1. where cars go to hang out
   a plan to improve vehicle fuel efficiency in the U.S.
2. a special kind of electric charging station
   a natural gas filling station

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) is a set of regulations and standards that passed through Congress in 1975 as a reaction to the Arab Oil Embargo, with the intention of avoiding a similar situation in the future.

1. the spark plugs are gapped more than usual
   there's a deficiency of fuel in the cylinders
2. the air-fuel mixture in the cylinders has more fuel than normal
   it's expensive to run

Normally, modern car ECUs run the air-fuel mixture a little rich, which keeps the engine at a good temperature. Running the mixture lean will produce high temperatures, putting the engine and catalytic converter in danger of damage.

1. a type of electric car
   crappy Newton gas
2. compressed natural gas
   cretins never gas

Cars need to be outfitted for storing and running on CNG, which produces fewer pollutants than burning gas or diesel. In fact, natural gas has been called the "clean fossil fuel."

1. the compressor runs on gas
   the compressor is belt-driven
2. gas is redirected to the compressor to cool it
   it actually doesn't reduce efficiency

When you turn on the air conditioning, it puts an extra strain on the engine. Exactly how much of a strain and what it does to fuel efficiency depends on the vehicle design, but the results can be dramatic.

1. increases horsepower
   cleans the injectors
2. eliminates deposits in the cylidners
   nothing

If your car doesn't need premium fuel to run, putting it in the tank won't have any effect. You're literally paying more for zero benefit, so it's best to not do it.

1. it causes backfires to clear out debris
   it cools the exhaust down
2. it boosts efficiency for a cleaner burn
   it doesn't

The car's ECU or computer gets feedback from various sensors and adjusts the air-fuel mixture accordingly. If the exhaust temperature is climbing too high, it will use more gas to guard against heat damage to that expensive part.

1. 1805
   1822
2. 1769
   1910

While it wasn't anything like cars today, technically Nicolas Cugnot is credited with creating the first automobile in 1769. It ran on steam, like trains, but only moved at the same speed as a person could walk.

1. a hybrid that gets under 50 mpg
   a slower hybrid car
2. one where the electric motor doesn't move the car by itself
   something made up by Toyota

Mild hybrids usually only have one electric motor, and it is usually joined to the gasoline engine. That electric motor won't move the car by itself, which is the hallmark of a mild hybrid system.

1. any of them
   only cars with fast charge capability
2. technically, only Teslas
   Teslas and Mitsubishis only

Technically, the plugs at Supercharger stations only fit in Teslas. But there are some aftermarket adapters that allow drivers of other EVs to use the stations, which isn't exactly smiled upon by Tesla as a company.

1. a vehicle built just to satisfy government alternative fuel requirements
   a car that can run on CNG and gasoline
2. an aggressive hybrid
   a car that runs on hydrogen

When an automaker only releases enough of a vehicle that runs on alternative fuels, like electricity, it's called a compliance car because it only exists to ensure the automaker is complying with the law. California is home to many compliance cars.

1. they weigh less
   they cheat on emissions
2. they use bigger spark plugs
   diesel fuel is more energy-dense

Not only does diesel fuel pack more energy, the fact that diesel engines extract it by high compression only adds to their efficiency.

1. backfiring
   spark knock
2. flaming
   spark welt

A pinging engine is experiencing preignition, spark knock, or detonation. This problem, at first, might be harmless, but it can eventually lead to violent explosions in the engine that might damage components, so it must be corrected.

1. to assist with hard acceleration
   it moves the vehicle once the battery runs out
2. it turns the turbines in the electric motors
   to replenish the battery pack

Some people call the Chevy Volt a hybrid, and there's plenty of debate about whether it is or not. Just know that the car moves forward and back using only the two electric motors. With a full charge and tank of gas, it can go 367 miles.

1. their pistons are larger
   they use a corkscrew crankshaft
2. they use a dramatically higher compression ratio
   they actually don't make more torque

High compression ratios is one reason, along with the fact that diesel fuel is more energy-dense, and diesel engines usually make use of extreme turbocharging.

1. pollution
   reliability
2. power
   quiet operation

The Atkinson cycle is popular in hybrid car engines and other highly efficient vehicles, because it uses a lower compression ratio and a longer power stroke versus the intake stroke, allowing the vehicle to go further on a tank of gas.

1. CARB
   EPA
2. US DOT
   IIHS

The California Air Resources Board or CARB has been around since before the EPA and has amazing power in the largest automotive market in the U.S., forcing automakers to offer exclusive alternative fuel vehicles in the state.

1. diesel
   Otto-cycle
2. water-fired
   turbine

Thanks to the oil crisis, GM took the coal-powered tech it had been toying with since the 1950s and tried to bring it to market. It built a few prototypes, but the project folded for various reasons, including the fact the tech was clunky.

1. 2001
   1988
2. 1993
   1832

Robert Anderson, a Scottish inventor, is generally credited with creating the first electric carriage. His design used non-rechargeable batteries, so it wasn't exactly practical. It was Thomas Davenport, an American, who invented a more practical electric car in 1835.

1. with a hose, which secures to the vehicle fill nozzle
   it's all automatic
2. a robot does the work
   you insert a four-prong plug into the socket in the side of the car

There are a few more steps involved with filling up a car with hydrogen fuel, considering it's under pressure and you must ensure the car and pump are communicating with each other to prevent overfilling the tank. But the overall process is similar to filling up with gas.

1. it causes more backfires
   it reduces fuel efficiency
2. it ruins emissions equipment
   it smells bad

Not only will ethanol lower your car's mpg, it attracts water. That's bad for engines that sit for significant periods of time, like lawn mowers, generators, and even hobby cars. Ethanol does cut down on pollution and helps reduce reliance on foreign oil.

1. it's made of air
   it's warmer than other liquids
2. the molecules in it don't have strong bonds with each other
   magic

Water doesn't evaporate nearly as fast as gasoline, thanks to the fact that the hydrogen bonds with the oxygen molecules quite readily. Molecules in gasoline have weak bonds, so it evaporates rapidly.

1. eight hours
   five hours
2. 30 minutes
   it depends on several factors

The factors that affect charging time for an electric car include the size of the vehicle battery, the speed of the charger, how much charge the battery already has, the car's max charging rate, and even the ambient temperature.

1. buying gas in the morning allows you to get more
   buying gas in the afternoon is the better value
2. you'll get the most gas for your money if you buy it after 10 p.m.
   it has zero effect

While it's true that gas expands when heated, fuel stations keep the liquid in insulated underground storage tanks. That means the gasoline stays the same temperature no matter what time of day you buy it, so you'll never get more or less for your money unless the price changes.

1. diesel
   petroleum
2. methane
   love

CNG doesn't have a color, odor, or taste. It's also high compressed, so it takes up one percent of the volume it normally does at standard atmospheric pressure.

1. oxygen
   compression
2. glow plug
   spark

The chemical reaction in a car's engine actually requires a pretty simple combination of elements for combustion: oxygen, fuel, compression, and a spark.

1. they make too much power
   they're running extra rich
2. the spark plugs are misfiring
   the exhaust is melting down

An extra-rich fuel mixture, which is common in motorsports or highly modified cars, means fuel makes its way into the exhaust system, where it burns up, creating the flame effect.

1. it's correct English
   gasoline was actually marketed by GM
2. it's slightly different from what's sold here
   it's short for petroleum

While some countries think calling gasoline gas is weird, petrol or petroleum is a non-specific way of referring to the raw crude that can be refined to make gasoline, as well as diesel, oil, kerosene, and more.

1. antifreeze
   alcohol
2. canola oil
   peanut oil

To prevent water in gasoline from evaporating and accumulating on the walls of the gas tank or elsewhere, oil companies add some alcohol to the fuel mixture. It holds the water in suspension and allows it to combust along with the gas.

1. an electronic alarm
   a different nozzle size
2. the attendant
   the color of the fuel

Putting diesel in a car that runs on gasoline will result in serious damage, so you obviously don't want to do that. Because diesel fuel nozzles are bigger, they won't fit in the gas hole, at least when you go to certain gas stations. Still, it's a good idea to always double check what you're putting in your car.

1. adds more gasoline
   provides more oxygen
2. spools the turbo four times as quickly
   acts like rocket fuel

Nitrous oxide, when heated to around 570 degrees, splits into oxygen and nitrogen, which is what happens when the spark plug ignites in the cylinder. With that extra oxygen, you can tune your car to use more gasoline, resulting in more power temporarily being made by the engine.

1. it will more fully combust the fuel
   it will remove carbon deposits from the injectors
2. the additives increase oxygen intake for a complete burn
   it won't

Unfortunately, some people think using fuel additives will boost their car's fuel efficiency dramatically, but the EPA studied more than 100 of these products and found that none lived up to the claims printed on the bottle, and concluded some of the additives caused engine damage.

1. glow plugs
   lack of spark
2. high compression
   lots of turbocharging

Like diesel engines, the Skyactiv-X puts the air and fuel mixture under considerable pressure. The spark plug doesn't ignite the mix but instead heats up the air above the fuel to increase the pressure further, to the point of combustion, which boosts fuel efficiency considerably.

1. adds more power to the fuel
   keeps the fuel from turning into juice
2. keeps the fuel from converting into water and oil
   it repels water and prevents evaporation

Fuel stabilizers essentially are a blend of lubricants and antioxidants. They're designed to keep the fuel from evaporating out of older cars and forming sticky resins that will wreak havoc with injectors or carburetors.

1. from serving in WW II
   they were dentists
2. from working in coal mines
   from feeding horses nitrous before races

During World War II, the United States Air Force would fog nitrous oxide into bombers' engines as they made runs, in an effort to escape fire from enemy fighters. GIs remembered this trick when they returned home, so they started using it on their cars, with amazing results.

1. yes, always
   never
2. for the most part, no
   most of the time, yes

Not all fuel gets combusted in the cylinders most of the time, meaning car engines don't run as efficiently as you might think. Automakers are constantly trying to figure out how to extract a greater percentage of the energy in the fuel as a way to use less of it, without hurting performance.