FUEL SAVING TIPS

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Improve My Gas Mileage: The 10 Million Dollar Challenge!

by Barry Crewse

Improve my gas mileage! How many times has that thought made it’s way through your brain. People world wide have been saying it for nearly 100 years now ever since the beginning of the industrial age

Gas mileage devices have nearly doubled the gas mileage that cars can get over the last 75 years but progress has been painfully slow. Especially during that last couple of decades which have seen virtually no change.

The fix? The Auto X Prize competition has officially launched in March and is sponsored by the Progressive auto insurance company. The goal? The first 100mgp car and you can still get in.

A $10 million dollar prize is up for grabs folks and the first person or company who can demonstrate a 100mpg in cross-country races will take home the prize.

Up for the challenge? The competition races begin sometime in 2009 so if you think you can somehow “improve my gas mileage” it’s time to quit thinking and get building!

This brings us to the questions as to whether you think you have what it is going to take, what are the exact rules to get into this game and what are the ultimate goals.

To start with, the goals are fairly simple. We need to get off our dependence on foriegn oil. We need cars that are totally efficient and we need them to be environmentally responsible. Bottom line? Improve my gas mileage!

The car that will win needs to be an easy concept that is simple in design and straight forward to understand not to mention something that you and I can work on. That’s a switch!

It needs to be a car that will benefit the entire world and as such this will be global competition. Anyone anywhere can enter. No matter where you come from, your brains are welcome.

The winning car must also be a car that everyone can purchase. Concept cars or idea cars are not allowed. It’s got to be ready for production.

The other rules of engagement include independent and fair non-partisan contestants and must provide clear understanding of the emissions, safety, fuel efficiency, performance and a couple other technical boundaries.

Don’t get hung up on the technicals. If you can build something that you can enter and it is capable of being manufactured then all shade tree mechanics world wide need to get busy!

Imagine the implications of such a contest not only for those who might win but for the entire world at large!

Think of how life could change for you and how the far reaching effects of such an advancement would benefit other industries changing our world before our eyes.

There is much more info online concerning the cars with best gas mileage if you know where to look so let your finger do the walking and maybe you too will see gas mileage improvement beyond your wildest imagination!

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Posted by Barry Crewse on August 17th, 2008 No Comments

Car Payment Calculators: Finding The Right Car Just Got Easier!

by Barry Crewse

Free car payment calculators? That statement will surely conjure up visions of loan dealers and bean counters but if you have even had a slight thought about getting a new or used car loan anytime soon, do yourself a favor and pay attention!

Unless you are planning on forking over cold hard cash for that new car purchase you are going to need some type of auto loan. It’s important to remember that car loans come in all shapes and varieties depending on the lender. And, don’t forget to add in the car insurance every month.

With the rapid rise in prices these days, most of us are on a budget and just being able to know for sure how much that shiny new car will cost us each month and how many months we will feel the pain can eliminate a lot of pressure when deciding how much car we can purchase.

This is where the car payment calculator is worth it’s weight in gold! By adding all the little components of your future loan into it, it will immediately spit out all the information you will need to put together that next loan.

After doing a few quick calculation, you may be quite surprised as to the exact category of car you can actually afford. This can be a major negotiation benefit before you even apply for the loan.

Before doing that calculator search though you should really do a little homework and check and see what your credit report is looking like. All loan companies today base their loan on the report which then determines the rate and length of loan you can get. You can check your report for free on the web.

By sending in a quick request to the three major credit reporters you can obtain a free copy of your report from them once a year.

Once you have your credit information in hand, check the web for nearby auto dealers and what their current interest rates are and how much down payment they require. They can vary widely in the prices they quote you.

When you get that information all it takes is plugging in a few bits of relevant data and the calculator will spill out all the information you need in seconds.

Very useful online websites offer the use of free car payment calculators along with other types of lender information. You may also find some very helpful advice as to whether you should consider buying new or used car based on your current credit situation and monthly income.

It’s also worth mentioning that many of these websites also include the free services of the big three credit reporting agencies who then work in tandem with the auto lenders profiled on the site. They can put together packages to meet nearly every kind of credit situation.

Auto insurance is another benefit many site have in conjunction with the free calculators. Many people forget that actual cost of insurance and how it will affect your bottom line with each months payments.

Whether you have decided on a new car or used or even considering a lease option on a vehicle you have chosen, car payment calculators will help you immensely in finding the perfect loan you can afford while doing it accurately and extremely fast.

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Posted by Barry Crewse on July 31st, 2008 No Comments