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Petrol sales hit record low in July

FEARS of a 4p-a-litre rise in prices at the pumps sent petrol sales crashing to an all-time July low. The rise turned out to be only 1.5p a litre but it led to July petrol consumption dipping to 1.44 billion litres, down nearly 100 million litres on June, according to Government figures highlighted by the AA. The AA said petrol retailers and others had predicted that the UK's average cost of petrol would rise by up to 4p a litre in July.

U.S. seeks 5 percent annual fuel-economy gains through 2016

The Obama administration today proposed gasoline mileage and greenhouse-gas pollution standards for new vehicles for model years 2012 to 2015, filling in the blanks for manufacturers en route to a 35.5 mpg national target in 2016. The Transportation Department and EPA proposal calls for fuel economy to increase by about 5 percent each year, starting from an average of 27.3 mpg for the 2011 model year, the agencies said in a statement. The average car buyer would save more than $3,000 in fuel costs over the life of a vehicle, the statement said.

Audi A1 quattro prototype

The Audi A1 quattro snow testing in Canada It did seem a strange omission by Audi not to have a quattro drivetrain for the ‘Only Premium Brand in its Sector’ Audi A1. And it was that lack of a quattro system for the A1 which apparently stopped the car that ended up being the Audi A1 1.4 TFSI from being launched as the Audi S1 at Paris last year. All of which has no doubt spurred Audi on to see development of a quattro platform for the A1.