Happiness is a Warm Carburetor
It is if you’re the CEO of one of the Michigan Big Three, anyway: (NYT via FDL)
WASHINGTON, June 6 — Automobile companies seem to be making progress in tamping down Democratic proposals for tougher fuel economy requirements, an issue that pits powerful Democrats from Michigan against some national leaders of their own party.
The chief executives of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler had lunch with Senate Democrats on Wednesday, less than a week before the Democratic leaders hope to bring a sprawling energy bill to the Senate floor.
This is in response to a proposal that would raise CAFE standards from 27.5 mpg to 35 mpg by the year 2020. Let’s do a little math, shall we?
- 2020-2007= 13 years.
- 35 mpg - 27.5 mpg = 7.5 mpg.
- 7.5mpg/13 years= .58 mpg/year
Six tenths of a mile per gallon each model year is going to lead to the economic downfall of GM, Ford, and Chrysler? Remember this is the CAFE standard we’re talking about. It’s not that each car would have to meet that standard, it’s the average across the fleet. In other words, the Big 3 could meet the CAFE figure by focusing on better marketing of their most fuel efficient cars.
Speaking of sexy new fuel-efficient GM cars feast your eyes on these, noting that GM is committed to building just one of them:
(source: Detriot News)
What if I told you the minis or “triplets” as the marketing goes, get 40-50 mpg? What if I told you they started at $10K? Then, what if I told you GM wasn’t planning to offer them in the US:
In an interview with reporters after revealing the three concept cars, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said it currently was unlikely that GM will build any of the triplet concepts for sale in the United States, unless there was a dramatic prolonged increase in fuel prices or an “unforeseen” change in fashion for small cars here.
Huh? An “unforeseen” change in fashion for small cars?
I don’t know about Bob Lutz, but on planet Earth, where I live, the MiniCooper is very popular. I’ll add that according to their figures, the US version of the Mini gets 32 mpg city, 40 mpg highway with a manufacturers price of $18.5K.
Things like whining about a .6 mpg increase per year, while developing more fuel efficient cars that they refuse to sell in the US indicates to me that there’s something willful on the part of GM.
