Why havent the automotive companies improve the gas milage for SUVs and trucks?

 

The laws of physics.

Waxy

 

I think it's because:
- SUV's (Soccermom Utility Vehicle "stationwagon of the new millenium") are still in fashion
- they (OEM's) know most of Americans don't care about the middle east (with the possible exception of you know what country)
- for all intents and purposes most of America doesn't really believe we will one day run out of recoverable crude oil
- What's our governments impetus to find a replacement energy source when there's still money to be made on oil?
- and lastly I honestly believe that even if gas was 50 bucks a gallon people would still buy it and that they would even still drive vehicles that got 10 MPG.

sad

 

I own a 1990 areostar and a 1999 ford ranger. Both 4 liter both get 18-20 MPG. In 9 years Ford has not improved the MPG.
Where is the cooperate responsibility toward the planet?

 

I have one that gets 5mpg and requires 100-octane at $3.95/gallon. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to pay $50/gallon, but $4 for 100-octane seems cheap when I compare our cost of standard gasoline to that in other countries.

CAFE, corporate average fuel mileage, has been shoved down the throats of manufacturers for years. They manufacture small cars with somewhat decent mileage to partially offset low MPG of the fleet in general and classify the big SUVs as trucks, where they're not subject to CAFE. With an oilman in office, CAFE doesn't have many teeth.

 

Where is your responisibility toward the planet? You chose to buy a vehicle that has low gas mileage. There are plenty of vehicles out there that get good mileage.

Corporations will develop vehicles that people will buy. At this time most people are more concerned about safety than fuel mileage. There is also more profit margin in gas vehicles, since that technology is already developed. When someone figures out a way to get power and range out of alternative fuels that the average Joe on the street can afford, the industry will change very quickly. (And the person that develops this will be extremely rich.)

 

Don't those just suck.


1st off.....theres only so much engergy in an atom of gas. As much as we like it you can't change that.

2nd...Internal combustion engines only are so efficent. If you can find a way to salvage the heat of combustion and turn it into useful energy, by all means give me a call and lets talk.

3rd...gas milage may not have improved much, but power has. If you still are happy with 185 hp and 200 ft-lbs of torque i can probably find you a motor for a truck that will get 30 mpg

 

AH ha, Waxy I got you. Its the laws of Thermodynamics.

No reaction is 100% efficient, the Internal Combustion Engine, is approximately 19-23 % efficient,
The Krebs Cycle and other ATP generation methods used by our cells for all life purposes is only 38 % efficient. The rest is lost as heat.

 

Actually engines could be much more efficent if the government would just let the manufacturers build them. In 1978 my dad's "New" F250 2WD with a 351M and a three speed C6 tranny got about 18 miles per gallon, I know most guys driving half ton would kill for that kind of mileage, let alone a 3/4 ton owner. A well tuned engine that is designed correctly would easily excede the 70s technology and acheive better mileage. But the auto makers must ADD all the "smog reducing devices" that actually lower engine effeincy and in the end reduce fuel economy.

The other thing that would drasticly increase fuel mileage is HIGHER GAS PRICES! If all gas was priced at $2.00 to $3.00 a gallon it would still be cheaper then fuel at .60 a gallon in 1976 when adjusted for inflation. Right now Ford, Chevy and Dodge (toyota, honda & dautson too) don't worry about producing guzzlers because consumers are more willing to pay for fuel then increased sticker prices to cover the tech investment for fuel efficient cars & trucks. Or buy cars and trucks more fitting to their needs then a big status symbol with a SIX YEAR PAYMENT SCHEDULE, (my dads first HOUSE only had a ten year note!).

 

Common sense has no place in Detroit marketing techniques.

 

Let me see if i've got this right? We should remove smog reducing equipment to increase gas mileage. So in effect, we should destroy our air so filling up will be a little cheaper? Also, i don't know that my egr decreaces my milage that much to make a difference. And your dads 351m....i'm guessing that was a fluke cause correct me if i'm wrong guys, but most 351m's aren't getting that kinda mileage.

 

Small cars kill people.

 

Okay, who left the gate open on the Pig Pen?

 

I still say the car companies could and should do a beter job of improving MPG. If engines are 19-23% effic. There is a lot of room for improvement.

 

you have to realize though, our bodies have had billions of years to become more efficent, and we're only beating cars by 15 percent or so. Efficiency is hard to come by in physics...its not as easy as it sounds.