Washington, DC – We believe that the National Academy of Sciences’ findings reinforce what we at the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) have known for a long time: our nation needs to keep driving toward more fuel-efficient vehicles.
CFA’s polling consistently shows that consumers want a wide variety of cars and light trucks that go farther on every gallon of gas. Our most recent survey found 86 percent of Americans consider good gas mileage to be an “important” or “very important” factor in deciding which vehicle they buy next. To read CFA’s in-depth report on consumer attitudes toward fuel economy, see Staying on the Road to 54.5 MPG by 2025.
“This public support reflects a basic economic reality. Thanks to the current fuel-efficiency standards, the average automobile buyer is saving thousands of dollars over the life of a car or light truck,” said Dr. Mark Cooper, CFA’s director of research. To read CFA’s analysis of the current CAFE standards see the official comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“For automakers and dealers, consumer satisfaction is where the rubber meets the road. And great gas mileage leads to immediate consumer savings, satisfied buyers and increased sales,” said Jack Gillis, CFA’s director of public affairs and author of The Car Book.
Although the NAS uses cost estimates that are higher than the regulatory agencies, the cost benefit ratio is still positive. Moreover historical experience shows that when standards are well designed, as the reformed CAFE standards are, and auto makers set about meeting the standards, competition and innovation drive the costs well below the ex ante estimates of the regulatory agencies.
The current standards have all of the attributes of a well-designed standard, being technology neutral, product neutral, pro-competitive and long term. To read CFA’s analysis of performance standards, see the report Energy Efficiency Performance Standards: The Cornerstone of Consumer-Friendly Energy Policy.
Because the standards are well-designed and the technologies to meet them are available and cost effective, the industry has made steady progress toward the long term goals of the standards. To read the most recent assessment of the fuel economy of new light duty vehicles, see CFA’s release from earlier this year.
To see a more detailed discussion of these issues, please see our commentary in the The Hill.
Contact: Jack Gillis, 202-737-0766, Mark Cooper, 301-384-2204
The Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 nonprofit consumer groups that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.