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Posts tagged regulatory restrictions
Small businesses support stringent fuel economy standards
Sep 22nd
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, MPG, Legislation and Policy
Lawmakers continue to push for anti-regulation and automakers successfully fought to weaken Obama’s proposed 62-mile-per-gallon CAFE standard, but what do actual small business owners think of stringent fuel economy regulations? A new poll found that the vast majority seem to support 54.5 mpg.
Take, for example, small business owner Adam Lee, chairman of Lee Auto Malls. His family sells vehicles in Maine and has been doing so since 1936. Lee says higher fuel efficiency standards will bring in loads of business, noting that “people want the best gas mileage they can get because it saves money – stronger fuel economy requirements will help me give them that mileage and they’ll in turn give me more business.”
The poll in question was released this week by Small Business Majority and found that 87 percent of small business owners support federal action to increase fuel efficiency and 80 percent would stand behind a CAFE standard of 60-plus mpg by 2025.
Higher CAFE standards require more (or at least changed) regulation. But there is a strong anti-regulation push among political conservatives in the U.S., who often claim that regulation “kills jobs.” Is this accurate? Not according to small business owners. A mere 13 percent of owners surveyed in the poll claim their business suffers most from regulatory restrictions, so most entrepreneurs believe the burden of our current economic situation could be lessened if dynamic policies, not only in regards to fuel efficiency, are implemented.
Now, then, who produced this poll? Small Business Majority calls itself “an advocacy group founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing small businesses today” but, back in 2009, the New York Times claimed Small Business Majority had “all the hallmarks of shadowy interest group.” You can read all about the group here.
Continue reading Small businesses support stringent fuel economy standards
Small businesses support stringent fuel economy standards originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Spy Shots: Next-gen Dodge Viper mule caught wearing new front end
Aug 14th
Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, Dodge
It’s one thing to quietly anticipate the arrival of something exciting. It’s quite another when you can actually see it coming, so here’s a batch of spy shots showing the next-generation Dodge Viper under development.
Don’t get too excited, though, because there’s little to see from this early test mule. It’s largely wearing the bodywork from the last Viper, and what’s new is heavily disguised. What we can tell is that the headlights stretch back farther over the hood than the previous model, above the updated crosshair grille now in use across the Dodge model range. The placement of the air scoops and hood louvers appear different, and from what we can see at least, the front end seems to be more refined than its brutish predecessors.
Of course, it’s what’s behind that new front end that counts. It may be too early to say if the V10 will return of whether regulatory restrictions will force Chrysler to go with something slightly more “responsible,” but you can bet it’ll have more electronic nannies in place, and if the rapidly-integrating Fiat/Chrysler empire plays its cards right, Dodge’s Italian sisters could bring some experience to bear. And that can’t be a bad thing.
Next-gen Dodge Viper mule caught wearing new front end originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Aug 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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