NADA Pushes for Single National Fuel Economy Standard

Leaving aside for a moment the battle between its dealers and American manufacturers Chrysler and GM, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) testified at a hearing on Friday and asked for a single national standard in fuel economy and emissions, as an alternative to the "flawed patchwork approach adopted by a state air resources board in California."

"While the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has a long history addressing mobile source criteria and hazardous pollution, incorporation of its greenhouse gas rules (GHG) is neither practically necessary nor legally appropriate for a well-designed single, national fuel economy and greenhouse gas program," Forrest McConnell NADA's regulatory affairs committee chairman said before the committee.

"It is in this light that NADA has objected strongly to EPA's recent reversal of its prior denial of CARB's request for authority to regulate motor vehicle fuel economy and greenhouse gases."

NADA thus clearly stated it sides with the EPA/NHTSA proposed standard. Their program calls for a five percent improvement in fuel economy, 950 million metric tons reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the preservation of some 1.8 billion barrels of oil and is aimed at light-duty vehicles model year 2012 through 2016.

"Unfortunately, the proposed joint national program is constrained by its derivation from three fuel economy standards administered by three different agencies under three different laws. Despite everyone's best efforts, it is impossible for these three disparate programs [NHSTA, EPA and CARB] to be made fully harmonized and consistent. That's why a single, national standard is essential," McDonnel concluded.