ChimpCo "Considering" Including H2, Excursion Under CAFE Rules

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is expected to announce next week final revised regulations to boost the fuel economy of the nation's vehicles. A preliminary version of the rules released last summer required that vehicles average 24 miles per gallon by 2011, but the final rules may increase that to 25 mpg by 2011, environmental groups said Wednesday.

The White House is further considering including some heavier sport utility vehicles and passenger vans in fuel economy rules for the first time, including three of the largest GM SUVs: the Hummer H2, GMC Yukon XL and Chevy Suburban, the groups said.

Environmentalists say next week's announcement is a test for President Bush, who in his State of the Union address called for breaking America's addiction to oil and reducing Middle East oil imports 75 percent by 2025 -- what amounts to a reduction of 4.75 million barrels of oil a day.

EDIT

General Motors Corp. defended its environmental record Wednesday and said it hadn't seen draft regulations that would include heavier SUVs. But it didn't say it opposed such regulations. GM spokeswoman Sherrie Childers Arb said the company supported the proposed rules in August. "We make every effort to continually improve our fuel economy," Arb said. "GM makes more vehicles that get 30 miles per gallon than any other automaker."

EDIT

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060323/AUTO01/603230395/1148

Anybody want to bet that we'll be hearing a lot about this around Earth Day, and then never again? :eyes:

[phantom power]

1. At the last minute, they'll make it "voluntary."

And then call it a victory for "smart compromise," or some other nausea-inducing sound bite.

[hatrack]

2. Yes, we wouldn't want any heavy-handed regulations, now would we?

:eyes: