美國汽車經銷公會日前舉辦年度大會暨博覽會，即將接任公會主席的希柯拉，增進燃料效能與改善車輛廢氣排放的戰爭，才剛開始而已，而銷售新款汽車和貨車的美國經銷商則立於這場戰爭的核心位置，「這可不是我們可以鬆懈的時候。」
她同時指出，美國汽車經銷公會對於國會2007年12月所通過的「統合平均燃料效能標準」(Corporate Average Fuel Economy, CAFE)，以「積極但負責」的方式提高規定標準表示支持；此項法案要求車輛在2020年達到每加侖35英里的節能效能，亦即將目前燃料經濟標準提高40%。
目前所採用的「統合平均燃料效能標準」(CAFE)於1984年制定，要求汽車製造商達到車輛每加侖27.5英里的效能，在此同時，第二項燃料經濟標準更要求小卡車、多功能運動休旅車和小貨車等輕型貨車需達到每加侖22.2英里的經濟效能。
2007年12月加州希望放棄採用較為寬鬆的聯邦排放標準，改採標準更為嚴格的州法，向法院提出訴請否決案，但遭到環保署的拒絕；希柯拉表示，汽車經銷業者反對任何推翻當時環保署決議的行動。
加州原本計劃降低汽車排放量，並將2009年施行新排放標準視為原點，規範在2016年將汽車及輕型貨車的溫室氣體排放量減少30%。這項訴請否決案也是第一個與溫室氣體相關的否決要求。
在加州提出清淨汽車立法計劃後，至少有18個州已通過相同的法案，但根據「清淨空氣法案」的規定，其他州若想要實行溫室氣體減排措施，美國環保署必須先通過加州的訴請否決要求。
身兼美國國會「政府改革與監督委員會」主席的加州國會議員沃克斯曼已發出傳票，要求環保署提供五份文件的未修訂複本，包括環保署幕僚於去年10月提交給環保署行政主管強森的一份重要文件，其內容涉及加州降低車輛溫室氣體排放量的相關規範。
希柯拉表示，不論最後政府的決策為何，「最終評斷聯邦燃料經濟標準是否成功的仍舊是消費者，因為沒有人能夠藉政府的名義來限制消費者購買特定型態的車輛。」
此外，她也提出警告，當民眾保留老舊、燃料效能低的車輛時間愈長，可能會出現「老爺車效應」。除非公共政策支持現有車輛的汰換流動，才能實現節能和降低排放量的目標。
美國汽車經銷公會成立於1917年，位於維吉尼亞州麥克利恩市，代表約2萬名汽車經銷商、近4萬3000間獨立聯營店。
The fight over fuel economy and vehicle tailpipe emissions is just beginning and America's franchised new car and truck dealers are at the center of it, the head of the National Automobile Dealers Association said today.
"This is no time for us to relax," said incoming NADA Chairman Annette Sykora at the association's convention and exposition in San Francisco.
She said the association supports the "aggressive but responsible" increase in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, CAFE, standard passed by Congress in December that requires vehicles to achieve 35 miles per gallon by 2020 - a 40 percent increase in fuel economy over today's standards.
The current CAFE standard for cars, set in 1984, requires manufacturers to achieve an average of 27.5 miles per gallon, while a second CAFE standard requires an average of 22.2 miles per gallon for light trucks such as minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickups.
Sykora said the automobile dealers oppose any effort to overturn the December 2007 decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to deny California's request for a waiver of weaker federal standards for emissions from vehicle tailpipes in favor of a tougher state law.
California has introduced a plan to reduce tailpipe emissions and regulate greenhouse gases from cars and light trucks 30 percent by 2016, starting with the 2009 model year. It is the first waiver request concerning greenhouse gases.
At least 18 other states have passed laws following the California Clean Car program, but according to the Clean Air Act, the EPA must grant California's waiver request before any other state can implement its tailpipe emissions program.
California Congressman Henry Waxman, who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a subpoena to compel the EPA to provide unredacted copies of five documents, including a key presentation EPA staff made to Administrator Stephen Johnson in October 2007 about California's regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles.
Sykora says that whatever the government finally does, the "consumer will ultimately decide if a federal fuel-economy standard is successful, because you can't wave a government wand and make consumers buy a particular type of vehicle."
Additionally, Sykora warned against the "jalopy effect," when car owners keep their older, less fuel-efficient vehicles longer. Unless public policy encourages turnover of the existing fleet, the goals of saving energy and cutting tailpipe emissions will not be achieved, she said.
The National Automobile Dealers Association, founded in 1917 and based in McLean, Virginia, represents about 20,000 new car and truck dealers, with nearly 43,000 separate franchises.
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