EPA Moves to Lock in 2025 Emissions Standards
The Obama administration is pushing to lock in fuel efficiency standards before the Trump administration takes over in January.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to leave its emissions standards for light vehicles through 2025, aiming to boost fuel economy to over 50 mpg on average. The move will likely be opposed by automakers that say the rules are challenging and expensive, although the EPA said “extensive technical analysis” shows automakers are on track to achieve the 2025 standards at “similar or even a lower cost” than believed when the standards were first released in 2012.
SEE ALSO: EPA Gives Up on 54.5-MPG CAFE Standard
The EPA under law has to decide by April 2018 whether it wants to modify the 2022-2025 model year vehicle emission rules that require fleet-wide fuel efficiency to average more than 50 mpg. The agency will now instead end the public comment period by December 30, and could move to lock in the rules after that date and before the Obama administration leaves office.
It is a possibility that the Republican U.S. Congress or the Trump administration could seek to reverse or modify the rules, but if the current EPA rules are locked in, it could make it more difficult and time consuming for the new administration to reverse them.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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