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The best and worst 2022 trucks for fuel economy

With the price of fuel these days, efficiency is everything. So what are the fuel-sippiest pickup trucks on the market, and the thirstiest? Find out in my story at Driving.ca.

First Drive: 2021 Ford Escape PHEV

Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) might be the answer for a lot of drivers: They offer all-electric mode, but without range anxiety. Ford adds a plug to its 2021 Escape for the first time - see what it's all about in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

What's involved in truck fuel efficiency?

Ever wonder why some truck companies always end up on the "most fuel-efficient" lists, and others seldom get mentioned? The engine plays a role, of course, but there are other factors in play, and you need to consider them when you're looking for an efficient pickup. Check out my story on it at Driving.ca.

In Review: 2021 Ford F-150 Lariat Hybrid

Right now, Ford's offering the only "full" hybrid pickup in the market, meaning it can drive on its battery alone. You can't cruise fuel-free all that much, but it has some advantages - including an on-board generator that'll do some serious work. Find out more in my story and video at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Should your next truck be gas or diesel?

Each has its strong and weak points, and you need to objectively assess how you drive, what you need the truck to do, and the extra costs that may be involved. Find out more in my story over at the National Post (Driving.ca).

What starts your engine?

The starter does, but as automakers enhance their vehicles for better fuel efficiency, many of them are starting and stopping the engine numerous times during your drive. Find out more about these systems in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

What's ethanol all about?

There's renewable fuel in your gasoline, which can be up to 10 or 15 per cent of it. Depending on where you are, the ethanol in gas can be made with corn or wheat, although it can even be made from paper pulp or sugar cane. What should you know about ethanol? Find out in my How It Works column at the National Post.

How It Works: Turbocharging

Turbocharging used to be reserved primarily for speedy sports cars, but as fuel efficiency standards tighten, many automakers are using small turbo engines in everyday cars to improve mileage. Find out what turbos are all about in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

Seeing the future at Movin' On

Want to ride on an electric bus or electric boat, see a wind-powered car, or a tire that can be 3D printed? It's all part of Michelin Movin' On, a three-day summit on mobility that presents all kinds of concepts for getting around -- some of them way out there, and some of them ready to go. It always moved around between global cities, but now it seems to have found its home in Montreal. Find out more in my story at the National Post.

GM's new truck engines can take it down to just one cylinder

The upcoming 2019 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra have a trick up their sleeves: Dynamic Fuel Management, which can deactivate various cylinders when full power isn't needed, right down to running on just one out of eight. There's a new four-cylinder turbo engine, too. Find out more at my "first look" story in the National Post.

Carbon fibre: How it's made...and why

It's strong, it's lightweight, and it's pricey, but it's starting to show up in more mainstream vehicles as automakers try to lose weight in the name of fuel efficiency. Why's it so expensive? Find out in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

How cylinder deactivation works

Your engine doesn't really need to provide full power all the time -- such as when you're cruising at a steady speed -- but it's still using a full supply of fuel. Many automakers are now adding cylinder deactivation, which "shuts off" some of the pistons for better efficiency. Find out more in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

Could your engine blow itself up?

A lot of new cars have small-displacement, direct-injection, turbocharged engines, mated to multi-speed automatic transmissions, because it's a good way to get power with low fuel consumption. But they can also be prone to a problem called low-speed pre-ignition, or LSPI, which can cause severe damage with no warning. Find out more in my story at AutoTRADER.

How does fuel injection work?

Better than a carburetor! Find out more in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

How is fuel economy rated?

You might think it's a lightweight driver taking the car out on the track, but it's actually all done in a lab. And in addition to fuel consumption, you'll also know more about emissions on the labels as well. Find out more in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

What does "lightweighting" a car mean?

The more something weighs, the more energy it takes to move it around, which is why automakers are putting their cars on diets: less weight equals better fuel efficiency. Still, there's a lot more to it than just using lighter materials. I visited GM's technical centre to find out more for my story in the National Post.

Fuel-efficient cars: Do you know all the terms?

Hybrids, extended-range, plug-ins, direct injection ... there are all sorts of new technologies to improve fuel efficiency, and there are so many that it can be confusing. Cut to the chase with my explanation over at the Toronto Star.

Headline of the day ...

I just received a press release from Environment Canada. The headline is in big, bold letters - Harper Government Improves Fuel Efficiency of Canadian Vehicles.

Wow.

I write a lot of technology columns, and that means I spend time talking to automakers about fuel efficiency. They dedicate a lot of money to this. I've been to R&D labs where people spend all their time working to shave half a kilogram off car parts to improve fuel mileage. I've talked to engineers who are up to their armpits in engines every day, figuring out how to coax a little more energy efficiency from them. Even companies that make tires and oil are working on their products so they'll help contribute to the improvement.

Why they bother I don't know, because Stephen Harper is taking care of the problem.

Now, if you read the fine print, what the government has actually done is proposed stricter regulations for fuel efficiency. By 2025, we're told, new cars will consume 50 per cent less fuel. It's all on the automakers, of course, because the government wouldn't dare suggest that consumers change their driving habits - which in many cases could pretty much achieve the same goal tomorrow, on the cars we're driving today.

Still, it's good to know that, judging by the headline, our men and women in Ottawa are making such a substantial improvement to our vehicles. And they didn't even have to put on a lab coat. Amazing!

The price of driving: Once again, let somebody else fix it

There's a new poll out today, commissioned by Consumer Reports, that asked Americans what they want done about how much it costs them to drive their cars.

I think you can guess what they said. Of those polled, 93% wanted better fuel efficiency in new cars, and 77% said that auto manufacturers should make more efficient cars and the government should increase and enforce the fuel standards. Some 80% want federal fuel efficiency standards that will enforce a national fleet-wide standard of 55 mpg (4.3 L/100 km) by 2025.

Uh huh. Y'know, for a nation that spends most of its time arguing that the government should get out of their lives, it sure goes out of its way to welcome it in when it suits a need. And for a nation that collectively believes that those who aren't as well-off need only pull up their bootstraps a little more, why aren't drivers trying harder?

A great many households would find that their current vehicles would get amazingly better fuel efficiency and lower operating costs without even breathing the word "hybrid." Go out on the highway and see how many drivers fly past you. Watch them accelerate when the light turns green as if there's a checkered flag at stake. Ask them if they know what a tire pressure gauge is. Sit at the drive-through and count the cars idling there. Look at how many automakers have dropped their compact trucks because everyone wants one big enough to have its own zip code. Go out into farmland and watch the developers scrape off the topsoil, and then put in thousands of houses that can't be accessed without a vehicle. Go by the school and see how many parents drive their children three blocks to get there.

The poll also found that 56% are "considering" hybrids or electric cars for their next purchase, and 72% are likely to do so if they're more available over the next 15 years. They say they're also more willing to spend more for a fuel-efficient vehicle.

I say they're lying. Look at a list of the best-selling cars in the U.S., and count the number of compacts and subcompacts on it. You'll probably only need one finger, two at most. There are already vehicles out there that are far more fuel-efficient than the ones Americans are most likely to buy, and most of them cost less. So why aren't these people buying them? And if they won't buy a less-costly small model, why on earth should I believe they'll buy a far more costly small model just because it has an electric motor under the hood?

It comes down to this: Americans (and Canadians) think the government should mandate fuel-efficient cars, and the automakers should build them. The problem is, drivers want other people to actually buy them. Drivers want other people to drive more fuel-efficiently. Well, as long as we wait for other people to make the difference, be prepared to keep pulling out your wallet.