 |
Michigan’s congressional delegation has warned in a letter to the White House that new automobile fuel economy and emissions standards being drafted by the Obama administration are “not reasonably feasible” given the state of current technology and consumer buying habits.
Weighing in as negotiations between federal and state officials and the major automakers are nearing a decisive point, Michigan’s two senators and 14 of its 15 House members said that the White House’s goal of a 56.2-mile-per-gallon fleet average by 2025 would drive up new vehicle costs by thousands of dollars and cost hundreds of thousands of auto workers their jobs.
The lawmakers said the White House program, which has not been officially announced and is likely to change somewhat, was “overly aggressive” and would deny consumers the right to buy medium- and heavy-duty pickup trucks. They also expressed concern that the proposed new regulations would set rules 14 years in the future, while previous mileage rules have had only a five-year life span.
They say that it is impossible to predict the shape of the vehicle market so far in advance and that the new rules should be limited to 2017-2021. Regulations for the model years 2012-2016 are already in place, setting an overall fleet average of 35.5 miles per gallon.
The letter reflects the concerns of the domestic automakers, which say they are at a disadvantage compared with Asian and European manufacturers, which do not depend as much on sales of trucks, crossovers and minivans and which can more easily meet the aggressive government targets. A coalition of automakers is planning a series of radio advertisements in states with significant auto industry employment criticizing the administration’s proposed mileage target. | Nytimes.com
The letter reflects the concerns of the domestic automakers, which say they are at a disadvantage compared with Asian and European manufacturers, which do not depend as much on sales of trucks, crossovers and minivans and which can more easily meet the aggressive government targets. A coalition of automakers is planning a series of radio advertisements in states with significant auto industry employment criticizing the administration’s proposed mileage target. | Nytimes.com
