CAFÉ standards are based on fuel economy tests from the 1970s. (Photo by Ed Edahl, courtesy of FEMA)
Congress recently increased the Corporate Average
Fuel Economy standards, or CAFÉ standards. The new standard calls
for a car company’s entire fleet to average 35 miles per gallon
by 2020. But Mark Brush reports – there’s a problem with these
standards:
Transcript
Congress recently increased the Corporate Average
Fuel Economy standards, or CAFÉ standards. The new standard calls
for a car company’s entire fleet to average 35 miles per gallon
by 2020. But Mark Brush reports – there’s a problem with these
standards:
CAFÉ standards are based on fuel economy tests from the 1970s.
But the way people drive has changed a lot since then.
Engines are more powerful, people drive faster, and more cars use air conditioning.
That means these old tests don’t reflect the gas mileage we get today.
Experts say car companies are really averaging anywhere from 20 to 30% less than the
standards called for.
Jim Kliesch is with the Union of Concerned Scientists. He says the system should
change.
“If your representative is standing on Capitol Hill and telling you that they’ve raised
standards to 35 miles per gallon, you’d like to go out and buy a vehicle that can average
35 miles per gallon. Not one that averages 26, 27, 28 miles per gallon.”
There is a more accurate test available today.
Kliesch says it could be used to set CAFÉ standards if members of Congress require it.
For The Environment Report, I’m Mark Brush.