Government regulators have heard the auto industry’s plea for clemency pertaining to the United States’ corporate average fuel economy (CAFE).
Responding to a petition from industry groups, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is putting the brakes on a planned increase in penalties for not complying with CAFE standards. Automakers won’t have to worry about their 2015, 2016 and 2017 model-year vehicles anymore, as the penalties will now begin with 2019 models.
According to Automotive News, NHTSA states that the postponement reflects “the reality that manufacturers design their products far in advance.”
NHTSA will also craft a more rigid rule-making process that should assist in sorting out the differences between the greenhouse-gas emission standards imposed by the EPA and the fuel-economy standards defined by the NHTSA. Automakers, understandably, want to ensure that they will not be penalized under one set of rules for attempting to comply with another.
A law passed last year pushed federal agencies to update their civil penalties, or risk having the impact eroded by inflation. That ruling increased CAFE retribution from $5.50 to $14.00 for each 0.1 mpg that an manufacturer failed to meet, multiplied by the total number of vehicles sold that year. The figure could cost a major automaker millions, even if they fall short of the target by the 0.1 mpg minimum.
While automakers with thirsty fleets could buy credits from other companies to stay in compliance, the penalty increase applied to vehicles that were already available for purchase. Many of the vehicles were on the market before the fuel economy standard had even been established.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers wasn’t happy, calling the move “draconian” and suggesting that it that would make a 54.5 mpg corporate average by 2025 impossible to achieve. Meanwhile, environmental groups continued to demand hard-hitting penalties to make noncompliance less of an option.
MAGA on a roll!
“The figure could cost a major automaker millions, even if they fall short of the target by the 0.1 mpg minimum.”
Well, that’s clearly a recipe for gaming/fudging the self-reported MPG figures. Imagine being the technician whose data shows the vehicle is 0.1 mpg shy of the design estimate. Hmm, what to do?
Isn’t is great having an Executive Branch of government that can make laws all on its own? What could go wrong?
We’ll find out when Orange Julius takes the helm.
This is a small but positive start.
The wonderful thing about CAFE is that it allows the Federal Government to pretend it’s improving fuel economy while not costing automakers or consumers a dime.
Win Win, unless you’re one of those fools who wants the Earth to survive the century or believes that America’s defense is well served by energy independence.
Ugh. Inconsistent enforcement is worse than not having the rule and worse than having the rule enforced. It levels the playing field between underachievers and achievers.
Just suspend CAFE and be done with it. Meet emissions and safety standards and go fish.
And while we’re at it, let there be some transitivity in powertrains: if a power train is already emissions complaint in some vehicle, an automaker should be allowed to put it in a lighter vehicle with lower or comparable drag (at freeway speeds) without having to certify the powertrain again.
“Meanwhile, environmental groups continued to demand hard-hitting penalties to make noncompliance less of an option.”
Meanwhile, 28 continues to demand hard-hitting penalties to make environmental groups less of an option to exist.
prageru.com/courses/environmental-science/why-i-left-greenpeace
Wow interesting video.
Thx I’m glad you learned from Dr. Moore.
Yes, very interesting video. Ultimately, humans are the target of ‘save the earth’ movements.
Going on 8 billion and always accelerating. Just think of how much poop that means.
How is targeting *not* necessary?
Plenty of non-nuclear weapons systems which can handle that no problem.
Cutting slack is what the feds are all about… LOL
I’m thinking we just get rid of the whole thing instead of exceptions and delays.
This was always about just making bureaucrats feel good, the standards were unrealistic which is why they are backtracking now.
Worldwide emissions have stayed flat for 3 years. Cars and SUVs are a bit more fuel efficient in the U.S.
I think this has been a big success, I think they need to ease off a little and be realistic. 35 real work MPGs may be more doable by 2025 or at least 30MPGs.
http://phys.org/news/2016-11-average-fuel-economy-high-mpg.html