New VW gets 282 miles per (U.S.) gallon...

[No Doubt]

Link to article...

Laugh at High Gas Prices With a 282-MPG VW | Autopia from Wired.com

[itchynackers]

I'm so tired of hearing about these cars (prototypes) that get xxxmpg's and may get built in 201x. Anyone can say they are going to build one of these. Get it to production, with a reasonable cost. Then you'll impress me. Lets see some action, not promises. (starting to sound like a political campaign)

[No Doubt]

Oh, I agree. I posted this article partially in response to the post regarding the guy who claims his '87 Mustang gets 110 mpg.

Hence my comment in that post where I say '19 gallons of whatever, plus 1 gallon of gasoline. Therefore it goes 110 miles on a gallon of gasoline'.

VW is going to manufacture 1,000 of these vehicles in their prototype shop in 2010. Again, marketing at its finest.

With gas prices the way they are and rising we're likely to see more of these claims.

[itchynackers]

Can you tell I've got a beef against cars companies? The same ones who cry foul because they didn't see the shift away from new car purchases. I have little sympathy. Especially when they say they'll have the "new" electric plug in sometime in 2010 (about 3 years too late) and at a non-competitive price.

[No Doubt]

Car companies are largely reactionary. That is, they design and produce the vehicles people want, along with what they feel will sell. Until recently, both trucks and SUVs were selling well. Few, if anyone, knew at the time gas prices would rise as rapidly as they are.

Of course, there are always going to be those who feel they are not manufacturing what they want. No companies products are always going to suit every buyer, all of the time.

Nevertheless, 'too little, too late' is perhaps the best description in this case. Most people have known for years that fossil fuel supplies were someday going to be depleted. Yet, little to no action has been taken on a large scale manufacturing basis to date.

That said, one must also realize the technology is simply not ready to entirely replace conventional fuels. In fact, it is barely adequate to supplant it on a broad basis.

[PowerPro01]

Lack of infrastucture for these "alternatives" is certainly a factor. No one is going to buy something that can't be "fuelled" at the next corner...or county...or country. And realizing the boondoggle that ethanol is, is not helping matters.
What IS the "fuel of the future"??? No one seems to be sure...yet...
As for "plug-ins", seems to me electricity has to be generated somehow...and in the U.S., most of that is coal- or oil-fired... And it's certainly NOT free...in any regard...
Regardless, a sinking $ and record Oil profits are not helping the Economy, or John Q. Public...