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In our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, we found the fuel economy of our long-term Kia Carnival improved by 3 miles per gallon (or 12 percent) with its factory crossbars removed.Having those bars hanging out in the airstream increases aerodynamic drag, which increasingly hurts fuel economy the faster the vehicle is traveling.Our results with the crossbars removed equate to a highway driving range increase of roughly 60 miles and a fuel cost savings of about $14 every 1000 miles based on current national average gas prices.During the long-term test of our 2022 Kia Carnival, we were initially disappointed in our observed fuel economy. Speculating the crossbars installed from the factory, a $360 option, to be the culprit, we opted to remove them to see how much of a difference it made. Removal takes roughly 10 minutes and all the tools are included: remove the endcaps on either side of the crossbars and loosen clamps that attach the bars onto the roof rails that are included on SX and SX Prestige trim levels. Upon removal, we instantly saw increased efficiency numbers, prompting us to make a second attempt at our 75-mph highway fuel economy test. In the second run, we bested our prior attempt by 3 mpg (25 mpg to 28 mpg), a 12 percent increase and also better than the EPA’s highway figure of 26 mpg.Even though the units fitted to our Carnival are shaped to be aero friendly, they still take quite a toll on its ability to slice through the air. This uptick in drag increases exponentially as speeds rise, so around-town driving will result in a lesser hit to fuel economy than highway motoring. Testing, TestingThe additional 3 mpg we gained after parting ways with our crossbars means a roughly 60-mile uptick in highway driving range, from 470 to 530 miles. Hypothetically, if a driver were making a 1000-mile road trip, this makes it possible for only one fuel stop when starting with a full tank as opposed to two stops with the crossbars installed. And, using today’s national average gas prices, overall fuel costs would decrease as well, with $14 savings every 1000 miles when using regular 87 octane fuel. Stretching that over a year, and assuming half of driving miles are completed on a highway, a driver could see near triple-digit savings based on the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s average annual mileage of 13,476. That’s roughly enough to cover an entire year of a Disney+ subscription. Michael Simari|Car and DriverThe Carnival’s increase in efficiency doesn’t exactly take it to world-beater territory. The most recent, hybrid-only Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica eHybrid we tested lead the pack among minivans at 33 mpg, with the Sienna’s figure being a bit more impressive given that our test car had all-wheel drive. Taking home the bronze is the gas-only Pacifica at 31 mpg, followed by the Honda Odyssey at 30 mpg. Even with this newfound efficiency, the Carnival remains last relative to other minivans in our highway fuel-economy testing. Ultimate driving range, however, is a different story. The Kia, sans crossbars, trails only the Toyota in that category, and by a mere 10 miles (530 and 540 miles, respectively).Of course, attaching a cargo carrier, kayak, paddle board, or other large accessory to those crossbars will reduce fuel economy by an even greater amount. But the point is, it’s worth taking a few minutes to remove the crossbars when you’re not using them. More

Ford still can’t build enough Broncos, and the issues aren’t about to go away if our reading of the tea leaves in a new “2023-Model Bronco Cancel Order & Purchase Replacement Offer” are correct.The letter, which Ford recently sent to dealers, says that customers can get a $2500 discount if they order a different Ford model before early April.Another option is to switch to a lower-trim or lower-content Bronco by removing “constrained commodities.”Ford has a problem, and it thinks $2500 might make it go away. The problem—admittedly, a good one to have—is that demand for the Ford Bronco has remained strong since the Jeep-esque off-roader debuted in 2021. But, supply chain and production challenges have meant that Ford has had to repeatedly delay Bronco orders. Now, Ford is going to force, in Ford’s words, a “small number of existing Bronco reservation and order holders” who ordered but have not yet received their 2023 Bronco to choose among four options, none of which will result in these customers getting the vehicle they ordered.Specs and Details, but Don’t Expect to Get One (Yet)First reported by Cars Direct, Ford has sent an incentive bulletin to dealers that offers anyone who’s ordered a 2023 Bronco a $2500 discount if they switch to another Ford model. The 2023-Model Bronco Cancel Order & Purchase Replacement Offer says Ford is prepared to give “an additional incentive to cancel their current 23MY Bronco Order and retail order an eligible 23MY Ford vehicle,” according to Cars Direct. Customers can get the discount if they make the switch to one of seven other Ford models before April 3. The qualifying list of non-Bronco vehicles includes the Escape, Bronco Sport, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Ranger, and F-150.The Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Tremor, and Raptor apparently do not qualify.Ford told Car and Driver that the causes of the problems are, unsurprisingly, ongoing supply-chain challenges. The missing parts mean that certain “constrained features,” like the Sasquatch and Lux packages and the Molded in Color Hard Top, are not going to be available for 2023 model Bronco customers who ordered them and have not yet received their vehicle.”Customers who remove constrained features are expected to receive a 2023 model year Bronco along with a $2500 rebate toward purchase or lease in addition to existing MSRP price protection they may have,” Ford spokesperson Mike Levine told C/D.Customers who don’t want to modify their reservation will have to accept one of four options. As mentioned, there’s the $2500 rebate. Customers can also just cancel their reservation and get their original $100 deposit back. Third, they can try to find a “suitable Bronco” at a dealer that happens to have one. Finally, they can just cancel their order and place a new one for a 2024 Bronco.”If we are not able to schedule a reservation or order for production, it will be canceled for the 2023 model year and their $100 reservation deposit will be refunded automatically,” Levine said. One problem with all of this is that no one can order a new Bronco at the moment. While the configurator remains active, Ford’s consumer site also says, “Due to high demand, the current model year [2023 Bronco] is no longer available for retail order. Limited inventory may be available at selected dealers.” There’s also no way to order a 2024 Bronco through the site just yet. Ford’s site also says, “[Bronco] supplies are limited and there are no guarantees.” You don’t say. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.A Range of Broncos, Tested More

It’s not easy keeping city passenger buses up and running, especially in cold climates. Swap out the diesel for electrons, and you’ve got a new set of challenges, like reduced range and slower charging times.Juneau was the first city in Alaska to buy an EV for its bus fleet, but repeated problems with a wiring harness have often kept it sidelined. Manufacturer Proterra said it is working on a more robust harness for the city’s bus.Even with this EV speed bump, Juneau has ordered another seven electric buses. This time, though, they will be made by Proterra competitor Gillig.Colder climates can be a challenge for many electric vehicles to perform well in, but it’s not just the temperature causing problems for Juneau’s public transit system. The Alaskan capital announced in 2021 that it would add a 40-foot, all-electric passenger bus to its fleet, but the zero-emission model has recurring mechanical problems that force Capital Transit to park the bus in the garage for weeks on end.This version of Proterra’s electric bus is going to the city of Victoria, British Columbia.ProterraThe issue is a faulty wiring harness that the transit agency has repeatedly tried to fix but sometimes still disables one of the bus’s two motors. Alaska Public Media (APM) reports that the bus’s manufacturer, Proterra, still needs to supply Juneau with a replacement part. Still, electric buses are coming to Alaska. While Juneau was the first to purchase an EV for its bus fleet, the city of Anchorage tested an electric bus in 2018. Smaller municipalities including Ketchikan and Metlakatla have also announced plans to add electric buses to their fleets.Range Dropped with the TemperatureWhen Juneau’s lone electric bus was able to ferry passengers around town, drivers and city managers sang its praises. As might sound familiar to electric passenger-car drivers, bus drivers liked the quieter ride, and the bus needed less maintenance. In frigid weather, though, the 440-kilowatt hour (kWh) battery’s 210-mile range dropped to 100 miles, and the battery took longer to charge. Capital Transit superintendent Rich Ross told APM that the faulty harness and other issues aren’t putting Juneau’s transit authority off electric buses. “There’s going to be learning curves along the way,” Ross said. “So while this bus has been a lemon—somewhat of a lemon—we also understand the technology is improving in leaps and bounds as time goes on.”Proterra agrees.”With the introduction of any new technology, we expect there to be some learning curves along the way,” the company told Car and Driver. “These learnings allow us to improve products. In this case, we are working to design and source a more robust harness to support Juneau’s bus.”We Checked It Out Juneau’s faulty bus is a 2020 model, and in 2022 Proterra announced that its 40-foot ZX5 electric transit bus could be equipped with a 738.0-kWh battery. “This newer product is now the preferred choice for municipalities in northern climates to buffer against the additional heating requirements of extreme cold-weather days,” Proterra said. Gillig electric bus.GilligCapital Transit has already ordered seven more electric buses, but this time they will come from one of Proterra’s competitors, Gillig. Gillig also manufactured the 17 diesel buses used in Juneau’s fleet. Gillig’s electric buses are already in use in places with intense winter weather, like Missoula, Montana. The company announced last month that it had received the highest-ever score for a battery electric bus, 89.5, at the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus Test Program in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Basically acing that reliability test meant that Gillig’s e-buses could qualify for purchase with federal funding dollars. Gillig has also announced that 45 transit agencies across the country would use money provided in part by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to purchase Gillig’s low- and no-emission buses. The Proterra bus remains in Juneau’s fleet.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More