The US Is Ditching Its 'Too Tough' New Car Efficiency Targets
The United States Environmental Protection Agency is binning targets to decrease emissions and increase fuel economy by 2025, in a move that’s bad for urban pollution levels but good for car makers.
The Obama administration had worked hard to implement a national emissions target of 54.4 US mpg (65.3 UK mpg) by 2025. The rules meant that car makers’ model range average fuel economy would have to equal or better that – under threat of heavy fines.
Removing the targets had been threatened, and now the controversial move has been confirmed.
The move meant that a very quick shift to hybridisation and electric cars would have been necessary in the relatively diesel-shy US, and car makers argued it simply wasn’t enough time to develop and perfect new models at prices consumers could afford.
In a ruling that he then tweeted, EPA boss Scott Pruitt said that the Obama-era decision was wrong, saying that the targets will be revised but that the current bullseye will be scrapped.
Naturally, not everyone is happy about this. California is threatening to go it alone with ultra-strict emissions rules, risking a head-on collision with the federal authorities. And anyway, if the current administration is voted out at the next election, the rules might change yet again…
Comments
POLITICS ON CARTHROTTLE
OH BOY OH BOY :DDDDDDDD
no.
This is just reporting on upcoming car related legislations, no direct politics here
Now do the same in Europe and we might have a chance to get the sti back
They should be replaced with something sensible. Right now, the emissions targets are ridiculously tough for cars, which is leading manufacturers to make cars as large as possible in order to classify them as “light work trucks” instead which have far more relaxed requirements.
I remember Iacocca complaining about similar regulations around 50 years ago because the manufacturers were not able to share useful technology with each other due to antitrust laws, but in a country like Japan, it was encouraged because it helped to make meeting regulations cheaper and faster.
That 54 mpg goal was too much of a stretch. There should be a goal set, but that was always way too high
Hell ye boi
Of course California is the first to talk about going rogue… I live here, I know some of the people here.
Big win
Now I’m happy to be an American
Oh god look at all this political bullshit in the comments
How beautiful