Subscribe to Moronmeter!President Obama Wants to Put Auto Fuel Efficiency Into High(er) Gear
The President Obama is starting to take steps to get America’s automotive industry’s fuel efficiency efforts into higher gear. He’s asked the EPA to review a request by California to be allowed to have fuel efficiency standards that are higher than the EPA’s own standards.
Two things come to mind.
The first is that this is probably not the best way to pursue higher fuel efficiency standards for the U.S. auto market. I understand the President’s desire to get a move on this quickly. Using California’s request to jump start it would speed things up (if the EPA approves the waiver that California has requested).
However, as CNN points out, there are 13 other states who are likely to follow suit. That means potentially 15 different variations on fuel efficiency to which the automotive industry would have to adhere. Of course, if this is simply a beachhead to get things moving while comprehensive national standards are rewritten (and increased), then it might be a good way to get the ball rolling.
The second thing it brings to mind is how quickly auto industry apologists turn up. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) had this to say in a statement he released today, “I am fearful that today’s action will begin the process of setting the American auto industry back even further.”
I’m no expert, but it seems to me that part of the reason why Detroit is in such dire straits is because it stagnated in three areas: fuel efficiency, safety, and value (four if you throw in ‘style’, but I won’t go there). I’m not sure how anyone thinks Detroit can move forward from here, if it doesn’t start making products American consumers want (and at prices they can afford).
Washington could have gently prodded the auotmotive industry forward with incremental increases to the CAFE standard, but it didn’t. Washington has given the automotive industry a pass since 1990, when the CAFE standard was last increased for passenger cars (the standard for light trucks has increased about 11% over the last 19 years).
Now, that the U.S. automotive industry is into the American people for billions in bailout money, the least they can do is try to make better products that help the U.S. become more energy independent.
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