Obama Criticizes Automakers on Fuel Economy
In a speech that hit hard at the failings of Detroit automakers, Mr. Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate, said Japanese companies had done far better than their Detroit counterparts to develop energy efficient vehicles.
Mr. Obama, speaking to a sold-out meeting of the Economic Club of Detroit, proposed stricter fuel economy standards, wading into a debate under way in Washington on increasing the corporate average fuel economy, now at 27.5 miles a gallon for cars and 24 miles a gallon for light trucks.
?For years, while foreign competitors were investing in more fuel-efficient technology for their vehicles, American automakers were spending their time investing in bigger, faster cars,? he said, according to a text of his remarks. ?And whenever an attempt was made to raise our fuel efficiency standards, the auto companies would lobby furiously against it, spending millions to prevent the very reform that could?ve saved their industry.?
Mr. Obama was making his first visit to Detroit since beginning his presidential campaign. Significantly, he was introduced by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit, also a Democrat, who has not endorsed a presidential candidate.
Mr. Kilpatrick called Mr. Obama ?presumably, maybe the next president of the United States.? Mr. Obama received a standing ovation before his speech, a rarity for an Economic Club event.
In his speech, Mr. Obama proposed stricter fuel economy standards, greater availability of tax credits to consumers who buy hybrids or other ultra-efficient vehicles and subsidies to help automakers pay health care expenses in return for greater investment in advanced technology.
He asserted that his proposals would save the United States 2.5 million barrels of oil a day, which he said would be the equivalent of halting oil imports from the Middle East and would remove 50 million cars? worth of pollution from the road.