SYKORA: DEALERS ARE FRONT LINE OF THE CAFE BATTLE

NADA 2008 chairman Annette Sykora

February 11, 2008—Despite recent passage of the energy bill by Congress, the fight over CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) is just beginning, said NADA chairman Annette Sykora at today’s general session.

There are still plenty of unknowns being fought over in court and at the regulatory level, Sykora said. Ultimately, consumers will determine how successful the fuel economy policy is. “You can’t wave a government wand and make them buy a particular type of vehicle,” she added.

How automakers go about reaching the goal of 35 mpg by 2020 will determine what vehicles "we are selling and, therefore, our business future. That, of course, is of vital concern to dealers."

 “We have to maintain a dialogue with both manufacturers and policymakers to make sure that consumer needs remain at the center of product development,” Sykora said, urging dealers to get involved in the debate.

NADA supports a single, coherent fuel-economy standard for the entire country, not a confusing and costly state-by-state approach, she added.

NADA 2008 Chairman Annette Sykora speech (pdf)

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