The growing penury and rising cost of petroleum argue for making fuel conservation an integral element of our national energy policy. Opportunities for fuel savings are particularly promising in the automobile sector which is responsible for one third of national petroleum consumption. The paper examines five generic approaches to reducing automobile fuel consumption and considers their effectiveness and wider impact. The five approaches are emergency measures involving restrictions on driving and control over the fuel supply: reduction of vehicle-miles travelled (VMT's) through diversion of commuters to mass transit and through promotion of higher vehicle occupancy rates: raising the fuel efficiency of automobile operation: improving the automobile's design fuel efficiency: and reducing travel requirements. (Author/Publisher)
Abstract