Plug-ins: Much ado about fuel economy credits?
Tesla hoping to sell its CAFE creditsForeign oil dependency is choking America, literally, to death. Thus, I've advocated for hybrid cars, even when they don't make financial sense. It's an investment in the future and next generation technologies, such as plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Fortunately, these days, every automaker is planning some kind of plug-in, and that's a good thing. Yet, I worry.
In recent weeks, the EPA designation of plug-ins has become an important issue. Plug-in vehicles, like the flex-fuel credits of today, will provide important fuel economy credits for automakers, as flex fuel credits expire.
So, if GM only sells 60,000 Chevy Volts in 2013, those Volts will provide a significant number of fuel economy credits for GM's less efficient vehicles. Today, just a few flex fuel credits per vehicle enable automakers to, essentially, violate CAFE without penalty.
Thus, despite good intentions, flex fuel credits have increased US foreign oil dependency. And, particularly if gas prices decline a few quarters over the next few years, it seems plug-in credits could do the same. Is it time to end all fuel economy loopholes, I mean credits?
Labels: Chevy Volt electric vehicle concept, Hybrid Vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
12:21 PM
2 Comments:
YES! If the automakers want a plugin credit, fine, but they can't then also use the plugins for a CAFE credit. That one gets to me, I must admit.
I'd rather provide more tax credits for vehicles like Chevy Volt, rather than having the Volt be used as a tool to legitimize gas guzzlers that don't meet CAFE requirements.
Congress can never just say 20 means 20, or 40 means 40. Instead, they say 40 means 40, except in these 40 different exceptions.
And we wonder why we need to bailout Wall Street. Congress has to create complex legislation so voters think they're doing their job as members of Congress get rich creating loopholes for their favorite lobbyists.
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