A national poll called, “Missing the Demand: U.S. Consumers and Foreign Fuel-Efficient Cars”, conducted for the Civil Society Institute (CSI) finds American want Congress to take action to reverse the trend toward increasingly inefficient vehicles. The number of vehicles sold in the U.S. that achieve combined gas mileage of at least 40 miles per gallon (MPG) has dropped from five in 2005 to just two in 2007, while the ranks of such vehicles available overseas — but not sold in the U.S. — rose from 86 to 113 in the same time period.
Adding insult to injury, nearly two thirds (74 or 65 percent) of the 113 highly fuel-efficient car models that are unavailable to American consumers are either made by U.S. auto manufacturers (e.g., Ford and GM) or foreign manufacturers with substantial U.S. sales operations (e.g., Volkswagen, Nissan and Toyota). For the full “fuel-efficient car gap” chart, see the website below.
The national opinion survey shows there is a potential market of at least 2.5 million U.S. consumers for the introduction of the fuel-efficient cars now being sold overseas but not in this country. Nearly nine out of 10 Americans (88 percent) — including roughly three out of five (58 percent) who feel strongly — think U.S. consumers should have access to the dozens of more fuel-efficient cars available from U.S. automakers overseas — but not in this country. Similarly, more than four out of five Americans (81 percent) — including half who agree strongly — think U.S. consumers should have access to the dozens of more fuel-efficient cars available from foreign automakers overseas — but not in this country.
Four out of five Americans — including 86 percent of Democrats and 76 percent of Republicans and independents — say they would support “Congress taking the lead to achieve the highest possible fuel efficiency as quickly as possible” by raising the fuel-efficiency requirements for U.S. vehicles to achieve the goal of 40 miles per gallon.
CSI President Pam Solo said: “We have to face the unpleasant facts here: America is needlessly losing the race to develop the best fuel-efficient technology and then deliver it to the American consumer, which wants these cars and other vehicles that would use less imported fuel and create less global-warming pollution. The Europeans, Japanese and Chinese are already committed to far more aggressive MPG standards than we are in the United States. Congress needs to show some leadership now and insist on a 40 miles per gallon standard now — not 10 years from now when it will be too late to save Detroit from its worst impulses.”
ABOUT CSI AND 40MPG.ORG
The nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (http://www.CivilSocietyInstitute.org) is a think tank that serves as a catalyst for change by creating problem-solving interactions among people, and between communities, government and business that can help to improve society. CSI has conducted more than 15 major surveys since 2003 on auto and energy issues, including vehicle fuel-efficiency standards, consumer demand for hybrids/other highly-fuel efficient vehicles, global warming and renewable energy. CSI is the parent organization of 40MPG.org (http://www.40MPG.org) and the Hybrid Owners of America (http://www.HybridOwnersofAmerica.org).
Loading...