Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Fuel economy improvements show diminishing returns in fuel savings
Energy Information Administration ^ | JULY 11, 2014 | Nicholas Chase

Posted on 07/11/2014 5:23:49 AM PDT by thackney

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

1 posted on 07/11/2014 5:23:50 AM PDT by thackney
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: thackney

Fun with statistics.


2 posted on 07/11/2014 5:31:36 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thackney
Of course this won't stop an enormous bureaucracy like the EPA from demanding higher and higher standards until driving is no longer economically practical.

The bureaucracy must constantly raise the bar or lose it's reason for existing - and its budget. It exists for its own sake, not because there's any real need for it anymore.

3 posted on 07/11/2014 5:32:33 AM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo

Shows how little value there is in the new government CAFE standards.

Once you reach 30~35 mpg, it is hard to gain the cost back of more improvements.


4 posted on 07/11/2014 5:36:57 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: thackney
The next leap forward in fuel economy will require even lighter structural parts and switching to engines that use homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) technology. Fortunately, HCCI technology is now finally maturing, and if we legalize the growing of industrial hemp in the USA again, that could make it possible to cut the weight of an automobile 15-20% or more using structural parts made from hemp fiber, a major way to really improve fuel economy without sacrificing safety.
5 posted on 07/11/2014 5:45:03 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thackney

Someone discovered ratios. Next week trig and the law of cosines... JK. Useful to keep in mind, are those last few MPG worth it based on cost or loss of features or loss of capability. ...


6 posted on 07/11/2014 5:46:00 AM PDT by ThunderSleeps (Stop obarma now! Stop the hussein - insane agenda!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thackney
I do local delivery. Everywhere I go, I see most people are not really interested in saving gas.

They zoom off when the light turns green, exceed (by a lot) the speed limit, and don't touch their brakes to stop at a red light or stop sign until the last second instead of starting to slow down early.

Fuel economy? Most people only think about it when buying a vehicle. After that, pedal to the metal!

7 posted on 07/11/2014 5:50:03 AM PDT by jeffc (The U.S. media are our enemy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thackney

Without a serious breakthrough, I think we have already hit the limits of cost/benefit. Weight is the next problem, and there is simply no (cheap) way to improve this under current safety rules. And no question that this newer generation of cars will be MUCH more expensive to maintain. Just wait until these “direct injection” engines need new fuel injector components.


8 posted on 07/11/2014 5:50:42 AM PDT by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: thackney

Not sure why the particular comparison.

How about going from 15 to 40mpg a savings of nearly 1,800 dollars a year in fuel cost, but a corresponding potential reduction in crash protection and for me the inability to carry large and long equipment and tools.


9 posted on 07/11/2014 5:53:36 AM PDT by wita
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Antiyuppie
I think we have already hit the limits of cost/benefit.

Agreed. The latest CAFE standard for 54.5 mpg is not a cost savings.

10 posted on 07/11/2014 5:58:06 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: thackney
Diminishing returns require new mandates.

11 posted on 07/11/2014 5:58:29 AM PDT by outofsalt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wita
Not sure why the particular comparison.

Spending thousands of dollars per vehicle to reach the latest CAFE standard is not going to be any real savings to the consumer.

12 posted on 07/11/2014 5:59:49 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo

Fun with statistics.


Yep. They are factoring in that the number of miles driven doesn’t change, so the annual savings decreases at the higher miles per gallon.

On a side note, I drive a Scion FR-S 6 speed to work every day - 125 mile round trip. My average mileage is 30.5 mpg. However, I started hypermiling about six tanks ago. I bumped my average mileage to about 40 mpg.

Driving 125 miles per day, 50 weeks per year, is roughly 31250 miles per year. Divided by 30.5 mpg that’s 1025 gallons. Divided by 40 that’s 781 gallons per year.

At 3.50 a gallon, that works out to an annual savings of $854, or $71 a month.


13 posted on 07/11/2014 6:25:55 AM PDT by cuban leaf (The US will not survive the obama presidency. The world may not either.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: thackney

“Shows how little value there is in the new government CAFE standards.”

IF

the stated goals are the actual goals, and they’re not.


14 posted on 07/11/2014 6:27:33 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: ThunderSleeps

Yeah, this revelation reads like it was written by a 12 or 15 year old.


15 posted on 07/11/2014 6:32:52 AM PDT by Sequoyah101
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: MrB

Regardless of the intent, I’m talking about the impact on the consumer. More cost for the vehicle for less savings in fuel.


16 posted on 07/11/2014 6:38:48 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Sequoyah101

And yet, I’ll bet the typical purchaser still won’t understand the 3 mpg improvement from 12 to 15 mpg equals the fuel savings of 30 mpg from 30 to 60 mpg.


17 posted on 07/11/2014 6:42:58 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: thackney

The fallacy is assuming that the fuel economy of standard cars can be raised from 30 to 60 mpg.

It would seem reasonable to assume that the marginal benefit of diminishing fuel economy will be achieved by marginal vehicle ownership costs that rise at a steeper rate.

There is no calculation for the carbon emission associated with the marginal vehicle ownership rise


18 posted on 07/11/2014 6:46:48 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. GOPc.+12 ..... Obama is public enemy #1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thackney
I think this is called "the law of diminishing returns", which can also be stated as "the pain is not worth the gain"
19 posted on 07/11/2014 7:02:54 AM PDT by Ben Ficklin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ben Ficklin

Some one needs to get Obama to understand that.


20 posted on 07/11/2014 7:03:49 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson