The Civil Society Institute (CSI) in Newton Centre, Mass., apparently wants to reduce US imports of crude by increasing imports of “dozens of fuel-efficient cars made by foreign and American auto manufacturers that are available for sale in other nations but not in the US.”
CSI announced Nov. 28 a survey showing “millions of Americans have been frustrated in their attempts to buy hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles due to lack of adequate supply of the vehicles in the US.” CSI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to “apply new strategies to society’s persistent problems” in the primary categories of “kids and learning, health care reform, science policy and regenerative medicine, climate change and global security, and economic change.” It didn’t say what vehicles are available in other countries that can’t be found in the US, the world’s biggest automobile market. Presumably the cars were to be named at the Dec. 1 release of the survey, after the deadline for this edition of OGJ.
Misleading claims
Fuel efficiency claims can be misleading, however. A study released in October by Consumer Reports, a publication of the independent Consumers Union of US Inc., confirmed what most drivers have long suspected-the actual fuel efficiency performance by most late model cars is much worse than the average miles per gallon stipulated by the Environmental Protection Agency on new-car stickers, as much as 50% less on some models. According to Consumer Reports, 90% of the 303 cars and trucks tested for model years 2000-06 got fewer miles per gallon than their sticker listings. “The largest discrepancy between claimed and actual mpg involved city driving. Some models we tested fell short of claimed city mpg by 35-50%,” said the online report on ConsumerReports.Org.
Surprisingly, it said, “Hybrids, whose selling point is fuel thriftiness, had some of the biggest disparities, with fuel economy averaging 19 mpg below the EPA city rating.”
The findings suggest that auto manufacturers are far short of their energy-efficiency goals, with the fleet average fuel economy near its lowest point in 17 years. “For consumers, the news means that their vehicles typically cost hundreds [of dollars] more per year to operate than they were led to believe. Put another way, when gas in August hit $2.37/gal, the mpg shortchange effectively boosted the price for some motorists to $3.13/gal,” said Consumer Reports.
‘Patriotic’ conservation
In March, another CSI survey reported, “Most Americans now see buying a fuel-efficient vehicle as a patriotic gesture, and that is exactly what tens of millions in the US are considering doing in the face of worsening gasoline price sticker shock.” But that public support for fuel-efficient vehicles in CSI polls doesn’t seem to carry over into the majority of vehicle purchases. According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, more than 58% of all vehicles sold in the US in 2004 were sport utility vehicles, pickups, vans, and minivans. In all 50 states last year, more light trucks were sold than passenger cars.
Other sources indicate that higher fuel prices apparently have had little effect on the automobile market this year. J.D. Power & Associates said the market share of SUVs declined to 25% in the first 5 months of 2005 from 26% a year ago. The market share for pickups dipped to 18% from 19%, while minivans held steady at 17%.
Based on data published by Automotive News, a Crain Communications Inc. publication, full-size pickup trucks continue to be the most popular vehicles with US buyers. The 10 best-selling vehicles in the US during the first 9 months of 2005 were, in the order of most sales, the Ford F-Series pickup, Chevrolet Silverado pickup, Toyota Camry, Dodge Ram pickup, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Nissan Altima, Ford Explorer SUV, Chevrolet TrailBlazer SUV, and Toyota Corolla.
SUVs have enjoyed tremendous sales success over the last decade, and the main reason that drivers give for buying these bigger, heavier gas-guzzlers is safety. Most SUV drivers say their bigger vehicles protect occupants, especially in collisions with smaller, lighter, more fuel-efficient cars. Even proponents of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars express concerns about possible run-ins with trucks and tractor-trailers of more than 10,000 lb gross vehicle weight in a period when deaths in car-truck crashes are on the rise, with fatalities usually limited to the occupants of the wrecked cars.✦