ah, those EPA guys are at it again...

from the new york times

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 — The Environmental Protection Agency rewrote one of the great fictions of American life on Monday by changing the formula for calculating miles-per-gallon numbers on the window stickers of new cars, to take account of higher speeds, more aggressive driving, more air-conditioning use and other factors not in the old system.

EPA Fuel Economy Regulations

EPA's regulations giving instructions on how to test vehicles, measure, calculate and report fuel economy information for CAFE, labeling and Gas Guzzler Tax determination are found in the Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Part 600 -- Fuel Economy of Motor Vehicles14.

before any of you start partying like it’s 1999…..

* Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requires vehicle manufacturers to comply with the gas mileage, or fuel economy, standards set by the Department of Transportation (DOT). CAFE values are obtained using the city and highway fuel economy test results and a weighted average of vehicle sales. Tests are conducted in a laboratory by operating vehicles on a dynamometer. EPA administers the testing program that generates the fuel economy data. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of DOT, is authorized to assess penalties based on the information EPA supplies and to modify the standards.

* The Gas Guzzler Tax is imposed on manufacturers of new cars (not minivans, sport utility vehicles or pick-up trucks) that do not meet required fuel economy levels, to discourage the production and purchase of fuel-inefficient vehicles. The tax is collected by the Internal Revenue Service and paid by the manufacturer. The amount of the tax is displayed on the vehicle’s fuel economy label (the window sticker on new cars).

so no gas guzzler tax then on the most popular, best selling vehicles in the united states of america.

that’s right; all monster suv’s and hummers are exempted from the gas guzzler tax.

the 2007 lincoln navigator is aptly named. it's the world's first production vehicle that spans two time zones...

way to go, Empty Promises Ahead!

how's that arctic sea-ice looking?...