faq Questions and Answers on Fuel Economy
- Why is the fuel efficiency of our
national vehicle fleet dropping?
- How effective have CAFE standards
been for reducing gasoline use and protecting the
environment?
- Could increasing oil supply by
tapping domestic reservoirs solve our gasoline
troubles?
- How far can technology take
us?
- What role is there for diesel in
a strategy to reduce gasoline use?
- What are the environmental
impacts of increased fuel economy?
- Are automakers taking independent
action to raise fuel economy?
- Have automakers cut corners on
today's fuel-efficient models?
- How do fuel economy standards
affect safety?
- If improving fuel economy makes
so much sense, why aren't automakers doing it already?
- Why not rely on tax credits to
improve fuel efficiency?
- How much more money are these
fuel efficient technologies going to cost consumers?
- How would higher fuel economy
vehicles affect the economy?
Why is
the fuel efficiency of our national vehicle fleet
dropping?
The fuel economy of the
average new passenger vehicle peaked in 1988 and is now less than it
was 10 years ago. The stagnation of Corporate Average Fuel Economy
(CAFE) standards since 1985, doubling of annual vehicle miles driven
in the last 25 years and the recent explosion of SUV and light truck
sales have eaten away at the nation's fuel efficiency. To reverse
these trends and provide benefits to consumers and the environment,
fuel economy standards need to be increased to over 40 mpg by 2012
and 55 mpg by 2020.
How
effective have CAFE standards been for reducing gasoline use and
protecting the environment?
CAFE standards increased
new car and truck fuel economy by 70 percent between 1975 and 1988.
In 2000 alone, CAFE saved American consumers $92 billion, reduced
oil use by 60 billion gallons of gasoline, and kept 720 million tons
of global warming pollution out of our atmosphere. The original
schedule for CAFE improvements ended in 1985, leaving Congress and
the administration responsible for future improvements - none of
which have been pursued, leading to the current drop in fuel economy
of the national vehicle fleet.
Could
increasing oil supply by tapping domestic reservoirs solve our
gasoline troubles?
We cannot simply drill our
way out of the current gasoline price woes; attempting to do so will
only increase the severe environmental impacts of driving. Opening
the Arctic wildlife refuge today won't produce oil until 2010. By
2012, adopting fuel-efficient technologies would save more oil than
is economically recoverable from the Arctic. And tapping technology
avoids the environmental degradation and air pollution that
accompany increased oil drilling.
How
far can technology take us?
Using continuously
evolving conventional technologies, automakers could produce a fleet
of cars and light trucks that achieve over 40 miles per gallon of
gasoline. Using hybrid technologies, the fuel economy level could be
raised to 55 miles per gallon. And with fuel cell technology, we
could possibly reach near 80 miles per gallon. This vehicle fleet
would look much like that of today while maintaining, if not
improving, performance and safety standards.
What
role is there for diesel in a strategy to reduce gasoline
use?
While diesel technology
can bring fuel economy improvements, the environmental risks are
significant - diesel engines produce increased levels of toxic,
particulate, and nitrogen oxide emissions, which threaten human
health. Proponents of diesel are fighting to relax air quality
standards that protect public health in an attempt to increase their
technology's presence on our roads. However, there is no need to
sacrifice air quality or human health to achieve fuel economy
improvements. The gasoline technologies relied upon to reach over 40
mpg in 2012 and 55 mpg in 2020 can easily meet future emissions
regulations and do not have significant toxic emissions associated
with their use.
What
are the environmental impacts of increased fuel
economy?
More fuel-efficient cars
and trucks help the environment by reducing both global warming
emissions and air pollution. For every gallon of gasoline that is
consumed, approximately 24 pounds of global warming pollutants are
released into the air. Drilling, refining, and distributing gasoline
produced nearly 1,700 million pounds of smog forming emissions and
784 million pounds of benzene equivalent toxic emissions in 2000.
Increasing fuel economy standards to 40 mpg in the next decade can
cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by 273 million tons in 2010;
reaching 55 mpg by 2020 can lead to a cut in annual greenhouse gas
emissions of over 888 million tons. In the next decade, higher fuel
economy standards can cut annual toxic emissions by 148 million
pounds and annual smog forming emissions by 320 pounds; by 2020,
these emissions can be cut by 481 and 1,039 million pounds
respectively.
Are
automakers taking independent action to raise fuel
economy?
A number of automakers
have pledged to build more efficient automobiles, but these promises
result in approximately a 5 percent increase in the fuel economy of
each company's fleet by 2005. This would barely slow the growth in
gasoline use, consumer costs and environmental pollution. Only
through federal fuel economy standards can we lock in fuel economy
gains throughout the automotive industry.
Have
automakers cut corners on today's fuel-efficient
models?
In the past, automakers
have only offered no-frills small cars for consumers who wanted
fuel-efficient vehicles. Existing improvements and advanced
technologies can be used in all types of vehicles, from sub-compacts
to SUVs. Saving fuel does not mean sacrificing
performance
How do
fuel economy standards affect safety?
Safety experts have found
no direct relation between increased fuel economy and decreased
fleet safety. Technologies, such as variable valve engines, high
strength steel and aluminum, and unibody construction, can increase
fuel savings while maintaining automotive safety. And by
implementing other safety methods, some of which have been in
existence since the 1970s, automakers could actually improve
safety.
If
improving fuel economy makes so much sense, why aren't automakers
doing it already?
Automakers have a history
of not incorporating cost effective technologies that benefit
consumer safety and the environment until they are required to do
so. As a result, government has had to step in to protect consumers
by setting safety, fuel economy and emissions standards. One of the
most recent in a line of examples is the air-bag that is now
required in all new vehicles - automakers resisted this technology
even in the face of clear demonstration of its safety benefits and
calls from consumers for safer vehicles.
Why not rely on tax
credits to improve fuel efficiency?
Tax credits are an
important part of accelerating the emergence of advanced technology
vehicles, but stronger fuel economy standards are necessary to lock
in progress and ensure that fuel efficiency gains are seen
throughout the industry in all types of vehicles, from sub-compacts
to SUVs.
How much more money are
these fuel efficient technologies going to cost
consumers?
A fleet of cars and light
trucks that reaches 40 mpg will cost consumers only about $1,000 to
$2,000 extra per vehicle. However, the $2,500 to $5,300 saved on
fuel over the life of the vehicle will more than compensate
consumers. Overall, American consumers could see annual savings of
$9.8 billion by the end of the next decade. By 2020, consumers would
have saved a total of $323 billion over less than 20
years.
How would higher fuel
economy vehicles affect the economy?
With consumers saving
money and automakers being spurned to develop more fuel-efficient
vehicles, new jobs can be created and the overall economy will see
an increase in wages. By 2010, more than 40,000 new jobs could be
created in the automotive sector alone, and the nation's wages and
salaries could increase by over $3 billion dollars. By 2020, over
100,000 new jobs could be created in the automotive industry and
national wages and salaries could increase by over $10
billion. |