The FACT is if the car manufacturers don't want higher MPG?

Question

Does it strike anyone as odd, that after the gas crisis in the late 70's we still have not produced a car (non-hybrid) line that produce more MPG. I feel the oil companies and car companies are in this together and manipulate the price of oil.

The fact is we are at the peak of crude oil production, that means lower supplies to come, yet we still see SUVs chugging a long at 10 MPG, etc., diesel rigs filling up 100 gallons a day, along with our greenhouse gas problem.

I am for non-regulation, but since they will not take it upon themselves like the pharmaceutical companies, telephone monopolies and fore-go their greed, government needs to step in and mandate a fix.

If you have children, just think how are they going to get around when we run out of gas, and the time is coming sooner than later. Without China who is quickly coming in play, they estimate less than 100 years of crude oil at the present rate. The present rate mind you, if the rate increases and the years diminish.

Answer 1

It's not that the Auto Makers don't want higher MPG vehicles and more or less than they want to paint them pink with white dots.

It all about selling something that you and I are will to pay more for than it costs to build.

Answer 2

I'm going against the grain here, the people who buy cars want big cars and the auto manufactures give them what they want.  It is unfortunate but it is true.  We need to change our mindset.

Answer 3

Or....   You can only get so much energy out of gasoline, and theyre at the point where they cant achieve better gas mileage because engines cant get any more efficient without adding in hybrid technologies.  They just need to be more inventive in hybrid technologies.  

Look at it this way,  a certain amount of gas needs to burn to make you, and your 2500 pound car move.  You cant just make it run on less gas and expect it to be just as powerful.  The only thing they can do now is start to make the car's lighter and lighter, but that also causes its own problems.

Car companies still make SUV's because there is still a demand for them.

Answer 4

I don't know what the solution is, what i do know is that we have tapped the efficiency of the modern gas engine.  They can only be so efficient.  THat is what a physics prof. told me.  I like you idea about giving a large grant or cash reward to those that can develop the technology.  I do believe that there is a sense of stalling due to lobbyists.  I agree with you on that.

Answer 5

Its the government and George Bush hand in hand with the opec nations that dont want it.  THey are making money hand over fist and getting corporate tax relief to make that kind of money off of people who can only afford to drive to work and back home these days.

Answer 6

jr

I Don't necessarily believe there's any global cover up, don't get me wrong I’m one for conspiracy theories, in fact I live 100% off the grid away from society / gov to prove it. But the technology is out there and has been for a longtime. I just think society isn't ready for it yet, almost but not yet. I don't think the government killed the EV or the super carburetor , either (though I’ve been wrong before) I think consumers did. Consumer's want their v8's with 33inch tires and speeds of 110+ min, just can't get that with 100mpg. the physics just don't work,not with petroleum. that's why race car's use alternative fuels like methane, ethanol methanol, and rockets and the shuttle use liquid oxygen, nitrogen etc.

I currently run Bio Fuel (straight vegetable) in a 1999 Dodge 3500 truck. But all Cummins engines were modified from the factory to run on BioD since around 1992 without any modification.

The gov and car companies ARE trying to do something about it though.

Biofuel is recognized by both the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy as an alternative fuel, and qualifies for mandated programs under the Clean Air Act Amendments and the Environmental Protection Act of 1992 (EPAct).

USDA Clears Air with Biofuel: Buses and other diesel-burning vehicles run cleaner if they mix biofuel with regular diesel fuel, said the US Department of Agriculture at a biofuel fuel seminar at a USDA research center.

Conversely most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn't even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I've been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it's not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

http://www.agua-luna.com/guides.html

also Honda has just released their first Hydrogen car (FCX Clarity).

http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity...

"The FCX Clarity is a next-generation, zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on the entirely-new Honda V Flow fuel cell platform, and powered by the highly compact, efficient and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack."

http://world.honda.com/news/2007/4071114...

It definitely has potential for "future car technology". In fact Honda just gave the first Individual Customer from Las Angeles a 2 year lease on the FCX.

http://world.honda.com/news/2005/4050629...

and of course you can stop waiting for them to anything and just do it yourself. I built my first hydrogen cell about 5 years ago and now currently run 2 trucks, my home hot water heater, home stove and home generator on hydrogen (no ones contacted me yet) and offer a step by step DIY guide to walk anyone interested threw the process. You can find it at http://www.agua-luna.com/hydrogen.html or you can email me.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at http://www.agua-luna.com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Retired Boeing Engineer now living 100% Off-the-Grid with my family, using Alternative Energy & loving every minute.

for more info visit agua-luna com or email me at [e-mail]

Answer 7

You see, I ask the same Q. We are running out of oil, have mined the cheep coal, burned half our natural gas and that stuff is not coming back in my grandchildren's life. What are we doing? We have to go to electric and air power cars, electric high speed trains, and electric ships. We get there with solar concentrating collectors, wind, geothermal, wave generators and small hydro-electric power plants. If we need 100 Gigawatts by 2030 where are they? We had to start years ago. But we are were we are. If they will not give it to us we have to do it ourselves. Today here is what we know:  many of mankind’s advancements cause earth surface to warm, destroy the ozone layer, kill off endanger species, heat cities, and in some way cause more destruction.  Blacktop (roads and parking lots), buildings, air pollution (causes lung and other diseases), deforestation, duststorms (which increase hurricanes and cyclones and cause lung diseases), fires (cause pollution, mud slides, and deforestation), refrigerants (like CFC's), solvents (including benzene destroy the ozone layer raising skin cancer rates) and plastics; cars, airplanes, ships and most electricity production (causes pollution including raised CO2 levels) are human problems we need to fix to keep life on earth sustainable! The federal government needs to adopt a pollution surcharge to balance the field and advance new technologies. We must pay the real price of oil (petrochemicals) including global warming, cleanup and for health effects. But with that we must understand we have never seen what is now happening before. CO2 has never lead to temperature change, but temperature change has led to increases in CO2. The models have to be made as we go along with little evidence! The result is:  change is on the way, we just do not know what changes. But again adding a small amount of CO2 to the atmosphere enlarges the earths sun collection causing warming; increase water in the atmosphere and they form clouds cooling earth but causing flooding. Even natural events are warming earth and causing destruction. The sun has an increased magnetic field causing increases in earthquakes (more destruction), volcanoes (wow, great destruction), and sun spots. Lighting produces ozone near the surface (raising air pollution levels). But humans have destroyed half of the wetlands, cut down nearly half of the rain forest, and advance on the earths grasslands while advancing desertification which increases duststorms. The USA Mayor's have taken a stand and I believe are on the right track, we can have control and can have economic growth. With the peak of oil in the 1970’s, the peak of ocean fishing in the 1980’s, humans must stop procrastinating and make real changes to keep earth sustainable including in the energy debate, finance and regulation. The sun is available to produce energy, bring light to buildings and makes most of human’s fresh water. Composting is the answer to desertification. New dams are the answer to fresh water storage, energy and cooling earth by evaporation, we need many small ones all over (California needs 100 by 2012 and has not even started).

President Bush has made a choice of energy (ethanol) over food and feeding the starving people around the world; this is a choice China has rejected.

That is why I founded CoolingEarth.org, a geoengineering web sight where you can learn more about earth, the atmosphere, and how to sustain life on earth’s surface.

Answer 8

The government should stay out of the market.  When enough people demand a high milage car, it will be built.  The fact that it has not is a clear indicator that it is not wanted.  All of the major manufacturers are perfectly capable of producing cars of this type, and in fact do so in Europe and Japan (where the cost of fuel is much higher and thus, there is major demand for high milage vehicles).  Injecting the government into the market will be a disaster, as it always has been.

Answer 9

The car manufacturers make many cars today that get much better mileage than most hybrids. (Ford, Toyota, Renault, VW, Peugot, et al)

They are small cars, but not that small. Toyota Corolla, VW Jetta, etc.

Don't blame the car companies. Most of these cars are sold in Europe, and the rest of the world. WHY? My understanding is many of these cars can't pass California emissions, and some can't pass strict crash tests. How about that! We just make global warming because our emission standards are high???? And the media says WE are the polluting devil in the world???? I am confused.

I am right now trying to buy a nice little VW in Mexico that gets over 60MPG. I will have to register it there and get stateside insurance.