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Technology Can Save the SUV
By Carl Pope
The political commentator Arianna Huffington became Public Enemy
Number One in the news media earlier this year when she used a television
advertising campaign to link the issues of fuel economy and national
security, and questioned the patriotism of gas-guzzling SUV drivers.
Now, saying straight out that every SUV-driving soccer mom is supporting
terrorism each time she fills up the tank may be going a little
far (though it certainly helped draw attention to the ads, which,
after all, was part of Ms. Huffington's intention.) But with U.S.
troops in the Persian Gulf for the second time in twelve years,
is it really so outrageous to suggest that the SUV craze, and the
dangerous dependence on foreign oil that it perpetuates, might have
implications for our foreign policy?
Without blaming SUV drivers themselves – who, after all, are
limited in their buying choices by what's available and what meets
their needs – it's reasonable to make the point that choosing
to drive a hybrid car or another fuel-efficient vehicle of some
sort is a patriotic thing to do.
After all, it's not as if Ms. Huffington is alone in her concern
about gas-guzzling SUVs.
Long-time auto reporter Keith Bradsher recently laid out the case
against SUVs from a safety standpoint in High and Mighty: SUVs -
The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way. A
coalition of evangelical Christians came to Detroit late last year
to ask the question, "What Would Jesus Drive?", and concluded
that, given the amount of global warming pollution they generate,
the answer certainly wouldn't be an SUV. And earlier in the year,
the Sierra Club made the issue a matter of consumer preference,
calling on automakers to give Americans the choice to save money
at the gas pump by building more fuel efficient vehicles.
So for reasons of national security, environmental protection, safety,
and consumer choice, the tide is turning in favor of more fuel-efficient
vehicles.
But this doesn't have to spell doom for SUVs. The point is that
Americans should have the option to buy whatever type of vehicle
suits their needs – be it a hybrid, a regular sedan, or an
SUV – with much better gas mileage. The technology exists
for automakers to build cars, trucks, and SUVs with greatly improved
fuel economy, without compromising safety, affordability, or performance.
By adding fuel-saving components like the integrated starter generator
and the variable valve control engine, American automakers could
allow car-buyers to have their cake and eat it too. Just as important,
they'd be signaling that they're not willing to cede the growing
market for fuel-efficient cars to fast-moving foreign competitors
like Toyota and Honda.
General Motors took a step in the right direction recently when
it unveiled plans to build a hybrid SUV, the Saturn Vue, which would
get around 40 miles per gallon. But the company was non-committal
on when that model might become available to consumers, and whether
it'll be followed by other fuel-efficient SUVs.
American automakers are up to the task, from the executives in their
office suites to the auto workers on the factory line. They've met
every challenge before, and they can meet this one. By building
fuel-efficient cars, trucks, and SUVs, they can give consumers more
choices, protect the environment, and help ease our dangerous dependence
on foreign oil.
Now, what could be more patriotic than that? Carl Pope is Executive
Director of the Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org).
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