The Car of the Future?

Ernest Istook / May 20, 2009

The Oldsmobile is gone, but the Obamobile is coming soon. The Obama Administration’s control over the auto industry has extended to designing our cars, as he announced harsh new mileage and emission requirements.

Obama’s claim that costs of a new car will “only” rise by $1,300 is attracting skepticism. If costs are higher, his claim that drivers will recoup the price through fuel savings will also prove false.

Meeting the new standards also means less capacity and less safety, possibly thousands more traffic deaths. A simple errand like a trip to the lumberyard gets complex if neither you nor a friend has a pickup, SUV or other vehicle that can handle more cargo than a grocery sack. The Associated Press reports that soccer moms will have to give up SUV’s and minivans; features like air-conditioning must be changed or sacrificed. (more…)