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A coalition of environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after it lowered federal fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks. The groups argue the rollback will increase pollution and gas consumption.
Environment al organizations sued the Trump administration on Friday over its rollback of federal vehicle fuel economy standards. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals against Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Jonathan Morrison, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
New Fuel Economy Standards
The Trump administration lowered the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards on Monday. The new rules set an industry fleetwide average of about 34.9 miles per gallon for passenger cars and light trucks in the 2031 model year. That is down from a projected 50.4 miles per gallon under rules set by the Biden administration. The administration said the change would provide Americans more vehicle choice and encourage consumers to buy newer, safer vehicles.
Duffy said the new rule also cuts the illegal mandate that forced automakers to produce more expensive electric vehicles that American families did not want. There has never been a mandate that manufacturers sell EVs or Americans buy them. The rules and other cleaner vehicle standards incentivized automakers to sell a mix of electric, hybrid electric and increasingly efficient gasoline-powered vehicles.
The Center for Biological Diversity, the Conservation Law Foundation, the Environmental Defense Fund, Public Citizen and the Sierra Club filed the suit. Katherine Garcia, director of Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All program, said in a statement, We are taking the Trump administration to court for this reckless rollback that prioritizes Big Oil and automaker profits over American families.
Lawsuit Targets Mileage Rollback
It is unlawful for Trump to turn back the clock on fuel-efficient cars, forcing drivers to waste more money on gas and communities to breathe toxic air. David Pettit, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute, said in a statement, With gas prices at historic highs, Trump picked the worst possible time to roll back federal mileage standards.
Oil companies will profit from less efficient cars, but drivers will take a hit to their wallets and our kids will breathe dirtier air. We will all pay the price for more tailpipe pollutants spewing everywhere from playgrounds to wild places. We are asking the courts to put a stop to this callous giveaway to Big Oil and Big Auto. Gas prices have hovered around US$4.50 and diesel has hit unprecedented heights in recent weeks, according to AAA.
The DOT said Monday that the rule would cut yearly oil consumption in 2050 by about 1.3 billion barrels as compared with yearly oil consumption in 2024. NHTSA had estimated the 2024 standards would have saved 14 billion gallons of gasoline from being burned by that year. When reached for comment, a DOT spokesperson referred to statements made by Duffy. Duffy said, This administration understands the freedom of every American family starts with affordable cars.
Industry Reaction and Expert Concerns
That is why our new standards will make that dream more achievable by letting auto manufacturers produce the cars that fit families' needs at a lower price. Auto companies and industry groups broadly welcomed Monday's change, saying the rules under the Biden administration were too stringent and did not benefit consumers. Environmental organizations decried the changes. Experts say reducing fuel economy requirements in vehicles does not necessarily lower their cost, nor would it automatically translate to new vehicle sales.
Fuel economy requirements have been in place since the 1970s energy crisis. Over time, they have led to improved average efficiency in vehicles. President Donald Trump has made a number of moves to undercut cleaner vehicles in the U.S. These include eliminating electric vehicle tax credits, scrapping vehicle emissions standards, repealing fines for automakers who do not meet mileage rules, and attempting to block the nation's EV charging buildout.
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CTVNews:Environmental groups sue Trump administration over eased vehicle fuel economy rulesThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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Environmental Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Vehicle Fuel Economy RollbackFive environmental organizations filed a legal challenge in the U.S. Court of Appeals against the Trump administration's reduction of vehicle fuel economy standards. The revised rules require an average of 34.9 miles per gallon for 2031 model-year passenger cars and light trucks, compared with a projected 50.4 miles per gallon under the previous standards. The groups argue that the rollback will increase pollution, gasoline consumption and costs for consumers, while the administration says it will provide more vehicle choices and encourage purchases of newer, safer vehicles.
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