Chuck
08-15-2007, 12:01 PM
Average European car: 43mpg - Japanese car: 50mpg - can't the US do better than 22mpg? (http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2007/08/13/a_drive_toward_fuel_economy/)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_Toyota_Yaris_3-door_liftback.jpgBilal Zuberi - www.boston.com (http://www.boston.com/), August 13, 2007
In the last two decades, the automotive industry has been ablaze with innovation -- from cars that park themselves to cars that "clean up" after themselves. Literally, the automobile has grown smarter as technology has enabled manufacturers to rethink their old ways. Unfortunately, the foresight ends there.
This past week, two bills designed to increase fuel economy standards in the United States were introduced in the House of Representatives and promptly shot down. With them, the hope that industry standards would finally catch up with innovations in the field diminished as well. Indeed, Congress has dragged its feet for far too long in forcing automakers to improve fuel economy.
Unfortunately, this latest retreat in Congress is not the first time proposed changes -- changes so minor they were not nearly enough to begin with -- have hinted at improvement, only to fade rapidly. In his State of the Union speech in January, President Bush suggested a 4 percent annual increase in the fuel efficiency of cars and light trucks by 2017. His words did little to catalyze any concrete change. Later, a proposal to increase fuel economy standards by 4 percent annually from 2020 to 2031 died an early death in the House. In short, the United States is no better off today than it was 20 years ago as far as fuel efficiency is concerned.
… http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2007/08/13/a_drive_toward_fuel_economy/
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_Toyota_Yaris_3-door_liftback.jpgBilal Zuberi - www.boston.com (http://www.boston.com/), August 13, 2007
In the last two decades, the automotive industry has been ablaze with innovation -- from cars that park themselves to cars that "clean up" after themselves. Literally, the automobile has grown smarter as technology has enabled manufacturers to rethink their old ways. Unfortunately, the foresight ends there.
This past week, two bills designed to increase fuel economy standards in the United States were introduced in the House of Representatives and promptly shot down. With them, the hope that industry standards would finally catch up with innovations in the field diminished as well. Indeed, Congress has dragged its feet for far too long in forcing automakers to improve fuel economy.
Unfortunately, this latest retreat in Congress is not the first time proposed changes -- changes so minor they were not nearly enough to begin with -- have hinted at improvement, only to fade rapidly. In his State of the Union speech in January, President Bush suggested a 4 percent annual increase in the fuel efficiency of cars and light trucks by 2017. His words did little to catalyze any concrete change. Later, a proposal to increase fuel economy standards by 4 percent annually from 2020 to 2031 died an early death in the House. In short, the United States is no better off today than it was 20 years ago as far as fuel efficiency is concerned.
… http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2007/08/13/a_drive_toward_fuel_economy/