Cody Magrath Automobile Fuel Efficiency

According to a study done by Stanford University there are roughly three trillion barrels of oil left in the world. At the current global rate of consumption that amount left will last us for 40 years (Stanford University). The United States is by far the biggest oil consumer in the World. We consume 20.5 million barrels of oil per day (Marianne). The amount of oil that is used in the United States alone would extend the 40 years of oil usage that the entire world has left if it was required of automobile manufactures to produce more fuel efficient vehicles. Producing more fuel efficient vehicles would be better for the environment, preserve our fossil fuels, and create more jobs. Vehicles that achieve greater fuel efficiency would have a positive effect on our environment. The more fuel that cars and trucks burn, the more exhaust is released into our air. There are many factors that determine the amount of emissions that are released into the air such as weight, engine displacement, and transmission of a vehicle. However the conclusion of the Department of Automobile Transport, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University study is that the better the fuel economy of a vehicle the less amount of emissions in our air (Micknaitis). Transportation is one of the primary contributors to global warming, generating more than one-third of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions and 30 percent of Americas total global warming emissions (Clean Vehicles). More than 60 percent of U.S. transportation emissions come from lightweight trucks and cars. One gallon of gas that is used in these vehicles creates 25 pounds of global warming emissions (Clean Vehicles). This evidence alone

shows that by creating more fuel efficient vehicles would reduce the amount of global warming emissions that is put into our air because less fuel would be used to drive these vehicles. From 1880 to now, the average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The 20th centurys last two decades were the hottest in 400 years. In 2007, 11 of the past 12 years were among the dozen warmest years since 1850. Montanas national glacier park has 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910 (National Geographic). All of this evidence shows that the Earths temperature is rising. You might think to yourself that 1.4 degrees isnt a significant temperature change at all, but it is. That kind of change affects different things such as the way that farmers grow food. At this rate of temperature increase, farmers will not be able to produce the amount of food that they do today which will cause an increase in food prices and hunger. Car emissions arent the main cause of global warming but they are one of the greatest due to the current fuel efficiency of vehicles. If, however, vehicles increased their fuel efficiency then less emissions would be put into our air. So if we can reduce the rate of global warming, shouldnt it be done? In order to design and produce more fuel efficient vehicles, automobile manufacturers would have to hire teams of engineers and people to work in factories to produce the vehicles. This would mean that the manufacturers would need more employees and ultimately lead to the creation of new jobs which would stimulate the economy. According to Toyotas 2011 webpage, they had 198,332 employees (Toyota 2011) whereas in 2012 they had 365,000 employees (Toyota 2012). This shows that as the automobile manufacturers work towards producing vehicles that can achieve greater fuel efficiency, the employment rate for that

company will rise. Along with reducing the unemployment rate, this new job market will motivate individuals to get a higher level of education, such as a mechanical automotive degree. With more jobs available there is more money being paid to workers. With more money paid to workers this means that there would be more spending, thus stimulating the economy to some degree. Some people might be against fuel efficiency for their own reasons, whether it be that they think that a fuel efficient vehicle isnt fast, cant pull a heavy load, or they simply dont care about the future of this planet or their loved ones. The first two reasons can be fixed if automobile manufacturers were required to produce vehicles that achieve greater fuel efficiency. If you have a need for speed and like to race, then automobile manufacturers will have to produce vehicles that get a considerable gas mileage rate but still have high power and torque. Automobile manufacturers have already begun making fast cars that get good gas mileage. One example is the 2013 Ford Focus ST which has a 252 horsepower 2.0-Liter Eco Boost turbocharged four cylinder engine with 270 pound-feet of torque that achieves a gas mileage of 23 mpg city and 32 mpg highway (Newsday). If you drive trucks, for work purposes or not, then the gas mileage will have to be increased for newer trucks but that also lies in the hands of the producers. When people think of trucks they generally think of V8 engines that can tow heavy loads. Truck producers, however, such as Ford are manufacturing smaller engine trucks that can tow the same amount of weight as V8s. For example, the 2013 Ford F150 V6 with the Eco Boost engine has a maximum towing capacity of 11,300 pounds (Ford). Ford equipped this smaller engine with two turbocharges that makes it operate the same as a V8 engine. This smaller engine trucks gets 16 miles to the gallon in the city and 22 miles to the

gallon on the highway while the bigger motor V8 version gets 11 miles to the gallon in the city and 16 miles to the gallon on the highway (Ford). Since it is proven that automobile manufacturers are capable of producing fast fuel efficient cars or powerful fuel efficient pick-up trucks, there arent any valid arguments as to why automobile manufacturers shouldnt be required to produce more fuel efficient vehicles. Everything lies in the hands of the manufacturers and they should be required to produce more fuel efficient vehicles. The purchasing cost of the vehicle might be a little more, but in the long run you will save a whole lot more on fuel cost while helping the environment at the same time. So take action and demand that the requirements of fuel efficient vehicles be raised.

Works Cited

Ford. Ford Trucks. F150 Specifications. Web. 22 April 2013. Micknaitis, Valentinas, Alvydas Piknas, and Igor Mackoit. "Reducing Fuel Consumption And Co2 Emission In Motor Cars." Transport (16484142) 22.3 (2007): 160-163. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Apr. 2013 National Geographic. National Geographic News. Thursday, October 28, 2010. Web. 22 April 2013. Newsday. Cars. 2013 Ford Focus ST: Giving an eco boost to performance. October 19, 2012. Web. 22 April 2013. Stanford University. Research by the barrel. Multidisciplinary Teaching and Research. Web. 22 April 2013. Toyota. Toyota.com. United States Operations 2011. Web. 22 April 2013. Toyota. Toyota.com. Toyota in the United States. 2012. Web. 22 April 2013. Union of Concerned Scientists Citizens and Scientists For Environmental Solutions. Clean Vehicles. Web. 22 April 2013.