{"id":119077,"date":"2026-02-04T16:08:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T21:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizen.org\/?post_type=news&p=119077"},"modified":"2026-02-04T16:10:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T21:10:37","slug":"nhsta-urged-to-maintain-fuel-economy-standards","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.citizen.org\/news\/nhsta-urged-to-maintain-fuel-economy-standards\/","title":{"rendered":"NHTSA Urged to Maintain Fuel Economy Standards"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON — A coalition of health, consumer and environmental groups told the National\u202fHighway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)\u202fthat its plan to gut fuel-economy standards for cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks is irrevocably flawed and should be withdrawn. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Comments<\/span><\/a>\u00a0submitted today from NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), the Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, Public Citizen, Conservation Law Foundation, and the Environmental Law & Policy Center laid out the legal and technical flaws with NHTSA\u2019s plan and explained why gutting fuel-economy standards would be harmful for Americans\u2019 wallets and health.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The proposal would weaken existing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards by lowering the expected fleetwide average to just 34.5\u00a0miles\u00a0per\u00a0gallon\u00a0by 2031, which is\u00a0below what\u00a0the\u00a0vehicle fleet\u00a0has\u00a0already\u00a0achieved.\u00a0NHTSA predicts that its proposal would force the average driver to pay $1,400 more in fuel costs over the lifetime of their vehicle, with the\u00a0additional\u00a0fuel costs outweighing the claimed savings in upfront vehicle purchase prices by hundreds of dollars. This action would\u00a0not only make\u00a0cars less affordable for the average\u00a0American, but\u00a0also\u00a0drive the country\u00a0backwards by making vehicle\u00a0fleets less efficient.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NHTSA\u2019s\u00a0proposed standards,\u00a0\u201cwould hurt\u00a0<\/span>American families by forcing them to spend more money at the gas pump and by worsening air pollution across the country,\u201d\u00a0the\u00a0groups say in their comments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

QUOTES:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis rollback goes so much further than even what was tried in the first Trump administration,\u201d said\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Kathy Harris<\/a><\/strong>, director of the clean vehicles program at NRDC.<\/strong> \u201cIf this rule gets\u00a0finalized, it will deliver a harsh blow to American families struggling to keep up with rising prices. It would raise drivers\u2019 costs at the pump while worsening air pollution across the country.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything about this proposal threatens the well-being of Americans,\u201d said Sierra Club Senior Attorney Josh Berman.<\/strong> \u201cFamilies are already grappling with rising heating bills, medical expenses, and grocery prices \u2014 and with this proposal, our cars will become less efficient and more expensive to drive. To make matters worse,\u00a0less\u00a0efficient cars will increase air pollution,\u00a0worsening\u00a0our air quality and multiplying our health care costs. We urge the Department of Transportation to leave these common-sense fuel economy standards alone.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Trump administration is rewarding oil companies and punishing consumers with their weak standards,\u201d said David Pettit, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity\u2019s Climate Law Institute.<\/strong> \u201cFollowing the law would save people money and clean the air we breathe.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0not a heavy lift with today\u2019s technology. But the Trump administration is choosing to put corporate profits for its big campaign donors first. Drivers will pay the price to use more gas and pollute more, while Big Oil profits.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFuel economy standards should be designed to deliver fuel efficient cars, saving consumers money and reducing toxic pollution that harms public health,\u201d said Adina Rosenbaum, an attorney at\u00a0Public\u00a0Citizen Litigation Group.<\/strong> \u201cThe Trump administration’s proposal is bad for consumers and rolls back decades of progress toward cleaner cars and cleaner air.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWeakening the CAFE standards will add more pollution to the air we breathe, put us all at greater risk for serious health problems, and saddle American families with higher gas bills for years to come,\u201d said\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Andy Su<\/a><\/strong>, attorney, Environmental Defense Fund.<\/strong> \u201cNo one in America is hoping to spend\u00a0more\u00a0at the gas pump. People want cars that are safe and save money \u2013 and this proposal drives us in the wrong direction.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Comments are due today on the proposed rule.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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