- Joined
- Jun 19, 2002
- Location
- Walnut Creek
- Moto(s)
- Monica Sweetheart!!!!
- Name
- Berto
- BARF perks
- Barf Racer
Driving down the LE to pick up my forks the other day, I was caught in traffic while trying to keep my MPG to above 30 by drafting, and using throttle inputs as light as possible. What became obvious to me was the incompetency, which I've known for some time, of CARB and the EPA relative to a national mandate on increasing CAFE standards, while at the same time, putting more autos on the road.
The tests for city and highway MPG standardization tests are done without traffic in two totally different ways. The short of it, they do not reflect real world averages for autos.
Hybrid power is a good alternative, but at best, most hybrids in use are returning around 35 MPG (owner's reports). TDI powered autos are much higher, in the 45 MPG range. But yet we hear nothing of the Diesel engine...an absolutely awesome alternative.
My problems with the CAFE standard and CARB are that neither allow credits for inventive tech, such as Volvo's smog eating radiator and GM's potential "platooning" idea of the early 90's. Everything is about the efficiency of the internal combustion engine and NOT about the efficiency of travel, which really is what dictates real world MPG.
Our crowded freeways are the NUMBER 1 REASON FOR POLLUTION!!!!! DUH! Yet CARB and the EPA have done nothing to alleviate this...instead requiring that manufacturers make autos with better MPG to sit in traffic for hours on end. ALL autos will return roughly the same MPG at a rolling pace and stop/ go traffic.
The solution, IMO is:
Allevialte congestion
Grant credits for inventive tech
release auto makers from the obligation to keep increasing the CAFE standard and instead concentrate on increasing real world averages (this would require a liaison between government traffic officials and auto companies).
allocate portions of vehicle registration revenue for public transportation\
Start a "New/ New deal" and build more interstates, freeways, and roads, throughout the country. Use Army Core of Engineers for as much labor as possible, and prisoners for the remainder.
Anyone else have ideas? This is an absolute disaster...as we sell more autos, we create more pollution due to the TRAFFIC! Not due to SUV'S!!! We need to solve the TRAFFIC issue first and foremost...time to get those worthless prisoners working for our betterment (and giving them a skill when the leave prison.)
The tests for city and highway MPG standardization tests are done without traffic in two totally different ways. The short of it, they do not reflect real world averages for autos.
Hybrid power is a good alternative, but at best, most hybrids in use are returning around 35 MPG (owner's reports). TDI powered autos are much higher, in the 45 MPG range. But yet we hear nothing of the Diesel engine...an absolutely awesome alternative.
My problems with the CAFE standard and CARB are that neither allow credits for inventive tech, such as Volvo's smog eating radiator and GM's potential "platooning" idea of the early 90's. Everything is about the efficiency of the internal combustion engine and NOT about the efficiency of travel, which really is what dictates real world MPG.
Our crowded freeways are the NUMBER 1 REASON FOR POLLUTION!!!!! DUH! Yet CARB and the EPA have done nothing to alleviate this...instead requiring that manufacturers make autos with better MPG to sit in traffic for hours on end. ALL autos will return roughly the same MPG at a rolling pace and stop/ go traffic.
The solution, IMO is:
Allevialte congestion
Grant credits for inventive tech
release auto makers from the obligation to keep increasing the CAFE standard and instead concentrate on increasing real world averages (this would require a liaison between government traffic officials and auto companies).
allocate portions of vehicle registration revenue for public transportation\
Start a "New/ New deal" and build more interstates, freeways, and roads, throughout the country. Use Army Core of Engineers for as much labor as possible, and prisoners for the remainder.
Anyone else have ideas? This is an absolute disaster...as we sell more autos, we create more pollution due to the TRAFFIC! Not due to SUV'S!!! We need to solve the TRAFFIC issue first and foremost...time to get those worthless prisoners working for our betterment (and giving them a skill when the leave prison.)
Great post...
