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Americans Strongly Favor Raising Fuel Economy Standards to 50 MPG, Poll Finds

Discussion in 'Other Cars' started by cwerdna, May 19, 2010.

  1. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    "Americans Strongly Favor Raising Fuel Economy Standards to 50 MPG, Poll Finds" Green Car Advisor via Poll: Americans favor raising gas mileage requirement to 50 mpg — Autoblog Green

    It's funny how people answer polls (just like the ones saying saying x% would consider hybrids) and yet their actions don't really mesh...

    Maybe if they were given the public were given CAFE numbers for vehicles like the Prius ("70.894 mpg" for the 2010) and other hybrids vs. the tougher standards that have been imposed, they might be willing to push for much tougher standards.

    We also need to educate the public on the amount of oil reserves in the US vs. rest of world. This is quite sobering:
     
  2. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Sadly "would consider Hybrids" != "actually buying Hybrids"
     
  3. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    +1. My friends all say they would consider one... but money talks and none of them have one... common excuses are

    "my car isn't available in a hybrid model" (i.e. the new version of their current car)
    "I'm waiting for EVs"
    "I'm waiting for hydrogen cars" (my fav... that's like I saying i'm waiting for the universe to collapse on itself)
     
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  5. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    From the Edmunds blog:
    As I and others have pointed out, people don't need to wait for the government to raise fuel economy standards. And wait until 2025??? Sure, if it's done, there will likely be more efficient vehicles available, a more efficient mix and more efficient vehicles of a given size than now... but why wait?

    People could already buy these w/their respective "CAFE mileages", for example:
    01-03 Prius: "57.5685 mpg"
    04-09 Prius: "65.778 mpg"
    2010 Prius: "70.894 mpg"
    FFH: "54.1846 mpg"
    NAH: "46.70998 mpg"
    HyCam: "45.9416 mpg"
    Smart ForTwo: "49.5029 mpg"

    But no.... sigh...
     
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    They want their Suburban to do 50mpg....
     
  7. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    Precisely!

    The only thing that will kill these modern-day dinosaurs is higher fuel prices, e.g. a real tax on wasteful consumption.
     
  8. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I'll try not to be too cynical.

    But given this economy and the obvious problems with Oil supply and demand, it is one of those polls I don't think you even have to ask.

    But "Green Car" Prius faithful aside, I think we need to accept baby steps. At least a majority of people are in favor of raising standards.

    Perceptions and attitudes have changed, at least in my lifetime. When I was a kid, America treated gas consumption like Zoolander and Friends...now I think everyone at least has a base understanding of the importance of resource conservation.
     
  9. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    While pulling their 30' fishing boat ... in four wheel drive ... with the AC on ... going uphill ... and running on regular.
     
  10. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    ... with their five kids ... fully luggaged ...
     
  11. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    ... uphill both ways, and in the snow too!

    But seriously, take a look at these sales charts for the past year. The number of Small SUVs actually went down while heavy and luxury SUVs went up!

    Auto Sales - Markets Data Center - WSJ.com
     
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  12. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    I think that was more related to deep price cuts on land barges, and folks using the loop-hole in the poorly worded "Cash for Clunkers" incentive program, whereby you could trade in your 13mpg land barge, for a 19mpg land barge. That way, when solo drivers travel all over the landscape, all alone in their Escalade, they'll feel better about their self. Saving the ecosystem, one behemoth at a time.

    :confused:
     
  13. evnow

    evnow Active Member

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    I'm in the 2nd category. I definitely can't imagine buying a gas car now ... what with AGW, oil spills, peak oil, Iraq war etc.
     
  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    2 dogs, their parents & a roof carrier on top.
     
  15. evnow

    evnow Active Member

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    Why not - just need a PHEV ;-)
     
  16. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Andy Frank... yeah I think that's his name... he converted a Suburban (early 2000 model) to a PHV. He put a Saturn 1.9 litre engine + batteries (I forget what type.. NiMH is my guess but don't quote me on it). It got pretty damn good mileage out of that without performance loss...


    Edit: here's the video

     
  17. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Yeah - He's the Man. Dr Andy Frank ... father of the PHEV -

    did anyone tell you you're my hero (The Elvis version of course) ??




    :focus:
     
  18. donee

    donee New Member

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    And a V8 engine .... none of this Andy Frank 1.9 liter 125 hp Saturn SL2 wimpyiness need apply....


    The mass produced V8 engine was the marvel of 1930's american mechanical engineering ingenuity. Its so engrained that the solution has to include that 1930's V8 concept, that its holding back todays engineers....
     
  19. jcgee88

    jcgee88 Member

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    This is what the European governments have been
    doing for many years. I lived in Holland in 1980, and
    gas was the equivalent of $4/gallon back then! The
    price was mostly tax, as the Dutch were getting their
    crude from the North Sea fields right in their back
    yard.

    The result: lots of small, fuel efficient cars; wide
    availability of mass transit; lots of cyclists (which
    means bike lanes, even bike traffic signals, on almost
    all streets).

    One problem with trying this in the US is that our
    infrastructure is already heavily slanted towards
    (large) cars, so it's not so easy to switch our
    lifestyle, e.g., take the trolley to work.
     
  20. MJFrog

    MJFrog Active Member

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    Exactly! There IS no spoon, er, trolley...