Auto makers finally face higher fuel efficiency standards in the US. Sort of. After years of holding out against anything to do with climate change, President George Bush finally signed into law an energy bill establishing higher fuel-economy standards for new cars and other conservation measures. And then 8 hours later he completely sabotaged states … Read More
Fuel Efficiency
Car Industry to Fight EU CO2 Plans
The European car industry has pledged to fight the already watered-down plans to reduce CO2 from new cars. Leading the fight will be the Germans and their powerful car industry, which is dominated by gas-guzzling cars like BMW, Porsches and Mercedes-Benz. Even the country’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has opposed the plans saying they were “not … Read More
Europe Divided Over Car Targets
It’s a political row that has been going on for months. Tomorrow the European Commission is due to publish its long-awaited plans to reduce carbon emissions from passenger cars to 120 grams per kilometre within five years. But a bitter fallout between France and Germany has plunged the key negotiations into crisis. French manufacturers such … Read More
Now its France V. Germany Over Car Emissions
America is not the only political battle grown over fuel efficiency standards. A large Diplomatic spat is growing in Europe between France and German over the issue. France is trying to put the brakes on the German effort to skew European fuel efficiency legislation in favour of heavier cars amid fears that it would price … Read More
Toyota’s Environmental Image Challenged
It may be the automaker that has given us the Prius, but Toyoto is coming under attack from green groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, who are challenging Toyota’s opposition to strict fuel economy standards pending in Congress. It is a position the Japanese company shares with General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.
US Urged to Act on Energy
The US should adopt the toughest possible fuel economy standards for motor vehicles and join a global framework for managing carbon dioxide emissions. These are the findings of a Bush administration-commissioned study of the energy industry, led by Lee Raymond, the former chairman of Exxon.
Senate Passes Energy Bill
The US Senate passed a broad energy bill late yesterday that will require the first big increase in fuel mileage requirements for passenger cars in American in more than two decades. The vote, 65 to 27, was a major defeat for car manufacturers, which had fought for a much smaller increase in fuel economy standards … Read More
Senate Debates Energy Bill
The US Senate debated an energy bill yesterday that would raise auto fuel economy standards for the first time in nearly 20 years and make oil industry price gouging a federal crime. Democratic leaders in both the Senate and House said they want broad energy legislation passed before the Fourth of July congressional recess, hoping … Read More
Edwards Calls for Probe of Oil Industry
Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards has called for a federal investigation into possible antitrust violations by the oil industry and criticized oil companies for raising gas prices. “There’s absolutely no justification for the gas companies to be as profitable as they are and have the taxpayers subsidizing the industry,” Edwards said.
Germany Opposes Speed Restrictions
Germany may have often led the way in Europe on environmental issues, but Germans still love their cars. A sophisticated and intense campaign by the German motor industry recently scuppered new EU rules on tight emissions for motor vehicles. In the scrap it is widely seen as the European Commission’s Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Günter … Read More