Assuming that the average person drives her SUV 15,000 miles in a year, and
that gas costs $1.49 per gallon, and that SUVs currently get 20.7 mpg,
how many years would it take for the SUV to recoup its initial cost of $818
to improve its gas mileage by 26 percent?
Currently, an SUV which travels 15,000 miles at 20.7 mpg would use
724.637 gallons of gasoline in a year.
At $1.49 per gallon, the cost
for gas in a year is $1079.71.
If the $818 worth of improvements are made so that you get 26% better gas
mileage or 26.082 mpg, traveling 15,000 miles would only require 575.1 gallons
of gas in a year.
The cost for the gas would be $856.90, or an annual savings
of $222.81.
It would, therefore, only take $818 / $222.81 = 3.67 years to recoup the money spent for improvements.
However, in the August 2, 2001 edition of The Washington Post,
the House rejected a proposal to boost fuel efficiency standards for
sport utility vehicles.
1. Geof Keith | Santa Monica, California |
2. David and Judy Dixon | Bennetsville, South Carolina |
3. Keith Mealy | Cincinnati, Ohio |
4. Richard K. Johnson | La Jolla, California |
5. Malcolm Harris | West Malling, Kent, United Kingdom |
6. Bill Hall | Wellington, Florida |
7. John C. Funk | Ventura, California |
8. Barbara Hall | Wellington, Florida |
9. Kirstine Wynn | Winchester, Virginia |
10. Joe Heintz | Manchester, Tennessee |