Green Light for Guzzlers ... could actually encourage manufacturers to produce more big gas guzzlers

Green Light for Guzzlers: "Green Light for Guzzlers | Monday, August 29, 2005; Page A14

WHEN TRANSPORTATION Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced new fuel efficiency standards for sport-utility vehicles, minivans and light trucks last week, he said the rules would 'save gas and result in less pain at the pump for motorists.' Maybe -- but only barely. Under the proposed rules, average mileage for such vehicles would have to rise by just 1.8 miles per gallon over the 2008 to 2011 model years, reaching an average of about 24 mpg by the end of that time. The administration estimates that this change will save 10 billion gallons of gasoline over about 15 years. This amounts to a total of about 25 days of consumption under current trends -- a disappointing drop in the barrel.

When automotive fuel efficiency standards were introduced in 1975, the looser rules for so-called non-passenger vehicles -- a category that, believe it or not, has been interpreted to include minivans, SUVs and even some cars -- weren't all that important: These vehicles accounted for less than 20 percent of the market. Now SUVs and other gas-guzzling behemoths make up more than half of automotive sales.
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Moreover, the rules are structured in a way that critics argue could actually encourage manufacturers to produce more big gas guzzlers. ... poses the risk that manufacturers will manipulate the size of vehicles to bump them into a higher category with more lenient mileage requirements. Further, by eliminating the disincentives for making bigger vehicles that use more gas, the rules could also have the perverse effect of increasing such production. ...