Size Of The Car Matters. Government And Females Set Their Standards

Size criteria related to any item will always be of great importance. Size of a car is not an exception. Probably, in this case it matters more than in any other.

As the government have introduced new standards of fuel-efficiency to be met by 2020, automakers have something to think over. Over and over again. It is going to be a serious challenge for all of them, for an average of 35 mpg is not so easy to achieve. Producing vehicles that are fuel-efficient and appealing to consumers at the same time is a tough job. Engineers and designers are working on light-weight materials and improvements in aerodynamics. Better power trains, solenoid valve actuation, electric power steering and other things of this kind also help. Many of these changes won’t be cheap, so consumers will probably have to pay more. What can really give a better mileage is limitation of huge SUV models. But this idea may be hard to embrace for many Americans with their affection for big vehicles.

Some specialists think there’s still enough time to make such changes that will allow both meeting the new mileage standards and keeping trucks on the market. Switching to diesel versions or extending the range of electric and hybrid cars is an option.

To develop a subject of fuel-efficiency and car-sizing – just a few days ago one auto-dedicated website carried out a little research. They sent 2 interviewers on the streets of Chicago to find out how people would react to the car model of their potential date. Along with almost unanimous disapproval of small car owners, male and female respondents had different opinions about truck-driving dates. The image of a girl steering the SUV wheel was found rather appealing. While male Hummer-drivers didn’t score many points. “Hummers are not very…erm… environmentally friendly…” and “Trying to compensate for something…” really match the size-reduction tendency that may take place in the years to come. So those guys, who relied on massive trucks in boosting their ego can relax and get something smaller. And more fuel-efficient.

Curiously, most female responders gave the green light to a Prius driver. Not sure if they know much about the hybrid car concept, but still… Although there was one particularly fussy lady who found hybrid owner cheap and therefore not a good match for her. What would she say if that “cheap” chap was Brad Pitt or Leo DiCaprio, who actually drive Toyota hybrid cars?