Complain about a product or service

New Fuel Economy Rules on the Way

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

March 23, 2006

• OPEC Unable to Stop Gas Prices' Slide • Give Thanks for Falling Gas Prices • Gas Prices Fall Below $2 a Gallon • Oil and Gas Supplies Rise • Gas Prices Accelerate Their Decline • Gasoline Prices Down 19 Cents in a Week • Charlotte Gas Stations Make Refunds to Consumers • Oil Snaps Back As Markets Sense Post-Election Bounce • Gas Prices Settle Still Lower for Weekend • Gasoline Prices Keep Falling • Gas Below $3 Nationwide • Average Gas Price Down to Nearly $3 a Gallon • Gas Prices Drop, Along With Oil • Gas Prices Head Lower as Economy Slows • Gas Price Declines for 9 Days • Gas Prices Continue Downward Trend • Oil Prices Surge By Record $25 a Barrel • Gas Prices Drop for 5 Days • Price-Gouging Probes Spread to 6 States • Investigations of $5 Gas in North Carolina, Florida, and Virginia • Shortages, Price Hikes Follow Ike in Southeast • States Investigate Gasoline Price Gouging Claims • Pumping More U.S. Oil Won't Lower Prices, Consumer Group Says • Oil Prices Fall, Gas Prices Surge • Gas Prices Slide 8 Percent from Record --- • More ...

The Bush administration plans to announce final fuel economy regulations that will require vehicles average 24 miles per gallon by 2011.

The administration is also considering including large SUVs and passenger vans in fuel economy rules for the first time. The rules would include three big moneymakers for GM: the Hummer H2, GMC Yukon XL and Chevy Suburban.

The standards would be the first for the largest SUVs and vans which have been a staple of the U.S. auto industry. Imposing mileage standards would add increased pressure to domestic automakers already struggling with profitability.

The standards would affect vans and SUVs weighing between 8,500 and 10,000 pounds. Those vehicles have been exempt from fuel standards that affect smaller cars and trucks.

The mileage standards would not affect pickup trucks which make up the majority of vehicles over 8,500 pounds.

Environmental groups would like the administration to increase the fleet average to 254 mpg by 2011 and hope to convince the administration before the new rules are announced.

Joan Claybrook of Public Citizen has characterized the administration proposal as more of an effort to bail out the auto industry rather than improve fuel economy. She said the revised fuel economy rules "were designed to save the SUV market for Detroit, not protect the public."

The new rules would raise fuel economy standards for all cars and trucks from 22.5 mpg in 2008 to 23.5 mpg in 2010 and about 24 mpg in 2011.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Back to the top |