5 Automakers Stand Behind 54.5 MPG Fuel Standard

No, it's their way of keeping Chinese automakers off their back. That's my guess. Tom Friedman made a similar point in "Hot, Flat, and Crowded". American companies should be all for advanced efficiency (he used A/C manufacturers whinging about SEER 13 as an example) because anybody can make an inefficient car... and the Chinese can do that really cheaply (or A/C in the case of the example). I'm guessing that's what's at play here.

 

My guess about what the U.S. auto exec's are thinking is that they are thinking like they've always thought,

".... ok let's face it, we're pretty much hosed unless we SAY we're all for higher mpg's ... and down the road? ... we can still lobby to have the high mpg rules thrown out, just before they go into effect ... just like we've done in the past ....."​

 

Energy Secretary Chu Says U.S. Must Not Lose EV Technology Race to China - AutoObserver

 

CAFE, EPA Math: 35 Equals 26 - AutoObserver

yes, 40-41 combined. This is w/o FlexFuel. With Flex, biodisel, plug-in credits less not sure by how much.

No doubt pretty much all gasoline cars will be FlexFuel. There will be more plug-ins and we will see more small diesels, all biodiesel compatible.
​

 

I can totally understand Ford doing this, can kind of get a grip on Chevy doing this...but Dodge??? Really??

They realize the 40mpg standard isn't achieved by adding all their cars together right?

 

It appears to me that the "Detroit 3" are performing double speak. They are part of the Auto Alliance which lobbies to crush the new CAFE standards. They even have a website dedicated to this effort. We discussed this on last nights taping of WhatDrives.Us

Auto Alliance: Home

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers - SourceWatch

GM, Ford, Chrysler and Toyota are all a part of this organization. They even had a toll-free number for U.S. drivers to call to lobby Congress against CAFE standards.

 

I don't really have a problem with them opposing CAFE standards. Toyota is doing what it can to make fuel econ rise and so is Ford and to some extent GM. If they are doing that while trying to crush the standard and are doing it because they want to make cars like that so be it.

I honestly don't care if they make a car that gets 4mpg if they are still making cars that get 40+...not because some gov't imposed rule, but because they understand people want that.

If they crushed the standards discontinued the Prius, Fusion Hybrid, Fiesta, Yaris, Focus, Hycam, Hyhi etc... then that would be a different story alltogether.

I think any manufacturer with a collective brain in their boardroom knows they need to make more efficient cars...I think they should freely be able to do so and not be told to do it.

Dodge is a prime example of a company that doesn't / didn't care and look where it got them.

 

The problem is the majority of the car buying population doesn't have enough education or caring to purchase enough of the high mpg cars to make a difference. So the end result is more low mpg vehicles will be sold unless fuel prices rise enough to force them to switch. We will continue to use too much fuel for transportation and we will continue to pollute the environment to the detriment of humans and our economy.

You have to look at the bigger picture and realize that most buyers are fairly ignorant when it comes to the effects of their buying decision. Some say they have a right to own whatever kind of car they please and I say I have a right to clean air that is not being polluted by your ignorant/selfish choice.

 

Fine. Educate the public instead of forcing them to make a decision through the government...don't they have enough control of your life?

 

Easier said than done. I think created higher CAFE standards is MUCH easier than educating the public. Especially when Congress critters and local representatives want to cut government funding to schools. Don't get me wrong I think the government is bloated and wastes vast amounts of money but they are needed to keep us from destroying ourselves out of sheer ignorance. If we didn't have smart educated people ruling us then we may just end up like Easter Islanders. Heck we may end up that way anyway if we keep up the political wars.

 

Some related articles from the related post in the news forum
Toyota Said to Support U.S. Fuel-Economy Plan - Bloomberg

Obama to announce new fuel efficiency standards- Businessgreen mobile

 

Detroit has a long and infamous history of "supporting" something now in return for some immediate prize, only to fight later. Face it, any future repub admin that holds anywhere near current policy views will cancel this agreement as fast as Reagan took down solar from the White house.

A dictate for 15 years from now is barely a hypothetical; and if it comes to be true, would have happened anyway due to other reasons.

 

The reason they want to invalidate the standard is because they don't really want to build the vehicles necessary to comply. GM could have sold EV's but they chose not to. Toyota could have continued but they didn't. The Detroit 3 could have built their Supercars but chose not to. Same song, different verse.

 

Raise the fuel tax on gas to a more realistic price, the price that it cost our enviroment, and people will demand more fuel efficent cars. Just ad .25 cents a gal every year until the price of gas is around $7.00 maybe $8.00, and people will change.

When I say enviroment, I don't just mean the air.

 

good luck with that.

remember what happen with Clinton BTU tax? Ross Perot $.50 tax on gas to payoff national debt?

It would be a common sense solution to 2 problems, but it will be a political suicide for anyone in Congress to vote for. Esp with 'publicans signing pledge not to raise any taxes.

 

Is there still the loophole of allowing big SUVs to sell as heavy trucks and not part of new regulations?
And what is the cut off from light trucks to heavy (exempt) trucks?