The push is on for a big increase in fuel economy standards.
The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and 21 of its member, state and local groups have written President Obama, urging adoption of a fleet-wide car and light truck fuel economy standard of 60 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2025, saying it will save consumers money.
"Consumers across the country want higher fuel efficiency," said Mark Cooper, CFA Director of Research. "They want us to get off oil, and they want to save money at the pump. Sixty mpg by 2025 will help deliver both."
Opportunity to act
The letter, signed by consumer groups in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Wisconsin, states: "Your Administration has an extraordinary opportunity to benefit consumers, while also improving our global competitiveness, energy independence, and environmental quality. We are writing to ask you to establish a target of 60 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and trucks as the goal for the fuel economy standards for model year 2025.
The letter says a recent CFA analysis of studies by the National Academy of Sciences and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows the technology for a 60-mpg fleet is technically feasible and will save consumers money.
The letter also cites a recent CFA analysis, which found:
• Savings from reduced gasoline consumption at 60 mpg would more than offset any increase in vehicle prices likely to result from adding technologies in order to lower gasoline consumption.
• For the individual consumer, buying a car that gets 60 mpg would result in gasoline savings in the first month that are larger than the likely increase in the monthly loan payment. Investing in fuel economy will yield net savings for the household from the first month, and savings will grow over time as gasoline prices increase. (This assumes the Energy Information Administration's projected cost of gasoline, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates of average household miles driven, and a five-year auto loan at seven percent).
Mileage complaints
Even cars that are already touted to get good mileage are the targets of criticism.
Deborah H. in Louisville, Kentucky is angry. "I feel there was false advertising by Toyota stating there was 50 miles per gallon on the highway and 60 miles per hour in the city driving my Toyota Prius hybrid," she wrote.
Deborah was one of thousands of Prius buyers who paid the dealer a "market adjustment" or extra money for her new hybrid.
"They jacked up the price $8,000 from sticker stating it was a car that was hard to come by and that was their price. They said I would actually save money on gas."
But Deborah writes that gas mileage results her Prius achieves continue to be disappointing: "After six months of tracking, the best mileage I ever got was 43 miles per gallon. Most often my mileage is between 30 and 36 miles per gallon."
The mileage, she complains, is "no better than cars I have had in the past. I am very disappointed in Toyota's advertising and the money I have shelled out."
"I am getting 40 mpg in a Honda Civic Hybrid with EPA estimates of 49/51 mpg," Jill of Los Angeles CA, writes ConsumerAffairs.com. "I've had the car looked at by three different service technicians at three different Honda dealerships. I've filed a complaint with Honda corporate which was closed based on the fact the dealerships couldn't find what was wrong."
The Obama administration is scheduled to release a Notice of Intent for 2017-2025 fuel economy standards for cars, SUVs and pickup trucks on September 30th.
