Quote:
Originally posted by Lebell
JTK,
BTW,
Since the average is about 2.5 kids, then 3 kids is a large family. Eight is very large.
Also, did their Impala get 30mpg?
The answer is what is happening right now: develop better technologies to get gas mileage up, but don't penalize those right now for buying what is out there.
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Lebell my friend.
Of course their impala didn't get 30 MPG back in 72, no car did.
Now they have computers to regulate fuel consumption, 5 speed automatic transmissions to keep RPMs down, Electronic Fuel Injection, etc.
It was government legislation at the time of the 70's oil crisis that forced the Automakers to improve their product. At the time, they said it couldn't be done, but it was.
Sadly we seem to be drifting the other way now days. The big 3 will never willingly radically improve fuel economy. They are in business to make money, pure and simple, which i completely understand.
There are even alternative technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells but the development of the these engines in painfully slow and not a priority. (The priority of auto manufacturers in North America seems to be adding more coffee cup holders all over the vehicle and DVD playes and on star at high markup values. And vice versa, cutting engine quality (eg. GM's infamous plastic intake manifolds which are so cheap to make but will eventualy crack and destroy your engine when that happens.)
No, i do not have faith in Automanufacturers.
The choices are either higher fuel prices or a tax on gas guzzlers.
I figured the gas guzzler tax is the lesser of two evils because it does not affect the part of the economy that needs cheap energy.
And as i said, contractors, truckers, etc. should be exempt.
No-one needs to own a hummer, navigator, or anything else such as that. If you want to, you should have to pay for the right to chew up valuable non-renewable resources.
Someday the politicians might have the balls to enact such legislation, but for now, you are safe.
cheers