The End of the American Gas Guzzler?

[Azure]

Nuclear is still where it is at.

There are ways to make the power plants safe. In fact the new plants coming online in the next 5 years have those mechanisms in place.

No reason why 50% of the power generated in the US can't come from nuclear.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by Azure

No reason why 50% of the power generated in the US can't come from nuclear.

Fort Calhoun is at least one reason.

[Bill Bumface]

Yay. Another era of slow boring cars. Hello 80s part deux.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Yay. Another era of slow boring cars. Hello 80s part deux.

The efficiency has come a long way. They don't need to be slow. Shoot the new Mustang gets 31 MPG and has 305 hp I believe.

By the time this bill goes into effect there will be even more improvements.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by zamler

As for this new legislation, we've seen many times legislation overturned, scaled back, concessions made etc. Just hot air IMO.

Was going to mention this as well. It doesn't even have to be scaled back so much, companies will find ways around them. Like the way SUVs were classified different and didn't have to meet the same efficiency or safety standards for a long time. Perhaps still don't.

I hope the bill brings in change an innovation, but I would tend to agree with your statement. Course, we're seeing change and innovation now, mostly because consumers are demanding it. And that's probably the only way businesses will change.

[Azure]

We'll probably see more innovation because the consumers demand better gas mileage than we will because the government passed a bill.

[cal_guy]

Originally Posted by Gozer

Fort Calhoun is at least one reason.

So why haven't we abandoned hydroelectric energy?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banqiao_Dam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/###ont_Dam

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by Daradon

The efficiency has come a long way. They don't need to be slow. Shoot the new Mustang gets 31 MPG and has 305 hp I believe.

By the time this bill goes into effect there will be even more improvements.

In the city?

No way in hell will big trucks be getting 55 MPG in 15 years. They can dream all they want. And pathetic small engines won't work because they'll have to work harder to pull the 4 tonnes of truck.

My confidence in American innovation is rather low, they have never really shown anything that is spectacular in the past 40 years.

[THE SCUD]

Man, the number of broken sarcasm detectors in here is inversely proportionate to the sticks up asses here

[Clarkey]

I think there is evidence that as cars get more efficient it actually drives up usage and therefor fuel consumption, i.e. the guy who owns the prius is going to put on more miles than if he bought a mustang.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

In the city?

No way in hell will big trucks be getting 55 MPG in 15 years. They can dream all they want. And pathetic small engines won't work because they'll have to work harder to pull the 4 tonnes of truck.

My confidence in American innovation is rather low, they have never really shown anything that is spectacular in the past 40 years.

No, obviously not city MPG. And as for big trucks, rightly or wrongly, they will probably fall under another classification, like I mentioned with SUVs previously. Fleet vehicle work trucks will for sure, we'll have to see how strict they get with the bigger consumer trucks. I know some people actually use them for work, but there's a lot of people who just like to drive a big truck.

Also, this legislation is requiring the vehicle fleet average to be at 55, not every vehicle. Obviously some will be worse than others.

Lastly, it doesn't have to be American innovation, vehicle improvements and innovation are coming from all over the world nowadays. Heck, even India.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

I think there is evidence that as cars get more efficient it actually drives up usage and therefor fuel consumption, i.e. the guy who owns the prius is going to put on more miles than if he bought a mustang.

Let's see it.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by zamler

Let's see it.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit.../07/68494710/1

See, Prius owners are ######s

As for semis, they currently get around 4mpg with a full load. So 55mpg with them won't happen soon.

[BlackEleven]

Originally Posted by Shazam

As for semis, they currently get around 4mpg with a full load. So 55mpg with them won't happen soon.

Nor is it meant to. This legislation is only for cars and light trucks (ie consumer vechicles). Commercial vehilces don't have to meet the 55 mpg target.

Also, the 55 mpg is a fleet average. So not every vehicle has to do 55 mpg, there just have to be high-milelage vehicles available to compensate for the lower-mileage ones.

[Red Ice Player]

You have to figure that by 2025 electric cars will have a pretty good foothold in the market, especially for commuter vehicles. It will be interesting to see how these cars will be factored into the average mpg for passenger vehicles.

[Shazam]

Electric engines are about 99mpg equivalent, last time I looked for the Volt.

Overall (everything, not just cars) CO2 emissions have to go down over 90% for there to be any real impact to, um, that thing that people argue about.

[Husky]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Nobody says all you engineers have to only work with oil and gas. Why can't Alberta also become the Silicone Valley of clean energy too?

Kind of pointless. Why put money into clean energy that would take away from your largest economy and biggest cash cow for your economy.

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by Red Ice Player

You have to figure that by 2025 electric cars will have a pretty good foothold in the market, especially for commuter vehicles. It will be interesting to see how these cars will be factored into the average mpg for passenger vehicles.

I don't see that happening. I know these targets are 15 years away, but who owns electric now? and how useless are most of them. The real future are vehicles like the Clarity, not the revolting Volt.

[Red Ice Player]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

I don't see that happening. I know these targets are 15 years away, but who owns electric now? and how useless are most of them. The real future are vehicles like the Clarity, not the revolting Volt.

The Volt and the Leaf have been available for less than a year, so of course nobody drives them yet. Also, the Volt is a plug in hybrid, not a pure electric. I believe that hydrogen has a future in passenger cars, but will require a much greater build up of infrastructure to make them practical. Electrics will have much more market penetration in the meantime, since we already have an electrical grid.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Shazam

http://content.usatoday.com/communit.../07/68494710/1

See, Prius owners are ######s

From your link:

“The additional miles driven by hybrid vehicle owners would seem to offset the net ecological benefit of owning a fuel-efficient vehicle,"

Bullsh**. The average vehicle gets less than 25mpg, the Prius gets 50mpg. No arguing that people will tend to drive more if their car uses less gas, but it's not by a massive amount.