The auto industry last month beat back another attempt to raise
fuel-economy standards for light trucks, but environmentalists
say the fight is far from over, and time and consumers are on
their side. Congress has voted down efforts to raise the fuel
standard for trucks five years in a row, prohibiting the
Department of Transportation from spending money to even study
the issue. Federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)
standards require that each manufacturer's passenger cars
average 27.5 miles per gallon and its trucks (sport-utility
vehicles, pickups and vans) 20.7 m.p.g. Manufacturers that fall
below those levels face fines that can cost millions of dollars.
Congress created CAFE in 1975 during the OPEC oil embargo, when
trucks accounted for less than 25 percent of the market and were
mainly work vehicles. Now, trucks account for nearly half of
sales, and most are used for personal transportation.
Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club contend the growing
popularity of trucks has dragged overall