The Argument For Raising Fuel-efficiency Standards

"The report, which the Bush administration said would help it decide whether to raise federal fuel-efficiency standards, stopped short of saying what should be done, leaving that up to the president and Congress. It did praise the idea of standards, saying that without them, America would be using 14 percent more gasoline. It's possible to improve gasoline mileage for sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), pickups and minivans by about 35 percent, the report said, at costs that drivers would recoup over 14 years, the average lifetime of a passenger vehicle. Gas mileage for cars could improve about 22 percent in the same period. Better mileage could cost lives in crashes, the report cautioned, if automakers attempt to meet the higher fuel-economy standards mainly by reducing vehicles' weight."

Thanks to Christian Peralta