Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 24 January 2020

Trump ups mileage proposal

slightly over Obama standard

WASHINGTON (AP) — The tration. The Trump administration
Trump administration is Fuel economy standards has billed its mileage stan-
making a concession on would increase 1.5% per dards as safer and less cost-
its proposed minimum fuel year from 2021 through ly to motorists, but there's
economy requirement for 2026 under the new pro- a growing chorus of crit-
new vehicles, but environ- posal. That's a reversal from ics disputing that, includ-
mental groups and a key the Trump administration's ing the Trump EPA's own
Democratic senator com- proposal in 2018, which scientific advisory board.
plain it does not go far sought to freeze the stan- The mileage rollback has
In this Tuesday, June 28, 2016, file photo, a customer puts gas in enough, and still falls well dards at 2020 levels. become one of the most
their vehicle in Miami. below the requirements set Environmentalists and Del- fiercely contested rollback
Associated Press under the Obama adminis- aware Sen. Tom Carper efforts by the administra-
hardly cheered the move, tion, prompting legal bat-
which doesn't come close tles with California and
to the 5% annual increase other states and splitting
that the Obama adminis- loyalties of top automakers.
tration had mandated. The National Highway Traf-
Carper, senior Democrat fic Safety Administration,
on the Environment and which develops fuel econ-
Public Works Commit- omy rules, wouldn't com-
tee, released some de- ment Thursday. It reissued
tails of the latest fuel-stan- a statement saying the rule
dards proposal in a letter will improve fuel economy,
Wednesday urging the ad- cut pollution and make ve-
ministration to scrap its new hicles more affordable.
mileage proposal as inef- When the Trump admin-
fective and costly. istration released its pro-
"My office's review of the posed "Safer Affordable
draft final rule indicates Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule"
that it utterly fails to provide in 2018, it calculated that
any demonstrable safety, the rule would save 12,700
environmental or econom- lives in car crashes through
ic benefit to consumers or model year 2029. The logic
the country," Carper wrote was that relaxed fuel mile-
in a letter to the Office of age standards would cut
Management and Budget. the cost of vehicles, mak-
The office reviews pro- ing them more affordable
posed regulations before and increasing sales. Since
they are finalized and print- new vehicles are safer, lives
ed in the Federal Register. would be saved.
The administration hasn't The proposal pegged the
released the numbers, but cost of meeting Obama-
they are detailed in Carp- era requirements at $2,700
er's letter to Paul Ray, a per vehicle and said buyers
management and budget would save that much per
administrator. car by 2025.q