Live data from Hacker News

The road ahead: How we’ll get to 54.5 mpg by 2025

arstechnica.com

1–10 of 16 posts

Re: The road ahead: How we’ll get to 54.5 mpg by 2025

#2
I like how the first picture is of a Ferrari engine. I don't think high fuel mileage is Ferrari's main selling point, is it? :)

The article (which I mostly just skimmed) seem to center on technological solutions. But since CAFE is a fleet average, I wonder if makers won't just throw an EV or two in their lineup. With an EPA rating of 99mpg or more for EVs, that ought to bring the average right up. I guess that means people still have to buy them, though.

Re: The road ahead: How we’ll get to 54.5 mpg by 2025

#4
There are already many vehicles that will do far over 55mpg on a "fossil fuel" powered engine. Unfortunately, higher mpg = higher carbon emissions. As long as the Govt and Oil industries control environmental regulations, they can easily control maximum mpg by regulating how much emission can come from the engine (and thus, how efficiently the engine can burn gas).

Simple logic, theyre just hoping everybody keeps buying the environmentalism sales tactic so they can continue to force us to buy electric cars or low mpg cars. You are either buying their lithium, or overpaying for their gas...

Re: The road ahead: How we’ll get to 54.5 mpg by 2025

#5
post #2

I like how the first picture is of a Ferrari engine. I don't think high fuel mileage is Ferrari's main selling point, is it? :) The article (which I mostly just skimmed) seem to center on technological solutions. But since CAFE is a fleet average, I wonder if makers won't just throw an EV or two in their lineup. With an EPA rating of 99mpg or more for EVs, that ought to bring the average right up. I guess that means…

They're working on a hybrid.

Re: The road ahead: How we’ll get to 54.5 mpg by 2025

#6
post #3

We are facing 2 problems: 1.) To much fossil energy consumption 2.) disease and overweight because of lack of exercise well, there is a very old and simple invention solving both problems: >>> the bicycle <<<

Europe has been moving in that direction, with an increase in biking, and improvements in biking infrastructure even in countries that weren't traditionally very bike-friendly (like Spain). But it's hard to replicate that in the U.S. because the cities are so much less compact. You would need more than just improvement in roads, but shorter distances, and better transit for the places where you do have longer distances. In the suburb I grew up in, my dad drove 50 miles roundtrip to get to work, the nearest grocery store was 3 miles away, the nearest restaurants/bars were 5 miles away, and there was no transit system at all. So biking tended not to be too popular, except among kids going to friends' houses within the same neighborhood.

Re: The road ahead: How we’ll get to 54.5 mpg by 2025

#7

There are already many vehicles that will do far over 55mpg on a "fossil fuel" powered engine. Unfortunately, higher mpg = higher carbon emissions. As long as the Govt and Oil industries control environmental regulations, they can easily control maximum mpg by regulating how much emission can come from the engine (and thus, how efficiently the engine can burn gas). Simple logic, theyre just hoping everybody keeps buy…

I'm finding it a bit hard to make sense of your comment.

I don't know of that "many vehicles that will do far over 55mpg on a fossil fuel powered engine."

And how is "higher mpg = higher carbon emissions"? Higher mpg means less gas per mile, leading to less emissions per mile. As for the claim that government "can easily control maximum mpg", really?

So either I'm not seeing it properly, or the comment is anything but "simple logic".

Re: The road ahead: How we’ll get to 54.5 mpg by 2025

#9
I had a 55mpg Geo Metro back in '92, 20 years later we have a Prius C with about the same mileage (although the Prius is much better around town.)

But we also have a station wagon and an old pickup. I think one thing that makes it hard for the average US car owner to go for very efficient vehicles is that at least some trips will require more passenger and/or cargo space. Given that gas is still relatively cheap there's not enough incentive to buy an efficient car if it's the only car you buy.

Seems like it would be pretty easy these days to insure/register/tax a fleet of cars for a household and encourage the cheapest alternative. Soccer mom could still use the minivan a couple times a week but use the Prius for shopping trips. You could meter each car and then pay a usage-based fee at the end of the month.

Re: The road ahead: How we’ll get to 54.5 mpg by 2025

#10
post #2

I like how the first picture is of a Ferrari engine. I don't think high fuel mileage is Ferrari's main selling point, is it? :) The article (which I mostly just skimmed) seem to center on technological solutions. But since CAFE is a fleet average, I wonder if makers won't just throw an EV or two in their lineup. With an EPA rating of 99mpg or more for EVs, that ought to bring the average right up. I guess that means…

I believe it was in the article as an example of an engine using Direct Fuel Injection which the article examines as one possible way to improve fuel efficiency.
Post reply on HN