Pew Campaign for Fuel Efficiency poll: nearly 90% support high fuel economy standards

The Pew Campaign for Fuel Efficiency (PCFE), a "public education campaign," has released details of a bipartisan poll which was conducted by The Mellman Group (D) and Public Opinion Strategies (R). The results of the poll are not surprising when one considers how Americans feel about the high price of gasoline. Nearly 90 percent of all who responded to the survey say that they prefer the toughest new fuel economy regulations which are being considered in Washington. If you read our site regularly, you know that a bill has already been passed in the Senate which would mandate 35 miles per gallon by 2020 for all vehicles, while competing bills are being considered in the House. There are three bills which have varying numbers of co-sponsors and are not likely to be voted on until after August.

Michigan's John Dingell (D) is one of the more vocal proponents to the bill with the lowest fuel mileage requirements, and Michigan's 15th congressional district also posted the least support for the bill with the highest fuel mileage standards. But still, even in that district, 84 percent of respondents favor those toughest standards. The PCFE website breaks down the entire survey, and you can find it here. If the public can agree that they want higher fuel mileage standards, the next step would be to agree on how to achieve them, which is the a much tougher issue, and one that the automakers will likely grapple with. Whatever solution proves the winner, consumers will surely be the beneficiaries.

[Source: Pew Campaign for Fuel Efficiency]