Fortune.com
Fuel efficiency is dangerous for drivers, the Trump administration claims.
Low carbon fuel standards designed to encourage the use of cleaner fuels pose dangers to drivers, the Trump administration said in proposals accessed by the Associated Press. The administration’s rationale is that if people’s cars get better gas mileage, they will drive more, and thus face more risk. Fuel efficiency standards required of new cars had been toughened up during the Obama era.
The Trump administration gave notice earlier this year that it would roll back the fuel standards put into place under former President Barack Obama. Anticipating the new regulation, California and 16 other states sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in May.
Some say the latest environmental views to be voiced by the administration are yet more attempts to turn the Obama administration’s policies on their head, and support big business at the same time.
However, others have pointed out that the government has a decades-long history of extreme reactions to existing policy when it comes to energy.
Be what it may, transport specialists are disputing the administration’s current claims that vehicles would be heavier, cheaper, and in greater demand if they don’t have to meet strict fuel requirements. In addition, experts cited by the Associated Press also say heavier vehicles wouldn’t necessarily be safer, as some lighter vehicles made of metals like aluminum and titanium perform about the same or even better than older heavier vehicles when they’re crash tested.
A full proposal for changes to mileage requirements for 2021 through 2026 is expected to be released as soon as this week.
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