The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a stand against “out of control” regulations for greenhouse gas emissions. In April, the agency announced it would lower greenhouse gas emissions standards for model year 2022-2025 cars and light trucks, thereby repealing more stringent regulations established in 2012 under the Obama administration. The EPA will now collaborate with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to create new standards which will later be released for public comment.
The current standards require automakers to enhance fuel efficiency to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 – a twofold increase over fuel efficiency standards that existed beforehand. At the time, the EPA determined that the standards were reasonable and advantageous for the economy and the environment. Now the EPA has cited several reasons why it believes that existing emissions standards are no longer realistic. These include a drop in the price of oil, a decline in the sales of small vehicles in favor of larger vehicles such as SUVs, and the slow growth of electric cars. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has warned that low income consumers cannot afford to purchase new cars under the existing standards.
Automakers have publicly commented that they do not necessarily support a full-scale rollback of current standards. Ford Motor Company stated that it supports flexibility in the proposed standards rather than a wholesale revision. Similarly, Honda stated that it was not seeking relaxed rules for emissions limits. The automakers must be mindful of the environmental impact of their products while attempting to minimize costs when producing vehicles that comply with regulations.
However, manufacturers do advocate for standards that are consistent nationally – an issue that has caused friction between federal and state authorities. Specifically, California has enforced its own standards for emissions outputs since the enactment of the Clean Air Act. A waiver from the federal government enabled the state to establish its own thresholds. However, the EPA has recently suggested that it could cancel that waiver. California plans to combat any attempt to revoke its waiver.
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