Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
New rules may actually encourage automakers to build behemoths
By David Welch
updated 12:52 p.m. PT, Tues., April 21, 2009
By the end of this year, the Obama Administration will finalize new rules designed to force car companies to build vehicles that travel farther on a gallon of fuel. Too bad the rules will discourage automakers from manufacturing the kind of small cars that the Obamaites favor and, in some cases, encourage carmakers to do exactly the opposite. That's right: make some models bigger.
President Barack Obama is only partly to blame; he inherited a fuel-saving scheme from President George Bush and the last Congress. When lawmakers were considering revising long-standing regulations two years ago, the auto industry pushed back. As a result, the legislation, while forcing a significant boost in fuel economy, has loopholes big enough to drive a truck through. Obama has finalized rules for 2011 based on Bush's proposed regulations, which run until 2015. Now, Obama is working on what will likely be tougher rules that will run through 2020. "The Obama Administration has an opportunity to close a bunch of loopholes," says Daniel Becker, an environmental lobbyist in Washington. "Hopefully they will."
The rest of the world drives fuel efficient cars.
Living in Europe, it's normal to get 30-40 mpg in almost all vehicles.
What the heck is wrong with the US?
Do you want to be owned by the oil companies?
Yeah, but those European vehicles don't meet US crash and emissions standards. Furthermore, the American driving conditions and lifestyles are vastly different than in Europe. I like small cars, but they generally don't work that well in America, outside the Northeast Corridor and maybe Chicago.
The rest of the world drives fuel efficient cars.
Living in Europe, it's normal to get 30-40 mpg in almost all vehicles.
What the heck is wrong with the US?
Do you want to be owned by the oil companies?
Our gas isn't $8/gallon.
Our cities are newer and the streets can handle larger vehicles.
As Captain Worley said, our safety standards are higher, which adds weight to a vehicle and thus, lowers the fuel efficiency.
Since the reunification, German and most other European roads are newer than those in the US.
I don't see horrendous damage done to cars in accidents here and retrofit for US standards isn't that expensive, so I think that the disparity is not so great any more. European cars are very safe: http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/P63955.asp (broken link)
US cars are not that safe.
I don't understand why people think they need gigantic cars.
You're just using the resources quicker, and we will have $8/gallon gas at some point.
Why not take steps to reduce use now?
A gussied up high priced pick up is far more profitable than a small or mid size economy car. Both actually cost about the same to produce but the Huge SUV sells for far more.
PS - this does not seen to make much difference to the American car makers such as Toyota, Honda, or Subaru.
If we would just tax gas to raise the cost to drivers, we would'nt need cafe standards, the market would handle the issue for us.
If someone needs a vehicle that gets 15mpg, to tow a boat or carry a large family or whatever, let the manufacturers make it and the consumer buy it. Thery just need to pay for the all the additional enviromental and security costs assocaited with burning more gas via a higher gas tax.
A gussied up high priced pick up is far more profitable than a small or mid size economy car. Both actually cost about the same to produce but the Huge SUV sells for far more.
PS - this does not seen to make much difference to the American car makers such as Toyota, Honda, or Subaru.
Texas has more suv's than all other states combined. If I remember an old stat about 75% of suburbans are sold in Texas.
I don't understand why people think they need gigantic cars.
Maybe they just like them. I do.
Quote:
we will have $8/gallon gas at some point.
It'll likely be a LONG time before that happens. This country depends way too much on oil for politicians to allow that. If anything, they'll end up cutting taxes on oil in order to keep the price down.
Since the reunification, German and most other European roads are newer than those in the US.
I don't see horrendous damage done to cars in accidents here and retrofit for US standards isn't that expensive, so I think that the disparity is not so great any more. European cars are very safe: 25 safest cars on the road - MSN Money (http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/P63955.asp - broken link)
US cars are not that safe.
I don't understand why people think they need gigantic cars.
You're just using the resources quicker, and we will have $8/gallon gas at some point.
Why not take steps to reduce use now?
Some people need an SUV to tow boats & toys like dirtbikes, campers, etc.
Or maybe they have a large Family. My BIL has 3 kids and they have to have a 3 row vehicle - they can't fit all 3 of the required child safety carseats into one back seat in a car.
I'm a big guy (6'4") and their is no car I could find that sat me, my wife and my 2 kids with the Barcolounger sized child safety seats they are required to sit in. We all barely fit in my Accord, but that's not a car that would be comfortable for all of us on a long trip or would have enough room for us to carry the luggage we would have on a family trip. We ended up getting my wife a minivan cause it gets better mileage then an SUV and is more practical.
A compact car is not the solution for everyone.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
