Fuel efficiency

Taking inspiration from nature, engineers at the UC Riverside have found a way to cut the fuel consumption of many PHEVs by over 30 percent, just by changing the way the split between combustion engine and battery power is handled.

A 2017 Kia Niro EX has set a new Guinness World Record for the fuel efficiency of a hybrid car being driven from coast-to-coast in the US. The crossover completed the 3,715-mile journey with a consumption of 76.6 mpg.

Forget variable length intakes and variable valve timing, Infiniti is going all the way and introducing variable cylinder compression ratios. The new VC-T turbo engine automatically adjusts between a high-powered 8:1 and a hugely efficient 14:1 ratio as you drive.

It's been over three years since Elio Motors' three-wheeled, two-passenger vehicle first crossed our radar with no firm production or delivery dates in sight just yet. The startup is now asking its enthusiastic fans​ for binding commitments to purchase an Elio to help it secure government loans.

Yamaha has introduced a fuel-saving stop/start system on its new Janus scooter, a 125cc, slightly retro scoot weighing 97 kg and targeted at female riders in the Vietnamese market, where a massive 2.85 million motorcycles and scoots are sold per year.

Having previewed the competing teams and tried out one of the cars ourselves in the run-up to the event, we're now able to reveal the results of the 2016 Shell Eco-marathon Europe, which was held in London over the weekend. The overall winning team was French team Microjoule-La Joliverie.

A new concept from Volvo Trucks is said use 30 percent less fuel compared to typical long-haul trucks. Among the features that are said to improve the efficiency of the Volvo Concept Truck are an aerodynamic design and reduced weight.

Having covered the Shell Eco-marathon so many times over the years and with the teams gearing up for this year's competition, we thought it was about time we tried our hand at driving one of the cars ourselves. Suffice to say, we won't be winning any efficiency awards anytime soon.

Rather than using a traditional camshaft to control an engine's valves, Qoros' QamFree motor uses electro-hydraulic-pneumatic actuators​ to provide precise control over each valve for more power and a 12 to 17 percent improvement in fuel economy.

Shell is perhaps best known for producing what goes into cars, rather than cars themselves. Now, the firm has taken the wraps off a car that it says will use a third less energy in its lifetime than a typical city car and around half the energy to build and run than a typical small family car.

Komatsu has introduced the HB365LC-3, a 36-tonne hydraulic hybrid excavator to the European market. Compared to its diesel-only counterpart, the PC360LC-11, the Komatsu Hybrid is 20 percent more fuel efficient.

Hot on the heels of Honda's hypermiling efforts in Europe, Volkswagen has traversed the lower 48 American states in a Golf TDI, using just 101.43 gallons of diesel along the way.