PBS' Hari Sreenivasan and guests share impressions of the North American Auto Show held in Detroit last week. Trucks and luxury cars were the focus, not electric and super-efficient vehicles. Debate on fuel efficiency standards is predicted in 2017.
What a change from last year's auto show that highlighted the new electric vehicles! Moderator Hari Sreenivasan notes that "there was such a push a few years ago about these small vehicles, these more efficient vehicles. And here we are rolling out trucks. They might be lighter, but they're still big trucks."
Guest Karl Brauer of Kelley Blue Book explains that "we have got technology now that is making trucks and SUVs get the kind of mileage that economy cars used to get. I think that is one of the things that you have to keep in mind when you look at the horsepower numbers and the performance numbers these cars are getting;" yet he also reflected on the different focus of this year's North American International Auto Show.
And it really was interesting to walk through the show...this year and see almost nothing...about...alternative, super-high-fuel-efficiency technologies. It was really more about performance and capability.
However, Dan Neil, auto columnist of The Wall Street Journal notes one exception, though fittingly in a truck.
The Ford F-150 is being built out of aluminum. This is a radical and risky step forward for the company that makes the most popular vehicle in America for 32 years running. I mean, they sold three-quarters-of-a-million of these trucks last year. They are going to make it out of aluminum. And it's going to save, on average, they estimate three miles per gallon.
His colleague, Joseph B. White, the Journal's Detroit Bureau Chief, explains one of the factors behind the performance focus, and what it portends for meeting the EPA's rigorous fuel efficiency standards.
What changed? The shale oil revolution has sidelined worries that we are condemned to an endless upward spiral in pump prices. In response, car makers are dialing down efforts to persuade mainstream consumers to embrace electric cars, and instead are racing to develop technology and materials that allow them to offer large, comfortable and fast vehicles that are more efficient.
Consequently, "(t)rucks accounted for more than half of all light vehicles sold in the U.S. last year, a reversal from the prior year. The shift coincided with lower fuel prices," he adds.
Cheap, abundant oil resulting in what Dan Neil called "moderate fuel price pressures" will culminate in "a new and intense debate over federal fuel economy regulations leading up to a 2017 review of whether the regulation calling for a 54.5 mpg fleet in 2025 make sense," according to White.
FULL STORY: Big trucks lose weight, gain greater efficiency for Detroit Auto Show
Bigger, More Powerful Cars Cancel Out Improvements in Fuel Efficiency
As carmakers improve the fuel efficiency of some models, many American car buyers are purchasing big trucks and SUVs that still offer low MPGs.
Climate Concerns Largely Absent in Auto Showrooms
A consumer survey found that less than a third of respondents considered carbon emissions or the environment when they last purchased a motor vehicle, yet three-quarters of Americans consider climate change a major problem or crisis.
U.S. Gasoline Consumption Might Decline Despite Love Affair with SUVs
Gasoline consumption in the U.S. peaked in 2007, but began climbing in late 2014 with the decline in gas prices. Last year almost set a new record, but increases in gas prices, fuel efficiency and more EVs could reverse the direction—but when?
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service