Re: Realistic approaches to high fuel costs !

Posted by Adam B. on May 21, 2004 at 19:48:27 from (205.185.140.137):

In Reply to: Realistic approaches to high fuel costs ! posted by Alberta Mike on May 21, 2004 at 18:03:42:

I agree with trucks being as bad or worse than SUV's for fuel consumption. A lot of people are driving trucks now who really don't need them. As a side effect, light trucks are getting that 'sissification' that has been brought up before.

However, switching from 3-4 vehicles to 1 or 2 may not be a good idea, especially if people need a truck frequently enough to warrant owning one. It'd be better for someone to own a few different vehicles that serve different purposes than to choose just one vehicle that will serve all their needs. You're more likely to end up with a person driving a fuel-sucking truck as a commuter vehicle.

There are alternatives in the works. How soon they hit the market depends a lot on public demand. The best explanation of it that I've heard goes like this: Fuel providers won't invest in changing infrastructure and products until there are enough vehicles on the road needing new fuel types to make the investment pay off. Car manufacturers won't make more vehicles that use alternative fuels until they're certain they'll be able to sell enough of the vehicles to make a profit after all the R&D and marketing involved. Consumers aren't likely to buy alternative powered vehicles until the vehicles offer the same performance and convenience as the current options, can be easily refueled, and don't cost a great deal more to buy than gas and diesel vehicles.

In the near future, ethanol blends and bio-diesel fuels should become more readily available and help reduce emissions (not necessarily cost). Hybrids provide more fuel savings, but aren't likely to take over a huge portion of the market. Most focus seems to be on hydrogen as the future fuel. It has great promise for lack of emissions and economy, but the technology will be very expensive for many years.

Fuel-saving practices apply as well:
Properly inflated tires.
Tires in correct alignment.
Regular maintenance (filter changes, proper lubricants, sensors, etc...)
Keep it clean.
Don't haul extra stuff around that you don't need with you.
No aggressive driving.
Use the proper grade of fuel.

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