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Washington - Congress Considers Cash for Old Gas Guzzler Vehicle |
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Cash For Clunkers Associated Press Congress is mulling a proposal to pay people to get rid of old gas guzzlers. It’s called the “Cash for Clunkers” program
Under legislation introduced in both the House and Senate and called the "Cash for Clunkers" program, drivers could get vouchers of up to $4,500 when they turn in their old fuel-inefficient vehicles for scrapping and buy vehicles that get good gas mileage.
People could also turn in their old cars for vouchers that could be used to ride public buses and trains.
The bill, said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., "would be an important part of helping getting America's struggling automobile industry back on its feet, and help consumers who are concerned about covering the cost of buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle."
Taking gas guzzlers off the road, added Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a co-sponsor, "would reduce our dependence on foreign oil, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate the economy."
The bill envisions the program operating for four years and encouraging the retirement of up to one million vehicles a year, saving between 40,000 and 80,000 barrels of motor fuel a day by the end of the fourth year.
Drivers would be eligible for reimbursement for purchase of a new or used vehicle with a fuel economy rating that exceeds federal targets for that class of vehicle by at least 25 percent. The vehicle must have a manufacturer suggested retail price of less than $45,000 and be a model year 2004 or later.
The vehicles turned in must be drivable, registered in the United States and have a when-new fuel economy rating of less than 18 miles per gallon.
In the first year of the program, a person trading in a vehicle that is model year 2002 and later would be eligible to receive $4,500 for purchase of a new vehicle, $3,000 for purchase of a used vehicle or $3,000 for transit fare credit.
For model year vehicles 1999 to 2001, drivers would get $3,000 for the purchase of a new vehicle. Those who trade in vehicles that came out in 1998 or before could get a credit of $2,000 for a new vehicle.
"This is an even better trade-in offer than they could get from any car dealership," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., also a co-sponsor.
A person could obtain no more than one voucher in any three-year period. Dealers and scrap recycling companies could also get payments of $50 per vehicle. Initial estimates set the cost of the program between $1 billion and $2 billion a year.
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Read Comments (23) — Post Yours »
1
Jan 18, 2009 at 09:53 PM Morons! Says:
If they want to stop the dependence on foreign oil, they should put their money where their mouth is and drill here & drill NOW!!
2
Jan 18, 2009 at 09:40 PM Anonymous Says:
I have a 74 Dodge Dart. Do you think I could get $2000 for it??
3
Jan 18, 2009 at 09:35 PM Use Your Head Says:
Brainless Democrats at their best! If these vehicles are really better and more economical, why not let the FREE MARKET get them onto the roads? Why does the government need to "push it"? What a bunch of morons.
4
Jan 18, 2009 at 09:34 PM Anonymous Says:
First good stimulus idea I have heard yet - however if you have a pre-1998 vehicle that runs well - the math doesn't work to break even on fuel costs.
If the car is a near junker it would work if the rebate amount increased.
5
Jan 18, 2009 at 09:27 PM Anonymous Says:
what else will they spend "our" money on
6
Jan 18, 2009 at 10:07 PM Anonymous Says:
since when is wasting tax--payer dollars constitutional?????????
7
Jan 18, 2009 at 09:59 PM Anonymous Says:
My van 85 crys I got it for 300 how much will they give me
8
Jan 18, 2009 at 10:44 PM Anonymous Says:
Hey i should tell my father to keep his 93 marquies! it'll be worth 2000 soon.
9
Jan 18, 2009 at 10:24 PM Bugsy Siegel Says:
Its a good way to stimulate the economy. It would encourage people to buy new cars.
10
Jan 18, 2009 at 11:11 PM say no to drugs Says:
“ My van 85 crys I got it for 300 how much will they give me ”
Noting!!!!!! I won't take it Evan if you pay me
11
Jan 18, 2009 at 11:08 PM Anonymous Says:
Would some liberal environmentalist out there please explain to me how trading in a gasoline-powered vehicle for an electric car will supposedly help the environment and fight global warming by reducing greenhouse gasses? Electric cars must be recharged -- and if this is done by plugging it in, you are increasing your electricity consumption greatly. Last time I looked, electricity does not occur naturally in nature but is produced in power plants -- and the vast majority of US power plants either burn coal or oil (both of them fossil fuels that increase greenhouse gasses). So for every meansure of carbon you do not put into the environment by buring gasoline in a conventional car, you are putting in a measure of carbon through increased electricity generation to power electric cars -- that is, unless you generate your electricity via nuclear power plants -- oh, but I forgot, nukeplants are even more dangerous, even though exactly zero people were killed in the supposed "worst ever" US nuclear power accident, Three Mile Island, which the wackos describe in the same kind of end-of-the-world terms they used to describe the Chernobyl accident in Communist Russia (where the plant was owned by the government, and thus not very will regulated by that same government, versus the privately owned TMI).
12
Jan 18, 2009 at 10:55 PM Use Your Head Says:
“ Its a good way to stimulate the economy. It would encourage people to buy new cars. ”
Bugsy, you do realize that the money for this program will be coming out of your pocket, right?
What would REALLY stimulate the economy is a "Cash for Clunker Politicians" program - we can pay all the sorry excuses for politicians $2,000 each to retire permanently, and get a fresh start!
13
Jan 18, 2009 at 11:52 PM Don't Know What to Do with taxpayers Money? Says:
They are not spending their own money.
They have a lot of OUR money and they have nothing better to do than look for gimmicks where to spend it.
If they thin bike lanes are so great why not force every American to sell their car and give every American $ dollars to purchase a bike?
14
Jan 19, 2009 at 05:53 AM yaakov Says:
#7 and # 8: I'll buy your old cars and make a fortune on the rebates
15
Jan 19, 2009 at 12:33 AM Anonymous Says:
the ones most upset are going to be the Arabs.
Less fuel consumption = Less money for terrorism
16
Jan 19, 2009 at 08:28 AM won't work Says:
“ #7 and # 8: I'll buy your old cars and make a fortune on the rebates ”
If they find out that you bought old cars after this announcement was made, for the purpose of rebating-you will Not get any rebates, and you will certainly get a hefty fine, and might even get some jail time. Please use your head before you act (or post)
17
Jan 19, 2009 at 08:42 AM Anonymous Says:
“ Would some liberal environmentalist out there please explain to me how trading in a gasoline-powered vehicle for an electric car will supposedly help the environment and fight global warming by reducing greenhouse gasses? Electric cars must be recharged -- and if this is done by plugging it in, you are increasing your electricity consumption greatly. Last time I looked, electricity does not occur naturally in nature but is produced in power plants -- and the vast majority of US power plants either burn coal or oil (both of them fossil fuels that increase greenhouse gasses). So for every meansure of carbon you do not put into the environment by buring gasoline in a conventional car, you are putting in a measure of carbon through increased electricity generation to power electric cars -- that is, unless you generate your electricity via nuclear power plants -- oh, but I forgot, nukeplants are even more dangerous, even though exactly zero people were killed in the supposed "worst ever" US nuclear power accident, Three Mile Island, which the wackos describe in the same kind of end-of-the-world terms they used to describe the Chernobyl accident in Communist Russia (where the plant was owned by the government, and thus not very will regulated by that same government, versus the privately owned TMI). ”
Simple answer.
Electricity is produced in massive power plants that are more efficient in producing energy than a car engine. Even after factoring in the loss of efficiency of the battery system it is still a bargain.
That is why people are clamoring for plug in cars.
You should also realize that different power plants have differing costd to run and when there is less demand, like at night, there is less demand so they can sell electric power at the cost of the most efficient plans, 3 or 4 cents per kwh.
If this catches on there will be a renewed push to have time of day metering.
18
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:38 AM koolchossid Says:
this is a nonsense
dealers are going to have ppl tied with the vouchers
1)car prices are going to increase
2) minimmum price for old cars is going to be $ 2000
iow ,poor ppl loose, buyers loose,everyone loose (or tax money is here) only good for new car dealers
19
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:33 AM Oy Gevald Says:
So we can expect junkyards to turn into used car lots courtesy of Uncle Sam. Gevaldig!
20
Jan 19, 2009 at 12:38 PM Consumers can never win Says:
“ the ones most upset are going to be the Arabs.
Less fuel consumption = Less money for terrorism ”
It's a myth that ANY energy efficiency methods, actually saves ANY consumer money.
Consumers never win because if for example, everyone conserves a lot of electricity, then Von-Ed gets less income and then they come back and they "cry poverty" to the Public Service Commission (need bailouts) and get to raise prices.
So you, the consumer, really didn't save not even one cent, in the end.
You only loose even more money, wasting it on energy efficient DEVICES but you pay DOUBLE when the prices go up.
Same is with the Arabs who could care less how efficient out cars are because they still make just as much money by simply jacking up the prices.
If your previous car used 1,000 gallons of gas last year and your new car uses only 500 gallons the Arabs just double the price and you pay double anyway.
You not only did not gain on the deal you actually LOST even more because you paid for a better car on the false assumption of saving money on Gas, but you never actually saved, not even one cent + you also lost an additional few thousand $ on the "more energy efficient" car, purchase price.
21
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:30 PM Anonymous Says:
“ If they want to stop the dependence on foreign oil, they should put their money where their mouth is and drill here & drill NOW!! ”
USA uses almost 25% of world oil production.(!) But the US has only 2% of proven oil reserves. Drilling more in the US will be a blip on the radar in terms of the overall GLOBAL oil price.
The way to lower oil price, and thereby lower the US's dependence on foreign oil , is by using LESS oil.
And the initiative we see here is a start. The next step is the Electric Car or the Plug-in hybrid. And that is the one reason (as a frum right leaning Jew) I see a positive in Obama. He promised 1,000,000 plug-in hybrids by 2015. Now THAT is how we get off Arab oil.
22
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:39 PM Anonymous Says:
“ It's a myth that ANY energy efficiency methods, actually saves ANY consumer money.
Consumers never win because if for example, everyone conserves a lot of electricity, then Von-Ed gets less income and then they come back and they "cry poverty" to the Public Service Commission (need bailouts) and get to raise prices.
So you, the consumer, really didn't save not even one cent, in the end.
You only loose even more money, wasting it on energy efficient DEVICES but you pay DOUBLE when the prices go up.
Same is with the Arabs who could care less how efficient out cars are because they still make just as much money by simply jacking up the prices.
If your previous car used 1,000 gallons of gas last year and your new car uses only 500 gallons the Arabs just double the price and you pay double anyway.
You not only did not gain on the deal you actually LOST even more because you paid for a better car on the false assumption of saving money on Gas, but you never actually saved, not even one cent + you also lost an additional few thousand $ on the "more energy efficient" car, purchase price. ”
On the contrary!
The reason the price went sky high in first half of 2008 is because of the vast energy needs of a growing China.
Once the economy dips, and oil use falls, so does the price of oil.
Therefore by lowering the US consumption of oil causes the price of oil to fall. If the Arabs try to retaliate by reducing production to push up the price, it will only spur on the the electric car revolution we are starting to see.
I see the Arab stranglehold of the world economy coming to an end with the electric and plug-in hybrid car starting to be mass produced. One example is the Chevy Volt. A “range extended” electric car due out in 2010.
23
Jan 19, 2009 at 10:31 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Simple answer.
Electricity is produced in massive power plants that are more efficient in producing energy than a car engine. Even after factoring in the loss of efficiency of the battery system it is still a bargain.
That is why people are clamoring for plug in cars.
You should also realize that different power plants have differing costd to run and when there is less demand, like at night, there is less demand so they can sell electric power at the cost of the most efficient plans, 3 or 4 cents per kwh.
If this catches on there will be a renewed push to have time of day metering. ”
One of the few posters on this site that knows what he is talking about.
We have a financial crisis, an Islamic terrorism crisis, an energy crisis, a nuclear Iran crisis, and a (debatable) global warming crisis.
EVERY one of the issues can is exasperated by our Saudi and Iranian (Venuzalian, Iraqi) oil ADICTION.
Electric cars and the plug-in hybrid car are, in my opinion, the quickest and easiest way to get off Iranian oil.
Second, Electric cars are CLEANER and CHEAPER to run than gas cars – EVEN if the electricity comes from mainly from coal. Source: July 2007 EPRI-NRDC Definitive Study: PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid) Will Reduce Emissions If Broadly Adopted