Discussion on:

Obama's fuel rules to halve greenhouse emissions, dramatically reduce oil imports

Absolutely not before time - much of this work has already been done in Europe and Japan/Korea, where they are street's ahead.

For most normal road cars a 2 litre 4 cylinder petrol engine is more than sufficient, and for SUV's 3L V6 petrol/turbo-diesel is also as much as you will almost ever need.

- Energy independence
- Oil conserved for the long term, inc chemical feedstocks
- Cuts costs of running automobiles

That's fine for there...you have no place to go. I can drive from London to John O'Groats in less time than it takes to drive from border to border in the state I live in (Colorado). Heck, the "M's" are so plugged in the greater London area, no need to go over 35 mph - although I must admit I enjoy the speed and courtesy of the "M's" when out of the city areas. The two geographic areas and transportation needs are so dissimilar that there is no comparison. Obviously you've spent no time here. I don't mind small and slow there because that's all that's needed - especially on the single tracks I spend a great deal of time on. It's a completely different story here. Lockstep blind idealism vs. practicality and reality are so far apart this case. I must admit though, if we were allowed to have the diesel technologies here that you have there (the environazis won't allow it) - I'd love it. I'd take the power and economy of a 4 door turbodiesel Ford Ranger pickup or most any of the turbodiesel automobiles anytime! But....we're not allowed.

Wow! Good thing I bought my turbodiesel powered car in May before environazis wouldn't let me. Especially since I live in CA where all my liberal friends say good things about it. Maybe they're just environmentalists without being Nazis. Or Nazis without being environmentalists.

Obviously you have absolutely no idea what's available in the UK and Europe. The offerings here are pitiful in comparison - and they're not available here because of the amazingly strict exhaust standards here.

And they want to make them tougher.

I guess we will never see some of those models.

What a pathetic line of reasoning. The CAFE standards have already increased the cost and complexity of autos beyond what was anticipated. Who ARE these people to dictate what is "all we need"? And this is just one example of "Mother Government" telling us what to buy, what to eat, how to live. Next comes who to hate, who to die.

Where do any of you people get off thinking you should be able to decide what someone else needs? Do you really want your government to decide what you need???

Get ready for some crappy cars and other unintended consequences. Remember, the rise of the SUV was a direct result of the CAFE standards imposed beginning in the '70s.

Have you noticed that many new cars don't even have "donut" spares anymore? Soon, the spare tire will be a relic of the past, and when you get a flat, you are at the mercy of local help.

Also of interest is that the new standards will be enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It will be interesting to see how they balance compromises in safety from the further lightening of auto structures.

Also a fantasy is the static analysis of how much fuel we will really save by increasing mileage. Cheaper driving means more driving, not necessarily less fuel consumption. A better, more efficient solution is to allow fuel prices to rise naturally; something politicians, even ones purporting to be "green" are loath to do.

OK so now we have some changes for BIG business. This was expected from a business man. Get ready middle class you are gonna dig beeper into your pockets to pay for rMONEY and his rich friends!

I can just see Obama riding around in a Fiat. He's exempt, and will ride in a bulletproof...suburban.

People wonder why Ford's 2013 Fusion won't offer a 6-cylinder engine option. Gee, maybe it has something to do with the government's push for higher CAFE standards. I'm personally okay with pushing for higher mileage standards. We guzzle way too much fossil fuel in the U.S. compared with other countries. People don't need a Chevy Suburban to haul their two kids to school every day, for crying out loud.

I have five kids adopted from child protective services. You think I can pile them into a volt??? And who appointed you czar to determine what ANYBODY should drive??

This plan will increase traffic deaths by a large margin, drive up the number of used trucks and cars (and their emissions). Drive up used car prices hurting the working poor. Reduce fuel tax revenue, forcing government entities to create more new taxes. Increase the cost of new cars, and for what? So Obama can say he's the greenest president in history.

Improving Fuel Economy of Vehicles is of value to the economy and also to the environment. However a lot of fuel is wasted in traffic snarls. There is a need to find a solution to the traffic snarls. A paradigm shift in thinking and a quantum leap in technology is needed. What is happening now is searching for a better version of the same old thing. Electric cars, hybrid cars, fuel efficient cars, transit vehicles, high speed rail, new laws & rules, will give a marginal improvement and will not address multiple issues confronting mobility. The new need is for Special Purpose Vehicles which are designed from new basic concepts. The US will have to invite global participation to create an invention which will eradicate all the problems faced with mobility. One such technology is being developed in India which involves concepts which addresses issues like accidents, pollution, environment, traffic snarls, grid lock, installation cost, installation time, operating cost, land acquisition, forest cover, animal habitat, loss of farmland, loss of livelihood, fuel imports, fuel economy, parking issues, travel autonomy, all in one invention, Special Purpose Vehicle. Mobility issues need to be tackled at a new level of thinking and from a new point of view of technology.

CAFE sounds great in theory BUT, in practice we'll be sending our cleaner air over to Europe and we'll be getting China's contaminated air from their coal fired plants and mega emmissions vehicles. Gee, I guess they forgot to consider the prevailing winds that circle the earth. However, if the whole world adopts these standards, it will work, but a bit too late. By that time CNG vehicles will have accomplished all the goals with technology already available. Sounds to me like another government boondoggle to minimize risk for the Big Three while keeping Big Labor happy with job security. Keep the government out of it and free market commpetition will succeed, can anyone say, "hybrid vehicles"?

By the stroke of a pen Obama has ensured that all cars will *average* 54mpg. Amazing.