#CAFE
With a Week to Go in Obama Administration, EPA Sets 2025 Fuel Economy Targets in Stone
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy has decided to maintain current emissions and fuel economy standards through 2025, cementing a central pillar of the Obama administration’s green legacy.
Many automakers have been critical of Obama’s rather strict climate policies and were hopeful that President-elect Donald Trump might roll back some of the more stringent regulations. Of the policies, none is more controversial than the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) mandate, which began a midterm review earlier this year.
While the EPA’s ultimate determination wasn’t due until April of 2018, choosing not to alter 2025 vehicle emission and CAFE rules effectively locks in the standard before Trump can take office.
![Matt Posky](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/08/25/1357641_2.jpg?size=50x50)
Feds Decide to Cut Automakers Some Slack Over Fuel Economy Penalties
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.
![Matt Posky](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/08/25/1357641_2.jpg?size=50x50)
Trump Taps Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma AG and Top Obama Foe, to Head EPA
It looks like the Environmental Protection Agency’s rush to cement fuel economy targets before Inauguration Day wasn’t due to paranoia.
According to the New York Times, President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt to head the EPA. Pruitt, 48, is a top opponent of the Obama administration’s environmental regulations and climate change policy, going so far as to organize legal action against the federal government.
Pruitt’s nod is bad news for environmentalists, and good news for industry. Automakers could soon find themselves less burdened by green tape.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Ford Miffed by EPA's 'Eleventh-Hour Politics,' Turns to Trump for Help
Ford Motor Company CEO Mark Fields doesn’t have kind words for the Environmental Protection Agency’s surprise decision to keep long-term fuel economy targets in place.
A mid-term review of corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) targets set in 2012 kicked off earlier this year, but the timing of the agency’s recent decision to maintain the 54.5 mile-per-gallon goal reeks of politics, Fields claims.
For automakers, reaching 54.5 mpg means extra costs. To avoid this, Ford is prepared to turn to its election campaign sparring partner — President-elect Donald Trump — for help.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Nah, We're Keeping Our Fuel Economy Targets: EPA
Fuel economy standards set by the Obama administration for the 2022 to 2025 model years will remain, the Environmental Protection Agency has stated.
The environmental regulator announced its proposed determination earlier today, part of its midterm review of the country’s corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) targets. Forget cheap gas and never mind the SUV craze — 54.5 miles per gallon is still the government’s goal.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Automakers Step Up Battle Against U.S. Fuel Economy Target
As low gas prices persist and electric vehicles fail to find the widespread traction once predicted by the Obama White House, automakers have supercharged their fight against the country’s lofty 2025 fuel economy target.
Fuel prices and the popularity of trucks and SUVs means the federal 54.5 mile per gallon target isn’t reasonable, automakers say. Continuing down the same road and pretending the landscape hasn’t changed? That’s a recipe for disaster, according to industry groups.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Three Lawmakers Want Regulators to Pump the Brakes on Fuel Economy Review
Whoa, slow down a minute. That’s the message from three Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is reviewing fuel economy targets set out for automakers.
The members want more time for car companies to respond to a key report about the 54.5 mile per gallon corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) target, The Detroit Free Press reports.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Elon Musk and Top Tesla Exec Stage Angry Man Speaking Tour
The dialogue from Tesla wasn’t all rainbows and puppies this week.
In oddly coordinated diatribes, CEO Elon Musk and his vice-president of business development took off the soft driving gloves and laid into their competition and the country’s regulators. The message? Put up, pay up, or shut up.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Report Hints That Feds Might Keep 54.5 MPG CAFE Target
The federal agencies reviewing the country’s corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) targets are pleasantly surprised by the amount of fuel-saving technology in modern vehicles, and hint that the target they decided on back in 2011 is still doable.
Those agencies just released a technical assessment report (TAR) to guide the review process. In it, they figured that vehicles will average between 50 and 52.6 miles per gallon by the target year of 2025 — if gas stays stable and consumers continue buying SUVs and trucks.
That’s not too far off the original target, and judging by the optimistic tone of the report, it’s likely the 54.5 mpg mandate will stay intact.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Automakers Could Face Huge Fines After Feds Boost Fuel Economy Penalties
Business is about to get much more expensive for automakers with thirsty fleets.
The penalties leveled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration against automakers who miss their annual corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards are about to go up in August. Way up.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
U.S. Fuel Economy Targets Too Difficult and Costly to Meet: Automakers
A group of automakers wants Big MPG to know they’re out of touch when it comes to fuel efficiency targets, and would really like it if they stopped paying so much attention to California.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers — a Washington lobbying group made up of General Motors, Ford, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Volkswagen and Toyota — wants to impact the midterm review of 2025 fuel economy targets set in 2011, Bloomberg reports.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Connect the Dots: Americans Buy More Trucks, Fuel Economy Suffers
On the heels of America’s auto industry growing by over 3% in April 2016, a report from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute says the average fuel economy of those vehicles dipped slightly from the month of March.
Given the rise in sales of SUV and trucks, this should surprise no one except amoebas living under a rock.
![Matthew Guy](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/21/101521_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Should 54.5 MPG Stay or Go? CAFE Crams for Midterms
As regulatory bigwigs gear up for a midterm review of corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) requirements, will the 54.5 mpg target for light-duty vehicles get a haircut, or be deemed too unambitious?
Under a 2012 agreement between the federal government and automakers, cars and light trucks will have until 2025 to meet the 54.5 mpg target, which works out to about 40 mpg on the window sticker (for cars) after you ditch the fancy math. That target isn’t set in stone, and the midterm review will take into account the state of the market — and existing technology — when it reviews its goals for the 2022-2025 period.
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Petition Demands That Sergio Spin Off Jeep in Order to Save It
A group of Jeep fans wants Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne to make a Sophie’s Choice-style decision to save their beloved offroader.
To avoid the destruction of the storied brand at the hands of its parent company, FCA must cast it loose, the group states in a strongly-worded Change.org petition.
“As owners and fans of Jeep vehicles, we are calling on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to separate Jeep from FCA’s stable of failing brands and debt,” the petition states. “We urge FCA to execute a spinoff to save Jeep.”
![Steph Willems](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/1318305_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Ask the Editor: When Will the Civic Become the Accord? Drink Your CAFE and I'll Explain
TTAC reader Brennan writes:
Hey Mark,
Long-time reader, first-time e-mailer. This might be a question for the TTAC’s Best & Brightest.
This all started when I was looking over the specs for the 2016 Honda Civic after reading your first drive review and really liking what I saw (both the car and your writing). I wanted to see how much of a size difference there was to my wife’s 2001 Honda Accord coupe, which is getting on in age and will need replacing soon. It turns out they’re almost identical in size.
That got me to thinking, how much bigger is the 2016 Accord than the 2016 Civic’s cabin and trunk?
![Mark Stevenson](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/profile/2022/07/20/100622_1.jpg?size=50x50)
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