Fuel economy drive gaining momentum (so beware)

[jpak]

http://www.buffalonews.com/101/story/68932.html?imw=Y

Congress is moving toward boosting fuel-economy requirements for the cars and trucks Americans drive — and U.S. automakers worry that could spell trouble for the Americans who make those vehicles, including those in Buffalo.

“Any General Motors employee ought to be deeply concerned, because any unreasonable increase will have a devastating economic impact,” said Greg Martin, GM’s Washington spokesman.

It’s far too soon to say exactly how much fuel-economy standards will increase, or when, but there appears to be bipartisan momentum toward raising the standards.

In the Senate, key members from both parties Friday introduced a bill that would boost the average fuel economy of American vehicles to 35 miles per gallon — up from 25.4 last year — by 2020.

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[hlthe2b]

1. Should be boosted to 50 MPG by 2010, if you ask me..

[sandnsea]

2. We may only have 10 years

I think some people aren't quite grasping the environmental challenge we face. We may all be dead by 2020.

[GliderGuider]

8. I might give us a little longer than that, but not much

This article talks about the role of oil in providing a windfall expansion of the earth's carrying capacity, and how the decline of oil supplies in a post-peak era could collapse our population:Peak Oil, Carrying Capacity and Overshoot: Population, the Elephant in the Room.

I didn't explicitly factor in all the other challenges we're facing simultaneously: climate change, soil fertility decline, fresh water depletion, depletion of ocean fish stocks, biodiversity loss, extinctions and persistent chemical pollution. Just considering oil and food made the outcome worse than most people can bear to contemplate. Adding in these other factors really boosts the probability of a sudden collapse happening fairly soon.

Not to go all mystical-apocalyptic on anyone, but it's an interesting bit of symbology that the Mayan calendar predicts a massive change in the human situation in 2012. On the winter solstice, to be precise. I get the impression that a lot of people around the world seem to be pausing in mid-step, holding their breath, peering around and listening intently, and saying, "What was that? Did you hear something? What's happening? Something's going on."

[tridim]

3. I've been on the hunt for a 35+mpg used car recently..

and the selection is depressing. Just Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas and the VW TDI (not a good car for tinkerers like myself). My 91 CRX got better mileage than the newer Hondas. Why? All the American cars aren't even close. Like I said, it's depressing. Give me a quality American car that gets 40+mpg and I'll take a look.

[msongs]

4. GM management should be deported they are so incompetent nt

[Hoverflysr4]

5. Let the weak die!!

Let it happen, we need such new technologies from where it does not matter any more. I have all ways said one of the big three need to die. In Global market we should really have one American car manufacture and put all the money in to that one camp for R&D, and compete with the rest of the world, not at home. When China come is with a cheaper car defiantly one of the them will collapse. Americans want fuel efficacy but unwilling to surrender their big vehicles, a smaller one would have much better fuel economy so who said size does not matter? The correct response is BS! Size does matter! Increase the minimums, my wallet will say thank you over time.

[Kolesar]

6. I have all ways said one of the big three need to die???

Americans want fuel efficacy ? Really? People's driving habits have not changed much since the price of gasoline doubled.

[phantom power]

7. Right. Cuz business as usual has been working *so well* for them

:eyes:

[ramapo]

9. This just blows my mind

How GM can still be spewing this crap about increased fuel-economy standards wreaking economic mayhem is just beyond me. They've been singing this sorry tune for decades. To my chagrin, even the Clinton admin bought into it and sanctioned the SUV explosion.

To say that it is neither possible nor profitable to produce fuel-efficient cars is just nonsense. I will agree that it is probable that the oil-addicted morons in this country will bitch and moan that the price of their Hummer has either increased (or better yet is no longer manufactured) but too bad. It is way beyond the point where America needed to grow up and understand that it is not possible to have everything that we might desire. So consumers might go on a buying strike because their favorite behemoth is no longer on the market? Well that will be a failure of marketing. Just say that buying a small car helps defeat the terrorists.

[SharonRB]

10. I live in the Detroit area, and I think the Big Three are their own worst enemies sometimes

If the Japanese can build attractive, affordable hybrids, why can't GM, DCX and Ford? I just don't buy their argument. I know they could build fuel-efficient cars tomorrow if they really wanted to, whether they be hybrid or something else. I'm really sick of all of their chicken little talk about how much more a car will cost. I think people are willing to pay a little bit more because they will save so much on gas, but I really don't seriously believe they will cost $5,000 more per car.

My lease is up in about a year and I've started investigating cars. I currently drive a Lexus 330 and decided it was time to go back to an American car next time. However, the only American hybrid in the class of car I want is the Saturn Aura, and you can't get leather seats in the hybrid version, which is a deal-breaker for me. I hate cloth seats. So, now I'm back to looking at foreign cars again. I'm seriously considering either the SMART car, which will be available in early 2008, or the MINI. Once I test drive the SMART I'll know if I really have it in me to go that small. I'd love to be able to save that much on my car payments, in addition to getting over 40 MPG. If that doesn't work out, I'll probably go with the MINI -- it's more expensive than the SMART, but still less than my Lexus. Neither the SMART nor the MINI is a hybrid, but they both get great mileage.