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Obama tells EPA to reconsider fuel emissions.

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Rybold, Jan 26, 2009.

  1. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    "Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency to re-examine whether California and other states should be allowed to have tougher auto emission standards to combat a build up of greenhouse gases.

    "California and at least a dozen other states have tried to come up with tougher emission standards than those imposed by the federal government, but Obama said that "Washington stood in their way." The president wants the EPA to take a second look at a decision denying California - and the other states that want to follow its model - permission to set tougher tailpipe emission standards.

    "More broadly, Obama sought to show he was not waiting to put his stamp on energy policy, which has both near-term implications on the sagging economy and long-range effects on pollution, climate change and national security.

    "It will be the policy of my administration," he said, "to reverse our dependence on foreign oil while building a new energy economy that will create millions of jobs."

    Wired News - AP News
     
  2. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Problem is, our lovely legislators pee'd away billions to the auto industry with virtually no strings attached ... strings like "built EV's or autos with over 35 mpg average, in 2 years, or you get NO bailout money" ... which would have forced SUV's waste off the roads. Now, the industry is crying, "we can't do higm mpg's because we're just barely hanging on". How do you force cleaner cars / high mpg's from companies ready to go banko?
     
  3. kens

    kens New Member

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    As happy as I am about this decision, my main reaction is that it's too bad high gas taxes will never be politically feasible in the US. That's a MUCH better way to help the environment.
     
  4. Sacto1549

    Sacto1549 Member

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    Here's the problem: the sheer size of the USA makes higher fuel taxes not such a great idea. A better solution is to impose varying level excise taxes based on vehicle size and engine displacement at new car purchase time and a smaller excise tax each time the vehicle registration is renewed. This right there will ensure most people will end up buying smaller cars to start with. :)
     
  5. skruse

    skruse Senior Member

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    Fuel should be $10 gal as in Europe. In Europe the "extra" goes to universal health care and overall infrastructure. A seamless way to fund health care and infrastructure in the US is by taxing fuel. This encourages efficiency, conservation and greater long-term thinking in the form of human-centered communities, walking & bicycle routes, electric light and high speed rail. This will greatly help air quality and encourage greater efficiency in buildings, transportation and community design and function. We have spent the last 100 years substituting oil for knowledge. Time to apply the knowledge.
     
  6. MikeSF

    MikeSF Member

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    Did you really see THAT much less driving when gas was over $4 a gallon? I still saw crowded roads, heard about "spare the air" days, and still saw people at the pump getting gas. When it dropped below $2 a gallon the only difference I saw was longer lines at the gas pumps because they thought it wouldn't last very long, however now the lines are not an issue anymore.

    Higher taxes won't help the environment.
     
  7. Mike Dimmick

    Mike Dimmick Active Member

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    Federal Highway Administration - Traffic Volume Trends.

    Cumulative travel for 2008 as of November was down 3.7% compared with January-November 2007. That's back down to early 2004 levels. It was down 5.3% in November compared to the previous year.

    4% isn't a huge drop, but it's a start. We can hope that this is a continuing trend rather than something that will reverse now that prices have dropped. November's figure was actually a larger change than the two previous months.

    One day after this data was published, the oil price spiked up by 5%. Today's trading has fluctuated from $46.60 to $49.40, and back, for the Brent contract on the InterContinental Exchange. Not supply and demand.
     
  8. JSH

    JSH Senior Member

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    High fuel prices drive demand for fuel efficient vehicles. CAFE requires manufacturers to sell a combination of fuel efficient vehicles but does nothing to create demand for customers to actually purchase fuel efficient vehicles.
     
  9. fastring

    fastring Junior Member

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    Sure wish we had dubya back, Obama is an idiot. Government is NOT the answer. Govt did NOT bring us the prius or anything else worth buying. More taxes to encourage more govt programs? You have to be kidding me. Govt healthcare? You serious? I love my Prius but cant believe the liberal nonsense that comes out of the idiot behind the wheel of these things...:eek:
     
  10. drees

    drees Senior Member

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    Yeah, because 8 years of dubya sure worked out great, didn't it? Maybe if he had cut spending or raised taxes to pay for Iraq we'd be in better shape now. In case you missed it - dubya was anything but small government.
    No, but cars like the Prius are "encouraged" by the govt through the help of CAFE and emissions standards. The EV1 and RAV4-EV? Both produced directly as a result of government regulations. Unfortunately, the auto-makers won that round, otherwise we might be a lot farther along in reducing our dependency on foreign oil, along with our trade deficit and pollution.

    There, fixed that for ya. :p
     
  11. priusFTW

    priusFTW Gen III JBL non Nav

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    Excellent point JSH and very well said. My exact thoughts.
     
  12. priusFTW

    priusFTW Gen III JBL non Nav

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    I think you have some nerve. He is an intelligent man and deserves more respect than what you assert.
     
  13. Per

    Per New Member

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    I find it hilarious that California want higher mileage standards! Maybe politicians in Sacramento want it, but Californians could care less. When we went to San Diego we found most drive gas guzzlers, and since we mostly drive the speed limit, we were passed by 95 percent of drivers on the freeway. Same thing in L.A. and in Sacramento. California politicians are totally out of touch.
     
  14. drees

    drees Senior Member

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    Naw, Californian's just want their cake and to eat it, too. :p That's why I got a Prius - I can do 80mph on the freeway and still use a lot less fuel than any other car on the market even if driven at the speed limit.
     
  15. Per

    Per New Member

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    We actually saw very few Priuses in San Diego. I think we see more here in Texas.
    I guess at 80 MPH you're not vying to be the mileage champion on this forum!;)
     
  16. drees

    drees Senior Member

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    Hmm, I see quite a few in San Diego when I'm on the roads.

    I don't always travel 75-80mph - typically only on longer trips where travel time is significant and traffic permits. Otherwise, it's typically 70-75mph with the flow of traffic.

    Lifetime average is about 47mpg (calculated using gas receipts & odometer), so I really can't complain at all.

    Sure if I meticulously watched speed and fuel consumption all the time I might improve overall fuel economy by 10% at most, but it sure seems like a lot of extra work for minimal gain most of the time. The rest of the time I just want to get to my destination in a timely and safe manner.
     
  17. DeadPhish

    DeadPhish Senior Member

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    Over at GMI the party faithful are having a hissy fit about this whole issue. Most are social conservatives and normally favor individual and state's rights.....except in this issue. Ironic.

    Most also hate CA with a passion. So having that state set a standard and then having 13 other states follow along has them up in arms against everybody....even if they're not affected by it.
     
  18. MikeSF

    MikeSF Member

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    So the tax rebate, the carpool stickers, none of this helped goose sales at all? When was the last time a CAR got a rebate from the government that wasn't related to a business? (or a loophole of said business rebate)
     
  19. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    What's more, the most popular versions of the car you got these concessions for owning wasn't even a domestic car. The tax rebate made a Japanese car more attractive.
     
  20. JSH

    JSH Senior Member

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    Do you know how wrong you are? The US Federal Government, specifically the Clinton Administration is responsible for the Prius. It all goes back to 1993 and PNGV (Partnership for Next Generation Vehicles) a 10 year co-op research program between the Federal government and the Detroit 3 to develop a family sedan that got 80 mpg. Toyota and Honda asked to be part of this program but were turned away. Each company started their own R&D program in order to develop their own hybrid vehicles.

    The Detroit 3 stopped development on their vehicles when the Bush Administration cancelled the PNGV program in 2001. While the PNGV didn't directly bring us any US hybrids, it did kick of Honda and Toyota's hybrid program. It also was responsible for these innovations:

    • Development of carbon foam with extremely high heat conductivity (2000 R&D 100 Award)
    • Near frictionless carbon coating, many times slicker than Teflon (1998 R&D 100 Award)
    • Oxygen-rich air supplier for clean diesel technology (1999 R&D 100 Award)
    • Development of a compact microchannel fuel vaporizer to convert gasoline to hydrogen for fuel cells (1999 R&D 100 Award)
    • Development of aftertreatment devices to remove nitrogen oxides from diesel exhaust with efficiencies greater than 90 percent, when used with diesel fuel containing 3 ppm of sulfur
    • Improvement of the overall efficiency and power-to-weight ratios of power electronics to within 25 percent of targets, while reducing cost by 86 percent to $10/kW since 1995
    • Reduction in cost of lightweight aluminum, magnesium, and glass-fiber-reinforced polymer components to less than 50 percent the cost of steel
    • Reduction in the costs of fuel cells from $10,000/kW in 1994 to $300/kW in 2000
    • Substantial weight reduction to within 5 to 10 percent of the vehicle weight reduction goal
    info from: Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia