Consultations for the newly-proposed motor vehicle national fuel consumption regulations, as announced by Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, will end on Saturday, March 15. For one, the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) agrees with the framework of these regulations, which target all new cars and trucks starting in the 2011 model year.

For the CADA, complying with disparate, province-specific regulations is out of the question. It would be a nightmare for dealers, manufacturers and consumers. In the United States, the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations include a target of 6.7 L/100 km (35 mpg) for all vehicles to be sold in 2020. That's quite an ambitious goal, one that automakers will be hard-pressed to achieve. The CADA insists on the importance of conciliating Canada's plan with Uncle Sam's.

According to the organization, the Canadian government will have to make sound choices based on the fact that, compared to the Americans, Canadians are driving more fuel-efficient vehicles while living in a colder climate. A plan should also be put forward to remove from the road older vehicles, which produce up to 37 times more emissions than new ones.