To get federal aid, FL Senator wants Big 3 to meet 50 mpg by 2020

[jmlee0695]

WOW! This guy has to be nutz!

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/17/s...o-receive-aid/

Senator calls for 50-mpg mandate for Detroit to receive aid

"Thick and fast." That's the phrase that describes the opinions, pleas, advice, denunciations, and WTF? going on around the U.S. auto industry right now. Enter Congress, which is trying to figure out how to give Detroit automakers the $25 billion they were promised a few months ago. Congressmen are sounding off almost daily on what kinds of stipulations they want to attach to the loan/bailout/whatever you want to call it -- and that's just the ones who would vote for it at all.

Next up is Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida democrat, who wants U.S. automakers to achieve a fleet average of 50 mpg by 2020. Right now, the CAFE target is 35 mpg by 2020 -- a goal agreed upon only after a huge amount of jockeying in and out of Congress. Nelson asked, "Why should we be pouring taxpayer money into an automobile industry that has continued to resist higher miles per gallon, which has led us in part to the problems we're in?"

[smithb]

Makes sense to me, Toyota and Honda (and BMW and Mercedes) will have 50mpg corporate average by then, so why can't American companies? This guy seems very knowledgable on the auto industry. Not to mention, everyone would love to have the type of car that gets 50mpg, and it would fit all their needs.

[Generous Motors]

why not 100 MPG? Why not tell the Domestics that all will be Hybrids including trucks. Were the Democrats we know whats best for you.......

I said this is what would get pulled in another thread. Here come the camels.

[jmlee0695]

Originally Posted by smithb

Makes sense to me, Toyota and Honda (and BMW and Mercedes) will have 50mpg corporate average by then, so why can't American companies? This guy seems very knowledgable on the auto industry.

yeah,right. 50 mpg by 2020? thats 20 mpg increse in 11 years. That would put the nail in the coufin of the american auto industry

['Vette Dude]

Originally Posted by jmlee0695

yeah,right. 50 mpg by 2020? thats 20 mpg increse in 11 years. That would put the nail in the coufin of the american auto industry

GM will just have to learn a way to stick 2-mode in cars.

[wildgoosechase]

Ok, the average price of a new car will be $50,000. Cars sales will be down 90%, allmost all auto production in the US will cease. GM will still make most of it's money on trucks.
Good idea!

['Vette Dude]

Originally Posted by wildgoosechase

Ok, the average price of a new car will be $50,000. Cars sales will be down 90%, allmost all auto production in the US will cease. GM will still make most of it's money on trucks.
Good idea!

: I guess I must explain what I thought would simply be understood. (sigh)

If 2-mode was in a car, It would not be $50,000. The $50,000 is because its an SUV. And 2-mode wouldn't be the only engine choice, there could be diesel and gas offered too. There, now do you understand?

[Gung_Ho]

Even if automakers didn't take the aid, the government is going to require 50 mpg by 2020 anyway.

[Stéphane Dumas]

on a sarcasm tone: maybe Michigan should secede and join Canada

[Kennyboy]

Dumb idea from the start. Just tax gas, since increases in gas prices correspond to truck and SUVs sales.

[Mr. Burns]

Originally Posted by jmlee0695

yeah,right. 50 mpg by 2020? thats 20 mpg increse in 11 years. That would put the nail in the coufin of the american auto industry

When you run your company based on the past, you tend to go nowhere fast.

[Hurricane]

Next up is Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida democrat, who wants U.S. automakers to achieve a fleet average of 50 mpg by 2020. Right now, the CAFE target is 35 mpg by 2020 -- a goal agreed upon only after a huge amount of jockeying in and out of Congress. Nelson asked, "Why should we be pouring taxpayer money into an automobile industry that has continued to resist higher miles per gallon, which has led us in part to the problems we're in?"

What a boring world this would be.....

[Astra RL]

Sure this guy has lots of knowledge of how the auto industry works. /sarcasm.
Is he nucking futs 50mpg. Our govenment is dead. Must write letter.

[afdude2018]

Can I have some of what he's smoking please?

[wildgoosechase]

Originally Posted by 'Vette Dude

: I guess I must explain what I thought would simply be understood. (sigh)

If 2-mode was in a car, It would not be $50,000. The $50,000 is because its an SUV. And 2-mode wouldn't be the only engine choice, there could be diesel and gas offered too. There, now do you understand?

To get a fleet average up a significant number of 40K Volts must balance the profit generating Caddy's and Vettes. As the available fleet of vehicles that get the higher mpg, they require higher technology pushing prices up. There is only so much production capacity of batteries in the world using exotic materials. This will limit the maximum number of cars produced. Constrained supply creates a shortage pushing prices higher.
I could see the day that we "re-import" used cars from Mexico to fulfill the demand for used cars.