Well folks, this month was certainly a game-changer for all those interested in cleaner cars. President Obama’s announcement of a national clean car standard is the culmination of years of hard work by UCS, our allies, and people like you. So let’s take a look at what these new standards are all about.
Thanks and congratulations!
Scott Nathanson
UCS National Field Organizer &
HybridCenter.org Administrator
In this issue:
So President Obama gave us a surprise Memorial Day present with an ambitious plan to develop regulations that would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to work together to dramatically reduce both the amount of heat-trapping emissions and oil consumed by our nation's cars and trucks.
Senior Vehicles Analyst Jim Kliesch looked at the proposal, which would set a goal roughly equivalent to a 35 mpg fleet wide average by 2016. Remember that the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards set by Congress in ’07 was 35 mpg by 2020. Indeed, the standard was strong enough that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed off for the 14 states that have adopted the state’s clean car standards agreeing to comply with the federal plan—though they did retain the right under the Clean Air Act to create stronger standards in the future.
Jim crunched some numbers, and found that the new plan would:
-
curb U.S. oil dependence by about 1.4 million barrels of oil per day by 2020, nearly as much as we currently import from Saudi Arabia;
-
cut heat-trapping emissions by 230 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, the equivalent to taking 34 million of today's cars and light trucks off the road that year;
-
deliver net savings to consumers of $30 billion in 2020, even after covering the cost of technology improvements, based on a gas price of $2.25 per gallon; and
-
deliver $70 billion in net savings in 2020 if gas prices spike to $4 per gallon again.
Here’s our full press release on the announcement. Making this achievement all the more extraordinary is the fact that the president convinced the auto industry, the EPA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and California state advocates alike to agree upon a common plan of action. Furthermore, as part of the agreement, the automakers have agreed to drop the lawsuits against state clean car standards that we have been fighting (and winning) for so long. And whether automakers integrate more hybrids into the fleet to meet the standard (in fact, the administration has proposed a “super credit” system to provide incentives for more hybrids and electric vehicles), or automakers simply use cost-effective, conventional technologies more thoroughly, the net effect is going to be many more clean car choices for consumers throughout the country—and sooner than we could have previously imagined.
Below is an amazing piece by Clean Vehicles Washington Representative Eli Hopson. Over the years he’s provided us with insightful, inside analyses of vehicles policies as they’ve been rolling out on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, it saddens me to share with you that Eli spent his last full day with UCS attending this historic event at the White House. Eli’s impact on these issues was profound—almost as profound as the impact on the people he worked with. Here’s his firsthand report from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
 Today is my last full day working at UCS. I already knew that it was going to be a monumental day for me, but it ended up being a historic day for the country—one that I got to witness firsthand. Today President Obama announced that his administration would move forward with heat-trapping emissions regulations for cars and trucks, coupled with fuel economy rules, and coordinated with California and other states to preserve their authority moving forward. The progress that these standards would make by 2016 (an average of 250 grams CO2 equivalent per mile) is more (or less, I should say!) than I thought I would ever see in that time frame. And luckily for me, because UCS President Kevin Knobloch and Clean Vehicles Program Director Michelle Robinson were at a UCS Board meeting in California last week—I got to attend the ceremony with Research Director David Friedman. To the right is my first picture of David talking to staff from the California Air Resources Board and the EPA.
Quite simply, this is the most amazing thing I have witnessed in my years at UCS. (And there have been several highlights, notably the signing of the Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007.) But remarkably, the president was able to convince the auto industry, the Department of Transportation, the EPA, and the states to agree to a common path of action—one that guarantees all the benefits of independent state action but with the simplicity of complying with a single standard. Now we haven’t seen all the details yet, but things certainly look good from the details that we know now.
 Walking up to the gate to the White House—we first gathered with a group of core government officials responsible for the new plan, including Margo Oge from the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality and Mary Nichols, the head of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Also joining was our core group of allies—staff from the Natural Resource Defense Council, Sierra Club, and long-time clean car advocate Dan Becker. As we walked through the gate towards the East garden, the whole lot of us were simply giddy, unable to believe that something all of us have worked on for so long was actually happening—and in a way that we could praise without reservation. In the garden we were joined by more advocates, more staff from California and the EPA, and representatives from the automakers, including Dave McCurdy—head of the Auto Alliance, the automaker lobbying group who had led efforts to undermine state clean car standards. To the left is a picture of McCurdy, Nichols, and Fran Pavley, the author of the California clean car standards, along with colleagues from non-governmental organizations.
 We were then joined by staff from Capitol Hill, including Michal Freedhoff, vehicles staffer for Representative Ed Markey, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment. Here's a snap with me and Michal in the East Garden.
After some nice mingling, with a small band, we moved to the Rose Garden for the main event, past a phalanx of press with cameras and microphones, and were asked to be seated. We were a hard crowd to control, however, as we kept trying to congratulate everyone, particular Whitehouse staffers, like Jody Freeman and Heather Zichal, who were the leads for Climate Czar Carol Browner on this issue. At this point the Cabinet and other senior appointees, like Nancy Sutley with the Council on Environmental Quality, John Holdren with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke started to filter in.
The stage was set for the main event. First, all the heads of the major automakers, along with Carol Browner, Lisa Jackson, and Ray Lahood stood up behind the podium. Governors Deval Patrick (MA), Jennifer Granholm (MI), and Arnold Schwarzenneger (CA) sat in the front row, along with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Chairman Emeritus John Dingell (D-MI).
 And of course, walking in with them was the president, and it seemed that the spirit of joy at being able to bring this issue to a beneficial conclusion spread through him as well. He spoke of the partnership necessary to bring these standards into reality, thanking the agencies, the states, the automakers, and the environmental advocates who had all helped make this possible.
Full text of his remarks is available here. [Note from Scott: Do go take a look at the president’s remarks. Not only are they inspiring, but he makes a great reference to his very own hybrid back home in Illinois at the end.] It is remarkable that he was able to make good on his campaign promise made in Detroit to require more from the automakers, while at the same time giving them the support they need to make the technology transition. We are truly living in a remarkable era of opportunity when on the same day that the president announced groundbreaking national vehicle emissions reductions standards, the House Energy and Commerce Committee was debating landmark climate change legislation.
UCS and all our supporters have been a crucial part of making this happen, both at the state and federal levels, and it’s been an honor for me to work here. Although our work is by no means done, we should all take a moment to take a step back, take a deep breath, and congratulate ourselves on work well done, and savor in our accomplishments. When we all work together, the things that we can accomplish really are amazing.
 After the president left there was a massive rush to shake as many hands as possible. David and I got to personally thank EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Carol Browner for all of their support on this, along with many, many others, and I managed to get this great picture to the right with David and Administrator Jackson.
So thanks to all of you for the great work that you do, for making positive changes like this happen, and for allowing me to be a part of it. Days like this don’t come along very often, but when they do we should all take a moment, realize that it is only with the hard and dedicated work that we all do that they do come. Then we can take a deep breath, and begin working towards the next one.
- Honda Insight first hybrid to top Japan auto sales: With sluggish auto sales worldwide, there was some bright news for Honda in April. They sold 10,481 Insights and earned the rank of the top-selling vehicle in Japan. What’s notable is this marked the first time a hybrid vehicle has ever topped the list. But will Honda maintain that position? The newly revamped Toyota Prius—the main rival to the Insight—was released in May in Japan. To learn more, visit the Hybrid News Center.
 Chattanooga charging up for battery battle: As more and more car companies announce plans to introduce plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, more and more states are looking to scoop up part of the $2 billion in federal stimulus money for electric and hybrid battery projects. Michigan and Kentucky have already announced their plans and now Tennessee is gearing up to make the case for why their state deserves a slice of the pie and the opportunity to lead the American advanced battery industry. Batteries currently used in hybrid vehicles are manufactured in Asia, where governments have supported the advanced battery industry for years. Asia is much further down the battery road but America can catch up. More on batteries at the Hybrid News Center.
- GM plug-in plans won't die with Saturn brand: With GM’s recent announcement that it is shutting down its Saturn division, some were left wondering what would happen to GM’s plans for plug-in hybrid technology. Originally, GM was going to introduce a plug-in Saturn Vue as early as 2011. While GM won’t say which car they are going to use for their debut of plug-in technology, they will state there won’t be any delay in implementing it. To learn more, visit the Hybrid News Center.
We have three great additions to Who’s Got Hybrids! Remember to get your hybrid owning friends to sign up too!
 Jerry Peterson of Mount Prospect, IL still has his "citrus yellow" 2000 Honda Insight with a manual transmission. He thinks it's the best car ever made and wishes Honda still made them. With hypermiling driving techniques, his average lifetime mileage is 76 mpg. He says his estate executor will have to sell the car.
 Barb Nicolson of Santa Ana, CA loves the benefits of driving a hybrid. This is her second Prius. The first was totaled in a rear-end collision, but her things in the rear compartment survived intact. As did she. Her little Prius really took the bullet for her!
 Anastasia Piper of Ojai, CA is on her second Civic Hybrid. She bought her first in 2000. She loves the ride, gas mileage, ease of handling, and sporty feel. She’s happy every day she drives it knowing that she is doing something good for herself and the planet.
I’m not sure how we’ll be able to top this in June, but with Summer vacation season under way, we’ll be sure to take a look more at those travel plans, and how hybrids fit into the equation. Until then…
| 
