Ford has revealed the Ford Start concept at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show. The automaker’s attempt was to create a nd practical and realistic vehicle that found a perfect balance between commuting needs and excellent fuel efficiency. This is Ford’s first concept in three years.. Although the Start shows traces of Ford’s “kinetic” design language, its rounded form is much more elegant. Angular edges are limited to both the shoulder lines and the slender, LED-powered headlamp and taillights.  Function doesn’t necessarily follow form, however, as stylists made an effort to improve the car’s aerodynamics. Many surfaces, including the windshield, side window glass, and center stop lamp, are flush with the body, while an underbody aero pan further reduces the Start’s drag. The interior is as equally stylish and functional — the floating dual-cockpit dashboard lends a sporty look, but a conceptual infotainment system, billed as “MyFord Mobile,” incorporates a multi-function touch screen to simplify the center stack.

The turbocharged, 1.0-liter I-3 utilizes a cast-iron block, but a cylinder head and sump fabricated from cast aluminum. Ford won’t talk power figures, saying only that early tests suggest it can produce power on par with its 1.6-liter I-4, which is rated at 120 horsepower in North America. Power is routed to the front wheels via an ordinary five-speed manual transaxle.

A new type of ‘green vehicle’ is being tested for future use in both fleet vehicles and consumer cars. A novel system called “hydraulic hybrid” has so far been tested in a Peterbilt garbage truck that increases the fuel economy an estimated 30 percent and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent or more. Developed at EPA’s National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Hydraulic Launch Assist (HLA) system essentially operates in the same manner as a gasoline-electric hybrid.

Like gas-electric versions, HLA works by recovering a portion of the energy normally lost as heat by the vehicle’s brakes. But instead of a battery pack, a hydraulic system uses pistons to capture the wasted energy by compressing nitrogen gas stored in a tank. When the nitrogen is allowed to expand, it pushes a piston in a cylinder filled with hydraulic fluid that helps the diesel engine turn the rear wheels.

An aggressive variation of the HLA design has been tested in two UPS parcel delivery trucks. Using a series-type hybrid design, the V6 diesel engines do not power the vehicles, but serve solely to actuate the hydraulic systems’ pumps. It’s estimated that these vehicles could see fuel economy improvements of as much as 60 percent and a reduction of greenhouse emissions of 40 percent.

The engineers at the EPA’s Michigan laboratory have built and tested many prototypes over the years, including a diesel-hydraulic passenger car that delivered more than 80 miles per gallon. In 2004 the EPA displayed a hydraulic hybrid Ford Expedition SUV with a small diesel engine replacing the large displacement gasoline V8. It is unknown if this new type of hybrid will ever become mainstreamed, but it is another glimpse of hope in the race to create a super fuel efficient vehicle.

Dodge is rolling out some new variations of its already popular Caliber wagon. The models, which will soon all be available, are dubbed ‘lifestyle-oriented’ and have been given names such as the Express, Mainstreet, Heat, Uptown and Rush. The idea behind these models is that each one is directed specifically at a certain type of consumer.

The Dodge Caliber Rush is for those looking for extra power. It includes a unique five-speed manual transmission mated to a larger 2.4-liter World Engine with 172 horsepower.  Equipment differences from the Caliber Heat include 18-inch chrome-clad wheels, SRT-designed spoiler, automatic climate control, Premium Sound Group, Media Center 430 radio with touchscreen and 30-gigabyte hard drive. A CVT2 with Auto Stick is optional. MSRP for the 2010 Dodge Caliber Rush is $20,625.

The 2010 Dodge Caliber Express is aimed towards fuel efficiency and value. It comes with standard Uconnect Phone, iPod Control, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, power windows, mirrors and locks, 115-volt power outlet, cruise control, remote keyless entry, tonneau cover, air conditioning, four-wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and 2.0-liter 16-valve World Engine with fuel-efficient five-speed manual transmission capable of 31 mpg on the highway.

The 2010 Dodge Caliber Mainstreet offers the features of the Dodge Caliber Express with added capability and style featuring standard 17-inch aluminum wheels, chromed crosshair grille, body-color door handles, fog lamps, folding front-passenger seat, 60/40 split-folding and reclining rear seat, touring suspension, tachometer and 2.0-liter 16-valve World Engine with second-generation Continuously-variable Transmission (CVT2). MSRP for the 2010 Dodge Caliber Mainstreet is $18,890.

The Dodge Caliber Heat adds a sport-tuned suspension, 18-inch polished-aluminum wheels, four-wheel Anti-lock disc Brakes (ABS), performance steering, color-keyed instrument panel and seats, B- and C-pillar blackout accents and five-speed manual transmission. MSRP for the 2010 Dodge Caliber Heat is $18,625.

The Dodge Caliber Uptown is aimed at those looking for capability combined with added technology and refinement, adds automatic climate control, five-passenger leather seating, power driver’s seat and four-wheel Anti-lock disc Brakes (ABS) to the Caliber Mainstreet. The Premium Sound Group kicks-up the tunes with the MusicGate Power™ nine-speaker Boston Acoustics system, steering-wheel mounted audio controls and two articulating liftgate speakers.

Ford’s new 2011 Super Duty trucks have taken heavy duty hauling fuel efficiency to another level. In the past, fuel efficiency was at the bottom of the list for truck owners, the fact was they needed power, towing, and hauling capacity, and what their gas mileage was didn’t really matter. But fuel economy on the all-new 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty equipped with the Ford-engineered and Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel engine averages an 18-percent improvement for pickup models and up to 25-percent improvement for chassis cabs versus 2010 models. To help track fuel economy numbers 2011 Super Duty diesels are available with CrewChief™, a component of available Ford Work Solutions™, a technology package that can help owners manage their business from the work site. CrewChief is a fleet telematics and diagnostics system that allows fleet owners to efficiently manage their vehicles, quickly dispatch workers to job sites and keep detailed vehicle maintenance records.

Ford recently held a competition in Arizona for journalists to see who could get the best mileage out of a Super Duty. During the program, Ford challenged these reporters to a contest to see who could achieve the best fuel economy while driving a the Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 on an 80-mile stretch of surface roads and highways. The winning media team on the first round achieved 29.2 mpg and the second an astonishing 34 mpg. Three-person media teams drove from Buckeye to Glendale, Arizona, in an F-250 or F-350 with 1,000 pounds of payload. Depending on vehicle configuration, media teams were expected to meet targets of 26.5 mpg (pickups with 17-inch wheels and a 3.31:1 axle ratio) or 24 mpg (pickups with 20-inch wheels and a 3.55:1 axle ratio) while driving the 80 miles in a time frame consistent with what Ford engineers achieved. Drivers were given fuel economy tips from the Ford vehicle energy engineering team and a few ground rules: stay on the specified route, follow the provided turn-by-turn directions and drive at the posted speeds (no speeding and no crawling).

Overall, it was a fun event that further proved Ford’s point, that they have created one of the most fuel efficient heavy duty trucks available. When the 2011 model arrives at dealerships, potential truck buyers may have a new requirement at the top of their lists: optimal fuel economy.

Ford has big news in the ‘green’ automotive world: the all-electric Ford Transit Connect. The new model recently debuted at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. This zero-emissions, electric vehicle (EV) version of the small van will be in fleet operators’ hands later this year, likely first entering the European market. Ford is collaborating with Azure Dynamics Corporation to upfit the Transit Connect Electric with Azure’s Force Drive™ battery electric powertrain and Johnson Controls-Saft’s advanced lithium-ion battery technology. The Ford Transit was recently named the 2010 North American Truck of the Year.  In addition to the Transit Connect Electric, Ford plans to bring three more electrified vehicles to market by 2012: the Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 2012 and a next-generation hybrid in 2012.

Ford Transit Connect Electric goes into production in late 2010. It will be well-suited for commercial fleets that travel predictable, short-range routes with frequent stop-and-go driving in urban and suburban environments and a central location for daily recharging. The vehicle, which will accelerate at a similar rate as the gas-powered Transit Connect and will have a top speed of 75 mph, has a targeted range of up to 80 miles on a full charge. Owners will have the option of recharging the Transit Connect Electric with either a standard 120V outlet or preferably a 240V charge station installed at the user’s base of operations for optimal recharging in six to eight hours. A transportable cord that works with both types of outlets will be available for recharging at both kinds of locations. The vehicle’s charge port is located above the passenger-side rear wheel well. The onboard liquid-cooled 28-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is charged by connecting the charge port. Inside the vehicle, an onboard charger converts the AC power from the electric grid to DC power to charge the battery pack.