Automakers finally blast Biden EPA plan to hike fuel efficiency rules – Would ‘boost avg vehicle price by $3,000…with absolutely no environmental or fuel savings benefits’

From CLIMATE DEPOT

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) proposal was unreasonable and requested significant revisions. The industry group argued the plan would boost average vehicle prices by $3,000 by 2032 because of penalties automakers would face for not being in compliance, adding the figure “exceeds reason and will increase costs to the American consumer with absolutely no environmental or fuel savings benefits.”

By Marc Morano

Automakers rebel against Biden.

After horrific EV losses, US automakers finally upset at Biden regime bid to ban gas-powered cars via stringent fuel economy standards.

“Exceeds reason and will increase costs to the American consumer with absolutely no environmental or fuel… pic.twitter.com/uE7p1eaqk6

— Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) October 17, 2023

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/automakers-blast-us-plan-hike-fuel-efficiency-rules-2023-10-16/

(Reuters) – A group representing General Motors (GM.N), Toyota Motor (7203.T), Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and nearly all other major automakers on Monday sharply criticized the Biden administration proposal to drastically hike fuel efficiency requirements.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) proposal was unreasonable and requested significant revisions.

The industry group argued the plan would boost average vehicle prices by $3,000 by 2032 because of penalties automakers would face for not being in compliance, adding the figure “exceeds reason and will increase costs to the American consumer with absolutely no environmental or fuel savings benefits.”

NHTSA in July proposed boosting requirements by 2% per year for passenger cars and 4% per year for pickup trucks and SUVs from 2027 through 2032, resulting in a fleet-wide average fuel efficiency of 58 miles (93 km) per gallon.

The American Automotive Policy Council, a group representing the Detroit Three automakers, separately on Monday urged NHTSA to halve its proposed fuel economy increases to 2% annually for trucks, saying the proposal “would disproportionately impact the truck fleet.”

The group noted 83% of vehicles produced by Ford (F.N), GM and Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) are trucks.

NHTSA said its rule “is focused on saving Americans money at the gas pump and strengthening American energy independence,” estimating combined benefits of its proposal exceed costs by more than $18 billion.

The auto alliance said automakers would face more than $14 billion in non-compliance penalties between 2027 and 2032.

U.S. automakers separately have warned the fines would cost GM $6.5 billion, Stellantis $3 billion and Ford $1 billion.

Automakers also raised alarm at the Energy Department’s proposal to significantly revise how it calculates the petroleum-equivalent fuel economy rating for EVs in NHTSA’s CAFE program, saying it would “devalue the fuel economy of electric vehicles by 72%.”

###

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) proposal was unreasonable and requested significant revisions.

The industry group argued the plan would boost average vehicle prices by $3,000 by 2032 because of penalties automakers would face for not being in compliance, adding the figure “exceeds reason and will increase costs to the American consumer with absolutely no environmental or fuel savings benefits.”

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JamesB_684
October 18, 2023 6:13 pm

The actual goal is not to reduce any pollution, it’s to force the hoi polloi out of private vehicles and into public transit, plus increase control over people’s lives.

Bryan A
Reply to  JamesB_684
October 18, 2023 7:32 pm

Making cars unaffordable to the masses certainly decreases emissions and fuel usage

Fraizer
Reply to  JamesB_684
October 19, 2023 4:19 am

.. while the government grabs every dollar it can.

KevinM
Reply to  Fraizer
October 19, 2023 12:06 pm

Gas taxes are big revenue.

Tom Halla
October 18, 2023 6:17 pm

The Greens hate motor vehicles, period. “The Simple Life” for the peasant scum.

Scarecrow Repair
Reply to  Tom Halla
October 18, 2023 7:42 pm

It’s independence they hate. Private property is just one manifestation of that, and private cars a particularly odious example, of course not as puke-inducing as guns.

bnice2000
Reply to  Tom Halla
October 18, 2023 9:17 pm

And yet EVERY greenie voter I know has at least one car.

Often an older model that spews stinking fumes because of bad upcheap.

And they still vote for these idiots that want to ban cars. !

bnice2000
Reply to  bnice2000
October 18, 2023 9:18 pm

typo or auto correct??? bad upkeep

Ex-KaliforniaKook
Reply to  bnice2000
October 19, 2023 4:11 pm

As long as most voters have a HDTV they’ll be happy.

Tony_G
Reply to  Ex-KaliforniaKook
October 20, 2023 10:41 am

As long as most voters have a HDTV they’ll be happy.

Bread and circuses.
But the bread may be getting a little sparse.

Jim Masterson
October 18, 2023 7:21 pm

The family car has always annoyed the statists. It’s too much freedom for the peasants.

PCman999
Reply to  Jim Masterson
October 18, 2023 11:56 pm

And they are practically foaming at the mouth about trucks. God forbid that someone should need a truck to work, and pull a boat or trailer to the wilderness for rest

KevinM
Reply to  PCman999
October 19, 2023 12:09 pm

I rarely see a pickup truck actually hauling anything. The biggest, baddest ones seem to be daily highway commute transport.

Tony_G
Reply to  KevinM
October 19, 2023 12:46 pm

I’m guessing you don’t live in a rural area if you don’t see pickups hauling stuff. That’s almost all I see around here.

Ex-KaliforniaKook
Reply to  Tony_G
October 19, 2023 4:51 pm

Dead on. I have to haul my trash & recyclables a mile to where it is picked up. They go in the truck bed. They wouldn’t fit in a car trunk – and any leaks in a car trunk would be smelly/hard to clean up. That mile includes a 300′ drop to the valley that would make the two-mile round trip especially difficult in snow or hot weather. When my wife and I take my invalid mother-in-law to an appointment, I can also stop at the store to pick up supplies – which requires my truck bed. Usually, no one would be able to tell that there is anything back there because I have a hard cover on the bed to deter thieves.

I loved my Chrysler SRT before we moved here, but the first time up that road told me a 4WD pickup was the only vehicle for that neighborhood. My neighbors clearly agree, as they have the same form-factor conveyance.

KevinM
Reply to  Tony_G
October 19, 2023 7:04 pm

True I’m a suburb-to-city driver. I see enormous 6-wheel pickups with raised suspensions, knobby wheels, running boards, and bed liners driven by men who will sit iat a computer for 9 hours then drive home again, hauling nothing.

Anyone who can afford one is welcome to have one, but F150 isn’t a sales leader because so many of us buy the floor model appliances at the Depot. I think it’s pretentious.

Tony_G
Reply to  KevinM
October 20, 2023 10:47 am

I definitely won’t argue that city (and suburb) dwellers get trucks to show off. The fancy pipes, paint jobs, etc. are certainly not practical. Don’t see a lot of those where I live, but yes, I see them when I go to the city.

I don’t get it, but then I’ve never got the whole car culture thing.

My truck is old and beat up, but I intend to keep it until it dies completely and can no longer be repaired. Especially since it’s nearly impossible to find an 8 foot bed anymore without selling your house.

mleskovarsocalrrcom
October 18, 2023 7:29 pm

Imagine a world with only Ladas exist.

Bryan A
Reply to  mleskovarsocalrrcom
October 18, 2023 7:39 pm
abolition man
Reply to  mleskovarsocalrrcom
October 18, 2023 7:43 pm

Oh, no! You misunderstand! There will still be a nice selection of luxury autos for the elites; Bentleys and Rolls Royces for the wealthy, and bulletproof SUVs for our dear leaders. But 95% or more of the population will not be able to afford one!
Young men will only dream of taking their GFs for a ride; a smart entrepreneur might make broken down cars with big back seats available to rent by the hour!

Joseph Zorzin
Reply to  abolition man
October 19, 2023 3:14 am

“Young men will only dream of taking their GFs for a ride”
It’s back to the hay wagon. 🙂

Bryan A
Reply to  Joseph Zorzin
October 19, 2023 3:01 pm

I’m always up for a roll in the hay

Gunga Din
Reply to  abolition man
October 19, 2023 10:03 am

Here’s an option.
https://youtu.be/ZQdlCQmzUAM

Gregg Eshelman
October 18, 2023 7:34 pm

Current EPA rules are why small pickups aren’t sold in the USA. The formula is based in part on the vehicle’s footprint, track width and wheelbase.

So a pickup the size of a Ford Courier would be required to get nearly 45 MPG.

The EPA’s own rules are why most vehicles made or sold in the USA are now huge trucks. It’s too costly to impossible to meet the regulations for smaller vehicles.

Jim Masterson
Reply to  Gregg Eshelman
October 18, 2023 7:38 pm

The EPA needs to go away. It’s one of the stupid Federal Agencies installed by Nixon.

Tombstone Gabby
Reply to  Jim Masterson
October 19, 2023 7:30 pm

G’Day Jim,

“…installed by Nixon.”

Nixon submitted a “proposal” to Congress. It was passed by both the House and the Senate in 1970. My thought: Congress birthed this monster, Congress should put it to sleep.

In the 1960’s pollution abounded, air and water effected. Each State had developed their own set of rules to combat the problems. The ‘selling point’ for a federal agency was to standardize the rules across all the states. It worked, for a while.

Bob
October 18, 2023 7:58 pm

Yeah we’ll talk about raising CAFE when EV can recharge in five minutes, go 200+ miles on a five minute charge, operate in below zero Fahrenheit weather, operate in 100F weather, stop catching fire, we can afford them without subsidies or tax preferences and when there are as many charging stations as gas stations.

Retired_Engineer_Jim
Reply to  Bob
October 18, 2023 9:50 pm

As many charging stations as gas pumps.

mikelowe2013
October 18, 2023 8:05 pm

Not before time, so it was time for them to exercise their muscle. I suppose leading politicians don’t understand the normal way-of-life for most Americans!

Janice Moore
Reply to  mikelowe2013
October 19, 2023 12:24 pm

Normal, for ~ 63% of Americans is a small town or rural setting. Where you will see lots of pick-up trucks (“utes?” in Australia).

Of the nation’s 328.2 million people, an estimated 206.9 million (about 63%) lived in an incorporated place as of July 1, 2019. About 76% of the approximately 19,500 incorporated places had fewer than 5,000 people. Of those, almost 42% had fewer than 500 people.

(Source: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/05/america-a-nation-of-small-towns.html )

The rural population … increased as a percentage of the national population from 19.3% in 2010 to 20.0% in 2020.

(Source: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/urban-rural-populations.html )

Janice Moore
Reply to  Janice Moore
October 19, 2023 12:25 pm

Edit: ~ 83% small town or rural (total).

MarkW
Reply to  Janice Moore
October 19, 2023 3:49 pm

Technology is allowing people to live where they want, yet still be employed.
The faster high speed internet spreads, the faster the population will as well.

Chris Hanley
October 18, 2023 8:48 pm

Automakers finally blast Biden EPA plan to hike fuel efficiency rules

In this case, as I understand it, it is a regulation emanating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that is part of the Department of Transportation under the secretary of transport currently Pete Buttigieg.
The NHTSA boss is Ann E. Carlson: “Before joining the Biden administration, Carlson was the Shirley Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law at the UCLA School of Law, where she also served as faculty co-director of the Emmett Center on Climate Change and the Environment. She is an expert on U.S. environmental law and policy with a particular focus on climate change and environmental federalism” (Wiki).
Fundamentally they are all in the same business viz. eliminating genuine individual freedom of choice.

MarkW
Reply to  Chris Hanley
October 19, 2023 3:50 pm

That’s the only way socialism has ever worked. By making everything else impossible.

observa
October 18, 2023 9:37 pm

Well short of even more slushfunding the climate changers have to do something about the demand for their pet EVs tapering off-
Tesla joins GM, Ford in slowing EV factory ramp as demand fears spread (msn.com)

Seems the supply of well to do virtue signallers (and the odd revhead) is running out and the EV market is maturing and settling down to steady ongoing replacement levels. Bearing in mind the US wouldn’t be alone whereby only 17% of Americans purchase new cars and why when Covid restricted supply carmakers didn’t want to waste what they had on least profitable shopping trolleys and base models. Now the FOMO has gone and there’s plenty of choice on the new car lots but alas those high prices and interest rates.

observa
October 18, 2023 9:53 pm

Of course lousy trade-in prices for EVs don’t help the flippers and leasers upgrade-
Used EV Prices Drop 30% in 2023: ‘Going Electric’ Isn’t Going (motorbiscuit.com)
If that’s an ongoing trend then ultimately more buyers considering a new EV might decide to hop on the Toyota hybrid order queue at best.

DMacKenzie
Reply to  observa
October 19, 2023 8:42 am

Hybrids are a valid option. You are carrying your backup generator with you.

ferdberple
October 18, 2023 10:04 pm

“devalue the fuel economy of electric vehicles by 72%.”
======
So EVs with an average fuel efficiency of 100mpg will now have 100-72= 28mpg fuel efficiency

DonM
Reply to  ferdberple
October 19, 2023 10:59 am

first thing is to decide what they mean by ev ‘fuel economy’, & ‘devalue’.

Most people would read it as you did, and if they mean ‘reduce stated mileage’ (eg 100 mpg), then something is obviously stated incorrectly.

Maybe they mean they are taking 72% away from the over-inflated (faked) portion of the ev ratings. So, 60 + .72(40) = 89 mpg, rather than a 100 mpg. ???

I don’t know, but I agree that it is a part of the article that, by raising a lot of questions, may be the most important part of the article.

MarkW
Reply to  ferdberple
October 19, 2023 3:52 pm

That so called 100 mpg electric is of course ignoring most of the losses inside the car and all of the losses outside the car.

ferdberple
October 18, 2023 10:10 pm

“devalue the fuel economy of electric vehicles by 72%.”
======
This little note at the end looks like the most important part of the article. Electricity already costs more than gasoline. Add in drastically reduced mileage for EVs and suddenly they are not going to have any sales advantage.

KevinM
Reply to  ferdberple
October 19, 2023 12:19 pm

Given mandates they can be freer with their sales pitch?

John Oliver
October 18, 2023 10:22 pm

Yes as others here have pointed out not just EPA CAFE but crash “ crash worthiness” mandates limit what could be some really impressive inexpensive high mpg econo box ICE vehicles. My 79 Datsun( Nissan) 210 got 48 hwy with a carbureted 1.4. Think what we could build now if the ball and chain of gov regs was off( not to mention the warping of the market the net stupid/EV push is doing.

At some point the economy is just not going to be able to absorb all this induced malinvestment. I cannot believe the economy has not already fully cratered.

Tom Abbott
Reply to  John Oliver
October 19, 2023 4:56 am

Government interference is going to ruin the auto industry.

KevinM
Reply to  Tom Abbott
October 19, 2023 12:22 pm

going to?

MarkW
Reply to  Tom Abbott
October 19, 2023 3:54 pm

Government interference ruins everything.

Tom Abbott
Reply to  John Oliver
October 19, 2023 4:58 am

A friend of mine one time bought a brand new 1972 Datsun.

That was the best little car evah!

DonM
Reply to  Tom Abbott
October 19, 2023 11:01 am

There is still one, looks good as new, driving around my neighborhood. I haven’t be able to talk to the owner yet.

Izaak Walton
October 18, 2023 10:22 pm

Of course there is always the option of making smaller cars which are cheaper, more fuel efficient, less polluting and do not cause as much injury to others in an accident. Most of the world has realised this and have vehicle fleets which already have a higher fuel efficiency than the one the American automobile association are complaining about.

Drake
Reply to  Izaak Walton
October 18, 2023 11:04 pm

The rest of the world, excepting a few similar places like the Outback, doesn’t have the MILES of distance that MOST of the US has between cities.

I just took a little jaunt from LV, NV to visit friends in New Meadows Idaho and Vancouver in Washington State, as well as a side trips to see the Grand Coulee Dam and the scablands made by massive flooding from real global warming and the Olympic Peninsula with its rain forest.

3800 miles. With my wife, our large dog, pulling our 5th wheel. Had a really nice time seeing parts of the country I have never seen before. I am glad Izaak is not in charge. He would be sure to put and end to actually visiting such wonders since you can see them on TV from your living room.

But really, if Izaak had his way, my living room would probably be required sleeping areas for the “homeless” and illegal immigrants, so we ALL could see the wonders of America.

As to midget cars that won’t hurt others in accidents. They sure don’t protect the occupants from ANY vehicles, or even from one car accidents. Out here, in the red states, the speed limits are 75 and 80 MILES per hour.

I spoke with a young man from Maui a couple of years ago who was on his first visit to the mainland and had flown in to LA to visit some family then drove to LV from there. He was scared sh!tless driving at highway speeds. He had never driven over 50 MPH or for more than a few miles without hitting a traffic signal. Sounds like Izaak’s ideal world.

What an a$$hat.

Drake
Reply to  Drake
October 18, 2023 11:07 pm

BTW coming home in western Oregon on US 95 there was a sign with, NEXT GAS 144 MILES. You see those types of signs out here in the wide open western US.

Drake
Reply to  Drake
October 18, 2023 11:08 pm

Didn’t see any NEXT CHARGING STATION XXX MILES signs.

AGW is Not Science
Reply to  Drake
October 19, 2023 4:56 am

And on a cold day with slippery roads a fully charged EV probably couldn’t MAKE it to 144 miles before being DOTSOFTR (Dead On The Side Of The Road).

Jim Masterson
Reply to  Drake
October 19, 2023 12:26 am

Unfortunately, Washington state is a liberal hate fest. At one time, it was beautiful; now it’s evil. I hope you escaped from its evil. They play games with the reservoir up in Snoqualmie Pass.

Joseph Zorzin
Reply to  Drake
October 19, 2023 3:23 am

“Out here, in the red states, the speed limits are 75 and 80 MILES per hour.”

Reminds me how I got pulled over on an interstate in Wyoming back in ’92 going about 90 in a place perfectly flat and I could see no vehicles forever. The state cop gave me a warning and said, “keep it down to 75”.

MarkW
Reply to  Drake
October 19, 2023 3:58 pm

Socialists believe that they know better than you do, what will make you happy.
They actually believe that once you get used to the life they want to force on you, that you will thank them.

bnice2000
Reply to  Izaak Walton
October 18, 2023 11:09 pm

Why should people be forced to use small cars when a small car doesn’t suit their circumstances.

Manufactures DO make small cars… but the bigger cars sell better.

MarkW
Reply to  bnice2000
October 19, 2023 4:00 pm

What’s that line: You will own nothing and you will be happy.

PCman999
Reply to  Izaak Walton
October 19, 2023 12:06 am

Less polluting like all the diesels our wise friends across the pond were suckered into buying?

More efficient and cheaper? With twin turbos and high compressions the wear out the engine quicker and make it difficult and expensive to repair? Smaller and less expensive – like half the space and none of the comfort for 75% of the price? What a bargain.

MyUsername
Reply to  Izaak Walton
October 19, 2023 3:15 am

European Car makers are currently sweating because they slept on EVs (and actively lobbied against it) and are now in danger to be overrun by chinese EVs – the same will happen to the US Car Industry if they thinks they can get away without making improvements.

DonM
Reply to  MyUsername
October 19, 2023 11:09 am

I would be more afraid of being burned up, rather than overrun.

European car makers are sweating because they jumped on the bandwagon, and it ain’t going anywhere.

Tom Abbott
Reply to  DonM
October 19, 2023 2:57 pm

“European car makers are sweating because they jumped on the bandwagon, and it ain’t going anywhere.”

The same goes for American car makers.

On top of that, the American car makers have their unions out on strike.

A Perfect Storm for losing American automotive jobs.

Ford thought EV’s were the Next Big Thing and invested accordingly. Nope.

KevinM
Reply to  MyUsername
October 19, 2023 12:34 pm

One.does wonder “what if”… If computer chips, cell phones and web retail are an indicator the best EV tech will be thought of in the US and assembled by non-Americans. European leaders had better guess correctly with sovereign wealth funds.

Janice Moore
Reply to  MyUsername
October 19, 2023 12:35 pm

MyU.N. 🙄 As if. Nearly NO ONE in the United States WANTS to buy an EV. No demand = price too low to break-even.

“Improvements” lol 😄

MarkW
Reply to  MyUsername
October 19, 2023 4:01 pm

This would be the same auto manufactures who currently have something like 6 months of electric car inventory sitting in lots around the country?

Tom in Florida
Reply to  Izaak Walton
October 19, 2023 4:38 am

I suppose I must be an “elite” because I really don’t care what the price of gas is. I opted for the 6 cylinder version of my midsize SUV, 19 inch wheels, full leather interior. It is comfortable and I enjoy driving it. It suits my needs when I need speed/power or when I have to haul yard supplies. It is hard for me to understand why people cheap out on something they drive everyday. I can save money elsewhere.

Bryan A
Reply to  Tom in Florida
October 19, 2023 3:04 pm

Went out 6 months ago (damn I need to schedule a service) and bought a Nissan Rogue (my wife had to have it). It’s a 3 cylinder…

KevinM
Reply to  Izaak Walton
October 19, 2023 12:26 pm

The Freakonomics podcasters did a decent series on why America can’t just copy the best policies from around the world. Geography, demographics and history are a big deal.

MarkW
Reply to  KevinM
October 19, 2023 4:11 pm

At a previous company, we sometimes gave two week training seminars that occasionally drew students from other countries. One time we had a group of Germans, and just before the weekend break, they mentioned that they were thinking of driving from our base in Atlanta, to Dallas where they wanted to do some sightseeing.

We had to pull up maps on the computer, because they didn’t believe us when we told them it was over a 12 hour drive, each way.

KevinM
Reply to  MarkW
October 19, 2023 7:13 pm

Ha! I read a survey where South Korea was praised for worlds fastest broadband. Clearly South Korea contains nothing like North Dakota.

I moved to Texas this year and was shocked by the scale… How many hours between Austin and San Antonio? I came from New England where distances between cities was scaled with powder-wig horse riders in mind.

MarkW
Reply to  Izaak Walton
October 19, 2023 3:57 pm

While it may be true that small cars cause less injury to others, that’s only if the others are in big cars.
The truth is that small cars are much more dangerous for those who ride in them. Both car against car collisions and car against fixed object collisions, the rate of injury to passengers is higher, the smaller the car.

If you want fuel efficiency, you are free to buy a smaller car. Your world in which an all knowing government forces what it has decided to be the best solution on everyone may be your wet dream, but people like the freedom to make their own choices.

MyUsername
Reply to  MarkW
October 20, 2023 12:14 am

There’s also car against pedestrian and cyclist, where bigger cars are far more dangerous.

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2022/07/07/study-suvs-are-indeed-death-machines-for-children-blacks

DavsS
October 19, 2023 1:21 am

Anyone expecting reason from the current generation of politicians is lacking the ability to reason.

ToldYouSo
October 19, 2023 7:16 am

It’s just one indication of the price of virtue signaling . . . don’t expect such to be based on rational thought.

rbabcock
October 19, 2023 8:11 am

Congress needs to pass legislation that requires ANY EPA proposed regulations get put before Congress, passed and signed by the President before becoming law.

ResourceGuy
October 19, 2023 9:13 am

It’s going to cost a lot more than $3k when you factor in all the unaccounted policy distortions in the marketplace. In place of the fuel savings touted by EPA, you will pay with more complicated equipment with more costly repairs. I’m reminded of the lobbyist tricks associated with changing HVAC cooling systems where the lobbyist line was that the coolant chemical only cost pennies more without consideration of higher pressures, equipment redesigns, and greater need for service warranty coverages.

KevinM
October 19, 2023 12:05 pm

Not sure why Toyota would complain – sounds like it favors their Prius line. Maybe everyone that wants one already has one?

Janice Moore
October 19, 2023 12:46 pm

Book title: EV’s: A Sad, Stupid, Little Story (that is about to come to an end)

Proposed Cover Graphic:
(Source:https://www.motorbiscuit.com/emergency-calls-spike-for-dead-electric-vehicles/ )

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