law proposes 4% MPG increase per year
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Champion
Joined: Aug 2005
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law proposes 4% MPG increase per year
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...703130335/1148
Keep in mind the post of a few weeks ago
where Honda said they had surveyed back 20 years
and found that engine fuel efficiency had only gone up 1.5% per year
That doesn't mean the additional 2.5% could not come from:
aerodynamic
weight reduction
tire rolling resistance
improvements
Taking the present 2007 Ram pickup design as an example
my guess would be that
aerodynamics could be improved
from 0.528 to 0.35 at almost no cost
since the 2007 Toyota Tundra has a Cd of 0.37
and the DaimlerChrysler 'BoxFish' show concept vehicle had a Cd of 0.19
The weight of the Ram could be decreased with present engineering
but at a cost of $1.50 to 2.00 per pound
with no decrease in strength or hauling capacity.
Considering that in the past Chrysler offered a 'Sport' Ram
I would buy one if it were a $1500 option
and offered a aerodynamic Cd of 0.35
and weighed 1500 lbs less
because it would accelerate quicker, stop shorter, and use less fuel.
Keep in mind the post of a few weeks ago
where Honda said they had surveyed back 20 years
and found that engine fuel efficiency had only gone up 1.5% per year
That doesn't mean the additional 2.5% could not come from:
aerodynamic
weight reduction
tire rolling resistance
improvements
Taking the present 2007 Ram pickup design as an example
my guess would be that
aerodynamics could be improved
from 0.528 to 0.35 at almost no cost
since the 2007 Toyota Tundra has a Cd of 0.37
and the DaimlerChrysler 'BoxFish' show concept vehicle had a Cd of 0.19
The weight of the Ram could be decreased with present engineering
but at a cost of $1.50 to 2.00 per pound
with no decrease in strength or hauling capacity.
Considering that in the past Chrysler offered a 'Sport' Ram
I would buy one if it were a $1500 option
and offered a aerodynamic Cd of 0.35
and weighed 1500 lbs less
because it would accelerate quicker, stop shorter, and use less fuel.
