No less than one third of new car customers in America thought of fuel economy an important factor.. Because of the preoccupation today with smog, global warming and America's dependence on overseas sources of oil, it's actually shocking to learn that as long ago as 1992 a car that got 100 miles to the gallon was built by General Motors. There was also a car that looked a lot like the Geo Metro and weighed 1000 pounds, which boasted 75 miles per gallon gas mileage. The automobile had a 3-cylinder engine, yet was abandoned when it needed 200 pounds of reinforcement to be added to comply with America's safety laws.
It's quite shocking that this was not the only GM prototype that was built, only to be thrown out later. A number of these were the 1982 GM Lean Machine which performed 80 miles per gallon, and the GM Ultralite which managed to do 100 mpg. When Honda in 1992 reached 50 mpg with the Civic VX, GM was selling cars that got 20 mpg, while in the background they had vehicles capable of 100 mpg. Given that cars have already been built that get 100 miles per gallon, then why are they not being offered to the general public?
What makes conventional vehicles sold in the US, while at the same time, the same suppliers are selling different vehicles far away in other countries? For many years cars that get over 70 miles per gallon have been available in Japan and Europe. The Lupo, a Volkswagen, is an ideal example of a car that gets 78 MPG, but hasn't ever been sold in the US. An automobile referred to as Jazz elsewhere in the world was introduced to the States in 2007 as the Fit. The Jazz in Japan has ways to boost fuel economy and a smaller engine, but for the US, the Fit doesn't even use a smaller engine as an option.
Auto manufacturers in America tell their public that they create big autos because they, the public, love big autos. Needless to say they generate big money on SUVs, and practically nothing on a small two-person commuter. Commercials have convinced the citizens of the US that Tanks on Wheels are an absolute must to have. Fuel-saving options from the large companies are uncommon, so it's pretty easy to deduce where their motivations lay. Instead of being synonymous with SUVs, GM today could have been recognized as a leader in fuel- website . Americans weren't denied just by GM, but also by all the other manufacturers who have developed fuel-efficient cars.
In spite of global warming and the incredible pollution of the world environment, US car makers have yet to respond positively and at least give Americans the option of a fuel-efficient car. The question comes up: how many Americans could have welcomed the option of obtaining a car with good gas mileage but weren't ever offered it? Could it be time to retrieve those dumped designs and, again, start building those vehicles that were once built a long time ago?
It's quite shocking that this was not the only GM prototype that was built, only to be thrown out later. A number of these were the 1982 GM Lean Machine which performed 80 miles per gallon, and the GM Ultralite which managed to do 100 mpg. When Honda in 1992 reached 50 mpg with the Civic VX, GM was selling cars that got 20 mpg, while in the background they had vehicles capable of 100 mpg. Given that cars have already been built that get 100 miles per gallon, then why are they not being offered to the general public?
What makes conventional vehicles sold in the US, while at the same time, the same suppliers are selling different vehicles far away in other countries? For many years cars that get over 70 miles per gallon have been available in Japan and Europe. The Lupo, a Volkswagen, is an ideal example of a car that gets 78 MPG, but hasn't ever been sold in the US. An automobile referred to as Jazz elsewhere in the world was introduced to the States in 2007 as the Fit. The Jazz in Japan has ways to boost fuel economy and a smaller engine, but for the US, the Fit doesn't even use a smaller engine as an option.
Auto manufacturers in America tell their public that they create big autos because they, the public, love big autos. Needless to say they generate big money on SUVs, and practically nothing on a small two-person commuter. Commercials have convinced the citizens of the US that Tanks on Wheels are an absolute must to have. Fuel-saving options from the large companies are uncommon, so it's pretty easy to deduce where their motivations lay. Instead of being synonymous with SUVs, GM today could have been recognized as a leader in fuel- website . Americans weren't denied just by GM, but also by all the other manufacturers who have developed fuel-efficient cars.
In spite of global warming and the incredible pollution of the world environment, US car makers have yet to respond positively and at least give Americans the option of a fuel-efficient car. The question comes up: how many Americans could have welcomed the option of obtaining a car with good gas mileage but weren't ever offered it? Could it be time to retrieve those dumped designs and, again, start building those vehicles that were once built a long time ago?