Why those rats!

Come on. CAFE isn't a failure, WE ARE! CAFE ain't jack if we stand by while these companies fail to do anything about their fuel-inefficient vehicles and convince the politicians they shouldn't do anything either. If you think this is bunch of bull as I do, write your congressman, tell your friends, hook up with groups like 40MPG.ORG, post your frustraions on You Tube or any blog or forum. As Michael Moore would say "DO SOMETHING"!

Garbage!!! I'll never buy a car that doesn't get 30+MPG

Hey my 1994 sedan can do 30mpg, it is using 30 years old carburator engine, and with a 3-speed automatic gearbox, furthermore it was built by a small auto maker.

With all the latest technology available, whats so difficult to do 27mpg??

Last summer I drove a 1997 Ford Escort wagon with about 130+ thousand miles on it. It wasn't in the best shape. I drove it for a few hundred miles during my vacation in New England.

It consistently got 35mpg. Equaling my year-old Corolla.

2007 Ford Focus w/ 2.0L Duratec is 27/37 EPA. Not bad.

2007 Chevy Cobalt, 2.2L Ecotec, 25/34. Decent.

You know, it's not as if the domestics don't sell small vehicles that get competitive mileage. It's the huge SUVs that folks here despise so much.

C. Spangenberg,
The Diesel Audi you refer to (1.2 TDI "3L", i.e. 78 US MPG) was MUCH smaller than a Prius and much less powerful. It was also extremely light thanks to aluminium body and lack of ALL kind of "luxury" (including power steering !). The fact is, it was definitely extremely fuel-efficient... but nobody here in Europe wanted to buy such a tiny, relatively expensive car. Fuel is not expensive enough, even here, to make such a product economically sensible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_A2

Well it would be a ton easier for the carmakers to reach the goals if...

1 The customers werent idiots.
2 The customers werent lieing about everything in every poll ever polled.

3 If people actualyed valued fuel economy enough to pay for the research as well as the components.. unlike sound systems powerful engines.. fancy tires,, fancy paint jobs.. fancy hubcaps...
4 Ifcustomers no matter how hard the carmakers tried still always view higher mpg as cheaper econobox.

We constantly tell car companies to build cars we never buy from them.
We say shrink the engine yet.. do ANY of you when buying a car choose the smallest engine option?

My old stupid friend campaained for years for a fast food joinnt to sell healthy food.. he comes around with a big byger and I ask why hes not buying the healthy menu... because it doesnt taste as good and I cant afford it he says... we truely are on the eve of destruction.

Mike:

"And you speak of a "carbon tax regime". What regime is that?"

Actually, Rep. Pete Stark already put forward a proposal for a $10/ton tax, which is way too low. The true cost is $30-$80/ton. But either way, it's in your future. The next U.S. administration will face strong pressure to make America responsible for its actions for a change instead of being the global exception to every rule.

America: 5% world population. 25%-30% of world energy and resource usage. Shameful.

"Fuel costs don't concern me, because you and every other American taxpayer is buying my gas."

Exactly. Thanks for making my point for me. You and the cretin politicians who cater to you are the ones who need to get hit over the head with the 2x4. Your comeuppance is on its way, buddy.

America: 5% world population. 25%-30% of world energy and resource usage. Shameful.

So... what? You want us to use the same amount of energy as the average Chinese?

Total World GDP 2005: $44.7 trillion.
US GDP for that year: $12.4 trillion.

So it seems that 5% of the world's population also produces 1/4 of the world's economy. In that light it seems reasonable to me. (Source: World Bank.)

Toyota supports the AAM campaign because it will help them to capture market share from GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler in the future. It will allow the big three to continue a little longer focusing on making the cars that will be impossible to sell 7 years down the road when it is $6 a gallon.

The big 3’s push for this strategy is just as intelligent as a little boy on a cold winter day choosing to pee in his pants because he freezes. I suddenly feel a lot more confident that Tesla and others like them will make it big in the US at least.

I just sent both of my senators and my congressman the following message:

"I favor higher fuel economy for light duty vehicles through legislation. I believe fuel taxes are more effective than CAFE limits.

If raising the fuel taxes by $1 to $2 per gallon is not politically possible, I favor a strong increase in CAFE limits and elimination of the E85 loophole. "

Car makers can easily reach the goal. They dont need extra time.

Simple grooving of gasolene or DI diesel engines will reduce fuel usage by 20% plus. Technology is available and granted US Patent to Mr Somender Singh of Mysore, India.

He has single handedly modified more than 150 cars/motor
bikes/buses with sucess and some of these have done more than 100,000 mile. He has followers in US and other countries, who have modified their cars successfully.
The technology,if adopted in the manufacturing stage of the engine will cost very little (may be less than $20).
Details of the invention and car modifications can seen at his web site www.somender-singh.com.

So we've all just got to buy from the other guy...sure does limit your choices though.

Hi Cervus what You write about the Audi A2 1.2 is wrong . The Car looks smaller from the Outside than the Prius2 but it has about the same maximum interior volume and in fact you can put two Bicycles upright inside you can not do with the Prius2 at all !

Even the ordinary gasoline version with all luxury inside took me less gasoline than the Prius2 which in practical test with "Auto und Straßenverkehr" needed 6.6 and in a test with "Auto Motor Sport" needed 6.8 L on 100 KM which in Europe is not exceptionell at all .

So a equal size Year 2000 nonhybrid Audi 1.2 has 81 G / KM CO2 where a 2007 Prius2 gets only 104 G / KM .

Something to think about ?! isn`t it ?

C. Spangenberg

This "concern" with "global warming" is not only un-patriotic, but un-godly.

Ever think it might be the work of the Almighty, and the US is blessed whereby we consume 25% of god's resources?

What does it matter, because Christ is coming soon anyhow.

Pass a law in U.S. similar to the New Canadian one.
Directly charge the Manufacturer on a sliding scale
$ 100.00 for every mpg under the CAFE per vehicle
and give a credit for every mpg over .
Max limits either way of $ 4000.00 .
Only certain vehicles sold to say Construction companies
or Heavy Trucking could get any variance from this.

They could be building Hybrids NOW , if they really wanted to , And 'with maybe a "performance" switch'
these hybrids could be real Performers for those who
want to 'burn rubber' ..

Is the AAM stuck in 1998 or something? I guess we're forgetting the utter collapse of GM (how many billion did they lose again?) and DaimlerChrysler (bought for $36 billion in '98, sold for $7.4 in '07) thanks to the sharp decline in SUV sales since the rise in gasoline prices started in 1999.

I don't know if it's just me, but I wouldn't want to be following any kind of plan that those two losers sign on to. Frankly, I'd be staying well away from them considering the, ahem, wonderful job they've been doing for their companies and their workers so far.

It's like they want to lose money...but then again, maybe they're short on a bunch of GM shares or something. Who knows in the magical world of the AAM?

Jevon's Paradox!! Aren't you the clever one. One small problem: reality. Annual miles driven did not double after CAFE doubled the average mileage.

Cervus i have got the interior volume of the A2 its 390/1140 Liter and the Prius2 408/1210 . So there is no big difference except that the Audi A2 1.2 gets without hybrid much more mpg than the Prius2 ( Audi 1.2 has 81 G / KM CO2 where a 2007 Prius2 gets only 104 G / KM )

C. Spangenberg

we should have the choice, Detroit is ailing because of Healthcare cost and wages. Both are extremely high compared to the competition. The top ten list of vehicles sold is 2 to 1 american.
You guys would have reasonable arguments if you learned to have a clue about business.
Increasing the hybrid credits is the way to go!!!

The people of the US have a better material lifestyle because they are less oppressed than those in other coutries, and in general more honest and fair.

I don't believe in Global Warming, the Ozone Depletion Theory, or other bogus theories used for economic and political control.

Points on the Ozone Depeletion Theory
1. Only occurs at South pole
2. No one else except the few with access to the South pole could investigate
3. Soft UV sunlight creates ozone
4. Hard UV sunlight consumes ozone
5. With months of darkness at the South pole, there is less ozone, a hole is not unexpected
6. No real environmental damage was discovered
7. So no manufacturer of fluoro carbons could be sued
8. But fluoro carbons were banned world wide, except in some 3rd world countries (Gee so dangerous, yet not so dangerous they can still sell it)
9. So manufacturers make much money selling replacement refrigerants

Yes, I do believe some in the academic committee are corrupt, and most politicans are corrupt.

A carbon tax is wrong, it would only feed the corrupt politicians more.

... and people wonder why I have so little hope for the future of humanity...

Thanks for the website to action:

I doubt my message will get through via their service, but I also sent the same letter to my representative via snail mail:

I value fuel economy, so I urge you to PASS the fuel economy laws. Without this, our American Auto companies will stagnate in the changing world where energy efficiency is becoming much more important. Foreign companies will overtake and destroy our auto industry if they continue with their current wasteful fleet that will be shrinking in the market place. American jobs are at stake if american auto companies keep losing market shares to better cars, with more safety, technonoly, performance, towing/hauling capacity, AND FUEL ECONOMY!
This legislation is need to tell the auto companies to get off their butts and stop complaining, and do something productive for the American people and the world.

We only have CAFE because incentives (through tax policy) are anathema to politicians. A fuel tax/income credit scheme could accomplish our goals with no net new taxation and without mandating fuel economy. It's the market-efficient way to go. Where is the leader who will have the courage to propose a sensible policy and the savvy to survive the attacks of his opponents?

C. Spangenberg:

Um... look at that response again. It wasn't me. It was Francois.