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Trump has announced plans to role back stricter regulations set in 2011 by the Obama administration which would have required auto makers to achieve an average of 54.5 mpg by 2025. Several automakers have had major problems with more fuel efficient CVT transmissions and some now produce cars with no spare tire to reduce weight. I support some increase in fuel efficiency but I do think Obama overreached and the result for someone with a new Ford Focus that is unfixable CVT it is effectively a tax on the poor. You can't haul a trailer loaded with cattle behind a Prius.
Do you think changes to cars will be significant as a result of this election?
The Focus does not have a CVT. It's a dual clutch. Poor attempt at copying VW's DSG. Though VW themselves had growing pains getting into the transmission and had to offer replacements and extended warranties as well early on.
I think at this point the ball is thoroughly running in that direction and gov't regulation may not be necessary. Germany is calling for an outright ban on the internal combustion engine by 2030 and given the global automobile market all makes are going to continue to strive for such efficiency and tech updates to stay ahead of any one nation's laws.
OP, who cares about hauling cattle? People are driving to work and taking the kids to school. Oil and gas prices are a wildcard. MPGs equate to real dollars in my pocket. We all know auto makers won't make these changes unless required.
I like the more efficient vehicles that get good MPG. Other countries push for even better MPG than the US. There's no reason to waste gas if it's not necessary.
The last car I bought, one of the decisions in that specific make/model over the competition was that it had better gas mileage AND better HP. Yep - they got creative and were able to deliver fuel economy while also giving decent horsepower.
Many consumers want good gas mileage. Therefore, car makers will need to continue with fuel economy designs if they want customers to buy their products, regardless what the US government requires.
I think it's a good move from a big picture perspective
When the new CAFE standards were introduced, I thought they were optimistic. 54MPG as a fleet average is going to be VERY difficult to achieve from an engineering perspective. It really means developing a fleet of super sipper cars to offset the ones that the manufacturer sells below the average. You can only sell so many ford focus's to offet the higher consuming vehicles.
The ball is already rolling towards increased fuel economy. It's on my mind each and ever time I shop for a vehicle, so I don't mind taking the gov't out of the equation here. The public already demands better MPG, and manufacturers are delivering on this.
I'd rather see a company mature a technology, then rush one out the door to meet a lofty (in my eyes) goal. In my opinion, EV will much more common by 2024 anyway, so we may see the death of the ICE as a common means of propulsion within the next decade or so.
I think 54 MPG is not a practical "fleet" goal. The old Honda CRX could get close to that, but it does not meet current crash-safety requirements. I bring it up as an example of what a car that can crack 50 MPG is like. It's not a bad car, but it is quite small. You can't haul much cargo in it, it won't pull a trailer bigger than a gnat.
The free market can take care of MPG better than fatwas from bureaucrats, IMHO.
And, hey, if a few rich kids want to drive Hellcats, is this the land of the free, or not? Not like they are asking you to pay for their gas.
OP, who cares about hauling cattle? People are driving to work and taking the kids to school. Oil and gas prices are a wildcard. MPGs equate to real dollars in my pocket. We all know auto makers won't make these changes unless required.
Who cares about hauling cattle? You're joking. It doesn't go from the farm to the store or your favorite burger or steak house by magic.
Auto makers make what SELLS. If cars with high fuel efficiency were in demand that's what they would make.
That's too bad, though it won't really matter after ~2020 or so. Once battery costs come down to reasonable levels, lots more people will be driving electric cars.
If Tesla could actually produce enough Model 3's to meet demand, the whole automotive world would change. I doubt they'll be able to, but it sure would be nice.
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