[evilgenius]

I was just wondering what the impact would be on our issues of cars that got 100 mpg? 150? 200? Aside from the probability that it won't happen and including the difficulties of replacing the entire existing fleet, what would the world really gain? Would we give ourselves a little more time to ramp up renewables or would we cover India and China with billions of high mileage cars? Would we use such a discovery wisely or would we squander it?

[davep]

We're not really that far off now, to be honest. I'm going to pick up a Citroen C3 later (1.4 litre diesel), it does 75mpg. OK, it's a bit girlie and accelerates like a tortoise, but I'll be saving 9000 Euros per annum compared to doing my long weekly trip to work in my manly Subaru Impreza. For that price I'm prepared to look a little camp

[SteinarN]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('davep', 'W')e're not really that far off now, to be honest. I'm going to pick up a Citroen C3 later (1.4 litre diesel), it does 75mpg.

[lawnchair]

One side-effect of sharply increased fuel economy will be in the funding of roads. Streets and roadways are just hideously expensive to expand and maintain. Although there are more miles than ever, the net condition of US roads has gotten worse and worse since the early 1970s. Even light vehicles need more lane-miles, and even without heavy loads, roads crumble with weathering.

We pay for our streets and roads with a combination of fuel taxes and general tax (and debt). The fuel tax makes sense... tied to the miles you drive.

To properly maintain our road system, fuel taxes need to be 3 or so times the roughly 50c/gallon (depends on the state) they are now. Triple the fleet fuel efficiency, and triple that price again (per gallon).

[SteinarN]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lawnchair', 'O')ne side-effect of sharply increased fuel economy will be in the funding of roads. Streets and roadways are just hideously expensive to expand and maintain. Although there are more miles than ever, the net condition of US roads has gotten worse and worse since the early 1970s. Even light vehicles need more lane-miles, and even without heavy loads, roads crumble with weathering.

We pay for our streets and roads with a combination of fuel taxes and general tax (and debt). The fuel tax makes sense... tied to the miles you drive.

To properly maintain our road system, fuel taxes need to be 3 or so times the roughly 50c/gallon (depends on the state) they are now. Triple the fleet fuel efficiency, and triple that price again (per gallon).

[Chesire]

All your conservation efforts in the West. Will be greatly appreciated by Hop Sing and Habib who will use the energy to power their unsafe at any speed mobiles to the factories where you're jobs were outsourced too

[SteinarN]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Chesire', 'A')ll your conservation efforts in the West. Will be greatly appreciated by Hop Sing and Habib who will use the energy to power their unsafe at any speed mobiles to the factories where you're jobs were outsourced too

[Chesire]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SteinarN', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Chesire', 'A')ll your conservation efforts in the West. Will be greatly appreciated by Hop Sing and Habib who will use the energy to power their unsafe at any speed mobiles to the factories where you're jobs were outsourced too

[davep]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Chesire', 'A')ll your conservation efforts in the West. Will be greatly appreciated by Hop Sing and Habib who will use the energy to power their unsafe at any speed mobiles to the factories where you're jobs were outsourced too

[Chesire]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('davep', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Chesire', 'A')ll your conservation efforts in the West. Will be greatly appreciated by Hop Sing and Habib who will use the energy to power their unsafe at any speed mobiles to the factories where you're jobs were outsourced too

[Revi]

We are working on a car that gets infinity miles per gallon. It is a small NEV that will charge itself in the sun and can be recharged at 10 cents per day. I think we'll be able to be mobile for the forseeeable future. We're building the pickup version right now. Art just sent a kit to London, England and there's one going to Texas. To hell with the oil companies. We'll get around town with this:

www.sunnev.com

[joeltrout]

I saw my first smart car in Hermosa Beach this weekend. Eventually it will become popular in big cities like the Prius but I would hate to see it hit an SUV head-on going 60mph.

joeltrout

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('joeltrout', 'I') saw my first smart car in Hermosa Beach this weekend. Eventually it will become popular in big cities like the Prius but I would hate to see it hit an SUV head-on going 60mph.

joeltrout

[strider3700]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('joeltrout', 'I') saw my first smart car in Hermosa Beach this weekend. Eventually it will become popular in big cities like the Prius but I would hate to see it hit an SUV head-on going 60mph.

joeltrout

[jasonraymondson]

1) The average american will not fit in one of those tiny ass cars.
2) What difference does it make to the overall environment, if only a handful of yuppy ass hippies drive these things.
3) After seeing that fucker crash, I am going to get a humvee and intentionally run into those little fuckers.

[I_Like_Plants]

You're joining the Army right? They'll give you a HumVee.

Or a deuce-ana-half.

You're going over there to run over Habib for us. And keep america FREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

[Revi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jasonraymondson', '1')) The average american will not fit in one of those tiny ass cars.
2) What difference does it make to the overall environment, if only a handful of yuppy ass hippies drive these things.
3) After seeing that fucker crash, I am going to get a humvee and intentionally run into those little fuckers.

[evilgenius]

I was thinking about the smart car when I made the original post and about an even tinier car I saw in Calais, France just the other day out in front of a scooter dealer. Those conventional cars reach into the 70's or maybe the 80's for mpg. They aren't hybridized either so give them that and maybe we can pierce 100.

I think there are engine technologies that can go way beyond the current level of efficiency as well. Ramp those up and perhaps we can go over 150 with hybridization, maybe approach 200 with carbon fiber everything when it comes to the car itself.

To date, the problem is, all advances in efficiency have just gone into allowing us to indulge ourselves and drive rigs so big that we have changed our perception of what a car ought to look like. We want bigger cars so bad that I am afraid that when we could go 200 mpg in a very small rig we will choose to go 45 mpg in a huge one instead and lie to ourselves about the level of efficiency we have reached.

By the way, I think arguments about the safety issues are ridiculous. The act of driving anything carries so much risk that I don't see the minute difference between a small properly built car and the big killers on the road today as being relevant. Nothing is as safe as public transport but nobody mentions that when these things get discussed.