The automobile industry is making great strides to increase gas mileage in cars.  With new fuel efficiency standards in place and the rise in fuel costs, it is obvious that the automobile industry had to do something to make cars more efficient.  One way they are increasing the amount of gas a car uses per mile is by producing lighter cars.  To make cars lighter automakers are exploring other materials to use for the car’s body instead of the traditional steel.  These other options include advanced high-strength steel and aluminum.  The high-strength steel is still steel, however, it can weigh up to 35 percent less.  This is because the cooling process of the steel was changed and the steel was made stronger. Making the steel stronger means less steel is needed to make a vehicle.  Aluminum is naturally lighter than steel so building cars made of aluminum would decrease their weight, increasing their gas mileage. Decreasing the weight of the car improves its gas mileage because it takes less fuel to move a lighter car.  (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-boost-gas-mileage-automakers-explore-lighter-cars/)

Producing cars with smaller engines is another way gas mileage can be increased.  An issue in the past with fuel efficient cars was that they were less powerful than other cars.  To get people to consider buying these cars, the automobile industry has found a way to increase the power in smaller engines, satisfying fuel efficiency standards as well as customers.  According to the article “Tough Government Gas Mileage Rules Good for Driver, Auto Industry” on www.usnews.com, Ford’s F-150 V-6 “ecoboost” generates more horsepower and torque than a V-8, while providing better gas mileage.

The most talked about way the automobile industry is increasing gas mileage is, of course, the hybrid vehicles.  Hybrids are designed to reduce emissions by combining gasoline engine with an electric motor. Some of the ways hybrids are reducing gas mileage are by having regenerative braking, continuously variable transmissions and having engine shut-offs.  Regenerative braking to capture the heat from friction caused by braking and using it to recharge the car’s batteries.  Continuous variable transmissions allow the car to travel at a consistent speed while shifting gears.  This means the car does not have to change speeds while the gears are shifted which reduces the amount of gas that is burned.  In my opinion, the most interesting aspect of hybrid cars is the engine shut-off.  While a car is idle, the gasoline engine shuts off and is then turned back on upon acceleration.  (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/how-do-hybrid-car-designs-aid-in-fuel-efficiency.htm)  With gas prices rising, fuel efficiency standards getting more strict and people becoming more eco-conscious, the automobile industry is continuing to work on increasing gas mileage on cars.