Quality Weenie

California To Restrict Cars You Buy

In a disasterous defeat to the automotive makers, a U.S. District Judge ruled that California could set tailpipe emissions. That means california can set mpg fuel standards.

The auto industry lost another court battle in its bid to stop California and at least 12 other states from imposing a 30 percent reduction in vehicle tailpipe emissions by 2016.

In a 57-page opinion issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Anthony Ishii said California and the other states that have adopted stricter emissions rules than the federal standards can do so, throwing out a challenge by Detroit automakers.

Judge Ishii's decision follows a trial in Vermont, which also allowed states to impose their own emissions requirements.

A U.S. District Judge is overriding Federal fuel mandates by getting around it by allowing states to set their own tailpipe emissions which is directly linked to mpg mandates.

California in a sense is telling it's residents that they can no longer drive trucks, SUV's or large vehicles that they can only drive small vehicles or hybrids.

California is still waiting for a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency to impose the rules beginning with the 2009 model year that starts next fall. The EPA has said it will issue its decision before the end of the year.

The 2009 model year starts in October 2008, so the automotive makers have 8 months to make vehicle operate at 43 mpg. The federal mandate right now is 27 mpg.

This would mean that most automakers would have to stop selling almost all of it's vehicles in California and Vermont because at this time only a couple hybrids would meet the new standards.

Although the Judges see nothing wrong with their immediate mandates and feel the automakers are lying about not being able to sell vehicles, sounds like the judges think the automakers can magically make vehicles have an instant 40% increase in mpg.

Judge William Sessions, the Vermont judge, on Sept. 12 rejected the automakers' arguments in a case he said largely hinged on whether the regulations were too draconian for automakers to comply with.

"The court does not find convincing the claims that consumers will be deprived of their choice of vehicles, or that manufacturers will be forced to restrict or abandon their product lines," Sessions wrote in his ruling.

"The court remains unconvinced automakers cannot meet the challenge of Vermont and California's (greenhouse gas) regulations. History suggests that the ingenuity of the industry, once put in gear, responds admirably to most technological challenges."

an expert for the state of Vermont said the regulation would add about $1,500 per vehicle. The automakers said the cost would be as much as $6,000.

Guess the state of Vermont knows more about automotive development and manufacturing then the actual automotive companies.

If you live in Vermont or California you better go buy a vehicle now, because come October you won't beable to buy a vehicle at all.

Posted by Quality Weenie at December 13, 2007 09:57 AM | TrackBack