Standards set by the federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) address the issue of increases in crude oil and gas prices, which has prompted law makers to renew focus on U.S. fuel consumption, by setting fuel economy averages that manufacturers must meet each model year. Senate Majority Leader and the democrats are proposing a bill that calls for automakers to improve vehicle fuel efficiency to 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. They have a plan of increasing production of ethanol and other renewable fuels to cut down on imported oil.
Every time a new car is launched, it is faster, safer and more luxurious than the old one. It’s also heavier. But reducing weight does benefit both fuel economy and performance.There are many ways to improve performance and economy; reducing weight is usually the most expensive
one. Today material technology is better than it’s ever been. Aluminum has never been cheaper (although it’s still more expensive than steel). Plastics have never been stronger, and even exotics such as carbon fiber are starting to make their way into the cars we buy.
Car buyers, fearful of more gas price increases, are thinking small again.This time, automakers are pressuring their designers to come up with smaller vehicles that wow buyers. The designers are incorporating useful and desirable features, sculptured sheet metal and overall emotional appeal. The goal is to make the small vehicles so sexy that that they will sell for the same as or more than today’s bigger sedans and SUVs.
Foreign automakers have shown that small cars can still make money. There’s a prediction that the percentage of small cars sold will continue to rise through 2010. There are buyers who are willing to pay a premium price for a small car because they are fun to drive.
To make vehicles look big on the inside, designers are turning to lighter upholstery shades, more glass and other tactics that give the appearance of space. Just making the seats thinner one can open up extra room. To make them look small on the outside, designers play some visual tricks like rounded corners so it may appear more compact. It also helps to push the wheels to the corners of the car.
Designers have also learned that a successful small car isn’t just a downsized version of a larger one. They are trying to reach different segments with smaller vehicles including one for hipsters, families and the luxury buyers.
The debate on the future of legislation to increase CAFE standards is just getting started this week in the U.S. Senate, about what the law might do to the look of cars cruising the American roads for the next decade or more. Sooner or later the thing which would matter is how would these lighter, taller and smaller cars fit into our lifestyles?
Image : Ecobusiness
Via : Autobloggreen
