President Obama Promises Tougher Truck MPG Standards, More Renewables

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff

President Barack Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address was relevant to auto industry types for more than just the hosting of GM CEO Mary Barra, as President Obama also called for tougher fuel economy standards for heavy duty trucks, as well as increased exploration of natural gas as an alternative fuel.

President Obama believes the fuel source, if “extracted safely,” could serve as a bridge between traditional fossil fuels and alternative energy, powering the United States economy with less carbon pollution deemed responsible for climate change. His aim is to cut the traditional red tape to help states build fuel stations, in turn helping Americans into CNG vehicles while also shaking off the ball and chain of foreign oil.

Speaking of greener vehicles, Obama also focused some attention on trucks. In the next few months, the President plans to work with manufacturers and regulators to establish standards for the big rigs hauling goods across America; light trucks are already covered by the 2025 CAFE target of 54.5 mpg. Natural gas has often been cited as a breakthrough fuel for long haul trucking as well.

TTAC Staff
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  • LALoser LALoser on Jan 31, 2014

    Let's try an engineering basic: Modeling / Mock-up. Start with an enclosed sports stadium. In it will be green plants, and trees with a powered air scrubber. Add lights and heat lamps at the very top. Then we will introduce a very small gas powered engine that runs 24/7. Now what will happen if that engine keeps running....at first the plants and scrubber will easily keep up. But then the scrubber is slowly reduced as a second engine is added. It is a huge space, at first the bad air is not noticed, or ignored. But it is there, causing some effect. As you model this in your mind; is the effect good, or bad? Is it a place for your children/grandchildren to live? There are glaring flaws in this simple model, but for every good one, a bad one exists. Left out are: Chemical vapors from manufacturing, organic decay from farms, (methane), metals in rivers, fumes from two strokes and diesels, etc.

  • JD321 JD321 on Jan 31, 2014

    "I’m probably alone in saying this, but I’m right, so here goes: the modern internal combustion engine is CLEAN ENOUGH" This should be obvious. Raw HC, C0, NOx have been naturally spewing from the earth for billions of years and yet there are only traces of these things in the atmosphere today...Unstable bonds do not last long. The criminals and morons that steal thru "Climate Change" and "Environmentalism" terror ignore this fact of physical reality. Modern ICE are even clean enough for places like LA and Mexico City.

  • Shaker Shaker on Jan 31, 2014

    Every time I read one of these entertaining reply threads, I come to the same conclusion: 10 FOR X = 1 to 1000000 20 POSTURE "Conservatives" by definition like to keep things the way they are (or go back to the way things WERE)." 30 POSTURE "Liberals" like to look to the future, and espouse policies to protect the environment, the poor, but at great potential change to the way things are. 40 POSTURE "Conservatives" call "Liberals" "Elitist" "Liberals" call "Conservatives" "Ignorant" 50 NEXT X 60 GOTO 10 70 END (OF IT ALL) Another 'gem' from "Persona Non-grata", Shaker

    • Darkwing Darkwing on Jan 31, 2014

      Gem? Hardly. Just another form of "I don't care what happens, just keep my guvmint checks coming".

  • JD321 JD321 on Jan 31, 2014

    ...And those who "think" C02 is a pollutant are criminal or too stupid to be free.

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