Environmental Automotive

The environment and gas prices seem to be a hot topic at the moment, all around the world.  Here in the US fuel has quadrupled in price in the last 10 years, but the style of cars hasn’t changed that much.

There appear to be two different, almost fascist views about this energy.  There are the people who have decided that gas guzzling trucks are evil, all people should buy 800cc toy cars.  They undoubtedly use less fuel, but, that is only “per person”, not per application.

The opposite argument is “I like my big truck, screw the environment, I need it”, which is also true.  Trying to move around building supplies or furniture in a little car is just impractical so having that truck is a must.

What I find odd is the way neither of these crowds seem to see the rational down the middle approach.  I own a truck, it does about 17mpg on a good day, but at least once a week I have to haul something that I couldn’t do with a car.

My wife on the other hand drives a station wagon (estate car), it does 30+mpg and is perfect for driving around in.  I would like a 3rd car so I don’t have to drive around the truck all the time, but there is a lot of $4 gallons of fuel that I can get for the extra car payment.

It does seem a ludicrous that people in cities have pickup trucks, and people on farms expected to use Honda civics.  There is an application for all vehicles out there.

One of my big complaints though is the lack of evolution to environmentally more viable solutions.  I need my truck, and the truck needs to pull 8000lbs for the caravan, currently that requires a 5.3 litre engine.  Where is the hybrid for the truck so I can do the same activity with a 3 litre engine.  Flex fuel is an option but you sacrifice power because of the low octane.

Since people love there cars so much I think they should mandate a maximum size and efficiency for vehicles in cities, but outside the congestion shouldn’t matter.

And before anyone comments that that penalizes families, it might for a few who could get exceptions.  MOST families are 2 adults, 2 kids, maybe 3 kids and they can fit in a regular sedan.  A minivan is NOT needed for most of them, it is a convenience that people expect now.  For the families that have more kids than that should get an exception.

As for kids in cars, don’t get me started about how the kids don’t need a DVD screen each for entertainment, just because the parents don’t want to entertain the kids they waste 1 or 2 mpg in electrical gadgets!