As the severity of global warming becomes a reality impossible to ignore, the world’s leading automobile companies are working alongside national governments to ensure the creation of more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles. Although the total elimination of fossil fuels in the automobile industry is years from being a possibility, current strides are being made to reduce the amount of carbon being burned into the air by raising the production standards for gas mileage and lowering the acceptable value of greenhouse gas emissions. Beginning this year, America’s annual vehicle models must adhere to “the nation’s first-ever law requiring a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions” (Clayton). It is important to note that only newly-produced cars will have to abide by this law; unfortunately, the majority of cars on American roads today are either used or considered an older model, and with the trend of SUV purchases not far in our past, those who cannot afford to buy new cars are left with the vehicles which cannot help but emit greater quantities of greenhouse gases. Despite the fact that previous standards for carbon emissions were set decades ago, the automobile industry has been slightly careless in their production, only being charged “$55 per vehicle for every 1 mpg that their fleet average mpg falls short of the relevant standard”, therefore causing the need for governmental enforcement over their newer models (Anderson et al. 3). This emissions law insists that by 2016, vehicles must not produce more than 9 ounces of greenhouse gases for every mile traveled, nor must their average mile-per-gallon rate drop below 35.5; however, in order to achieve this goal, the automobile industry will need an extra “$52 billion – adding about $950 to the price of a car. But consumers should be able to save enough over three years to pay for the extra cost,” suggesting that the additional cost of the vehicle will eventually be reimbursed at the fuel pump (Clayton).
With the introduction of the 2012 vehicle models and their compliance with the effectual carbon laws, prospective purchasers are provided with a wide range of economically and ecologically advanced options. During the last week of January, the city of Portland, Oregon, held their annual automobile exhibition to introduce hybrid models such as the new Toyota Prius V Wagon (which receives an estimated 53 miles per gallon) and efficient luxury vehicles like the sleek Fiat 500, which is estimated to use only 38 miles per gallon on the highway (Rafter). Strides in the direction of gasoline elimination were also presented at the Portland International Auto Show, namely Honda’s attempt at a version of their popular Civic using natural gas and the Nissan LEAF’s new technology involving roadside electrical charging
stations; although these two examples evidence the automobile industry’s progress in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the popularity of these vehicles has yet to spread nationwide due to the inconvenience of limited refueling locations (Rafter). What seems to be apparent is that the West Coast of the United States, including Oregon and California, are leading the nation in their efforts to provide drivers with opportunities for more efficient vehicles. With the help of future improvements in the automobile industry, hopefully the advantages of these developments will spread across the country to the East Coast.
Sources:
Anderson, Soren, Fischer, Carolyn, Parry, Ian, Sallee, James M. “Automobile Fuel Economy Standards: Impacts, Efficiency, and Alternatives.” Resources for the Future, Oct. 2010. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.
Muttley. Photograph. Car Humor, 27 Jan. 2012. Web. 13. Feb. 2012.
Clayton, Mark. “Auto emissions: New greenhouse gas caps raise gas mileage standards.” Christian Science Monitor, Apr. 2010: N.PAG. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.
Honda. 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas. Photograph. Softpedia, 4 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2012.
Rafter, Michelle V. “8 New Gas-Saving Car Trends.” SecondAct, 27 Jan. 2012. Web. 8 Feb. 2012