Miles-per-Gallon

There's a miles-per-gallon standard of 35 MPG by the year 2020. Then I also see a standard of 35.5 MPG by the year 2016. Next, I see a proposal of 56.5 MPG by the year 2025.

Then I see an article that says that 35.5 MPG in the year 2016 is really a fleet average of 27 MPG. And next the article says that 56.5 MPG in the year 2025 is really just a fleet average of 41 MPG.

So I'll make a new MPG proposal and standard:

In the year 2015 the minimum MPG will be 31/43 .

Why ? Well, the 2012 VW Passat TDI for the U.S. market gets 31/43 MPG. And that's a midsize car since it has a wheelbase of 110.4" and a weight of 3397 pounds. The trick ? Well, it's a turbo-diesel that doesn't make a lot of horsepower but that does make a lot of torque. And torque makes the car easy to drive.

Now turbo-diesel is not required but just one example of 31/43 MPG in a midsize car.

But if 31/43 MPG is set as a minimum doesn't that set a maximum performance level ? And the answer is no since weight can be reduced where higher performance is wanted and priced. Of course engine size is held as the weight is reduced.

Also, MPG can be better than the minimum by reducing both weight and engine size.

Now the farther reaching proposal is revised down to 54.5 MPG in the year 2025.

But the proposal is also that fuel mileage should increase by 5% each year from 2017 to 2025.

Problems ?

Well, fuel mileage can't be increased sequentially because at some point a different kind of car has to be built to reach the current step. But then the previous cars to the new car are probably just rough band-aid solutions to get to the easier to reach steps. Early adopters get the poor cars while holdouts get the good cars.

But this is a fleet average so the situation might push for a percentage increase in smaller cars each year instead of push for more efficient cars.

Now I'll repeat my previous point that the 2012 U.S. VW Passat TDI has a wheelbase of 110.4", has a weight of 3397 pounds, has mild horsepower, has very good torque, and gets 31/43 MPG.