Comments on: What’s All this Tom Friedman, Automakers, and CAFE Fuss? http://gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/ Real-time news, information, and discussion about the Chevrolet Volt. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:53:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Jeff M http://gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-11226 Jeff M Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:13:00 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-11226 Public protest of Toyota's opposition to higher CAFE standards... Where: Toyota Santa Monica 801 Santa Monica Blvd Santa Monica, CA (on corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Lincoln Blvd) When: Monday Oct 22 --12:00 p.m. (noon) See http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=16452 Public protest of Toyota’s opposition to higher CAFE standards…

Where: Toyota Santa Monica 801 Santa Monica Blvd Santa Monica, CA (on corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Lincoln Blvd) When: Monday Oct 22 –12:00 p.m. (noon)

See http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=16452

]]> By: Questions http://gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-10102 Questions Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:41:05 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-10102 It is astonishing the number of people who SIMULTANEOUSLY believe that: 1. Oil companies and OPEC are part of a crafty, diabolical, Grand Plan to make us use m,roe and more oil while hiking up the price more and more. 2. Oil companies are too stupid to invest in other kinds of energy. Which is true? Are they smart or stupid? (It's sort of like the people--the same people in most instances--who believe that although George Bush is the dumbest person in the nation; he is the Chief Implementor of a Grand Plan to take over the middle East and the world). CAFE fails because it forces people to buy cars they do not want and prices they cannot afford. Get it? I'll only say that once because if you don't get it after that, you are unlikely to. "Fleet mileage" (whatever the HELL that is) may have declined "in the past 10 years" (or whatever the flavor of the month is); but consumers have ALWAYS outdone CAFE in the choice of vehicles they buy (as shown by Csaba Csere). Here are some other things he has to say: ----- "5. CAFE puts the burden on automakers to produce products that buyers don’t necessarily want. Last year, when gas prices went over $3 a gallon, Americans, for the first time in nearly five years, started buying more cars than trucks—at least for five months. By February of this year, after gas prices dipped in the low $2 range, trucks once again were outselling cars, by 20 percent. Forcing manufacturers to sell fuel-efficient vehicles in America without the encouragement of high fuel prices is like trying to make steakhouses sell tofu-fillet sandwiches for the same price as a chateaubriand." and: "6. CAFE laws imply that Americans can continue to drive the vehicles they want, if only the stingy automakers would spend a few more pennies on efficient technologies to improve vehicle mileage. Not only is this nonsense, but it also denies the reality that major reductions in energy consumption will require changes in the habits and lifestyles of most Americans." and: "The bottom line is that CAFE doesn’t save any fuel because it fails to motivate drivers to worry about fuel economy. Anyone who professes to be worried about conservation and thinks the solution can be found in some version of CAFE law is too simple to understand the problem, too cowardly to ask voters to make some sacrifices, or sufficiently cynical to promote a law that accomplishes nothing other than capturing self-aggrandizing headlines." ----------- http://www.caranddriver.com/columns/12936/top-10-reasons-why-the-corporate-average-fuel-economy-law-is-d-u-m-b.html?al=128 People who believe in conspiracy theories are usually not very smart at all. The internet has now given them a voice (regrettably). It is astonishing the number of people who SIMULTANEOUSLY believe that:

1. Oil companies and OPEC are part of a crafty, diabolical, Grand Plan to make us use m,roe and more oil while hiking up the price more and more.

2. Oil companies are too stupid to invest in other kinds of energy.

Which is true?
Are they smart or stupid?

(It’s sort of like the people–the same people in most instances–who believe that although George Bush is the dumbest person in the nation; he is the Chief Implementor of a Grand Plan to take over the middle East and the world).

CAFE fails because it forces people to buy cars they do not want and prices they cannot afford. Get it?
I’ll only say that once because if you don’t get it after that, you are unlikely to.

“Fleet mileage” (whatever the HELL that is) may have declined “in the past 10 years” (or whatever the flavor of the month is); but consumers have ALWAYS outdone CAFE in the choice of vehicles they buy (as shown by Csaba Csere). Here are some other things he has to say:

—–
“5. CAFE puts the burden on automakers to produce products that buyers don’t necessarily want. Last year, when gas prices went over $3 a gallon, Americans, for the first time in nearly five years, started buying more cars than trucks—at least for five months. By February of this year, after gas prices dipped in the low $2 range, trucks once again were outselling cars, by 20 percent. Forcing manufacturers to sell fuel-efficient vehicles in America without the encouragement of high fuel prices is like trying to make steakhouses sell tofu-fillet sandwiches for the same price as a chateaubriand.”

and:

“6. CAFE laws imply that Americans can continue to drive the vehicles they want, if only the stingy automakers would spend a few more pennies on efficient technologies to improve vehicle mileage. Not only is this nonsense, but it also denies the reality that major reductions in energy consumption will require changes in the habits and lifestyles of most Americans.”

and:

“The bottom line is that CAFE doesn’t save any fuel because it fails to motivate drivers to worry about fuel economy. Anyone who professes to be worried about conservation and thinks the solution can be found in some version of CAFE law is too simple to understand the problem, too cowardly to ask voters to make some sacrifices, or sufficiently cynical to promote a law that accomplishes nothing other than capturing self-aggrandizing headlines.”
———–

http://www.caranddriver.com/columns/12936/top-10-reasons-why-the-corporate-average-fuel-economy-law-is-d-u-m-b.html?al=128

People who believe in conspiracy theories are usually not very smart at all. The internet has now given them a voice (regrettably).

]]> By: Van http://gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-9978 Van Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:50:50 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-9978 The first 60 gallons a person uses in a month should be priced at market price. If a person uses more than 60 gallons in the last 30 days, they should pay market price plus a 25% surcharge for high gasoline consumption. Therefore the taxes would not punish those who conserve, but would fall on those who squander fuel. A person could still drive a SUV for short trips and not exceed the 60 gallons/month level, or a person could drive long distances in a Prius or Volt. There would be no exceptions for commerical vehicles, thus the businesses that use hybrid vehicles would enjoy a lower operating cost. This would be good for our security, and good for this island earth. The first 60 gallons a person uses in a month should be priced at market price. If a person uses more than 60 gallons in the last 30 days, they should pay market price plus a 25% surcharge for high gasoline consumption. Therefore the taxes would not punish those who conserve, but would fall on those who squander fuel. A person could still drive a SUV for short trips and not exceed the 60 gallons/month level, or a person could drive long distances in a Prius or Volt. There would be no exceptions for commerical vehicles, thus the businesses that use hybrid vehicles would enjoy a lower operating cost. This would be good for our security, and good for this island earth.

]]> By: Shawn http://gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-9924 Shawn Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:59:30 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-9924 Unless one can slide a 4'x8' sheet of plywood in the box and close the tailgate the vehicle should be considered a passenger vehicle and thus subject to the outdated CAFE standards. This goes for vans too. Unless one can slide a 4′x8′ sheet of plywood in the box and close the tailgate the vehicle should be considered a passenger vehicle and thus subject to the outdated CAFE standards. This goes for vans too.

]]> By: omegaman66 http://gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-9903 omegaman66 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:55:28 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/10/04/whats-all-this-tom-friedman-automakers-and-cafe-fuss/#comment-9903 Here is a comment that I mostly agree with! "I oppose moving them period. But not because I am anti environment. I’m just afraid that if the automakers have to concentrate on meeting CAFE, they will forget about developing PHEVs" I think the focus should be to forget about cafe and lets just move as fast as we can towards serial hybrids. Investing money in improving a 100 year old technology can only give small gains as most of the easy gains have already been made. People people people. The oil companies make more than just gas and to think that they fear electric cars is rediculous when they price of a barrel of oil is at all time highs. Demand for oil is out the roof and shows no signs of letting up. Understand this: the oil companies know that as long as there is oil there will be demand for it, regardless of phev. Just look around. Virtually everything you see is made in part from oil. It's not just the gasoline. Here is a comment that I mostly agree with! “I oppose moving them period. But not because I am anti environment. I’m just afraid that if the automakers have to concentrate on meeting CAFE, they will forget about developing PHEVs”

I think the focus should be to forget about cafe and lets just move as fast as we can towards serial hybrids. Investing money in improving a 100 year old technology can only give small gains as most of the easy gains have already been made.

People people people. The oil companies make more than just gas and to think that they fear electric cars is rediculous when they price of a barrel of oil is at all time highs. Demand for oil is out the roof and shows no signs of letting up. Understand this: the oil companies know that as long as there is oil there will be demand for it, regardless of phev. Just look around. Virtually everything you see is made in part from oil. It’s not just the gasoline.

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