E.P.A. Prepares to Roll Back Rules Requiring Cars to Be Cleaner and More Efficient

[Cattledog]

Source: NYT

The Trump administration is expected to launch an effort in coming days to weaken greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards for automobiles, handing a victory to car manufacturers and giving them ammunition to potentially roll back industry standards worldwide.

The move — which undercuts one of President Barack Obama’s signature efforts to fight climate change — would also propel the Trump administration toward a courtroom clash with California, which has vowed to stick with the stricter rules even if Washington rolls back federal standards. That fight could end up creating one set of rules for cars sold in California and the 12 states that follow its lead, and weaker rules for the rest of the states, in effect splitting the nation into two markets.

Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is expected to frame the initiative as eliminating a regulatory burden on automakers that will result in more affordable trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles for buyers, according to people familiar with the plan.

An E.P.A. spokeswoman confirmed that Mr. Pruitt had sent a draft of the 16-page plan to the White House for approval.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/climate/epa-cafe-auto-pollution-rollback.html?&hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

[Freethinker65]

1. MAGA. Make Asthma Great Again

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Pruitt should be in jail with a one way ticket to Hell

So much progress erased at the behest of one person with too much power

Decades of bipartisan legislation and science

Demagogues

[Liberalagogo]

3. Well one thing we don't need

is anything clean and efficient.



Shithole is indeed the most pathetic "person" who ever existed.

[Voltaire2]

4. it is just so fucking stupid.

[Phoenix61]

5. How stupid

Other countries didn't want our gas guzzlers years ago and neither did we. Japan happily filled the gap we could have filled if the US auto industry hadn't been asleep at the wheel.

[snort]

6. Dear GM, Ford and Chrysler:

If you fail to implement the upcoming standards for new emissions, whether they are rescinded by the current Administration or not, then I will fail to buy your product. Understand?

[Maxheader]

21. A wish that all americuns follow you in this...

[Cryptoad]

7. Clean Air,,,,, we dont need no stinking Clean Air!

[procon]

8. Consumers want to spent more money buying gas for their cars, is that right?

Consumers want to be stuck in traffic behind cars belching clouds of toxic exhaust fumes, of course they do! This looks like another slap to California. Sure, we might love our cars, freeways not so much, but I don't want to buy a car that's going to unnecessarily cost me more at the gas tank just to salve Trump's ego.

[MichMan]

9. Why are those consumers shunning ZEV for trucks and SUV then?

The problem is that consumers are shunning hybrid and electric vehicles for large trucks and SUV.

[TryLogic]

11. As usual, Americans are stupid.

[procon]

12. I can't validate your assertion.

While every community is different, what you see out your window does not reflect the norms everywhere else. Even if I wanted to buy a new truck or an SUV, I would still look at the gas mileage. It makes no sense to pay more money to drive an efficient gas guzzler when competitive brands offer real money savings that I can better spend elsewhere.

[LanternWaste]

16. Electric and hybrids are both steadily and consistently gaining in market share every quarter.

Electric and hybrids are both steadily and consistently gaining in market share every quarter.

It then seems your "shun" is both premature and inaccurate.

[MichMan]

23. Under 3% of total sales are Hybrid and electric

Last edited Fri Mar 30, 2018, 11:06 PM - Edit history (1)

In spite of paying people $7500 to buy them, they still don't sell.

Crossovers, Pickups and SUV comprise over 60% of all vehicle sales.

How do you expect automakers to meet fuel economy standards if consumers are not cooperating and buying them. One solution would be to increase gas taxes $1 or more a gallon or massive increases in registration fees for trucks and SUV. Haven't found any politicians wanting to propose that as a solution, can't figure out why not?

[MichMan]

25. Prove it with sales numbers that sales of hybrids and electrics are increasing steadily every month

[BigmanPigman]

10. I wonder if the states who don't support the regulation

also have no ACA subsidies for when you get sick from the pollution.

[winstars]

13. "more affordable trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles" BECAUSE WHY? IS THIS A PROBLEM NOW?

[Xolodno]

14. Bet you in those board room meetings...

...they are saying this is only a temporary delay, so don't plan long term on easier mpg regulations.

[ProfessorGAC]

15. Totally Pointless Symbolism

The car manufacturers aren't going to spend the money to completely retool their assembly lines just because they might be allowed to. The cost would FAR outweigh any benefit to them.

This is just the "burn it down" crowd deluding themselves into believing they have a point.

[MichMan]

24. Maybe they won't be forced to spend millions buying offsetting credits from Tesla

Not sure it is fair to fine automakers that sell Electric and Hybrid vehicles if consumers aren't buying them

[kysrsoze]

27. They wont do it anyway. Other countries, California and

States that mimic California rules will dictate what the auto manufacturers do. China, Germany, Scandinavian countries and numerous American states have already made the decision and there is no going back.

Automakers have already moved to global platforms, so they’re not going to do what would amount to a one-off line of gas guzzlers for a minority of the U.S. auto market. It truly is a global market.

[IronLionZion]

17. Some consumers like to roll coal and waste diesel fuel for no apparent reason

thinking they are sticking it to Obama and liberals somehow. A lot of those folks did it while diesel prices were way high and the economy was in recession.

[roamer65]

18. Either way, the result is the same...

https://m.

[Cold War Spook]

19. I remember when California had different rules.

Do they still have tougher rules?

[Blue_Tires]

20. Elections have consequences...

[rockfordfile]

22. I only look at hybrid or electric

But yeah that's pretty stupid. People do not want pollution in the air. Just don't buy high polluting cars.

[ansible]

26. The EPA standards were ridiculously unrealistic and absurd

55 miles per gallon by 2025? Seriously? Even with a 1.0L 90s Geo Metro that was a complete death trap you couldn't get that much gas mileage unless you stripped it down completely and did some crazy mods on it. No way in hell you'd be able to do that with today's bloated 4000lb cars with all the electronic crap and other unreliable features.

[kysrsoze]

28. Incorrect. Check out the Hybrid Accord numbers, along

with the Insight and numerous small 4-cylinder cars. Many are in the upper 30’s already, with hybrids approaching or at 50mpg.

It’s an average figure and the automakers also get credit for electrics. Many brands are moving moving to that platform. Nissan/Infiniti and all German brands are going heavy into electrics and Volvo pledges not to have a gas-only car by 2020. With next-gen solid lithium batteries, range will nearly double. Diesels are coming back too, especially in light trucks.

Add in dictated by European countries, China, India, California and 11 other cooperating states, and it’s a done deal.

[MichMan]

29. And consumers are NOT buying them!!!

California and other states are mandating that 15 % of all sales are electric by 2025. They are around 3 % right now. How would they get to that figure? Should residents be fined with draconian registration fees to force them to buy electrics?

You can mandate whatever mileage requirements you want, but if consumers don't buy them what is the solution? Fine the manufacturers $$$$ millions because they are selling what their customeers are demanding?

Politicians want cheap gas, but don't want anyone actually using it. Consumers see gas prices are in the mid $2 range and want Crossovers, Trucks and SUV and aren't cooperating.

Hard working people in Michigan that are dependent on the aut industry aren't very happy that the automakers are going to be punished because people aren't buying the high mileage vehicles that they spent billions to design and manufacture.

[bluestarone]

30. The Repubs are a BACKWARDS party all the time

We clean it up and they set us back 30 years!!!!

[MichMan]

31. I don't think people understand the predicament that the auto manufacturers are in right now

The EPA mandated fuel economy standards for 2025 have resulted in a flurry of electric, hybrid and other vehicle launches existing and planned. The manufacturers have spent billions developing technologies and designing these vehicles. Yet, for the most part, consumers don't seem to be all that interested in buying them.

Electric and Hybrid vehicles sales are approx 3% while sales of Crossovers, SUV and Trucks are at all time highs. The manufacturers quite naturally are building the seliing the vehicles that their customers are interested in buying. With fuel prices in the mid $2 range, consumers are proving that fuel mileage is not the determining factor in their buying decision. Producing fuel efficient vehicles that meet the EPA standards is just one piece of the solution; how are you going to force people to buy them?

If the EPA standards are not met, the manufacturers will be fined millions of $$$ for failure to comply. The other scenario is that they will also be forced to buy offsetting credits for millions of $$$ from Tesla. I suppose if you are Elon Musk, that is a great plan, but it does nothing to reduce pollution. Those of us in Michigan dependant on the auto industry for our jobs are not too pleased that the manufacturers will be punished for selling the vehicles that their customers prefer.

California and other states have mandated 15% of sales be electric by 2025. If their residents don't buy enough of them, how is that the fault of the manufacturers who have made them available?

How are you going to force people to buy them? A couple solutions would be gas tax increases of $1 or more a gallon or draconian increases in registration fees. If you find any politician willing to propose either of these, I would love to meet them. I know if anyone proposed this in Michigan, they would be defeated in a landslide.

Politicians love cheap gas, but expect their constituents to not use much of it.

Of course there are conspiracy nuts that are convinced that General Motors has the technology to make a 100 mpg SUV that could be sold for $20K. but are in cahoots with the oil companies.