The Facts About Raising Auto Fuel Efficiency
Increased Fuel Economy Will:
The Senate recently voted overwhelmingly (99-1) to reduce U.S. oil consumption by one million barrels per day by 2013. Republicans and Democrats alike recognized the importance of reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Now it’s up to the Senate to enact concrete measure to reduce our oil dependence. Raising automobile fuel economy standards is one of the most effective ways to reduce U.S. oil consumption. The National Academy of Sciences looked at existing laws and found that “[i]f fuel economy had not improved, gasoline consumption (and crude oil imports) would be about 2.8 million barrels per day higher than it is, or about 14 percent of today’s consumption.”
Raising fuel economy standards has many additional benefits, such as saving consumers money at the gas pumps and reducing global warming pollution. Plus, fuel economy standards can be increased without sacrificing vehicle safety or reducing vehicle choice.
Raising Fuel Economy Standards will Reduce our Oil Dependence
In 2002 we imported 57 percent of our oil. Our cars, SUVs, and other light trucks consume 40% of the oil used in the US every day. Fuel economy laws have helped reduce our oil dependence. However, over the past 15 years growing travel and flat fuel economy standards have led to a dramatic increase in oil use. U.S. oil imports are once again on the rise. Oil imports increased about 40% in the last decade. If fuel economy standards remain at their current level, oil imports will continue to grow. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that on the current trajectory, U.S. oil imports will rise to 64 percent by 2020.
U.S. Oil Statistics -- Millions of Barrels per Year
Raising fuel economy standards for car and light trucks to 40 mpg over the next decade would yield cumulative oil savings of 3 to 4 billion barrels by 2012, and 15 billion barrels by 2020. That’s more oil than we currently import from the Persian Gulf, and nearly ten times the oil that could be recovered from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
Raising Fuel Economy Standards will Save Consumers Money
Because fuel economy for cars doubled between 1975 and the late 1980s, a new car purchaser saves thousands of dollars at the gas pump over the lifetime of the car. Additional improvements in fuel economy would be an economic bonanza for consumers.
By making SUVs more efficient Detroit could pass on savings to SUV owners. For example, making a typical SUV go from 19 mpg to 34 mpg would cost about $3000 in technology, but would save the owner that much on gas within five years. Raising fuel economy standards for all new cars, SUVs and other light trucks to 40 mpg over the next 10 years will save consumers $12.6 billion annually by 2012.
Raising Fuel Economy Standards will Reduce Global Warming Pollution
Carbon dioxide emissions from our cars and trucks add to the CO2 blanket around the earth, which prevents heat from leaving the atmosphere, causing global warming. Each gallon of gasoline burned pumps about 20 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. The more efficient the vehicle, the lower the CO2 emissions.
American autos alone emit more CO2 than all but three countries in the world -- the United States, China, and Russia. Raising the average fuel economy of U.S. automobiles to 40 miles per gallon over the next ten years would reduce our CO2 emissions in 2020 by 173 million metric tons of carbon.
Raising Fuel Economy Standards will Keep Drivers Safe
We have the technology to increase fuel economy without compromising safety or performance. More efficient engines and transmissions, and better aerodynamics are some examples of technologies currently available to auto manufacturers that could dramatically increase fuel economy. Hybrid gas-electric engines offer even better gas mileage.
“Cost efficient fuel economy increases of 12 to 27 percent for cars and 25 to 42 percent for light trucks were estimated to be possible without any loss of performance characteristics . . . [or] degradation of safety.”
National Research Council, Effectiveness and Impact of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards.
“Despite potential safety concerns associated with a rapid increase in CAFE standards, there is general agreement that any negative safety effects of higher CAFE standards could be mitigated with appropriate automotive design, adequate time, and technical changes.”
U.S. General Accounting Office, Automobile Fuel Economy: Potential Effects of Increasing the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards
Unfortunately, because fuel economy standards have not kept pace with technological innovation, automakers lack the incentive to apply their new technologies to increasing fuel economy. According to EPA, “[t]echnologies continue to enter the new light vehicle fleet and are being used, for example, to increase light vehicle acceleration performance, while fuel economy is not being increased.” As a result, light trucks today get fewer miles from a gallon of gasoline per pound of vehicle weight and per engine horsepower than those made 20 years ago.
Raising Fuel Economy Standards will Preserve Vehicle Choice
Vehicles need not shrink in size in order to be more fuel efficient. According to the National Academy of Sciences “It is possible that the substitution of lighter weight structural materials could allow vehicles to reduce weight while maintaining protective size.”
In addition, today’s larger vehicles could go much further on a gallon of gas if automakers simply applied more of their innovative technologies to improving fuel efficiency. According to EPA, “[t]echnologies continue to enter the new light vehicle fleet and are being used, for example, to increase light vehicle acceleration performance, while fuel economy is not being increased.” As a result, light trucks today get fewer miles from a gallon of gasoline per pound of vehicle weight and per engine horsepower than those made 20 years ago.
Related Documents:
The Facts About Raising Automobile Fuel Economy (PDF with footnotes): http://environet.policy.net/relatives/4240.pdf
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