New MPG Deal Saves Gas, Cash, and Maybe Obama’s Enviro Hide
By Steve Casimiro, Adventure Journal on December 5th, 2011
Is Obama’s victory on fuel standards enough to outweigh his lack of environmental leadership elsewhere? NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman says yes, “all is forgiven.” The deal between the administration and automakers will almost double fleet averages by 2025, to 54.5 mpg, adding $2,000 to the cost of an average vehicle but saving $6,000 over its typical life. It’s a big deal for the environment: Some four billion barrels of oil will be saved and two billion metric tons of carbon kept out of the atmosphere. Automakers are on board because the standards are national (rightfully fearing California, which promised to act if the U.S. didn’t).
Exciting news, and I’m all for it. But if such innovation is possible, why haven’t automakers been more proactive on their own? Wouldn’t this sort of improvement would be a major selling point?
^ I’m all for it too, but never underestimate the American myopic focus on first-time costs and profits.
Ugg, doubling the average in 13 years. that’s a loooooooong way off. that is considered a win? Its quite sad really that a fuel efficient car only has to get thirty-ish miles to the gallon. I owned an audi s4 which had a huge powerplant and yet if i drove all nice and proper i could squeak 32 mpg out of it. And still there are plenty of green options that get the same mpg. Thank god i sold the car and now ride my bike