Gizmag is always on the lookout for alternative means of powering vehicles and saving precious fossil fuels. But, in truth, the vast majority of us still drive exclusively petrol-powered cars. And the even sadder truth, outlined in a new research from the University of Michigan, is that the average fuel efficiency of a US vehicle has improved only three miles per gallon since the days of the Ford Model T.
Michael Sivak and Omer Tsimhonia, of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, calculated the distance driven and fuel consumed for the entire US fleet of vehicles – incorporating cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses – between 1923 and 2006. Using those numbers, they were then able to analyze fuel efficiency on US roads at any time, and make telling comparisons between eras.
According to Ford, the Model T – which began mass-production in 1913 – averaged a fairly healthy 25 miles to the gallon. Nonetheless, by 1923, the year the study begins, the average fuel efficiency of the entire US fleet was 14 mpg. That figure remained about the same for more than a decade.
From 1935, however, fuel efficiency fell into steady decline, dropping to an alarming 11.9 mpg in 1973. When you think about the kind of vehicles released through that time – and the number of extras that steadily became standard – it’s almost not surprising. All those fins and chrome and power-assisted systems came with heavy penalties in efficiency. The Environmental Defense Fund, for example, estimates that air-conditioning alone decreases the fuel efficiency of a car by as much as 12%.
But, with the fuel crisis of the 70’s, fleet efficiency was compelled to improve, and in a hurry. From 1974 the economy of the US fleet improved five miles a gallon to 16.9 mpg in 1991. Curiously, since then – despite growing environmental awareness and publicly-voiced concern – improvement has been painfully slow, reaching just 17.2 mpg in 2006.
The underlying problem in recent years, of course, isn’t with new cars, some of which can achieve close to 40 mpg. It’s all those old vehicles out there, chewing up gas like there’s no tomorrow. As far as Sivak and Tsimhoni are concerned, it’s much more important to improve fuel efficiency at this end – from 15 to 16 mpg, say – than trying to get a Prius from 40 to 41 mpg.
By their estimates, for the US to reduce its total annual fuel consumption by 10%, fuel efficiency across the entire fleet of cars, motorbikes, truck and buses would have to rise nearly two percent. That may not sound like much, but it took 15 years for a 0.3% change. And when you’re talking about 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the average medium-sized sedan, making a change has never seemed more critical.
Plus Model T's were made for ethanol as gasoline was not widely available and farmers could make ethanol.
It'd spew a lot of stuff into the air, and pretty much any accident would be fatal, though.
For too long in America, gasoline or oil has been one the cheapest natural resource. When America clamored for 50 years for more luxuries in their vehicles the focus wasn't on fuel economy, but rather the thousands of other conveniences pioneered right here in the good old U S of A. It is only now our initiative to create more fuel efficient vehicles because out of shear necessity. With eroding resources and increased competition for those very same resources we are being pushed to innovate in a technology that will keep us at the forefront of competition.
*Miller cycle *variable valve timing *variable displacement *turbo-compounding *NuVinci-style CV transmission *lighter construction with composites and lighter metals *smaller vehicles, designed for maximum utility
*In the US, redefine Federal regulations to permit importation, or domestic manufacture, of Kei-type vehicles
I'd like to see a TV show (and internet posted since I don't have a TV) like "Pimp my ride" where they pimp the car for efficiency. Wheel covers, streamlining, different AC, ect... It could be like Junk Yard wars where two teams are given beaters (those old 12 miles/gallon cars), a time to fix it up and 2 gallons of gas and to see who makes it the furtherest.
Like they said in the post, it is not the new cars, but the old clunkers that are the problem. I live in Baja Mexico, and we get all the US rejects. Old heaps of metal smoking and spewing everywhere. One of those wrecks has the negative effects of 100 new cars!
A modern engine IS more efficient than the Ts four pot. Compare the brake mean effective pressure (bmep)that each engine produces, calculate the brake mean effective torque and power of each engine and compare at similar revs.
Modern vehicles are necessarily heavier. You want to be comfortable? You need a body. You want good seats, a heater, A/C? Extra mass. Safety standards imposed on designers also adds weight. You want brakes on all wheels? You want cleaner exhausts, this compromises efficiency. Extra mass. Weight or mass is the biggest killer of economy due to the desire to accelerate to a desired speed. f=ma!!
Please consider these points (just a few) before you condemn the modern car. Also, check out the official economy cycle used to arrive at the economy figure and compare it with how the T was used to arrive at its figure.
Also look at the way you use the modern car, I bet you couldn't cruise at 60mph plus in a T. If you want better economy, buy a European, Japanese or Aussie car. Remember, your domestic manufactures built the vehicle that YOU wanted to buy.
As far as Green house "gases" are concerned, CO2 comprises a mere 3.7%. By far, the greatest "greenhouse gas" is water vapour which is a product of fuel cells.
So please stop trying to stir up panic, the modern car IS more efficient and the global warming cannot be influenced by humans. Anthropological Global Warming is a myth. The Earth warms and the Earth cools, we cannot change this fact. Actually, over the last 10 years, the average temperature has FALLEN by 0.75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Regards, Royce
The government lies to us, we go to war, we lie to the government, we go to gaol.
If many American had not super sized their vehicles to avoid the effects of the first set of CAFE regulations involving cars, car fleet mileage in the US would have gone up 30%.