Cash For Clunkers: Family Unfriendly?

There’s an unfortunate wrinkle in the Federal Cash for Clunkers proposals. As proposed, the programs discriminate against large families.

The Clean Car Rebate Act of 2009 (H.R.1808) offers a modest sliding scale of rebates for vehicles that have a combined average of 28 miles per gallon (MPG) or more.

That’s all well and good for folks that can get by with a vehicle that fits into those criteria. A compact four passenger car should have no problem averaging 28 MPG.

But what about families that need to transport five or more people safely and comfortably? How many vehicles qualify for the program?

Under this proposal, large families will not receive funds to purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle that fits their needs … because the criteria for qualification is flawed.

One solution might be to fund swaps with a specific vehicle-by-vehicle MPG improvement qualification threshold. For example, a 6 MPG improvement threshold might provide a rebate for folks swapping a Ford Expedition for a Ford Flex.

Take a look at the vehicles that currently qualify for H.R.1808 (as initially proposed) and envision how six people would fit into any one of them. Then, consider how many of these vehicles are built in the United States.

This bill while well-intentioned, needs tweaks …

2009 Cars – 28 MPG or Higher