Evening star., 1920-02-15
EARLY REDUCTION
INFUEL CONSUMED
BY MOTORS SEEN
Manufacturers Prediction,
Based :on Expected De-
crease in Weight of Cars.

That the time is not far distant
when the fuel consumption of motor
cars will be practically cut to hall
| was the prediction of a known
Detroit automobile manufacturer who
stopped Off in Washington last week
on some business connected with the
government.
When asked on what he based his
prediction the manufacturer said:
Lighter built cars. Our cars are
too heavy. The future is going to
see cars so much lighter in weight
than present ones that the average
fuel consumption will be at least
to fuel economy, the car of the fu-
ture will give greater riding COM
fort, twice the tire mileage and half
the repair expense.
Weight Blamed for Costs.
1--WE have today cars weighing
around 2,700 pounds giving from ten
to fifteen miles per gallon, when five
passengers ought to be carried around
in cars weighing half as much and
sumption. So long as we insist upon
heavy cars We must accept heavy
fuel. tire and repair costs. The
future will see all of this changed.
for we are about to enter upon a
light weight car era which will sweep
old ideas Of weight from the boards.
Engineers know that weight
needless weight-stands in the way
of producing the thirty-mile-per-gal-
lon-car, but they also know that
there are methods by which the
weight can be reduced and the car
made better in every respect. They
have at their disposal lighter metals
which they can scientifically employ.
They have the knowledge gained
from airplane practice which will en-
able them to get weight reduction
by changing the design of the parts.
They also have the vast knowledge
of alloys far lighter and stronger than
metal now generally used in auto
mobile construction. Added to these
they have to consider some basic en-
gineering laws which have been neg
lected or overlooked. The result of
development along these lines will
mean a load so light that only one
horse will be needed to pull it around
to the satisfaction of the owner and
horse.
Means Engine, Not @HOrse.o
by horse. mean engine" laughed
the manufacturer as he noted a
puzzled look on the face of The Star
man. "And Its size, weight and power
depend on the total weight of the
vehicle and the passengers plus the
work it is expected to do. .Axles are
wheels, bodies-all partS-must be
reduced in weight. and then there Is
no need for the heavy engine to get
the same results. Since there is less
work for it to do. 1T will be reduced
in size and weight, and still we have
had before. But. above all. its smaller
size. its lower weight. together with
lower weight of the vehicle, will
mean less fuel and tires that will last
for 10000 miles.
"since the riding qualities Of a
weight" continued the manufacturer.
but are based upon the disposition
Of that weight, we can readily see
that we can obtain the same riding
qualities in the light vehicle that we
have in the heavy one-in fact, the
better riding. I recall a ride over
rough roads in a cycle car weighing
less than / 900 pounds. This car was
more comfortable to ride in than n
6,000-pound touring car. Instead of
hitting the bumps and holes and fly
but little. I am not recommending
the cycle as q vehicle. but it is easy to
see that the riding qualities were OBJ
tanned in another way than by the use
OF heavy construction.
Use of Heavy. Metals Discussed.
"At the present time our cars have
heavy steel forgings and heavy cast
iron parts. The use Of heavy parts all
through the chassis naturally means
a large and heavy engine to pull that
load. Those heavy parts do a certain
work, and. because they are heavy,
other heavy ones are needed to get a
proper balance Of design. The future
car will do away with all the heavy
parts. the beginning Of the designs
will be a lightweight part and work
will start from it to another light
weight part. and 50 on until the We
hicle is finished. Lighter metals such
as aluminium and expressed steel
perhaps new metals-will be used, be-
cause they will give the desired
strength and safety without weight.
Look for a lighter car in the very
near future"