiet, environmentally clean, and can achieve a range of 500 miles on a single tank of diesel fuel. A benefit of driving a green car like a Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC beyond not sacrificing space or luxury is the IRS alternative-powertrain tax credit.

Owners of new clean diesel vehicles are eligible for the same tax credit as hybrids. The current Diesel Tax Credits for owners of a 2009 Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC are $1,800 for the GL320; $1,550 for the R320; and $900 for the ML320.

According to the EPA, the nation would save 1.4 million barrels of oil a day if just one third of all light-duty vehicles in the USA were state-of-the-art diesel vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC vehicles combine a smooth, quiet ride with fuel efficiency that delivers 20-30 percent higher fuel economy than a comparable gasoline engine making it the GREEN choice for Sheryl Crow and several other celebrities including Kim Cattrall, Billy Baldwin, Kyle MacLachlan, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber, and Nicole Richie and Joel Madden.

(Source) Press

Tags: billy baldwin, comparable gasoline, diesel vehicles, driving a green car, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, gasoline engine, going green, kim cattrall, kyle maclachlan, light duty vehicles, mercedes benz bluetec, mercedes benz models, Mercedes-Benz, ml320, naomi watts, naomi watts and liev schreiber, nicole richie and joel madden, r320

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