Posted on 12/02/2007 5:45:43 AM PST by libstripper
WASHINGTON (Dec. 1) - An agreement among congressional Democrats - including those from auto industry states - to support a 40 percent increase in vehicle fuel efficiency is likely to be the tonic needed to push energy legislation through Congress before Christmas.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., a longtime protector of the auto industry, settled their differences in an agreement late Friday on the fuel economy, or CAFE, issue, clearing the way for a House vote on a broader energy bill, probably on Wednesday.
Automakers would be required to meet an industrywide average of 35 miles per gallon for cars and light trucks, including SUVs, by 2020, the first increase by Congress in car fuel efficiency in 32 years.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada called the compromise "good news" and said he hoped to take up the legislation quickly after the House acts.
Dingell said the tougher standards are "both aggressive and attainable" and include provisions that give manufacturers the needed flexibility to bring SUVs and small trucks under compliance and to avoid job losses.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.aol.com ...
OK, this covers the US companies. What about the imports?
Will this give foreign firms another advantage?
A lot of people will soon be buying and driving “heavy trucks” that look a lot like SUVs.
Some similar headlines: “deal reached to boost CPU speeds”, “deal reached to discover new energy sources”, “deal reached to boost entrepreneurship”
-—full of sound and fury, signifying idiocy-—( sorry, Shakespeare)—
They’ll be forced to adhere to the same CAFE requirements, but their technology usually lets them do it somewhat more effectively than the U.S. companies. The really bad thing, from the standpoint of U.S. companies and consumers is what it will do to the large SUVs and other light trucks. Full disclosure: I’m on my second Navigator (an ‘04), think it’s the best vehicle I’ve ever owned, and plan to buy an even spiffier one in the next few years.
Anything Harry Reid considers good news must be bad news.
And while they're at it, how about outlawing hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.
Where do these people get the authority to meddle in these matters?
15 percent of their power from wind or solar energy?
Do they expect companies to wave a magic wand and make it happen?
To reach that percent, companies will have to charge vastly more money for utilities service since wind and solar power are vastly less efficient to produce
What about public utilities?
You're joking right?
35 mpg CAFE will require lighter weight, less frontal area and/or slower speeds. Into this mix put increasingly tighter crash standards and traditional expectations of passenger room and baggage space.
BMW is working on an add-on steam engine to use waste heat energy going out the exhaust. Since more energy goes out the exhaust than into the transmission, this will be a great help, but will cost $$$.
‘Taint no free lunch, especially in physics!
Mandating that SUVs get 35 MPG will simply cause the auto manufacturers to make smaller SUVs and force those who want a "good old fashioned and safe" real SUV to buy the next vehicle in line that is exempt from the regulations. That is exactly how the SUV became popular and this time it will lead to more people buying very fancy and large Pickup Trucks with a back seat, a small bed that has a very fancy cover that you never take off with access from the cabin. They will give them a nifty name that will infer dual use (haul those heavy loads but give your family a safe, comfortable ride) and they will sell like hotcakes.
I would think that imports would be covered but vehicles made by those companies and sold outside the United States would not be included in the calculation.
They must be joking, right??
Anyone want to guess what 2020 car prices will be averaging? Possibly $40K to $50K or higher?
When is someone going to use the “N” word... Nuclear power?
No “carbon footprint”, no fossil fuel, no dependency on Chavez, sheiks or worry about tanker oil spills.
Congress can just mandate that Greenpeace et al shut-up. That is much more realistic than passing decrees concerning the laws of physics.
Democrats have the ability to defy the physical laws of the universe. All they have to do is snap their fingers. Ask one to show you sometime. Teddy Kennedy has been doing it his entire life (except for that gravity thing over the bridge in Chappaquiddick... his fingers got wet.)
They should put a wind turbine in front of Teddy Kennedy’s mouth.
Liberal
What good things should be done?
Make available resources preform these good things
Conservative
What available resources can be used for good?
Make good works fit available resources
Liberals engage in wish fulfillment
Conservatives look at reality
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