DaimlerChrysler VP calls on congress for more tax breaks for fuel efficient cars
At a Senate Finance subcommittee hearing earlier this week DaimlerChrysler Vice-President Mark Chernoby urged Congress to extend tax credits for diesel vehicles to include all diesels. Expanded credits would help offset some of the increased cost of diesel engines and encourage the market for biodiesel. Chernoby also encouraged the legislators to broaden tax breaks on hybrid vehicles, which are currently limited based on the number of vehicles a manufacturer sells. Toyota has already hit the 60,000 vehicle limit for the maximum credit of $3,150. Prius buyers can now only take $775 and after September they will get nothing. Committee chairman Sen. Jeff Binagaman, D-N.M, felt that the rules should be changed to provide incentives based on efficiency regardless of the technology. That would free up carmakers to use different types of drivetrains as long as they are more efficient.
[Source: Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Robert 12:01PM (5/04/2007)
I liked Martin Eberhard's commentary on the same meeting.
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog2/?p=49
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Howard Lee Harkness 12:16PM (5/04/2007)
From Eberhard's latest blog entry: "Allow electric cars to qualify for the same humungous tax break that 3-ton SUVs do, if they are used for business use. An accountant or a lawyer can drive a Tesla Motors car to visit clients just as easily as s/he could drive a Hummer."
While I agree with most of Eberhard's ideas in the post, I think it would be better to end tax-breaks for 3-ton SUVs completely, rather than extend them to more efficient cars.
Of course, that would mean that only people who really needed 3-ton SUVs would buy them, which would in turn shrink that market by about 95%.
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Ron Fischer 12:54PM (5/04/2007)
Article neglects to mention Chernoby requested our government *ease* emissions standards so DCX could sell eurodiesels in the USA. From his transcript:
"For example, we strongly support legislation (S. 1055) introduced by Senator Biden that would eliminate the special emissions requirements under section 30B for lean burn vehicles."
A bit cryptic, but rather than push to intro Bluetec earlier they instead suggested worsening public health and air quality.
Link to his transcript: http://finance.senate.gov/hearings/testimony/2007test/050107testmc.pdf
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Joseph 1:22AM (5/05/2007)
According to Martin Eberhard the guy from Shell who was there talking to Congress too said that ALL the HYDROGEN SHELL uses for GASOLINE REFINING can POWER the ENTIRE U.S. Fleet of CARS. Read teh Tesla blog, it's one of the main points.
I can't find this anywhere in the transcript of the SHELL guy.
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog2/
http://finance.senate.gov/hearings/testimony/2007test/050107testpb.pdf
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Desiri 1:57AM (5/05/2007)
That is not the oral transcript. They submitted those written statements before the hearing.
You can watch it here:
http://www.teslamotors.com/display_data/senate_testimony_050107.ram
Baxley begins speaking at 35:00.
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66coronet 2:05PM (5/07/2007)
More tax brakes for fuel efficient vehicles?
As a consumer, I see the auto manufactures develop technology (ESX) that will give good fuel mileage and then shelved the technology. It takes the Japanese to give it to the public and force the rest to realize the customer wants better fuel mileage that they threw away to the shelf.
Chrysler div makes the 5.7L hemi with MDS. Why didn’t they make other V-8’s (4.7-5.0L MDS and a 4.0L MDS) a year or two after the 5.7L was proven reliable and successful? I would think a 4.0L V-8 MDS would out perform a 3.7L in fuel mileage and should be as good as or better than in HP and lb-ft.
At least with the next generation V-6’s they will have MDS. But that’s 2010+.
As for the statement, diesel is our future. That must have been more of a statement for overseas market, unless the written agreements to diesel manufacturers were only for overseas markets. I would have hoped that once they found a motor that met US regulations that they would use that motor to improve fuel mileage in a wide range of vehicles. The MB3.0L crd Bluetec will be in the grand Cherokee soon, but what about the 300C & charger & magnum? Wouldn’t our police department like the charger with 376lb-ft 3.0L crd & 25 - 28+ mpg average? Our state of Washington is moving to B2 and B5 biodiesel state wide. Operators may even use B20. Thus reducing the need for oil. I still wonder, if VW 2.0L TDI 2008 jetta is north American bound, why not the same motor & exhaust system for Chrysler div. Dodge caliber, jeep patriot, jeep compass? Reading auto tests on the dodge caliber, the UK tester says the low rpm high torque diesel motor best fits this car over the weak gas motors that need lots of rpm. Plus this allows the customer to have other vehicle options to use biodiesel.
I think if they would only offer better fuel mileage vehicles, the consumer will buy them. Tax brake or no tax brake.
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