Quote:
Originally Posted by SlideWRX
So America has the cheapest gas, yet everyone is looking to the American market to sell hybrids, EVs and alternative fuel vehicles...
Europe has had horrendous gas prices for decades, and the designs coming out of Europe are no more aero than others. Volkwagen, BMW? They sell the same bodyshells here and there, that are just as boxy as anything else. heck, Toyota sells most of the same bodies here/there and they didn't redesign for significantly better aero over there. It seems the aero friendly consumer is a rare thing, even at $4 or $5+ gallon gas.
I don't blame SUV's or pickup for the current state of affairs because quite simply they are only half of the market. Half the market is/was cars, and everyone bought the low mpg/high hp cars and let the high mileage cars die off.
|
All those European cars you see in the US are matched by about 5-6x as many with smaller and more economical engines sold in Europe. 3-series - I can buy a 1.6 Petrol, or a 1.8 Diesel one. In the US, 2.5 is the base ?
Toyota, Honda and Nissan all sell Diesel cars in Europe and different models too.
There is a world of cars not sold in the US as well - PSA (Peugeot / Citroen) for a start, FIAT, SKODA etc etc.
As for engineers ruling the roost, my hero (on the left) more or less ran a whole industry (or most of it) in terms of design. It had moments of genius (the original Mini, the 1100 etc.) but it also ran that industry into the buffers.
Each company needs a mix.