Flex fuel cars
Article: Flex Fuel Cars Are Not So Clean
After the meeting between President George Bush and the CEOs of
the Big Three, the general public commended the dedication of
the parties to make the United States less dependent on foriegn oil.
While there are flex fuel cars in production which can run on
alternative fuels, Business Week reported that the promise of
these vehicles is not what they seem to be. This reaction comes
after the President held the energy meeting with the Big Three
and did not invite Toyota to the party.
Business Week reported that there is a dirty secret behind the
production of flex-fuel vehicles. Government policies allow car
manufacturers to manufacture gas guzzlers as long as they
produce flex-fuel vehicles. And in reality, majority of flex
fuel vehicles already on the country's roads are far from being
clean.
It is also reported that the Big Three produced thousands of
units of flex fuel vehicles to increase their CAFE average since
flex fuel cars are given very high gas mileage ratings. These
flex fuel cars are impractical since most consumers have no
access to alternative fuels according to Business Week.
In fact, a study reveals that only one percent of flex fuel vehicles are actually using alternative fuel like E85 while for the rest of the lot, 99 percent of them are still running on petroleum gasoline.
Flex fuel cars a scam?
This secret has enraged environmental watchdogs like the Sierra
Club. Dan Becker, the director for Global Warming Program of the
club, calls the production of flex-fuel vehicles and the hype
that comes with it as a "total scam". "The automakers are trying
to shield themselves from having to make more efficient
vehicles.
They're avoiding the path to cutting oil dependence,
curbing global warming, saving consumers' money, and ultimately
saving Detroit from competitors like Toyota," says Becker.
The reaction comes after the President met Rick Wagoner for
General Motors, Alan Mulally for Ford, and Tom LaSorda for
Chrysler to talk about energy policy.
It can be remembered that the absence of Toyota in the meeting has received criticism since Toyota is in a position to provide the administration with insightful information in the production of vehicles that will support the government's goal to reduce energy dependency on oil producing countries.
Some of the vehicles presented to the President after the said
meeting are flex-fuel vehicles from the Big Three's lineup. A
General Motors model which runs on ethanol is one of the
vehicles presented to President Bush as well as a plug-in hybrid
from Ford and a DaimlerChrysler Jeep running on biodiesel. All
these vehicles are designed to save fuel and reduce emission
with the use of advance mechanical and automotive electrical
components.
If the government makes a step towards the expansion
of the alternative fuel industry, these vehicles will surely be
used to reach the administration's "Twenty in Ten" goal.
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About the author:
Joe Thompson is the owner of a successful auto body shop in
Ferndale, California. This 38 year old is also a prolific
writer, contributing automotive related articles to various
publications.
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