Fewer miles aren't an option for some commuters

Don Carter would love to cut back on his driving. But right now that isn't going to happen.

"If I could I would," Carter said. "I commute to Eugene and I'm afraid driving less isn't in the cards."

Carter is typical of the customers at Ron Smith's Courtesy Corner Shell station on Pacific in Albany. According to co-owner Taylor Smith, the stream of cars has not slowed significantly since gas prices have been on the rise.

"Not yet anyway," Smith said. "Our gallons are the same at the end of the month that they have always been."

Regular is nearing $3.60 a gallon, and Smith expects it go go higher by summer.

Stations are not making more, though. Instead, changes in credit card rates have hurt station profits. Most company rates are running at 3 percent, he said.

"Sometimes the card companies are making more than we are. If it's not our card we tend to lose something."

Smith's customer base has remained constant, though he has noticed there are fewer fill-ups.

"We're running out there more often because people are buying smaller amounts," he said.

Carter is one customer who has made some sacrifices to the rising costs. He has abandoned his three-quarter-ton diesel pickup for a more economical ride to and from work.

"It's in the driveway," Carter said of his truck. "I've traded the better ride for the 35 miles per gallon compared to 18."

Jean Reynolds of North Albany has seen little change in her driving habits. She and her husband have even purchased a new SUV.

"We have to get the granddaughter to and from her practices," Reynolds said, smiling. "And we like to go to Oregon State softball and baseball games, so we haven't cut back."

Reynolds does admit that some changes may be on the horizon.

"We haven't decided but we'll have to see about our trip to Alaska this summer. It's something we do every year but I don't know … I'm sure we'll look closer at it."

Smith thinks that will be the trend as prices continue to go up.

"We'll see prices climbing this summer and that's when I think we may feel it more," he said. "People may not be able to go to Crater Lake or Idaho or anywhere. Everything is going to go up because of gas prices."

Government seeks higher standards for fuel economy

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's fleet of new cars and trucks will be required to achieve 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015, The Associated Press has learned.

Transportation Department Secretary Mary Peters was outlining the plan on Earth Day, setting a schedule that was more aggressive than initially expected by industry officials.

The plan responds to a new energy law pushed by Congress and signed by President Bush that requires the fleetwide average of new cars and trucks to meet 35 mpg by 2020.

New cars and trucks will have to meet a fleetwide average of 31.6 mpg by 2015, said a government official familiar with the proposal. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was not authorized to speak about the plan.

Under the plan, the fleet of new vehicles will be required to achieve 27.8 mpg by 2011, with passenger cars achieving 31.2 mpg and pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans reaching 25 mpg by that year.

By 2015, the efficiency of cars will be required to meet 35.7 mpg while the fleet of trucks would need to achieve 28.6 mpg.

The plan is expected to save $54.7 billion gallons of oil over the life of the new vehicles built between 2011-2015. It will add an average cost of $650 per passenger car and $979 per truck by 2015, the official said.

Transportation Department officials declined to comment on the proposal, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the Bush administration.

Automakers opposed increases to the regulations in previous years, but supported a compromise version of the legislation in Congress amid rising gasoline prices and concerns about global warming.

The regulations would require the industry to implement more than half of the fuel-efficiency requirements by 2015 and push them to build more gas-electric hybrid cars, diesel-powered trucks and SUVs and advances such as plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.

"These numbers are very challenging. They will stretch the industry to innovate in ways they haven't had to do in the past and will continue to set us on a course to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new autos,'' said Charles Territo, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Ford Motor Co. and others.

Amid rising gasoline prices and concerns of global warming, Congress sought the tougher standards, requiring the nation's fleet of new vehicles to increase its efficiency by 10 mpg from its current average of 25 mpg, or a 40 percent increase.

The new law represented the first major changes to the auto mileage rules in three decades.

The fleet of new passenger cars is currently required to meet a 27.5 mpg average, while sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans must hit a target of 22.5 mpg.

Members of Congress and environmental groups have pushed for higher standards, arguing that requiring vehicles to become more efficient would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the nation's dependence upon imported oil.

Democrats have said the fuel economy requirements will save motorists $700 to $1,000 a year in fuel costs and reduce oil demand by 1.1 million barrels a day when the more fuel-efficient vehicles are in wide use on the road.