Comments on: Higher Gas Prices Alone Won’t Make Cleaner Cars a Reality http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/11/24/higher-gas-prices-alone-won%e2%80%99t-make-cleaner-cars-a-reality/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: MU http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/11/24/higher-gas-prices-alone-won%e2%80%99t-make-cleaner-cars-a-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-51571 MU Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:40:28 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22101#comment-51571 To further DJB's point. Not only do fuel economy regulations not encourage people to change modes, they actually incentivize people to drive more. While economy standards drive up the initial cost of the vehicle, they drive down its usage cost. So I just put more of my income in to buy the car and it costs me less per mile to drive, so I have a psychological and financial incentive to drive it more. @Fred - even if you don't believe in human caused climate change, I think we can all agree that importing huge amounts of oil from hostile foreign powers so we sit on congested freeways because we have no better transit option is not a wise long term energy strategy. Being energy independent and having more time to engage in productive activities are good old-fashioned conservative principles. To further DJB’s point. Not only do fuel economy regulations not encourage people to change modes, they actually incentivize people to drive more. While economy standards drive up the initial cost of the vehicle, they drive down its usage cost. So I just put more of my income in to buy the car and it costs me less per mile to drive, so I have a psychological and financial incentive to drive it more.

@Fred – even if you don’t believe in human caused climate change, I think we can all agree that importing huge amounts of oil from hostile foreign powers so we sit on congested freeways because we have no better transit option is not a wise long term energy strategy. Being energy independent and having more time to engage in productive activities are good old-fashioned conservative principles.

]]> By: Brent http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/11/24/higher-gas-prices-alone-won%e2%80%99t-make-cleaner-cars-a-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-51481 Brent Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:34:12 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22101#comment-51481 If this study didn't look at the European experience, it has a gaping hole in it. Most of the countries in Europe have high gasoline taxes, and many of them place large sales taxes on purchases. In some places (The Netherlands), car ownership costs can absorb a third of a middle-income family salaries. As such, cars are generally smaller and more fuel efficient. I don't think that the brief flirtation with $5.00 gasoline we had in 2008 would change behavior at all. We need a multi-year experience with higher prices. If this study didn’t look at the European experience, it has a gaping hole in it. Most of the countries in Europe have high gasoline taxes, and many of them place large sales taxes on purchases. In some places (The Netherlands), car ownership costs can absorb a third of a middle-income family salaries. As such, cars are generally smaller and more fuel efficient. I don’t think that the brief flirtation with $5.00 gasoline we had in 2008 would change behavior at all. We need a multi-year experience with higher prices.

]]> By: Fred http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/11/24/higher-gas-prices-alone-won%e2%80%99t-make-cleaner-cars-a-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-51401 Fred Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:11:17 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22101#comment-51401 The article repeats the tired propaganda that CO2 = "pollution". The article repeats the tired propaganda that CO2 = “pollution”.

]]> By: DJB http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/11/24/higher-gas-prices-alone-won%e2%80%99t-make-cleaner-cars-a-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-51371 DJB Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:21:11 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22101#comment-51371 New cars are only a small fraction of total cars on the road. It takes time for improvements in fuel economy in one model year to raise the average fuel economy of the entire fleet. Also, when gasoline is expensive, people use their existing cars less, and drive them with less of a lead foot. We need more expensive gasoline AND tighter regulations. It doesn't have to be an either/or scenario. Regulations like CAFE can miss the mark if people don't buy the cars that are efficient (since CAFE just says the average fuel economy of all of a company's vehicles has to be at a certain level), high gas prices create the right incentives to select well within that range. Plus, high gas prices provide an incentive to CHANGE MODES, fuel economy regulations don't. New cars are only a small fraction of total cars on the road. It takes time for improvements in fuel economy in one model year to raise the average fuel economy of the entire fleet. Also, when gasoline is expensive, people use their existing cars less, and drive them with less of a lead foot.

We need more expensive gasoline AND tighter regulations. It doesn’t have to be an either/or scenario. Regulations like CAFE can miss the mark if people don’t buy the cars that are efficient (since CAFE just says the average fuel economy of all of a company’s vehicles has to be at a certain level), high gas prices create the right incentives to select well within that range.

Plus, high gas prices provide an incentive to CHANGE MODES, fuel economy regulations don’t.

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