Congress Approves Cash For Clunkers
Last Thursday, Congress passed the “Cash For Clunkers” Automotive Stimulus Bill, marking a big step toward recovery of the automotive industry and an expected significant increase in fuel-efficient model sales.
The one billion dollar program, formally titled “Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program,” will provide vouchers, worth as much as $4,500, to consumers who replace old and inefficient “clunkers” with newer, fuel-efficient models. Vehicles purchased after July 1 will be eligible for the refund vouchers, which are administered through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Cars must be manufactured in model year 1984 or later to be eligible for the voucher program. Photo: Jalopnik.com
To qualify for the $4,500 refund voucher, old vehicles must get 18 miles per gallon or less fuel efficiency and be replaced with a vehicle representing a 10 mpg improvement in fuel efficiency.
Vouchers of $3,500 are available for drivers who choose a vehicle with a 4 mpg improvement in fuel efficiency, as well as for SUV and truck owners who meet other improved efficiency requirements.
Automotive dealers who receive the trade-ins are responsible for sending the vehicles to a disposal facility, where they will be crushed or shredded and recycled to ensure they do not end up back on the road.
Approximately 75 percent of the average car is recyclable, made of materials including steel, plastic, lead and rubber, among others.
Local car dealers have been the biggest supporters of the Cash For Clunkers bill, seeing an opportunity to boost business and regional economies heavily dependent on car sales.
The Department of Energy estimates a consumer driving a 30 mpg vehicle will save approximately $780 a year compared to a vehicle getting 18 mpg (calculated at $2.34/gallon and 15,000 miles driven/year).
Canada enacted a similar program this year, titled Retire Your Ride, targeting the estimated 25 percent of automobiles on Canadian roads manufactured before 1995.
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The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
Trey Granger
posted on June 26th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Yay for stimulating the economy. That’s a pretty good haul for old cars.
Jon
posted on July 16th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Have you considered that the manufacturing of a new auto creates more waste than
maintaining one that already exists? How is that good?
anne
posted on July 28th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
The program is not working. We have two old cars, one gets 12 mph and is too old, one gets 18 per EPA, neither qualify. This program needs to include up to 20 mpg on the old car and should include older cars
provided they are running, insured, drivable as ours are.
Instead, Ford, who got no bailout, has the Taurus’ excluded (18mpg) when they should be included. This could mean about 2 million car sales.
Why not have lesser amounts when the new vehicle is not so efficient?
Why have foreign cars to be purchased included at all?
Why are taxpayer dollars now going to Japanese manufacturers when we are bailing out GM?
Who wrote this bill?
sharlene&james Asaro
posted on August 3rd, 2009 at 10:09 am
How can we check on a 1988 Toyota van Le Broughan?