Cash for clunkers program lets trucks off easy

Incentives to switch from a car that gets 14 miles per gallon to one with a 15 mpg rating aren’t exactly going to save the planet.

That’s an extreme example of the problem with the latest cash for clunkers bill currently heading through congress.

The program has the right idea: Giving gas guzzler owners incentives to purchase new, clean, efficient cars.

It would give $3,500 for someone willing to make the switch from a car with 18 mpg to a car with more than 22 mpg. A $4,500 reward would go to car owners who make a jump of 10 mpg or more.

But SUVs and light trucks only have to slide from 16 to 18 mpg to above that mark for the $3,500 check. Big trucks only need to move from 14 to 15 mpg.

Rueters reported an average car trade in at the $3,500 level would save 1 gallon per 100 miles, compared to 0.5 per 100 miles for a truck.

Unfortunately, the legislation seems to be geared more toward keeping dying American automakers viable than getting frivolous SUVs off the road.

The program would better serve its purpose without an SUV-truck clause. Instead, it should discourage people from purchasing unnecessarily large vehicles, but should also attempt to push public transit.

In effect, truck owners could qualify for this incentive program while purchasing a new vehicle that doesn’t even meet the government’s average fuel economy standards.

Michigan Congressman John Dingell told the Environment Report that the point is improving efficiency, not reaching a certain level.

“What they aught to ask is, ‘What is this going to mean in terms of increased fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions.’ The result would be substantial,” he said.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy disagrees.

“Federal incentives should promote vehicles with above-average fuel economy, at a minimum, so that American consumers are better prepared for the higher gasoline prices that are likely to return once the current recession ends,” ACEEE Executive Director Steven Nadel said.