Comment Log Display

After reading the proposed emission standards for light duty trucks
in the Air Resources Board’s Report, I would like to state that
objections to the proposed standards should be viewed skeptically. 
First, while automobile manufacturer’s can claim that stricter
standards will result in higher costs, the overall percentage is
minimal because it allows companies to produce vehicles that create
lower emissions while at the same relying on those same vehicles to
alter their percentage of vehicles producing carbon emissions. 
Secondly, while corporations tout their production of hybrid
vehicles they continue to maintain that production of vehicles
remains costly.  Automobile manufacturers have invested in research
and development indicating that they believe corporate viability
can be reached through the implementation of alternative fuels. 
This research alone should result in the implementation of new
technology that may be expensive at the beginning, but should
become less expensive as innovations are implemented.  A case in
point could be used by applying the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla model
S.  Both rely on battery-powered engines, but the cost of the
vehicles is significantly different.  While the Model S will start
59,900 after government subsidies, the battery powered LEAF will
cost 27,700 after government rebates.  This allows customers as
well as corporations to produce alternative fuel vehicles while
making them available to the public.  In this sense, as
corporations continue to develop in this technology, such
transitions will allow them to share technology with other vehicles
reducing the overall cost of production.