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We did solve the MPG problem in Europe. We developed diesels into the very efficient quiet engines that can be installed into top of the range Audis Mercs BMWs and still return 40mpg. Diesel use to cost less than petrol but then as so many people started to use it (Diesel is about 50% of the market share in the UK) the Oil companied decided they could make some money and upped the price claiming it cost more to produce.
The Diesel on the continent is not low sulfur so in fact a Diesel will get better MPG there than in the UK all diesel in the uk has to be ultra clean.
The reason why we have not looked into electric so much is probably more to do with the dynamics of the countries plus the patents for the only viable batter technology is not held by European auto makers. Europe has not got huge amounts of land mass to install solar cell farms or retro fit every car parking space with charging points.
many people park on the street so trailing a power lead across the sidewalks is not really practical. the Uk always have a foot in the door somewhere in new technology
but we are more likley to use manufacturing skills for smaller parts that will enable
other larger companies to produce something.
European auto makers have always been engineers they stick to what they know and build on that its too much of a gamble to do anything else. Much of the revolutionary technology that the Europeans have invented such as in the second world war has been classified or bought up by huge oil companies, the US has a hold on over 900 patents for fuel vaporization systems. Not all would have come from the US. If fuel is heated to a certain temp it can be fractured into its individual carbons that can then be burnt. As
one of the effects of the carbon chains is the actual RON of the gas/petrol many of the patents include water injection to retard pre-ignition and act as the ron
Oil companies have been putting the breaks on what can actually be done, As soon as
something comes up that will hinder sales of oil the money is flashed and the pressure put on. Hence why US cars actually went backwards in FE not forward.
Honda has already got its fingers in all pies they are heavaly into robotics
they produce jets and a multatude of other things so the cars they make are more of an exploration into technology rather than direct insight into selling cars. Its to widen the outlook of all aspects of the company.
Japans a vested interest in FE technology other than diesel because as i understand the regs are even stricter on diesel than in the US and the attitude towards them is even more tarnished than the US
So in an answer we did solve the problem in the best way we could and the one that could actually be financially viable and rolled seamlessly with the current infrastructure
We have cars that will do 60mpg on the market that also have good proformance
with very high warranties and service intervals.
If the US has more vested interest in fuel efficiency there will be more incentive in european auto makers to produce hybrids / EVs. We are already building the tesla roadster in the Lotus' factory in Norfolk. There are many little electric cars that are
in low production but they cost much more and dont have the range or performance
that people have now come to expect form a car.
I have always said that the US will buy our diesel tecnolagy as a stop gap then we will
end up getting american EV technology back. It will be much more simple for the US to Quantum leap into a different technology. The american market does not expect such a high standard of road holding and maneuverability plus all in such a compact car.
Huge torque cars are an addiction that is ingrained into many Americans. An Electric motor can provide that and all without the need of a gearbox and accomplish high speeds so americas will be more willing to adopt it than Europe. We still sell many more manuals and it would take some convincing that people don't need to change gear
We would adopt compressed air engines much more readily than EVs
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