EPA to NHTSA: Go higher on new CAFE standards!
After the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced its proposed new Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules last spring there was a public comment period to be followed by revisions before finalizing the regulations. There were certainly some negative comments related to the footprint-based standards but the other aspect that came in for criticism was the cost benefit analysis. In a seemingly surprising move, even the Environmental Protection Agency filed a comment opposing the draft regulation. The energy bill that was enacted last December required NHTSA to set the standards based in part on what was technically and financially feasible. NHTSA set the mileage requirements based on the assumption that gasoline would cost an average of $2.42 in 2016. Given where gas prices are today that seems like a serious under-estimation. Even the EPA that declined to approve a waiver for California's CO2 regulations felt that NHTSA used too low a price estimate in its analysis. If a higher price was assumed it would make a higher standard more feasible.
[Source: Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dave 7:32PM (9/04/2008)
It seems that gas prices are finally making hybrids cost justifiable which will make CAFE irrelevant for cars at least.
IMHO-
If they are going to be serious about CAFE, though, all passenger vehicles which do not have a 28+ square foot open load floor should count as cars. Forget the footprint.
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stas peterson 12:42AM (9/07/2008)
Neither set of bureaucrats has to meet these standards.
They simply devolve the costs onto the automakers. US automakers have borne the brunt of creating and paying for the development of technologies such as Catalytic converters, (GM), O2 sensors (Ford?) and closed feedback controls), using microprocessors, (All). to clean the US air much cleaner and much faster, than any where else in the world.
Meanwhile the bleeding US automakers are struggling to avoid bankruptcy, today. Pile some more costs on, bleed them some more; you idiots, as you battle for bureaucratic turf.
.
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Erik 7:56PM (9/08/2008)
Dave, you said just what I've been thinking...
Today's gas prices have made CAFE irrelevant.
Very few people are going to buy a car that gets less than 30 mpg today, and most are going to buy the highest mpg car that (1) they can afford, and (2) isn't horribly ugly or dangerous.
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