CAFE mandates and used cars

A story at the Wall Street Journal online site says President Obama will announce an accelerated schedule for automakers' fleets to meet the goal of averaging 35 miles per gallon. Tomorrow, Obama is supposed to announce date for that goal has been moved up from 2020 to 2016.

So after seeing that, I got my Consumer Reports annual auto issue and start looking for cars that meet that standard now in real-world driving. Few even came close. The smallish Honda Fit came close at 30 mpg. The Toyota Prius attained 42 mpg in CR tests, while Honda claims its Insight will get 41 mpg. The Prius and the Insight are both gas-electric hybrids, by the way.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI diesel averaged 33 mpg in CR tests.

So where does this leave us, the average consumer? I know of a few ways to get mileage up:

1. Build smaller cars with smaller engines, and make them as lightweight as possible.

2. Use hybrid technology, all-electric technology or high-mileage diesel engines such as the TDI.

3. Go back to the 1970s and build little cars with very little sheet metal to protect you, and strip off as much weight and as many safety features as possible.

Right. I'm not a big fan of using a 1970s-era economy car as the primary transportation for my family. Short of a big jump in gasoline prices, it would seem to me that the used car market will be very strong for years to come if Obama's plan goes into effect. I'm not saying West Virginia will become Cuba North, but it is a tantalizing possibility for a mechanic who knows how to extend the life of our favorite SUVs.

Another unintended result could be that carmakers will sell fewer cars, making their situation worse.

One other thing: Would pushing CAFE standards up, which could lead to more plug-in electric vehicles, really cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, considering that most electricity in the USA comes from burning fossil fuels?