<This Week in Petroleum + The Oil Drum Another thought on coal supply>
<DrumBeat: June 27, 2007 DrumBeat DrumBeat: June 29, 2007>

293 comments on DrumBeat: June 28, 2007

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

Show without comments | PDF version

Substrate on June 28, 2007 - 9:31am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Can U.S. Adopt Europe's Fuel-Efficient Cars?

Whether by presidential order or congressional mandate, car makers in the foreseeable future will likely have to build fleets that average about 35 miles per gallon. But what kinds of cars and trucks will gasoline-guzzling Americans drive to achieve that average?

The answer would seem to lie in Europe, where fuel prices are roughly double U.S. levels amid heavy taxation and more than half of the vehicles bought have diesel-powered engines. Vehicles in Europe meet the magic average of 35 mpg.

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
radlafari on June 28, 2007 - 10:01am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I doubt that european vehicles meet the average of 35 mpg. While I myself had several diesels for rent in the previous years which consumed 6 litres/100 km or less (that is 36 mpg or more), there are large amounts of vehicles consuming considerably more.

Last summer on vacation I had a Peugeot 407 which burned 6 litres/100km (36mpg), occupied with 5 persons and baggage(!) Most distances were on the highway.

In autumn I had a Renault Megane for rent which is a great car in my eyes. It took around 5 litres/100km (46.8 mpg), also mostly on highways.

A month ago I had a Volkswagen Golf TDI, a very economical car with a little more than 4 litres (58 mpg).

BTW - if you want a quick formula to calculate mpg to litres/100km (which is commonly used in Europe) just divide 234 through mpg (or vice versa).

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
garyp on June 28, 2007 - 10:31am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

IIRC the average in the UK a few years ago was 33mpg. Not sure what the current figures are, but it would be relatively easy to hit an average of 35mpg I'd guess, and even 40mpg would be achievable.

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
radlafari on June 28, 2007 - 11:30am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

even 40mpg would be achievable

The Audi A2 is one of those cars nobody wanted in Germany. Production was stopped in 2005. The A2 got more than 80 mpg.

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
bruce from chicago on June 28, 2007 - 12:09pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

But at least Audi has the option of restarting the production of the A2. Unlike Ford, GM, and Chrysler who destroyed a generation of engineers by having them work on add-ons for pickup frames, otherwise known as SUVs.

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
ExtraO on June 28, 2007 - 10:34am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

6 litres/100 km or less (that is 36 mpg or more)

If we're talking about U.S. miles per U.S. gallon, 6 liters/100km is equal to 39.25 mpg.

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
radlafari on June 28, 2007 - 11:24am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

You are right - I failed to use my own formula properly.

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
pondlife on June 28, 2007 - 11:24am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Crikey, dont tell me you have different miles as well! So thats pints, gallons, pounds, miles, ounces[?], any more different I should learn?

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
oilmanbob on June 28, 2007 - 11:39am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

We have differing standards of truth and honesty, too. Just watch Fox news and listen to Rush Limbaugh!

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
JN2 on June 28, 2007 - 11:53am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Miles are the same; gallons are different. A calculator/converter for US/UK mpg and litres/100km is included on the last line on this page. (enter a number in any box then hit tab/enter).

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
SunnyvaleCA on June 28, 2007 - 7:08pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

This should be easy...

There are still going to be loopholes large enough to dive a truck through, although it will have to be a wide truck with an extra-long wheelbase. The Ethanol loophole also remains. Finally, there's the measuring stick actually used for the mileage.

I believe the same EPA test currently used in 2007 will be used for the future CAFE measurement. The figures reported on the window stickers of cars is reduced 10% and 22% (city/highway respectively) from the EPA test. The city score counts for 55% and the highway score counts for 45% of the total CAFE score. So, working things backwards to calculate CAFE score: city/(1-10%)*0.55 + highway/(1-22%)*0.45. Simplifying: CAFE = city * 0.611 + highway * 0.577

A Honda Accord with 4 cylinder engine and automatic transmission is rated 24/34 on the window sticker, which equates to 34.28 MPG CAFE. So, I guess Honda is going to have to find a single MPG in the next 12 years to get their best-selling vehicle up to standard.

The Toyota Camry 4-cylinder with automatic scores 33.7 CAFE. Even the V6 version makes 31.3 CAFE.

The 2007 Mercedes E320 Bluetec scores 37.8 CAFE while the 2006 VW Jetta TDI scores 45.7 CAFE. Since both of these vehicles can run on renewable biofuels, so perhaps the ethanol loophole can be extended to them also, in which case the Jetta will score something around 80 MPG--not bad!

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

293 comments on DrumBeat: June 28, 2007

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

Show without comments | PDF version