By BRIAN SCHEID
In a matter of years, the cars on Bucks County roads could look and run radically different.
Bucks motorists could pay much less at the
pump, but much more at the dealership if predictions are right about
the impact of a federal energy bill President Bush signed into law last
week.
The bill, the Energy Independence and Security
Act, requires automakers to increase fuel economy for cars and light
trucks by 40 percent by 2020. That's the first federally mandated
higher fuel economy standard in 32 years. The legislation also requires
production of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels, such as ethanol,
by 2022.
According to a recent report from
PennEnvironment, a statewide environmental advocacy organization, the
new fuel economy standards would save Pennsylvania motorists $979
million at the pump in 2020 and reduce oil consumption by 44,450
barrels per day that year.
“Cars will have to go farther on a gallon of
gas and that will reduce global warming pollution,” said Nathan
Willcox, energy and clean air advocate for PennEnvironment.
Nationwide, the new fuel economy rules (also
known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy or CAFE standards) would reduce
American oil consumption by 1.2 million barrels a day in 2020,
according to the PennEnvironment report.
Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-8, who voted for
this bill and a much stricter version that died in the Senate this
month, said the new CAFE standards will save American families from
$700 to $1,000 a year in gas costs. He said the new standards also will
curb this country's dependence on foreign oil.
“The time to solve our nation's energy problems is now,” Murphy said in a statement.
The legislation was supported by a number of
automobile trade industry groups, including the Association of
International Automobile Manufacturers, the American International
Automobile Dealers Association and the Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers.
“We believe this tough, national fuel economy
bill will be good for both consumers and energy security,” said Dave
McCurdy, president and chief executive officer of the Alliance of
Automobile Manufacturers in a statement.
Industry experts predict the new fuel standards
will likely lead to more automobile innovations, so expect to see less
gas-guzzling SUVs and more hybrids on Bucks County roads over the next
decade. However, that innovation could come at a price for motorists.
The new standards could make cars anywhere from an estimated $1,000 to
$6,000 more expensive by 2020.
The new automobiles will likely also be much
lighter for fuel economy, which could be a safety concern as the
lighter cars join still-heavy trucks on Bucks' roadways, according to
Catherine Rossi, a spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
“We know that there are inherent challenges in this,” she said. “Over time, we believe, this will save motorists at the pump.”
