Comment On Obama's Mandate For An Increase In Heavy Truck Fuel Economy

My posted comment to The Wall Street Journal Opinion, "Delivering a Greener Fleet of Trucks: The Obama administration’s new proposal will reduce fuel use, cut pollution and spur transportation innovation." by Indra K Nooyi and Fred Krupp:

Fuel efficiency requirements create manufacturer selling price distortion in the marketplace without actually changing total fuel usage. The more weight carried the more fuel used over a distance. Fuel efficiency is per vehicle, but not by vehicle equivalent cargo load.

Most material, engine and design changes that can increase fuel economy have already been achieved by normal marketplace profit maximizing forces. By mandating higher fuel efficiency, trucks and cars will get lighter by decreasing their overall size, carrying weight and engine power. More trips will be made to carry the original size load the same distance.

A truck carrying 10 tons of goods will be replaced by a fuel efficient truck carrying 5 tons. Two trips will be needed now to carry the same cargo as one trip before. Vehicle fuel efficiency increases but total fuel use does not go down.

Truck makers will increase prices so buyers buy fewer high cargo capacity trucks to satisfy mandate for higher mpg truck sales.