[ExI] Most Fuel Efficient Cars

[Dan]

--- On Tue, 4/28/09, Dave Sill <sparge at gmail.com> wrote:
> More <max at maxmore.com>
> wrote:
> > Article by Robert Samuelson:
> > http://www.newsweek.com/id/195233
> 
> Not to hijack the thread, but while reading that article I
> saw a promo
> for "America's Most Fuel Efficient Cars"
> (http://www.newsweek.com/id/123631). The Prius topped
> the list in the
> mid 40's. By number 5 we're down to the mid 30's.
> 
> WTF!? Ten years ago I had a Geo Metro XFi that routinely
> got 55+ MPG
> in mixed city/highway driving. Granted, that was a pretty
> spartan car
> (crank windows, no A/C) by today's standards. But VW has a
> 70+ MPG car
> today that's probably more mainstream
> (http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4219904.html).
> 
> What's it going to take to get a truly fuel efficient car
> available in
> the US? How do/will fuel cell cars compare in terms of
> efficiency and
> cleanliness?

I'm fairly ignorant in this area, but what are particular things could be changed to make cars more fuel efficient?  Making them lighter, for instance?  I think the main area to decrease mass at this time would be in the engine itself and maybe some of the structural members.

Regards,

Dan