Free Republic

The leader of a trade group that represents most major automakers called on the federal government to eliminate its gasoline tax and replace it with a vehicle fee to finance road infrastructure needs. Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella, whose group represents automakers such as General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and other leading car manufacturers, put forward a proposal that urged the federal government to address the growing shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund with a vehicle fee. The proposal would function like a vehicle registration fee that’s assessed on all vehicles based on their weight, and was first...

Hailed as a jump-start for the U.S. economy, the federal government's "cash for clunkers" gave the biggest boost to foreign automakers. Overall, auto sales in August were the highest in more than a year, according to industry figures released Tuesday. Carmakers sold more than 1.2 million cars and trucks, up 1% from the same month last year and the first year-over-year sales gain since August 2007. Much of that was a result of the clunkers program, which ran July 24 to Aug. 24 and provided hefty government rebates to consumers who traded in gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient new vehicles....