I remember seeing a Tweet from Obama yesterday about them passing “historic” new auto MPG standards, because obviously no one else has ever passed them. Hell, if Obama bakes cookies, it’s probably historic. But, as for real historic
(Washington Post) The Obama administration announced strict new vehicle fuel-efficiency standards Tuesday, requiring that the U.S. auto fleet average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, an uncontroversial move that, unlike other administration energy policies, was endorsed by industry and environmentalists alike.
The new rules, announced by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson, expand on existing standards requiring American-made cars and light trucks to average 34.5 mpg by 2016. They will significantly cut U.S. oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by the time they are fully implemented, according to the EPA.
“Customers want higher fuel efficiency in their cars and trucks, and GM is going to give it to them,†said Greg Martin, General Motors’ executive director for communications. “We expect the rules to be tough, but we have a strong history of innovation, and we’ll do our best to meet them.â€
Yeah, that type of “innovation” has led to vehicles that are much lighter, meaning that they are more deaths from auto accidents. If customers really wanted higher fuel efficiency GM and others would do this, not have the government force them to do it.
Auto dealers warned Tuesday that making the technical changes required to achieve greater efficiency would increase the average price of a vehicle by $3,000 by the time the rules are fully implemented.
“This increase shuts almost 7 million people out of the new-car market entirely and prevents many millions more from being able to afford new vehicles that meet their needs,†Bill Underriner, who chairs the National Automobile Dealers Association, said in a statement.
Well, do we really want so many cars on the road? That’s bad for globull warming, and, hey, look
In addition to increasing fuel efficiency, the rules also establish an emissions standard of 144 grams of carbon dioxide per mile for passenger cars and 203 grams of CO2 per mile for trucks.
So, more globull warming rules by executive fiat. Must be nice to be the king and drive around in a vehicle that pays absolutely zero attention to the rules passed for Everyone Else.
Of course the cars will be more expensive…the replacement rate for hamsters and their price make that abundantly clear.
La busca della morte for the car industry.
(Washington Post) The Obama administration announced strict new vehicle fuel-efficiency standards Tuesday, requiring that the U.S. auto fleet average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, an uncontroversial move that, unlike other administration energy policies, was endorsed by industry and environmentalists alike.
Uncontroversial means- lacking in controversy.
According to the Washington Post, the only two parties that could possibly be important to the decision are environmentalists and the industry. They don’t even include the consumer (you know the party paying and driving the product) in the mix. Even more telling is that GM (aka Government Motors) was the only industry representative quoted in the article.
Question: You have a family of 5. You need a mini-van to go anywhere together. Now what?
Man…I thought Stanley Kurtz was full of crap, when he stated in his latest book that the true plan of the current administration was to force public transportation (bus, train etc) on us all, thus destroying the suburbs. Well…maybe he is onto something.
Cheers,
The Worm
[…] “Historic†Obama CAFE Standards To Raise Auto Costs […]
GM went bankrupt. No electric car is selling above the number of motorcycles. ONly the rich can buy them. Hybrids are not really selling well either.
Big Trucks are still the #1 seller, yet we are told people want smaller, weaker, tinier more fuel efficient vehicles and the only way to get them is to force car mfgs to make them or else?
Please, tell me how well the Volt, The Smart, or the Fiat are selling despite being on the market for 3 years? NOT. If people wanted them, they would be buying them.
That’s been there plan for the last 50 years. Green Agenda. Bicycle paths. Car-free campuses. Free bus rides (not for taxpayers tho). Bankrupt masstrans’. More UN control. War on Urban areas. Green Zones. It does not end and it won’t stop until we elect the right people.