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Richard Roch
The U.S. Senate wants better results!

When the United States cough, Canada catches a cold! Most people know that. But have you heard that the U.S. Senate recently adopted a proposal that could very well change the auto industry forever? The proposal calls for a new mileage standard for every vehicle on American roads. Basically, the Senate would force automakers to produce light-duty vehicles that achieve on average a 35-MPG rating by 2020. This translates into an annual 4-percent increase in fuel economy, starting in 2011!


The numbers
First of all, we should point out that the US gallon is only 3.79 litres, which is lower than the 4.55-litre gallon in Canada. If we take a look at the current standard for vehicle fuel economy in Uncle Sam's land, we learn that cars must achieve a 27.5-MPG rating. Light-duty trucks, meanwhile, can go as low as 21.6 MPG.

Let's start with cars. In order to improve from 27.5 to 35 MPG by 2020, manufacturers would have to increase the mileage by 7.5 MPG, or .58 MPG per year. That's not an unrealistic goal. Personally, I believe that carmakers have the manpower, the technology and the expertise to meet the proposed new standard. One only has to look at the mileage figures for the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid to find a good argument. And what about the Chevrolet Volt Concept, an electric vehicle which should go into production as early as 2010?

It's a bit more complicated with light-duty trucks. Indeed, improving from the current norm of 21.6 MPG to 35 MPG would mean a 13.4 MPG increase, or 1 MPG per year. That's roughly twice as much as the increase for cars. And as we all know, American manufacturers carry a lot of pickup trucks and SUVs in their lineup. So, for them, the Senate proposal is a ridiculous idea. They simply don't see how they could meet the projected mileage standard by 2020. I still say that they have enough resources to do it. Surely, they will have to work extremely hard, but everything's possible. One solution could be to discontinue every V8 or V10!
Richard Roch
Richard Roch
Automotive expert
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