Should we ban all new cars that don't do 35mpg?

Question

Sir Mark Moody Stuart - ex Shell CEO had this suggestion!

story on link

http://onehundredhp.com/?p=63

Answer 1

absolutely not. What a completely fascist thing to say.

Answer 2

i dont think this would work

we need to make the cars greener by changing the type of uel they run on

Answer 3

i think we should start slowly, but yes i think we should.  However we would do such a thing over time

nice question

Answer 4

Yes, we need to do something drastic, but then everybody goes into the ( yes we need to do something, but don't make me actually!!! do something ), mind burp routine. I believe we need to put a gas guzzler tax on gas, we do it with the cars themselves maybe we need to take it a step further. If you want to drive something that gets 15 MPG then fine pay for it, just make an exemption for people who need a big car for work or business.

Answer 5

Yes - not immediately, but gradually and in the near future.  Most automakers are coming out with hybrids which significantly improve mileage efficiency.  Even the Ford Escape SUV hybrid gets 32 mpg, so 35 mpg is certainly achievable by any type of car.

Additionally, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles are in development.

Available in California in October 2008, the Aptera typ-1e will cost about $27,000 with a top speed of 95 mph and range of 120 miles per charge.

http://www.aptera.com/details.php

Soon thereafter Aptera will introduce the typ-1h, a plug-in hybrid version of the typ-1e with a 40-60 mile range on purely electrical energy, and a range of over 600 miles total when in electric/gas hybrid mode, for around $30,000.  On a 120 mile trip, the typ-1h will get 300 miles per gallon.  The shorter the trip, the higher the efficiency.

http://www.aptera.com/details.php

Available in late 2009, the ZAP Alias will cost $30,000, have a top speed of 100 mph, and a range of 100 miles per charge.

http://zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/el...

Soon thereafter the ZAP-X will be available at a cost of $60,000 with a top speed of 155 mph and a range of 350 miles per charge.

http://zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/el...

Available in 2009, the Miles Javlon will cost $30,000 with a top speed of 80 mph and a range of 120 miles per charge.

http://www.milesev.com/

Phoenix Motorcars will start selling their SUT to individuals in late 2008 or early 2009.  It will cost $45,000 and have a top speed of 100 mph with a range of 100+ miles per charge.

http://phoenixmotorcars.com/

Once these types of cars become more popular, the price will go down to a point where most people will be able to afford an alternative fuel car which exceeds 35 mpg.  It's just a matter of people demanding this kind of fuel efficiency.  The new US CAFE standards require automakers to average 35 mpg by 2020, but I don't think this goes nearly far enough.

Answer 6

yes, i beileve every car should get at least 25 miles per gallon city, and 35 highway including suvs. If the manufacturers can't figure out a way to do it then they shouldn't sell it until they can.

Answer 7

One guy responded with his criticism of Hillary because she wants higher fuel efficiency.  Don't we all?  

  Then he went on about having to pay more for cars and with the obvious implication that it is the democrats and Hillary who would be to blame.

The reality is that the Republicans were resisting even the 35mpg  by 2020 standards.

And the same bill was supposed to take $21 billion in tax credits (subsidies) away from the big oil companies and put it into alternative energy where there actually is a future.  This only represents part of the billons in subsidies that the oil companies  are getting.  And it represents 1% of their annual profits.  We are talking mostly of the big 5 oil companies.  Exxon just reported over $40 billion in profits for 2007.  

Lots of taxpayer funded profits in there.



And so the alternative energy tax credits weren't extended.  40 Republican senators stripped the provisions from the energy bill, which Bush would have vetoed.  

At stake are 100,000 to 200,000 jobs in the solar industry alone.  Solar is on a roll, and needs the tax credits for a few more years to get up to speed.  

So do other alt energy technologies.  

The 35mpg rule for cars is pretty conservative.

Answer 8

NO

Answer 9

should we ban toilets because they polute the air?

Answer 10

by law all cars sold in the U.S. 12 years from now will have to average 35 mpg. take a look at the new "smart car" from Mercedes to see what you will be driving, it gets 36 mpg but will only hold 2 people & looks more like a skate board with a top than an automobile.

Answer 11

johnny - you seem to have an extremely low opinion of US automakers.  If they can't design and build cars capable of getting 35 MPG by 2020, then they must be the most incompetent bunch of automakers on the planet.  I think you should have a little more faith in good ol' American ingenuity.  Our scientists and engineers can compete with any foreign car company, all it takes is the will to live up to the challenge.

Just switching to some carbon fiber construction (significant weight reduction) and pluggable hybrid (both, technologies which are about ready for mainstream) could easily double or triple the current average MPG.  My 5 passenger family sedan (Toyota Camry hybrid) is already averaging 38 - 40 MPG.  This isn't rocket science, it just takes the corporate will to make it happen.

As far as mandatory regulations, I don't necessarily agree with Stuart.  Tax incentives to encourage car companies to make more efficient autos is good (that reduces military expenditures necessary to help stabilize oil rich regions), but an all out ban shouldn't be necessary.

Answer 12

other countries have already done that

Answer 13

What's the point?  We're going to burn up all the oil as gasoline and diesel anyway, aren't we?  What difference does it make if we burn it all up at 5mpg or 500mpg?  The end result it still the same.

Answer 14

How about starting with personal jets?

Do you think the politicians would allow that?  :-)

Answer 15

How about we ban deodorant and stop wasting all those petrochemicals used in its production, packaging, transportation and disposal?  How about banning Coffee so you stop wasting paper/styrofoam cups?  

I bet you use one or both of those products and I could make perfectly sound arguements on how your consumption of one or both of those products creates more enviromental damage than my car getting 25,30, 34 miles per gallon.  BTW, who gives a flying F what some ex CEO's opinion on the subject is? Just because he made millions off oil now makes him an expert on the excesses in life that made him rich?

Answer 16

Congress passed a resolution which requires US automakers to average 35 mpg by 2020.  Hillary wants to make it 40.  This will raise the average price of a new car by $7000.  Americans will buy more foreign cars and the already struggling US auto industry will really be hurting. People will be laid off, adding to the overall tax burden to all Americans.

Answer 17

no becasue some people have different taste in car and really dont care