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| Subject: I remember GM's '64 Worlds Fair Exhibit | |
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Author: Mo' Green |
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Date Posted: 11:48:29 11/16/07 Fri In reply to: billvon 's message, "Click and Clack write Congress" on 08:54:44 11/13/07 Tue All these great advances in fuels, pollution control, congestion relief were just a few years away, just over the horizon, yatty, yatty. Problem is they put the horizon on wheel. It's always just a few years away. Just enough people are just stupid enough to keep buying it. >The Car Talk guys write to Congress: >================================== >Tom and Ray Magliozzi >Box 3500 Harvard Square >Cambridge MA 02238 > >Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global >Warming >United States House of Representatives >Washington DC 20515 > >October 25, 2007 > >To Chairman Ed Markey and Members of the Select >Committee on Energy >Independence and Global Warming: > >You are about to make a crucial decision that may be a >turning point >for our country. As you consider how high to raise our >nation's CAFE >standards, you are undoubtedly coming under a barrage >of lobbying from >various parties. Including us! The obvious question >is, who do you >believe? > >On the one hand, you have people like Ed Markey, who's >been trying to >increase fuel economy for as long as we can remember. >Admittedly, he's >from Massachusetts. And yes, we've seen his haircut. > >On the other hand, you have the automotive industry >(i.e. car >salesmen), whose ratings for honesty are below even >those of Congress >in public opinion surveys. Let's remember why: > >In 1972, Ford President Lee Iacocca told you that if >the "EPA does not >suspend the catalytic converter rule, it will cause >Ford to shut >down." Hm. That wasn't exactly right on the money, was >it? > >A couple of years later, car makers were back in front >of you guys, >squealing over proposed new fuel economy standards. >Chrysler Vice >President of Engineering, Alan Loofborrow, predicted >that imposing >fuel economy standards might "outlaw a number of >engine lines and car >models including most full-size sedans and station >wagons. It would >restrict the industry to producing subcompact size >cars-or even >smaller ones-within five years." That thing got a >Hemi, Alan? > >As the industry triple-teamed Congress to keep America >from improving >fuel economy, a Ford Executive let fly this whopper: >If CAFE became >law, the move could result "in a Ford product line >consisting either >of all sub-Pinto sized vehicles..." Ask the man who >drives an >Expedition if that ever came to pass. > >The onslaught of "we can't... it'll ruin us... you're >denying >Americans a choice of vehicles" begins every time we >the people-- >through our elected representatives-try to bring the >auto industry, >kicking and screaming into the modern era. And every >time, their >predictions of motorized-skateboard futures have >failed to >materialize. Let us repeat that, because the >historical record bears >it out to a tee. Every single time they've resisted >safety, >environmental, or fuel economy regulations, auto >industry predictions >have turned out, in retrospect, to be fear-mongering >bull-feathers. > >Isn't it time we (you?) stop falling for this 50 >year-long line of >baloney? > >The truth is, significantly higher average fuel >economy can be >achieved. In fact it's already being achieved. And if >we don't push >our own auto industry to set world class standards, >they'll be beaten >again by the Japanese, the Koreans, and, maybe even >the Chinese, who >will do it with or without U.S. Congressional action. > >There are technologies aplenty that already exist that >could be used >to meet much higher CAFE standards. > > * Hybrid-electric vehicles. Hybrids offer, in many >cases, a 50% >increase in mileage over gasoline versions of the same >vehicles. GM >just introduced a hybrid Chevy Tahoe, that reportedly >gets better city >mileage than a Toyota Camry. > > * Clean diesel engines. With new, clean diesel >fuel now mandated >in America, expect a surge of clean diesel engines in >the next three >to five years that get 25% better fuel economy than >their gasoline >counterparts. > > * Diesel-electric hybrids. Combine the advantages >of hybrids with >more efficient diesel engines. > > * Turbo chargers and super chargers. These force >additional air >into cylinders to wring more power out of available >fuel. > > * Cylinder deactivation. Cylinders that are not >needed at any >given moment, are deactivated, and instantaneously >reactivated as soon >as the driver demands additional power. Widely >available now. > > * Plug-in, series hybrids. Now on the drawing >boards, plug-in >hybrids allow drivers to charge up overnight, when the >electric grid >is underused, and they'll handle most commutes without >ever firing up >their internal combustion engines. > > * Automatic stop-start technology. At least one >energy analyst we >spoke to believes that this simple technology, in and >of itself, could >result in a 10% decrease in fuel use. It's already >used in hybrid >vehicles, foreign and domestic, and is on its way in >more vehicles in >the next couple of years. > > * Higher voltage electrical systems. These save >fuel by allowing >energy draining systems, such as power steering, and >air conditioning, >to be run electrically, instead of by draining power >from the engine >and using fuel. > > * Regenerative braking. Captures energy otherwise >lost when the >car slows down to give a further boost to on-board >battery systems. > > * Safe, lightweight materials. Lightweight steel, >aluminum and >carbon fiber panels reduce weight, allowing a smaller, >more efficient >engine to propel a car just as fast on less fuel. > > * Better transmissions. Six speed automatic >transmissions, widely >available now from Ford and others, increase fuel >economy by 5% and >offer smoother acceleration. Mercedes has seven >speeds. Lexus has >eight. Nissan has CVTs Ð continuously variable >transmissions. All of >these improve mileage AND performance. > > * Common rail fuel injection. Now standard on >modern diesels, this >same high pressure fuel delivery technology is >beginning to be used to >increase fuel economy in gasoline engines, too. > > * All wheel drive systems that use electric motors >at the non- >driven wheels, like on the Lexus RX350 hybrid, >eliminate heavy, gas- >wasting differentials and drive train components on >cars designed to >go in the snow. > > * More appropriately sized and weighted cars. When >we're facing a >future of global oil wars and economy-killing gasoline >prices, perhaps >having single commuters drive 5,000 pound SUVs is >something we'll just >have to learn to live without. And modern computer >electronics, such >as stability control, can now ameliorate any driving >dynamic issues >that result from lack of mass. > > * More appropriately powered cars. In 1964, the >most powerful, >over-the-top Mustang muscle car you could buy came >with an optional, >four-barrel, 271 horsepower engine. Today, that's what >comes standard >on the highest rated minivans. 275 horsepower. To take >your kid to >nursery school? What does this say about our national >priorities? Do >we really want to send our kids to fight and die in >the desert so that >we can go 0-60 in eight seconds instead of ten seconds? > >The truth is, we could achieve a CAFE standard of 35 >miles per gallon >in five years if we made it a priority. Every one of >the above >technologies is either available now or is well along >in the pipeline. >There's nothing "pie in the sky" here that hasn't been >thought of or >invented yet. > >Look what American industry did in World War II. Look >what we did with >the space program. It's time to make energy >independence just as high >a priority. And it starts with you guys (and gals), our >representatives. Don't buy the "can't do" bull this >time. > >Not only can it be done, but by increasing CAFE >standards >dramatically, you'll be helping the American >automotive industry >compete-by forcing them to synchronize their >priorities with those of >the American people, and the populations of other >countries where they >will be increasingly marketing their cars. > >It's the job of private enterprise to design and sell >products. But >it's the job of Congress to set our national >priorities. Trust us, the >car companies won't go out of business because America >insists that >they build the world's best, most efficient cars. We >urge you to set >the bar high for American ingenuity. We have no doubt >our car industry >will make the grade-to the benefit of all Americans. > >Sincerely, > >Tom and Ray Magliozzi [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| Subject | Author | Date |
| Re: I remember GM's '64 Worlds Fair Exhibit | billvon | 09:49:47 11/19/07 Mon |