http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/02/02052002/ap_46304.asp - 2/5/2002 - ENN.com Senate plan would increase fuel economy to 37 mpg
Tuesday, February 05, 2002 By Nedra Pickler, Associated Press WASHINGTON - Automakers would be required to increase fuel efficiency by up to 56 percent for some vehicles under a plan being discussed by some Senate Democrats. Cars and light trucks would have to average 37 miles per gallon by the 2014 model year under the plan, outlined in a memo for Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee. A copy was obtained Monday by The Associated Press. Gloria Bergquist, spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said the plan is untenable for the auto industry. "Light trucks will no longer exist under this," she said. "It's a job killer. You can kiss your SUV, minivan, and pickup goodbye." Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has been holding hearings on the government's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which have been changed little since their inception 27 years ago. David Wade, a spokesman for Kerry, declined to comment on the memo, saying Kerry plans to announce his own proposal soon. Under current standards, cars must average 27.5 mpg, and light trucks, which include SUVs, minivans, and pickups, must get 20.7 mpg. Automakers don't have to meet the standard for every vehicle, but the entire fleet in each category must average that rate. Environmentalists say an increase in the standards is long overdue to reduce pollution and cut dependence on foreign oil. David Friedman of the Union of Concerned Scientists called the proposal a positive first step but said automakers can do even better. Automakers have resisted increases in CAFE standards, saying it would force them to build more smaller cars, which are less safe. A proposal to require light trucks to achieve the same 27.5 fuel economy as cars overwhelmingly failed in the House last summer. The National Academy of Sciences found last year that automakers could significantly improve fuel economy using existing technology. But it also found CAFE standards had resulted in the manufacture of lighter cars that don't stand up as well in crashes. The Bush administration is considering whether to scrap the CAFE system in favor of other incentives to improve fuel economy. The administration has suggested standards based on weight, encouraging more fuel efficient technologies or tradable fuel economy credits, but has not made a commitment to raise standards. Copyright 2002, Associated Press ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Get your FREE credit report with a FREE CreditCheck Monitoring Service trial http://us.click.yahoo.com/ACHqaB/bQ8CAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
