CA Car Costs To Rise $1,000 - $3,000

[jeffrey]

California air regulators Friday unanimously approved the world's most stringent rules to reduce auto emissions that contribute to global warming - a move that could affect car and truck buyers from coast to coast.

Under the regulations, the auto industry must cut exhaust from cars and light trucks by 25% and from larger trucks and sport utility vehicles by 18%. The industry will have until 2009 to begin introducing cleaner technology, and will have until 2016 to meet the new exhaust standards...

Automakers argued that the regulations would raise new vehicle costs as much as $3,000. But the agency's staff disputed that and said the cost would top out at about $1,000 per vehicle by 2016.

Gloria J. Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the industry trade group Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said no decision has been made on whether to challenge the regulations in court... [read more at usatoday.com]