President Donald Trump officially announced he will order the Environmental Protection Agency to reopen a review of the 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy figures put in place by the Obama administration in 2011, according to Automotive News.
The president cited a push to keep jobs in the U.S. and stated, “We’re going to work on the CAFE standards so you can make cars in America again. There is no more beautiful sight than an American-made car.”
Trump made the announcement to various automotive manufacturer executives including Ford CEO Mark Fields, GM CEO Mary Barra, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz and others.
The reopening of the review does not mean the CAFE targets for 2025, which call for a fleet-wide fuel economy average of 54.5 mpg, will be reversed, but it gives automakers precious time to lobby the EPA for a reversal.
Automakers have stated the standards are out of touch with the market, as Americans purchase more utility vehicles and shift away from small cars, and have said meeting the standards will increase the price of new cars and cost jobs.
The EPA has estimated the cost to hover around $33 billion for automakers to meet the standards but would make for fuel savings and energy security of $98 billion in benefits, per the report.
While automakers cheer, many groups are (surprise!) not happy with the announcement. Democrats and environmental groups blasted the decision after the EPA completed a two-year-long review of the CAFE standards.
In the end, though, the president was not concerned, as it boiled down to one word again: jobs.
“If the standards threaten auto jobs, then common sense changes could have and should have been made. We are going to ensure any regulations we have protect and defend your jobs,” Trump said. “We’re going to be fair.”
Comments
No comments. Interesting.
I think CAFE is to blame for people forcing to buy CUVs. CAFE killed station wagons and I’m afraid it’s killing family sedans.