Senate Poised to Adopt Cantwell Measure Tomorrow Providing Better Gas Mileage Info for American Consumers
Senate Leaders Agree to Attach Cantwell's "Truth In Labeling" Provisions to Senate Highway Legislation; Senate to Vote on Transportation Bill Tuesday
WASHINGTON , DC . – U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced today that Senate leaders have agreed to add to pending transportation legislation her provisions to provide consumers with more accurate information about their vehicle's gas mileage. The Senate transportation bill is expected to pass on Tuesday.
"Americans are facing painful realities at the gas pump," said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee. "Families are shopping for more fuel efficient cars to cut down on costs at the gas pumps. They should at least know the truth about what they're getting for their money."
"The least we can do is make sure the mileage stickers on cars match up to the reality of the road, so families know how to plan their budgets. It's a simple matter of truth in advertising," Cantwell added.
Gas mileage stickers that appear on today's new cars inflate vehicles' true fuel economy performance by anywhere from 10 percent to 30 percent. Cantwell's measure would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and federal Department of Transportation—which provide gas mileage information for the stickers—to update their fuel economy testing to reflect today's real-life driving conditions. For example, today's tests assume that people drive 48 miles per hour on the freeway and never use their air conditioners.
"Consumers are frustrated when they see that their vehicles do not measure up in the real driving world to the ratings on the window sticker," said Kathleen F. Marvaso, Managing Director of Government Relations for AAA, which endorsed Cantwell's measure. "They deserve better, and the EPA can improve the accuracy of their mileage ratings by utilizing existing tests."
Accurate consumer information about gas mileage is particularly important in view of predictions that the price of oil could remain above $50 per barrel for the rest of 2005 and 2006, compared to the $30/barrel range at this time in 2004. Last week, gas prices in Washington state were averaging $2.45 a gallon according to the Energy Information Administration, up more than a quarter compared to last year.
Cantwell introduced her Fuel Economy Truth in Labeling Act (S. 836) last month, designed to update federal testing procedures for gas mileage labels.
Specifically, Cantwell's provision in the transportation bill will:
o Ensure that the government will take into account real-life conditions like "speed limits, acceleration rates, braking, variations in weather and temperature, vehicle load, use of air conditioning, driving patterns, and the use of other fuel consuming features" when determining accurate gas mileage labels.
o Require the EPA to issue a proposed rulemaking no later than the end of the year to develop a new gas mileage formula, and complete the process within 18 months thereafter; and
o Ensure that fuel economy labels remain up to date by obligating the government to reconsider the labeling procedures every three years.
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