POLITICS No Easy Way Out - CAFE changes seek genuine fuel-economy gains

摘要

Proposed changes to the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard would make light trucks subject to varying degrees of fuel efficiency based on "footprint" rather than weight. The proposed standard would divide light trucks into six categories defined by multiplying a vehicle's wheelbase by its track width. What Washington calls "Reformed CAFE" would require improved performance in each category, but larger vehicles would be subject to less stringent requirements than smaller vehicles. The proposed regulations are expected to promote genuine gains in fuel efficiency because they will require meaningful engineering improvements. The National Highway Traffic Safety Admin, considered a weight-based system, but it was rejected to prevent auto makers from simply adding pounds in a bid to match a vehicle's performance with the nearest requirement.