The EPA ruined diesels by requiring the emissions be cut. The new TDI is a joke compared to the old TDI, and is no longer in my list of options for future cars. Diesels WERE the future until the EPA fudged them up. Totally agree that mining for rare earth materials harms the earth far more than emissions output.

CAFE is ridiculous. Their estimates for fuel economy are even worse than the EPA’s. CAFE on E85:

“For the fuel economy calculation for alternative fuel vehicles, a gallon of alternative fuel is deemed to contain 15% fuel (which is approximately the amount of gasoline in a gallon of E85) [19] as an incentive to develop alternative fuel vehicles.[20] Dual-fuel vehicles, such as E85 capable models, are taken as the average of this alternative fuel rating and its gasoline rate. Thus a dual-fuel E85 capable vehicle which gets 15 mpg on E-85 and 25 mpg on gasoline would be rated as 20 mpg for CAFE purposes, in spite of the fact that less than one percent of the fuel used in E85 capable vehicles is actually E85.”

CAFE also encourages manufacturers to build larger, heavier vehicles:

“The most recent revision of CAFE that passed in 2007 no longer exempts light trucks classified as SUVs or passenger vans, unless they exceed 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) GVWR; it applies to pickup trucks and cargo vans up to 8,500 lb (3,900 kg) – as was the case for SUVs. In 1999, over half a million vehicles exceeded the GVWR and so the CAFE standard did not apply.”

More bullshit credit trading schemes:

“CAFE changes enacted by the 110th Congress (The Energy Independence and Security Act P.L. 110-140, H.R. 6), instructed NHTSA to establish a credit trading and transferring scheme to allow manufacturers to transfer credits between categories, as well as sell them to other manufacturers or non-manufacturers.”

Car companies that don’t comply can always just pay the fines. It’s a convenient way of adding additional taxes to the sale of automobiles in the US.

Ford: I have a gas hybrid
Subaru: I’ll see your gas hybrid and raise you a diesel turbo hybrid
Ford: I see your diesel turbo hybrid and raise you an all electric

Must be fun to be an auto engineer these days…….

Honestly, direct injection and some kind of hybrid system along the lines of what Ferrari has showcased might be enough to let them keep their AWD in every car.

Turbodiesel WRX 6-speed, anyone?

Boxer engines are unique. Performance oriented full time AWD systems are unique. Putting both in a compact package is unique. I can’t believe that CAFE regulations are seriously going to destroy this winning formula for Subaru. Just because most cars are boring without CAFE’s help doesn’t mean the few cars that aren’t have to be forced into mediocrity…… right? *shakes head*

Turbocharged hybrid system??