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Mineta says US gov't cars should be fuel efficient

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 May 2006, 14:15 CDT

By John Crawley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said on Tuesday he would support legislation requiring that new vehicles purchased by the federal government get the highest gas mileage possible.

Mineta did not specify a mileage standard for government vehicles at a Senate hearing on whether to raise fuel economy targets for all passenger cars. But he agreed with California Democrat Barbara Boxer's general proposal that the federal fleet should be efficient.

"Sure, that sounds good," Mineta replied when asked by Boxer if he would support her plan. Specific models were not discussed nor was a timetable or other details.

The government buys about 60,000 vehicles annually for 75 government agencies nationwide, according to the General Services Administration.

There were more than 200,000 vehicles in the fleet in 2005, including trucks and buses. The government also leases vehicles from commercial sources.

Many government vehicles in Washington, including those that ferry officials like Mineta and members of Congress, are large sedans or sport utilities, which get average to poor fuel economy. The presidential limousine, an armored Cadillac made by General Motors, gets about 14 miles per gallon in city driving.

For the second straight week, Mineta came under pressure from lawmakers who want the administration to act aggressively to boost mileage requirements for compacts, sedans and other passenger cars to reduce dependence on oil imports.

Each manufacturers' fleet of passenger cars must average 27.5 mpg. The standard, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), has not been changed since 1990.

Unlike last week in the House of Representatives, Mineta received little support among senators for his proposal to study new fuel standards with an eye toward raising them by the end of the decade.

Mineta also wants to change the way those standards are calculated, which critics say could help struggling U.S. manufacturers build the larger pickups and SUVs they currently favor.

The Bush administration raised standards in March for the light-truck class, which includes SUVs, vans and pickups, by 1.9 miles per gallon to 24.1 mpg by 2011. The Transportation Department estimates the increase will save more than 10 billion gallons of fuel.

But some Democrats and Republicans are suspicious of Mineta's approach, calling the light-truck increase weak and demanding bolder action for passenger cars.

Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Maine Republican, proposed legislation on Tuesday with California Democrat Dianne Feinstein to require all autos get 10 mpg more over the next 10 years to save 2.5 million barrels of oil per day.

"It's time to address this aggressively," Snowe said.

Other Senate and House proposals also mandate fuel economy increases, goals that Mineta says should be determined only by regulators with the scientific expertise, not lawmakers.

A House Energy and Commerce Committee bill supported by Mineta would give his agency the authority to raise fuel standards and change how they are calculated, which is what regulators did for the light-truck class.

Mineta gave no indication of an appropriate increase in fuel standards for cars, but said any change would have to consider safety.

Source: REUTERS

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