Fuel economy versus auto jobs - What's more important?
No US Prius competitors any time soonFuel economy. In and of itself, fuel efficiency doesn't sound important. However, when you add foreign oil dependency into the equation, fuel economy becomes vital - perhaps the most vital issue facing America.
Yet, is America really taking foreign oil dependency seriously?
Finish: Fuel economy versus auto jobs - What's more important?
Labels: Chevy Volt electric vehicle concept, Ford fusion hybrid, fuel economy, Hybrid Vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
7:31 AM
6 Comments:
FULL STORY
Fuel economy. In and of itself, fuel efficiency doesn't sound important. However, when you add foreign oil dependency into the equation, fuel economy becomes vital - perhaps the most vital issue facing America.
Currently, the biggest answer from Detroit to fuel economy is the Chevy Volt, followed by small cars and maybe the Ford Fusion hybrid. Yet, it will be many years before GM produces 100,000 Volts per year - a number that will have a minor effect on US foreign oil dependency. Likewise, if all Americans drove tiny Smart cars, America would still be terribly dependent upon foreign oil, so small cars are not enough.
Even new CAFE legislation won't come close to ending foreign oil dependency. Inevitably, America is pretending to address foreign oil dependency.
So, if we could put millions of small hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight - and whom ever else builds them - on the road per year with the help of tax incentives, why not do it? Why not send a message that fuel efficiency will be rewarded for many years? Ultimately, won't ending foreign oil dependency pay for itself?
Isn't making a serious dent in foreign oil dependency worth just as much money as saving jobs - jobs that have been built upon inefficiency?
Obviously, the answers to all of your questions are resoundingly yes.
Today's problem? $1.86 per gallon in Cincinnati, Ohio today. Hopefully, the prices will revert to the stratosphere once Election Day is over!
Very Nice post about fuel economy
I think prices are going to go even lower before they go higher. Ultimately, prices will go back up, but a recession could keep them down for quite a while.
Fortunately, I think automakers really believe that this time things are different and they are not willing to bet the farm again on gas-guzzlers. Still, will the push the envelope as much as possible if gas prices remain low?
Hybrids or rather gasoline hybrids are only a transition technology and does not alieviate our continued dependence on oil.
Electric vehicle technology would be the most viable so long as progress is continued (aggressively) towards sustainable generating sources.
That aside, the effort to switch to hybrid and plug-in hybrids is certainly a step in the right direction though I am highly critical of GM's so called strategy to hinge their future on the Volt hybrid with a ticket price of $40k!
Given the prospect between saving your mortgage or buying a new car the I suspect the choice is obvious that GM's marketing strategy is going to tank as usual. (boy what a bunch of imbeciles)
If they really are seriuous about saving their company then they really need to think about what the American customer wants and these days it's about AFFORDALE automobiles that are FUEL Efficient.
Simply put, if the typical European subcompact can average 70mpg (non-hybrid) while the comparable Detroit vehicle can rave about geting 40mpg then they might as well go the way of the dinosaur.
I say relax imports on these fuel efficient Renaults and Vauxhalls already and live in the real world.
those are good points, doughboy, but those vehicles you site are diesel vehicles, which costs quite a bit more in the US. add in the extra costs of clean diesel technology and the higher cost of diesel fuel and what is the gain for consumers?
if america moved to diesel, not only would US prices go up, so too would oil prices as refining oil primarily into diesel requires more oil than gasoline refinement, which inevitably leads to some diesel production as a byproduct.
so it might be too late for such vehicles in the US. It would have made sense a few decades ago, but today, i think we'd be better off converting to natural gas than diesel.
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