« Ohio Ins. Dept. Amends Total Loss Rule | Main | 2005 Chrysler 300 C Car of the Year »
December 16, 2004
200 Miles Per Gallon
That's what Vapor Systems Technology President, David Steckling, says is within your grasp. No more panic at the gas pump. No more diverting college fund savings to pay for the outrageous price of fuel. And guess what? According to Steckling, this technology has existed since before the 1930s.
So, why hasn't it been incorporated into modern cars and trucks? Money, that's why, and lots of it. Based on Steckling's calculations, the U.S., state, and local governments receive over $6 in taxes every time you fill up your tank. Then there are the obvious economic interests of the gas companies that want to sell us as much of their product as possible -- to say nothing of the automobile manufacturers that benefit from the wear and tear less efficient fuel systems cause. If our vehicles operated more cleanly and efficiently, they would not deteriorate quickly or need frequent repairs.
After decades of his own experience and research, Steckling's company has produced a CD with hundreds of expired patents -- many of which were originated or owned by car makers, automotive suppliers, oil companies, and the U.S. government -- detailing vapor systems that can dramatically increase fuel efficiency. How dramatically? Steckling says that, with the right technology, he intends to publicly demonstrate what vapor technology can do by driving a 1997 Toyota Camry, "From San Diego to New York City on a single tank of gas."
The beauty of many patents available on the Vapor Systems Technology CD is that they are expired which means that anyone can build and use the technology. Plus, the CD contains patents for a variety of different fuel systems, including fuel injected and carbureted systems, to name a few. This is not just ancient technology, however. Many patents identified on the CD are recent and portions of it reference patent applications that are currently pending.
Environmental advocates will be thrilled with the release of the CD, as it presents a viable tool for urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to significantly increase the corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) standards. As I commented in the New Technology: Progress and New Problems post, during its 2003 fiscal reporting period, NHTSA fined BMW a whopping $42 million for the company's failure to meet CAFE standards on its 2001 and 2002 model year vehicles. If CAFE limits were significantly increased, BMW and the other auto makers, who now view the penalties for failing to comply with CAFE requirements as a cost of doing business, would probably scramble to design vehicles using vapor fuel systems. Besides simply increasing fuel efficiency, these vapor fuel systems have the added bonus of reducing harmful emissions at the same time. Using fewer fossil fuels, reducing emissions, eradicating the need to drill in protected areas -- what's not to love about mandating the incorporation of vapor fuel technology into vehicle design?
So, is there a conspiracy to keep the need for gasoline and gas prices artificially inflated, or are we just stupid for developing great technology and then failing to use it? I, for one, would like to know the answer to that question.
Posted by E L Eversman at December 16, 2004 10:38 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.vehicleinfo.com/cgi/mt-tb.cgi/39