| June 7, 2007 |  |
Auto Companies Spread Misinformation on Clean Car Discount Ahead of Vote
Statement from Dan Kalb, Union of Concerned Scientists
BERKELEY (June 6, 2007) - A Washington, DC-based lobby group representing Detroit's Big Three and six other automakers is running a deceptive advertisement regarding California's Clean Car Discount bill ahead of today or tomorrow’s Assembly vote on the legislation, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The full-page ad from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers appeared in The Sacramento Bee. The misleading ad mentions the surcharges the bill would place on new highly polluting vehicles, but fails to include information on both the rebates the bill would deliver on new cleaner vehicles and the many new models that would fall into a "zero band" where neither a rebate nor a surcharge would apply.
According to an article in today’s Detroit News, the alliance "may run additional radio or print ads later." (To see a copy of the ad, go to: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070606/AUTO01/706060383/1148.)
Below is a statement by Dan Kalb, UCS's California policy coordinator in Berkeley:
"This is another dishonest campaign from an auto industry willing to deceive lawmakers and the public on legislation that could save people money and clean up the environment. Just two weeks ago, the auto companies' lobby group aired misleading radio ads about federal fuel economy legislation. Just last week, the alliance came to California to speak out against the Pavley clean car law. Now they're lying about the Clean Car Discount bill. The automakers have fallen into a sad pattern of using lawyers and slick public relations tactics to fight good laws instead of using their engineers to build cleaner cars.
"Contrary to what the automakers say, the Clean Car Discount bill (AB 493) preserves consumer choice. To use the 2005 model year as an example, the Toyota RAV4 SUV would qualify for a nearly $900 rebate. The Honda CR-V and Ford Escape would qualify for rebates worth more than $300.
"Several minivans, including the Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country and Honda Odyssey would fall into the zero band. The Regular Cab version of the Toyota Tacoma pickup would also fall into the zero band, while the Ford Ranger Regular Cab pickup would qualify for a rebate worth more than $350.
"While the auto industry ad implies that there'd be a huge surcharge on a lot of vehicles, only the most highly polluting models, such as the Ford Excursion and Hummer H2 would incur the maximum surcharge of $2,500. The bill also waives surcharges for many small businesses, emergency responders, and low-income drivers.
"This is a bill that can make cleaner cars more affordable for everybody. California has been leading the way on smart environmental legislation and it's a shame that automakers are trying to drag us backwards. People want cleaner cars, not dirty tricks."
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
