Quote:
Originally Posted by racer
If you think about it, take a 1980s Civic CRX HF (the small 2-door hatch, with a 1.3l motor) and you have a "smart car". Small, 2 person, sub 2,000lbs etc.
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I'd love to have even better economy from the smart and I think it will improve, however, whenever this comes up, I like to ask where is the 50 mpg Civic gasser today? If Honda could produce the 50+ mpg CRX HF in the 80s, don't you think they'd jump at the chance to do it now? Following that logic, if Honda could easily achieve 50+ mpg in a modern Civic that meets all government regulations, what could they achieve in a hybrid? Honda should be able to easily produce a 50+ mpg gas powered car and a 75+ mpg hybrid using technology they produced in the 80s and dominate the market. They've had the technology since the 80s, so why not cream the competition with it? You'd think in some 'crazy scheme to turn a profit,' to quote Gaylord Fokker, Honda would be cranking those suckers out day and night. So, why not?
The reason no manufacturer can do this now, even though their previous products did in the late 80s/early 90s, is government regulations, safety considerations, and creature comforts. Modern autos have become quite a bit different than their 1980s predecessors.
Personally, I think the gas smart could get better mileage if the engine had a bit more torque and didn't need such low gearing to wring out adequate performance. But, a more powerful engine of the same size probably violated cost or emissions constraints and a larger engine would violate packaging constraints - everything is a tradeoff. With technology advancements, however, I would expect to see improvement.
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