This weekend we were at the auto show. I was not in the market, but it is fun to check out cars. They serve beer there too, so it is kinda fun to sit behind the wheel of a Porsche, with a beer in the cup holder (I am big on cup holders - that is a make or break point for me on cars!). I was there with my friends, a very well educated, highly intelligent group, whom I posed the following question.
For automobile manufacturers, why is there no standardization on which side the gas tank opening is placed.
How many times have you gone to fill up your car and you get blocked in by someone, or you can't get to a pump, because your tank opening is on the wrong side? Happens to me all the time, and for the life of me, I can not figure out why there is no agreement on a standard side for the opening.
Car makes create models of their cars for right hand and left hand drive countries. Technically, cutting a hole in the side and attaching a pipe to the tank seems much easier than switching which side a steering wheel would sit. So why not? This is the type of inefficiency that drives me crazy.
This one has kept me up a nights (at least for a few minutes). I can't see any benefit to being different, and there seems to be no advantage to either side. So lets just pick one side and go with it. With all the problems at the pump today, why do we need to cause a new one with a bunch of misaligned gas tanks.
Sadly, we did not have an answer. Speaking as a drive or a car with a backwards tank (passenger side), I would gladly make the change. This may weigh more heavily on my next car decision than my fondness for cup holders. Maybe.
1 comment:
i drive a german suv...in fact I just bought a brand new one after saying goodbye to my 01. I have basically the same car...same make, model, color etc...one difference...the gas thingy moved to the opposite side...wierdest thing the first time i had to pump gas...which I absolutely hate to do!!! I do love my german suv though!!!
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