Fuel Consumption

Several legacy automakers, like GM, are claiming to be all-in on electric vehicles, but they are still lobbying to relax fuel consumption standards that would accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.

GM CEO Mary Barra is now reportedly meeting with Trump administration about relaxing the standard as the EPA is even considering trying to force states to stop following California’s more aggressive standards.
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Automakers have officially submitted a letter asking the new head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Scott Pruitt, to abdicate his responsibility for protecting the environment by loosening the fuel efficiency standards they agreed upon with the Obama administration in 2011.  Pruitt, who calls himself a “leading advocate against the EPA” and has spent much of his life fighting against the agency, has received over $270,000 in lifetime campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry.  Incidentally, Pruitt also denies that burning oil and gas causes global warming.  Surely there’s no connection between that opinion and the campaign contributions he’s received.

The automakers claim that the 54.5mpg CAFE standard would be too costly to implement by 2025, and that consumer demand isn’t there for more efficient vehicles, even as EV sales continue to experience massive growth.
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