Ok, fine. However, without super expensive materials and powertrains, almost nothing on the road today meets these standards, not to mention the averages can’t be met either. 2010 and 2011 models are already in various stages of development, you can’t just flip a switch and make it work. But the gov’t seems to think you can.

Think about it, even if we all drove Yaris, MINI’s, Fits, Civics, Corollas and Prius’ we still wouldn’t hit these numbers. And the bread and butter cars american’s love (sedans)? Not even close.

I just think its funny how people say the Japanese are out there making it happen. Fact is, no car company that I know of (at least producing a full lineup) can meet these standards.

Count me as a guy who’d much rather have a big fuel tax too – but those of you who say now you’d rather have done it that way are being disingenuous – the same reactionary rhetoric you’re using against CAFE would very quickly be applied against this ‘new tax’.

For some reason we’re wasting more time on more CAFE…

Yes, the recent run-up in gasoline prices has underscored the fact that CAFE is ineffective public policy with an unblemished 30-year record of failure. Higher prices — brought to us through the free market rather than through European-style fuel taxes — have done what years of regulation didn’t do. What a pity that our politicians are too dense to learn from their mistakes and jettison CAFE.

I can only assume they are trying to keep truck and SUV sales at their current lower level versus at complete zero.

I totally agree.

The used truck/ SUV market has tanked, but if the level is zero due to CAFE, then the used truck/ SUV market will certainly rebound.

There was a report yesterday in CNN that the guy in Japan in charge of Hybrid Camry development had worked himself to death. I’m not sure how they can get any more aggressive than that.

Put a floor under the price of crude oil and apply enough tax to raise the price of gasoline to six or seven dollars a gallon.

Then, individual states would align a sliding scale of vehicle registration fees to engine displacement – something on the order of a max of $1000.00 per year for engines in excess of 2 liters.

Accomplish these initiatives and yes, CAFE will no longer be needed…and the US industry will have the “level playing field” they have sought for so long.

I can only assume they are trying to keep truck and SUV sales at their current lower level versus at complete zero.

Not all small fuel efficient cars have to be cheap either. Look at Europe and Japan – there are plenty of very nice luxury based smaller cars that sell for a tidy profit. Just because the USA is the home of super sized everything doesn’t mean small can’t be or shouldn’t be profitable.

I think a more interesting discussion is whether gasoline taxes could have had the same impact and what would have happened to the tax revenue.

From an article in the WSJ today that deals with Toyota’s changing plans for US plants, a plant has to run at 75-80% capacity to be profitable. Of course a vehicle could lose money regardless of the load level in a plant, but is this 75-80% of a 3-shift operation? If so, any plant will lose money with a 2-shift operation; e.g. Lordstown.

Regardless of technology, the new CAFE regulations force manufacturers to offer the smaller, lower priced, lower margin products. What they are particularly upset about is the hit to their profitability, although as the article states,if the current climate continues, CAFE regulations may become irrelevant.

It’s what made America what it is today.

Libertarians: “Allow people to choose for themselves. Demand will dictate gasoline prices which will drive vehicle selection.”

2008: Gas prices go up, SUV sales tank regardless of CAFE.

For some reason we’re wasting more time on more CAFE…

How quickly could manufacturers sell, ship, distribute, support & repair smaller models from overseas if federal regulations were changed to allow importation of cars for sale in the EU & Japan that might not otherwise meet U.S. regulations?

The truth is 2011 isn’t that far away and a good portion of the North American automotive and truck product mix suffers from decades of up sizing. The phenomena is not just with truck offerings from the Big 2.8. Even the Honda Accord is now supersized and not so desireable when paired with a base 4 cylinder engine.

This type of wiggling is what killed raising the CAFE standards for light trucks back in the early 90’s.