Autoline Detroit reports: 3/4
Today on Autoline Detroit, a program on the speed channel, John McElroy Shares his thoughts on the new EPA ratings for 2008. I agree that we need to better educate drivers here in America on how to drive more efficiently, I also feel the EPA fuel economy calculations needed reworking. We can't forget that the purpose of the EPA ratings was to compare vehicles to similar vehicles, not to predict the real world results you and I would achieve or to compare vehicles outside of their classes. How do you feel about the current and future rating systems? What about current lack of awareness by the average American driver on what impacts their fuel economy?
A final thought before we go. For the 2008 model year, that is on the new cars coming out this year, the EPA is going to lower the fuel economy label on most vehicles, by about 3 miles a gallon. That's because most drivers don't get the kind of fuel economy the label says that they should, but most drivers can't match that label because of the way they drive. Checking the air pressure in the tires, by accelerating a little bit more smoothly, and by concentrating on maintaining the momentum, most people could improve fuel economy by 10%, but rather than teach people how to match the EPA label, or even beat it, we're going to dumb that label down so people are satisfied with the fuel economy that the get. I think it's too bad because if we taught people how to drive more efficiently it'd have a massive impact on the amount of oil that we use.
This transcript was produced using the speech recognition features of Microsoft Windows Vista directly on the recording of today's show at 7am eastern (3/4). I'd say Windows Vista did a great job considering my system is trained for my speech and not John's. I threw in some commas and periods where John paused because if you don't speak the name of your punctuation, Speech Recognition will not put them in. If you'd like to comment on the topic at hand or on Speech Recognition in Windows Vista please feel use the form below.
We need to do more to educate the American public about the impact of their choices for personal transportation. An organization called the Environmental Protection Agency is already in the perfect position to do this, they just need to have the information near the source of the problem. I say the EPA should include a few simple tips for minimizing one's impact on the environment from their automobile, motorcycle, van, or truck right on the window sticker and in the manual and quick start guide. Why should the EPA do all the work? The automakers won't advertise their products as dirty, and the American people have proven they won't be bothered to go look the information up, so put it in our faces, right on the sticker and in the documentation, even on TV and radio ads. I feel a public education campaign would be most effective because it would require no effort on the part of the consumer.
Kacey Green
"Tech with a twist of lime!", "Promoting the spread of clean personal transportation technologies."
www.grlt.com, www.FLhybrid.com
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