The Obama Administration has pulled a number out of its hat, and it’s 27.3 MPG. While it might seem a bit crazy to set a new combined fuel economy standard for the 2011 model year with such short notice, our new President was left with the task by an outgoing administration that failed to implement what was required under law. The 2007 Energy Law stipulates that a new standard must be set by April 1st.
No fooling.
The 27.3 mile per gallon (MPG) figure represents an average of 2001 new car, light truck, and SUV mileage. New cars must average 30.2 MPG. New light trucks and SUVs must average 24.1 MPG.
I’ve been driving a 2009 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid this week that has a combined estimate of 20 MPG. While I’ve been able to beat the official numbers by a bit, it’s a forgone conclusion that that traditional SUVs will be getting smaller and hybrid battery packs will be getting larger. On the flip side, I’m in the midst of producing a video review of the Audi Q7 TDI clean diesel SUV, in which I easily exceeded the 2011 requirements.
Source: Ken Thomas/Associated Press
Facts are facts and dreamers don’t see the trees for the forest. Personally I’m sick and tired of all the news and advertising promoting cars with wonderful options like leather, GPS units, 40gig Audio Sound systems, DVD Players, Bluetooth wired systems, XM radios, Sirius radios and the satellite radio ON Star. This is just naming a few.
You see the car going through this mind blowing race with time and of course it says at the bottom, do not attempt professional drivers. You’ll never do this but they prey upon your imagination.
To them I say this.
A: Your not making money to save your company yet you have the audacity to show cars that are not fuel efficient nor functional. All cars should have the options that I spoke of. There should not be any additional charge for these items as they are in fact what sells the car.
B: Sell it with all the bells and whistles and keep the cost of those items to a norm. By that, I mean at the cost of the product. Not the retail of the audio system but they should in fact give it to the consumer at no charge. When they say that the optional audio system is going to cost you in the neighborhood of $700 to $1,200 people will think of the government being given a bill for a toilet seat on a submarine and actually paying for it.
C: Give us a break. This is a depression we are in not a recession . The people have either lost their 401K and or their pensions and you (GM) have the Gaul to try and sell us and vehicle that retails in the thousands (too many thousands) of dollars. Do you (GM) feel that your omnipotent in the car/truck/SUV etc… world ? Do you not have any of your hi-priced executives that are at ground zero during this economic time we are in ?
D: Get you feet back on the ground and have some of your people mingle with the people who are suffering the same way that most of us are feeling everyday.
E: Fire some of you people and then watch as they now try to supply their family with certain things like a car and food on the table.
F: Just get a lot smarter as to what is going on around you. Your marketing stinks and your products are designed for the year 1980 at the very latest. You need to open your eyes and listen and try to retain the information and the ideas of today and into the future. Right now, your not. You have a company that is marketing a product that should be used in the Gulf War not in North America.
G: Try to get with it or better yet scrap it and use the parts for newer machines.