Automotive

Rules will reduce oil usage and global warming pollution

September 15, 2009 -- Washington, DC -- The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced new fuel economy and greenhouse gas rules for vehicles, calling for a fleet average fuel economy of 35.5 miles per gallon and emissions of 250 grams per mile of CO2-equivalent-emissions by the 2016 model year.

Statement of Ann Mesnikoff, Sierra Club Green Transportation Campaign    » read more »

Statement of Lena Pons, Policy Analyst, Public Citizen’s Congress Watch Division

Sept. 15, 2009 -- The Obama administration proposed a historic step forward today that would reduce our nation’s oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed standards it announced for fuel economy and emissions would save 1.3 million barrels of oil per day in 2020 and save drivers about $26 billion per year in 2020, based on the current price of gas.

Under the proposal, automakers would have to raise the average gas mileage across their fleets to 35.5 miles per gallon and reduce carbon dioxide to 250 grams per mile by 2016.    » read more »

Group Urges Administration to Finalize Standards And Avoid Creating New Loopholes

WASHINGTON (September 15, 2009) — New proposed vehicle standards announced by the Obama administration today represent the largest increase in fuel economy in three decades, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

The new standards, which were released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT), would boost the fleetwide fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the United States to 34.1 miles per gallon by model year 2016. The standards also would set the first national tailpipe heat-trapping emissions standard for vehicles at 250 grams per mile, nearly 30 percent less than the emissions produced by today's average new vehicle.    » read more »

September 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) issued the following statement praising the proposed federal rule released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish an historic national program to improve vehicle fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases.

As chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, Sen. Carper said:    » read more »

September 15, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Clean Air Subcommittee, today praised President Obama, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator for the actions announced today to reduce America’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.    » read more »

Bill would require study before introduction of new gasoline/ethanol blend

September 14, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today introduced legislation designed to ensure that new gasoline fuel mixtures introduced into the marketplace are compatible with gasoline-fueled engines already in widespread use.    » read more »

Brown, a Longtime Advocate for GM Lordstown and a Leading Proponent of a National Manufacturing Policy, Joins President in Visit with Workers

September 15, 2009 -- WARREN, OHIO – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined Pres. Barack Obama today as he visited the Lordstown General Motors Plant. Pres. Obama and Sen. Brown met with workers and the President made remarks about the economy.    » read more »

State’s Vehicle Emissions Standards and Green Building Code Serve as Model for National and International Standards

09/15/2009 -- California Governor Schwarzenegger issued the following statement today after the President announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) will adopt a vehicle emissions standard modeled after California’s first-in-the-nation standard and the International Code Council announced the state’s newly adopted Green Building Standards Code will serve as a foundation for commercial buildings worldwide.    » read more »

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s decision to place tariffs on tires made in China.

“I applaud President Obama for taking swift action to ensure that trade laws are being enforced so that American companies, workers and consumers are protected. I have long been an opponent of unfair trade practices. As both a congressman and governor, I have advocated that the U.S. government use the tools at its disposal to ensure that trade laws are strongly and fairly enforced.    » read more »

Statement Of Dave Mccurdy

Washington, D.C. - "Last May, automakers committed to President Obama to increase the average fuel economy in new vehicles by 40 percent to a combined 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. This historic joint-rulemaking proposal released today by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration creates a coordinated national approach for increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gases and prevents competing regulations at the state and federal level.    » read more »

No Gasoline or Tailpipe Pollution in Reaching Milestone

2009-09-11 -- DETROIT, September 11 - The Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell electric vehicles today passed 1 million miles of gasoline and tailpipe pollution-free driving by homemakers, accountants, computer game designers and others using the vehicles every day in real-world conditions.

More than 50,000 gallons of gasoline have been saved so far in the fuel cell Equinox, more than 100 of which are part of the largest consumer fuel cell demonstration fleet in the world. The fuel cell electric Equinox runs on electricity created by an on-board fuel cell stack. The only emissions are wisps of water vapor.    » read more »

Cash for Clunkers Wraps up with Nearly 700,000 car sales and increased fuel efficiency

August 26, 2009 -- The CARS program came to a close Tuesday night with nearly 700,000 clunkers taken off the roads, replaced by far more fuel efficient vehicles. Rebate applications worth $2.877 billion were submitted by the 8 p.m. deadline, under the $3 billion provided by Congress to run the program.

Cars made in America topped the most-purchased list, from the Ford Focus to the Toyota Corolla to the Honda Civic.    » read more »

Projects will create jobs, limit pollution, and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil

August 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the selection of 25 cost-share projects under the Clean Cities program that will be funded with nearly $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

These projects will speed the transformation of the nation’s vehicle fleet, putting more than 9,000 alternative fuel and energy efficient vehicles on the road, and establishing 542 refueling locations across the country. The Department of Energy also estimates they will help displace approximately 38 million gallons of petroleum per year.    » read more »

September 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke welcomes news that, effective today, China will remove the discriminatory taxes it has been imposing on imported auto parts. China had until September 1 to come into compliance with a WTO ruling that China’s auto policies were inconsistent with WTO rules.

The United States, along with Canada and the European Union, had welcomed that ruling. China’s Commerce Ministry and other government agencies announced action today abolishing the discriminatory taxes.    » read more »

August 27, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - Automakers have now successfully implemented a voluntary agreement under which new cars and light trucks are engineered to be more compatible in front- and side-impact crashes. Since launching the agreement, manufacturers have been quickly increasing the percentage of vehicles with the compatibility engineering, and as of September 1, 2009, 100 percent of each participating manufacturers’ applicable vehicles will be made in a way that improves crash compatibility.    » read more »