Originally Posted by
sherwood
for an average MPG rating, 35mpg is pretty ambitious, especially now that the testing procedures have changed. It's like a double blow.
I just don't see how it's possible, it's physically just a crazy number to shoot for.
That's just complete bollocks.
The solution is straightforward --- less weight and less displacement.
This formula worked fine for the Civc CX in 1992, and it would do 38 mpg without any hybrid technology to reclaim the kinetic energy wasted by braking. Batteries are getting smaller, lighter and easier to recycle so IMO it perfectly reasonable to set a timeline for real progress.
Assuming you could cut 250 lbs out of the GS450h in seven years time, you'd have yourself a decen luxury sedan that was still rated in the mid to upper 30s for combined MPG.
While I'm not a fan of the government dictating to the market, something has to be done to reverse the trend of ever-larger motors going into coninually heavier chassis.
A 1978 Golf weighed about 860kg; the new 2007 Rabbit weighs nearly twice that. Even when you take modern safety requirements into account, there is weight than can be lost through the use of composites.
Since the market isn't self-correcting and we're moving past the point of peak oil production, it is time once again for the government to set a standard and force companies to innovate again.
And as far as Lutz's comments are concerned, it's just another case of an indolent manufacturer not wanting to invest in new technology for the sake of their bottom line.