Recent Comments:
Carmakers' lawsuit thrown out, judge rules California can regulate tailpipe emissions {Autoblog Green}
Dec 12th 2007 11:25PM For those of you who say no car company would ever design and build a car for a particular state, do you not remember when some vehicles were sold in every other state but CA? CA set stricter emission rules so special hardware was added for CA and not other states. If CA's rules are allowed to take effect without any moderation, I fully expect the same thing to happen again for at least a few years.
The problem is this time, it's not just emissions. CO2 limits fuel economy too. That's not just adding things like a heated oxygen sensor, or a modified catalytic converter. They will have to change their product mix they sell in CA. For those niche market vehicles, this may well mean they are discontinued nationwide, if CA was a sizable proportion of their total sales.
I really don't think most of the public understands what is coming. They just expect they will get something for nothing. Get ready for the backlash once they do understand.
Congressional leaders reach deal on new fuel economy standard, vote next week {Autoblog Green}
Dec 1st 2007 11:30PM I'm still very confused about the details of the "compromise". For instance, I read that there will be separate standards for cars and trucks, but the combined average will still be 35 MPG if no penalties are to be paid. This is a very vague explanation of the bill. Will this still be a sales weighted average? If so, say goodbye to your family carrier unless the customer is willing to pay the penalty for the auto companies, or is willing to pay many thousands for a hybrid diesel.
GM is charging $6000 for their hybrid option on the Tahoe, and when diesels start hitting the market in 2010 in light duty trucks and SUVs, their option price will be about that much also. Don't think those cost increases won't be passed on to you even if you don't need a bigger vehicle either. A lot of people do that provide services to you.
Brits get to sample the BMW 635d, a high performance diesel GT! {Autoblog Green}
Nov 19th 2007 7:14PM
I really don't understand all these comments where the poster hears about a car that gets around 35 MPG and then proclaims the automakers are complaining about nothing. The proposed CAFE standard says that cars and trucks combined would have to get 35 MPG. That is a HUGE difference.
Take the new GM hybrid SUVs. Even with DOD, cam phasing, hybrid power, keeping vehicle weight the same as the gasoline only version, etc., they are only about 20 MPG in the city and about 22 MPG on the highway. As long as customers keep market sales of larger vehicles like this one, close to 50% of total sales, the automakers are screwed.
It really is as simple as that.
