How about 80 miles per galllon for your car -? Where are the Smart Cars in the US ( 85 mpg )?
Why Not --- No car with an address in any city in Canada or the US should have a motor in there car that is over 100 horse power unless they have a special permit. Too many people are driving there Hummer to the mall with only one person driving and watching an IN DASH DVD player going there while talking on the phone. Green house gasses could be cut in half if this could be done in all of North America. Look what happened after the gas line ups in the 1970s. What do you think? - This is what is going to happen and this is the future so we might as well start talking about it right now. It will be in very short order, a world project!! Be the frist on your block to do so
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The Smart Car is coming, it's just not here yet.
www.smart.com
We have to get away from the internal combustion engine eventually. The best (race cars and power plants) are only 40% efficient, meaning that 60%+ of the energy in the fuel does not do useful work.
We have to get away from using fossil fuels, because we will run out eventually.
They're never going to develop these cars while big oil business is so involved in government and influencing the direction of this country. Did you ever see that Chris Rock comedy special where he talks about how we fly people to the moon, but we can't make a car that doesn't break down? Or his argument about AIDS not being cured because the $$ is in the medicine?
I have no doubt they could make a car that gets 80 mpg (that Geo example is a perfect example), but they're never going to let a car like that get on the market. 1 - sales for all other cars would nose dive. 2 - It would seriously cut down on oil profits, and the oil companies will not let that happen any time soon.
I totally agree that something needs to change though. I think with the direction we are heading in right now, in combination with the number of gas guzzlers out there, we could easily have a repeat of the 70's. It's practically inevitable.
I like your idea of requiring permits for higher gas consuming vehicles, although there would have to be some kind of major event to make Americans give up their gas guzzlers for the good of everyone. Our society is just so self-absorbed these days that there would be a huge outcry if people could no longer drive their Hummers. Sometimes it just feels so helpless out there. *Sigh* I'll keep on hopin' though!
Where is this technology? How do I modify my current vehicle for this kind of mpg?
Geo Metros were capable of 60mpg until they were bought out by Chevrolet. Now I think they average high 30s low 40s.