New standards would see average fuel economy of 54 mpg by 2025

[Schtauffer]

The envelope was pushed by the emissions legislation through the 80's and 90's, and now we have all sorts of amazing technology that has trickled down to the average hot rodder. By searching for ways to make cars more fuel efficient, what technologies will be developed which shall make going fast easier, cheaper, and all-around better? Certainly DI, how about solenoid valves?

Who wouldn't love a light truck that got 54 mpg? I would!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43936296/ns/business-autos/

[SuperBuickGuy]

the devil's in the details - if they find by 2020 that it's not possible or too expensive the rules go away.... anyone want to bet what they're going to say in 2020?

[Barry Donovan]

keeping the light on saves power. keep the damn swiches for car really off and really on..

injection can go to hell on this very subject in other words..

whistle me bleed valves I am at 50s mpg right now...
I could stand up right now with the worlds biggest middle finger raised in the name of whatever gods you people fear.

with a carburator.

[BigBlockMopar]

... cheaper,

Forget it.
Even with 3.5 times the fueleconomy you have now, by 2010, fuelcosts will be so high anything getting under 35mpg will be simply unaffordable.

[1970camaroRS]

I wish automakers good luck with that. Unless they are able to produce a vehicle that is 50% of the weight of todays cars and is safe enough to survive a major crash, not gonna happen. A 1,500lb, gas or diesel/electric could reach those standards without issue. But no one would buy it and laws would have to change because it's not safe. Plug-ins should go away as they aren't practical and don't actually get the mileage they claim since most people only count the on-board gas used and an assumed formula to compute electricity generation as a mark of gasoline usage.

[squirrel]

Who wouldn't love a light truck that got 54 mpg? I would!

oh yeah!



My guess is that this will result in what we now call a "half ton" truck being renamed a "heavy truck".

The funniest thing about all of this is that we already have the technology to make 50 mpg cars, but for some reason the Geo Metro didn't catch on with very many people.

[BigBlockMopar]

That's because the world hasn't been wimpified enough yet.
Drive up fuelcosts high enough and even the most hardcore heavy metal ballstothewalls 400+ ci V8 driver will break down and look for excuses to drive a lesser expensive heap everyday.

Heck, even I have found myself a smallblock Mopar recently to drive around in... What IS the world coming to?!?!?

[Thumpin455]

Some fuel costs are going up, others are staying pretty close to the same or getting cheaper. One of my goals is getting over 50mpg with home brew, though I have a different method than the OEM do.

I am curious what cars will look like.

Saw a video the other day of Bill Maher talking with George Carlin and some other people, and mileage came up. The one guy said Americans dont want a car that gets over 40mpg, they want to drive something that gets 15mpg. I was wondering what planet he lives on, since most people like to drive as cheap as possible. If we could get half ton trucks to get 50mpg, people would buy them. If we had cars that got that but werent a heap of shit or outrageously expensive, they would sell too. They havent figured out that they can build a car that isnt a crapbox but doesnt cost $40k and gets good mileage. They either go full POS and ultra cheap or they go for leather this, power that, and 4000+ lb curb weight. They have forgotten the Roadrunner, The Formula, and the original intent of the Judge, and instead have gone with Eldorado/GTX vs Chevette/Pinto thinking for everyone.

[squirrel]

I know what you mean...but there's a reason for it. If you can afford a nice car, then fuel costs really are not very important to you. If the price of fuel goes up a lot (think $10/gal) then it will become more important.

Right now, getting 25 mpg is affordable for anyone who's also paying $1000 a month for their car payments, ins, etc.

[Thumpin455]

Sure, how many people are paying that much? The median income is $50k, so half of the population is below that, and $1000 a month for a car payment/ins means gas mileage is very important, even at $4 like it is here. Those people would buy a decent car that gets good mileage unless they are completely financially inept. I get less than $50k a year, and a $400 car payment then driving it every day at 25mpg would wipe me out. I am lucky that I dont have to go anywhere most of the week. Its more prevalent where I live to have people far under the median income, so it makes me more aware of it.

[squirrel]

But you're not buying new cars, are you?

New cars cost a lot, and the folks who can afford nice ones can also afford the fuel for them.

[dieselgeek]

keeping the light on saves power. keep the damn swiches for car really off and really on..

injection can go to hell on this very subject in other words..

whistle me bleed valves I am at 50s mpg right now...
I could stand up right now with the worlds biggest middle finger raised in the name of whatever gods you people fear.

with a carburator.

nobody knows what you're saying, but we get that you don't like EFI. No offense but, get out of the 70s. Carburetors suck a mountain of ass.

[squirrel]

yeah, the only "car" I ever drove that got 500 mpg had a carburetor on it.

They've been obsolete for about 20 years, as far as new cars are concerned.

It'll be interesting to see how the average "mpg" works out when they get more electric vehicles on the road. That's probably the only way they'll be able to do it.

[Scott Liggett]

That 54 mpg is a total misnomer. In the end, the car companies who build a lot of pickups have a different standard. Then there is a negotiation going on to what they really have to get mpg wise. In the end, they will not be averaging anywhere near 54 mpg by then.

[SpiderGearsMan]

carbs are better than nippondenso pencil injectors