Model Year 2008: Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Advanced Technology Vehicles (PDF file)

[eppur_se_muova]

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/pdfs/my2008_afv_atv.pdf

Lots of FFV (Flex Fuel), more HEV (hybrid electric) than I was aware of.

Also: Model Year 2008 Fuel Economy Guide: EPA Fuel Economy Estimates
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/FEG2008.pdf

Note that the best (hybrid) SUV's beat the subcompact and minicompact cars, although the worst are as bad as you might expect. The real villians look like standard pickups and vans, but that leaves out the question of man-miles or ton-miles per gallon for passengers and cargo, respectively

[noamnety]

1. I'm holding off an extra year or two

in the hopes that the venture one will be on the road by then. 100 mpg.

http://flytheroad.com/

[lvx35]

2. No hybrid pickups?

That's too bad...I ride a bike but I'm a fan of SMALL pickups as utilitarian vehicles for hauling stuff around that a bike can't. I hope somebody fills that market niche.

[CRF450]

3. I hope so too.

Really bites to fill up this thing.



As much as love the truck, and really do need it. It kills me to be paying $65 for a fill up.

[lvx35]

4. Yeah, when you need em you need em.

Nothing replaces them for hauling stuff around...

Nice truck. I drove a dodge ram for awhile, though I am really a fan of smaller trucks that drive more like cars. I had an old D50 that I loved.

[CRF450]

5. I prefer a car like handling too.

The Dakota handles very well though, decent accel, tows up to 6500 pounds, rides way smoother than my dads 4cyl S-10 (that S-10 literally rides rougher than my Trans Am!) and easy to park cause it suprisingly turns much sharper than any other truck I'v driven!

The fuel milage that smaller 4cyl trucks get are pretty good, and would be nice to have one of those. But I hate how gutless and weak the motors feel, like my dad's S-10, it just flat out sucks to drive cause its falling apart. I think it was beat on by the last owners, cause one of my friends has a 99 S-10 Xtreme, it drives and handles so car like, and the planels arent and rattly at all, its an amazing difference from dad's S-10, plus the 4.3 v6 is a pretty damn good motor! I think he averages around 22 to 23mpg.

[CRF450]

6. Oh I just remembered, GM has made a hybrid system for the Tahoe's and...

They may very well be putting the system in the Silverado trucks. In the Tahoe its said to get around 20+mpg in the city. Maybe it'll do better for the trucks since they're lighter. I use my truck for work which cleaning pools and spas durring the winter at the Outerbanks NC, the houses I go to are in close proximity of eachother, so I'm thinking maybe it would use the electric motor most of the time, maybe? It would be damn awsome to get 20+ cause I'm lucky to get 15mpg in the Dakota while working.