This is much needed. Congress needs to repeal CAFE altogether. It's a relic that is not needed any more.
#1 | Posted by BellRinger

Because gas is cheap and we stopped needing to breathe clean air. And because climate change is a hoax, which is why insurance companies (which care about money, and pretty much nothing else) are pulling out of Florida as sea levels increase.

But yes, let's give more of our money to nations that hate us to buy their oil, rather than having a more fuel efficient auto fleet. And avoid building green technology that would make us self-sufficient while simultaneously protecting the environment and our health.

In other news that MAGAts will celebrate:

Trump's EPA to "reconsider" ban on cancer-causing asbestos
Trump has supported use of asbestos and blamed the mob for its bad reputation.

A market will still exist for fuel efficient cars and the automakers will look to seize that market share. Biden's team was trying to force EV's on us in large numbers. Those kinds of controls drive up the fleet costs. You are taking a WAY too narrow look at this.
#17 | Posted by BellRinger

Those are all more achievable in the absence of a centrally planned energy sector.
#18 | Posted by BellRinger

Yes, let's rely upon 350 million consumers to independently decide to pay a few grand extra. And poison the rest of us when they decide that immediate savings are more important. Like the MAGAts want us to rely upon private charities to keep citizens from starving to death. And we'll keep American dollars flowing to nations that want us destroyed, because freedumb demands it. Because energy independence, clean air, and curbing emission of greenhouse gases are, as you put it, "relics."

"#19. People care about those things."

They claim to care, but then don't put their money where their mouth is. And they certainly don't care enough to independently decide to pay more to stop poisoning their neighbors. They care enough to install micron air filters in their car cabin to make sure they don't breathe their own smog.

"We aren't the Soviet Union. Central planning results in abject human suffering."
It's a wonder that they didn't stick with the capitalist utopia that existed under their czars

"People still care about fuel economy because it impacts their pocketbook."
Save $10 grand over the life of the car by paying an extra $2 grand now? You're delusional if you think most consumers are going to pay that extra 2 grand.

"Trying to force crappy technology on us diverts precious resources to crappy technology and stifles innovation.
#21 | Posted by BellRinger"

"low emission/cleaner emission vehicles are Crappy Tech"
-BellRinger

And what innovation is needed? Status quo is cheaper, and that's what most consumers care about. No matter the cost to the rest of society. Internalize those costs, like by making everyone who buys a polluting vehicle pay for air filters and electricity to run those filters for everyone else, and you might have a point.

I say this with no disrespect. I think you are employing a logical fallacy. You seem to be saying that in the absence of CAFE (which was created in the 70's to explicitly address the oil embargo) nothing is achievable. That we may go back to the stone age of propulsion. Steam will make a comeback (yes, that's an exaggeration).
#28 | Posted by BellRinger

Plenty is achievable. The question is whether manufacturers will put the resources into achieving what is beneficial to our society and humanity without regulatory pressures.

Since corporations are in the "business" of selling stuff, and not helping humanity, my money is on them continuing to seek profit. There is little profit to be had on a quarterly basis from cutting fuel consumption when it costs the manufacturers sales, because most consumers are far more motivated by sales price than getting a couple more miles to the gallon.