RL Polk says more vehicles are being scrapped than added to the road. Also, the average age of vehicles on the road is climbing. In a recent 15-month period, 14.8 million vehicles were scrapped while 13.6 million new vehicles were registered. On average, US vehicles are 10.2 years old.
Can the United States break its dependence on foreign oil? Although we have been trying since the late-1970s, the percentage of imported crude continues to increase. Even after the shock of $4.00 a gallon gasoline two summers ago, no progress has been made. Now T. Boone Pickens believes Congress is about to pass a bipartisan bill that provides a $65,000 tax credit to switch large commercial trucks from diesel to natural gas.
Advanced diesel engines and improved aerodynamics in tractor-trailer trucks could lower fuel consumption significantly, according to a report by National Research Council. Truck makers such as Peterbilt and Kenworth are already rolling out new truck models with aerodynamic packages aimed at increasing fuel efficiency. The trucking industry also has several efforts underway to improve fuel efficiency in big rigs.
As part of AT&T's commitment to deploy 8,000 compressed natural gas fleet vehicles nationwide, the company has contracted with Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to build, operate, and supply its CNG stations. AT&T thinks natural gas provides a strong economic advantage compared to fueling vehicles with gasoline and diesel, and reduces America's dependence on imported oil.