LaTourette lauded by auto group for efforts on new fuel labels
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH) said he is thrilled that
the Administration has scrapped plans to "grade" the fuel
efficiency of vehicles from A+ to D, and hopes a letter he and U.S.
Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D-MI) sent in December to the EPA and
Department of Transportation helped sway officials that the grading
system was confusing and unnecessary.
The letter was signed by 53 House members.
The letter grades would have meant that only hybrids and
electric vehicles would receive top grades, while sedans, mini
vans, pickup trucks and SUVs would get much lower grades. The
Administration today announced that fuel labels will continue to
feature miles per gallon.
The revised stickers will start in with 2013 vehicle
models. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)
today thanked Reps. LaTourette and Kildee "for recognizing that
consumers need straightforward fuel economy ratings to make an
informed purchase."
NADA said with "gasoline spiking to over $4 a gallon and
alternative fuel vehicles hitting dealer showrooms, rolling out a
totally unfamiliar 'letter grade' label would have only served to
confuse and frustrate consumers."
LaTourette said a 2007 law required that fuel efficiency labels
be updated, but he thought the "grading" option went too far and
preferred labels that continue to focus on fuel efficiency and
miles per gallon, noting that most Americans are keenly aware of
fuel costs.
"Thank goodness they dropped this proposal. I don't know anyone
who will be lured into buying a plug-in electric car that gets the
equivalent of 100 mpg because of a large A+ sticker on the side
window that will be removed shortly after leaving the lot,"
LaTourette said.
In his letter to the EPA and DOT, LaTourette wrote that "most
fuel efficient SUVs and pickup trucks would rate no higher than a
"C+". He also stressed that the proposed grading system was
"biased in favor of certain types of vehicles" and that the only
vehicles that would qualify for an A or A+ would be battery
electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll report found that 57 percent of
consumers -- nearly six of 10 -- said "they would not buy such an
electric car no matter the price of gas." On Tuesday, the
Administration announced it will buy 116 electric vehicles for use
by federal agencies, and build five charging stations around the
country for those vehicles. USA TODAY reports that 100 of the
electric vehicles will be Chevy Volts, which cost $41,000.
The government did not say how much they will pay for the cars, the
paper reported.
In addition, the President issued a Presidential Memorandum that
calls on the federal government to lead "by example in fuel
efficiency and innovative technology." The requirements call
for the government to purchase "100 percent alternative fuel
vehicles by 2015" and ensure that agencies "meet the required 30
percent decrease in petroleum consumption by 2020."