AbstractChina, Japan, and the European Union use weight-based fuel economy standards, whereas the US Department of Transportation favors footprint-based standards. In this paper we offer a way of reconciling these approaches. Weight-based standards tend to focus regulatory incentives on technology rather than downsizing, but they provide no incentive for weight reduction. Footprint-based standards, by contrast, motivate vehicle manufacturers to reduce weight without reducing footprint, but only to the extent that they are also motivated to increase footprint without increasing weight. Neither approach discriminates between beneficial and detrimental weight-changing strategies. However, the tradeoffs between weight and footprint can be circumvented by employing a weight-based standard, which does not create weight-changing incentives, in combination with complementary regulatory measures that would be focused specifically and exclusively on motivating beneficial weight reduction strategies.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Circumventing the weight-versus-footprint tradeoffs in vehicle fuel economy regulation


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2010-01-01


    Size :

    4 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English