Why
pick on Toyota, I thought it was a “green” company?
Bluewater Network seriously questions Toyota’s
commitment to the environment.
While acknowledging its leadership in bringing us the high mileage Prius,
we are holding Toyota accountable for its actions that undermine environmental
progress at both the State and federal levels, as well as for Toyota’s
failure to increase fuel mileage in its latest hybrids.
Toyota is part of a group
of automakers quietly stifling efforts in Congress
to raise national fuel mileage standards for passenger vehicles.
Despite high gasoline prices and fuel shortages, Toyota’s lobbyists
continue to fight against the most minimal proposed national fuel efficiency
standards.
Toyota
is part of a group of automakers suing to overturn California’s
important new law to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from vehicles.
Despite recent signs heralding the coming of global warming, including
melting glaciers, higher global temperatures, and severe storms and
hurricanes, Toyota continues to litigate against the world’s
first law to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from vehicles.
California’s
global warming law will not bankrupt Toyota or require impossible
engineering; nor will it reduce the type or size of vehicles that
can be sold. The State of California has demonstrated that the required
greenhouse gas reductions can be achieved with off-the-shelf technology
available today, including variable valve timing, continuously variable
transmissions, cylinder deactivation. The
requirements of the law can also be achieved through alternative fuel
vehicles. When implemented, these requirements will save car buyers
money over the life of their vehicle due to reduced gasoline use.
At least 10 states are currently working to adopt California’s
laws, so the reductions in greenhouse gas pollution that will be achieved
by this law, if allowed to go into effect, are dramatic.
Toyota’s latest
hybrids do not offer better gas mileage than their nonhybrid counterparts.
As reported
by various auto reporters who test drove Toyota’s latest hybrids,
instead of increasing fuel mileage, Toyota has used its hybrid technology
to increase the horsepower and acceleration ofthese cars over the
same non-hybrid models. We have heard the same from various members
of the public who have been disappointed by the fuel economy of their
new Highlander and
Lexus hybrids.
Toyota itself
admits the negligible fuel efficiency increase of the Highlander:
“Head to head, driven under identical conditions, it could be
expected that the hybrid would always get at least 1 mile per gallon
better than the gasoline V-6.”
Toyota’s
fleetwide fuel economy is lower today than it was 20 years ago.
Fleetwide fuel
mileage must dramatically increase if we are to prevent further global
warming and avoid the disruptions to our economy and lives that global
warming will cause. Higher mileage is also necessary to help car buyers
deal with increasing gas prices.
Despite
increasing sales, the Prius accounted for less than 2% of the company’s
total car sales in 2004.
Approximately
47% of Toyota’s sales in the U.S. are of light trucks and SUVs.
Toyota makes the Land Cruiser SUV (17 mpg on the highway); Sequoia
SUV 18 mpg; 4Runner SUV (21 mpg), and Tundra Double Cab (18 mpg).
We recognize
that vehicles, including Toyota’s, have become more efficient
over the years -- providing more power and larger vehicles without major
decreases in fuel efficiency. But increased efficiency in the form of
more power, more acceleration, and larger cars doesn’t
solve the worldwide problems of growing fuel shortages and melting glaciers.
Only increased gas mileage will help.
Aren’t
other companies as bad as Toyota? Why not pick on them?
Yes, other companies
are following some of the same anti-environmental strategies as Toyota.
But as the current leader in hybrid technology, Toyota will set the
pace for other automakers to follow when introducing their own hybrid
product lineups. That means if Toyota chooses to increase performance
rather than fuel mileage, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, and other
automakers are sure to follow.
No.
Environmental benefits depend on how automakers use hybrid technology.
Hybridization can
be used to increase fuel mileage, like Toyota’s Prius. But it
can also be used to increase horsepower and acceleration, like Toyota
has done with its two recent hybrids.
Shouldn’t
we be applauding Toyota, since they developed hybrid technology?
We
do applaud Toyota for bringing us the Toyota Prius. But we don’t
agree that, because of the Prius, the public must accept Toyota’s
anti-environmental actions, or that we should be grateful for even the
most minimal fuel efficiency improvements in other hybrids.
Toyota has the technology
to dramatically increase fuel mileage in all of the vehicle models it
sells – without reductions in performance.
Why
do federal fuel mileage ratings show the Highlander as more efficient
than its non-hybrid counterpart?
Although
federal fuel mileage ratings do show the Highlander and the Lexus RX
400h as being more fuel efficient than their non-hybrid counterparts,
these federal estimates were proven wrong in real-world driving tests.
Bluewater Network has filed a petition to correct EPA’s fuel economy
estimates and the fuel mileage labels on new cars.
Why
not challenge EPA for its misleading fuel economy stickers instead of
Toyota?
Bluewater
Network has challenged EPA’s misleading fuel economy stickers.
In June 2002, Bluewater filed a petition for rulemaking with EPA, requesting
that EPA revise the testing and calculation procedures it uses to estimate
fuel economy in new cars. Bluewater’s petition pointed out that
fuel economy stickers consistently overestimate fuel economy, especially
the fuel economy of SUVs and hybrid vehicles.
The public comment
period on Bluewater’s petition resulted in over 55,000 comments.
The majority of public commenters stated that they experienced lower
actual fuel economy then set forth on the labels of their new cars.
Based on this overwhelming public response, EPA has agreed to accept
Bluewater’s petition and to adjust its fuel economy testing methods
and/or calculations.
A Proposed Rule is
expected to be available from EPA for public comment at the end of December.
Please watch our website or add your name to our list of people to be
notified when this occurs.
Aren’t
Toyota’s engines far more efficient today than they were 20 years
ago?
Yes.
Unfortunately, that efficiency has come in the form of increased horsepower
and performance features rather than increased fuel mileage. To prevent
continued global warming pollution and to wean this country off its
foreign oil dependence, we will need to double or even triple the fuel
mileage of today’s vehicle fleets.
Isn’t
it the public that is demanding bigger, more powerful cars? Why blame
Toyota?
Consumers
have traditionally shown little interest in fuel efficiency increases.
From 1975 -1985, car makers virtually doubled fuel efficiency in passenger
vehicles, but it took an act of Congress to do so. We simply cannot
rely on the public to create the vision for our energy future. Either
our elected leaders or the automakers must do so.
Unfortunately,
it is clear that the automakers will not take action on their own. The
auto industry fought vehemently against these earlier fuel mileage increases,
arguing that they would be put out of business, that cars would be unsafe,
or that peoples’ choices would be reduced. None of these arguments
proved to be true. Yet, Toyota’s lobbyists continue to make these
same tired arguments today.
Doesn't
Toyota have to sell large, fuel-inefficient SUV models to stay in business?
As gas prices continue
to rise, people are demanding more fuel efficient vehicles -- but not
everybody wants to drive a Prius. Car companies need to offer significantly
improved fuel mileage for vehicles in all size categories. This is the
best way to protect Toyota’s future profitability.
Technology is currently
available to significantly increase fuel efficiency without reducing
the size or power of vehicles. The State of California has demonstrated
that automakers can dramatically increase vehicle fuel efficiency with
off-the-shelf, non-hybrid technology, while saving consumers money over
the life of the vehicle. Adding hybrid technology makes even more dramatic
increases in fuel efficiency possible.
Although Toyota
has significantly reduced emissions of criteria pollutants from many
of its car models, these emission reductions do not include reductions
of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas pollutant from cars.
There is no technology
capable of feasibly reducing carbon emissions from vehicles. The only
way to reduce the discharge of carbon is to use less gasoline, or to
use alternative fuel sources. This is why it is so critical that Toyota
redouble its efforts to make cars that burn significantly less fuel.
If people are concerned
about the increase in storms like Katrina and Rita, they must urge Toyota
to act now to double the fuel economy of its fleet.
Toyota
says that it is pushing for national greenhouse gas standards. Is this
true?
Toyota’s
argument that it is pushing for “tough” national greenhouse
gas standards in place of state standards is news to us. Toyota has
not proposed or requested Congressional action on a national standard.
To the contrary, Toyota has a long record of working with the major
automakers to oppose increases in fuel mileage standards. For Toyota
to claim, in a recent Associated Press story, that it wants to improve
federal standards shows how far its rhetoric is from reality.
We would prefer that
Toyota tell the truth – they oppose fuel mileage increases federally,
and they also oppose any efforts – state or federal – to
mandate greenhouse gas reductions in vehicles.
When Toyota is serious
about trying to pass national standards, Bluewater Network will be pleased
to work with them.
Bluewater Network's mission
is to champion innovative solutions and inspire individuals to protect
the earth's finite and vulnerable ecosystems.
Bluewater Network promotes critical policy changes in government and industry
to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and eradicate other root causes
of air and water pollution, global warming, and habitat destruction.
