The auto industry is becoming more and more concerned with manufacturing their automobiles in a way that’s more fuel-efficient. Automakers used to focus mostly on making smaller cars since they take up less gasoline, but volatile gas prices and tighter federal standards for fuel economy has them working on fuel-efficient vehicles that show a wider range of weights and sizes.
Under the new federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, the auto industry has agreed to produce fleets of vehicles that average 35.5 miles a gallon by 2016 and 54.5 miles a gallon by 2025 (Laiser, St. Louis Post). The EPA expects that by 2025 fuel economy standards will have increased significantly and greenhouse gas emissions will have been reduced by half. This is also good news for vehicle owners since it is expected they could save an average of $8,000 and oil consumption will be reduced by more than 2 million barrels a day by 2025.
Some of the approach automakers are taking into making vehicles more energy efficient include making lighter cars by cutting down on steel and other heavy materials. According to the Department of Energy, reducing a vehicle’s weight by 10 percent can improve fuel economy by 6 to 8 percent. Alternatives for steel, which makes up about 60 percent of a vehicle’s total weight, include aluminum, magnesium and carbon fiber. Aluminum is the second-most common material in cars on the roads today after steel. But auto manufacturers have said they intend to double their use of aluminum by 2025, Lowrey said. Alternatives like aluminum itself appear to be as safe as steel, the safety car crash test remained unchanged.
There are changes being made right now that show promise for the future and helps reduce the print the auto industry leaves on Earth. “Today’s new vehicles are cleaner and more fuel efficient than ever, saving American families money at the gas pump and helping to keep the air that we breathe cleaner,” said Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
References:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-boost-gas-mileage-automakers-explore-lighter-cars/
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/auto-industry-makes-strides-toward-improving-fuel-economy/article_2d050408-95db-561b-97fc-b84c708829d4.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry
Wow when I was researching this I had no idea the difference that decreasing the weight of a car could have on gas mileage. It makes a lot of sense because heavier, bigger cars need more energy to move them forward. This is very important for consumers because now everyone cares about having a nice car that is stylish, comfortable but also has good gas mileage – meaning lower emissions! Maybe in the future there should be more incentives for companies to build these efficient cars instead of more huge SUVs!