Friday, it appears that some additional congressional talking was done about CAFE standards, leading glacially towards a bill that seems to be more likely to pass, despite the car companies’ claims of how badly it would harm their businesses. My observation is that they seem to be more culpable themselves of harming their businesses than any past or present government actions have ever been.
Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, the courts ruled that the Bush Administration’s incredibly feeble increases in CAFE standards for light trucks (which includes SUVs) not only doesn’t go far enough, but casts doubt on the legality of defining SUVs as trucks in the first place.
Of course, according to the auto industry spokespeople, the car companies don’t need this legislation since they are already doing the job themselves. Right.