Dingell's New CAFE Proposal - 14 Years For Cars To Meet New Standards, 17 Years For Trucks

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Dingell’s committee has proposed an increase in fuel-economy standards for cars and trucks, a sign that the U.S. auto industry would rather bargain with Congress than flatly oppose tougher efficiency rules.

Under the draft proposal by a subcommittee of the Dearborn Democrat’s House Energy and Commerce Committee, automakers would have to meet standards of at least 36 miles per gallon for cars after 2021 and 30 m.p.g. for trucks after 2024, or roughly 32.5 m.p.g. overall.

The leading proposal in the Senate would force the industry to average 35 m.p.g. by 2020, an increase automakers call unreasonable. Detroit automakers, especially General Motors Corp., have railed against the entire system of federal fuel-economy rules for decades, saying they forced them to build vehicles that consumers didn’t want.

Yet the broad support of the Senate bill — thanks to global warming concerns, rising gasoline prices and energy independence worries — has forced the auto industry to either find an increase it could support or risk getting sidelined in the debate. Last week, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., sent a proposal around Capitol Hill with similar fuel-economy targets, including a clause that could allow automakers to avoid federal fuel-economy rules entirely.

EDIT

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070604/BUSINESS01/70604005/1002/BUSINESS

[Captain Angry]

1. Because 50 mpg in the year 2007 would just be silly.

[hatrack]

2. Yes, we could never achieve that w/o severely damaging the auto industry . . .

Oh, they did?

Sorry, never mind. My bad!!

[Captain Angry]

5. Good thing that nobody else on Earth makes those kind of cars

I mean, if competing companies were to build highly efficient models, they'd be a laughing stock and never sell any more cars. The cars would probably be ridiculed for their low quality and reliability.

[hatrack]

8. Ripped from today's headlines!

I mean, just look at the collapse of Toyota and Honda since they started their ill-fated "hybrid" efforts.

Maybe if they'd stuck with a proven business model, like big-ass SUVs they wouldn't be the financial basket cases they are today, huh?

[Captain Angry]

12. The Japanese are afraid of manly vehicles.

They just can't handle the testosterone involved in the development of a Hummer, so they just make sissy cars. And as we all know, people don't buy sissy cars.

The sales reports saying otherwise are just more proof of the liberal media conspiracy.

[hatrack]

14. Yep - way too much chrysanthemum, not nearly enough sword . . .

If you know what I mean (nudge nudge).

[Captain Angry]

15. Wink wink

Say no more, say no MORE!

[lostnotforgotten]

3. VW TDI Diesels - Over 50 MPG In Europe Today - Go Figure!

eom

[One_Life_To_Give]

10. 79 Rabbit Diesel did 50MPG

The Chevy Sprint/Geo Metro were right up there at just under 50MPG.

The old 10Gal/500 mile race bsically ended when anyone could walk into a dealership and buy a car that met federal standards and could complete the race.

[msongs]

4. maybe dingell is a paid tool of the auto industry ya think?

and he doesnt want his gravy train derailed before he can cash out to the max like the ceos who are running ford and gm into the ground but still get multi million dollar payouts for destroying the country?

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[papau]

6. bingo -Dingell has never met a car executive that he didn't want to hug - he is a major

block to doing good things for the Earth.

[razzleberry]

7. 8 MPG trucks and SUVs are the problem,

not 25 mpg cars.

[One_Life_To_Give]

11. Which trucks get 8MPG

The last pickup I remember being that low was a mid 70's with a 454CID(7.4L), 4.11 rear and no overdrive. My 2000 runs 15MPG empty, 10-11MPG towing with a 6000lb trailer.

[NickB79]

13. My best friend's father gets 8 mpg in his Hummer H2

I love the man like my own father, but man I still get pissed when I see that monstrosity in his driveway.

[tinrobot]

9. 2-3 MPG increase per year for the next 50 years

...or something like that.

It needs to be a lot stricter and a lot faster.

[Nihil]

16. Don't worry ...

... the real world will soon start imposing some stricter limits of
its own ...