Automakers have questions, but support new CAFE rules

[rickaren]

Automakers have questions, but support new CAFE rules

Posted Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009, 12:32 pm in Employee News

Automakers facing new U.S. fuel-economy rules in 2012 have questions about getting credits for fuel-efficient technologies and being penalized for not complying with the law, but they will ultimately support the proposed national standards, officials from an industry group say, the Automotive News reported.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a lobbying group of 11 automakers, has until late next month to decide which parts of the government’s proposed emissions rules are fodder for official comment, spokesman Charles Territo said Tuesday. The Alliance and individual automakers plan to weigh in, but they don’t want to get in the way of getting the standard officially passed by the beginning of April, the article said.

In remarks prepared for today’s public hearing in Detroit about the emissions rules, Julie Becker, the Alliance’s vice president for environmental affairs, said all parties involved must start moving forward toward passing the legislation, the paper said. “A final rulemaking prior to April 2010 is essential to providing manufacturers with the certainty and lead time necessary to plan for the future and to cost-effectively add new technology,” Becker said. (Automotive News)