Issues
EPA Proposes Letter Grades for Cars, Light Trucks, Based on Fuel Economy Rating
By Steven D. Cook
September 10, 2010
VW to cover maintenance costs for sludge-damaged engines under proposed settlement
Volkswagen AG has agreed to pay maintenance costs under a proposed settlement in a class-action lawsuit over sludge-damaged engines in 479,768 VW and Audi models.
Judge Joseph Tauro of the U.S. District Court in Boston gave conditional approval of the settlement last week . A hearing to approve the final settlement is scheduled for March 11, 2011.
According to court documents, the settlement affects 1997-2004 Audi A4 models and 1998-2004 VW Passat models with 1.8-liter turbocharged engines.
Alternatives to gas guzzlers
By Cheryl Jensen and Christopher Jensen
September 27, 2010
…This swarm of more fuel-efficient vehicles is not a coincidence. Automakers began preparing to deliver vehicles that get more miles per gallon several years ago, knowing that they could no longer avoid significantly higher fuel economy requirements, said Dan Becker, the director of the Safe Climate Campaign, which is affiliated with the Center for Auto Safety in Washington, D.C.
Congressional Dysfunction Likely to Kill an EV Subsidy Everyone Likes
BNET.com
By Jim Motavalli
September 23, 2010
…Reauthorizing this bill has made bedfellows of former antagonists. According to Dan Becker, director of the safe climate campaign at the Center for Auto Safety and a frequent critic of the Big Three, “It is colossally dumb to allow the $2,000 tax credit for home-charging stations to expire while continuing to pump billions into subsidizing BP and Exxon and after bailing out GM to the tune of over $50 billion.”…
Fuel Economy Stickers
By Ken Thomas
August 30, 2010
…"Consumers shopping for a clean car need to be able to compare a Prius with an electric vehicle. Not knowing how much coal-burning power plants emit to recharge the electric vehicle obscures the choice," said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign for the Center for Auto Safety.
Read the entire story…
E.P.A. Develops Grading System for New Car Stickers
By Jim Motavalli
August 30, 2010
…In an e-mail to reporters, Gloria Bergquist, an Alliance vice president, wrote, “Your spokesperson tried to give the proposal a D, but was told not to do so by her boss.” Rating it somewhat higher was Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign at the Center for Auto Safety. “Overall it’s a B,” he said in an e-mail.
U.S. proposes new labels for fuel economy, emissions
Automotive News
By Neil Roland
August 30, 2010
…“It misleads consumers about how polluting the vehicle is,” said Daniel Becker, director of the safe-climate campaign at the Center for Auto Safety….
Read the entire story…
U.S. Wants Report Card for Cars
The Wall Street Journal
By Josh Mitchell
August 30, 2010
…The EPA’s McCarthy said the agency was constrained by federal statutes that specify only tailpipe emissions, not upstream emissions, be included on the label. But Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign, said the agency wouldn’t have been blocked from providing more information on emissions from power plants…
Safety Recalls May Be ‘Voluntary,’ but Are Required by Law
Christopher Jensen
9/21/10
“A voluntary safety recall.”
I have been covering automotive safety for about 30 years, including now writing a weekly roundup of safety recalls for Wheels, and whenever a carmaker recalls a vehicle for a safety problem, it often describes it as voluntary.
CAS Rulemaking Comment 11/27/2009
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