Automakers Alliance: Fuel Efficiency is YOUR Problem

Justin Berkowitz
by Justin Berkowitz

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) is serving-up some more PC for your PC. The just-launched www.EcoDrivingUSA.com tells you how to drive your car like an old man. "Drivers don't have to wait to buy a new, fuel-efficient vehicle to start reducing fuel costs and CO2," AAM CEO Dave McCurdy insists. "Though I do encourage everyone to buy one of our new fuel-efficient vehicles immediately." But seriously folks, this is a classic deflection strategy. Or, if you prefer, it's blaming the victim. The Governator is the site's plastic surgery-intensive spokesman for the politically shape-shifting carmakers. Ahnold speaks from experience when he says we "can't wait for the politicians to take action." Yup, it's up to you (that's you) to properly pressurize your damn tires already, and hypermile yourself to a 15 percent savings on your gas bills. In fact, if we all eco-drove, we could save enough energy to power Skynet for 1000 years. Or something like that.

Justin Berkowitz
Justin Berkowitz

Immensely bored law student. I've also got 3 dogs.

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  • RedStapler RedStapler on Aug 19, 2008
    JuniorMint : …if I show it to the cop who pulls me over, to explain why I was following 15 feet behind a semitruck at 75 MPH, do you think he’ll let me off? Not asmany trucks are flying in the hammer lane these days. Independent Owner Operators are going belly up. The 10-20% mileage boost from doing a mellow 60mph is Huge when you are burning 500 gal of diesel per week. Most company trucks are governed at 62-65mph.
  • 50merc 50merc on Aug 20, 2008

    KixStart: "It amazes me that people will continue to accelerate towards a red light." Me too! And how about the jerk who rides your bumper until taking an exit, and as you're cruising along at the speed limit you look over and see he's now moving faster in the exit lane or access road than you're doing on the Interstate! Hey, fella, access roads do have stop signs and traffic lights.

  • Mirko Reinhardt Mirko Reinhardt on Aug 20, 2008

    @50smerc And how about the jerk who rides your bumper until taking an exit, and as you’re cruising along at the speed limit you look over And what about the guy driving 80 kph on a 100 kph 1-lane road with no chance to overtake him... and when you overtake him, he suddenly realizes he's in a hurry and sticks to your bumper..? I never drive below the speed limit, but there are a few things I do for a lot of my driving now: - I keep the engine between 1200 and 1800 rpm for most of the time (diesel torque is a nice thing!) - I don't accelerate too much, just to brake immediately - I turn the a/c off when I don't need it - I take the car out of gear and release the clutch, even on short stops (it has start-stop) If I drive that way and keep out of the cities off the autobahns, I'm able to get 50-52 mpg without much effort. In cities, I have never been able to get more than 47 mpg, even when driving like a saint. If I drive like fuel was free, I only get about 40. Tall gearing helps, in my car 60 mph is 1500 rpm in 6th gear.

  • Capeplates Capeplates on Aug 21, 2008

    Driving like an old man eh this is an insult to all the golden oldies I see burning rubber down the motorways in their fired up Fiat Pandas

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