According to today's paper, the US president has announced that new US cars will have to average 39 mpg by 2016, with light vans and pickups averaging 30 mpg. One assumes the gallons mentioned are niggardly American ones.
No presidential order can ever have been more realistic than this one. A lot of cars that can do that easily are made by firms associated with the US companies and by the companies themselves. Internal and external facelifts and a bit more slop engineered into the suspension (but not too much one hopes) could do the trick almost overnight.
Americans get better cars; the Obama administration looks good; oil lasts longer; and oil companies can hide a bit more profit in petrol prices with cars using less of the stuff. It's a win-win-win-win situation unless you are a Detroit auto worker.
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The end of posh rod V8s then :). I am sure such engines would still me made its just there will be massive tax on them and such.
Sounds like this could be good news for the Europeans as they are likely to turn to us for help as well as the japs.
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I love to camp and boat. I just bought a 1989 Chevy crew cab (4 doors and 2 bech seats, seats six) long bed dually with a big block 454 (7.4l). I paid $2000 for it. I bought is specifically to carry a slide in camper and pull my 21' boat (also has 5.7l V8). I do not intend to replace it until it rusts away. the longer the better. I don't mind paying for the gas because of the cost difference. I cannot see spending $60k on a new truck to carry a camper and take junk to the land fill. It might get 3k miles a year. Automobiles are way overpriced here in the US and there are many like me that have made this economic decision. In fact, I just ordered a new crate motor and will store it until to original one dies. I am all for conservation however. I will trade in my Jeep Grand Cherokee for a newer one with a smaller engine if I can find one that qualifies for the incentives. My GC gets 21mpg hwy. Even the 4 cylinder one only get 30.
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Automobiles are way overpriced here in the US
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WHAT ??
Have you looked at car prices in UK/Europe then ??
I remember a good few years ago when I went out to California regularly for work, I used to see the US equivalent of the Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0CD being advertised for $9,999.
An equivalent car (with all the extras) over here at the time would have been around £16,000, and thats when you used to get a lot of dollars to the pound !
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Automobiles are way overpriced here in the US >> WHAT ?? Have you looked at car prices in UK/Europe then ??
Indeed. When the new Mustang came out the V8 was reported to cost IIRC 16k in the US.
Probably nearly double that here.........
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No presidential order can ever have been more realistic than this one.
I don't think it's quite the slam dunk that you suggest - I looked up the Honda Fit (Jazz) sold in the US and: "EPA estimated 28 mpg city/35 hwy/31 combined for base Fit with automatic transmission."
As you point out, these will be US gallons, 16.75% smaller than ours, so the MPG in our terms would be 20% higher.
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Does that mean every variant of each model will have to average 39 mpg, or they will have to average that across the range, with some being better, some worse?
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Across the range, obviously... the push-rod 7 litre V8 shouldn't disappear completely as Rattle fears it may.
Thinking of getting a blinged-up blacked-out Tex/Mex drug war Ramcharger or something Rattle? New set of noises to worry about?
I hope you do. It'll earn you a lot of respect up there in Eccles-cake land...
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In imperial gallons, they're aiming for 51mpg average for the passenger cars and 31mpg for light trucks and SUVs, up from the current standards of 33mpg and 29mpg.
These averages are across all vehicles sold. I'm unsure whether that's for all manufacturers there or each one must attain this individually.
Not much of an improvement for SUVs, but a great leap for cars over there.
So it's a mixed bag, good news for cars but the ever popular pick-ups and SUVs won't be improving much. Shame that cars make up the minority of sales in the US.
Edited by TheOilBurner on 20/05/2009 at 15:44
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Each manufacturer must attain the figure individually. CAFE ( Corporate Average Fuel Economy) regs were introduced in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo and fuel economy targets have raised year on year. Not much by our standards, but they've improved a great deal since the 10mpg days of the sixties and early seventies.
IIRC California had a car scrappage scheme in the mid seventies to encourage Californians to switch to "smaller" catalyst equipped cars. This resulted in more than a few classics being crushed. I bet their owners are kicking themselves now.
"Have a nice new Mustang II, we'll crush that nasty smog belching gas guzzling Olds 442"
Er, no.
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Now lets see... how many miles per gallon does Mr Obama's heavly protected limo achieve. Then there's the 20 plus vehicles that make up his convoy every time he nips out for a burger or to tell his countrymen what a great world they have created.
So it's all right for him to guzzle fuel for his own protection but the gutter snipes should be making sure they keep the supply going for him by saving the stuff . Same applies to our glorious leader and his cavalcade......
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In other words, Mr X, some people are much more privileged than others and use more resources than others?
Do you know, I think you may have a point there. How extraordinary that it has never occurred to anyone else.
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Another American panic that they are running out of oil.
Another example of bolting the stable door after the horse has run...
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Another American panic that they are running out of oil.
It's probably more to do with CO2 emissions - however, it's fairly irrelevant, since as soon as a suitable store for electricity is available, the car engine as we know it will cease to be made.
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FotheringtonThomas, I doubt that very much.
Look at the way the oil companies own and have shelved the high capacity battery (large lithium ion batteries that powered the ev1 and GM used to own it)
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It's coming. Then I can have a roadburner that's mechanically simple and efficient.
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Another example of bolting the stable door after the horse has run...
Everybody says that. You get the "bolt" bit in too early, and then are left with a horse that can only, rather feebly, "go" or "run".
It is "Closing the stable door after the horse has bolted" :)
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 22/05/2009 at 11:25
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It's just a bit of headline grabbing. The devil will be in the detail.
If GM want to increase the average mpg across the range of their US cars all they need to do is add a couple of Daewoo models to the US sales brochure. They won't sell many but the average mpg figures will look better.
The Feds won't say to GM:
"So far this year all your customers have bought V6s and V8s. You can only sell 3cyl. diesels from now on."
Kevin...
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"So it's all right for him to guzzle fuel for his own protection...."
Having an intelligent, thinking man as US president instead of a trigger-happy cowboy could make all the difference to world peace. He is, like anyone in his position, in real danger of a terrorist attack, and needs a big, bullet-proof car to be driven in and security staff round him. I don't think it's hypocritical of him to want to legislate in this way.
Edited by Avant on 21/05/2009 at 00:55
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Sorry, that doesn't wash. In this day and age we are all vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
Should we drive around in armoured Land Rovers with their 15 mpg?
I think you can pick up an iron pig for around £1,500 from one of those ex army land rover places.
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I don't want to sound abrasive Mr X, but are you labouring under the delusion that all human lives are of equal value?
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I would like to think that the need for extra security for national leaders is reasonably uncontroversial, so won't get involved in a debate.
Back to motoring - Americans in particular need to think what they use their cars for and what car best suits their needs. This legislation should encourage them to do just that. We're better at it in this country, with the notable exception of people who buy 4x4s and never go off-road except to mount the kerb outside the children's school.
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>>We're better at it in this country with the notable exception of peoplewho buy 4x4s and never go off-road except to mount the kerb outside the children's school.
You forgot the bit about also parking in spaces reserved for disabled people
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Having an intelligent thinking man as US president instead of a trigger-happy cowboy could make all the difference to world peace.
can we keep politics out of this site, please.
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can we keep politics out of this site, please.
Of course Wp, of course... what he meant obviously was what a tremendous relief it is having a US President who can actually speak understandable English, and with every probability that he can read and write too.
'Noocular' indeed! Tchah!
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......... new US cars will have to average 39 mpg by 2016 with light vans and pickups averaging 30 mpg. One assumes the gallons mentioned are niggardly American ones.
39 miles per US gallon will be harder to achieve than 39 miles per Imperial gallon.
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Fiat have announced they are to make and sell the 500 and Alfa MiTo over there and keep their branding. Other Fiats will form the bases of new Chrysler models but will be more than a "rebadging" exercise (according to Fiat anyway).
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I wouldn't pay too much heed to that statement.
They're already calling him 'Backtrack Obama'.
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