Emissions Standards Autonomy

Source: Autoblog.com

REPORT: President Obama to give states right to set own emissions/fuel economy standards

by Dan Roth on Jan 26th 2009 at 1:05AM
<!-- sphereit start -->Brace yourselves for a mess. The New York Times is reporting that the Obama administration intends to allow California and other states to set their own emissions and fuel economy standards. Obama is expected to announce his decision this week, maybe even as early as today. The move, which Obama campaigned on during the run up to last November's election, would overturn the prior Bush administration's denial of a waiver to California that allows the state to set its own standards.

If the report is correct, it's not clear yet what the implications of the decision will be or how automakers will react. If things proceed in an orderly and organized fashion, it will be a minor miracle. Consumer experiences may well mirror what went on with diesels, most of which were recently unavailable in states adhering to California's stricter emissions standards.

Critics of state-administrated emissions standards fear that the potential for 50 different requirements will result in a costly quagmire. It will undoubtedly cost automakers more to conform to various and differing requirements, eating up profits (not to mention bailout funds) as well.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

i agree with the writer here it makes so much more sense to pick one standard and stay with it... if we pick the california standard thats fine but lets just pick one otherwise its going to be a mess for everyone.

This is going to be a disaster. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time that CARB drew a line in the sand, the automakers crossed it, and CARB just drew another line, farther back. They tried to mandate that a certain percentage of an automakers cars sold in CA would be electric, too, and that failed miserably. They'll backpedal on this too.

TinmanMS6 said:

This is going to be a disaster. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time that CARB drew a line in the sand, the automakers crossed it, and CARB just drew another line, farther back. They tried to mandate that a certain percentage of an automakers cars sold in CA would be electric, too, and that failed miserably. They'll backpedal on this too.

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Yeah theres no way this will work. Car makers are having enough trouble trying to make cars 50 state compliant as is

This is obama's first mistake imo...otherwise, I'm alright with his performance in his first week.

Even if CARB does end up backing down, even attempting to meet these standards is going to put a lot of strain on already struggling automakers--and not just the domestics. Car sales are down worldwide, and everybody's profits are down.

Oh man, I can see it now:

"Introducing the new (insert model here)! 25/30 city/highway mpg and emissions compliant in 16 of 50 states!"

magnumP5 said:

Oh man, I can see it now:

"Introducing the new (insert model here)! 25/30 city/highway mpg and emissions compliant in 16 of 50 states!"

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LOL that's awesome!
I am just glad i live in Ohio, we don't give a rats ass about emissions lol, we were one of the first to get rid of E-Check iirc

TinmanMS6 said:

Even if CARB does end up backing down, even attempting to meet these standards is going to put a lot of strain on already struggling automakers--and not just the domestics. Car sales are down worldwide, and everybody's profits are down.

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All this means is alot of micro engine micro cars like seen in the crowded ministreets of europe...I'm okay with that I wouldnt mind a 75mpg near 0 emission car to really poke the middle east in the eye LOL

btw, i was watching Discovery Science yesterday, apparently Fusion technology is within a decade of full scale 100,000 gallons of salt water would create more energy than the entire remaining fossil fuels combined, my jaw hit the floor!

now if we could just get fusion powered cars

Btw, if fusion works out, we'll have a permanant renewable power source for the power grid which would make Electric vehicles much more realistic because we'd have an infinate amount of dirt cheap energy

IIRC, they want trucks to average around 26 mpg too. I'm thinking small diesel engines are going to be the only way to pull this off, but with stricter emissions, they're going to have a b**** of a time doing that. I'd love me some turbodiesel Xterra or something like that, but they're making things way more difficult than they need to be.

Assholes.

TinmanMS6 said:

IIRC, they want trucks to average around 26 mpg too. I'm thinking small diesel engines are going to be the only way to pull this off, but with stricter emissions, they're going to have a b**** of a time doing that.

Assholes.

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I'd like to know how farmers are supposed to cope with this?

Alot of them need to pull thousands of pounds of feed and animals on a daily basis, and i'm sorry but a 1.6L turbo diesel wont be able to do it...

That's just an average. The F-350 7.3L Powerstroke could still exist, but it'd have to be balanced out by about 1000 Escape Hybrids.

Obama takes steps to reverse Bush climate policies

WASHINGTON (Reuters) U.S. President Barack Obama began reversing the climate policies of the Bush administration on Monday, clearing the way for the government to allow states to set stricter limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars.

The president told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider California's request, denied under President George W. Bush, that would allow it to impose stricter limits on vehicle carbon dioxide emissions, blamed for contributing to global warming.

As many as 18 other states have indicated they may follow California's lead, putting tailpipe emissions standards that are tougher than federal requirements into effect.

"The federal government must work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Obama said at the White House, taking a stab at his predecessor's policies.

"California has shown bold and bipartisan leadership through its effort to 21st century standards. And over a dozen states have followed its lead."
The president also directed the Department of Transportation to move forward with setting vehicle fuel efficiency standards for 2011 by March, giving automakers an 18 month period to impose them.

He also instructed the U.S. government in general to become more energy efficient.

"The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration will not deny facts. We will be guided by them," he said.

Obama laid out broad principles that he said his administration would follow. It was time for the United States to lead on climate change, he said, and reduce its dependence on foreign oil.

"It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence on foreign oil," he said, adding previous administrations had made similar goals.
"We need more than the same old empty promises. We need to show that this time it will be different," he said.

The U.S. State Department is expected to name Todd Stern, a senior White House official under former President Bill Clinton, as its climate change envoy, two people familiar with the decision said on Monday.

Stern coordinated the Clinton administration's Initiative on Global Climate Change from 1997 to 1999 and acted as the senior White House negotiator in the Kyoto negotiations on climate change.

^^^Mainstream media's take on the Obama decision.
"Everything is sunshine and kittens, and the earth will finally be saved."

The tree huggin hippies are starting to get their way...soon enough cars wont exist, electricity will disappear because wind water and solar doesnt produce enough energy for our needs and we'll all be living in caves huddled together, freezing to death and slowly dying of malnutrician when we're no longer allowed to eat meat...

this is disgusting

This should be interesting. We haven't had e-checks here since '97 iirc. I was just talking to my fiance the other day about if the MS3 would pass emissions if we move to another state. IMO, Obama has good intentions but they may not work out too well.

paylew said:

This should be interesting. We haven't had e-checks here since '97 iirc. I was just talking to my fiance the other day about if the MS3 would pass emissions if we move to another state. IMO, Obama has good intentions but they may not work out too well.

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Yeah well killing a murderer like a vigilante is good intentioned but still not a good thing LoL

If this happens you'll definitely see the DEATH of the internal combustion engine

This is like the blood alcohol level, setting a level is just the beginning before you slowly choke off the remaining leg room

Can I order the Wyoming emission standard version of a car? The one that has no standard at all?

I imagine that for some states testing will get worse and for others it may get better. The Chicago area, for example, has been pushing to do away with emissions testing altogether. First dyno testing all the <'95 cars proved to be very expensive...not to mention the cost of repairing vehicles damaged by poorly trained dyno operators. Then when they did away with that just keeping the facilities open to test the newer cars, which 99% of time passed, is still causing a major drain. If this goes through maybe I can bring my 240 back home...nah insurance is so much cheaper in unincorporated Wisconsin.

TinmanMS6 said:

That's just an average. The F-350 7.3L Powerstroke could still exist, but it'd have to be balanced out by about 1000 Escape Hybrids.

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I'm probably totally off but aren't vehicles like this exempt from mpg standards in general? which is why a lot of times on those bigger trucks at dealerships they don't list it's mpg rating? again im probably wrong but i always assumed that was the case?

SubXer0 said:

I'm probably totally off but aren't vehicles like this exempt from mpg standards in general? which is why a lot of times on those bigger trucks at dealerships they don't list it's mpg rating? again im probably wrong but i always assumed that was the case?

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I think you're right, special use low production vehicles are exempt, i remember hearing or readint that somewhere