Lawmakers decry fuel- economy letter grading

 
BY TODD SPANGLER
From ©  The Detroit Free Press

WASHINGTON – Several dozen members of
Congress – including nine from Michigan – urged
the Obama administration to stick with new car
and truck labels that prominently display
information about miles per gallon instead of
using letter grades which they say “arbitrarily
reserve the highest grades for a very narrow
range of vehicles.”

U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee, a Flint Democrat who is
co-chairman of the Congressional Automotive
Caucus, said in a news release Wednesday that
changing to a letter grade “would cause
consumer confusion and tip the scales unfairly
against many fuel efficient SUVs and trucks,
relegating them to a C or C+ grade.”

The proposal to move to letter grades was
announced this summer and the deadline for
comment has passed. According to an Associated
Press story at the time, an average vehicle in
terms of fuel efficiency and emissions would
receive a B-. The best-selling pickup truck, the
Ford F150, would get a C+ or C, depending
on which engine it has. No final decision has
been annnounced.

At the time of the announcement, officials said
the new labels were intended to provide
consumers with “simple, straightforward energy
and environmental comparisons across all types
of vehicles,” including hybrids and electric-
powered vehicles entering the market.
Fuel economy labels are required to be
redesigned by the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007. Jackson said at the time,
“We want to help buyers find vehicles that meet
their needs, keep the air clean and save them
money at the pump.”

 
Wednesday’s letter to Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood and EPA Administration Lisa
Jackson asked them to stick with the mile-per-
gallon model, calling the letter grade
“subjective.” They said the grading system
proposed would be “biased in favor of certain
types of vehicles,” reserving the A and A+
grades for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

The letter was signed by 52 members of the
House including Kildee and U.S. Reps. Dave
Camp, John Dingell, Sander Levin, Thad
McCotter, Candice Miller, Gary Peters and Mark
Schauer.