EPA may alter CAFE standards due to SUV popularity

Increase the federal gas tax, or a tax on the crude itself, and the people will buy more fuel efficient cars. The truck fleet targets, which most SUVs and crossovers are classified as, are already lower than the car's.

 

There's something new.

 

....believe the 54.5 MPG CAFE rule has a planned "reality check" set for 2016 or 2017. The auto industry deserves kudos for (so-far) cooperating with a goal that some have long felt was not achievable. For now autos are moving in the right direction with amazing numbers new technology vehciles coming out many hybrids, plug ins, aluminum, etc.

 

Leave the CAFE rate and put a surcharge premium to be paid by the manufacturer for "gas guzzlers."

They already have a "hybrid premium."

 

The 'reality check' is why this is getting reported. SUV sales are still up, in part due to low gas prices. The auto industry wants to use these increased sales as reason to relax the CAFE targets when the review happens next year. It would be short sighted to do so. The Saudis can't keep production up forever, and the US will start switching to ULSG in the year after the review.

If the targets are relaxed, and the likely gas price increase happens, the auto companies, most likely American, will caught with nothing to offer for fuel efficiency, again. They won't be as bad off as in 2008, I hope, but it is a risk.

 

2008 was NOT the first time. I endured the 1973 and 1979 oil lines for gasoline.

US car makers' answer was the Pinto, the Vega and the "Uglin."

 

...and some cars are still are lucky to get 25 mpg just like the Pinto, Vega and "Uglin". Go figure.

 

It goes back to cheap gas. No one will say cars haven't improved since the time of those models. Instead of efficiency, the US market with advancing power. A V6 Camry, a family sedan, is as fast as the '70s muscle cars.

 

That's about standard with our culture.

Engorge in gas wasting guzzlers.

Preach the "hate of government interference and regulations."

Auto companies make big SUV's to make big profits.

When there is a downturn and they get into dire straights, They complain, "Where is the government when we need them?"

The they come begging I line for their bail outs.

 

don't need to raise gas tax, just reduce or eliminate subsides for oil companies. of course, that would cause a train wreck to president obama's precious stock market.

 

Those who want to roll back government standards harken back to the "Good Ole Days."

.... when they could pollute our air, poison our water supply, and defile the landscape to worsen the quality of and our years of life to le the future generations clean to up.

There's a few hundred industrial waste umps that we have been left to clean up. And, we are making more.

Remember the liberty ship MV LeBaron Russell Brigg?

The LeBaron Russell Briggs Sails Its Last | News | The Harvard Crimson

 

Frankly, I consider CAFE a joke. While it does encourage the manufacturers to try to implement technological improvement for fuel efficiency. They are still being punished for what the consumer demands. It is just a way to bang on "big bad business" and not the consumer (voter). We would probably see much better overall fuel efficiency today if the guy who decides what to buy had to pay the penalty

 

i like that too. but that would be a vote loser like the gas tax.

 

+1

25, if that was the worst we would be doing great. Luckily true guzzlers are on the decline.

One in four new vehicles average less than 20 mpg in 2014. | PriusChat

That's right 59% get less than 26 today, but that is a big improvement over 2008 where a whopping 85% did worse.

The guzzlers, those getting less than 18 mpg declined from 26% in 2008 to 9% last year.