DOT to begin phasing in new CAFE standards

The federal Department of Transportation announced yesterday that it will be implementing new CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. This just basically means efficiency in gas mileage. US auto manufacturers complained that the existing standards were unfair compared to the Japanese who typically make smaller vehicles and were not adjusting to the latest trends in consumer needs. The new standards would exempt larger SUV's such as the Hummer H2 and the Chevy Suburban. Enviromentalists fear that automakers will make some of the smaller SUV's slightly larger so that they are also exempt from the new regulations. The new regulations will be in implemented by 2011.