Miles Per Gallon: The Future of Safety
It may not surprise you that larger, heavier cars are more resistant to crashes while smaller, lighter cars get more miles to the gallon. Take the Hummer for example; here's a car that many believe to be one of the biggest gas guzzlers, but at the same time, this is a car designed for military ruggedness and aversion to significant damage. Does this mean that we will always have to choose between affordability and environmental impact, and our own safety?
Having a larger car leads to an increase in fuel consumption, and as we are all aware, the price of gas just keeps going up. This constant rise has pushed for fuel efficiency for the day to day consumer. In addition to the price of gasoline, there is also the ecological toll, greenhouse gas emissions being a primary concern for many ecological groups. With increased weight, comes the increased burden to move the car, it takes roughly double amount of energy to move an object that is twice as heavy as another.
With the rising miles per gallon regulations of CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy), now 27.5 mpg and in ten years should be around 35 mpg, manufacturers are being pressured to innovate. Historically, this has meant improving the engine, and this is continuing, but this can only go on so long. Manufacturers are turning towards other options such as tires with lower rolling resistance, and recuperating kinetic energy. With the same weight, cars are becoming more fuel efficient. SUVs, once notorious for chewing up fuel are closing in on higher rates of fuel consumption.
Does this mean smaller cars are outmoded? Maybe that's a negative. Innovations and better design have helped reduce fatal accidents. Take for example the Toyota 4Runner and the Chevorlet Blazer; both are mid-size SUVs, but the Blazer is both heavier and more likely to result in harmful injuries says Laura Schewel, an environmental engineer with the Rocky Mountain Institute.
It seems that there will soon be a future where buyers no longer have to choose between size and miles per gallon as many manufacturers are stepping up their game, using technology to make larger cars more fuel efficient. Same with smaller cars becoming safer, technology is paving the way to a safer, more eco-friendly future.
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=434514
http://green.autoblog.com/2010/04/01/new-federal-cafe-standards-officially-released-34-1-mpg-by-2016/
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/
