US vehicle fuel efficiency to rise

The Trump administration issued a final rule Mar. 31 that increases requirements for automotive fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas limits over the next 6 years, but the rule is notably less demanding than what the Obama administration required.

The rule on fuel economy and tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions will increase the stringency of the requirements by 1.5% each year for the 2021-2026 model years. When the rule was proposed in 2018, the rule would have frozen standards at 2020 levels rather than raising them.

The rule is less than the 5% improvements in standards year-on-year that the previous administration issued in 2012 for the 2021-2026 period.

The final rule was issued by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Safety and economics stressed

In statements accompanying the new rule, the agencies stressed safety and economic considerations. The rule will make newer cars less expensive than they would have been under the previous rule, and will make it easier for more people to buy newer cars and other light vehicles that are safer, more fuel efficient, and less polluting, the agencies said.

 Over the lifetimes of vehicles built to the new standards, the country should see about 3,300 fewer crash fatalities and 397,000 fewer injuries than would have occurred otherwise, the agencies said.

 US gasoline consumption has held up in recent years despite stricter standards. Gasoline supplied to the US market in 2019 was about the same volume as 12 years earlier, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.

 Observers have noted in the past that a growing US population and increasing annual vehicle miles traveled—a measure of how much people drive—have tended to counterbalance improvements in fuel efficiency, as has a shift to larger personal vehicles.

Positive, cautious, harsh reactions

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association issued a cautious statement welcoming the rule’s requirement for 1.5% year-over-year improvements—a reflection of motor vehicle suppliers’ request for continued progress, according to the association.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, whose members include most of the top automakers, implicitly supported the new rule with a statement saying the 2012 standards “are no longer appropriate in light of shifting market conditions and consumer preferences.”

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has often sued the Trump administration over environmental regulations, signaled that more litigation would be coming as he denounced the new rule during a press conference.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, applauded the new rule for what he called “commonsense” standards, while Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the committee, had hard words for the rule.

“The so-called SAFE Vehicles Rule will not deliver safer, more affordable and environmentally friendly vehicles for American consumers,” Carper said. “In fact, it does the exact opposite.”

In the way of much modern politics, Carper tweeted his reaction, and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler anticipated it in a tweet of his own the previous day.

“We look forward to allaying @SenatorCarper’s concerns,” Wheeler tweeted. He said the rule “balances costs, safety and positive environmental outcomes.”