Why do we keep talking about highway fuel economy?
Talk to transportation
academics or government officials and the future of
automobile transportation can be summed up in one
word, congestion. Already the daily commute of a
significant percentage of Americans is filled with
stop-and-go and slow-and-go traffic - the worst
driving conditions for both fuel economy and
pollution. Even worse, not only are these conditions
supposed to get worse for these Americans, the
majority of Americans will soon also be facing these
conditions.
Yet, whenever most automakers speak of fuel economy, it's always highway fuel economy.
If about half of America is already spending a significant percent of their driving time in congestion, with this percent expected to grow significantly in just the next decade, why do we continue to use highway fuel economy as the standard?
The truth is that most automakers are far less fuel efficient than they claim to be in real world driving, and the real world driving that causes the worst fuel economy and pollution is quickly becoming the norm and getting worse by the day.
Isn't it time to deal with reality, instead of living in the past?
Yet, whenever most automakers speak of fuel economy, it's always highway fuel economy.
If about half of America is already spending a significant percent of their driving time in congestion, with this percent expected to grow significantly in just the next decade, why do we continue to use highway fuel economy as the standard?
The truth is that most automakers are far less fuel efficient than they claim to be in real world driving, and the real world driving that causes the worst fuel economy and pollution is quickly becoming the norm and getting worse by the day.
Isn't it time to deal with reality, instead of living in the past?
