CAFE Objections: Big-3 + Even from Toyota
 

So, it turns out that the "Big-3", in addition to Toyota has a problem with the CAFE standards imposed in the U.S.

ARTICLE.

I'll let you be the judge of what's going on. FYI, if you will.

RH77

Typical. I don't know about other people, but I think that it's time for a boycott of new cars. The manufacturers and big oil are working very hard to ensure that great mileage cars are limited run cars or nonexistent in order to pretend that they care.

I have a problem with them too. They're so ineffective as to render themselves unnessessary.

Just by lowering the drag coefficients of todays cars from .32 to .20, we could increase combined fuel economy by roughly 25%, with no engine, transmission, or tire modifications and no weight reduction. Adressing aerodynamics would add very little to the cost of a vehicle and if done right would not affect the vehicle's practicality. Hybrid drive trains, CVTs, LRR tires, diesel engines, and other advances would allow for even more gains.

One only needs to look at cars that have been built as prototypes to understand what is and isn't possible.

You may want to google search the following:

*Opel Eco Speedster(diesel), 94 mpg combined fuel economy, 160 mph top speed(electronically limited), 0-60 mph in 8.9 seconds, sports car

*GM Ultralite(gasoline), 88 mpg, 135 mph, 0-60 in 7.8 secs, compact

*Loremo LS(diesel), 157 mpg, 100 mph, 0-60 in 19 secs, sub-compact

*Loremo GT(diesel), 88 mpg, 138 mph, 0-60 in 9 secs, sub-compact

*VW 1 Litre(diesel), 235 mpg, 78 mph, sub-compact

*Jetcar 2.5(diesel), 87 mpg, 100 mph, sub-compact

*VW Lupo 3L(diesel), 79 mpg, 102 mph, 0-60 in 12.7 secs, compact

*Mercedes Bionic(diesel), 55 mpg, 118 mph, 0-60 in 7.9 secs, compact

*Ford Prodigy(diesel-electric), 72 mpg, 80 mph(lim), 0-60 in 12 secs, midsize

*GM Precept(diesel-electric), 80 mpg, 85 mph(lim), 0-60 in 11.5 secs, midsize

*Dodge Intrepid ESX3(diesel-electric), 72 mpg, 90 mph(lim), 0-60 in 11 secs, midsize

*VW Ecoracer(diesel), 69 mpg, 143 mph, 0-60 in 6.3 secs, sports car

*Audi A2 3L(diesel), 78 mpg, 105 mph, 0-60 in 13 secs, compact

*Renault Twingo SmILE(gasoline), 71 mpg, 93 mph, 0-60 in 14 secs, subcompact

*VW Wundercar II(diesel), 118 mpg, 112 mph, 0-60 in 12 secs, subcompact

*Vapor Fuel Technologies Alé(gasoline), 92 mpg, 140 mph, 0-60 in 5 secs, single person commuter

*Opel Astra ECO4(diesel), 54 mpg, 109 mpg, 0-60 in 13.5 secs, compact

*Mitsubishi i(gasoline), 62 mpg, 115 mph, 0-60 in 10.6 secs, sub-compact

The typical American midsize sedan accelerates 0-60 mph 10 seconds, tops 115 mph, and gets ~27 mpg on gasoline. Considering the above, isn't that embarassing?

Basically, we could have had since the 1990s 70 mpg midsize cars that do 0-60 mph in 11 seconds, 90+ mpg sports cars that top 160 mph, 80 mpg compact cars that perform adequately on the highway, and 150 mpg fuel misers. All with today's off the shelf technology. Even as far back as the 70s, by addressing aerodynamics, we could have had 30+ mpg V8 musclecars.

I'm not a big fan of regulations, but if they are to exist, at least make them effective. Either scrap the CAFE standard altogether, or make it an immediate 60+ mpg fleet average.

Admin edit: Next time you try to get around the profanity filters you'll find yourself with a temporary ban. It's not cute.

Rock on, dude! I think that it's time for action. There are quite a few of us here, and we're all sick of this. Would anyone be interested in a "drive" on DC in which we all in a line hypermile in front of the Capitol? It would be different, and might grab attention. Show that with casual tinkering in our spare time, we've outdone the 'fuel efficient' hybrids in normal cars.

i would if my parents would let me considering that im 17. It would need to be in the summer which would help our case with the prices usally up.

Unfortunately, calling the automakers names won't get anything done. 300,000 people (including myself) marching in the capitol could not give the country second thought about waging war, what do you think a few people waving signs that say "**** you ****s" will do for environmentalists. I am certainly behind much, much stronger regulations, but I have very little respect for the opinions of people whose argument centers around rhetoric such as toecutter's.

You going to the Pentagon protest? I was thinking of going, but there's a collective in my area that's going to be doing some more of a theatrical culture jamming action in my area for M17 and M19 that I'm going to assist with instead. The largest oil importing port in the South East is in Ft. Lauderdale, and Department of Homeland Scrutiny has an office there, so it should be pretty fun.

Were you at the J27 march in DC? I was there for that one. We had about 100k people there for that one, 300 of which tried to take the Capitol.

I was there 4 years ago, now I do not live near enough to make the commute to anything at the capitol. It's unfortunate, but I do my best writing my representatives and working with candidates and issues I support. I try to spend as little time with politics as I can...

If all someone sees is the language they've completely missed the point altogether. Oh well.

I'm the opposite. I probably have one hell of an FBI file because I tend to be at a protest at least once per month, and write several letters (my friends call them rants) to my representatives per week. I'm actually thinking of running for city council in Cape Coral this year as an independent. The government is more corrupt down here than it is even in DC. The city of Cape Coral is run almost entirely by real estate agents (the exception being the mayor) who are moving protected land to areas that don't need as much protection so that more waterfront condos can be built. Under their stewardship, the cost of real estate in Cape Coral has risen by about five times in the last 10 years. They did a great job of helping themselves.

I'm pretty passionate about my political views.