National Press Release

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- With the price of gasoline hovering around $4 a gallon, used and new SUVs and pick-up trucks plummeting in value, and OPEC warning that oil prices would experience an "unlimited" increase in the event of a military conflict involving Iran, consumer, auto dealer, vehicle technology, and national security experts weigh in on the Administration's failure to consider fundamental market and military realities, which render the proposed fuel economy rules obsolete.

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) will release a new poll on consumer attitudes about gasoline, oil dependency and vehicle choice. CFA will also release a new analysis of the impact of fuel economy on auto sales and product choices.

CFA Director of Research Mark Cooper, Auto dealer Adam Lee, Retired Admiral Dennis McGinn and Union of Concerned Scientists' Washington Representative Eli Hopson will address the only public hearing on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's proposed rulemaking and hold a telephone press conference during a break in the hearing.

    EVENT:
    PRESS TELE-CONFERENCE Four diverse experts identify key failures in
    Administration's response to the Energy Independence and Security Act

    SPEAKERS:
    Dr. Mark Cooper, Director of Research, Consumer Federation of America
    Adam Lee, Co-owner of 11 Maine auto dealerships
    Vice Admiral Dennis V. McGinn, United States Navy (Ret.)
    Eli Hopson, Washington Representative, Union of Concerned Scientists

    DATE:
    Monday, August 4, 2008 at 1:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time

    CALL-IN #:
    888-262-0101

Note: The press teleconference will be held during a break at NHTSA's public hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement of the proposed CAFE standards for 2011-2015, on Monday, August 4, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the National Transportation Safety Board Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC.

NO INFORMATION WILL BE RELEASED PRIOR TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE

Adam Lee is a third generation auto dealer and co-owner of eleven domestic and foreign dealerships in Maine.

Retired Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn, former Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Warfare Requirements and Programs at the Pentagon, former Senior Vice President for the Energy, Transportation, and Environment Division at Battelle in Columbus, now serves as CEO of high technology start-up Remote Reality.

Eli Hopson is the Washington Representative for the Union of Concerned Scientists' Clean Vehicles program.

Dr. Mark Cooper is Director of Research at the Consumer Federation of America, responsible for energy, telecommunications, and economic policy analysis. He is a Fellow at Stanford, Columbia and Fordham Universities.

Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is a non-profit association of 300 consumer groups, with a combined membership of more than 50 million people. CFA was founded in 1968 to advance the consumer's interest through advocacy and education.

SOURCE Consumer Federation of America