The Question For Our Times | Green Energy News

October 27, 2002 – Vol.7 No.31

THE QUESTION FOR OUR TIMES.

Like the unanswerable question, What is The Meaning of Life, what will it take to get Americans to demand more fuel efficient cars and trucks? Economically devastating high fuel prices over an extended period? An environmental catastrophe of epic proportions? Plane-loads of full body bags homebound from a war for oil? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. But so far, the marketing wizards at Big Auto have convinced drivers that their choice of car or truck, regardless of the detrimental effects of the fuel it consumes, is The Meaning of Life.

Once again the average fuel economy of new cars and passenger trucks (including pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles) bound for U.S. show room floors has declined. Fifteen years ago at its peak the average was 22.1 miles per gallon. It’s now down to 20.8, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, even lower than last year’s 21 miles per gallon.

On the EPA’s newly released list of 2003 vehicle fuel economy, the hybrids from Honda and Toyota, as expected, are at the top with the highest miles per gallon. Closely behind are the diesel models from Volkswagen, and Toyota’s fuel-stingy-but-conventional Echo. Diesels, including the VW’s by the way, can offer true energy independence - personal and national - when running on biodiesel. (If there’s no pump nearby it can be shipped by the barrel to your garage door.)

As a sign of change, the EPA lists for the first time a fuel cell vehicle, Honda’s FCX. Hardly for the mass market however, only a handful will be offered for lease to a few qualified customers. Visit the EPA fuel economy website at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ .