EPA and DOT abandon “letter grades” for cars
Last August, with much fanfare, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation decided it would be a swell idea to give all new vehicles a letter grade. We explained the concept here.
Just to refresh your memory, as the EPA seems to propose new rules almost on an hourly basis,
The new sticker … would display figures reflecting how many gallons the car uses per 100 miles of driving; its city and highway mpg ratings; how much carbon dioxide it emits; and the annual fuel cost. And it would give the range of fuel economy for all vehicles in the same class. [emphasis supplied]
The grades would run from A+ to D, and the only vehicles even eligible for an A or an A+ would be electric cars, or plug-in hybrids. All cars would have needed these new stickers beginning with the 2012 model year.
Thursday the EPA and the DOT decided to scrap that idea. In a curious turn of events, neither the EPA nor the DOT would comment on the reversal. However,
[a] person familiar with the administration’s internal deliberations on the new labels said the agencies struggled with how to account for the upstream emissions of electric vehicles in states that rely heavily on coal fired electricity. If the government were to give such vehicles A’s, said the person, ‘is everyone going to go out and buy electric vehicles that actually pollute the environment?’ [emphasis supplied]
Gee, electric vehicles actually pollute the environment. Who would have thought.
It should come as no surprise that the decision was not roundly embraced.
Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign announced,
‘[i]t is_deeply disappointing that the Obama Administration abandoned’ the idea of assigning letter grades…'[i]t’s appalling that the car makers, some of whom we bailed out, bludgeoned the administration into submission.’
Rather than stop at “deep disappointment”, perhaps Mr. Becker could move on and explain how to calculate the “pollution” caused by electric vehicles each time one is plugged into an outlet. That would be far more productive.
Maybe they thought the grading scheme would hurt the self esteem of drivers!? 😉
?
I am sure that all the A’s were in a soothing green color!
Think the EPA is confused…I thought carbon dioxide was a good thing?
(A colorless, odorless, incombustible gas, CO2, formed during respiration, combustion, and organic decomposition and used in food refrigeration, carbonated beverages, inert atmospheres, fire extinguishers, and aerosols. Also called carbonic acid gas.)
Shouldn’t the EPA be more concerned with how much carbon monoxide a vehicle emits?
(A colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas, CO, formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon or a carbonaceous material, such as gasoline.)
If the EPA doesn’t know the difference between the two gasses then I’m really not going to rely on any automotive grading system they come up with…ha.
Dims. I am begging you. Would you please become one of our bloggers. I’ll give u a free t shirt, long and short sleeve, a hat, anything. Between you and the SOS, Steve and I could retire. Even twice a week. Please. I am typing this and I can’t type anymore. This hurt. That’s how serious I am.
Plus note to readers. As u know I now use voice recognition software to blog. Please excuse the sometimes incoherent grammar Dragon sometimes leaves me with. It even confuses me sometimes. But at least it has finally learned “mobsters” and “Cavuto”. Progress.
Dims,
I agree with Jim.? Your comments are something I always look forward to reading.? Irony, sarcasm, and the explaniation of reality…not always all of them in the same comment, but that is the thread, and, that’s the beauty.? It is very difficult for Jim to post as he used to.? If you believe in the message Jim is sharing, please join us.? I understand your reservations.? But, please send Jim an e-mail and he will forward it to me.? Then, you and I can discuss your reluctance.? I can only hope that for the good of Jim’s blog, and, for those who depend upon it for an accurate recitation of the news (yes, with irony, and sarcasm) you will join us.
No heavy load there, huh?
When will these liberal morons learn that there’s a difference between an efficient operating environment and reinventing the wheel? Their ideas are always STUPID… and wastefully spending our money is of no concern at all to these twits! Government bureaucrats are an especially ignorant group of people and are some of the most overpaid dopes in our government! Talk about government waste…
Motion made and seconded.All in favor?? <found a black letter F on my car the other day.>
winnie did you forget that plants need it to live? Ug not these people can be accused of plant murder.
Do eet Deeems. What are you, cheeekeeen?
Back to the original post, I don’t know how something that comes out of a plug in my garage can cause anyone any hard. I think you people just hate progress.
Ooops any “harm.”
Plug anything into the wall in CT and it costs more here. Secondly, most of the electric car bits and pieces?are made in various other countries and shipped here to be assembled. The energy used to do this is staggering.?Finally, there is the ultimate issue of the disposal of hundreds of tons of toxic storage batteries. How any electric car owner?can look smug motoring down the road in their heavy, poorly engineeered, limited range car is beyond me. ??
Dims your here anyways get your message out, you have a lot to say thats worth listening to.
TomL
The simple solution, as usual, is to go back to horse and buggy or walk. And of course gasoline powered cars are made of the same materials and shipped here just like electric cars.
If not Dimsdale as a contributor, I nominate Ferris!? The musings of a conservative lesbian woman trapped in a man’s body…? Now that’s diversity =)
The only grade that needs to be given out are in November, 2012.? My guess is that the Administration is going to find out all of their whacked out policies earn an ‘F’.
I sent an email to “Contact Us”….? 😉
Oh Dims, I am so glad you are not heartless. Jim needs your help(Period) You are? one of the reasons, I read this blog almost 3-4 times daily. I can’t wait to see if you’ve written something else. Wouldn’t you like to write on a subject of your choosing? SOS and Steve are experts on Obamacare.? Jim does his thing on the weird and wonderful, but he needs help. You could be an expert on the current Education or take over some of the weird and wonderful. Go for it, we are all for it.