is there an explanation for why congress tells US automakers what gas mileage new cars must have?

Question

are US carmakers so stupid as to ignore the fact many Americans are buying foreign made cars (whatever that is anymore)?.......

how is it that not until the last year NOBODY in Detroit figured out fuel efficient cars would be a worthwhile venture?

Answer 1

The old CAFE standards from the '70's were outdated and had so many loopholes it wasn't very effective. Light trucks and up are exempt. American car makers gave up making small high-mileage cars that had little to no profit margin and instead pushed SUV's that were exempt. The new proposals create standards for light trucks and close the loopholes.

Answer 2

Detroit loves to tell us they make what American drivers want to buy.
WOW! So we don't buy foreign made cars?
WAKE UP DETROIT!
On the flip side, if the Congress is so smart, how come they haven't solved the problem themselves?
They CAN'T decree cars have better mileage, pollute less, etc. Someone has to solve the technical issues before those products can be manufactured. Putting a DATE on the demands will not get the job done. What if I say "Build me a flying saucer that can take me to the Andromeda Nebula by 2026? HOW? A decree will never solve a problem.
Electric cars were being made in the late 1800's. They never caught on because of the issue of BATTERIES. We are just now developing batteries that are technically advanced enough to satisfy the needs of the automotive industry, and even THEY still need to improve.
Then we have to supply electrical power to charge those batteries, but no one will permit the building of nuclear power plants to generate all that power. (Nuclear is the ONLY practical solution at this time.)

Answer 3

Yes, the auto makers proved to be that stupid. They turned the auto market over to Asians and put all of their marbles in the truck and SUV market. Now the Asians are getting more into the truck market and the high gas prices are taking care of the SUV's.

Answer 4

Look around you...people like big cars and the auto makers including the Japanese and Germans and Swedes, etc Give the people what they want. Congress tries to change that every now and then, they manage to drive up prices but little else

Answer 5

Control.

Answer 6

Foreign car manufacturers will meet and exceed Congress's mandate, not because they're required to but out of fear of losing their competitive edge in the US. This isn't the first time this type of thing has happened.

Answer 7

You are smart and will prosper. We need emission standards because we all breathe the same air, need cheaper gas and need to save the US Auto industry from itself.

Answer 8

cuz it wasn't until the gas hit $3 a gallon that anyone cared.