|
Many government regulations end up causing more problems than they solve.
I was in the market for a small diesel pickup about 10 years ago, but they weren't allowed in the US. My only option was a full-sized pickup, so I bought the smallest one I could; a Dodge 2500 5.9L Ram Cummins. This thing has an empty weight of something like 7200 lbs, and has terrible aerodynamics.
So, small diesel pickups weren't allowed because, reasons, but enormous ones were allowed?
CAFE suffers a similar problem where larger vehicles are allowed worse fuel economy. Simply build a large enough vehicle, and it becomes much easier to achieve the regulated MPG.
Many HOV laws allow the most fuel efficient vehicles to single-occupy those lanes. The vehicles most efficient at idling and stop-and-go driving are allowed a less congested lane, meanwhile we have truckers, Hummers, and Suburbans working the throttle and brakes hard while battling gridlock traffic. I guarantee you that mother nature is rolling her eyes, and some lobbyist is grinning while happily making political "contributions".
Micro-managing fuel efficiency is neither efficient nor effective. If you want to reduce the consumption of something, you need to make it cost more (tax). The details of how fuel efficiency will improve will then be driven by market forces, which are way more efficient than the delusion that some group of geniuses can conjure up efficiency standards based on no scientific reasoning.
|