VoxPop: The MPG Factor

By VoxPop Staff Writer Stefanie Juul, Green Magazine

So you need a new car. Well, it doesn’t exactly have to be new, but it has to be better than the ancient, clunky, rundown excuse for a car that you’ve been running into the ground. It should be cheap, but it also ought to be able to handle a lot of commuting with a minimum amount of money and effort put into its maintenance. Maybe you just want to look at some really nice cars and imagine that, at some point, you’ll actually be able to buy one of the beauties. Either way finding the right car to buy is no easy task.

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More and more, the issue of a high MPG (miles per gallon) rating is coming into play as consumers begin to search for their next ride. Vehicles with a higher MPG estimate will make better use of the fuel you paid for, meaning you need to buy less gas. This is becoming increasingly important as consumers across the country are watching gasoline prices hit an all-time high. Many predict that a single gallon of gas will cost in excess of four dollars this summer, with peak traveling dates seeing the largest increases. Costs are a big factor for those seeking a new set of wheels, but environmentally conscientious hybrid drivers will celebrate the decrease in fossil fuel use as much as the savings they see at the pump.

Car commercials on television proudly announce that their most recent models have the best MPG on the market and many manufacturers are beginning to produce hybrid models of their most popular vehicles. For example, Ford now offers a hybrid version of its popular Escape, and even luxury automaker Mercedes is getting in on the trend with their E320 Bluetec model. Toyota, Honda, Saturn, and GM all currently offer hybrid models, and the trend only seems to be growing, with promises for more hybrid options on the horizon.

Recently, Congress passed a new requirement to raise the United States’ average MPG requirements on all vehicles. The new law states that by 2020, the minimum requirement for cars will be 35 miles per gallon. There is also a push for U.S. auto manufacturers to become more competitive with foreign MPG averages and standards. The European Union is working on improving car gas mileage to as high as 48.9 MPG by as early as 2012, and Japan currently has an industry standard of 40 miles to the gallon.

These statistics easily beat the average U.S. MPG, which was a mere 25MPG as of January 2008. As one of the major automotive leaders in the world, America has fallen behind in recent years in terms of setting more stringent and ecofriendly standards.

So next time you’re searching for your dream car, keep the miles per gallon factor in mind. Higher gas mileage standards for vehicles will not only help lessen our dependence on foreign oil, but will also help decrease the size of your personal carbon footprint. By decreasing our consumption of gasoline with hybrid cars that sport more fuel-efficient engines, we can begin to slow the environmental destruction associated with the abuse of fossil fuels.