Senate Republicans Unveil First-of-Its-Kind Plan To Eliminate Fuel Economy Standards That Cost Americans Billions

"Sen. Mike Crapo's legislation would save consumers billions of dollars and prevent future administrations from pursuing a 'de facto electric vehicle mandate'"

Thomas Catenacci   

Update 4:04 p.m.: This piece has been updated to remove mention of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, which did not endorse the bill.

"Sen. Mike Crapo (R., Idaho) is preparing to introduce first-of-its-kind legislation that would scrap fuel efficiency rules for vehicles, regulations that Republicans say have cost consumers billions of dollars, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.

"Crapo's bill would end a decades-old program requiring the federal government to set environmental fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. Crapo, the Senate Finance Committee's chairman, says the bill would save Americans money and ensure the federal government is unable to use the so-called corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) program to implement a "de facto electric vehicle mandate" or other broad climate objectives.

"The bill is not a symbolic one. It has five Senate cosponsors, all Republicans, and strong backing from major industry groups. It's also being introduced in time to clear Congress before any shift of control in January.

"The Biden administration finalized CAFE standards in 2024 that would have doubled fuel efficiency requirements in new cars, something automakers said was unachievable, costly, and designed to incentivize purchases of expensive electric vehicles. Last year, President Donald Trump reset the CAFE standards, calling the Biden-era regulations "ridiculously burdensome" and "horrible."

"Congress created the CAFE program to limit fuel consumption during the 1970s oil crisis, when Arab nations implemented an oil embargo against the United States and other nations that had supported Israel militarily. The United States has since shed itself of dependence on Arab oil, but the CAFE program has persisted and been reimagined as a tool to achieve the left's environmental goals.

"While advocates argue the program saves consumers money in the long run by decreasing their spending on fuel, an increase in CAFE standards of just 1 mile per gallon costs consumers an estimated $24.1 billion and automakers an estimated $5.5 billion over 10 years, even when accounting for fuel spending, according to a 2022 report from the right-leaning Mackinac Center for Public Policy. That's because higher fuel efficiency creates high compliance costs that automakers then pass on to buyers." . . .More...