Cars and their Future on American Roads.

Cars are the second largest source of CO2 emissions. American cars and trucks emit more CO2 from cars and trucks than Europe, Japan, China, and India combined. However, despite their astounding and insane impact on the environment big car companies have opposed reforms to modify fuel capacity standards. As an American consumer and as a person heavily concerned with our environment one has to ask the question: why? The primary concern from big auto companies is the money they will lose. Hybrids and fuel efficient cars cost much more money to develop, research, and produce. Furthermore, most American consumers want to buy the biggest toughest car available and big car companies are forced to supply to the American demand. CEO’s of these companies try to hide their selfish motives by arguing that CAFÉ standards do not help with our ultimate goal which is to lower our dependency on petroleum. John Dingle, a senator from Detroit has always protected these big car companies and states that the major reason for the absence of fuel efficient vehicles is the lack of technology.

However, a strong opposition comes from the state of California which presents quite a paradox to car manufacturers. No other state requires as many cars as California; however, no other state pushes for higher fuel economy standards than California does. But despite the pull that California has, Detroit fought California on this very volatile issue.

Car companies lobbied the EPA, congress, the white house, and even the U.S. transportation department.  Detroit felt so strongly against this law that John Dingle, proposed a law that would make California’s requested fuel efficiency standards illegal. California’s plea was eventually scratched by the white house and the EPA. Instead Congress compromised to lower fuel efficiency standards by a much lower amount than California requested. It seemed that big car companies had won while the environment was once again cast aside, as all too trivial.

America lost a great opportunity in lowering carbon emissions, for if California’s act was adopted in all 50 states, green house gases would be lowered by 40% over the more moderate compromise offered by Congress.

Today we look to alternative vehicles, primarily those run on electricity and hybrids. The benefits are incredible: lower carbon emissions to none. The negatives: it will cost a lot of money to develop and produce, therefore, they will be expensive to purchase. In 1993 big car companies began producing their first models of hybrids and electricity run vehicles. Despite their promise to have an American produced hybrid on the road by 2001, American car companies invested and produced in big vehicles such as pick up trucks and SUV’s appealing to American consumers. This gave foreign car companies such as Honda and Toyota a 10 year head start to develop hybrids. Today, the Toyota Prius has become a common sight on American roads, while GM, Ford, and Chrysler are all fumbling to develop their own hybrid model. Congress has looked with favor upon these companies desire to develop hybrids and has loaned 25 billion in development and production. The outlook on the future of electric vehicles is optimistic, but still needs more time to develop. GM has stated that they expect their electric model, the Chevy Volt, to be on the roads by the end of the decade. This is a promising step, in the journey that will clear our roads from gas guzzlers. It seems that finally, domestic car companies are putting selfish and economic needs aside and realizing their responsibility to the American consumer and the environment.