CAFE rule: sound and fury, signifying nothing

It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
--Macbeth, Act V, Scene V

Okay, we’re not calling the Bush Administration idiots, but the “sound and fury” line sure applies here.

Hybrid technology is an important part of the fuel economy landscape, but when it comes to near-term efforts to reduce America’s oil dependence, the 800 lb. gorilla in the room is using existing technologies to increase the fuel economy of the conventional gasoline vehicle fleet.  That’s why it’s so important for vehicle enthusiasts of all stripes to know about yesterday’s release of the Bush Administration’s highly disappointing final rule on revising Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for so-called “light trucks.” 

Here are some highlights from the UCS reaction:

“After the Bush administration acknowledged our oil addiction, one might have expected a slam dunk, but this is an air ball,” said David Friedman, research director for the Clean Vehicles Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “The administration squandered an important opportunity to treat our oil addiction.”

The NHTSA standards would require SUVs, pickups and minivans (so-called light trucks) to increase their fuel economy by 1.8 mpg by 2011 (i.e. to 24.0 mpg in 2011), beginning with model year 2008. This is essentially a repackaged version of their August fuel economy proposal. The administration could have saved one million barrels of oil per day in 2025 if it had simply raised the new standards to 26 mpg by 2011 and applied the standards to all light trucks. This would have met 20 percent of the president’s target of cutting oil imports from the Middle East by 75 percent by 2025.

The rule also included heavier SUVs and vans (medium duty passenger vehicles - MDPV) for the first time but ignored heavier pickups. If they had included heavier pickups like the Ford F-350 and Chevrolet Silverado 3500, NHTSA could have saved four times as much as they did from including MDPVs.

“Fighting America’s oil addiction with these standards is like fighting lung cancer by smoking 49 cigarettes a day instead of 50,” said Don MacKenzie, vehicles engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Automakers have technology on their shelves right now that could cost-effectively improve the efficiency of light trucks to 26 or 27 mpg, at least double the increase that NHTSA announced today.”

You can read our full statement here.

Through the UCS “Extreme Auto Makeover” campaign, and other alerts from our colleague organizations, over 100,000 Americans took the time out to weigh in on the administration’s proposed rule and ask for real improvements that would have genuinely addressed America’s “oil addiction” problem to which the President himself admitted.  The result: even with the projected steep and sustained increase in oil prices from the Energy Information Administration, NHTSA found a way to tweak their own assumptions in order to keep the final rule an almost exact carbon copy of their flawed proposal.

Of course, the administration is pushing this squandered opportunity as an historic achievement.  It is vital that Congress realizes that the public is not buying the President’s spin, and understands the depth of disappointment Americans have for this side-stepping of responsibility at such a crucial time.  The expectation for Congress must now be clear—step up and fill the oil security void left by the administration’s rule, or be complicit with Bush’s tough talk--no action approach.  If you want to vent your spleen to your Senators and Representative, click here to send them a letter.

Posted by: ScottN

Comments

[Dave]

HD pickups are designed to do heavy work. Making the trucks lighter weight, with smaller engines, and "more efficient" gear ratios may make you feel good but will simply force owners to switch to even larger trucks to haul the same loads.

[nancy]

The US has NO oil addiction!!! Let's stop using emotionally laden metaphors as an excuse for thinking!!!

I grow tired of all the IDIOTS who insist we have a Problem because they feel a particular way about an issue.

The US consumes oil - so what!!!

The US economy is growing and the standard of living inthe US is improving every single day!!!

The oil trade enable other nations across the globe to develop their economies. This is a good.

What is the BAD? Dependence? No so.

Again, let's use reason versus emotionally laden metaphors as an excuse to feel and attack others.

[Don]

Dave,
We've done a considerable amount of work looking at the potential for improving fuel economy across the vehicle fleet. The following fact sheet addresses some of the concerns you raised about the effect of CAFE standards on working trucks.

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/cars_pickups_suvs/working-truck-fuel-economy-facts.html

Fact: Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for light trucks can be increased while setting realistic targets for working trucks. It is not necessary for every truck sold to meet the CAFE standard. CAFE standards are based on the average fuel economy of a manufacturer’s entire fleet of trucks. So, while everyone will be better off with higher CAFE standards, some vehicles can be well below the standard, while others can be above the standard.

Fact: Fuel economy can be increased with the same or even better power, utility, and safety. The technology is available today to make all light trucks, including work trucks, significantly more efficient. Automakers are sitting on a large number of fuel-saving technologies that have the potential to increase the fuel economy of a full-size pickup from 20.3 mpg to 33.7 mpg over the next ten years, while maintaining the safety, performance, and utility on which buyers have come to rely.

Fact: Increasing fuel economy standards will significantly reduce the overall financial burden on consumers. Fuel-saving technologies can deliver cost-effective increases in fuel economy that will save consumers money. Increasing the fuel economy of a full-size pickup from 20.3 mpg to 33.7 mpg would save the owner more than $7,000 in fuel costs over the life of the vehicle at a gas price of $2.50 / gallon. The technology additions needed to achieve this would increase the purchase price of the new vehicle by only $2,200, which would be recovered through lower fuel costs in less than four years of driving.

[Don]

Nancy,
Burning oil to fuel our cars and trucks is a major source of global warming pollution. Our cars and trucks release more CO2 from burning fossil fuels than most countries (all except China, Japan, Russia, and of course, the US) emit from all sources combined. If we want to get serious about tackling climate change, improving the fuel economy of our vehicles has got to be part of the solution.

As for the oil addiction issue, I'll leave the security concerns to the experts:

http://www.iags.org/

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[Dirk van de Broek]

Okay, we’re not calling the Bush Administration idiots, but the “sound and fury” line sure applies here.

That is so funny

[Kenny wayne]

Thanks for your article. Very cute information about Bush Administration, that's really true, I think.
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[Nathan - How To Prevent Global Warming Newsletter]

I did some research on Pew and Gallop polls and it turns out the majority of Americans are in support of raising fuel economy standards.

I hope we can find a way to build an organized movement to push for serious increases in CAFE standards soon!

[bradbury300]

cant stop laughing, funny picture :)

http://rulingcatsanddogs.com/contents/funny-pics/page-2/large-files/cat-carrier-joke-Tabby-Tote-domestic-animals-humor-pic.jpg

[Rematiemy]

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