US fuel standard rollbacks open for consultation

Donald Trump and Scott Pruitt, Chief of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have begun the process of weakening fuel standards for cars and light trucks in the US. The Corporate […]

Donald Trump and Scott Pruitt, Chief of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have begun the process of weakening fuel standards for cars and light trucks in the US.

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules are regulations intended to improve the average fuel economy of these popular types of vehicle and were originally introduced in 1975.

During the Obama administration, the CAFE rules were toughened and amended to call for an increased reliance on electric vehicles.

Earlier this year the EPA announced it would reconsider the Obama administration’s decision to make the rules permanent.

The Trump Administration has now opened a 45-day public comment period on the rewriting of the greenhouse gas standards for cars and light trucks made between 2022 and 2025.

Already this year, several countries said they would ban the sale of gasoline vehicles altogether within decades and several voices in the US media have suggested rolling back fuel standards could jeopardise the short-term future for electric vehicles.

Scott Pruitt, Chief of the EPA, said: “We are moving forward with an open and robust review of emissions standards, consistent with the timeframe provided in our regulations.

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