You don't need a hybrid to guzzle less
Driving an economy beater may help the planet in some small way, but most people are looking for a more fuel-efficient ride. Would you recognize one if the miles-per-gallon rating was staring you in the face? Probably not, according to two Duke University professors, Richard Larrick and Jack Soll, who published the results of a study in the latest Science.
Here's how The New York Times reported their findings:
Quiz time: Which of the following would save more fuel?
a) Replacing a compact car that gets 34 miles a gallon with a hybrid that gets 54 m.p.g.
b) Replacing from an S.U.V. that gets 18 m.p.g. with a sedan that gets 28 m.p.g.
c) Both changes save the same amount of fuel.
Most people pick a. But, that would be wrong:
The correct answer is b. In fact, going from 18 m.p.g. to 28 m.p.g. saves more than twice as much fuel as going from 34 m.p.g. to 54 m.p.g. (198 gallons vs. 94 gallons), according to two management professors from Duke University.
The Duke researchers say that people assume larger m.p.g. numbers automatically mean more savings. That's an illusion caused by the traditional miles-per-gallon calculation. They argue that fuel savings are better calculated by determining gallons-per-mile. According to the Times, "Expressed in gallons used per 100 miles, 18 m.p.g. becomes 5.5 gallons per 100 miles, and 28 m.p.g. becomes 3.6 gallons per 100 miles. And the difference is suddenly obvious: nearly two gallons every 100 miles. ..." Many European countries already use a similar calculation (liters-per-100-kilometers). That would provide a more accurate picture that emphasizes not how far you can go, but how much fuel you'll use to get there. That makes it easier be aware of cost and conservation.
While a new hybrid would still use less gas, smaller, incremental upgrades in fuel efficiency can result in significant savings too. According to Science Daily, "If you switched from a 12 m.p.g. S.U.V. to a 15 m.p.g. S.U.V., you would save approximately 167 gallons of fuel over 10,000 miles. At a cost of $4 a gallon, that's roughly $700."
So, you can have a big impact on your pocket book and the planet even if you make a modest upgrade. This would help address issues faced by people who can't easily downsize their vehicles, folks who need mini-vans for big families or pick-up trucks for work.
Comments:
Posted Mon, Jun 23, 8:50 p.m. inappropriate
What About Simplicity?: Thanks, Mr. Berger, for pointing out the slightly less-than-obvious.
I have long wondered about the hybrid craze among the presumably enlightened folk who seem to buy and drive the things. A good friend of mine has the same car as me (Honda Civic,) even the same color. His is a hybrid, and mine is the rare and hard to find stripped down (no A/C, etc.,) "base model" gasoline version. He gets 44 - 45 mpg average and I get 40 - 41. His car cost many thousands of dollars more than mine to purchase, which even at today's fuel prices, will take many many years to recoup versus what I have.
Although poverty (rather than personal virtue,) has kept me from travelling to Europe in recent years, I believe it is still the case that one never sees hybrid cars there. One does see simple, uncomplicated and very economical (but still attractive,) gas and diesel powered cars.
I can't help but wonder whether, as someone recently suggested to me, that hybrid vehicles are yet another example of how manufacturers believe - make that know - that they can always soak more money out of Americans by selling them things that they don't really need, or which are only marginally better than far simpler alternatives. Hybrid cars are in no way simple. They are fiendishly complicated. They are also heavy, energy intensive to manufacture, and just what happens to the batteries when they grow old?
I think their absence from European roads speaks volumes. Let's hear it for that vanishing species, one their makers do not want you to buy, the stripped down, lightweight, bare bones economy car (with airbags, though, and even a radio for us lovers of luxury,) and just driving the thing less.
Posted Tue, Jun 24, 8:04 a.m. inappropriate
Less Gas is still Less Gass: You can measure it any way you want, but the real calculation is quite simple: if you drive less and drive a more efficient car you will burn less gas. The "GPM" calculation makes sense on some level, but ultimately it doesn't do much more than make you feel better about doing something little when you could do much more.