Today the auto industry unleashed all its considerable lobbying power on senators in Washington, D.C. as an important vote on fuel economy standards was imminent.

There are two potential bills for consideration by the lawmakers. One would raise mileage requirements forty percent by 2020 and an additional four percent annually until 2031. In miles per gallon terms, the first goal would be 35 mpg with the final number at 52 mpg.

The other measure, backed by the major automotive manufacturers and the United Auto Workers, would soften the increases to just 36 mpg for passenger vehicles in 2022 and thirty for light trucks in 2025.

The basic position of the automotive lobby is that the higher fuel standards simply cannot be accomplished whereas the lower figures are reasonable and can be met without crippling an already troubled industry.

Political pundits figure that in the voting, which will be close, the fate of the standards question lies in the hands of about a dozen senators who have not yet solidified their positions. Many of those individuals represent predominantly rural states where the majority of their constituents drive either pick-up trucks or sport utility vehicles.

The list of automotive industry executives joining in on the effort is impressive and clearly indicates the serious of the issue for the industry: Tom LaSorda, CEO of the Chrysler Group; Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, Mark LaNeve, General Motors sales chief; Beth Lowery, GM environmental executive; and Steve Feinberg, head of Cerberus Capital Management among a host of others.