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Auto Notes
compiled by Jerold B. Smith
This Kenworth T660 Class 8 truck has
class-leading aerodynamics and is fuel
efficient, but along with other heavy-duty
trucks, the Kenworth fleet will have to
reduce fuel consumption by 2018.
better use of side airbags and
stronger structures in cars
and minivans; and newer
designs of SUVs and
pickups that align their
front-end energy-absorbing
structures with those of cars.
The National Highway
Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA)
had asked automakers to
address the compatible
design issues and the results
were positive, IIHS officials said.
Participating automakers included
BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors,
Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-
Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki,
Toyota, and Volkswagen.
“By working together, the automakers
got life-saving changes done quickly,”
said Joe Nolan, IIHS chief administrative
officer. “These new designs have made a
difference on the road.”
The study compared SUVs and pickups
Continued on page 10
This 2011 Jeep Patriot is one of five small
SUVs that were given a 2011 Top Safety
Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety. Most SUVs have been redesigned
for improved crash issues with cars and
minivans.
New heavy-duty fuel requirements.
In our August column, we cited the new
CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel
Economy) regulations for cars and light
trucks announced by the Obama
administration. Recently, the first fuel
efficiency and greenhouse gas standards
for medium- and heavy-duty trucks were
revealed, as well.
The proposed regulations, to begin in
the 2014 model year, are broken into three
categories: Combination Tractors
(tractor-trailers), which will be required to
achieve a 20-percent reduction in fuel
consumption and lower emissions by
2018, compared to a 2010 baseline;
Heavy-Duty Pickups and Vans,
which must achieve 15-percent reductions
by 2018 (separate standards for gasolineand
diesel-powered vehicles); and
Vocational Vehicles (delivery trucks,
dump trucks, and school buses), which
must achieve 10-percent reductions from
2010 levels.
Incentives will be offered for early
introduction of advanced technology
packages such as electric-drive vehicles
on some truck models. The proposed EPA
and DOT requirements are expected to
save U.S. businesses $50 billion in fuel
costs, reduce oil consumption by 530
million barrels of oil, and reduce
emissions by 270 metric tons over the
lifetime of vehicles sold between 2014
and 2018.
SUVs and pickups safer. The
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS) announced Sept. 28 its findings of
crash tests for SUVs and pickups. The
results of extensive research and testing
show that both are vastly improved when
involved in accidents with cars and
minivans.
Researchers attribute much of the
improved crash protection to two issues:
Parts & People November 2011 Page 9