More on my research topic.

Is the push towards better fuel-efficiency in cars sacrificing too much in regards to the safety of the driver, functionality of the car and overall stylish appeal?  That is the question that I would like to answer in my research paper. My opinion on that right now is that too much is being sacrificed.  A balance needs to be obtained that keep cars safe and functional while getting good gas mileage and producing clean emissions. Also, for the amount that people are paying for cars they should at least be able to ride around in style.  Many consumers of the smaller more fuel efficient cars have not been satisfied with the weaker power, lowered level of protection, lessened cargo and overall space and lack of stylish appeal.  The quest for fuel-efficient cars has been going on for more than three decades now and it is time that these things improve.  

I have found a nice variety of sources that have given me a good foundation of information, some current and some older.  The biggest thing that I have learned from the older sources is the fact that the automobile industry has been striving towards better fuel-efficiency in automobiles for at least 30 years now.  The books that I have found give a lot of information on what technologies are being developed, from alternative power sources to alternative materials. These books also give good insight to what the future of the car industry might become as the technologies continue to advance.  A few of the more current sources have used polls and surveys that give good information on how the consumer is reacting to the way that these smaller fuel-efficient cars are performing.  These surveys show that the majority of the consumers are not satisfied with the performance of the car, the cargo space and the safety of the car.

I need to find a few more surveys and polls to compare to the one that I have already looked at to validate the information.  I would like to find some more sources that give a current account on what car manufacturers are doing right now in regards to fuel-efficiency.  Also, I would like to find a few comparisons between hybrids and regular cars that are on the market now.   I would also like to talk to some other people and get their opinion on the matter to better develop a list of opposing arguments. 

A few of the main arguments that I have thought of which oppose my opinion are:

1)      That it is worth sacrificing power, safety and cargo space to obtain a more fuel efficient car.

2)      That the style and look of the car does not matter. 

I have found three books, ZOOM by Iain Carson and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, The New Oil Crisis and Fuel Economy Technologies by Deborah Lynn Bleviss and Government, Technology and the Future of the Automobile by Doglas H. Ginsburg and William J. Abernathy.  As well as two peer reviewed journals, Automobile fuel economy: How far should we go? by Steven E. Plotkin for Environment and The Future of Cars by Stuart F. Brown for Scientific American.  I have read numerous articles on the web but there are two that I have used to develop some of my ideas more than others. The first is an article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by Don Hammonds “U.S. auto industry faces tougher fuel-efficiency standards, fickle consumers.” and the second is an article from the New York Times by Bill Vlasic “Intrest Fades in the Once-Mighty V-8.”