Midterm CAFE Targets to be Announced for Earth Day
Happy Earth Day! Let’s use less oil!
Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is expected to make an announcement today on “protecting the environment,” which will likely include outlining the fuel economy standards for cars and truck through the 2011-2015 model years. New Federal regulations have spelled out that vehicles must hit a combined (cars and trucks) standard of 35 mpg by 2020.
It seems likely that the midterm economy goals will be averages of close to 30 mpg by 2015, to stay on the steady path to 35 mpg. The current standards require cars to average 27.5 mpg and light trucks to hit 22.5 mpg. The new mandates to corporate average fuel economy, signed into law last December by President Bush, are the first economy updates to the CAFE program since its inception in 1975.
+ Automotive News: For Earth Day, higher CAFE (subscription required)
Comments
Brock
Much progress has been made since the first Earth Day when gas was about 30 cents a gallon. Now we will have available to us over the upcoming years cars that will kill more of us in accidents.
Ducati Minor
What?
Mena
Given that small cars are only 4% of the market in the US, it will be quite a while before we have to consider any of the safety issues of smaller cars. Not saying we can't talk about it though. Although, if more of us were driving smaller cars, the mass differentials would be less of a life threatening issue.
BTW, I like small and light but it's really not practical for most of us. Single and married couples with infants or toddlers could make due depending on their lifestyle but medium to large families or even active families will need something larger.
Brock
Quite well said, Mena. However, mass differential is not always size related. Larger vehicles will have to sacrifice weight somewhere to meet the MPG target and its unlikely that a Dodge Caravan, for example, could be sold at an affordable price if constructed out of Fourmula 1 materials. So, it becomes more flimsy.And regardless of the mix of large/small cars, other road users such as busses, trucks and other such vehicles, which are actually becoming larger with higher payloads, will still be on the highways as well.
chris
My exact thoughts mena and brock. Small cars are not practical for most people, and the prices are gonna go so high when they turn to different materials and technologies to reach these goals. Enjoy the horsepower while you can I guess.
Mena
chris,
The hp will still be there but regular folks won't be able to afford it like they can now.
dante
Whatever, Chicken Littles, the whining about this has been going on for forty years. The world isn't going to end just as it didn't before, so take off your sneakers and get the knife away from your junk - that comet isn't a UFO coming to bring you to heaven.
Mena
What the hell are you talking about dante?
Mena
Here's the CAFE announecement:
http://tinyurl.com/6e2f56
Long and short of it:
Ducati Minor
I guess that means Ford won't be selling 900,000 F-150s per year anymore.
mo
why, i don't see these numbers impossible to do. certain things will change, the design, the materials, the total height and ground clearance, and so. but it is not impossible. the only problem is that manufacturers should think fast since they only have 2 years to go.
Mena
Ducati,
I see the opposite. All Ford, GM, and Toyota have to do is add diesel and hybrid options and pair the hybrids with twin-turbo DI V6's. And since credits are still in effect, they can make some fuel sipper 4 cyl DI turbo mid-size and small trucks and let them carry all the weight. The gov just made it MUCH easier on them to comply.
Brock
Pete DeLorenzo said today in Autoextremist that it will cost automakers 50 BILLION to comply.
Post new comment