With summer travel season upon us, the NAM caught wind of a very well-timed petition to ask the President to deem August “National Fuel Economy Month,” the official awareness month for fuel efficiency.  25,000 signatures are needed to get the White House to act on the petition.  We’ve got a long way to go but there is still time to act.

The resurgence of the automobile industry is one of manufacturing’s biggest success stories.  Automobile manufacturers are creating compelling new products with improved performance and greater fuel efficiency.  They are doing it in a number of different ways:  more efficient engines, clean diesel, hybrid technology, natural gas, fuel cells and plug-in electric vehicles, among others.

The automobile industry is doing its part to save energy and reduce emissions, and creating jobs in the process.  If you want to sign the petition, you can access it here.

Recently, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) set a letter Secretary LaHood and Administrator Jackson concerning the future CAFE standards proposed for 2017-2025. The NAM is concerned that recent proposals are simply unattainable and unrealistic.

Strong standards have already been set for 2012-2016, which raise the fleet average to 35 miles per gallon. While the NAM is supportive of reasonable standards to improve fuel efficiency, setting unrealistic goals will only increase the cost of doing business here, limiting consumer options, costing jobs and increasing vehicle prices.

Moving forward, it is important that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) are pragmatic in their approach, ensuring they are not establishing regulations that require manufactures to speculate what technologies might be available in 2024!

These proposed CAFE standards must be based on current science. It is thought by many that DOT and EPA will propose a standard of 56.5. If this is accurate then clearly these standards will not have been based on science but rather on something else.  It is critical that in proposing new fuel standards, the EPA and DOT make sure that America continues its tradition of a robust manufacturing market for automobiles that help grow our economy and protect jobs.

Chip Yost is vice president for energy resources policy, National Association of Manufacturers

On Tuesday President Obama led a White House event hailing the adoption of a national standard on fuel efficiency. From the transcript:

The goal is to set one national standard that will rapidly increase fuel efficiency — without compromising safety — by an average of 5 percent each year between 2012 and 2016, building on the 2011 standard my administration set shortly after taking office.

A series of major lawsuits will be dropped in support of this new national standard.

On Wednesday, President Obama issued a memo to the Executive Branch agencies announcing his Administration’s opposition to a national standard for the regulation of products. We predict: A series of major lawsuits will be drummed up as a result of this new, 50-state, inconsistent standard.

Is that what commentators mean by pragmatic?

UPDATE (10:35 a.m.): From BusinessWeek, “Obama Regulatory Review Could Spur Product Lawsuits”

From Henry Payne, writing at Planet Gore, “California’s Deal with EPA: Watch Your Wallets!”:

Detroit, Mich. — An environmental watchdog group reported Monday that California and EPA have reached agreement in principle that auto fuel-economy rules will be set by the federal government — but according to California’s proposed regulations. The resulting hike over already-onerous federal rules, say industry analysts, could cost U.S. automakers billions more in regulatory compliance at a time when they are already financially insolvent.

“EPA is likely to follow historical precedent and federalize the state rules,” reports InsideEPA.com, thus resolving “the long-running fight over the state’s request for EPA to grant a Clean Air Act waiver for greenhouse gas emissions standards while retaining industry’s preferred compliance mechanism under CAFE.”

They stared at the carcass, splayed out in the hot sun. The Californian nudged it with his foot, a tight smile on his face. The Fed looked at the dead, decaying economy, and a moment of doubt crossed his mind. “Oh, well,” he said to himself. “At least it’s a national standard.”