Correspondent of the Day
Work Takes Torque, Not Gas-Guzzling
Editor, Times-Dispatch: In your May 20 story about President Barack Obama's plan to increase fuel efficiency for vehicles, Dixie Bishop, who owns a plumbing business in San Antonio, asks: "Are they going to take my horsepower down?"Her question is both amusing and informative.
While Americans have wasted millions of barrels of imported crude oil on overpowered vehicles, just so they can strut and look cool, those who actually need big vehicles, like Bishop, fall into another trap by confusing horsepower and torque.
She does not need something like a Dodge Ram Hemi to haul "old water heaters and toilets." Too many business owners use hot-rodded trucks when a small diesel, the sort used in European work vehicles, would do fine. They'd not win any stoplight races or look like urban cowboys, but they'd easily meet Obama's proposed standards.
Ford Rangers made in Europe, using diesels, get nearly 40 mpg on the highway. Even my 1995 F-150, with a small V-8, pulls down 20 mpg.
As trucks got bigger and guzzled more gas, none of the domestic or overseas carmakers would import technology that already exists in their international models. Manufacturers claimed -- until gas hit $4 a gallon -- that such models would not sell here.
Sadly, it seems, Americans need to be forced to drive vehicles that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gases, even as we develop new fuels and explore for more domestic oil.
An earlier generation of Americans, not so soft or self-centered, would have pulled together for this effort and said farewell to muscle-cars, guzzler pickups, and bloated SUVs. They'd have called it patriotic.
Joe Essid.
Richmond.
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Reader Reactions
I just wish someone would hurry up and invent a teleportation device. I mean someone has to have the technology, right? RIGHT!?
Mr. Essid, you letter is absolutely ridiculous.
The Europeans don’t need the bigger, more powerful vehicles because the compact cities they live in and the mass transit options they have mean they don’t drive nearly as much as Americans, and because Europe doesn’t have nearly the access to fuel that we have, so their fuel prices are exorbitantly higher than ours. It has nothing to do with choice. Europeans are more nuts about fast cars than we are. If the European fuel prices were like ours you wouldn’t have the Ford Ranger getting 40 mpg in Europe. If fuel was reasonably priced there wouldn’t be a vehicle over there with less than 250 hp and 270 ft-lb torque that got more than 20 mpg.
Your comment about Americans needing to be “forced to drive vehicles that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil” is idiotic and goes directly against the freedom of choice our nation stands for. YOU DON’T FORCE ME TO DRIVE CRAP!!! I’ll drive what I please and if you don’t like it, move to France where they’ll stick you in a car so small you can’t breath and where one fender bender will put you in the hospital for a month.
As for oil, if the damn liberals would quit kissing the enviroidiots’ butts we could have plenty of domestic oil sources and gas prices would not be any worry. But because the liberals have decided as you have, that forcing Americans to do certain things is just fine no matter what the Founding Fathers thought, we have and will continue to have high gas prices and more emphasis on putting out these ultra-small, no-power putt-putt machines that will drive auto insurance rates higher than health insurance rates and get people killed on the highway.
Somebody should remind these so called “forcers” that the reason automobiles get better gas milage in Europe is because they have different regulations. The man who developed the Prius, in Japan, has stated he could put a 100 mpg vehicle on the US roads right now but it would only get 65 mpg if he were to sell it in the States. We have the toughest pollution standards of anywhere yet we have people wanting to “force” us to use vehicles that will not perform the tasks needed. Sound like the continual downfall into Socialism that is going on in this country these days.
I too was struck by the same phrase. I keep seeing variations of it everywhere lately. The nanny state mantra.
“sadly it seems Americans need to be forced to.“-
And the show Americans in a poor light phrase “Americans have wasted millions of barrels of imported crude oil on overpowered vehicles, JUST SO they can strut and look cool.“
There are many reasons why American vehicles are larger then the European.
It seems that the two most important ones are distances traveled and amount of time spent on the road. Americans far out drive the Europeans and for far longer periods of time.
There are pages of information on the internet. Both pro and con. And I am sure that Mr. Essid made some valid points. However it is getting very tedious this habit of chastizing and lecturing and ORDERING up changes in behavior for our fellow citizens.
Perhaps someone could explain what vehicle displacment is and why the Europeans tax it?
To paraphrase: “YOU CAN HAVE MAH GAS GUZZLER WHEN YOU PRY MY DEAD TOES OFF THE GAS PEDAL!“
Agreed we need to end dependence on foreign energy sources, but I do not agree in FORCING anyone! It’s amusing when people who are for “choice” are only for “choice” when it comes to things they want to choose. Everyone else needs to tow the line according to them.
Liberty comes when you defend things with which you do not agree.
Sadly, it seems, Americans need to be forced to drive vehicles that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gases, even as we develop new fuels and explore for more domestic oil.
FORCED!? - With attitudes like that, Mr. Essid, this country is really starting to look like 1930’s Germany. I am all for conservation, but it should be the choice of the individual, not imposed by government fiat.
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