Everyone who wants Americans to drive small, fuel efficent cars point to Europe as an example of how "well" people get along with small cars.
Since Democrats took control of Congress in January, Washington has targeted automobiles to reduce the alleged threats of energy dependence and global warming. Solutions have centered on increased government fuel economy mandates (40 percent in 10 years) and gas taxes (50 cents per gallon) to force Americans into smaller vehicles.A test laboratory for the results of these proposals already exists in Europe, where the European Commission a decade ago mandated a 35 percent increase in miles-per-gallon standards and where gas taxes have driven fuel to nearly $7 a gallon.
So what Congress keeps ignoring, the data experts in the U.S. are pointing to to show that increasing fuel economy mandates to extreme amounts doesn't really work. To show that they really don't work all we have to do is look across the pond.
In 1998, the global warming-panicked commission set a goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and raising fuel economy 25 percent to an equivalent of 39 miles per gallon by next year with the ultimate goal of raising fuel efficiency 35 percent to 45 mpg by 2012. The measure is similar to the U.S. Senate's goal of a 40 percent increase to 35 mpg by 2020.Europe is nowhere close to meeting the goal. Makers of small cars like Renault are near the goal, while larger carmakers like Audi are off 25 percent.
But why are they not close to meeting the goals set by the goberment?
Europe is missing its targets because even with $7-a-gallon gas (bolstered by a $3-a-gallon gas tax in France and similarly high taxes elsewhere), European Commission bureaucrats CANNOT CONTROL CONSUMER TASTES. (emphasis mine)
WHAT?
You mean consumers are not rushing out to buy fuel efficent small cars like everyone of the greenies and goberment officals claim everyone wants?
The fastest growing segment in Europe these days is -- gasp! -- the SUV. Even as he lectures manufacturers to make smaller cars, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso drives a Volkswagen Touareg SUV -- the highest carbon dioxide-emitting vehicle in Europe. Customer demand for light trucks is so strong that even holdouts like Renault and Peugeot this year started selling SUVs.(emphasis mine)
WHAT?
They want SUV's? But how could that be, I thought Europeans wanted small vehicles. Isn't that what our Goberment keeps insisting?
But of course, all this is the fault of the Auto Makers.
Like their American peers, European greens think it's all an industry conspiracy to withhold better technologies. Jos Dings, director of the influential environmental lobby group, Transport & Environment, protested recent efforts to postpone the 45 mpg goal by arguing that the European Commission shouldn't be "conned by the hysterical lobbying of ACEA."
And we all know how those evil Auto Manufacturers are forcing us to buy SUV's because that is all they make. We have no other choice.
So with the Goberments and the Greenies push to make everyone drive small, fuel efficent vehicles is failing and will fail. Because consumers will buy what they want to buy not what the Goberment feels they should buy.
Posted by Quality Weenie at August 23, 2007 07:51 AM | TrackBack