Comments on: Coming soon: Cars that get 100 miles per gallon

Better batteries, some solar power and help from large auto manufacturers could make gas stations a distant memory.
Photos: From gas guzzler to green machine

[rjr54]

Is this really news?

I guess this might be news because someone went to such an extreme to do something which already exists. Higher efficiency cars (100 m/g) are available in Europe and Asia, but they just don't sell here in North America.

Recently Smart Car was introduced here. I was surprized to see that it had a lot more power and a lot lower efficiency than the one I drove in England 5 years ago. It seems the Canadian version has been hopped up for our market. Too bad - the one thing that made it attractive to me was downgraded. But I am definitely in the minority, it seems like everybody else wants a truck with a hemi.

There are so many other models by so many makers it is hard to settle on an example. For those of you who what a nicer car that comfortably seats five you might want to try the Audi A2. It is a hot seller in Europe and uses about 3 litres per 100 Km or close to 100 miles per gallon - about 80 miles per American gallon. Higher efficiency vehicles currently exist. They are not purchased in North America.

Higher efficiency vehicles have always existed. For example, one of the popular cars in France in the 1960's was the Citroen 2CV, which got 120 m/g - 100 miles per American gallon. Heck, a Model A went 70 miles on a gallon of gas (on a decent road rare in those days).

Higher efficiency cars do not sell in North America. Why? Probably because we have the cheapest fuel in the world. And $2/gallon is cheap, even $3/gallon is cheap. If the price goes up we will buy more of the efficient models. Currently the F150 outsells the Escort by 5:1, if the price of gas was $6 (as it is in Europe) I think it might start to even out some.

As a group Canadians (and Americans) do not want efficient cars. Sure there will always be a few people (like me) who would buy an A2 but the vast majority don't. The consumer has spoken.

[baldguy61]

Electricity generation

The assertion that all night-time electricity is generated from coal is a canard. most night-time electricity is, in fact, generated from nuclear powerplants, depending on where one lives. While waste disposal remains a major problem, the fact is that this type of generation produces no greenhouse gases, thus throwing the coal argument right out the window. Cost effectiveness of plug-in vehicles has to be weighed against the daily mile driven and the cost of gasoline in the near future, neither of which are known factors. If I don't ski OR take vacations, does that mean that I can drive exclusively on electricity? (That was a rhetorical question). In short, the economics of plug-in hybrids are highly dependent on individual driving patterns, so there can be no meaningful discussion, much as in asking how deep is down?

[aksh15]

what should we do to bring back those eletric cars

eletric cars r great than hybrid and othr cars
its gud for the environment n gives a gud milage per charge and if we r worry abut long trips then we should have gas station for eletric charge cars in which we can charge our battery in like 5 minutes because we do have technology noadays so i think we should bring back our eletric cars in the whole United States

[cmatthijssen]

Hi there , here is a new one : after converting my Prius to plug-in in feb 2008 , I have just converted it to E85 driving , and since my electricity is windmilldriven , and bioethanol renewable , driving is as low-output as possible. Conversion of ANY car is possible to E85 , if you want to know how : do ask/mail me !! Greetings , Cees Matthijssen

[pannelljerry]

i don't see why cars can't get gas mileage,i'm 67 years old and cars got more gas mileage back in the
50&60 than now .i knew a man that made a carburator that got 45 to 50 mpg. he dissapeared and all
he designed . this was in 1970's. when was ask about him nobody knew anything.
JP