LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Fuel economy regulations are rapidly driving up the cost of automobile manufacturing which in turn have priced many Americans out of the new car market. In PragerU’s newest video, The War on Cars, Lauren Fix, the nationally recognized female automotive expert known as the “Car Coach,” argues that the alleged goal of limiting global warming is merely a convenient guise for what is really a radical increase of the federal government’s control of American drivers and cars.
Fix traces the origins of the government’s animosity towards America’s car culture back to the 1970s when Congress first passed national fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks in response to the Arab oil embargo. Rather than let the free market dictate what cars consumers wanted to buy, these CAFE standards (short for Corporate Average Fuel Economy) mandated fuel efficiency requirements for automakers, and cost American consumers and car companies billions of dollars in the process.
Starting in 2009, the Obama Administration took an even more aggressive stance when they successfully passed new, more stringent CAFE standards. As a result, economists estimate a new car now costs consumers an additional four thousand dollars–robbing many middle-class families of the ability to purchase a new car.
Supporters of the Obama era fuel regulations often champion the production of smaller, electric cars because of their supposed environmental benefits. Fix debunks this misconception by pointing out the “unfriendly” reality of electric cars:
“Electric vehicles cost significantly more to operate over their lifetime…around $20,000 more… [and] electric vehicles produce three times as much toxic pollution as gas powered ones when you factor in the mining of rare earth minerals that electric car batteries require. And this doesn’t include the environmental consequences involved in ultimately disposing of these batteries.”
“Adding insult to injury, a typical electric car gets fewer than 100 miles per charge and can take 4 to 8 hours to fully charge the battery. So much for the freedom of the open road.”
Beyond just advocating for fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, several local governments are directly supporting the “anti-car” movement. The cities of Boston, Seattle and Arlington, Virginia discourage their citizens from driving by reducing the number of parking spots, increasing bike lanes, and establishing “car-free” zones in city centers.
Lauren Fix remains skeptical that fuel regulations will eliminate gas-powered cars or change the “American car experience” that began with Henry Ford’s Model T. She references current low gasoline prices, which have inspired Americans to drive more and buy bigger vehicles resulting in record-breaking sales of trucks and SUVs.
“Americans are explorers. We value our independence, and we’ve never been good at staying put, or being told where to go and at what time… So long as Americans still want to live in the Land of the Free, America’s car culture will never die.”
MEDIA NOTE: PragerU contributor, Lauren Fix is available for interview as is PragerU’s Founder, Dennis Prager and CEO, Marissa Streit. Contact: MediaInquiries@theKcompany.co
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PragerU, founded by Dennis Prager in 2011, is a not-for-profit organization that helps millions understand the values that shaped America and provides millions of Americans and people around the world with the intellectual ammunition they need to advocate for limited government, individual responsibility and economic freedom. In 2016 alone, PragerU’s videos received over 250 million views, a figure that will eclipse 350 million in 2017. PragerU is a resource for all who value liberty. It is a threat to all those who do not.
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