RVIA Concern Over CAFE Standards

[ChiefJohn]

RVIA Concerned Over New CAFE Standards Bill
Bob Ashley
RV Business
Thursday, May 10, 2007

Although the provisions in a so-called CAFE bill passed by a U.S. Senate committee earlier this week are likely to change substantially if the legislation passes, the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) has taken notice.

"We are taking it pretty seriously,"� said Jay Landers, RVIA senior director of government affairs. "In the past, we haven't gotten into these kinds of federal issues. We may have turned the corner now."�

Of concern, Landers said, is that the definition of what would constitute a "truck"� is not clear in the bill, which would require higher fuel mileage standards for three categories of trucks – those under 10,000 pounds, 10,000 to 26,000 pounds and over 26,000 pounds.

"Obviously our concern with CAFE has always been about tow vehicles,"� Landers said. "Now it looks like it's expanding to medium- and heavy-duty trucks, which could include Class A and Class C motorhomes."�

Currently, CAFE standards apply only to automobiles and trucks weighing less than 8,500 pounds, which are too light to haul most RVs.

U.S. automakers and the United Auto Workers said that goals in the bill are unattainable and threaten jobs at a time when General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group already have shut down factories and cut tens of thousands of jobs.

Truck standards wouldn't be set until after a study by the National Academy of Sciences to determine what would be feasible. The bill would require automakers to achieve an average of 35 miles per gallon across their fleets – an increase of about 40% between now and the year 2020.

[ChiefJohn]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">RVIA Concerned Over New CAFE Standards Bill
Bob Ashley
RV Business
Thursday, May 10, 2007

Although the provisions in a so-called CAFE bill passed by a U.S. Senate committee earlier this week are likely to change substantially if the legislation passes, the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) has taken notice.

"We are taking it pretty seriously,"� said Jay Landers, RVIA senior director of government affairs. "In the past, we haven't gotten into these kinds of federal issues. We may have turned the corner now."�

Of concern, Landers said, is that the definition of what would constitute a "truck"� is not clear in the bill, which would require higher fuel mileage standards for three categories of trucks – those under 10,000 pounds, 10,000 to 26,000 pounds and over 26,000 pounds.

"Obviously our concern with CAFE has always been about tow vehicles,"� Landers said. "Now it looks like it's expanding to medium- and heavy-duty trucks, which could include Class A and Class C motorhomes."�

Currently, CAFE standards apply only to automobiles and trucks weighing less than 8,500 pounds, which are too light to haul most RVs.

U.S. automakers and the United Auto Workers said that goals in the bill are unattainable and threaten jobs at a time when General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group already have shut down factories and cut tens of thousands of jobs.

Truck standards wouldn't be set until after a study by the National Academy of Sciences to determine what would be feasible. The bill would require automakers to achieve an average of 35 miles per gallon across their fleets – an increase of about 40% between now and the year 2020. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>