Automakers Claim Obama Mileage Requirements Give Little Thought To Consumer Or Economy

Summary: The Prez wants cleaner air and more fuel efficient vehicles. That sounds good for The People. Some big auto manufacturers say that's bad for consumers (huh?) and make predictions of economic ruin should that mandate pass.

In case readers' memory is short, that's how the laws got quickly passed to bail out the failed financial institutions in 2008 with a pile of taxpayers' debt: the threat of dire economic consequences.

The simple reality is that automakers would rather take the easy way out to make their profit. Often, the consumers' interests and wellbeing are not a priority with manufacturers... unless it affects profit.

There is always the technology curve too. The avg cost of a car keeps rising, in part due to safety and emissions requirements.

Yes they are far safer and pollute less, but the cost in today's dollars if extremely high. This will compound the price increases to the consumer who no longer cant afford a new car.

This means less revenue for the economy.

Agent009: My observations of Americans is different from most other people. I observe that when Americans have their back up against a wall, or when they're facing an impossible challenge, then they tend to do the "impossible". Examples include "putting a man on the moon and bringing him safely back," finding new ways to get yet more oil from "exhausted" fields, sending probes to other planets on a shoestring budget, private entrepreneurs (non-government) getting passengers into space (Burt Rutan) more economically than NASA could, cracking uncrackable cyphers, and so on.

I believe Americans are extremely inventive and resourceful! They're freakin' remarkable people! But they need a challenge or an incentive to unleash their amazing potential. Endorsing and preserving the status quo, or telling the story of apocalyptic times and dire economic circumstances should we change, does *NOT* foster a climate in which Americans can be Americans At Their Most Amazing Best.

Just my two cents.

Dear TheSteve:

Again - as a person who does travel the world - I think that what helps the people from the USA - is that the money is here too. That attracts the best and brightest from around the world. AND for the most part - while it may seem otherwise - people are actually welcome here far more so than in other countries.

The great thing is that here - is where we make things for everyone. The Germans can make Anti-Lock brakes for the S-class - the Americans make it available at a reasonable price for the Chevy Nova. There is great incentive to create the newest and the most up to date - because there will be a market for it here.

But - when the going gets tough - in the USA - the people - as diverse and on as many political levels as possible - find a way. THere is ALWAYS a way!

Agent009 wrote "...The avg cost of a car keeps rising, in part due to safety and emissions requirements..."

The average price of just about everything keeps on going up! It's called inflation. In my mind, it's hard to blame inflation in the auto sector on emission requirements, and thereby position lower emissions as a bad and costly thing.

Free market I tell you. Let the market decides. If we had practiced this for the last 5 decades, our fuel economy would have sky rocketed up to 18 mpg instead of this stupid hybrid electric thingamajiggy Goddamn it; and from the Japanese no less.

Sorry - but if we had no regulations - we would currently be in a major worldwide Depression that would have started at the end of the Second Bush's administration. Fuel economy would not be great - because most would not be able to actually afford a car - so they would either use public transportation - or Bicycles. The major manufacturers of mainstream cars - like GM, Ford, VW, Toyota - and the rest would be out of business - and we would be left using what cars still exist on the road - like they do in Cuba. This would leave only a few really rich people who don't really care about gas mileage - since gasoline would be even cheaper than today - because nobody uses it.

...said @TomM the resident Fascist-Solialist with Hillary posters in his bedroom...

nguyenvuminh: When the Energy Crisis hit the US in the 1970s, US automakers were caught with their pants down because they had long since abandoned smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The foreign brands ate their lunch. The US makers cried foul, saying the Japanese had an advantage of a weaker Yen and cheap labor, so import tariffs appeared on the foreign success stories to help "level the playing field."

Today, we have cheap gas and US automakers are celebrating as though this will last for ever. When gas prices go up again, and US automakers do a repeat of the 1970s Energy Crisis by not having fuel efficient vehicles, the foreign automakers will clean up once again as US consumers turn to foreign brands to stretch their gasoline dollars farther. It's just plain short-sightedness. It's happened before. It's happening now.

Perhaps the US automakers needs a stern voice of reason to "inspire" them to create vehicles for the future, so that when gas is back to US$4 a gallon or more for regular unleaded, they'll still be in the game, rather than the foreign brands eating their lunch again.

Cheap gasoline isn't the "new normal." It's a temporary though welcome blip. I hope the US automakers don't stagnate in their sense of complacency, and shoot themselves in the foot again by choosing not to make more fuel-efficient vehicles. In Europe and Asia, where gasoline is double and triple what we pay, they're plenty motivated to make ever-better, ever more fuel efficient cars.

...said @MDarringer the resident Nazi-Narcissist-Deconsturctionist idiot stroking off to Rush Limbaugh posters in his bedroom...

...said @Terry989 the man with a girly name.

...said dickless, uneducated, white trash, MethMattie of Glory hole fame.

Hey Spies: I really thing this type of article draws the above responses. Is there any way we can just stick to the things we really all love and that's cars. The thing that unites us... I mean seriously... Look at these comments... Terry should be banned for what he says as well... he's worse that that other chimp you ditched last year, what was his name...? And the drivel of the arrogant pontificators, those who consider themselves more enlightened and would espouse that everyone else be "tolerant", quickly turn to gutter trash once others disagree... Seriously ban Terry..

Hey Spies - - - seriously, ban the perpetrators Matt and xjugs1987a for worthless, idiotic comments and starting most of the political discussions that xjugs1987a is suddenly believes he doesn't engage in.

xjugs1987a, I guess you you and Matt were in the closet exploring each other's rosebuds and missed Matt's post above:

...said @TomM the resident Fascist-Solialist with Hillary posters in his bedroom... — MDarringer

Or, have you missed all of his other posts or forgotten all of your own 100's of posts similar to:

I had no idea there so many complete idiots on this site... you guys are insane.... more "Clinton's"... yes, clearly insane. You must have minds like Joe Biden who wants to "take back America"... from who, he and his driver/caddie have been running the nation in the ground for the last 6+ yrs. Keep your heads in the sand ding dongs... — xjug1987a

DMUSMuscle - you're just an idiot... Lexus are appliances... you're a moron. — xjug1987a

Terry, you're just a pathetic moron... Carter, Bubba & Co, & Barry Soetoro... worst ever... pathetic losers all... and you must have enabled them. — xjug1987a

Unlike the the two of you Cro-Magnon, I don't start these conversations, but I'm not opposed to finishing them. So as you continue your drivel of the arrogant pontificator, who considers himself more enlightened and espouses that everyone else be agrees with his view, I will just consider you as another pile of dog shit to step over on the sidewalk of life.

@TheSteve - I guess you haven't been following my posts :-) I was being sarcastic about people that demand free market everything/everytime/every situation. I don't believe in that and the companies have repeatedly shown they abuse and take advantage of the market/customers whenever they get a chance. Defense contractor billing $320 for a hammer, check. Drug companies, check check. Banks, checkarooney. Higher education, recruited illerate homeless for god's sakes. Airline price collusion. Oil producer price collusion and pollution control. Investment banker manipulation the currency and commodity market. Insurance companies with coverage wording that actually excludes coverage. Automakers hiding safety issues and lie about emissions. Cable companies and their channel packaging to maximize monthly costs. Microsoft and their OS price gauging the OEMs. And so on and so on. And that's just in the US. The same US, and other foreign companies, have done the same in other countries (remember Union Carbide in Bhopal?).

Wah wah wah,, I've heard all this crying before from automakers about how emissions and fuel economy standards were going to wreck the industry all the way back from 1973. SO what actually happened? Well,, entire new industries popped up to fulfill the new requirements- electronic ignition systems, catalytic convertors, new material research, etc etc etc creating tons of new hi-tech jobs and the end result was automakers making record profits despite the new standards, The simply fact is that these CEO's and execs do not want to actually work. They would rather just sit back and let the cash roll in instead of actually moving forward and being held accountable. Hey- I don't blame them. If I could just prop my feet up on my desk and occasionally phone a travel agent for my next family vacation to the Caymans instead of getting on the phone with engineers, scientists, and investment bankers to meet the new standards that's what I'd do too.

Yes Terry, I have responded but you just proved my point. So you're The finisher" huh? What a little joke!

xjugs1891a - - - Your response proves my point that lack the gray matter necessary to engage in even limited mental fencing. An idiot child you are and an idiot child you will always be.