Driving Forward October 2001

The Clean Car Campaign is Coordinated by: Volume 2 • October, 2001

• Environmental Defense • • American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy • DRIVING FORWARD • Ecology Center • Great Lakes United • News from the Clean Car Campaign • Michigan Environmental Council • Union of Concerned Scientists • Pick Up the Pace Clean Car Standard The Clean Car Campaign encourages automakers to produce vehicles meeting these standards:

· 50% more fuel-efficient than other vehicles in its class · Meets California's stringent tailpipe emission standard (SULEV) · Cleanly manufactured using non-toxic, recyclable materials

Over 95,000 people have signed this pledge:

The next time I shop for a new car or truck, I pledge to buy the greenest vehicle available that meets my needs “ “ and fits my budget. I challenge the auto industry to give me the choice to purchase a vehicle that meets the Clean Car Standard.

For more information about the Clean Car Campaign, please contact: Kevin Mills, Fuel economy for pickup trucks has Environmental Defense, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW (Suite 1016) lagged behind cars for too long. Washington, DC 20009 (202.387.3500) or log onto www.cleancarcampaign.org. Here are 5 ways to catch up.

Driving Forward is distributed free to members of the automotive industry and journalists. If you would like to receive a copy, please send your request to [email protected]. The Clean Car Campaign educates consumers about, and encourages auto makers to provide greener vehicle choices. 100% recycled, 30% post-consumer content Driving Forward • Volume 2, October 2001 • Pick Up the Pace

Can you name the most common class of 2. Streamlining - vehicle on the road in America today? Aerodynamic streamlining of vehicle bod- Contrary to popular belief it is not the ies coupled with reduced tire friction and recently trendy Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). rolling resistance can decrease vehicle Despite the surging popularity of SUVs, drag by 15 percent. the pickup truck remains the most perva- sive vehicle in America. In fact, the Ford 3. State-of-the-Art Engine Technology - F-Series has been the top-selling vehicle - Replacing current pickup truck engines car or truck - for 18 years running and the with state-of-the-art, lightweight, low-fric- best-selling pickup for 23 years running. tion, precision-controlled gasoline engines boosts efficiency while preserv- Due to the pickup truck's traditional role ing horsepower. as a work vehicle used for hauling, tow- ing, and off-road driving, it has been 4. Transmission Improvements - largely overlooked by auto manufacturers Design improvements to current vehicle when efforts have been made to improve transmissions, including additional gears fuel economy. In fact, the average fuel and motor driven shifting can increase economy of pickup trucks (18 mpg) is no fuel efficiency by 12 percent. better now than it was 20 years ago. The result is excess fuel costs and added pol- 5. Integrated Starter Generator - lution. But these downsides do not have This new approach combines the func- high performance pickup trucks. But are functional, in-style, and here to stay. to be the case, if Detroit picks up the pace tions of the starter and generator into a automotive engineers are smarter than But pickup truck design can rise to meet of re-engineering its light trucks for high- single, electronically controlled motor/ that. growing environmental challenges. This er fuel efficiency. generator that enhances electrical system year the Big Three have committed to efficiency, cuts unnecessary idling, and In reality, technology changes can improving fuel efficiency in SUVs. Why There are many types of technology smoothes engine and transmission oper- improve safety and fuel efficiency at the not pickup trucks, as well? improvements that auto manufacturers ation. same time. By making these five improve- can make to improve pickup truck fuel ments, pickup truck fuel efficiency could The next generation of pickup trucks efficiency and reduce air pollution, with- The technology to make pickup trucks improve an estimated 37 percent (from could be as fuel efficient as they are func- out sacrificing the high-level performance and all vehicles more fuel-efficient over 18 mpg to 25 mpg). With this type of tional. Back in 1936, Ford promoted its and capabilities that pickup truck owners the next decade exists right now. The five fuel efficiency improvement, the $1500 line of pickups with the slogan "Proved by expect from their vehicles: improvements described above would increase in a pickup truck's sticker price for the past … improved for the future." It's reduce gasoline usage and our depend- the new technologies would pay for itself time for some new improvements that 1. Mass Reduction - ence on foreign oil, decrease air pollu- twice over the life of the truck. keep the environment in mind. By replacing current materials with readi- tion, curb the causes of global warming, ly available lightweight steel, aluminum, and save drivers money at the gas pump. Despite the recent rise in popularity of John DeCicco, Environmental Defense and plastic, auto makers can reduce the So why is Detroit hesitant to put American SUVs, pickup trucks remain "king of the ([email protected]) weight of a pickup truck by 20 percent, ingenuity to work? Critics argue that cost road." There is no denying that pickup Tom Murray, Environmental Defense without sacrificing durability and safety. and safety remain barriers to fuel efficient, trucks are an American way of life. They ([email protected])