CAFE Could Impact U.S. Car Mix

• SEE ALSO: CAFE Overview

Washington DC August 19, 2008; The AIADA newsletter reported that Automakers will resort to changing the mix of vehicles they sell in the United States to meet the 2020 deadline for tougher federal fuel economy standards, a panel of industry experts recently concluded.

"It's going to be a tough go in the 2011-to-2015 time frame," Ronald Krupitzer, vice president for automotive applications at the American Iron and Steel Institute, told Automotive News. "We may see remarkable shifts in the mix of vehicles that are produced in North America, especially toward the end of that time frame."

Krupitzer was part of a panel of industry experts that last week discussed using lightweight materials to improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to raise corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards 4.5 percent a year during the 2011-15 model years.

The rules are the first major step toward reaching 35 mpg by 2020 - about 40 percent higher than today. "It's unlikely that within that short time frame you'll get everything you want without some sort of shift in distribution," said panelist Michael Bull, director of technology-automotive at Novelis North America.