1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Trimming fat new frontier for automakers

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by kram, Nov 16, 2007.

  1. kram

    kram New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2005
    34
    1
    0
    more at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21818860/

    I think that reducing weight on vehicles could be one of the most important trends developing in the near term in order to make vehicles more fuel efficient. It is likely to beat out gains in engine efficiency improvements. Also, lighter vehicles will make BEVs more likely as it reduces the size (and hence cost) of the batteries too.
     
    #1 kram, Nov 16, 2007
  2. MikeSF

    MikeSF Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2006
    416
    19
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    1/3rd engine size? Just in weight? Or is it only like a half liter engine?
     
    #2 MikeSF, Nov 16, 2007
  3. Pinto Girl

    Pinto Girl New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2006
    3,093
    350
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kram @ Nov 16 2007, 09:07 AM) [snapback]540499[/snapback]</div>
    Reducing a car's weight is good in so many ways, but it requires skill and is expensive to do. Also, insurance companies don't always favor exotic materials; they seem to make cars more costly to repair and can force the technicians at body shops out of their areas of expertise.

    I'd humbly suggest to domestic automakers, that the simplest way to reduce the weight of their vehicles is simply to make them smaller!
     
    #3 Pinto Girl, Nov 22, 2007
  4. apriusfan

    apriusfan New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2007
    6,050
    205
    0
    Location:
    S.F. Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Nov 21 2007, 10:25 PM) [snapback]542823[/snapback]</div>
    Ultimately, insurance companies would just pass on the cost of the lighter/stronger replacement material along to the policyholders in the form of higher premiums. Smaller sells only up to a point. Docvijay found a compelling reason to go with a Lincoln Navigator.... There is a market for larger vehicles; I think that some sort of consortium/partnership like what GM, Chrysler and BMW put together to develop the hybrid powertrain for the Tahoe/Yukon is a viable model for getting the weight out of the larger vehicles. The only way you will see efficiency north of 30 mpg on these larger vehicles will be by cutting the weight. A consortium/partnership spreads the cost among each of the participants.
     
    #4 apriusfan, Nov 23, 2007
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)