WSJ's Prescription For Detroit 2.8: A Bucketful of Horse Pills
In today's Wall Street Journal, Joseph White proposes Three Vehicles Detroit Should Build. Y1) a seven-passenger vehicle that gets 30mpg highway, 2) a midsize sedan that gets 40mpg highway that doesn't cost much more than a Malibu or Camry, and 3) a pickup truck large enough to do real work and comes close to 30mpg highway. Worthy goals, indeed. But, Mr. White, may we suggest looking at what the competition already has on the market: 1) no current US market seven passenger gas-powered vehicle gets close to 30mpg highway. [Note: such vehicles exist overseas – assuming you don't look like the humans in WALL-E] 2) The Toyota Prius is the only midsize car that gets 40+ mpg on the highway, never mind that the Cobalt XFE can't hit that number on the side of a barn despite its stick, and 3) if someone builds it (a compact diesel pickup), will they come? What of high diesel prices and competition? And what if ALL of The Big 2.8 builds these self-same vehicles? Anyway, the D2.8 have enough to worry about just trying to survive the next year, much less leapfrogging the competition in the fuel economy department. Of course, there's always the option of installing much smaller engines and asking customers to put up with 0 – 60 times up to 20 seconds, just like in the 1970's.
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@dhanson865 : Ok, so let's call it 30 city/37 highway, by modern calculations. So what? Find me a modern 7-seater that even gets 30/37, and we'll talk.
The only thing a cobalt should be made into is a metal cube about 2 feet on a side. If you've ever driven one or ridden one, you will know why.
small engines with turbochargers, direct injection and variable valve timing. Look at the Tiguan (I know, its a bimbo box but the concept is there).
I agree you can't legislate or "executive" mandate" better mpg's. However: from "The Feasible File" aluminum frames. lighter. btw Raise the USA's level of aluminum-can recycling to Sweden's before you reply "too expensive". In other words, DOUBLE IT! Smart guys and gals, please be advancing the art of assembly line aluminum welding, which I understand, is trickier than for steel. iirc the Honda Insight and the Corvette have some aluminum frame parts. There's an expensive Euro-only Audi "economy" car that's all aluminum, iirc the A2 or A3. you, dear reader, can fill us in on some other aluminum cars probably. aerodynamics. COME ON! The Insight is slick! the Audi TT is ick! google "Visser" and "Clarkson University" save the slow-reacting trucking industry a FORTUNE in fuel savings from aerodynamic drag reduction. There's a 6-passenger, executive, slightly "stretch", autobahn-friendly Mercedes sedan with a smooth belly-pan. Its co-efficient of drag makes it sleeker [for its size] than a NASCAR car of yesteryear. Form doesn't follow function for you art critics, hunh? How darn expensive is a BELLYPAN to manufacture? If your EXISTENCE depends on it? The function of toolbox, pet-carrier, whatever could be integrated into Phil Knox's aerodynamic pickup truck cap. add a bellypan, and the fuel savings at highway speed are greater than the sum of the parts. google Knox aerodynamic Toyota T-100. WHERE ARE THE MANUFACTURERS MAKING THIS STANDARD? or else, Why can't you buy these mods aftermarket at Pep Boys? Is this rocket science? It IS science. YES! But the science has been done. The manufacturing IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE! The principles apply to bigger trucks, if they ever go faster than 25 mph. NO. KEEP THINKING ABOUT THIS. where are the manufacturers on this? COME ON! the beauty is in the slipstream. Don't go be dragging aero drag for some stale reason!