President's "Freedom Car" Plan Does Nothing to Address Current Fuel Economy

February 6, 2003

Lansing, MI--Today, as President Bush reiterated his call for a hydrogen-powered "Freedom Car," Michigan environmentalists fear his announcement is more empty promises from the administration and domestic automakers. The President announced the program in last week's State of the Union address.

"Since coming to office the President has fought every meaningful increase in fuel economy for trucks and SUVs," said Charles Griffith of The Ecology Center. "The President's Freedom Car R&D initiative only continues this approach, by leaving the problem for future generations to address."

Nearly 70% of U.S. oil consumption is currently used for transportation, and much of the increased future consumption will go there as well. Fuel efficiency in the more than 300 million cars and SUVs being produced between now and when the first "Freedom Car" may roll off the assembly line (about 2020) must be address in order to reduce oil consumption.

"In 1970 Richard Nixon pledged we would produce a pollution-free car in five years. We're still waiting for that pollution-free car," said Vicki Levengood, Michigan Representative, National Environmental Trust. "In the meantime, we could use existing technology to clean up the cars of today and tomorrow."

Last year, Congress considered a proposal by Senators John Kerry and John McCain that would have raised the standard for all vehicles by about 14 miles per gallon by 2015, but the Senate rejected the idea, at the President's prodding. The President in turn offered a 1.5-mile per gallon increase in fuel efficiency standards for SUVs.

"The President's commitment to develop a clean hydrogen car is praiseworthy, but he can't substitute action 20 years down the road as an excuse to do nothing about our problems today," said Lana Pollack, President of the Michigan Environmental Council. "Tax incentives structured to help the auto industry market ready-to-go technologies to improve fuel efficiency would bring far greater near-term benefits to our domestic economy, demonstrate our commitment to protecting the global environment and provide us greater national security."

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Contacts:

Lana Pollack or James Clift, MEC: 517-487-9539
Vicki Levengood, N.E.T./MI: 517-333-5786
Charles Griffith, Ecology Center: 734-761-3186, ext. 116