Senate Votes Today on Fuel Efficiency

The Senate will vote today on whether to weaken proposals to make our cars run farther on less gas. The current energy bill includes a provision that requires all cars and light trucks to get 35 miles/gallon by 2020 — the first fuel economy increase in decades. Sen Carl Levin (D-MI) has proposed an amendment favored by automakers that would severely weaken these standards. The two key swing votes in the Senate are Jim Webb (D-VA) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD).

I rented a Ford product while in Sweden in 2004. I kept track of the miles driven and the number of liters of gasoline consumed during my week in the country. When I returned the car I calculated the mileage rate and it was 62 miles per gallon (not kilometers or liters - miles and gallons). This was a FORD product produced by a company in Carl Levin’s home state.

On returning to the United States I wrote to the president of the Ford Motor Company (I have owned Ford’s since my first car in 1967) and asked how is it that his company can produce a car that gets 62 mpg in the European market but they steadfastly refuse to put that sort of car on the market here. Of course the car companies claim it would cost them too much to do so. How can that be if they are already doing it for the energy and earth-conscious people of Europe? I sent copies of my letter to the President of Ford to my Senators (John Warner and Macaca Allen) and my Congressman (Jim Moran). Not surprisingly I have never yet heard back from any of them, including Ford, on my issue.

What I don't understand and never quite will is why are American companies so afraid to produce on their own, cars that get great gas mileage. The Big 3 whine about losing market share but doesn’t do a damned thing to win back people who purchase their vehicles from companies that produce fuel efficient cars. As far as I’m concerned the Big Three can all go bankrupt. Maybe then Carl Levin will get the hint. Then again, maybe not.