By
Greentech Lead Team:
The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) said that car buyers would
benefit from more information on how up-front fuel economy costs may pay-back.
At the
second of three public hearings on proposed fuel economy rules for model year
2017-2025 passenger cars and light-duty trucks, NADA director
and Delaware dealer Bill Willis stressed that fuel economy performance was
important but typically not high on a customer’s list of priorities.
“When
prospective purchasers come to my new vehicle showrooms, they rarely, if ever,
engage in upfront fuel economy ‘pay-back’ analyses. First and foremost, they
are looking for vehicles that meet their needs and that they can afford,”
Willis said at a joint hearing held by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
Philadelphia.
Dealers remain
concerned that new-car and -truck buyers may have difficulty seeing a return on
their investment as vehicle prices are expected to climb an average of $3,200
(EPA estimate) to $5,000 by 2025 as a result of fuel economy increases
beginning in model year 2011.
“Any
‘pay-back’ will depend on several variables, including the number of miles
driven and fuel prices,” Willis added. He noted that even customers
who are not credit-constrained and who care a lot about fuel economy need more
information on upfront costs to do a reasoned “pay-back” analysis.