Kevin McNulty, editor of our sister magazine 4Wheel Drive and Sport Utility, catches up on mandatory peer review paperwork somewhere on the Iberian peninsula.
* So how's the new fullsize Tundra selling? We're getting mixed signals. Studies by J.D. Power are showing increased owner loyalty to the Toyota truck, and the researcher expects Tundra sales to nearly double, from 124,000 in 2006 to 210,000 in 2007. A survey by Autobytel also indicates that, among those planning a fullsize truck purchase, more consumers are interested in buying a Tundra CrewMax than an F-150, Silverado/Sierra, or Ram. However, Automotive News reports Toyota dealers are already incentivizing the Tundra, offering up to $3,000 cash back, depending on the model. (The CrewMax is the only Tundra not carrying some sort of rebate offer.) AN attributes the rebates to Toyota's eagerness to go toe-to-toe with the Detroit Three on fullsize truck sales. And, the trade paper says Toyota's rebates "pale in comparison" to the cash-back offers from the domestics.
* More Tundra bugs to work out: Automotive News reports that Toyota is having trouble adjusting Tundra production to buyer demand. There aren't enough CrewMax or 5.7L V-8 trucks to meet demand, while the two-door base model isn't selling as well as expected. Most vexing to Toyota dealers is the number of days the new trucks sit on their lots, waiting for a new home (which would explain the incentives mentioned above). Tundra buyers seem to be willing to wait for just the right truck with just the right options.
* George Bush is stepping up his timetable for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In his State of the Union address in January, he put forth a "20 in 10" program that would reduce gasoline consumption-and therefore greenhouse gases-by 20 percent in 10 years. In May he issued an executive order calling for "the EPA and the Department of Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture to take the first steps toward regulations that would cut gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, using my 20-in-10 plan as a starting point." Bush said he wanted "members of my administration to complete the process by the end of 2008," which would coincide with the end of his presidency. Bush did not call specifically for any change in fuel-economy legislation-for example, raising Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) levels-since he prefers "innovation" rather than a "mandatory system," said Tony Snow, his press secretary.
* Bush may not have mentioned a CAFE increase, but the Senate is considering just that. According to SEMA, the Senate Commerce Committee approved legislation (S. 357) to raise CAFE standards. If enacted into law, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would be required to increase the combined CAFE standards for passenger cars and light trucks by 4 percent a year. The current standard is 27.5 mpg for cars and 21.6 mpg for light trucks. The combined average would jump from 25 to 35 mpg by 2019. With that new level they are also debating the use of "off-ramps," or exceptions to the rules, "if they prove too costly or difficult to achieve," reports Automotive News. Environmentalists, of course, aren't happy that exceptions are already being considered, while the automakers (and SEMA) feel this plan is too aggressive and shouldn't be up to the Senate to decide. They'd rather that transportation experts, like members of the NHTSA, figure this out.