Press: President Bush sounds the death knell for Corvettes and light bulbs

[Rob]

President Bush sounds the death knell for Corvettes and light bulbs

From The Times
December 20, 2007
Tim Reid in Washington

Two of America’s most famous products, the Corvette sports car and Thomas Edison’s electric light bulb, face extinction after a new energy law signed by President Bush yesterday.

The legislation, which is intended to reduce reliance on Middle Eastern oil, sets higher fuel efficiency standards for vehicles for the first time in 32 years. It requires cars and light lorries sold in the US to meet an average 35 miles per gallon by 2020, almost 10mpg more than current standards.

Industry experts said that the new efficiency standards, the most far-reaching for a generation, could kill off some famous American cars, including the Corvette.

Alisa Priddle, of caranddriver.com, said that she had spoken to executives at General Motors about the unveiling next month of the new Corvette ZR1. “They are saying this is probably the last Corvette of its type, as it’s been legislated out of use,” Ms Priddle said. “This is arguably the most iconic sports car in world, and a symbol of American carmaking.”

The legislation, passed by the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities, also requires a huge increase in the production of corn-based ethanol as a substitute for petrol, from six billion gallons now to 36 billion gallons by 2022. If that production target is met the measure could cut US oil use by 1.1 million barrels a day, about half the daily amount currently imported from the Persian Gulf.

The Energy Independence and Security Act also calls for improved energy efficiency on household appliances such as refrigerators, freezers and dishwashers, and a 70 per cent increase in the efficiency of light bulbs.

The law sets new efficiency standards that will phase out the incandescent light bulb, commercialised by Edison in the 1880s, by the middle of the next decade. The 100 watt bulb will stop being sold in 2012. Eventually household lighting will be based solely on fluorescent bulbs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Currently, fuel efficiency standards for cars are an average 27.5mpg, and 22.5mpg for light trucks, which include pick-up trucks and sports utility vehicles, the luxury large off-road vehicles that are particularly fuel inefficient.

The automobile industry lobbied vigorously against the legislation but, faced with such overwhelming majorities in both the House and Senate, embraced it yesterday. Environmentalists also praised it and predicted that small cars will have to made more attractive to the US consumer.

 

[Rob]

Somewhat related - Press Release from GM yesterday:


GM Statement Regarding EPA Decision to Deny Waiver to California

FOR RELEASE: 2007-12-19

GM is dedicated to providing a wide array of vehicle solutions to improve our nation’s energy security and address climate change. The EPA’s decision to deny California’s request for a waiver under the Clean Air Act hopefully will allow us to focus on meeting the tough, new national fuel economy standards set within the Energy Bill recently passed by Congress and signed by the President. By removing the disproportionate burden of complying with a patchwork of state-specific regulations that would divert our resources, automakers can concentrate on developing and implementing the advanced technologies in ways that will meet America’s driving needs across the country.

California ’s request to administer standards for motor vehicle emissions of CO2 are, in fact, fuel economy standards. The federal government has been and should continue to be the focal point of such requirements.

Furthermore, we are determined to work with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of California and others to enhance and increase the fuel efficiency and advanced technology of our vehicle offerings for consumers from coast-to-coast and in every state.

As we said in Los Angeles two years ago, GM wants to remove the automobile from the environmental equation and we are well underway in these efforts. For example, this coming year we will offer 8 hybrid models, 12 flexible fuel vehicle models, and the largest customer-driven fuel-cell test fleet in the world with Project Driveway putting more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicles on the road. We are also committed to developing more electrically-driven vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, and extended range electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt.

CONTACT(S):
Greg Martin
202-744-6285
Greg.a.martin@gm.com

Carolyn Markey
202-997-3537
Carolyn.markey@gm.com

 

[hzl6cm]

I just read an article in the latest Hot Rod magazine about GM's new turbocharged light duty diesel engine, in the article they quote GM as saying the the engine is designed to fit in any application that GM currently uses an LS series engine in - so this may be one solution to the 35 mpg issue. The engine features a narrow, 72 degree V with the intake and exhaust manifolds reversed so that the turbocharger fits right in to the V, like the supercharger does on the LS9. They didn't realse power figures, but said that the engine features a large amount of torque across a broad RPM range.

 

[Remo]

Hogwash

Mark my words. All this dooms day talk about the end of the Corvette makes
for interesting press for the car magazine writers - and that's about all. In the end GM won't kill the Corvette for a variety of reasons. They love the sales, it's a test bed for trickle down technology and the milage requirements will be met without sacrificing performance. Even though I'm so old I probably won't be around to find out if I was right - on this one I'm not too worried.
Remo:cool

 

[warren s]

The way things are going now in this country, I fear it will be of little consequence weather or not General Motors still builds the Corvette 12 years from now.

Though I hope they do.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Generally this thread is focusing on a valid belief but what will drive that belief coming true is not CAFE. In fact, those at GM Powertrain who developed the LS9 engine, admit that a gradual move of CAFE to 35 mph by 2020 will force change in the products like the Corvette but won't kill them or dractically decrease performance.

What GMPT and other car companies are more worried about is the the coming regulation of CO2 emissions.

A still CO2 limit will end the offering of 400+hp cars and trucks and will severely restrict the performance of just about all but cars having the least powerful engines.

You can figure that you've got to about 2012 before the good stuff will go away.

Order your ZR1s and Z06es now because after about '12, we're all going to be looking back that the "good old days" of the late-00s.

 

[Remo]

You can figure that you've got to about 2012 before the good stuff will go away.

Order your ZR1s and Z06es now because after about '12, we're all going to be looking back that the "good old days" of the late-00s.

Thanks Hib,
http://www.msghelp.net/showthread.php?tid=74463

Now we can add one more reason why the world, as we know it, will come to an end in 2012.

Remo:cool

 

[TODD L GRIFFITH]

The Corvette will survive as Corvette does. :L

 

[73shark]

Remember that these folks that are bringing us mandatory CFLs and 35 mpg are the same ones that gave us the two flush toilet. ad

As Albert said when you keep doing the same thing expecting different results, you're insane.

 

[redvett]

Yes Corvette maybe around but not as a ground pounder V8 think of it as a electric Corvette.

 

[KOPBET]

President Bush sounds the death knell for Corvettes ...

Congress passes the bill with a veto proof majority, but Bush is the one who sounds the death knell? Yeah right. :crazy

Blame your Congress first.

 

[Erik S. Klein]

I'm not buying any of the chicken-little cow-pies at this point.

My car, a 1972, was built at the entry point for the last round of serious automotive emasculation. A few years earlier the L-88s were tearing up the pavement with 500+ HP while the "best" car available in '72 had a 270HP big-block.

Fast forward to the early 1990s and we had the first ZR-1s reclaiming "king of the hill" status for GM.

Now we've got three tiers of Vette. 430 HP at the base, 505 HP in the middle and 620+ at the top end.

Sure these regs will probably hurt performance for a bit but look for a 2029 fusion/plasma hybrid Vette with 0-160 times in the sub 1 second range. Just don't let your anti-grav fail or your brain will be a slushy puddle at the back of your skull!

 

[grapeknutz]

They can pry my Corvette from my cold dead hands

 

[TurboLuigi]

The above discussions plus the looming world economic situation helped me pull the trigger this summer to get ahead of the curve - ordering a 650HP 2008 Callaway C16.

Just like we went through a similar automotive performance "Winter" back in the mid-70's which lasted over a decade, I expect the same to occur until electric, hybrid, or other alternative technologies are refined to the point of the current performance levels. The population explosion going forward may even do away with the need to return to the performance levels we enjoy today and cameras & tracking technologies continue to mature to counter the benefits of enhanced performance.

Unfortunately this will eventually affect the Corvette as it did in the mid-70's and early 80's whether we wish it to or not. The Corvette may not go away but I do not expect it to be able to maintain its currently announced performance levels too long. Its a matter of corporate economics, though I certainly hope that I am wrong.

-Luigi
:cool

 

[redvett]

Like i said there will be no ground pounders any more and a fusion/plasma hybrid Vette does not interest me.

 

[trs]

CAFE, and all that

The energy situation in the USA is a fiasco and has nothing to do with badazz cars like the Vette. I've been hearing these dire energy warnings since 1973! It has everything to do with manipulated markets and aggrevating foreign policy. The current prez is the biggest disaster to hit the USA in it's history, that's why I'm in complete agreement with Warren S above. I read car sites, especially this one to get away from all the news of rampant fraud on Wall St, Iraq, Gitmo and the rest of the reality that afflicts our great nation. I won't go further but I will remain updated on what's really going on and why.

In the meantime - 650hp, 600ft.lbs., 3350lbs.... Whew! Better have the driving capability to handle it!!!

 

[Rob]

They can pry my Corvette from my cold dead hands

My sentiments exactly.

 

[redvett]

Get ready for a rough ride because of the goverment adminstration in the 70's not going forward with energy savings. The USA should have had energy saving vehicles,houses,lights etc. why back in the late 70's. Now us Americans are going to pay for it catching up with the Europeans and the rest of the world. Big cars & trucks high energy usage will soon be a thing of the past starting in 2012.

 

[motorman]

this what happens when you put the libs in charge and if they win the white house in 08 this is nothing to what will happen; it is amazing that two states,calif and new york can dictate what the whole country can do but the repubs need a chance to win those states in 08 or they are history.. if bush would have vetoed this bill the conservatives would get skunked in 08 in the race for the white house. if a repubs win the house, senate and the presidency's this bill will go away.

 

[motorman]

this what happens when you put the libs in charge and if they win the white house in 08 this is nothing to what will happen; it is amazing that two states,calif and new york can dictate what the whole country can do but the repubs need a chance to win those states in 08 or they are history.. if bush would have vetoed this bill the conservatives would get skunked in 08 in the race for the white house. if a repubs win the house, senate and the presidency's this bill will go away.

if they do not you better be ready to drive you present corvette for a long time