By Leftlane Staff
Wednesday, Jun 21st, 2006 @ 10:24 am

Led by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, four U.S. senators touted a proposal to drastically raise fuel economy standards by model year 2017. Called the “Ten in Ten,” the bill would require automakers to have a fleetwide fuel economy average of 35 miles per gallon in ten years. Feinstein also lashed out at U.S. automakers for their resistance to improving fuel economy. You know the automotive industry fought seat belts, if you can believe it,” said Feinstein, a Democrat. “If the industry doesn’t respond, doesn’t mutate, it’ll go just the same way the dinosaur went,” she added. “This is really a help to the industry. And I think stonewalling it, getting in a bunker mentality, fighting it doesn’t make any sense at all.” Jason Vines, a Chrysler Group spokesman, called the proposal unrealistic. “What we don’t want is to get something so technically ridiculous that everyone’s forced to buy a Fred Flintstone car,” Vines said. “If anyone could build an SUV that gets 40 miles per gallon, don’t you think we would? We’d corner the market. No one can do it, not the masters of the universe, Toyota , not BMW , Mercedes. It’s not technically feasible.”

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