Quote:
Originally Posted by KenG
The reality is that we NEED to be paying $7/gallon.
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I have to disagree. The consumer is already demanding better, more fuel efficient cars. Hybrid sales numbers speak to that.
Higher prices will only further hurt the consumer and the economy. We absolutely need regulation, and it needs to be aggressive. CAFE numbers need to come up, sooner, not later. But I think we need to go much further, and a variety of options are possible.
We the consumer can lean on our elected representatives to lean on the car makers. Congress holds hearings on everything else. Hold a hearing on something VERY substantive.
Tell Detroit, look, under Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles in the 90s, the American taxpayer spent over a billion dollars giving Detroit access to a whole lot of research info from federal agencies and labs. 70-80 MPG concepts were put forth by the Big Three. Precept, Prodigy, ESX-3. Where has the rubber met the road? Japanese hybrids average MPG kicks the snot outta American hybrids, and the number of offerings is incredibly thin. Without government funding, Japan is dominating this market. What have you, Detroit, done for the American consumer? Mild hybrids that boost highway mileage by a few MPG ain't gonna cut it. Obviously long term development should continue, but shorter term Detroit could be encouraged through tax incentives to license Toyota's technology and get something to market. Detroit needs to hear the message of start doing something now, or else.
In addition to CAFE standards, introduce "Second Tier" CAFE standards. If a car maker's fleet, beats existing CAFE numbers of 27.5 MPG, and say hits something like 50 to 60 MPG, tax incentives. This might encourage PHEV only fleets of vehicles. Renew, extend and increase the EV tax credit.
We have to make it very economically attractive for manufacturers to build PHEVs and EVs. PHEVs need to be encouraged, which will get people plugging in, but the financial encouragement for EVs needs to be even stronger. Message needs to be it's good to build and buy HEVs, better to build and buy PHEVs, best to build and buy EVs.
If Detroit wants to remain oil pimps, let 'em. The American consumer is ready and willing to abandon them. Just give us the choices by encouraging them to come to market.
Detroit and Big Oil have a lot of friends in Congress. It will be a fight. But by encouraging other good behavior (building PHEVs and EVs), the bad behavior (bigger, larger ICEs) will eventually start to rust on dealer lots if the Big Three don't change.