Over the past several months there has been extensive attention paid to the auto industry, and the roller coaster ride it has been enduring. Suffering from the economic crisis our country has been experiencing, the auto industry has seen one of it's deepest depressions to date. The U.S. government has had to financially assist all of the industries top three giants- GM, Ford, and Chrysler. With the help of government policies, the DOT and President Obama's panel of auto analyzers, programs such as the Cash-for-clunkers program, or CARS, have been implemented.
Programs such as these aim to aid in stimulating the auto industry, helping to increase demand and possibly regenerating some of the jobs which were lost when the industry crashed. Also, these programs aimed to get better, more fuel efficient vehicles on the road while removing those gas guzzlers which are harmful to the environment. The program, although short lived, was a great success. It encouraged the American consumer to place their economic trust back into the auto industry by providing an incentive of up to $4500 off a new, more fuel efficient vehicle.
Recently, secretary of the Department of Transportation as well as the administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency have come together to work towards a new policy aimed to further increase engaging both automakers and consumers to continue to increase fuel efficiency. The proposed national program works to better vehicle fuel economy as well as reduce the emission of green house gases. Overall, the program would set national standards which would theoretically help consumers save money on fuel, conserve billions of barrels of much needed oil, help with the reduction of millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and of course, increase fuel economy. Other branches besides the automakers would be equally effected. One example can be seen in the auto transport industry.
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson embraces the rewards which the program works towards.
In one interview she stated, “ “By bringing together a broad coalition of stakeholders -- including an unprecedented partnership with American automakers -- we have crafted a path forward that is win-win for our health, our environment, and our economy. Through that partnership, we’ve taken the historic step of proposing the nation’s first ever greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles, and moved substantially closer to an efficient, clean energy future.”
So to recap, the proposed program would:
1)Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 950 million metric tons
2)Increase fuel economy by approximately five percent every year
3)Assist the American Consumer in saving approximately $3000 in fuel costs.
4) Help spare 1.8 Billion barrels of oil
The program which is being developed would influence model years 2012 through 2016. The idea is to create a national fleet of cars which fit all federal requirements and standards. Included in the proposal are restrictions/requirements pertaining to miles per gallon under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards program as well as the “first-ever” national emissions standards under the EPA's greenhouse gas program. By compiling the agencies involved, it provides automakers with a clearer set of rules.