Re: SUV

[Thomas Washburn <thomasw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

As much as any of us, I would like this SUV debate to
disappear, but I could not let this latest posting go
unanswered.

richard bies <bies@domain.elided> wrote:

> <IF> the restrictions on passenger cars are sound and
> required, because such vehicles are (were) the over-
> whelming majority of vehicles in high-density traffic,
> thus non-attainment areas, <THEN> it only makes sense
> that vehicles not meeting passenger-car emission stand-
> ards should be banned from high-density (rush-hour)
> traffic.  If light trucks are used primarily in the
> wilds of Wyoming, the pollution impact is trivial, and
> the exemption of light trucks is logical.

Which "passenger-car emission standards?"  The 1999 ones?
If these standards are the minimum permissible, then the
state should force owners of any conveyance not meeting
them off of our rush-hour urban highways, surely?  

How is it more useful to prohibit the 1992 Explorer and
allow the far dirtier 1972 GTV?  Because there are more
Explorers?  Why not ban EVERYTHING that doesn't meet this
standard?  That's even more vehicles!

It is no less fair to hold a 1972 GTV to 1999 passenger
car emissions standards as it is to hold a 1992 Explorer
to those same standards.  That is to say, it's equally
bogus.

If pollution is the problem, then ban the POLLUTERS.
Don't first divide the automotive landscape arbitrarily
and lop off the half that doesn't include Alfa Romeos.

My same comments apply to the safety issue.

> It is asinine to make a extremely small volume manufac-
> turer (Alfa) jump thorugh hoops over such requirements,
> while allowing millions of non-conforming vehicles on
> packed roads under such conditions.

An Alfa meets the passenger car standards for the year it
was manufactured.  An SUV meets the light-truck standards
for the year it was manufactured.  SUVs are not "non-
conforming."  If Alfa made an SUV, it would be subject to
the light truck standard.  Alfa cars were subject to the
exact same standards that applied to Ford Tauruses and
Honda Accords -- and smaller manufacturers, like Lambor-
ghini, for that matter.

I agree that the standards should be unified.  I disagree
that an arbitrary subset of current vehicle owners should
be subject to a revised standard.  Why not everyone?

And be assured that whatever emissions standard one devises
to get rid of old Explorers will surely take with it old
Alfas, too.

- - Tom

'82 GTV-6
'82 GTV-6
'91 164L

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