Below is a summary of the internet's top news and blog posts issued over the past week.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported on U.S. new vehicle fuel economy;   for the fifth straight year there has been an increase in new vehicle fuel efficiency and decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.  And fuel economy is up 9% since 2004.  More...

The EPA has released preliminary figures showing that Honda once again has the most fuel-efficient model range of all manufacturers selling vehicles in the U.S.  Final figures will be released next year.  More...

Rumour has it that 6-year-old electric-car maker Tesla is preparing an Initial Public Offering (IPO).  Early last year the company's chairman Elon Musk said that an IPO could happen in late 2008 or 2009.  But the stock market collapse caused a virtual shutdown of the IPO market until recently.  More...

Cellulose Ethanol costs are decreasing according to Ethanol giant Poet LLC, the world's largest producer of corn-based ethanol.  Costs are down by more than 50%.  Poet expects the price to be down to $2 a gallon by the time it opens a production facility in 2012.  More...

800 million gallons of water a day are used to wash cars.  Washing your car takes an average of 100 gallons of water at home;  Commercial car washes use 15 to 40 gallons per auto.  A new product called Ecolo Green Car Wash claims to use less than one glass of water.  More...

List of the 10 top green cars in the UK.  More...

Did you know that most drivers lose from 10% to 50% of their car's tire tread life due to poorly maintained air pressure?  Tire disposal is a significant environmental problem.   Another environmental issue is reduced fuel efficiency resulting from the extra energy required for vehicles to travel with under-inflated tires.

You should check tire pressure at least once per month, more often during the summer months when the temperature is hotter.   Always use an accurate air gauge, not those provided at service stations.  They tend to be grossly inaccurate.  Also do not judge air pressure by looking at the tires.

The proper method of checking the air pressure is when the tires are cold.  It is good practice to check first thing in the morning before driving anywhere.  If any of the tires are under-inflated then drive straight to the service station.

If you have to drive your vehicle more than 1 km then the tires are considered "hot". Take another tire pressure measurement with your accurate gauge and note the difference from cold temperature.  Inflate the tire(s) to a level equal to the manufacturer recommended cold temperature plus the difference at high temperature.

Make sure that the tires are equipped with valve caps to keep out moisture.   Moisture will cause air to leak from the tire faster.