national energy independence

The Ford C-Max Hybrid: An Ideal Taxi?

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While I’ve seen plenty of Prius taxis in New York City, they always seem to be greatly outnumbered by the traditional Ford Crown Victoria. Landing on the other coast last month proved to be an eye opener. I was taken aback by the sheer number of Toyota Prius taxis gliding about the streets of San Francisco. They were everywhere. Now I’ve never thought of the Prius to be well suited to taxi work from a passengers standpoint, but it’s easy to see the appeal from the fleet owner’s perspective. It comes down to dollars and cents. The drastic improvement in fuel economy between a gigantic sedan with a V8 engine and a (relatively) smaller and lighter vehicle with a hybrid drive train is undeniable.

Will the Ford C-Max Hybrid replace the Crown Victoria as Taxi of Choice?

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Gas Prices Explained

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The movement of gasoline prices over time is a tricky topic for many to understand. While there are those who would pin the causes on any number of usual suspects, one pundit will surely disagree with the next as to the root of the problem.

Animator Omid Malekan takes a simple approach to the subject, using two bears and a straightforward chart that shows – with little doubt – a clear connection between the price of gas in America and stock prices. No stranger to economics, Omid’s popular videos tackle a range of topics, including the European Economic Crisis, Inflation, the Bank Bailouts, and the Federal Reserve. In short, it’s all about the markets and money supply.

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Does a New High Gas Mileage Vehicle Make Sense?

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Are you thinking about replacing your gas guzzler with a fuel-efficient vehicle that gets more miles per gallon (MPG)? Not sure how much money you can expect to save every week, month, or year? MPGomatic to the rescue!

Cost justifying the purchase of a high gas mileage vehicle starts with some basic numbers. Thankfully, it isn’t a complicated process. You’ll begin by comparing the real-world gas mileage of your existing vehicle with the official government estimates for the new vehicle(s) that you have in mind.
2012 Ford C-Max Hybrid - 3/4 front view

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Mitsubishi i-MiEV Review : A NJ Electric Car Adventure

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Remember Apple Computer’s “Think Different” advertising campaign, back in 1997? With photographs of Muhammad Ali, Jim Henson, the Dali Lama, and Albert Einstein, among others, Apple urged us to reconsider our computer purchases in a world dominated by computers running Microsoft’s DOS text-interface operating system. The idea of Apple, with the Macintosh, a computer running a graphic operating system, becoming the most dominant force in the industry was a huge leap of faith.

Steve Jobs may have passed on, but we’re in a similar place now, with regard to electric vehicles. Fifteen years later, we’re faced with far too many closed-minded Luddites, that refuse to see what’s roaring (quietly) down the highway.

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Asking for Direction(s)

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I’ve had a great ride with MPGomatic over the last five years or so. Every day, I ask myself … how many folks are truly able to follow their vision and live the dream? I know how fortunate I’ve been. This little fuel-efficiency focused website was started on a shoestring budget and it’s ridden the waves up and down. The primary purpose of this site is to reduce our nation’s reliance on imported petroleum (while helping to slash the amount of cash you splash on gasoline each week) – not make the maximum amount of money we could make, at all cost. While we were never able to grow at the rate we needed to grow, we were able to cover expenses for a long time. We never needed or sought outside funding.

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