Audi Delays Q3's US Debut Due To Regulatory Issue
October 8th, 2013 12:32 AM
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The Audi Q3 won’t be coming to the United States for a couple of years, according to Car and Drive r. The issue stems from the Q3’s approach angle, which is not sufficient to be classified as a “light truck” in America. Why does this matter? Well, CAFE of course. Crossovers, as car like as they may be, are more beneficial for auto makers looking to meet CAFE standards, and Audi isn’t going to all this trouble to have the Q3 come over as a car.
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Doesn't bringing it in as a truck subject it to the chicken tax?
So there is actually a clause in cafe standards that require trucks to have a certain approach angle? Allow me to suggest they increase that angle to at minimum 25 degree to get actual trucks to perform truck tasks off pavement. For reference a GMT800 SUV had 19.7 degrees A 2014 silverado has 15 degrees An H2 GMT820 has 44 degrees
... and this is why we can't have another A3 5-dr sportback. Thanks CAFE!
I do know what I'm about to write will stir the hearts of the TTAC UAW crowd and the 'Amercian Exceptionalists'. But what is a truck in the US? The US appears to have difficulty identifying a truck. Is a truck as described under the Chicken Tax? Is a truck as CAFE/EPA would like you to think a truck is. So how is it that two US federally controlled functions can't come to an agreement on what a truck is? Is there some kind of communication deficiency between government bodies in the US? Is a truck a PT Cruiser? You know the PT Cruiser FE figures are used in conjunction with pickups to give the Corporate Average Fuel Economy for pickups. It was used to reduce the average FE figures for pickups. So then if the PT Cruiser is a truck why is it that vehicles that the EPA deem as trucks attract the Chicken Tax? Why doesn't the US come up with a better system? If the US really wants to reduce energy consumption and emissions there are much better and cheaper models to use. These models would also be much more effective and save the tax payers literally billions of dollars that the US can't afford since it's totally reliant on borrowings to exist at the moment. This whole farcical system of barriers, tariffs, etc must be dismantled to save the US consumer billions of dollars. Why not just have no rules other than emission rules across the board for all vehicles. One set of rules. Why doesn't the world do this. If you want to reduce fuel consumption then use tax on fuel. So, heavy fuel usage will be discouraged. Use tax concession after the fact, so if you buy a pickup for work you can then claim the money. If you buy the pickup for personal use you don't get those benefits of a business. Leave the emissions regulations in place so everyone doesn't end up driving the modern equivalent of a Trabant. If the government doesn't want imports from a particular country, then let it be a political and diplomatic reason. Maybe a better designed model would be better. But what will all of those public/civil servants do?