Eco-Friendly Vehicles: Will They Sell Stateside?

At a time when the only thing expanding in the US is the average American waistline, automakers from around the globe are beginning to introduce a substantial number of alternative-fuel and alternative-drive vehicles that are... well... smaller than the vehicles that drivers are accustomed to.

While US drivers are demanding better fuel economy, many are drawing a line when it comes to downsizing their vehicles. A recent survey on AutoTrader.com showed that 44% of all prospective car buyers are considering scaling back. An equal number of shoppers have no plans to slip into something a little less comfortable and 12% aren't sure what they want. The survey further reveals that of the 44% who are paring down, eighty percent of those folks (35.2% of all respondents) are scaling back to save money on gasoline, rather than out of concern for Mother Earth.

This information comes on the doorstep of the LA and Paris Motor Shows, where manufacturers from around the world are expected to introduce their super eco-friendly vehicles. You know, the ones consumers don't want ... unless they also provide exceptional gas mileage.

Better fuel economy is a simple request. Why do so many automakers have such a hard time with the concept? If you make a vehicle that's good for the environment, people aren't going to beat a path to the dealerships to get it. On the other hand, if you make a vehicle that gets 50 miles to the gallon (and also happens to be better for the environment), you'll have all of the customers you can handle, and then some.

Hybrid technologies are just one route an automaker can take in the quest for better fuel economy. Engineering improvements in the efficiency of the good old internal combustion engine could also produce better fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions at the same time. That wouldn't require a massive overhaul of the fuel structure in the country or the construction of electrical infrastructure to permit a tsunami of plug-in vehicles to charge up overnight, and incrementally, it wouldn't cost as much to develop.

Hybrid technology is exciting, and is a necessary step in the evolution of personal transportation. It has the potential to keep trucks and buses on the road and reduce the overall cost of commerce. It also has the potential to drive desperately needed advancements in battery technology that will reduce our (and everyone else's) dependence on oil. Research and development on HEVs, PHEVs, and EVs should and must continue. But so should research and development on internal combustion engines - which have the potential to deliver cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles in less time and at a lower cost than any advancing technology does in the short term.

Better fuel economy. It's a simple request.