Bush Announces New Auto Fuel Effiency Rules

Critics say slight increase in fuel effiency standards excludes large SUVs and trucks and provides loopholes for automakers to continue making gas guzzlers.

1 minute read

August 24, 2005, 10:00 AM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"The new system would continue to exempt large sport utility vehicles and trucks weighing more than 8,500 pounds -- such as the Hummer H2 and the Ford Excursion -- from fuel economy standards because they are considered commercial vehicles, even if they are not used as such.

The new rules are considered a victory for Detroit automakers, who have argued the current system penalizes them because many of their top sellers are larger pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Japanese automakers have had an easier time meeting the fleet-wide standard because they sell more cars and produce smaller trucks and SUVs."

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan

Tuesday, August 23, 2005 in The San Francisco Chronicle

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Nithya Ramen talks to an older man. She is smiling and wearing a yellow dress. They are both outside.

Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor

Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.

November 7 - Los Angeles Times

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank

Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.