If this is done in Canada...

...the government will have to pay a whole lot of money in "feebates". Yet somehow the view persists here that Americans are troglodytes. Seems to me that the US Congress and president can, from time-to-time, move a whole lot faster than our Parliament. But, of course, on auto issues we can talk all we want but always end up following the American lead:

U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law Wednesday legislation that increases the federal auto mileage requirement for the first time in 32 years and also ramps up the use of ethanol as a gasoline substitute.

Under the new legislation, motor vehicles will be required to meet an average 35 miles per U.S. gallon (6.7 L/100 km) by 2020...

I salivate at the prospect of Messrs Dion, Layton and Duceppe slamming Prime Minister Harper for not being more like George Bush.

Meanwhile in Europe BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Porsche are very unhappy with the EU:

Automakers Cry Foul over New CO2 Rules

Proposed EU fines on car producers whose models exceed a certain level of CO2 emissions have manufacturers and German politicians upset...

Mark C.

Posted by markc at December 20, 2007 10:07 PM