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.
