NHTSA to Propose New CAFE Rules

Washington DC July 18, 2005; Federal regulators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will soon propose changes to the national corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) rules for light trucks, reports Automotive News.

Under the new rules, light trucks would be divided into five classes according to size rather than weight and smaller trucks would face stricter regulations than larger trucks, say industry sources. "Size actually is probably more relevant to the customer," says Dave Hermance, executive engineer of environmental engineering at Toyota Technical Center U.S.A. Hermance says NHTSA’s CAFE proposal would classify trucks according based on a calculation that involves wheelbase and track width to determine the area bounded by a vehicle’s four wheels. "If they go in moderate steps, then that’s probably not a bad idea," Hermance says. "It serves to level the playing field, and I think that’s what almost everybody wants."

NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson failed to shed light on the details of the proposal other than to note the proposal will be issued for public comment in August or September. Currently, the fuel economy standard for trucks is at 20.7 mpg, set to increase in three stages during the 2005-07 model years, to 22.2 mpg. The car standard is set at 27.5 mpg. NHTSA has until April 1 to adopt a light-truck standard for the 2008 model year.