The Senate scheduled a vote for Wednesday on the proposal that would require automakers to increase their fuel economy by nearly 50 percent, to a fleet average of 36 miles per gallon, by 2015.
Several senators who support the tougher measures said they apparently don't have enough votes to block a separate, more industry-friendly, bill. It would require the Transportation Department to develop fuel economy increases within two years but sets no specific standard.
The auto fuel efficiency debate - part of Senate consideration of a broad energy bill - took on an emotionally charged tone Tuesday as critics argued the proposal already in the bill would force automakers to build smaller cars, reducing safety and possibly depriving suburban "soccer moms" of their SUVs and minivans.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., a chief sponsor of the measure, called such arguments "Alice in Wonderland" thinking and insisted: "No one in America will have to drive a smaller car. ... The technology is available today to meet the higher standard."
"We are going backward" in trying to curb the amount of gasoline used on the nation's highways, said Kerry. He cited a National Academy of Sciences study that concluded last year that significant improvements in auto fuel efficiency are possible without reducing car size and weight.
Opponents cited another portion of the same study that acknowledged that without adequate lead time, automakers would have to reduce vehicle size, and that fuel economy improvements in the 1980s caused thousands of additional traffic deaths. Kerry said the 13-year lead time contained in the bill is enough.
As the debate wound down, supporters of the Kerry proposal acknowledged that they likely do not have enough votes to keep the measure from being stripped from the energy legislation when the Senate votes Wednesday.
"I'm not very hopeful," said Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. "It's doubtful that we are going to pass any meaningful fuel economy standards as part of this energy bill."
Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Christopher Bond, R-Mo., who offered the alternative proposal, disputed claims that it would do nothing for fuel economy. It requires the Transportation Department to address the issue while not threatening industry jobs and vehicle choices, said Levin.
The Levin-Bond measure has broad Republican support as well as the backing of perhaps as many as a dozen Democrats, mostly from states with auto plants, according to Senate sources. The auto companies and auto workers have lobbied aggressively against the proposed 36 mpg requirement.
"American women love their SUVs and minivans ... because of their safety," proclaimed Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., a co-sponsor of the less stringent proposal. She warned that the wrath of "soccer moms" would be heard if the Senate approved the 36 mpg standards.
If Kerry's proposal became law, "about the only way we could get there is to put everybody into glorified golf carts," added Bond. "You'd have families picking up their kids in subcompacts."
Supporters of the tougher measures argued that it's impossible to address the broader issue of energy conservation without dramatically reducing the amount of fuel guzzled on America's highways. Passenger vehicles account for 40 percent of all the oil used today, they said.
While auto fuel efficiency increased dramatically in the late 1970s and early '80s, there has been no progress since 1988, when the motor fleet reached a peak of just under 26 mpg. The average for all vehicles was 24 mpg in 2000, about what it was 22 years ago.
The primary reason has been the huge popularity of SUVs and minivans, which are subject to less stringent fuel economy requirements and average about 20 mpg, as opposed to 28 mpg for passenger cars, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. These vehicles, along with pickups, now account for nearly half of all vehicles sold.
The proposal crafted by Kerry and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would close the gap between cars and SUVs in addition to boosting overall mileage of vehicle fleets. In an attempt to garner additional support, Kerry had considered exempting larger pickups.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/3/197528