I'm a kid from the 60's when they made real cars. This sounds as safe as a Model T.
Posted on 06/09/2014 1:10:56 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Roofs made of carbon fiber. Plastic windshields. Bumpers fashioned out of aluminum foam.
What sounds like a science experiment could be your next car.
While hybrids and electrics may grab the headlines, the real frontier in fuel economy is the switch to lighter materials.
Automakers have been experimenting for decades with lightweighting, as the practice is known, but the effort is gaining urgency with the adoption of tougher gas mileage standards. To meet the government's goal of nearly doubling average fuel economy to 45 mpg by 2025, cars need to lose some serious pounds.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
We all know the press wouldn't lie, the government wouldn't fudge figures and Washington, DC is just looking out for our higher good.
Do I need a sarc tag?
Just
No
Oh joy , having fun being blown off the highway by every big rig
Sounds like coffins on 4 wheels. Cheap ones at that.
What? You don’t want to be a leaf in the wind?
If a tractor trailer traveling 50 mph rear ends your SUV and pushes it under the trailer ahead of you, no amount of heavy material is going to keep you alive.
Hmmm, no traction in the snow, getting blown off the road and only costs twice as much? Sign me up!!!!
>> To meet the government’s goal
It isn’t going to matter. Lighter cars will kill you before big rigs get a shot at you.
12 mil caskets on wheels.
I’ve been hypermiling in my Scion FR-S. It’s got a standard six speed transmission and is rated at 30 mpg highway. My average was 30-31 but for the last five tanks I’ve averaged between 37 and 38.5. It’s all about how you drive. It’s also a lot of work. You have to be thinking all the time.
But the savings are substantial. I have a 125 mile round trip commute so I use a lot of gas. I’m able to extend a single tank by about 90 miles, which works out to around $11. That’s eleven dollars savings PER TANK!
Yup!
Oh joy , having fun being blown off the highway by every big rig
“Lighter doesn’t mean less safe. Cars with new materials are already acing government crash tests.”
Great. So a lighter car goes on the road. Gets 60 MPH. Unless the Mac truck that hits it is also light, and the cargo it is carrying also light, this vehicle is useless.
“But they drove with pride....”
As a side note, I get 30-35 MPH in my Elantra. I’m happy.
Cheap in terms of quality! They won’t be inexpensive!
You can take that to the bank. On the other hand, the bank is probably not a good idea.
I'm a kid from the 60's when they made real cars. This sounds as safe as a Model T.
I’ll stick with steel thanks. F series Ford of 70s vintage.I have nothing against Carbon Fiber. I like steel. And if I had to use more gas/spend more on it, so be it.
“Cheap ones at that.”
Trust me. Light materials does not mean cheap (as in inexpensive.) Typically, if they match or even come close in capability to the heavier material they cost many times as much.
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