Reducing a vehicle’s aerodynamic drag can improve a car’s fuel economy, say automakers. Not only can designers make it easier for a car to push through the air, automakers report drivers can also pull their weight by removing unused bike, ski or luggage racks off the vehicle’s roof. The video below includes general views of the Chevrolet Volt and other aerodynamically designed cars, soundbites on improving fuel economy and an edited package on how to save on gas by reducing a car’s wind resistance.

In the past decade, an estimated 36 children have died every year from being left in a hot car, according to a study by the National Weather Service. Most hyperthermia deaths are accidental and many parents are unaware of how dangerous it is to leave children in cars unattended – even for a short period of time. For example, when the outside temperature is 75 degrees, a vehicle’s interior can reach more than 100 degrees in a half hour. The video below includes general views of children and cars heating up, a narrated package on child safety, and soundbites on hyperthermia and rising temperatures in cars.

With the price of gas increasing almost every single week, we are left with no other option but to save gas. Here are some basic fuel efficiency tips to help you get the most out of every gallon of gas.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that its Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) will be standard equipment on every 2009 model year Volkswagen vehicle – passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and minivans. By offering ESP as a standard feature, Volkswagen is the first non-luxury manufacturer to include an electronic stabilization system at no additional cost on every vehicle it sells – well ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) deadline requiring all 2012 model year vehicles to have such systems.

“Volkswagen has long been a leader in making high technology accessible to all,” said Volkswagen of America, Inc. CEO Stefan Jacoby. “ESP has been available on all Volkswagens in the US for several years. Now, making ESP standard across our entire line reinforces Volkswagen’s commitment to safety for all our customers, and further shows why we are a market leader in offering some of the safest vehicles on the road today.”

NHTSA predicts nearly 10,000 lives could be saved each year if all automakers included electronic stabilization systems as standard equipment.
Volkswagen’s ESP system uses a number of electronic vehicle controls to make a safe car even safer and helps the driver maintain control of the vehicle during dynamic driving conditions. The ESP system works in conjunction with the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Anti-slip Regulation (ASR), components of the Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) system, and additional sensors.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.

Wolfsburg / Geneva - Volkswagen is putting on a spectacular parade of new models in Geneva with a host of international product debuts. Taking centre stage will be the highlight of the show, the new Scirocco – a completely re-engineered all-round sports car. Another vehicle being showcased at Lake Geneva is the Golf TDI Hybrid. This concept car runs on just 3.4 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres. The 150-PS Passat Estate TSI EcoFuel, also debuting in Geneva, represents a technology leap for automobiles run on natural gas. Other Volkswagen world premieres will be the extremely fuel-efficient Sharan BlueMotion (6.0 litres per 100 km) and the four-wheel-drive Golf Estate 4Motion. The Passat CC will also be on display for the first time ever in Europe.

It’s back: 34 years after the first Scirocco was unveiled to a waiting world at the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen is presenting a new Scirocco for a new era at the same venue. Now as then, the coupé is inspired by the fascinating idea of creating a sports car for every day of the year at truly affordable prices. And that is the essence of the Scirocco: the successful marriage top technology and low running costs, dynamic performance and high comfort, a surprisingly spacious interior and an uncompromising sporty design.

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Hot Rod Jakob

Hot Rod Jakob is a unique combination of classical car-building craftsmanship allied to modern technology and design. In February 2008 the car will be unveiled at the Volvo Museum in Göteborg before setting off on a tour of the Nordic region and the USA.

1925-1926: The prototypes of what would eventually become the first Volvo slowly take shape in a simple workshop on the island of Hisingen in Göteborg on Sweden’s west coast. Volvo’s enthusiastic founders Assar Gabrielsson and Gustav Larson and their skilled craftsmen proceed with immense skill and precision. They design and engineer all the parts themselves. They test-drive and make changes in preparation for the next prototype. And in doing so they lay the very foundation for the excellent quality reputation that has been a Volvo trademark over the decades.

On April 14, 1927, the very first series-produced Volvo car leaves the factory that was built alongside the workshop. The model is called the ÖV4 (the Swedish abbreviation for Open Car, 4 cylinders), but it soon gains a new pet-name - Jakob.

2005-2006: In Leif Tufvesson’s workshop in the rural south of Sweden, work gets under way in earnest. After documenting the original in detail, his company Caresto starts building a car that will develop into Hot Rod Jakob - his personal interpretation of that very first Volvo. He harnesses the full width of his knowledge, which has already won him awards such as “Hot Rod of the Year” and “Most Innovative Car” in that Mecca of Hot Rods, the USA.

On December 18, 2007, in a perfect grand finale to Volvo’s 80th jubilee celebrations, the car is first revealed to Volvo Personbilar Sverige’s highly impressed top management.

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BMW Group will present its new concept car Vision EfficientDynamics at the Geneva Motor Show on March 4. It is the first time that a 4-cylinder diesel engine has been combined with BMW ActiveHybrid Technology in a large Sports Activity Vehicle. With an average fuel consumption of 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres in the EU test cycle and a CO2 emission level of 172 grams per kilometer, BMW Vision EfficientDynamics is the most efficient vehicle of its size in the competitive environment of the BMW X models.

Environmentally-friendly sports and performance vehicles took center stage at this year’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. While some manufactures are focusing vehicles that can reach speeds of 200 miles-per-hour, others are researching ways to make high horsepower a little more responsible. Two examples include the Corvette ZR-1. Built entirely of lightweight material, aluminum, magnesium and carbon fiber, General Motors reports it has one of the best fuel economies in its class. Another fuel-efficient vehicle at the show included the Cadillac CTS V, a car with 550 horsepower and 550 feet of torque.

Ahead of the 2008 Geneva Motor Show (March 6-16, 2008), MINI presents its John Cooper Works and John Cooper Works Clubman, the first two models to be launched by the manufacturer under the brand MINI John Cooper Works. The 1.6 litre 4-cylinder engine with Twin Scroll turbocharger and petrol direct injection delivers 155 kW (211hp) and the MINI John Cooper Works accelerates in 6.5 seconds from 0–100 km/h. Both models are also fitted with extensive motor racing technology as standard such as light alloy, a new exhaust system and the modified 6-speed manual transmission. Produced at the British MINI plant in Oxford, the MINI John Cooper Works and MINI John Cooper Works Clubman will both be available from August 2008.