Major Japanese Automakers Agree To New CAFE Standards
Toyota, Honda, and Nissan all support the White House’s revised CAFE standards, but still view market response as an obstacle.
All three companies dabble in hybrids or electric vehicles, so it’s less of a surprise that they’re willing to accept these higher standards. All three CEOs of their North American divisions have issued statements, to the extent that they see this increase as a challenge.
“Honda embraces this new challenge and we welcome the competition we will have with other automakers that will result from these new standards,” said John Mendel, vice president of sales for Honda America, “because it will benefit both our customers and the health of the planet.”
“Obviously, there is still a great deal of uncertainty as to how the market will respond and what vehicle technologies consumers will embrace, which is why we are rolling out and testing a range of alternative fuel options,” said Jim Lentz, president of Toyota USA.
“Nissan is a company built on innovation and we’re up to the task,” said Scott Becker, vice president of Nissan America, as he cited the Leaf and upcoming Infiniti M Hybrid as examples of Nissan’s “multifaceted approach to meeting consumer demand for increased fuel economy.”
More by Blake Z. Rong
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