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To completely perceive an inventory of probably the most fuel-efficient vehicles ever made, we first must know why humanity began chasing gas effectivity within the first place.
(This text was initially posted in 2019 however has been up to date to incorporate the most recent EPA gas financial system figures and new fashions just like the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, 2023 Toyota Prius, and the 2023 Lexus ES 300h).
Every thing modified for the automotive business in 1973 when OAPEC (Group of Arab Petroleum Exporting Nations) dropped an oil embargo on the nations it believed supported Israel in the course of the Yom Kippur Warfare. Japan, the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, and the US had been the primary nations to really feel the warmth.
Till then, gasoline was plentiful, notably in the US, the place the muscle automobile was king. Immediately, fuel stations had been closed, and vehicles had been by no means fairly the identical once more as actuality bit. The world realized how reliant on petroleum it was and the way rapidly issues may change.
Honda acquired a head begin on the newfound significance of gas effectivity. Within the mid-70s, Honda’s CVVC (Compound Vortex Managed Combustion) engine met the brand new American rules whereas avoiding utilizing costly and power-sapping catalytic converters. This additionally led to the most wonderful troll in automotive historical past because the CEO of Normal Motors on the time panned Honda’s engine, saying, ” Effectively, I’ve checked out this design, and whereas it’d work on some little toy bike engine, I see no potential for it on one in every of our GM automobile engines.”
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