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Senate Would Raise Auto Fuel Standards »
Posted by: MyWayOnNow 2 years, 4 months agoSenators reached agreement Thursday on a proposal to increase to 35 miles per gallon, the first significant boost demanded of automakers in nearly 20 years.
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Comments: 126
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Harbeas
June 21, 2007, 10:51 p.m.The American auto industry is the most highly regulated industry around. It won't take much to bring it down. We are blaming the wrong party here. It is us, with our insatiable desire to consume energy at a very unsustainable rate. If we are going to force the auto companies to do this, I hope the consumer is ready to foot the bill. The price will be nasty.
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browntiger
June 21, 2007, 11:05 p.m.> The price will be nasty....
Oh p l e a s e,
hybrid cost what 4k, uses 30% less gas. If mass produced prices likely to drop.
Let repukes cry....
>It won't take much to bring it down.
Ha ha ha. Ford, GM Chevy are Loosers with capital L. Not sure what car they make that I would want?
GM had ev1, it had market. Consumers liked it. So GM killed it. Fine GM make more Hummers, see how long you will be in business. What is more amazing GM asia models looks cool.
Why GM, why are you making that old crap that noone wants?
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MnaGopaleen
June 21, 2007, 11:19 p.m.The Model T got 17mpg.
Are you telling me that it takes a century to increase the efficiency of technology? Were it not for the influence of big oil, cars would hover above the roadways by now. Losers with a capital L, in collusion with a capital C.
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Bluecollardem
June 21, 2007, 11:20 p.m.Heh. Wonder what's gonna happen to the new Hummer dealer I pass on my commute everyday.
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Gangrene
June 21, 2007, 11:58 p.m.Another group of senators, including Michigan Democrats Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, have pressed for a less stringent proposal supported by automakers that would allow SUVs and small trucks to achieve 30 mpg and postpone the mandate to 2025.
2025?!? now there's some hopeful thinking, between now and then Gas prices could be 10 times what they are now. But what can you expect from Michigan senators. They're already in the automotive industries pocket.
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djn3nunez3
June 22, 2007, 12:08 a.m.The Automakers and oil companies love Ronnie Raygun and will likely look for another champion to find a way around any constriction. No wonder they want to put him on the twenty dollar bill.
Isn't Ronnie responsible for reversing the conservation measures Carter (the farmer they love to denig?) tried to implement after the first oil crisis in the 70's?
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SS454
June 22, 2007, 12:57 a.m.Wa Wa Wa that is what we all have goten from the big 3 for the past 20 years.Its always we cant.......well its time you do it!Car companys are just like the Goverment never ever do it always trying to find a way around the problem.GM is the biggest Problem of them all.Keep making Truks so big that they can pull a house wil a wopping 20 MPG.The go on tv and tell the world we make great Cars and they get great MPG...Ja Right
and my name is JESUS...(Ops dont tell the Christian Right that im Back)The long and the short of it...GETER DONE!
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Lurch
June 22, 2007, 3:16 a.m.Check this guy out. Typical Republican, 100% bought and paid for or he doesn`t have a clue how the free market works.
"When you put a tax on a business it gets passed on to consumers," argued Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. "Instead of reducing gasoline prices, this bill is going to add to the cost of gasoline."
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., whose Finance Committee crafted the tax package, said the incentives for renewable and alternative fuels would "help wean ourselves away from OPEC ... from these very high gas prices."
The tax changes would have channeled $11 billion over 10 years into development of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel and power from wind turbines. [end]
Uh, can someone please explain how competition works to the Republican Senator from Arizona?
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xxxr77667
June 22, 2007, 3:18 a.m.Remember that while Hummer, Excurtions and Navigators are usless people still need trucks. You can't tow 10,000lbs with a camry. 35mpg good luck getting your prius pulled out of a ditch, because with the nessasary weight of the winches and other tools, there is no way your can get a tow truck to get 35 mpg. Some people need large veichles, but others don't. People who need big trucks for work should be put in a differant catagory from the toyota seqoia owners. Also some places in the winter you need a truck or other large 4x4. Not in the cities, but way out in the country. There are some days that you can't get to work in any car. If you try it unprepared you could get stranded and freeze to death.
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xxxr77667
June 22, 2007, 3:27 a.m.It's not an uncommon sight in Minnesota to see a family who drive compact cars to also have a suberban or bronco, because we need them in flooded areas, deep with mud or in deep snow. Many of us need to plow our own drive ways some times over a half mile long. You can't attach a several hundered pound plow to a civic an plow through four feet of slush. Also Semi's ?????????? What are we going to chain prius's together to deliver goods, because with as many as yout would need you'd end up using even more gas than before. I think that alternative fuels is amuch more realalistic idea. It's 2:30 am I know my spelling is bad.
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saneman
June 22, 2007, 7:42 a.m.Wow, 35 mpg, what an achievement! Let's all stand up and give an arousing ovation for a country at one time long, long ago was a technology leader. Boy, how things soon change. There are cars driven in Europe which get 100 mpg or more. Now that would be something to be proud of.
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jaern
June 22, 2007, 7:56 a.m.Earlier Thursday, Senate Democrats fell three votes short of the 60 they needed to advance a tax package that would have levied $29 billion in new taxes on the oil industry to pay for development of renewable fuels and clean energy programs.
Theere's the downfall to our civilization.
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spikecwc
June 22, 2007, 8:56 a.m.Everybody should realize that this is all the fault of US foreign policy. Since there have not been any World Wars since the middle of the 20th century, the World's population has soared. More people means more natural resources are consumed. If the US pulls out of its bases around the world like Ron Paul wants, maybe a nice little world wide conflagration will occur, killing hundreds of millions.
Then we won't be using so much oil.
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LARK
June 22, 2007, 9:19 a.m.I have been a strong believer in tree trade and free competition, maybe brainwashed by those American business reviews. Now, seeing all the grumbling bla bla bla, I've second thoughts about it. Maybe we should all consider having all people and products within national boundaries, and no wars or bullets between them. How would the world be like? May not be a bad idea. What about making some simulations? --- Every nation, keep your people and products within your boundaries except for tourists, visits, communication and the like. You may cooperate and learn from each other, so you won't be overtaken by monkeys. But, keep your people and products within. Mind your own business, stay out of the business of other nations. The baseline is, there should be peace, no killing. Think about it. Does this make sense? I really don't know. Neither do I know about all those complaints.
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tclaw99
June 22, 2007, 9:28 a.m.The only thing they are going to raise is the amount of money in their own pockets!! ITS THAT PLAIN AND SIMPLE! There is no more trusting this government!
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Harbeas
June 22, 2007, 10:28 a.m.Browntiger where have you been? What hybrid costs 4k? all the hybrids are considerably more costly than conventional. The buying public doesn't want hybrids. They want the ridiculous tanks. While GM(Ford and Chrysler too) made junk back in the 50's, 60's and 70's that is not the case today. Check out the latest quality and efficiency surveys on the American made vehicles today. You don't see any GM cars that interest you, I don't see any foreign that interest me. If we lose the American auto industry we lose 50% of our manufacturing base. The AMerican auto industry is trying to right it's ship, but it needs a little help from our government. Most foreign companies give many breaks to their industries so they can compete and the results are quite impressive.
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sailrComment has been removed: User banned.
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toph1973
June 22, 2007, 10:48 a.m.This won't kill the auto industry. Somehow, European cars have had at least this gas mileage for years. I sure didn't hear about VW, Renault, Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, Opel, or any of the other automakers in Europe going broke. I do pray this is the death of the SUV though.
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joeblowe
June 22, 2007, 11:07 a.m.OK everyone - I KNOW how to solve both the fuel consumption AND traffic congestion problems. Seriously. What we NEED to do is: a joint effort (yeah, I know, good luck!) between the highway departments and the automakers. The truth is a high percentage of commuters are alone in their cars. What we need is SINGLE OCCUPANCY vehicles (like a smart car or similar) that would get VERY good mileage, and separate lanes on the highway upon which to operate them. This would prevent "unfair" collisions between 1000 pound vehicles and 5000 pounders. It would probably only require re-striping the existing roadways. Probably get about 3 single occupancy vehicle lanes for 2 regular lanes. (Maybe even 2 for 1) A 50% increase in traffic space, not counting the extra space left by having smaller vehicles. Trucks and larger vehicles could be restricted to other lanes. It's simple, it's (relatively) cheap, and it would work. Of course, no one is interested.
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joeblowe
June 22, 2007, 1:42 p.m.Just so. A nice boost for the auto industry as well. My idea is -- maybe not so much a SINGLE occupancy as a DOUBLE occupancy. That way young couples and empty-nesters could use the thing for more than commuting. Seats in TANDEM - like a jet fighter or something - instead of side by side. That would still work in a narrow traffic lane.
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saintetienne
June 22, 2007, 12:30 p.m.geodesic,
well? are YOU doing anything about it? You talk a good game, tell us what we SHOULD do. Do YOU?
I take the subway to work every day, and use buses to get me across town. And no, I don't live in NYC, where public transportation is easy. I live in Los Angeles, a city built for the automobile. And yet I've found public transportation that will take me almost everywhere.
I'm doing my part. How about YOU?
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saintetienne
June 22, 2007, 12:40 p.m.America, get OUT of your cars. Ride public transportation, walk, carpool or work at home ONE DAY a week. Just ONE. That would be an instantaneous 20% decrease in traffic, oil consumption and pollution. INSTANTANEOUS.
Then, when you realize how easy it is, increase it to TWO days. Come on, make the effort. TWO days. With everyone staying out of their cars two days a week, gas prices would plummet. Air would be significantly clearer. Traffic would be a breeze.
After that becomes a habit, bump it up to THREE days a week. THREE days! Think of the $$ you're saving yourself by not having to fill the tank every week. Oil companies are getting nervous, car makers are starting to look for alternative fuels and engines.
I'm telling you, people, the FASTEST way to solve traffic problems, air pollution, gas prices and the Iraq War, not to mention putting extra $$ in YOUR pocket, is to GET OUT OF YOUR CARS.
Just DO it. I don't want to hear excuses - FIND A WAY.
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linden
June 22, 2007, 12:56 p.m.Get real, everybody.
There are nasty laws of physics that determine how much energy it takes to move an object from here to there. There is no free lunch. In the real world, people make their own decisions as to how many people or how much load they need to move around, and two trips with a smaller vehicle isn't any more economical than one trip with a larger one. And some trips require the larger capacity.
Oil shale, etc., is much more difficult to extract and much more damaging to the environment in the process, which is why it never got off the ground. Ethanol and hydrogen take as much energy to produce as they yield. There are only so many electrons that can be stuffed into a battery of a reasonable size.
Right now the State of California is applying a full gamut of hazmat regulations to recycled cooking oil, choking one of the actually more promising possibilities.
T'aint as easy as it looks, folks.
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moeberg
June 22, 2007, 1:34 p.m.Ooooh, the 35 MPG won't kick in until 2020. That has the Japanese quaking in their sandals. Does GM even know a hybrid engine exists? Or does their management just sit rocking in its offices repeating over and over, "there is no hybrid, there is no hybrid..."
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