The 40 mpg SUV

Automotive Industries, Oct, 2003 by Chris Pollard

The article by Gary Witzenburg about the "impossibility" of a 40 mpg SUV (Sept. 2003, page 20) contains almost no engineering data at all. The comment that efficiency gains are not accumulative is laughable This is all supposed to be coming from a person claiming to have been an "Advanced technology engineering manager."

So, it's possible currently for a human being to travel at 80 mph under pedal power alone with no drafting. Present speed record is 81 mph. The current record fuel consumption for a powered vehicle is only 10,000 mpg. Amory Lovins quotes his produced crossover SUV as being able to attain nearly 100 mpg. If engineers cannot get to 40 mpg then their jobs deserve to go overseas.

No mention was made in the article about any of the proposed improvements to fuel consumption. No mention was made of electric steering, high efficiency alternators, common rail diesels or the radical improvements in drag coefficient by the use of suction. The current crop of American SUVs are nothing much more than a bunch of warned over pick-up trucks.

It is only recently that they have started designing out cart springs at the rear which were designed for horse drawn carriages.

Please don't mention hybrids--these are popular with the car companies because they can sell us a high priced vehicle that will give their service departments lots to do without saving us money, all under the guise of fuel economy that is achievable by other means.

Chris Pollard

Mechanical Engineer

Colorado