Feinstein love the Chinese model.

[Yonivore]

The Tax-Free Lunch (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/06/the_taxfree_lunch.html)


The senator was vexed. The U.S. auto companies were resisting attempts by her and other Senate well-meaners to impose a radical rise in fuel efficiency by 2017. Why can't they be more like the Chinese, she complained. Or, to quote Sen. Dianne Feinstein precisely: "What the China situation, or the other countries' situation, shows is that these automakers, in all of these countries, build the automobile that the requirements for mileage state. And they don't fight it, they just do it."

Yes. That is how things work in Communist Party dictatorships.

[Wild Cobra]

What can we expect with mandated increases in the CAFÉ standard? How about some crash tests of these high mileage cars from China that are so loved by the democrats:

Chinese 4WD crash test, at the end slow motion, note the steering wheel trying to take the dummies head off:

Chinese 4WD crash test (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZWy_fASSiQ&NR=1)

How would you like to be in this one, Chinese Brilliance BS6:

New Chinese Car Crash Test Disaster (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F06LjugtIUo)

What about the Chinese made Chery A15:

Chery A15 (Amulet) EuroNCAP crash test ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7rrk3ZjN-I)

I guess the good thing about these cars is that insurance rates could go down. With more people dying in accidents, there are fewer medical expenses!

Now what are current high mileage models doing sold in the USA?

Crash test Honda Civic ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqcSH1UEkWA)

Crash test Mini Cooper ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxyV9Ty_TTU)

[George Gervin's Afro]

oh the horror of asking our auto industry to make more fuel efficient cars.. the horror!! :rolleyes

[Extra Stout]

oh the horror of asking our auto industry to make more fuel efficient cars.. the horror!! :rolleyes
CAFE standards are not a market-based approach, and therefore, will not work. The customer desire for large, fuel-thirsty vehicles has to be quenched in order to achieve meaningful gains. That it was not under CAFE is one reason for the explosion in popularity of SUV's in the 1990's, since as "light trucks" they were CAFE-exempted.

The best way to improve mileage is to let the price of gasoline rise unfettered so that consumers make fuel economy a priority in their purchase decisions.

[Yonivore]

oh the horror of asking our auto industry to make more fuel efficient cars.. the horror!! :rolleyes
You say that then you bitch about how expensive they are.

[Extra Stout]

Yes, Wild Cobra, in light of what we know about the standards to which Chinese cars are designed and built, Feinstein comes off as a total ignoramus.

She also is wrong about how Europe regulates fuel economy. They just tax the hell out of fuel, and make the price so high that consumers insist upon good fuel economy. They also tax carbon output. Their regulations are completely demand-based. The U.S. people are more populist, and less likely to tolerate this.

[Wild Cobra]

Another point. If we used the high milage vehicles that other countries use, we would und up with vehicles like this:

Toyota 1 ton truck:

http://www.japanesenewcars.com/images/newcar-townacetruck2005front.jpg

Toyota Vitz:

http://www.japanesenewcars.com/images/newcar-vitz2005front.jpg

Toyota Sienta:

http://www.japanesenewcars.com/images/newcar-sienta-front.jpg

Nissan Vanette:

http://www.japanesenewcars.com/images/new-vanettetruck2004-front.jpg

Nissan Tiida:

http://www.japanesenewcars.com/images/new-tiida2004-front.jpg

Honda Fit:

http://www.japanesenewcars.com/images/new-fit2004-front.jpg

Are these the types of vehicles those of you advocating the 40% increase in CAFÉ standards want?

Guess what, that’s what high mileage vehicles look like.

[Yonivore]

Honda Fit:

http://www.japanesenewcars.com/images/new-fit2004-front.jpg

Are these the types of vehicles those of you advocating the 40% increase in CAFÉ standards want?

Guess what, that’s what high mileage vehicles look like.
HEY! FIT IS GO, DUDE!

[Extra Stout]

3 of those vehicles above already are sold in the U.S.
Toyota Fitz = Toyota Yaris
Nissan Tiida = Nissan Versa
Honda Fit

Another way to get higher mileage is by placing smaller powertrains in existing vehicles. This is normal in Europe, where a full-size Skoda will putt around with a 1.8-liter diesel. It'll get you there, but it isn't much fun.

And, ah yes, diesel. Diesels will do the 40% improvement just about by themselves, but they will run $1500-$4000 over the gas equivalent. That is a trade-off the customer has to decide.

I still have fond memories of Mercedes and BMW diesels. They are magnificent.

[Wild Cobra]

3 of those vehicles above already are sold in the U.S.
Toyota Fitz = Toyota Yaris
Nissan Tiida = Nissan Versa
Honda Fit

No argument there. I should have spelled it out better. So much more of our fleet would start being like thes cars with more rigid CAFE standards.

[Wild Cobra]

maybe if you repug assholes weren't driving tahoe death machines around (oh but they make my wife feel soooo safe) then the small cars wouldn't be at as much risk of being smashed to dust
Give me a break. You think it's only republicans driving big vehicles?

The environment is not something that separates republicans and democrats. The democrats just like to make people think so and they will support idiotic extreme viewpoints. Republicans are just as concerned number wise as democrats, they just take a more realistic approach.