2009 Suzuki Equator Friday, July 31, 2009

Suzuki has chosen a rather dubious time to enter the pickup truck market with the 2009 Equator. As you are surely aware, trucks and SUV sales are way down from their apogee a few years back, and small cars like the ones that have historically filled Suzuki showrooms are all the rage.

NEW HEAVY TRUCK 2009 Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Freightliner Innovation Truck - Click above for high-res image gallery According to the American Trucking Association, there has been a 41 percent increase in registered large trucks and an 84 percent increase in miles traveled by large trucks from 1986 to 2006. That equals lots of diesel fuel consumed. Fortunately, a new report from Coordinating Research Council and the Health Effects Institute shows that pollution from heavy trucks and buses is actually improving at a faster rate than automobiles

2009 FORD Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Ford F-250 Super Chief concept takes truck leadership to a new level as the world's first vehicle with Tri-Flex fueling, enabling the supercharged V-10 to run for 500 miles between fill-ups on hydrogen, E85 ethanol or gasoline. The tri-fuel flexibility is one possible innovation by Ford to help pave the way for hydrogen vehicles, as the nation's ethanol and hydrogen fueling infrastructure continues to develop. The concept truck and its name are inspired by the bold, American Super Chief trains of the nation's past. Super Chief is Ford's most advanced, well-appointed pickup ever – designed to build on the standard for interior excellence established by the new F-150. Super Chief features an interior paneled in American walnut, brushed aluminum and bold brown leather. Convenience features include bold light-emitting diode (LED) headlamps, a full glass roof and automated ottoman. Running on hydrogen, the supercharged V-10 engine provides up to 12 percent fuel economy improvement on an energy equivalent basis versus a non-supercharged gasoline V-10 – and nearly 500 miles per fill-up. In addition, when operating on hydrogen, the Tri-Flex V-10 generates 99 percent less CO2 emissions than when running on gasoline. The Tri-Flex system leverages existing powertrain technologies in which Ford has long held leadership. Since 1996, Ford has led in production and sales of flex-fuel E85 ethanol/gasoline vehicles. Ford has built flex-fuel vehicles that operate on any mix of E85 and gasoline. The Ford F-250 Super Chief epitomizes bold, American design and features an innovative Tri-Flex fuel engine that can run on hydrogen, E85 or gasoline.