Rethinking the Role of the Automobile

[deebrown]

While doing some research I came across a old beaten up pamphlet entitled

Worldwatch Paper 84 - Rethinking the Role of the Automobile

(Worldwatch Institute is an independent, non-profit research organization created to analyze and to focus attention on global problems)

The was published in June, 1988 - 19 years ago - it is highly prophetic at times...I scanned this papergraph which I thought was particularly insightful:


High expectations for GM's Saturn, Ford's Alpha, and Chrysler's Liberty small-car models have not been met, as the companies either reconfigured the cars as bigger models or abandoned plans to put them into production. Indeed, one industry analyst joked that GM's Saturn project was at the "leading edge of old technology." In keeping with Henry Ford II's 1971 dictum that "mini-cars mean mini-profits," General Motors and Ford—and increasingly Chrysler as well—prefer to concentrate on big cars, where profit margins are large. In the small-car segment, all three U.S. companies increasingly rely on "sponsored" imports—marketing cars often designed, engineered, or manufactured abroad. As a result, they could find themselves without a sufficient manufacturing base to meet the demand for smaller cars when it develops again.
In the seventies, the United States held a research lead in advanced fuel efficiency projects such as energy storage systems and the lean-burn engine. But with the advent of the oil glut, the American car companies abandoned fuel economy as a strategic goal. At the same time, U.S. government support for fuel economy R&D was terminated or reduced by the Reagan administration.
Today, the Japanese and Europeans are the pacesetters in the quest for higher fuel efficiency. Toyota and Honda lead the development of lean-burn motors, Japanese firms are most advanced in ceramic engine development, and European firms are strong contenders in energy storage systems.


interestingly enough, it also talks about some high mpg cars that I guess never got off the ground:


The most efficient cars currently available are about twice as efficient as the average new car on the road. At the top of the list is a Japanese model, the Suzuki Sprint, which gets 57 MPG. More advanced prototypes, such as the Peugeot ECO 2000, Volkswagen E80, and Toyota AXV, achieve anywhere from 70 to over 100 MPG; Sweden's Volvo claims its LCP 2000, which contains more lightweight materials than any other car, will achieve a fuel efficiency in excess of 100 MPG without sacrificing performance, size, safety, or emissions criteria. Renault's VESTA scored a stunning 124 MPG in prototype testing.


Remember - this was published in June 1988 - my question is: what the hell has been going on for the past 19 years in terms of fuel standards?!