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Lowering Fuel Economy Standards Not As Easy As Trump Thought

Aug. 13, 2018 4:10 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Government / 43 Comments Knowbody knew how difficult fuel economy could be. Whether we like it or not, it appears the US has now entered a massive legal battle over fuel economy standards that we at CarBuzz have dubbed 'The MPG Wars.' This all began when the Trump administration announced rollbacks of Obama era fuel economy targets that required automakers to reach fleet MPG averages of 50 mpg by 2026. The rollback was meant to help automakers meet a more realistic goal of just 35 mpg, which would help companies avoid expensive R&D costs associated with hitting the 50 mpg target. Automotive News reports that the Trump Administration will now have to face legal hurdles to prove that these rollbacks will be beneficial. The White House already faces opposition from state and local governments, environmental interest groups, and even the automakers themselves. It may seem surprising that automakers would oppose rollbacks that are designed to help cut their development costs, but most automakers have already invested towards creating more fuel-efficient technologies. Mazda, for example, is well underway with tests on its new SkyActiv-X engine that will power the next-generation Mazda 3. There will also be a further battle between California and the White House as the Trump administration seeks to strip away the state's power to set its own emissions and efficiency standards under the 1970 Clean Air Act. Cara Horowitz, co-director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the UCLA School of Law, explained that the Trump administration "is going to have to justify to a court why it's changing its position because the rule was put in place after a robust administrative process and record. It's often harder to justify a changing of a position than the taking of a position because you have to overcome the presumption that the rule was right in the first place." Basically, it was easier for Obama to prove that these changes were necessary than it will be for Trump to prove that in fact, they were not. One thing is for sure, these fuel economy rollbacks are far from being set in stone. Let the MPG wars begin. Suzuki

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Mazda 3 Sedan Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top