Why isn't gas mileage improving for new vehicles?

[isucy86]

[QUOTE="FinalFourCy, post: 6739237, member: 37336".... Add in technology like ride-sharing impacting major population areas, and it seems as though cars are more than ever about what you want, not need.[/QUOTE]

I don't think it was posted on this board, but a few months back read an eye opening story about self-driving cars. The writers basic premise was that once self-driving cars become viable, the need to own a car for most people goes away. Most cars are used less than 5% of the day. With self-driving technology we will just call companies like Uber or Lyft and a car will pick us up. The cost will be much lower than Uber or Lyft are currently because the driver cost is eliminated.

 

[ClonesFTW]

I have a bit of a lead foot so I never get close to what my car is rated for *shrug*

 

[enisthemenace]

In before cave

 

[NWICY]

Wut. Comparable how?

The subject is fuel mileage and he's pretty much right on that. Creature comforts and safety have improved bunches but really fuel mileage is still pretty marginal in most pick ups.

 

[ArgentCy]

Can’t change physics.

Law of disminishing returns.

Americans like big SUVs.

Really all you have to say is that you can't change physics. Putting additional requirements on a car like pollution controls also can hurt the gas mileage / efficiency.

 

[ArgentCy]

I have no idea if this is true or not but I had someone tell me the EPA regulations for reducing exhaust had a negative effect on mileage.

It does, especially hurts the diesel engines.

 

[FinalFourCy]

I don't think it was posted on this board, but a few months back read an eye opening story about self-driving cars. The writers basic premise was that once self-driving cars become viable, the need to own a car for most people goes away. Most cars are used less than 5% of the day. With self-driving technology we will just call companies like Uber or Lyft and a car will pick us up. The cost will be much lower than Uber or Lyft are currently because the driver cost is eliminated.

Yeah, tremendous resource allocation potential. Millions of electric/non-ICE automated cars won’t completely eliminate individual car ownership, but fuel efficiency isn’t going to be attracting buyers. With dynamics like population shifts and telecommuting, and it would not seem wise for automakers to invest heavily in solving problems from yesteryear.

Hopefully the automobile and technology sectors are really starting to merge.

 

[mynameisjonas]

Ive gotten over 27 mpg on my Silverado 1500 over stretches.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Really all you have to say is that you can't change physics. Putting additional requirements on a car like pollution controls also can hurt the gas mileage / efficiency.

Your last sentence proved my statement about physics as correct.

 

[nocsious3]

I have no idea why half the dudes in my neighborhood own a truck. Most haven't hauled anything or couldn't back a trailer if their life depended on it. It's a status symbol thing apparently to some dudes.

 

[cyclone101]

I drive a 2018 ecoboost and the best I've ever seen on the "lie-o-meter" is 23.3 over the course of several hundred miles... wish I would've penciled that tank at the pump to see what it actually was. It has a 32 gallon tank and I've comfortably gone over 700 miles on a tank multiple times. I would love to see what it could do at 60 mph with no city driving for 700+ miles. Would definitely go over 800 if I were to bet.

 

[cyclone101]

I have no idea why half the dudes in my neighborhood own a truck. Most haven't hauled anything or couldn't back a trailer if their life depended on it. It's a status symbol thing apparently to some dudes.

Not that you care, but fwiw some hobbies a pickup is nice. As a hunter, I'd rather keep dead critters in the back instead of riding shotgun back to my place.

 

[HFCS]

When suddenly faced with a major LA commute I bought a '14 Hyundai Accent in '15 with 28k on it for $10,000.

It's not even a hybrid and has averaged 38MPG for almost four years now with no major issues. I've gotten 41MPG for a tank of gas before on a good traffic week. If I lived somewhere with less traffic I think it could get 42 or 43 if mostly highway miles.

The math of mileage per $ destroyed just about any other car I could find including hybrids.

One of the tradeoffs for this is it doesn't have a real spare tire but one of those inflation kits, luckily the one flat I got I was able to easily tow somewhere in town and not off an 8 lane highway.

 

[jdcyclone19]

I drive a 2018 ecoboost and the best I've ever seen on the "lie-o-meter" is 23.3 over the course of several hundred miles... wish I would've penciled that tank at the pump to see what it actually was. It has a 32 gallon tank and I've comfortably gone over 700 miles on a tank multiple times. I would love to see what it could do at 60 mph with no city driving for 700+ miles. Would definitely go over 800 if I were to bet.

Went on a trip to OKC last week, got 21mpg down and 18.8 on the way back. 2011 ecoboost.

 

[HFCS]

I have a bit of a lead foot so I never get close to what my car is rated for *shrug*

I'm the opposite, I see $$$ when I get the opportunity to coast up to a red light. Probably annoys some of my passengers.

 

[cyclone101]

Went on a trip to OKC last week, got 21mpg down and 18.8 on the way back. 2011 ecoboost.

Which reminds me, this is the first vehicle I've ever owned that has the 'real time' mpg displayed. I think it's always interesting (and sometimes makes you cringe) to see how a headwind/tailwind or net elevation gain/loss over a hundred miles affects the mileage you get.

 

[motorcy90]

My 2018 Dodge 1500 with a 5.7 L engine get's 26 hwy without load and under 70 mph. That's freaking amazing. This is a good question regardless considering there are trains getting comparatively 200 to 500 miles per gallon. (They don't really rate them this way however) "Fuel Efficiency - CSX.com. Moving freight by rail is 4 times more fuel efficient than moving freight on the highway. Trains can move a ton of freight over 470 miles on a single gallon of fuel."

I agree there are limits to physics, but when trains are pulling 3000 ton and getting 400 miles to the ton per gallon of fuel, something seems off. I suspect inertia and idle during down ward slopes account for a great deal of t his.

Trains are basically hybrid vehicles hence the high fuel efficiency. The engines turn big generators that power electric motors. plus they don't have to start/stop like regular vehicles/trucks.

 

[NorthCyd]

Vehicles are capable of better gas mileage with sacrifices in other areas, but auto makers are going to give consumers what they want. If gas was $5 a gallon you'd suddenly see sales in efficient vehicles skyrocket and in 10 years you'd see a huge leap in efficiency technology as money is dumped in to that area of research. Its not rocket science.

 

[motorcy90]

But in 1970 we had computers the size of a house that were less powerful than my cell phone. But for some reason a 1970 Ford truck is comparable to a 2019

except for increased towing capacity, increased payload - both of those today's half-tons surpass 1 tons from 15-20 years ago. plus added creature comforts and safety features.

Which is crazy because their old 5.2 they used got like 10-12 in my Durango.

That being said, I’ve had a 2016 Ram 1500 5.7L, a 2017 Silverado 1500, a 2019 F150 3.5 eco boost and a 2019 F250 diesel through work and all of them seemed pretty comparable. I used the first three on the list as my personal vehicle as well. The diesel I’ve put around 5k on recently. They’re all right around that 18-19 mpg range with mostly highway driving.

My old 04 1500 (5-speed auto, Hemi, 3.92 rear gearing) would get under 14 mpg best empty. my 17' (8-speed auto, Hemi with cylinder deactivation, 3.92 rear) get 15 mpg at worst even with all-terrain tires, and I've seen as high as 22 mpg with conservative driving (under 60 mph hwy) and non ethanol fuel.

I have no idea if this is true or not but I had someone tell me the EPA regulations for reducing exhaust had a negative effect on mileage.

yeah all the new diesel exhaust treatments has reduced the fuel mileage of all the new diesel engines, not to mention the reduced engine life seen across the board also. basically if you are buying a new HD truck your better off getting the gasser unless your towing everyday Ford is bringing out a new big block gas motor because of the increased cost/standards of diesel and the diminishing returns, and I think GM has one in the works too.

The subject is fuel mileage and he's pretty much right on that. Creature comforts and safety have improved bunches but really fuel mileage is still pretty marginal in most pick ups.

again 14 mpg best compared to 15 mpg worst between my old and new truck.

 

[Rabbuk]

In before cave

*Clears throat* global warming is a hoax.