Scott Pruitt and EPA Scrap Obama Era Fuel Efficiency Mandates - Granite Grok

Scott Pruitt and EPA Scrap Obama Era Fuel Efficiency Mandates

EPAEPA chief Scott Pruitt just sent a message to consumers and car makers that he’s okay with them deciding what sort of fuel efficiency they want in a motor vehicle.

He just scrapped Obama’s Federal CAFE Standards.

In a statement, Mr. Pruitt said the program, known as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE standards, fell victim to politics during the final days of the Obama administration. He said his predecessors at the EPA rushed through rules governing fuel economy for model years 2022 through 2025, and that those rules simply aren’t realistic.

“The Obama Administration’s determination was wrong,” he said. “Obama’s EPA cut the midterm evaluation process short with politically charged expediency, made assumptions about the standards that didn’t comport with reality, and set the standards too high.

The Obama Era CAFE standards were absurd, forcing carmakers to manufacture cars people don’t want or can’t afford to meet some arbitrary mandate (probably) set by green-energy lobbyists.

“Consumer research shows that the monthly payment is the top concern when car-shopping. So, to ensure ongoing fuel economy improvement, the wisest course of action is to keep new vehicles affordable so more consumers can replace an older car with a new vehicle that uses much less fuel — and offers more safety features,” the group said in a statement.

Pruitt is going to work with the Department of Transportation to develop more appropriate “rules” or targets for 2020 and 2025. There is no indication what those rules could be, but I have a suspicion they will be very favorable to manufacturers and car buyers.

Which means this isn’t just another huge win for consumers. Cost savings could also mean more jobs in the auto industry. Unless you live in California. They have their own standards, and they are stricter than the federal mandates Pruitt just threw out. And California has no intention of changing them.

One more reason to get the hell off the Left coast.

 

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