How do the New Fuel Efficiency Standards Compare with California and Europe?

It looks like Canada will be adopting the new U.S. Corporate Fuel Efficiency Standards. It's fashionable to say "too little too late" but I won't since these standards are a significant improvement on our current standards. I will point out, however, that since auto makers don't tend to make vehicles specifically for Canada unless they have to, these standards will probably have no effect compared to doing nothing at all, and that since these standards are already law in the U.S. before a minister even announces that the government is considering introducing a bill in Parliament, it could hardly be introduced any later. The fact that this is about as little and as late as could be achieved does not necessarily make it too little or too late. In Canada energy regulators aren't expected to demonstrate leadership.

The standard will apparently be for an average fuel economy of 6.7 L/100 km within 12 years. Not bad considering that the current fleet average for cars and light duty trucks is about 11 L/100 km. Which light trucks are and aren't included in the figures makes a big difference. Current (voluntary) Canadian standards don't include trucks.

The current Memorandum of Understanding with auto makers in Candad is for an absolute reductions in total emissions by all light-duty vehicles including cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks, and given increases in population and vehicle kilometres driven this would require massive improvements in average fuel efficiency. The California standards (as soon as California wins yet again in the Supreme Court) would reach 6.16 L/100 km in 2012, exceeding Canada's 2020 6.7 target eight years earlier. Quebec has announced that it intends to adopt the California standards.

The European Union has a 2008 requirement of 140 g CO₂/km, or about 5.8 L/100 km. The new standards are achieveable, and even with the aggressive new standards, Canada will be trailing behind most of the rest of the world in years to come.

Tags: Transportation Energy Canada Fuel Efficiency

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