The Freedom Lawn

On July 29, President Obama unveiled the largest adjustment to American fuel efficiency standards since 1985.  The new standards apply to cars and light trucks for Model Years 2017-2025, requiring the national performance average of new cars to rise from the current 30.2 miles per gallon to 54.5 mpg in 2025.  According to the Obama Administration, the duration of the program will cut consumer spending on gas by $1.7 trillion, save 12 billion barrels of oil, and eliminate 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution.  Check it out on the Administration's own infographic:

For an additional fee, the program will also pick up your dry cleaning and walk the dog.

As car fuel efficiency standards were largely untouched for 25 years before President Obama took office, the historical importance of these new standards is considerable.  (To learn more about the recent history of fuel economy standards, scroll to the bottom of page 2 here.)  Obama called the agreement, "The single most important step we've ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil."


But are the standards realistically achievable?  That's debatable.  Says Fadel Gheit, a senior oil and gas analyst for Oppenheimer, "Can we do it? Well, we put a man on the moon; of course we can do it."  But other experts aren't so certain, including Sarah Emerson, President of Energy Security Analysis, Inc. who says, "I'm not entirely sure it's possible.  The number implies a huge increase in the number of electric, hybrid, and diesel cars in the vehicle fleet."

Easier said than done.

(Image by Neil A. Armstrong)

And even if they are achievable, are the standards enough?  Sander Cohan, another analyst at ESAI, explains that, "The vehicle fleet only turns over once every 10 to 12 years.  If they achieve this, we'll start seeing the biggest impact around about 2030."  Michelle Robinson, Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists cautions, "If [certain parts of the plan] aren't implemented correctly, they could turn into loopholes,... [and] the program's overall benefits would be eroded."  Representatives from Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz point out, respectively, that the standards place "a high burden on passenger cars" and "favor large SUVs and pickup trucks."

Some of cars are just worthy of special treatment.

Only time can tell if the new standards are beneficial and achievable, but the International Council on Clean Transport can tell you that (surprise!) the USA is still way behind it's international counterparts in the development and use of cleaner, greener cars.  Get the picture with this narrated slideshow.  (You can skip to 3:06 for the quick version.)

Whatever our international ranking, Obama's new regulations are certainly a step in the right direction.  We'll find out eventually if the step is big enough.  In the meantime, go ride a bike.

Fuel economy is so retro.

(Image by Nova)

(All quotes in this posting are from Reuters.)