Perhaps like many of you, I was disappointed by that “hyperbolous” TV commercial wherein Saturn jumps onto the bandwagon, appealing to the American consumer’s fixation with horsepower (“zoom-zoom” and all that). Perhaps the good news here is that Saturn may be desperately seeking market share currently claimed by the Toyota Prius. I guess we shouldn’t expect Saturn to offer a hybrid vehicle in the near future.
Well, that offensive commercial and all of this discussion has propelled me onto the “soap box”.
I believe that the average driver is in too much of a hurry expediting higher fuel prices and global warming to slow down and ignore your proposed signs and bumper stickers that would justify driving sensibly and obeying the speed limits. I’ve even reached the point of ignoring my own little signs in Sputnik’s respective rear windows:
“Significantly Less Dependent on Imported Oil” (with an American flag), and,
“Minimal Contribution to Global Warming” (with a photo of earth as viewed from space).
And what if this type of sign were to catch on and become trendy :?:
Tractor-trailers might display signs indicating:
6 mpg at 55 mph
7 mpg at 65 mph
Or, bicyclists (like myself) might wear colorful jerseys indicating:
Infinite mpg at 20 mph
0 l/km at 32 km/hour
($65 for this shirt, and $3 per gallon of electrolyte-enhanced beverage :roll: )
The “ZEV” indicator on all-electric powered vehicles is clearly misleading unless all of the energy for charging is obtained from renewable resources such as wind or solar.
This could all get to be confusing or even silly.
I’m afraid that until or unless energy prices rise precipitously, efficiency will not become a significant part of the American value system.
In the interest of its own survival, OPEC attempts to control energy prices, allowing gradual increases but precluding rapid ones.
-‘Dismounting soap box, and bracing for a spirited discussion;
