Obama Announces Fuel Rules for Heavy Vehicles

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Big tractor-trailer trucks will have to get 20 percent more miles per gallon by the 2018 model year, under the first-ever fuel economy rules for heavy vehicles, announced Tuesday by President Obama.

The rules mimic the “light duty” fuel economy standards for cars and sport-utility vehicles that have been in place since 1975. But they are more complex, tailored to cover everything from garbage trucks, which must get a 10 percent improvement, to pickups and vans that are too big to be covered by the existing rules, and which must now make a 15 percent improvement.

The rules are allowed under a law signed by President George W. Bush in 2007, but it has taken until now to devise the program. And President Obama, speaking at a time when there is substantial opposition to new environmental rules, said in a statement that the vehicle owners wanted their trucks to be regulated.

“While we were working to improve the efficiency if cars and light-duty trucks, something interesting happened,” he said in a statement. “We started getting letters asking that we do the same for medium and heavy-duty trucks. They were from people who build, buy and drive these trucks.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/10/science/earth/10truck.html

[pinto]

1. Two thumbsup.

:thumbsup:

:thumbsup:

[tawadi]

2. Recommended

Long overdue.

[Proles]

3. Good to hear.

And whatever happened to tax breaks for larger vehicles?

[Ian David]

4. Next, we need to clean-up freight ships. n/t

[chuckrocks]

5. woa woa woa

Woa. Slow down, sparky. We can't just do this overnight. This tree-hugging is out. of. control. Next he's going to want 100mpg by 2090. How is this economy supposed to rebound with all this mambie pambie reddie tape-ie?
Can't get sarcasm on my phone.

[BeHereNow]

6. Yeah? And what about all the military vehicles?

The military is the largest consumer of energy on the planet.
What reforms are you suggesting there, Mr. President?

BHN

[bowens43]

7. Obama throws a bone to his faithful dogs......

while scheming with the cons to change medicare and social security.

[FiveGoodMen]

8. I think you're right.

I don't think the new standards will be enforced.

Some excuse will be made assuming anyone's watching at the time.

[crazyjoe]

9. oh please, obama will be long gone by 2018. This law will be changed

10 times by then.

[catnhatnh]

10. How Many MPG???

...In any subset of vehicles? Please don't say 15 or 20 percent. Tell me which trucks and how many MPG and I'll tell you if I like it...

[jpak]

11. First fuel-efficiency standards set for heavy trucks

Source: Portland Press Herald

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration set the first-ever fuel-efficiency rules for heavy-duty trucks and buses Tuesday, a move that will cut greenhouse gas emissions and fuel use by everything from long-haul tractor-trailers to school buses over the next several years.

The regulations require heavy-duty trucks and buses to improve their fuel efficiency 5 percent each year between 2013 and 2018, compared with the industry's 2010 baseline, which the administration estimates will save a total of $50 billion in fuel costs and 530 million barrels of oil during that period.

Heavy-duty trucks and buses account for 20 percent of the nation's annual greenhouse gas emissions: Federal officials said the stricter limits will increase the cost of a tractor trailer by $6,220 while saving $73,000 in fuel costs over its operating life.

Unlike recently announced fuel-efficiency standards for passenger cars and light trucks, which had prompted a contentious behind-the-scenes battle in Washington, the new regulations were welcomed by trucking industry officials.

<more>

Read more: http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/first-fuel-efficiency-standards-set-for-heavy-trucks_2011-08-10.html

[doc03]

12. I think converting them to use natural gas would be a

far better idea. There is more natural gas in West Virginia alone than oil in Saudi Arabia.