General Motors signed onto a letter along with 17 other automakers the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers represents that calls on the Trump administration to implement a national fuel economy standard, The Detroit Free Press reported Thursday.
The uncertainty in fuel economy and emissions regulations comes after the Trump administration proposed a freeze to rising fuel economy standards. The original standards, imposed under the Obama administration, called for a 54.5 mpg average by 2025. The proposed freeze would leave fuel economy requirements at 41.4 mpg for cars and 31.3 mpg for light trucks, or 2020 levels on the Obama-era plan.
Critics have long argued the Obama-era regulations are out of touch with today’s market conditions, which has seen trucks and SUVs surge in popularity.
However, automakers themselves have said the proposed freeze goes too far. Worse, it could create years of litigation between states and the federal government. Any lawsuits would create major uncertainty for automakers in the regulatory environment, which may derail plans already in place.
Specifically, the issue revolves around California’s Air Resources Board, or CARB. The state has long held a waiver to set its own emissions and fuel economy standards, which more than a dozen other states now follow. Should the Trump administration impose its federal freeze, it would infringe on California’s state rights, or so the state would argue in court.
GM and the other automakers urged the administration to find common ground to implement one national fuel economy to streamline product planning and provide certainty. California’s standards often churn out “compliance cars” since the state implements a zero-emissions vehicle mandate. In layman’s terms, automakers must sell a certain number of zero-emission cars to do business in the state.
GM’s signing of the letter also follows news that numerous large investors have urged the automaker to do more about emissions and fuel economy.
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Source: The Detroit Free Press
Comments
US Liberals: Internal Screaming intensifies.
Yes from a cost stand point and common sense stand point there should be one national standard .
The problem is the pockets of folks that will not work with those that are using common sense. Like California and NY.
A global standard would be even better but there are pockets out there that will not go with what would work for all.
The real motivator for GM is that they want a single weaker standard. Cheaper to comply with and requires less innovation. But that’s short sighted as other countries are moving towards ever higher efficiency standards that will make it harder for GM to compete with.
Actually they are fine with the strict standards at GM for emissions and MPG as they know the next election could ramp up the relaxed standards and jumping back and fourth just cost more money.
Hard to plan 10 years out if the targets are always changing.
just build them all to calif standards no matter what state they are sold in.
Or just sell California off……
This initiative of General Motors will remain as a shining example of other companies. The whole automotive industry will be benefited if this fuel economy standard is properly implemented. But the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has done a great job, no doubt. By the way, I am not from the automotive industry at all. Rather than you will find me on https://paperleaf.ca/research-paper/, a custom writing service provider. As a freelance writer of this platform, I mainly writer the class assignment of the college students. But I always love to know about the automotive industry.
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Great motivator!