Tipping Point for Mass Transportation?

New York Times's piece today on high gas prices bringing more people than ever to mass transit systems connects with something I noticed in an Obama speech from May 3, 2008 (below). This is a speech given in Indianapolis, the home of the Indy 500 and much more than a stones throw from the "latte-sipping elites" of the West coast. And yet, if you skip ahead to around 18:44 into the speech, you will see this mid-western audience stand up and applaud as loudly as they did during the entire address for mass transit!

That's right. They’re not cheering for cheaper gas, more tax cuts, or bringing back blue collar jobs (although this would undoubtedly result from such a massive investment in the US transport infrastructure) -- these people are jumping to their feet to applaud on the idea that America should build the kind of fast, efficient national rail system that has become a badge of honor for not only Japan and Europe, but also for China, India, and the Middle East.



In case you have problems with the video, at around 18:44 Obama proclaims, "...We can invest in mass transit and Amtrak and create high speed rail lines all across America that help us conserve energy once and for all." After this the crowd cheers so loudly that he has to pause until they quiet down so that he can move on to the issue of renewable energy and re-tooling American factories.

US Car Buyers Moving to Smaller Cars

Is it really possible that Americans are getting out of their gas guzzling SUVs and trucks? The New York Times today reports that 1/5 of all new cars sold in America in April were in the compact and sub-compact categories -- an occurrence that has US auto industry insiders shocked and making rather grand proclamations. Perhaps it won't be true much longer that Americans drive the most and with the most fuel-inefficient cars? It seems to me that if Toyota or GM could have gotten their plugin electric hybrids (PHEVs) out by the 2009 model year, they would be posting growth not losses.

If you are living in America and think the auto industry is working hard to get you fuel-efficient vehicles as fast as they can, think again. This is UK auto site AutoTrader describing one of Toyota's newest European hybrids: "A finished prototype was unveiled at Geneva, just six months after the original iQ was shown at the 2007 Frankfurt show. And it'll be on sale before the end of the year, said Toyota Motor Europe senior vice-president Andrea Formica."

The tiny four-seat iQ will get 31 miles per litre which amounts to 117 mpg (US gallons). That's right. From concept car to the dealership in little more than one year, delivered at the end of 2008. Toyota is planning to roll out the first Prius to achieve this fuel economy for Americans in 2010 and that assumes no delays.

Also worth reading...
EU 'should ban inefficient cars' (BBC News)