New federal rules for increased fuel economy on clarkhoward.com

The federal government has announced new rules for increased fuel economy. It's not Clark's first choice for getting the job done; that would be a sky-high gas tax to create a marketplace incentive for more efficient cars. Of course, no one seems to agree with him on that one! So that necessitates the government imposed fuel-efficiency requirements.

Over the next several years, vehicles will have to get an average of 34 miles per gallon (combined city/highway). Very few cars on our roads get this today.So how are we going to get there? Well, it won't be through the mass production of econoboxes -- even though Clark loves cheap, tiny rides!

Ultimately, auto makers will innovate with various new types of engines. At a recent European auto show, Renault-Nissan unveiled plans for no less than four different electric cars. Volkswagen will also have an electric car called the E-Up (pictured to the left) available in 2013. And the Ford Grand C-MAX will be available in the next 18 months with a small turbo-charged engine at the heart of a scaled-down minivan-like vehicle.

We've already got clean diesels in the market. We might even see diesel hybrids. And of course gas-electric hybrids will continue to grow in popularity.

All these efforts will reduce foreign oil dependency and that's great from a national security perspective -- even if it's not being done through Clark's favored gas tax approach.

What others are saying

Your little Crapmobiles
Your little Crapmobiles are nothing more than a casket on wheels. They should be mandated to have assist handles attached to the perimeter of them to help the pall bearers to deliver you and the car to the burial site.
ME and MY family all drive LARGE vehicles, When one of these little boogers T-bones me in one of these, guess who gets hurt. The few bucks (or lately quite a few) is cheap protection.
Want to mandate higher mileage? Don't allow the oil producers buy out the innovators and allow the free market (not to be confused with capitalism) to work.
By Ravvi-Oli @ 10/17/09 01:14:44 PMreport abuse
I have seen these cars $$$$
I lived in a neighborhood where there is a dealership selling these little cars you have in the photo posting. The salesmen zip around town all day trying to interest buyers.

Their cute, but they are still no Volkwagen New Beetle. They come with a $25,000 dollar price tag.

For $25,000 I can get a top of the line, New Beetle, 2009 in either convertiable or moon roof with all of the perks. Turbo too!

These cars need to be compared to the Hummers. They are too odd to be everyday practical. $$$$

I's compare to a rich man's go-cart.
By PennyPincher @ 09/18/09 12:00:49 PMreport abuse
Good!
Finally something good!Since 70's car companies have tried hard to improve gas milleage and build more efficient cars!After almost 30 years no much of a progress!Is that how the free market should work?!The manipulation of gas prices by the big oil companies have literally stopped any effort to change "gas guzzlers" with smaller and more efficient engines.Although I agree with Clark that the fuel efficiency issue shouldn"t be a government business,in this case the failure of the free market to act reasonably for so many years made necessary for the government to step in and try to change the status quo!
By Mario @ 09/17/09 09:31:33 PMreport abuse
Denny is a moron
What a callous statement, "only 3000 people died so no big deal". Go crawl back in your hole.
By Unbelievable @ 09/17/09 10:42:04 AMreport abuse
Diesel fuel is typically more expensive than gasoline, so I don't know if that's the answer. If there was a gas tax increase, the money should go to road and bridge repair. A lot of our 50+ year old bridges and roads are wearing thin.
By anonymous @ 09/17/09 09:17:45 AMreport abuse
Too Much Government
"We are not in danger of putting ourselves at risk to middle-eastern religious zealots"

I agree with Buzz G on this. When we were attacked by Middle East zealots on 9/11, only 3000 people died so no big deal. Our military in Iraq showed these Middle East zealots what we can do! Why should the government be meddling with mileage requirements and take our freedoms away? If you can afford to drive a 15MPG car, why should the government stop you from doing this? When the oil finally does start to run out and gas gets more expensive, people on their own will switch to alternatives without any government interention, problem solved.
By --Denny @ 09/16/09 10:44:50 PMreport abuse
diesel
Just bring on the diesel cars and we will all be just fine with the gov mileage requirement.
By Larry @ 09/16/09 10:21:01 PMreport abuse
Gas Tax
Clark, shame on you, these people are buying high milage cars to save money, if the tax on gas goes up, they are right back to paying a high price for gas, then why bother going into debt buying a small car, you get my point?
By Guy @ 09/16/09 09:38:48 PMreport abuse
Government Controlling Our Lives
Shame on Clark! He wants sky high gas tax to force us all into econo-boxes. He calls himself a pennypinching tightwad, but he is no such thing. He only is tight with his own money. He wants the rest of us to pay big taxes to accomplish his anal retentive social goals. There is no man made global warming. It is a myth. We are not running out of crude oil. That is also a myth. We are not in danger of putting ourselves at risk to middle-eastern religious zealots. That is a myth. (Most of our imported oil comes from Canada and Mexico) We are not on the verge of replacing oil with algae diesel/ethanol/hydrogen fuel cell/battery electric/wind power/wind-up spring or anything else. Crude oil is here to stay. We don't need high taxes or government control programs to drive us to "alternative" fuels and knees-to-the-chest econoboxes.
And when it comes to "green" nonsense, Clark Howard is just as stupid as Al Gore or Jimmy Carter or Michael Moore. He has lost his common sense and I hate to have my family listen to this nonsense.
By Buzz G @ 09/16/09 07:23:22 PMreport abuse
RE: New federal rules for increased fuel economy
Regarding the Government's fule that auto makers make all vehicles with an avg. fuel economy of 34mpg by 2013...
First, no one mentions the fact that a small econobox electric or hybrid car is not the best choice for many families and businesses. You can't pull a trailer, carry ANY load, or carry 4 full-size adults comforatably in most of these small cars. Also, no one is mentioning the short range of these vehicles.
Second, no one is mentioning the safety factor. Would you rather be in a collision in a full-size Chevy 4WD truck or a Toyota Prius? Smaller, lighter vehicles are not as safe as larger and heavier ones.
Third, no one is questioning the "government's" decision to impose these mpg restrictions on auto makers. We pay more to drive larger and faster and safer vehicles, so the more fuel you purchase, the more taxes you pay; it is a user-fee system already. Do we really want the gov't deciding what vehicles we can and cannot buy?
Fourth, let's truly evaluate the economy and payback of these new hybrids and electric vehicles. Add up the cost to produce and dispose of the batteries, the energy required to produce the electricity to charge up electric cars, and the additional price you pay for these vehicles over gasoline-powered ones, and then let's figure out if these cars are the best economical choice for consumers. Wouldn't Clark Howard do this? I think so.
Even at 15mpg, a 10-year old "clunker" that runs, assuming it is paid off, is MUCH less expensive to drive and maintain than a new hybrid. Let's be smart about this!
By Clint @ 09/16/09 04:06:05 PMreport abuse

Your little Crapmobiles

Your little Crapmobiles are nothing more than a casket on wheels. They should be mandated to have assist handles attached to the perimeter of them to help the pall bearers to deliver you and the car to the burial site.
ME and MY family all drive LARGE vehicles, When one of these little boogers T-bones me in one of these, guess who gets hurt. The few bucks (or lately quite a few) is cheap protection.
Want to mandate higher mileage? Don't allow the oil producers buy out the innovators and allow the free market (not to be confused with capitalism) to work.

By Ravvi-Oli @ 10/17/09 01:14:44 PMreport abuse

I have seen these cars $$$$

I lived in a neighborhood where there is a dealership selling these little cars you have in the photo posting. The salesmen zip around town all day trying to interest buyers.

Their cute, but they are still no Volkwagen New Beetle. They come with a $25,000 dollar price tag.

For $25,000 I can get a top of the line, New Beetle, 2009 in either convertiable or moon roof with all of the perks. Turbo too!

These cars need to be compared to the Hummers. They are too odd to be everyday practical. $$$$

I's compare to a rich man's go-cart.

By PennyPincher @ 09/18/09 12:00:49 PMreport abuse

Good!

Finally something good!Since 70's car companies have tried hard to improve gas milleage and build more efficient cars!After almost 30 years no much of a progress!Is that how the free market should work?!The manipulation of gas prices by the big oil companies have literally stopped any effort to change "gas guzzlers" with smaller and more efficient engines.Although I agree with Clark that the fuel efficiency issue shouldn"t be a government business,in this case the failure of the free market to act reasonably for so many years made necessary for the government to step in and try to change the status quo!

By Mario @ 09/17/09 09:31:33 PMreport abuse

Denny is a moron

What a callous statement, "only 3000 people died so no big deal". Go crawl back in your hole.

By Unbelievable @ 09/17/09 10:42:04 AMreport abuse

Diesel fuel is typically more expensive than gasoline, so I don't know if that's the answer. If there was a gas tax increase, the money should go to road and bridge repair. A lot of our 50+ year old bridges and roads are wearing thin.

By anonymous @ 09/17/09 09:17:45 AMreport abuse

Too Much Government

"We are not in danger of putting ourselves at risk to middle-eastern religious zealots"

I agree with Buzz G on this. When we were attacked by Middle East zealots on 9/11, only 3000 people died so no big deal. Our military in Iraq showed these Middle East zealots what we can do! Why should the government be meddling with mileage requirements and take our freedoms away? If you can afford to drive a 15MPG car, why should the government stop you from doing this? When the oil finally does start to run out and gas gets more expensive, people on their own will switch to alternatives without any government interention, problem solved.

By --Denny @ 09/16/09 10:44:50 PMreport abuse

diesel

Just bring on the diesel cars and we will all be just fine with the gov mileage requirement.

By Larry @ 09/16/09 10:21:01 PMreport abuse

Gas Tax

Clark, shame on you, these people are buying high milage cars to save money, if the tax on gas goes up, they are right back to paying a high price for gas, then why bother going into debt buying a small car, you get my point?

By Guy @ 09/16/09 09:38:48 PMreport abuse

Government Controlling Our Lives

Shame on Clark! He wants sky high gas tax to force us all into econo-boxes. He calls himself a pennypinching tightwad, but he is no such thing. He only is tight with his own money. He wants the rest of us to pay big taxes to accomplish his anal retentive social goals. There is no man made global warming. It is a myth. We are not running out of crude oil. That is also a myth. We are not in danger of putting ourselves at risk to middle-eastern religious zealots. That is a myth. (Most of our imported oil comes from Canada and Mexico) We are not on the verge of replacing oil with algae diesel/ethanol/hydrogen fuel cell/battery electric/wind power/wind-up spring or anything else. Crude oil is here to stay. We don't need high taxes or government control programs to drive us to "alternative" fuels and knees-to-the-chest econoboxes.
And when it comes to "green" nonsense, Clark Howard is just as stupid as Al Gore or Jimmy Carter or Michael Moore. He has lost his common sense and I hate to have my family listen to this nonsense.

By Buzz G @ 09/16/09 07:23:22 PMreport abuse

RE: New federal rules for increased fuel economy

Regarding the Government's fule that auto makers make all vehicles with an avg. fuel economy of 34mpg by 2013...
First, no one mentions the fact that a small econobox electric or hybrid car is not the best choice for many families and businesses. You can't pull a trailer, carry ANY load, or carry 4 full-size adults comforatably in most of these small cars. Also, no one is mentioning the short range of these vehicles.
Second, no one is mentioning the safety factor. Would you rather be in a collision in a full-size Chevy 4WD truck or a Toyota Prius? Smaller, lighter vehicles are not as safe as larger and heavier ones.
Third, no one is questioning the "government's" decision to impose these mpg restrictions on auto makers. We pay more to drive larger and faster and safer vehicles, so the more fuel you purchase, the more taxes you pay; it is a user-fee system already. Do we really want the gov't deciding what vehicles we can and cannot buy?
Fourth, let's truly evaluate the economy and payback of these new hybrids and electric vehicles. Add up the cost to produce and dispose of the batteries, the energy required to produce the electricity to charge up electric cars, and the additional price you pay for these vehicles over gasoline-powered ones, and then let's figure out if these cars are the best economical choice for consumers. Wouldn't Clark Howard do this? I think so.
Even at 15mpg, a 10-year old "clunker" that runs, assuming it is paid off, is MUCH less expensive to drive and maintain than a new hybrid. Let's be smart about this!

By Clint @ 09/16/09 04:06:05 PMreport abuse

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Sep 16, 2009 -- New federal rules for increased fuel economy

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