The automotive industry is responsible for coming up with new designs for fuel efficient cars, the manufacturing, and the selling of the vehicles. One huge step to fuel efficiency are hybrid and electric cars made by many known car industries (Hondas, Toyotas, Lexus’, Teslas, etc…)
The average MPG for 2015 is estimated to be 24 mpg which isn’t bad at all. But by the year 2025 we expect to have the mpg go up to around 54 which is pretty incredible . Families will end up saving hundreds if not thousands at the pump each year. Manual transmission cars are also more fuel efficient because you have the choice of changing the gears to Neutral on a downhill or at light which decreases the amount of emissions used. Hybrid cars would be making our environment much greater if the sales were higher but the sales in the U.S market are at about 3-4%. The green movement has struck all automotive industries as all car manufacturers are focusing on producing more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient vehicles. Even trucks will be 20% more fuel efficient by 2018. But gasoline alone still fuels 95% of North Americas vehicles today.
Other ways automotive industries are making cars more efficient are making the vehicles weigh less which leads the car to use less effort and use less gas to go further. As well as the shape or aerodynamic of the vehicle is an important key because the vehicle has to look appealing for people to buy but also be dynamic to have less air resistance. Industries are also coming up with techniques to save gas while at a red light or waiting for someone while not moving, its called the cylinder deactivation system, the car turns off periodically while the vehicle is not moving and turns on as soon as you step on the gas.
Citation:
“Some Cars Today Already Meet 2025 Gas-Mileage Standards: Did You Know?” Green Car Reports. John Voelker, 14 Aug. 2015. Web. 5 Oct. 2015.<http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099593_some-cars-today-already-meet-2025-gas-mileage-standards-did-you-know>
“Automotive Industry Analysis 2015 – Cost & Trends.” Automotive Industry Analysis 2015 – Cost & Trends. Michael Liu. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. <https://www.franchisehelp.com/industry-reports/automotive-franchise-industry-report/>.
“Obama Administration Finalizes Historic 54.5 MPG Fuel Efficiency Standards.” The White House. The White House, 28 Aug. 2012. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. <https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/28/obama-administration-finalizes-historic-545-mpg-fuel-efficiency-standard>.
Increasing the fuel efficiency of vehicles by 2025 to 54 MPG is definitely an intense goal to achieve. I agree that if this is truly achieved than families would save so much money at each pump and will get more miles for their money. As you stated Hybrid vehicles sales only account for only 3% to 4% in the U.S. Market and I think the design is to blame for this low percentage. The first thing anyone will observe when staring at a car is the design and they will immediately make a judgement on whether they like or dislike the car just based on the design. The honest truth is that hybrids are not very appealing to consumers thus results in low sales. If the design of hybrids looked more “aggressive” then I’m sure their sales would increase. For example, Tesla is very successful with their Model S because the car is completely electric but most importantly because the design is attractive to consumers. In addition, reducing the weight of the car is a great way to improve the efficiency. The crashworthiness wouldn’t change since that is mainly dependent on the design of the car. To conclude, I honestly don’t think the 54 MPG will not be truly met by 2025. Car will be probably be rated at 54 MPG but that is only true in a hypothetical situation when all the conditions are perfect which is not realistic.