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EPA Report Shows Automakers Stuck in Reverse on Fuel Economy Statement of Dan Becker, Director, Sierra Club Global Warming Program "Today’s ‘Fuel Economy Trends’ report from the EPA shows both why America is addicted to oil and why the Big 3 are in such deep financial trouble. The best news the report could muster is that despite our vehicles being ‘the fastest and heaviest since 1975,’ the automakers somehow managed to keep them from the slipping below the paltry average of 21 miles per gallon--the same as last year.* Though their ingenuity may have allowed the automakers to remain in neutral on fuel economy compared to last year, they have nevertheless been steadily going in reverse on fuel economy for the past two decades. The automakers can claim the dubious distinction of turning out a fleet this year that is less efficient than the one they sold in 1987-88. "Indeed, perhaps the worst news in the report is that the Japanese automakers--the industry leaders on fuel economy--have seen significant decreases in the efficiency of their fleets over the past twenty years. Toyota has gone from approximately 26 miles per gallon in 1987 to around 24 miles per gallon today; Honda saw an even larger decrease--going from an average of around 28 miles per gallon in 1987 to 24 today. Troubled Ford can be somewhat heartened that DaimlerChrysler has usurped its position as the manufacturer of the least fuel efficient fleet of the Big 6. The report documents that rather than devoting the last 25 years to using their significant resources and technological know-how to improving fuel efficiency, the automakers have instead chosen to add 1,000 pounds of weight and double the horsepower of the average vehicle. "This report makes it crystal clear that the automakers, if left to their own devices, will not use existing technologies to improve the fuel economy of the vehicles American families depend on each and every day. Raising fuel economy (CAFE) standards is the biggest single step we can take toward saving consumers money at the pump, curbing global warming, and reducing our dangerous dependence on oil. Using existing technology, our vehicles could average 40 miles per gallon within ten year--a move that would save us more oil than we currently import from the Persian Gulf or could ever get from the Arctic Refuge, combined. This report underscores that it is essential for President Bush and Congress take meaningful action to significantly raise CAFE standards as soon as possible. *The numbers in the report refer to the official CAFE numbers, which differ from the numbers reported on the EPA window stickers found on new vehicles. The EPA report can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm ### |
