Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy
Judge dumps automaker suit against state fuel economy rules
Federal Judge William Sessions has ruled that automakers who were suing California and fourteen other states have not proved their case to prevent the states from regulating greenhouse gases. In the absence of the federal government doing anything about greenhouse gas emissions, fifteen states have tried to take up the challenge. Since California is generally able to set pollution standards independently of the EPA, they wanted to limit CO2 emissions. Since CO2 emissions are related to fuel consumption, the rules would have required an increase in fuel efficiency to 43 mpg by 2016. The car companies, as expected, said they couldn't do this, just as they have always done in the past. Of course, car makers have complained about every regulation that has gone into effect over the past four decades before ultimately meeting them. As a result, the judge decided that the arguments were meaningless. The automakers may still get what they want if the EPA declines to grant California a waiver for the new rules, but the federal courts don't seem to be inclined to listen so far.
[Source: Detroit Free Press]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ablert 4:33PM (9/12/2007)
As I understood it the EPA doesn't have to grant any waiver (or get to withhold a waiver as the case may be) -- California was given its special status in the Clean Air Act itself.
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Dave 7:10PM (9/12/2007)
A Prius sized sedan would serve most people's needs.
And there is nothing preventing GM, BMW, Mercedes, and Chrysler from producing cars that equal the Prius using their dual-mode hybrid technology.
I'm just dying to see what sort of trucks this rule would produce....Prius Caminos?
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Joseph 7:49PM (9/12/2007)
Whoa, isn't increasing mpg to 43 by 2016 a little too much?
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mike 7:50PM (9/12/2007)
There's LOTS of room for improvement.
After all it was just 4 years ago you could get a Large SUV with "Just" 200 hp. Nothing says Fuel Conspiracy like producing 300-400 hp SUV's. Super-Guzzler's By Design.
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motorman 12:47AM (9/13/2007)
mike HP has nothing to do with MPG as my 2008 430 HP corvette get 2 times better MPG than my 1966 425 HP corvette. 20 MPG vs 10 MPG daily and 30 MPG vs 15 MPG on trips
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MikeW 12:48AM (9/13/2007)
and by four years ago, you mean 14 years ago. The suburban had a 210 & 2500 model special HD 190hp 5.7 ~1994.
But only a four speed auto.
Wait it still has a four speed auto.
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Frank Akins 11:39PM (11/24/2007)
I leased a year 2000 Mercedes 220cid for 3 months while in Europe. I only achieved 47 mpg at 70 mph with plenty of power. It would also cruise at 150 mph. Americans were not allowed to import it (only the identical but larger displacement, 32 mpg model during year 2000). I'd like to see some sensible change in the States in this area. I think this change will come from smart, small operators like Johnathan Goodwin in Kansas. He is doing some smart automotive work for the Governor of California. It's hard to do the right things in this area when the Federal government and many corporations, plus influential Americans, strongly oppose change for the better.
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