It has been decades since anyone decided to up the fuel economy ante and force automakers to improve their CAFE ratings. Believe it or not, former President George W. Bush got the ball rolling by requiring automakers to reach 35 mpg by 2020. But Obama, swinging the bola of Hope and Change, has pushed those standards up to 2016, while adding in incentives for plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles.
So what does that mean for you and I, the average consumer?
The bill signed by Obama last week requires automakers to get on board and achieve a fleet wide average fuel economy for both cars and trucks of 34.1 mpg, though improvements in air conditioning technology are expected to bring those numbers up to 35 mpg. Everybody, especially the automakers, knew this day of reckoning was coming, but it is still estimated that it will cost over $50 billion industry-wide to meet the new, higher standards. Estimates suggest this will ultimately add about $1,000 to the cost of each car, though the savings in gas should amount to about $3,000 during ownership of the vehicle.
Light trucks are expected to get an average of 29 mpg by 2016, with cars getting about 38 mpg the same year. I would love, love, love to buy a workable pickup truck that gets 30 mpg! And there is a lot of common sense to this new law too. For example, automakers get credit towards their fuel economy standards for building plug-in and flex-fuel vehicles, up to a certain point. The first 200,000 plug-in vehicles sold earn automakers credits, and by 2015 automakers can’t just build flex-fuel vehicles, but have to prove they are using alternative fuels as well.
Low-volume automakers get a longer lead-in to these new standards, but are not exempt. And to discourage automakers from just producing fleets of small cars with small engines, the bill requires automakers to produce more and more small cars to meet the same standards. This bill is trying to bring about innovation… and I’m strangely optimistic about it. This really will be a boon to us all at the end of the day as we spend less money on gas and in the process, we should save over 1.8 billion gallons of oil every year. Plus, automakers won’t have to comply with both Federal and individual state regulations, as these new rules will be applied to every state. Everybody wins!
Source: The Detroit News | Image: BarackObama.com
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About Christopher DeMorro
YEAH!!!
Overall, how much more “CO’2″ will be produced manufacturing these “high breed” air conditioning systems? The technology for high mileage has been around for along time. The problem is, if we make high mile’rs the Government and oil industry (if there’s a difference) will loose alot of money from US!!! And trust me, more than ever they need alot more of yours and mine
YEAH!!!
Overall, how much more “CO’2″ will be produced manufacturing these “high breed” air conditioning systems? The technology for high mileage has been around for along time. The problem is, if we make high mile’rs the Government and oil industry (if there’s a difference) will loose alot of money from US!!! And trust me, more than ever they need alot more of yours and mine
Sewerguns, the Obama administration and the liberals planning this takeover have already determined the anticipated tax loses.That is why they are pushing “Cap & Trade” which will replace the losses by at least double, or more.
As you have implied, but not said, there is no way that our Federal Government will restrict their spending to that which the Constitution allows. We must simply refuse to vote for incumbents. We must aremember that government jobs do NOT add to the economy but are actually parasitic in nature. They use up our taxes. but actually produce nothing.
Sewerguns, the Obama administration and the liberals planning this takeover have already determined the anticipated tax loses.That is why they are pushing “Cap & Trade” which will replace the losses by at least double, or more.
As you have implied, but not said, there is no way that our Federal Government will restrict their spending to that which the Constitution allows. We must simply refuse to vote for incumbents. We must aremember that government jobs do NOT add to the economy but are actually parasitic in nature. They use up our taxes. but actually produce nothing.
Well, i wonder where all the folks refusing to vote for incumbents were when we were wasting money on countless wars overseas. I dont think any conservative can preach to anyone else in the country about what they must or must not do when their only answer to losing is to take by violence what they cannot take by vote. Yeah, like a progressive, wonderful nation like America is going to listen to a bunch of thugs. Godbless President Obama, and the USA.
Well, i wonder where all the folks refusing to vote for incumbents were when we were wasting money on countless wars overseas. I dont think any conservative can preach to anyone else in the country about what they must or must not do when their only answer to losing is to take by violence what they cannot take by vote. Yeah, like a progressive, wonderful nation like America is going to listen to a bunch of thugs. Godbless President Obama, and the USA.
Liberals this Liberals that,blah,blah blah. I want to see a public option everything.Public option mortgages, public option insurance, public option everthing or anything that has no honest competion or swindles the American Public. . All you right wing “free enterprise” lovers can buy from the banksters, swindlers and price fixers or go to India and make thongs for Walmart. Do you really think monopolies are “free enterprise”? O yeh Public option charging stations too Then Ill Tattoo Liberal on my forehead. That the kind of change Im talking about.
Liberals this Liberals that,blah,blah blah. I want to see a public option everything.Public option mortgages, public option insurance, public option everthing or anything that has no honest competion or swindles the American Public. . All you right wing “free enterprise” lovers can buy from the banksters, swindlers and price fixers or go to India and make thongs for Walmart. Do you really think monopolies are “free enterprise”? O yeh Public option charging stations too Then Ill Tattoo Liberal on my forehead. That the kind of change Im talking about.
MikeO,
The U.S. Post Office, the public education system, the DMV, Medicare, Social Security…all public options and all dismal failures. Three of which (PO, SS, MC) are on the verge of bankruptcy and the other two (DMV, PubEd) have such awful performance no one in
their right mind would want them emulated.
More often than not, monopolies are caused by gov’t regulation making it near impossible for new startups
to enter the market. Don’t blame free enterprise, for example, for high gas prices when the gov’t doesn’t allow new refineries to be built. Don’t blame free enterprise for the housing crisis when the gov’t distorted the market (with both carrots and sticks) by “encouraging” banks to lend money to irresponsible people. In a truly free market, all those people would have been renting as they should have been.
Free enterprise is far from perfect, but it’s a whole lot better than the alternative.
-Tim
MikeO,
The U.S. Post Office, the public education system, the DMV, Medicare, Social Security…all public options and all dismal failures. Three of which (PO, SS, MC) are on the verge of bankruptcy and the other two (DMV, PubEd) have such awful performance no one in
their right mind would want them emulated.
More often than not, monopolies are caused by gov’t regulation making it near impossible for new startups
to enter the market. Don’t blame free enterprise, for example, for high gas prices when the gov’t doesn’t allow new refineries to be built. Don’t blame free enterprise for the housing crisis when the gov’t distorted the market (with both carrots and sticks) by “encouraging” banks to lend money to irresponsible people. In a truly free market, all those people would have been renting as they should have been.
Free enterprise is far from perfect, but it’s a whole lot better than the alternative.
-Tim
Tim Cleland. Go out and tell your mailman he is a dismal failure. Most people in the know, know the USPS is a wonderful example of getting your moneys worth and outstanding service. The only cost to the taxpayer is the cost of the postage and a security subsidy to conform with Homeland Security. The only reason Medicare and SS have fiscal problems is because the revenue generated goes into the general fund and is no longer dedicated to Medicare or SS but all the spending projects, wars and “bridges to nowhere” the Ted Stevens of the world want to spend it on. Get real man! The banksters and unregulated greed has caused most legitimate enterprise to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Are you going call all of them “dismal faiures”?? Oh yeh, just ask someone on medicare how well it dont work and YOU think they dont deserve it or the SS they payed into all their years should be trashed and given to some upper 2%er for a tax cut!!!Bet you think we should get rid of our Servicemen and just hire Blackwater for everything. Maybe get rid your local police and fire because they are just part of government. Try getting your info somewhere other than Glen Beck.
Tim Cleland. Go out and tell your mailman he is a dismal failure. Most people in the know, know the USPS is a wonderful example of getting your moneys worth and outstanding service. The only cost to the taxpayer is the cost of the postage and a security subsidy to conform with Homeland Security. The only reason Medicare and SS have fiscal problems is because the revenue generated goes into the general fund and is no longer dedicated to Medicare or SS but all the spending projects, wars and “bridges to nowhere” the Ted Stevens of the world want to spend it on. Get real man! The banksters and unregulated greed has caused most legitimate enterprise to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Are you going call all of them “dismal faiures”?? Oh yeh, just ask someone on medicare how well it dont work and YOU think they dont deserve it or the SS they payed into all their years should be trashed and given to some upper 2%er for a tax cut!!!Bet you think we should get rid of our Servicemen and just hire Blackwater for everything. Maybe get rid your local police and fire because they are just part of government. Try getting your info somewhere other than Glen Beck.
government jobs are still the best when it comes to job security .:*