Green Living

As we are officially in the busiest driving season of the year, let’s take a look at the cars already on the road.  More than 15,000,000 Angelenos drive the roads and as much as I hate to admit it – we are exceedingly dependent on foreign oil. It is remarkable that when gas prices plummet, we see more SUVs (aka cars the size of houses) driving around. And when gas prices soar, we see people driving compact cars with people piled up inside. It’s not surprising that our new presidential administration seeks to change these habits.

According to the EPA, our current vehicles get only 21 mpg on average. The Obama White House has unveiled an aggressive standard for auto manufacturers to boost the overall fuel economy by 40% over seven years.

The Obama Administration passed a new rule on May 19 requiring an average fleet fuel efficiency of 35.5 mpg by 2016. The old federal standard sought that efficiency by 2020.

Under the new system, all vehicles will need to meet or exceed a target adjusted to their vehicle size. For example, a Chevy Tahoe, which is 55 square feet, will be required to get about 24 mpg by 2011. Currently, the vehicle gets about 15 mpg. Additionally, this vehicle will have to continually improve from that point on. A senior administration official states that this transition will “remove 900 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air, take 177 million cars off the road, and shut down 194 coal-fired power plants.”

By the time these changes come into effect, it is estimated that gas prices will be closer to $3.50 – translation – people will flock to their mini compact vehicles and leave their SUVs hibernating in the garage. The Obama Administration states that the cost per fuel-efficient vehicle would increase to an optimistic $1,300 per new vehicle. It would take less than a few years to visualize the benefit of fewer trips to refuel our vehicles’ empty bellies.

How do gas-guzzlers suddenly become fuel efficient? No drastic changes need to be made to the infrastructure and many manufacturers have found that only minor modifications to the vehicle and engine design are necessary. So the only question left unanswered is: why have we not done this already?

For those of us who do not plan to purchase a new vehicle anytime soon, here are some tips to reduce your trips to the gas pump: Decrease aggressive driving, avoid excessive idling and maintain properly inflated tires. By following these tips you can significantly improve your vehicle’s fuel economy. Remember, the best gas mileage comes from adjusting our driving habits.

Tags: Barack Obama, Barrack Obama, Federal Fuel Efficiency, Federal Fuel Standards, gas prices, Green LA, Green Living In L.A., Higher Fuel Efficiency, Summer Driving