When it comes to judging vehicles on basis of fuel efficiency, vehicles from the US put up a poor show. The US ranks at the bottom of the list of industrialized nations when it comes to fuel-economy standards. All this may change if the legislation to boost mileage is accepted by the congress and is signed into a law.
A report from the International Council on Clean Transportation says the US lags behind Canada, South Korea, Australia, China, Europe Union and Japan when it comes to vehicle fuel economy. The timing of the report seems to be good. The House of Representatives will debate the energy legislation this week and many members of the House want US vehicles to substantially increase their fuel-efficiency.
US fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars are more than two decades old and have remained at 27.5 mpg since 1985. In contrast, the standard for pickups, minivans and other light trucks is set to increase from 20.7mpg in 2004, to 24mpg in 2011.
Fuel economy is directly linked to the environment. Vehicles that use less fuel will naturally spew less of carbon dioxide, the villain of the global warming saga.
Earlier this year, the Senate passed a bill to raise fuel efficiency standards of American cars and light trucks to 35 mpg by 2020. If the House of Representatives agrees with the Senate, the US will drastically improve its standing in the fuel-economy list.
According to Kodjak, the co-author of the report, existing technology is advanced enough to increase the fuel efficiency of the vehicles without compromising on their size and safety. Another reason to raise fuel efficiency is to reduce US dependence on imported oil. Currently, 21 million barrels of oil are consumed in the US every day, with three out of every five of those barrels imported. Gasoline demand alone accounts for nearly 45% of daily US oil consumption.
US is the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the world. It is obvious that vehicles contribute significantly to this figure. It is a surprise that even with state of the art technology and good finances, very little has been done on the front of vehicle emissions and fuel-economy. The new CAFE standards are a step in the right direction and the government should do all it can to support the legislation.
Improving fuel-economy should not be looked upon merely as a medium to reduce dependence on imported oil, but it should also be seen as a way to substantially reduce pollution.
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[Via: Reuters]
Comments
You are so right. I’m working with DriveCongress.com and we agree that we need to do more but we can’t achieve fuel standards that aren’t even feasible. We support the Hill-Terry amendment, which accomplishes a combined fleet average of between 32-35 mpg by 2022, and it does it through technology.
There are over 11 million alternative fuels on the road today and automakers are committed to making more. We just need to make sure we move forward with the biggest change possible, without jeopardizing American jobs.