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Environmentalists Criticize Toyota

Automaker opposes fuel economy measure in Congress

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

October 12, 2007

The Union of Concerned Scientists, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the National Environmental Defense Fund have written Toyota stating that the automaker should support the measure in part because the automaker makes the best-selling gasoline-electric hybrid, the Prius.

"Unfortunately, Toyota's recent lobbying in the U.S. Congress is inconsistent with its global reputation an environmentally and socially responsible company," according to a letter to Shigeru Hayakawa, Toyota's chairman and chief executive.

Most big automakers oppose a measure passed by the Senate in June that would require the U.S. vehicle fleet of passenger cars, sport utilities, pickups and vans to average 35 miles per gallon by 2020, a 10 mpg improvement over present standards.

Automakers argue that the bill would limit production of pickups and sport utilities and those vehicles are top sellers but are less fuel efficient than cars.

The auto companies support a bill proposed in the House of Representatives that sets a goal of 32 to 35 mpg by 2022.

Toyota is now increasing its pickup production in a effort to expand its market share in the U.S. which is dominated by General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC.

GM, Ford and Chrysler have for years successfully fought meaningful increases in fuel efficiency and emphasized larger more powerful vehicles such as sport utilities and pickups.

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