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NRDC Report Finds Improved Fuel
Efficiency Expands Consumer Choice; Ending Light Truck
Loophole Adds Options for Safe, Clean Cars and
SUVs
Group Responds to National Academy Study,
Congressional Debate
WASHINGTON (July 30, 2001) - Improved fuel economy
standards for cars, light trucks and SUVs would expand
consumer choice by ensuring that automakers design all
vehicles -- not just the best in class -- with efficiency in
mind, according to a new report by the Natural Resources
Defense Council. Manufacturer innovations in nearly every
market segment show that safe, clean, efficient designs are
readily achievable, the new paper says.
"No one chooses to buy a vehicle because it gets lousy
mileage," said Roland Hwang, an NRDC senior policy analyst and
author of the report. "Automakers themselves have demonstrated
that it's possible to build cars and trucks that meet consumer
needs for safety and performance without wasting gas. Stronger
fuel economy rules level the playing field so people won't
have to give up one for the other."
The report, "Clean Getaway: Toward Safe and Efficient
Vehicles," comes as Congress prepares to debate fuel economy
standards. It concludes the best and fastest solution for
saving consumers money at the gas pump and cutting vehicle
pollution is to immediately close a loophole that holds SUVs
and light trucks to a standard that is 25 percent lower than
passenger cars (20.7 mpg vs. 27.5 mpg).
"Cars and SUVs have converged on each other to the point
where many even share the same mechanical platforms," said
Hwang. "Eliminating the false legal distinction between them
is the first step in boosting mileage performance."
The House of Representatives will consider an amendment by
Reps. Sherwood Boehlert (R, New York) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.),
eliminating the special treatment afforded SUVs and light
trucks later this week in the debate over a national energy
legislation.
The report also recommends increasing fuel economy
standards for all passenger vehicles to 40 mpg by 2012,
concluding that a single standard for cars, SUVs and light
trucks maximizes flexibility for automakers while giving
consumers greater choice. The 40-mpg standard would eliminate
1 billion tons of global warming pollution annually while
saving consumers $3,000 to $5,000 over the life of a
vehicle.
The report further recommends tax incentives for purchasers
of fuel-efficient hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles, and
says federal research and development efforts should favor
gasoline engine technologies over diesels. A diesel engine
produces 100 times more soot than a comparable gasoline engine
under the same load. Diesel exhaust contains 40 toxic
substances, including arsenic, dioxins, formaldehyde, lead and
mercury.
Safe and Sound
"Clean Getaway" debunks common
myths about the safety of fuel-efficient cars, stressing
statistics that show gas guzzlers are often less safe than
more efficient models, within and across vehicle classes.
Safety issues involving the Ford Explorer are just one
example. The report also notes that General Motors' Jimmy SUV
rated only one star from federal safety authorities, while the
Honda Accord earned five stars. A Jeep Cherokee rated only
three stars in side-impact collisions; the Volkswagen Beetle,
five.
"Design plays a key roll in vehicle safety," said Hwang.
"The fact is that you are often better off overall in an
efficient car than a fuel-thirsty truck." To the extent that
weight plays a role, Hwang says reducing differences in mass
between vehicles in a collision is the answer. And the best
way to do that is with lighter, better-designed SUVs, he
said.
We Have the Technology
Despite the fact that
average fuel economy has been dropping for more than a decade,
engines today are substantially more efficient than their
predecessors. The problem is automakers have been focusing on
increasing speed and weight. Horsepower has increased 79
percent since 1980, while 0-to-60 miles-per-hour times have
dropped by a quarter -- despite an average 21 percent weight
gain across the nation's vehicle fleet.
A variety of off-the-shelf technologies exist today to
dramatically improve fuel efficiency, from camshaft and
cylinder design to low-resistance tires and electronically
controlled transmissions. Many are already in use. The report
cites a growing number of models from SUVs to sports cars that
get substantially better mileage than their competitors. Such
vehicles embody the sort of innovation that will proliferate
throughout the fleet once new standards are in place.
A Ford Explorer, for example, using the full litany of fuel
saving technologies, would be nearly 50 percent more
fuel-efficient and still accelerate more quickly than current
designs, according to a report released last year by the Union
of Concerned Scientists.
First Shot in Domestic Global Warming Fight
The
fuel economy debate represents the first opportunity for
Congress to officially weigh in on global warming issues after
more than 170 countries adopted rules for implementing the
Kyoto climate treaty last week in Bonn, Germany. The United
States stood alone among major countries in rejecting the
pact.
"Action on fuel economy will begin to fill the Bush
administration's policy vacuum on global warming," said Dr.
Daniel Lashof, science director for the NRDC Climate Center.
"Legislation introduced this spring by Senators Jeffords
(R-Vermont) and Lieberman (D-Conn.) on global warming
pollution from power plants is the next key measure."
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a
national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and
environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public
health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more
than 500,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New
York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Related NRDC Pages
Clean
Getaway: Toward Safe and Efficient Vehicles