Automakers ask White House to say no to 62 fuel-economy standard

United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and President Barack Obama

Earlier this week, we wrote that federal regulators were considering imposing incrementally increasing minimum fuel-efficiency standards over the next few years, eventually reaching 47 mpg – 62 mpg by 2025. The plan would increase car costs by about $770 to $3,500.

A trade group that represents Detroit’s three automakers as well as Toyota, is urging the administration to reject the efforts.

“A significant increase in fleetwide fuel economy — six percent annually — is both technically feasible and cost effective for consumers,” a group of 18 Senators, led by Senator Dianne Feinstein, wrote to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

“Fuel economy and greenhouse gas targets should not be arbitrary numbers, chosen before the necessary analyses are completed,” the group’s interim chief John Whatley wrote in a letter to LaHood and Jackson made public today. That “would circumvent the rulemaking process and undermine the ongoing collaborative effort to set sound standards.”

Automakers claim that forcing such changes could result in job loss at the rate of 14%.

The proposed measure will have implications to the tune of $51.5 billion over five years. On the other side of that coin however, is the fact that 1.8 billion barrels of fuel will be saved over the lives of those vehicles.

-By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Detroit News