Improving MPG from 14 to 20 saves more fuel than improving from 3…
Improving MPG from 14 to 20 saves more fuel than improving from 35 MPG to 100 MPG. Do the math. On a 1,000 mile trip the truck will have saved 21 gallons while the econo-car will have saved 18 gallons. Now, it’s still better to drive the more economical car if you can, but that’s not always practical. This morning I made two trips to the quarry in my pickup for several tons of gravel. My son has a couch he needs hauled this afternoon and tomorrow I’m hauling a load of wood. I own a 10-year-old daily-driver that gets 35 mpg, but it can’t do all those things. I’d love to be able to up my truck’s milage to 20.
What we really need is a way to retrofit old vehicles like mine to be hybrids at an economical price. I can afford to put an awful lot of gas in my truck for the cost of a new one. Besides, the amount of energy that goes into even building one Prius is more than the extra fuel I’d burn by keeping my old truck running…
Something to think about.