President Barack Obama outlined Tuesday the nation's first comprehensive effort to curb vehicle emissions while cutting dependence on imported oil, calling the plan an historic turning point toward a "clean-energy economy."
Joined in the White House Rose Garden by leaders of the auto industry and others, Obama said the agreement was a "harbinger of a change in the way business is done in Washington."
"As a result of this agreement," Obama said, "we will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in the next five years."
While requiring vehicle carbon dioxide emissions be reduced by about one-third by the target date of 2016, the plan requires the auto industry to build vehicles to average 35.5 miles per gallon.
While new fuel and emission standards for cars and trucks will save billions of barrels of oil, they are expected to cost consumers an extra $1,300 per new vehicle by the time the plan is complete in 2016.
Local auto dealers say many cars on the market already are close to the new standard for fuel efficiency, but they expressed concern about mandating big changes at a time when the auto industry is facing massive challenges.
"My feeling is manufacturers would like to do it," said Dean Christenson, a co-owner at Christenson Chevrolet, in Highland. "But do people want to pay for it?"
Christenson said customers are generally surprised when they ask about gas mileage on cars in his showroom, with much of the fleet already averaging better than 30 miles per gallon.
Local environmentalists on Tuesday were excited about the Obama administration's plan -- both because it includes goals they long have advocated and because of automakers' apparent support of the plan.
"It's certainly a big step in the right direction," Save the Dunes Executive Director Tom Anderson said. "It will significantly reduce greenhouse gas and other emissions because of the fuel efficiency."
At Napleton Cadillac, in Hammond, General Sales Manager Dan Keca said with all the other challenges facing dealers and manufacturers, it's hard to know what to say about Obama's ambitious plan.
"It's nice to think of 2016, but we're just working day by day here to do the best we can with sales, service and attending to our customers," Keca said.
Last week, struggling General Motors Corp. informed 1,100 dealers they would have to close or sell fewer brands by late 2010 as part of its massive streamlining effort. The day before, bankrupt Chrysler filed a petition in federal court to close down 789 dealerships.
Anderson said previous environmental initiatives -- such as reducing sulfur emissions from coal-fired power plants -- have often exceeded their original goals.
Anderson also held out hope the reduced emissions could help Northwest Indiana escape its EPA designation as a nonattainment area for certain types of air pollution. The region's nonattainment status is the reason for the much-resisted tailpipe test motorists submit to every other year.
Automakers with Obama at the White House on Tuesday expressed their support for the plan.
"We're all agreeing to work together on a national program," said Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
The plan, to be proposed in the Federal Register of pending rules and regulations, still must clear procedural hurdles at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department.
