Industry News

News Headlines
Today's news in full
News Summaries
Syndication

22nd November 2006

A “strong and bipartisan” 78% of Americans want Washington to impose a 40 mpg fuel-efficiency standard for American vehicles, according to a new Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) national opinion survey released on November 21 by the non-profit and self-proclaimed non-partisan Civil Society Institute (CSI).

A “strong and bipartisan” 78% of Americans want Washington to impose a 40 mpg fuel-efficiency standard for American vehicles, according to a new Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) national opinion survey released on November 21 by the non-profit and self-proclaimedly non-partisan Civil Society Institute (CSI).

Other key findings of the ORC survey include:

- Nine out of 10 Americans expect gas prices to go up "in the near future," with 46% "definitely" expecting a resumption of higher fuel prices.

- 70% of Americans are not turning their back on fuel-efficiency concerns and say that they are factoring "expected future gasoline price increases into consideration in thinking about buying a new vehicle."

- Temporarily lower gasoline prices are not sending large numbers of Americans rushing back to ‘gas-guzzling’ SUV and trucks. In fact, 45% of Americans are now more likely to buy a "hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle" than they were six months ago, compared to 30% who are unchanged in their plans and 24% who are less likely to make such a purchase.

- Most Americans think Detroit is to blame for its current woes. Respondents were asked: "Do you agree or disagree that U.S. automakers have generally been blind to U.S. consumer needs and tastes by focusing so heavily on fuel-inefficient SUVs and trucks while European and Japanese automakers have focused their efforts on vehicle design and/or improved fuel efficiency?" 76% agreed with the statement, compared to 22% who disagreed.

- White House pressure for Detroit to take up such innovations reducing "energy consumption and related global-warming pollution" is backed by 85% of Americans, including 58% who would strongly support such pressure by President Bush.

- Most Americans think "President Bush and Congress could help U.S. automakers be more competitive by increasing the federal fuel-efficiency standard to 40 miles per gallon." Such a move is supported by 78% of Americans, including 45% who back it strongly.

- Most Americans agree that "President Bush and Congress should provide incentives -- such as helping to lower health care costs for autoworkers -- in exchange for increased investments by Detroit car makers in fuel-efficient technologies to reduce energy consumption and related global-warming pollution." Two thirds of Americans support this step, compared to less than a third (31%) opposing.

- When respondents were asked: "Would you say that U.S. or Japanese automakers are in the lead when it comes to hybrid technology and other more highly fuel-efficient technologies to reduce energy consumption and related global-warming pollution?" Half said Japan was in the lead, compared to only 6% who put the U.S. in the pole position. Slightly more than a third (36 percent) see the U.S. and Japan as being roughly neck and neck.

- Almost all Americans want Detroit to start selling here at home the more fuel-efficient vehicles that they make or sell overseas – but not in the U.S. The survey notes that "American automakers produce or sell dozens of car models that achieve over 35 mpg but are not made available to consumers here in the United States. Do you think Detroit carmakers should be encouraged to make available here at home the more fuel-efficient cars they are currently only selling abroad?" 90% of respondents said "yes," including 60% who said "definitely yes."

Results were based on telephone interviews with a sample of 1,016 adults (509 men and 507 women) age 18 and over, living in private households, in the continental United States. during the period November 9-12.

For full survey findings, go to http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org/.