Car Mpg Standards In The United States

For many years, the only way to fuel a car has been through gasoline. Many people believe that it the best form of operation, but recently alternatives to gas have surfaced. Today we opt to purchase hybrid, solar, and electric cars instead of gas fueled. The problem lies in the difference of efficiency of gas fueled cars versus alternative fuel options. Do we need gas fueled cars? Is it worth the extra money for an electric or hybrid car? Do gas fueled cars really affect the environment? Will getting rid of gas fueled cars cause a loss of jobs ? People need to understand that the continuation of gas fueled cars are detrimental to the environment. The replacement of gas fueled vehicles is best for the natural world.

As western society has been aggressively expanding, the consumption of materials has followed suit. This leads to a negative effect on the environment. To curb the decay of the planet, it is important for humans to have a handle on how much we consume. One consequence of consumption is the emissions produced by our vehicles. It is crucial to develop a government policy that most effectively controls and reduces the amount of these emissions we give off. While the government has introduced many subsidization policies, the most efficient policy the government could enact is to raise the taxes on gas.

Pursuant to energy efficiency policies, controversy swirls as climate changes are experienced in the U.S. and around the globe. When energy efficiency steps are put into place, economic outlooks turn positive. Obama’s policymaking in this arena makes “critical investments in advanced vehicle and fuel technologies, public transit, and high speed rail” (United Press International). With new fuel efficiency standards that will improve fuel economy by 2025, and other initiatives that he enacted, “12 billion barrels of oil will be saved and American consumers will save $1.7 trillion at the pump, and greenhouse gas emission standards for commercial trucks, vans, and buses for are projected to save over 500 million barrels of oil and save vehicle owners and operators an estimated $50 billion in fuel costs” (United Press

Cars and truck account for 20% of all U.S. global warming emissions, where more than 24 pounds per gallon of carbon dioxide and other global warming gases come right out of the car’s tailpipe (“Union of Concerned scientists”). This frightening statistic is part of the reason why the federal government has put in place many policies and incentives such as the Clean Air Act, The National Program for greenhouse gas emissions, Catalytic Converter Federal Laws, and incentives of $12,000 in California to get people to upgrade to more fuel-efficient cars. With such programs and incentives put in places, it is also important that car companies such as Toyota and Ford also take action to further cut pollution rates. They have done so by

Why is it important to have a vehicle with good gas mileage? Miles Per Gallon (MPG) is the environmental issues. Driving any vehicle pollutes air, however, automobile will decrease the pollution in the air by improving the fuel efficiency. Consider buying cars that are fuel-efficient, it will reduce the destruction of our environment that is being done. Gasoline or diesel burns fossil fuels and it causes few environmental problems, such as smog which is the air pollution, and global climate change. Also, in another complication, spills from refining and transporting oil and petroleum products damage ecosystems and pollute groundwater and streams. Throughout the essay, it will be analyzed the effects, determining and explaining the different political cultures that would consider a personal viewpoint in the traditionalist, individualist, or

Because CAFE did not change the fuel efficiency standard until years later, by the early 1980’s most automakers had met the fuel efficiency that was required for their automobiles, so they started to pay more attention to the size and power of their vehicles. Instead of building cars with better gas mileage each year, they built their cars bigger and with more power, while keeping the fuel efficiency just high enough so that it met CAFE standards. Accordingly, the gas mileage of vehicles has not increased significantly since the 1980’s (Bezdek 133).

Back in 1983, the economy saved 2.5 billon gallons of gasoline and diesel (Alter).As the gas prices hovering at three dollars a gallon,a lot of people say they’re making big sacrifices so they can afford to fill their gas tanks. They’re cutting back on travel, curtailing shopping expeditions and going out less often(www.sfgate.com). Also, when the 55 mph speed limit is restored gas prices will decrease. For example, the 55 mph speed limit reduced gasoline consumption by about 167,000 barrels a day (Selingo). Furthermore, when having a gasoline shortage it decreases our dependence on foreign oil. In 1974, to an oil shortage caused by the Arab oil embargo, congress set the national speed limit at 55 mph. Warner provided statistics that showed while fuel consumption was lowered, lives were saved. At lower speeds, the Energy Department, expects cars to operate at optimum efficiency. Moreover, drivers could see fuel levels upheld and prices at the pump reduced (Editorial Board).Also, Lower speed limits takes more travel time which cost money. If your car car gets 30 MPG at 55MPH and 25 MPG at 65MPH then you’d save about 3.33 gallons of gasoline. The CNN article cited study said 55 MPH would save 2% in national gas usage( www.freeby50.com). By just slowing down from 65 MPH to 55 MPH can increase your miles per gallon by much as 15 percent. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 miles is like paying an additional $0.21 per gallon for gas( www.consumer energy

Even if a vehicle can realistically maintain the doubled MPG standard, it is touted to save 2 million oil barrels per day or 84 million gallons per day. However, this only accounts for only a conservative 25% of the total 8.774 million barrels or 368 million gallons of gasoline consumed per day (USDOE). At the heart of this law is the cutting of 6 billion metric tons of harmful greenhouse gases over the lifetime of the program. Some may state that any decrease in greenhouse gases is a step forward. Either way, the typical passenger vehicle emits 4.7 million metric tons of harmful greenhouse gases per year (Greenhouse gas emissions). Considering the overall benefit of cutting out 6 billion metric tons, it is equivalent to taking 1,276 passenger vehicles off of the road. According to the USDOT, there were 253,639,386 registered vehicles on the road in 2012, which would reduce the amount of vehicles on the road by .0004% by the end of this

Similarly government regulations in the United States and Europe are tightening up, consequently requiring cars to be cleaner and more fuel efficient. As a result, the collaboration with BMW is paramount to getting the most fuel efficient vehicles to the market in a timely manner so that GM can harvest a substantial profit. (3) In addition General Motors is working on the next generation of fuel efficient and gasoline free vehicles to help reduce the impact of the vehicle on the environment, while preserving personal mobility, which further indicates its commitment to innovation. (6)

(2012, November 10). This would help to improve the miles per gallon and hopefully decrease the amount of fill ups per week. In the 1970 the automotive industry was booming and with what seemed like an endless supply of affordable gas automotive companies were not concerned with the mpg of the care. Their primary concern was how big and how power can they possibly produce. After the embargo the automotive industry struggled as more people started to look for fuel efficient cars. This created an opportunity for Japanese manufacturers to grab a foot hole within the industry. They were much more efficient at producing smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles at a much lower cost.

17. Are we ahead of – or behind - China in regard to vehicle fuel efficiency?

In 1975, the United States Congress enacted The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which are a series of regulations that were placed on domestic automobile manufacturers to create more fuel-efficient cars. CAFE standards were created as a result of the Arab Oil Embargo, a primary catalyst for the 1973 oil crisis that created a shortage of fuel across the United States. Since its enactment, CAFE standards have been inefficient and inequitable because most Asian car manufacturers beat the standard, European car manufacturers sometimes meet the standard (and pay the penalty otherwise), while the majority of domestic car manufacturers struggle to meet the standard. Instead of investing in new technology, manufacturers have typically

In 1975, the United States’ government passed the first round of regulations on fuel economy for private passenger vehicles. The corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards were intended to gradually increase the average fuel economy of consumer vehicles in an attempt to reduce the release of the global warming gas carbon dioxide, as well as reduce the United States dependence on foreign oil reserves. This action originally seemed to be very effective at slowly improving the efficiency of cars and light trucks, but the bill’s period of usefulness has since expired. When President of the United States, Barack Obama raised the fuel economy mandates via executive order to 54.5 miles per gallon

2). Results such as these just go to show that high fuel prices are impacting drivers on their future considerations. According to Jeff Barelett, Consumer Reports auto editor, “While quality, safety, and value are still important, this may be foreshadowing a market shift by folks seeking relief at the pump” (“Consumer” par 2). Individuals are not only concerned about fuel efficiency, but also the environmental benefit of an increase in fuel economy. In some cases, people were open to seeking different ways of saving their money at the pump. This would include things such as downsizing, hybrids, electric cars, or even models with diesel engines (“Consumer” par. 5). “When gas prices are high, it’s always tempting to rush to trade-in for a more fuel-efficient car to save at the pump” (“Consumer” par. 8). When it comes to choosing the most fuel efficient vehicle’s, people need to know just one thing. Foreign vehicles have been proven to support better a fuel economy than American made vehicles.

CR’s measuring criteria is far different from how the EPA measures fuel economy. Per EPA guidelines, car manufacturers test their own vehicles under controlled conditions in a laboratory, following prescribed federal procedures. The EPA also tests a