Detroit 3, UAW Head to Congress on Fuel Economy Standards
06 June 2007
Houston Chronicle. The heads of GM, Ford, Chrysler and the UAW are pushing members of Congress to consider an alternative to legislation currently in the Senate that would increase light-duty vehicle fuel economy to an average 35 mpg by 2020, followed by 4% annual increases from 2020-2030.
Michigan’s two Democratic senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, are working on an alternative that would direct regulators to improve standards to 36 miles per gallon for cars by 2022 and 30 mpg for pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans by 2025. The approach would be more palatable to the industry because it would give them more time to improve vehicle efficiency and keep separate the standards for passenger cars and light trucks.
In the House, a draft bill recently released by a committee led by Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., would push for standards that would mirror the Levin/Stabenow approach.
The House draft bill is the one released by Rep. Boucher of the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, that contains within it language amending the Clean Air Act to prohibit states from implementing greenhouse gas standards for vehicles. (Earlier post.)
None of them will be around by 2020, GM, Ford nor UAW. Toyota will put them out of business.
Posted by: mark | 06 June 2007 at 07:42 AM
Fiddling while Rome burns...
Posted by: philip | 06 June 2007 at 08:39 AM
Speaker won't meet auto CEOs
A parade of Gulfsteam IVs has arrived in DC to preach to the choir.
Posted by: Planck | 06 June 2007 at 10:45 AM
The writing has been on the wall for years now. They're on notice now. They shouldn't be waiting around for the legislation to pass to start moving -- they should start preparing now.
By not doing so, they're seeking to undermine the process. Hopefully enough legislators see through their smoke screen.
Posted by: stomv | 06 June 2007 at 11:07 AM
Pouring gasoline while Rome burns.
Posted by: DS | 06 June 2007 at 01:34 PM
Whine all you want but the big 3 have a solid point.
We cant have it both ways. We cant choose this course and expect things to just work out smoothly.
It will cost us and they are making dang sure everyone knows it. Congress wont be able to hide from the results of its actionsas it has soo many times before. Many times in the past congress sided with high paying jobs and gas guzzling behemoths paying for them AND THE UNION MONEY FLOODING THE CONGRESS CRITTER WARCHESTS...
You cant just slap in a slogan and feed off the good side and sidestep the bad.
Posted by: wintermane | 06 June 2007 at 02:14 PM
Wait a minute! GM, Ford and Chrysler are saying that by 2025 they won't be able to build economically viable trucks that get 30 mpg? WTH?!
By 2025 oil will be $250/barrel, gas $10/gallon and any vehicle that gets less than 50 mpg will be uneconomical to operate!
If the big three can't get 30 mpg trucks, 35mpg cars within 18 years then they will be out of business.
Note that Toyota has said that 100% of their cars will be hybrids by 2020 and that the Prius Li-ion battery is ready to go.
Good god the big 3 are out of touch.
Posted by: Adam Galas | 06 June 2007 at 07:49 PM
I like Obama's idea of helping them with health care in exchange for them building cleaner more fuel efficient cars.
Other countries have national health care and sell their cars in this country. Why not help our car companies with health care and get better cars, cleaner air and less oil dependence?
Posted by: SJC | 06 June 2007 at 08:25 PM
It isnt just that. For decades the us car market has been unstable. Cafe totaly fubared in that it made a system by wich the car makers had to suvsidize many cheap cars and many normal cars on the backs of the far more profitable car lines. The big three warned that was a stupid idea...
And to make things worse congress never let them cut costs by cutting benifits and wages as needed to compete. We all know why...
And this is what YOU reap. A big 3 completely dependant on lux cars and trucks because only they can fund what you would not.
And now your trapped. Your stupid system cant hold together now and we cant afford the bill to repair it in time.
And your still lieing to yourself. Still trying to get it all, to keep the white elepant alive.
Its dead jim!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: wintermane | 06 June 2007 at 10:36 PM