In an effort to respond to public outcry over soaring gas prices, the Bush administration recently petitioned Congress for the authority to revise Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for cars. Currently, the president has the authority to raise the numeric value of fuel economy standards for cars (currently set at 27.5 miles per gallon) without any action by Congress. Despite overwhelming evidence that off-the-shelf technologies can substantially raise automobile fuel economy without sacrificing safety or performance, the administration wants to restructure rather than raise the current standards.

The administration would like to replace the existing fleet wide standards with a size-based system that would set different numeric targets based on the particular size of the vehicle, rather than setting one overall value for all U.S. passenger vehicles. Unless size-based standards are accompanied by increased overall standards, the actual fuel economy of vehicles on the road may not improve.

The Bush administration has a history of setting weak fuel economy standards. Their recent miniscule change in standards for light trucks will save less than two weeks of gasoline a year over the next two decades according to UCS analysis. Also, without a minimum standard for fuel economy, the size-based standard created for light trucks opened new loopholes for automakers to potentially upsize their vehicles to reduce their fuel economy responsibilities under CAFE regulations.

Fuel economy standards based on vehicle size can work when coupled with overall targets for all U.S. passenger vehicles and restrictions aimed at preventing erosion of fuel economy gains. The Boehlert-Markey amendment would do this by requiring that any revisions to CAFE standards by the administration require a fleet-wide improvement of fuel economy to 33 miles per gallon by 2016.

The technologies needed to comply with the new standards would add about $800 to the price of an average vehicle in 2016. This investment would be recovered in less than two years of driving, assuming that gasoline costs $2.50 per gallon. Over the lifetime of the vehicle the owner would save a total of more than $3,800 in gasoline costs.

Congressman Edward Markey offered this amendment while the legislation was in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Unfortunately, it was defeated, but Representatives Markey and Boehlert plan to propose it again when the bill comes before the full House. Please contact your member of Congress and urge him or her to vote in favor of this important opportunity to bring cleaner, more efficient vehicles to the U.S. market.