Gojirra99

Hummer H2 is excluded from proposed fuel-economy rules.



Fed proposal will make it easier for Detroit to meet mileage goals on high-profit trucks, SUVs, minivans.


By Lisa Zagaroli / Detroit News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Against a backdrop of spiking gasoline prices, the federal government proposed boosting the fuel economy of popular light trucks like SUVs and pickup trucks by a projected 8 percent to about 24 miles per gallon by 2011.

Regulators said the most sweeping changes to the nation's fuel economy requirements since they were established in the early 1970s will help conserve oil while minimizing financial harm to the auto industry and maintaining passenger safety.

Automakers that sell the widest variety of light trucks, primarily U.S. companies that sell large pickup trucks and SUVs, may end up with an advantage because of the new method used to set fuel economy targets. The proposal also excludes some of the biggest SUVs marketed by Detroit automakers, such as the Hummer H2, Ford Excursion and certain models of the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL that weigh more than 8,500 pounds.

Light trucks must now average 21.6 miles per gallon across an automaker's product lineup, and the new rules would require that figure to climb by a modest 1.8 miles per gallon by 2011.

The proposed rule by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration could have a dramatic impact on the way auto companies price vehicles, as well as the mix of minivans, pickup trucks and SUVs they offer for sale, industry analysts say. And the agency says it may end up making highways safer. Passenger cars aren't affected by the change.

Environmentalists attacked the proposal for doing too little to reduce the country's dependence on oil, a problem first highlighted by the Arab oil embargo that sent gas prices soaring and government officials dictating a standard for corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, in 1975.

"This plan will save gas and result in less pain at the pump for motorists, without sacrificing safety," said Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, who announced the plan at a press conference in Atlanta.

NHTSA estimates the benefits of fuel savings would outweigh the per-vehicle costs of complying with the more stringent standard. For example, in model year 2010, the total cost is projected to be $1.8 billion, compared to $2 billion in savings.

General Motors Corp. spokesman Chris Preuss said it was too early to estimate how much the proposal might cost companies.

"Given the volumes particularly of pickup trucks we sell, any substantial increase in the CAFE standard is going to pose technical and financial challenges, no question," Preuss said.

By 2011, the new rules would be fully phased in for all manufacturers. There is an optional phase-in period, from 2008-2010, that would allow automakers to stay in the current program after assessing which system they would fare better under.

An important difference between the current fuel economy calculation and the new one is how vehicles must comply. Now, the entire class of light trucks offered by an automaker is averaged together to achieve a predetermined target, 21.6 mpg now and 22.2 mpg for the 2007 model year.

Under the new system, fuel economy would be set based on a vehicle's size -- wheelbase multiplied by track width. Smaller vehicles would have to achieve better mileage than larger ones. The targets would be phased in over four years beginning in 2008, with small SUVs required to achieve an average of 28.4 mpg, and the largest pickups required to average 21.3 mph gallon, by 2011.

"Our proposal asks automakers for the first time to focus their technology on increasing fuel efficiency across their entire fleets, rather than only in their least economical models," NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge said. "Under our proposal, every pickup, SUV and minivan purchaser will benefit by buying vehicles that are as fuel-efficient as possible, regardless of who makes it or how big it is."

In its proposed rule, which NHTSA hopes to make permanent by April 2006, the agency said it had taken into account the financial troubles facing some automakers such as General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co.

"We recognize that financial difficulties currently exist in the motor vehicle industry and that a substantial number of job losses have been announced recently at large full-line manufacturers," the agency said.

source : detnews

Leets

So in other words, those of us who make intelligent automotive purchases will continue to be punished at the pump cuz poor Bubba's size complex forces him to buy the biggest raised-station wagon around which is still allowed to get single digit MPG figures because the US government loves giving felatio to its problem-child auto industry.

LexFather

LMAO

TheRupp

I agree. Horse****.

UDel

This policy should have changed years ago. Nobody uses a Hummer as a heavy work vehicle unless maybe they are some rich business owners showing off their toys. If the majority of these giant SUV's and Pickups are going to be purchased and driven by people who use them just like they do a regular everyday car then these vehicles should have to adhere to fuel consumption and safety regulations just like every other personal vehicle. And to top it off many people get nice tax breaks when they buy a large heavy SUV/Pickup over a certain weight because they can claim it as a business need/expense, yet if it is classified as a passenger or more sensible smaller lighter vehicle then they cannot get these breaks. This is our auto industry and unions who "donate" alot of money to keep allowing these gas guzzling resourse wasting dangerous vehicles to keep slipping by increasing regulations that are applied to passenger cars. The only good thing about the high gas prices now is maybe people will use more common sence and buy a more sensible vehicle in their next purchase and the popularity of giant SUV's and pickups will decrease.