Should SUVs be banned? Bush said we have to save gas?

Question

Bush said in his State of the Union that we have to greatly cut our oil /gas consumption for national security.. SUVs are notorious gas guzzlers. So should they be banned? If not how can we cut that much oil consumption?

Answer 1

Those which can't meet a much higher average fuel ecomony should have a big gas guzzler tax. Then they should force the car companies to increase the average mpg of their cars and trucks.
Then they should stop the unbelievable urban sprall, make mass transit that works and on and on.
BUt they ain't done anything in decdades but talk and lie to us;
It ain't just Bush its all of them

Answer 2

In a nutshell they should not be banned, and the most fuel efficient would be a diesel hybrid. Read on to see why this will not happen very soon, even though it is the best method. The only thing holding us back from being more fuel efficient is OURSELVES. Here me out on this. We live in a free market economy. That means that nearly ALL the power (despite goverment regulations) lies in the hands of the consumer. Not as the consumer as individuals, but as all the consumers all a whole. Diesels are more efficient and get better gas mileage than gasoline engines, they are also much more powerful. Diesel also takes less refining to make than gasoline. We have all seen the electric gasoline hybrid, but where is the diesel hybrid? The most efficient car would be a 1.5L Inline 4 cylinder diesel engine with a continuously variable transmission, that was also a hybrid (had an additional electric motor). It saves gas because it has the most fuel efficient automatic transmission, it has a small engine (it doesnt need a big one because diesel is more powerful anyway), and diesel gets great mileage so in combination with a hybrid you could expect about actually 50MPG city or even 60MPG. Of course, this would not be good for towing at all, but just for trips around town and maybe a long trip without much luggage it would be great. We could all have still have the big SUVs for the long family vacations. Why do we not build this? BECAUSE THE CONSUMERS (US) DONT WANT DIESEL! Why? Diesel is usually more noisy than gasoline engines, and also vibrates more, it also has slightly more pollution. However, with the new ULTRA-LOW sulfer standards for diesel fuel and the addtives for it, pollution is virtually the same as gasoline. People just dont want the little extra noise and vibration. That is slowly being diminished with technology. The fact is, the car companies don't make these diesel hybrids because they wouldn't make much profit on them. If America AS A WHOLE came together and demanded these vehicles we could get them. But most of us either prefer the quietus most comforable ride, or the biggest interior space, or the most powerful truck available, over the best fuel economy. Until America wants better fuel economy as a whole, or until some extremely strict legislation is passed. Don't expect to see much saving fuel. I apolegize for this being so long, I'm in a ecomoics class and I get kinda passionate about how this works, so I really got into explaining it. I hope my information helps.

Answer 3

That wouldn't solve any problems, and the manufacture of cars to replace them could do more damage than getting rid of them would avoid.

Also, how are you going to define what is or isn't an SUV?

Regardless, the biggest ones are already technically illegal in a lot of places. Ever seen a sign on a street that lists maximum weight limits for that road? A lot of urban surface streets are actually limited to 2 1/2 -3 tons. There are plenty of SUVs (mostly the largest ones) that exceed that. They are not legal in many downtown areas, but the law almost never gets enforced.

Answer 4

NO! If you can afford to buy a SUV then you should be able to feed the vehicle. I own 2 SUV's and will only drive an SUV. My Explorer with the V-6 gets great gas mileage, my V-8 Durango gets good mileage on the highway, no worse than any other V-8, like a Corvette or mustang..... the body style of the vehicle dosent effect the mileage, it is a combination of big engine, high horsepower and a low geared rearend.

Answer 5

No, banning a particular vehicle type is not the answer. Reducing oil consumption can be achieved by reducing the use of vehicles, not by banning certain types. Here's some ways you can reduce your oil consumption and, in turn, the US oil consumption:

Telecommute if you can.
Move closer to your work.
Encourage your local electricity utility to build more wind, solar, hydro and nuclear power plants. Right now, the US gets more than 50 percent of it's electricity from oil.
Ride your bike or walk to work.
Utilize public transportation.
Plan your automobile trips to accomplish more.
Carpool.
Avoid driving during rush hours.

If we utilize technology, think logically, and act at a local level, we can all decrease our oil consumption.

Answer 6

Many mini vans an other vehicles get just as bad or worse gas mielage as SUV's. Its funny how many celebraties and others claim to be concerned about the environment so they buy a hybrid, then think nothing about taking a private jet across the country. Kinda like Al gGore and his tour to promote his documentary on global warming. He's jetting all over the country and burning more fuel per day that any of use would burn in a lifetime in our cars.

Answer 7

I do not think they should be banned. Many people need an SUV around for carrying around large loads of goods, or if they have a big family. I think that SUV's should all become hybrids so they use less gas, but they should not disappear.

Answer 8

I can't think of a fair way to get it done by legislation. We have the freedom to pursue happiness, and I think some people derive happiness from overpowering every other car on the road in their enormous car.

I think it's up to the people to take on personal responsibility for their gas-guzzling. Maybe now that Bush supports gas conservation, his core base of huge truck/SUV driving conservatives will think twice before buying an even bigger truck/SUV than they now have.

Answer 9

Todays SUV's get better mileage than the bomber passenger cars of the 70's that were spewing mucho toxins. Relax.

Answer 10

It think that people need to curb their usage of these vehicles...I live in a mountain community where they are helpful and often needed because of road & weather conditions. I don't understand people who live in big cities that never see a drop of snow using these kinds of cars. If you really need teh staus symbol appeal of these vehicles, how about looking really cool and getting a hybrid. We are excessive in this country and often don't care about the consequences of our actions until they are too late. We cannot say that gas guzzling vehicles such as these do not cause the majority of the fuel usage and emissions problems that we face, therefore their usage should be curbed.