CAFE standards

In 1975, Congress responded to the oil crisis of 1973 by passing the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. This legislation established Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. By 1985, CAFE standards required that all new passenger cars had to have an... 

Tightening the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard for cars and trucks would be one requirement since a 12-mile-per-gallon car or truck emits four times as much carbon dioxide as a 50-mile-per-gallon subcompact. The auto industry has always resisted attempts to tighten CAFE and certain vehicles like SUVs and pick-up trucks are not subject to CAFE standards. 

The Coalition for Vehicle Choice (CVC) is a lobbying group sponsored by carmakers, which has pushed to rescind the CAFE standards. The CVC has stated that CAFE causes 2,000 deaths and 20,000 injuries every year by forcing people into smaller cars. The auto industry has questioned the science behind global warming and claimed there are not enough facts to allow a judgment. 

A 27.5 miles per gallon CAFE standard was set for the different product ranges in 1985 and never achieved. In 1997 it reached 17.0 and then started dropping. There have been only light penalties for producing... 

Future Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards (35mpg by 2020)... 

National Research Council (NRC) (2002) Effectiveness andimpactof corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. National Academy, Washington, DC... 

But from the government s perspective, there is a history of disingenuousness on the part of the auto industry. Here I am thinking of the CAFE standards, and the claims by industry that these and other Environmental Protection Agency requirements were impossible to meet, which were proved in many instances to not be the case. So my general question is, have some of these mismatches and problems in perception and trust between you and government bureaucracy gotten better as a result of more collaboration in R D ... 

McCosh, D., and S. F. Brown. 1992. The Alternate Fuel. Follies Popular Science (July) 54-59. National Research Council. 2002. Effectiveness and Impact of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards. Washington, DC National Academy Press. 

Proposals to increase CAFE standards have never gained congressional majorities. In 1999 31 U.S. senators sent a letter to President Clinton pushing for stronger standards. 

Cost remains one of the main factors that determine both the need and the acceptance of new materials for applications in energy and transportation. In addition, passenger safety, which may be affected by the development of more lightweight vehicles, must also be taken into consideration. The imperative of low-cost, high-performance materials in the automotive industry will be driven by future environmental and corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. 

The CAFE standards regulate the fuel economy—miles per gallon—for the entire fleet of cars produced by each manufacturer. The regulation sets minimum standards, which, under President Carter, constituted an aggressive target for improving fuel efficiency. As a result, the fuel... 

In 2002, a study by the National Academy of Sciences found that Americans would have consumed 14 percent more gasoline without the CAFE standards. 

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