Senate Committee approves 35 mpg standard by 2020

The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has approved a measure that will require autoomakers to achieve an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The bill will go before the full Senate in June.

In addition to the increase from 27.5 mpg, the bill calls for the fuel standard to increase four percent per year up until 2030. That would push fuel economy requirements to over 50 miles per gallon by that year.

"This is not a perfect bill, but I think we have reached a stage where most parties would say this is fair," said Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, principal sponsor of the committee.

Last week — in anticipation of the vote — the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said it supports increasing fuel economy, but not to the degree proposed.

"The Alliance opposes legislation that is not technologically feasible, because of the proposed arbitrary CAFE target and/or the proposed arbitrary lead time," the organization said in its statement. "The Alliance also opposes CAFE targets that are not based on a balance of objective criteria."

Last month, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said the automaker might be forced to scrap some its planned large rear-wheel-drive sedans and coupes due to the new requirements.

"We don't know how to get 30 percent better mileage from [rear-wheel-drive cars]." Lutz said. "We'll decide on our rear-drive cars when the government decides on CO(-2) levels and CAFE regulations," Lutz told the Chicago Tribune in April.

The new standard approved by the committee today calls for 40 percent better milage.

"Carbon dioxide is a natural byproduct of burning gas and directly proportional to the amount of fuel burned. If we legislate CO(-2) from cars, why not legislate we take one less breath per minute since humans release capricious amounts of CO(-2) each time they exhale?" he argued.