On Sun, 14 Nov 2010 07:50:29 -0600, Jim Yanik
wrote:

are you familiar with CAFE? Corporate Average Fuel Economy law,that
manadates higher MPG for passenger vehicles?

the one that was responsible for more people buying TRUCKS AND SUVs with
far worse fuel economy,and for clogging our roads with even bigger
landbarges.

That was government's way of forcing better mileage. It didn't work very
well.

CAFE is a problem, but that wasn't the original reason for consumers
to buy over SUV/truck monsters. It was the "gas guzzler tax" of 1978.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Tax_Act#Gas_guzzler_tax
http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/guzzler/
http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/guzzler/420f06042.htm
The buyer of a new vehicle pays $1,000 to $7,700 in taxes to the feds
if it doesn't get at least 22 mpg. However, if the vehicle is over
6000 lbs GVW, it's exempt as a light truck and no taxes are charged.

For a 6000 lb GVW behemoth SUV, that should pay the $7,700 tax, at
$3/gallon, that's 2000 gallons of gas. With a 12 mpg typical gas
mileage for a big SUV, that's 72,000 miles. The average driver burns
12,000 to 20,000 miles per year. Not paying this tax would therefore
pay for all the gasoline consumed in the first 3.5 to 7.0 years of
operation. Since this tax generates considerable revenue, the feds
wouldn't even think of fixing the counter incentive problem.

It's quite a sales pitch:
Buy this new oversized gas guzzler, and the money you save
will pay for the first 3.5 to 7.0 years of driving.

What I usually find on the sticker is a 6004 lb GVW. Yet, when the
vehicle is actually weighed empty (curb weight), it usually measures
considerably less. I have no idea how the GVW is actually calculated,
but I suspect there's a bit of creative number juggling happening in
order to get the weight up to over 6000 lbs. GVW includes payload,
passengers, and all options. They probably crammed a half dozen
aspiring Sumo wrestlers into the vehicle as passengers, while filling
the trunk with lead bricks until the springs almost flattened.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558