Generally, when one thinks of ways to increase fuel-efficiency in cars, the only thing that comes to mind is the development of alternative fuel sources such as electricity and ethanol.
To meet the federal government's demand for an average gas milage of 62 miles per gallon by 2025, auto makers will have to explore and implement other ways of increasing fuel-efficiency in cars. One way of doing that is by reducing the car's weight.
In this year's Paris auto show, some companies showcased cars that combine fuel-efficiency, power, and design. Among those companies is Lamborghini which managed to accomplish that by releasing its new model, the Sesto Elemento, which is approximately 700 pounds lighter than the current production Lamborghini Gallardo because it is built almost entirely with carbon fiber. Land Rover, known for its big sport utility vehicles, also presented a more fuel- efficient vehicle that emphasizes lightness: the Evoque. The SUV, which have aluminum hood and roof panels, aluminum suspension parts, and plastic front fenders and tailgate, weights 3,500 pounds, almost a ton less than Land Rover's Range Rover model. The car has a smaller engine, that improves fuel-efficiency by 20%, without sacrificing performance.
Reducing the car's weight, is specially important for high-end automakers that don't want to sacrifice power and comfort for fuel-efficiency. "We see the future as not so focused on increasing power, as there is a limit to power increase due to emission regulations, but in reducing weight," says Lamborghini Chief Executive Stephan Winkelmann.
Usually, technology developed in luxury cars starts to become more popularized with time. Although we are not expected to see popular cars being built with carbon fiber or having a eight-speed transmission designed to improve fuel-efficiency (BMW 5 -series), these changes are important and relevant in achieving the Obama administration goal of making cars drive twice as much with the same fuel by 2025.
Felipe, please be sure to include your own opinion on this. Do you think making cars lighter compromises safety?
ReplyDeleteI was watching national geographic the other day, and they performed a test that related to what your blog focuses on. A crash was performed between a late 1990 range rover and a recently produced renault midsize sedan. Naturally, one would think the rang rover would offer more protection and safety, but when the test was performed, the results of the test showed that the renault offered more protection and safety than the large suv in all areas.
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