In Michigan today, President Donald Trump called for a re-evaluation of strict fuel economy regulations set forth by the Obama administration. The move is seen as a major win for automakers, which had raised concerns that the rules would increase costs and threaten jobs.
“The assault on the American auto industry is over,” Trump said in a speech that aroused cheers from the audience of union workers. He also vowed that “any regulations we have protect and defend your jobs, your factories.”
Right before Trump took office, the EPA moved to lock in 2025 fuel economy standards a year before the deadline. After the election, a group of 12 major automakers asked Trump to roll back the rules. Ford CEO Mark Fields told Trump 1 million jobs could be at risk if new fuel economy rules don’t take into account consumer demand.
Originally, regulators mandated that automakers achieve an average 54.5 mpg by 2025, but they relaxed that target to between 50.8 mpg and 52.6 mpg last year. Now, automakers will have more time to fight the standards, as the review process could take about a year.
The review is not set to impact California’s right to impose fuel economy rules that are stricter than federal standards, a White House official told Reuters. However, the official wouldn’t rule out the possibility of that changing in the future.
A recent study funded by a group of automakers said that CAFE rules would increase vehicle prices $1,800 by 2025 and result in 150,000 job losses in 2021. However, consumers would save money on gas, and by 2031, a net gain of 150,000 jobs could be reached.
Source: Reuters
The post Trump Calls for Review of 2025 CAFE Standards appeared first on Motor Trend.
from Motor Trend http://ift.tt/2noLZzY
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire