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Page added on August 29, 2012
U.S. Sets Higher Fuel Efficiency Standards
The Obama administration issued on Tuesday the final version of new rules that require automakers to nearly double the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks by 2025.
The standards — which mandate an average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon for the 2025 model year — will increase the pressure on auto manufacturers to step up development of electrified vehicles as well as sharply improve the mileage of their mass-market models through techniques like more efficient engines and lighter car bodies.
Current rules for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, program mandate an average of about 29 miles per gallon, with gradual increases to 35.5 m.p.g. by 2016.
The new rules represent a victory for environmentalists and advocates of fuel conservation, but were attacked by opponents, including the Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, as too costly for consumers.
While the regulations have been in development for more than a year, the White House’s decision to make them final on the first full day of the Republican National Convention seemed intended to highlight one of President Obama’s proudest accomplishments at a time when Mr. Romney has laid out a different energy and environmental agenda.
The administration called the new rules “historic,” and estimated that Americans would reduce their oil consumption by 12 billion barrels over the course of the program. “These fuel standards represent the single most important step we’ve ever taken to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” Mr. Obama said in a statement.
But the Romney campaign has criticized the new rules as “extreme” and said the standards would limit the choices when consumers shop for a new car. “The president tells voters that his regulations will save them thousands of dollars at the pump, but always forgets to mention that the savings will be wiped out by having to pay thousands of dollars more upfront for unproven technology that they may not even want,” said Andrea Saul, a spokeswoman for the Romney campaign.
The transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, said the standards would save Americans $1.7 trillion in fuel costs, resulting in an average savings of more than $8,000 a vehicle by 2025.
The fuel savings, he said, would easily exceed the estimated $2,000 to $3,000 that the more efficient vehicles would cost consumers to buy.
“You put better technology in the car and the price is going to go up,” Mr. LaHood said in a conference call with reporters. “But it goes up a fraction of what you save on gas.”
The administration also said the rules would cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2025, eliminating six billion tons over the course of the program.
Proponents of the rules contend that they could also generate hundreds of thousands of jobs by increasing the demand for new technologies.
“Our nation will be more secure, our environment will be cleaner, and consumers will have more money in their pockets as a result of the new rule,” said Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Clean Energy Program, an environmental organization based in Washington.
Thirteen major automakers, including General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, endorsed the new standards during lengthy negotiations last year.
The companies fought for and won inclusion of a critical midprogram review period in the final rule. The review, to be conducted at the end of the decade, is meant to assess the progress made toward achieving the 54.5 m.p.g. goal. The standard could then be altered if the manufacturers are struggling to meet the new guidelines.
One industry trade group, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said a “rigorous midterm review” was necessary to determine how consumers reacted to new models that had better mileage but might be more expensive.
“Compliance with higher fuel-economy standards is based on sales, not what we put on the showroom floor,” the alliance said in a statement.
Auto dealers also expressed concern that higher prices for new cars might exclude some consumers from the market. “This increase shuts almost seven million people out of the new car market entirely,” said Bill Underriner, chairman of the National Auto Dealers Association.
Auto companies are expected to take different approaches to meeting the more stringent guidelines.
Some, like the Japanese automaker Nissan, are counting on consumers gravitating to all-electric models like its Leaf. Others, like Chrysler, will focus their efforts on improving engines and transmissions on traditional gasoline-powered cars.
Ford is offering its new Focus compact car with a variety of power sources, ranging from an electric version to a regular gas engine.
Still, American consumers have so far been slow to buy electric cars, despite gas prices that are near $4 a gallon. General Motors is planning to shut down production temporarily of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid to reduce a backlog of unsold inventory.
For the most part, automakers will have to accelerate their efforts to improve mileage by reducing the weight of vehicles, using more aerodynamic designs and decreasing engine size without sacrificing power.
“The vast majority of vehicles will be more efficient without using electric or hybrid powertrains,” said Daniel F. Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign, a Washington-based environmental advocacy group. “These cars won’t look any different than today unless you check under the hood.”
Even if the 54.5 m.p.g. goal is reached, most cars and trucks will get lower mileage in real-life driving. Credits for air-conditioning units in vehicles will reduce the average mileage to about 49 m.p.g., and actual driving conditions could reduce it further.
14 Comments on "U.S. Sets Higher Fuel Efficiency Standards"
Beery on Wed, 29th Aug 2012 2:26 pm
2025? Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Yeah, that should help. Government mandated limits on a fuel that, by the time it goes into effect, no one’s going to be able to afford to burn.
I guess we’ve passed the peak of the audacity of hope. Now all that’s left is the audacity of despair.
Beery on Wed, 29th Aug 2012 2:27 pm
I meant ‘government mandated efficiency’.
Beery on Wed, 29th Aug 2012 2:38 pm
Or more accurately, the audacity of business as usual. Just what we all voted for in 2008 – ‘more of the same’: that was, I believe, the catchphrase from the Obama 2008 campaign.
Rick on Wed, 29th Aug 2012 3:41 pm
I just read the “Volt” is having very poor sales, so they stopped production for now. No surprise.
DoesItMatter on Wed, 29th Aug 2012 4:25 pm
Yea, the Volt is suffering, it’s another crappy Chevy product. However, the Prius they can’t make enough of. So what it really comes down to is that the American companies will go under (if allowed), while the forward thinking companies could survive (supposing anyone does).
SOS on Wed, 29th Aug 2012 4:39 pm
Dispair is a personal choice. I think is audacious to try and inflict personal dispare on others, especially through peak politics and peak oil.
The debt problem is going to be solved along with the energy problem. We have more than enough conventional reserves to be developed to generate the wealth needed to balance this budget and fund social security while fulfilling our energy needs.
Dispair is caused by a leader that does all he can to block energy independence. A leader that advocates policies that have dramatically increased the cost of all energy and will continue to push those costs higher for each of you.
Whats to stop the EPA from mandating out of existance all fossil fueled autos? Just set the M/G at say 150 by 2025. Then we could all get the volt! LOL Thats dispair: Transportation for the 1%, the rest can take the bus.
All of the energy policies of the current administration have caused ongoing dispair for everyone but the 1%. It doesnt matter to them what the prices are. A lot of personal dispair I see here would be aleviated if politics supported orderly development of all our resources.
End personal dispair. Support an energy independent North America by 2020. Conservation is a big part of it. Its always good to be conservative.
James on Wed, 29th Aug 2012 9:54 pm
The bottom line is that no matter how high the government sets the mileage standards. Mother Nature and the Laws of Physics dictate otherwise. The mechanics of an automobile engine won’t let it achieve the mileage that the government has mandated. We haven’t even met the last standard set for all vehicles. Some of them have, but they aren’t the big, comfortable cars that get up and go as soon as the pedal is pushed.
Beery on Wed, 29th Aug 2012 11:58 pm
Well, everyone is going to have to ask themselves whether they want to spend big bucks on filling up the tank of a heavy, comfortable and powerful car that can do 0 to 60 in 5 seconds flat, or spend a lot less on a lighter, less comfortable, weaker car. Eventually, as the price of oil puts the big cars beyond almost everyone’s reach, only the lighter weaker cars will survive – and they won’t last long.
The future of the automobile probably looks a lot like this:
http://www.ecochunk.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Rishock-pedal-assist-electric-quadricycle_1.jpg
BillT on Thu, 30th Aug 2012 12:19 am
“… The debt problem is going to be solved along with the energy problem…”
You are correct, it WILL be solved by collapse of the world financial system taking down the oil cartel and resetting the world to a much lower standard of living, the US included. When things recover, oil will no longer be a fuel for cars.
MrEnergyCzar on Thu, 30th Aug 2012 2:29 am
Why would burning less fuel of the life of the car cost consumers more? What is Mitt talking about?
MrEnergyCzar
DC on Thu, 30th Aug 2012 2:59 am
What a joke, marginally more efficent gas-burning garbage bins wont have anything more than a cosmetic effect on either oil supplies, or peoples wallets. The US could have done this 50 years ago, or more. It would have been useful and wed see the effects today. Now? Forget it. Too little, too late. The US system has more holes than swiss cheese. Were going to ‘talk’ about this, not actually do it. Well argue and change the definition of words like ‘average’ and ‘efficient’, so nothing really gets done. You cant make make gas-powered car ‘efficent’, only slightly less wasteful. Fact is, the auto-oil govt of amerika doest even enforce the weak fuel standards that exist now, how do they expect the make the industry do something they’ve being able to resist doing for over a century. And with the numbers they propose?
You cant and you wont, because the auto-oil cartel IS the govt of the US of Oil.
Kenz300 on Thu, 30th Aug 2012 1:33 pm
The fossil fuel industry has a hold on energy policy.
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/energy-futurist/energy-policy-follow-the-money/547?tag=nl.e660
SOS on Thu, 30th Aug 2012 8:28 pm
Ever hear the expression “penny wise pound foolish”? Here we have a prime example in spades.
I agree DC, these measures do nothing more than shed light on how superficial and meaningless the laws are. What this law is doing is making your car even more expensive to drive as the auto industry has to use all other models to subsidize the high cost to manufacture a few of these low fuel/high waste cars needed to bring the fleet average into compliance.
Its another good example of peak politics causing peak oil.
Conservation, at least well thought out logical conservative plans with real meaning and substance, is always good. Its important to be conservative.
http://www.url2go.site/springwoodwellnesscentre.com.au on Mon, 7th Dec 2015 9:00 am
Thanks for spending time on the computer (writing) so others don’t have to.