Project Green : automobile section
Like I mentioned last week, the agreement between the federal government and the automotive manufacturers is, to say the least, indulgent towards the latter. During an interview I've done at Radio-Canada's radio station with the presence of M. Dion, we talked about measures to encourage motorists in purchasing vehicles that are more eco-energetic, inspection programs, surcharges when buying vehicles that consume lots of energy, and all sorts of other propositions.
So, here is what is written in Project Green regarding these measures:
Plan towards the manufacturers
The federal government's investments are aimed to help the automotive industry to commit:
.to the progress of high technologies in regards to emissions reductions and diesel fuel;
.to the production of a greater number of hybrid vehicles and alternative-fuel vehicles;
.to the development and application of technologies to reduce fuel consumption. (2)
All this has already been said last week. In Project Green, looking for something new, propositions, measures, there is...
Nothing that was discussed, proposed, suggested, studied. No incentives for motorists to help them in their efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Nothing. We'd come to think that once the large industries have served themselves, there will be nothing left for us. It's incredible that after all these years of discussions and studies, the federal government can't even give the bare minimum of a credit towards the purchase of a hybrid vehicle, like in the United States.
Ok, enough bad news, let's now pass on to a more sympathetic subject:
Too much horsepower! Too little economy! The reactions.
The forum posts and your emails about my article titled "Too much horsepower! Too little economy!" were numerous and I intend to answer a few of them.
Here's a very interesting email from Mathieu:
"Hello,
I found your article very interesting because it reaches what I think. However, I think that it leads to nowhere because it doesn't really give a solution to the problem, and without really defining it. The increase in horsepower in engines, and stagnant fuel economy is a phenomenon that is only in North America and you didn't mention that. It's mainly due from manufacturers that limit the choice of engines in their models. Like you said, the norm here seems to be a choice of two engines on each model, when there's not only one engine choice. However, there's often a choice of 3 engines in Japan, and the same for Europe including diesel engines...
Mathieu."
You are right to say that it's a North-American problem, but the Europeans and Japanese also have more and more powerful engines over there. As for solutions, I have talked about it in previous articles.
Like I mentioned last week, the agreement between the federal government and the automotive manufacturers is, to say the least, indulgent towards the latter. During an interview I've done at Radio-Canada's radio station with the presence of M. Dion, we talked about measures to encourage motorists in purchasing vehicles that are more eco-energetic, inspection programs, surcharges when buying vehicles that consume lots of energy, and all sorts of other propositions.
So, here is what is written in Project Green regarding these measures:
Plan towards the manufacturers
The federal government's investments are aimed to help the automotive industry to commit:
.to the progress of high technologies in regards to emissions reductions and diesel fuel;
.to the production of a greater number of hybrid vehicles and alternative-fuel vehicles;
.to the development and application of technologies to reduce fuel consumption. (2)
All this has already been said last week. In Project Green, looking for something new, propositions, measures, there is...
NOTHING!
Nothing that was discussed, proposed, suggested, studied. No incentives for motorists to help them in their efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Nothing. We'd come to think that once the large industries have served themselves, there will be nothing left for us. It's incredible that after all these years of discussions and studies, the federal government can't even give the bare minimum of a credit towards the purchase of a hybrid vehicle, like in the United States.
Ok, enough bad news, let's now pass on to a more sympathetic subject:
Too much horsepower! Too little economy! The reactions.
The forum posts and your emails about my article titled "Too much horsepower! Too little economy!" were numerous and I intend to answer a few of them.
Here's a very interesting email from Mathieu:
"Hello,
I found your article very interesting because it reaches what I think. However, I think that it leads to nowhere because it doesn't really give a solution to the problem, and without really defining it. The increase in horsepower in engines, and stagnant fuel economy is a phenomenon that is only in North America and you didn't mention that. It's mainly due from manufacturers that limit the choice of engines in their models. Like you said, the norm here seems to be a choice of two engines on each model, when there's not only one engine choice. However, there's often a choice of 3 engines in Japan, and the same for Europe including diesel engines...
Mathieu."
You are right to say that it's a North-American problem, but the Europeans and Japanese also have more and more powerful engines over there. As for solutions, I have talked about it in previous articles.