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Senate Weighs Effectively Killing Rule That Drove Rise of Fuel-Efficient Cars
Wall Street Journal ^ | June 21, 2025 | Ryan Felton and Sharon Terlep

Posted on 06/21/2025 2:48:47 PM PDT by karpov

The Senate is weighing a major change to federal fuel-economy rules that would kneecap the policy that dramatically reduced gas consumption and helped create fuel-efficient cars like the Toyota Prius hybrid.

Republican senators are proposing a change to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, rules as part of President Trump’s wide-ranging tax and spending bill. If enacted, the proposal would eliminate fines for violating CAFE, all but nullifying rules that for generations have pushed automakers to churn out ever cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. That technology has saved two trillion gallons of gasoline over the past 50 years, according to the journal Energy Policy.

Automakers including General Motors and Jeep-parent Stellantis support the measure, while some of their rivals don’t. Consumer advocacy groups warn that the move could result in dated technology remaining on the road and further dependence on foreign oil sources.

“The combination of high penalties with the nearly impossible CAFE standards finalized during the previous administration is a major problem,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents most major carmakers.

Trump came to office promising to cut regulations across the government, leading to the most significant unwinding of automotive clean-air and fuel-economy regulations in decades. Congress last month struck down the nation’s most aggressive emissions rules, and the Environmental Protection Agency has said it aims to loosen restrictions on automobile greenhouse-gas emissions.

Some carmakers have already signaled they are preparing to step up production of gas-powered cars. GM said last month it would invest $888 million to repurpose an electric vehicle plant to make V-8 engines. Stellantis also said it is bringing back the HEMI V-8 in the 2026 Ram 1500 pickup.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cars
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Full article.

Good. Mileage standards have become a backdoor way to get rid of gas-powered cars.

1 posted on 06/21/2025 2:48:47 PM PDT by karpov
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To: karpov

It’s annoying.

Since nothing is actually being abolished, it’s just all temporary fleeting gains. The next President can simply put it all back.

EPA? Not abolished. Department of Education? Not abolished. Nothing is getting abolished. It’s all temporary.


2 posted on 06/21/2025 2:51:38 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica (We cannot vote our way out of these problems. The only way out is to activist our way out.)
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To: karpov

Good!


3 posted on 06/21/2025 2:52:09 PM PDT by EastTexasTraveler
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To: karpov

When you get credit for batteries or ethanol rather than just fuel efficiency on a fuel efficiency (CAFE) standard, you realize the market and the whole premise is flawed.

I would have expected the next Democrat administration would have given MPG credit for LGBTQ hiring practices. Your fleet of cars that averaged “30 MPG” before suddenly average “45 MPG,” because you have added perverted sexual practices to your required annual training, for instance.


4 posted on 06/21/2025 2:54:57 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ProgressingAmerica

“EPA? Not abolished. Department of Education? Not abolished. Nothing is getting abolished. It’s all temporary.”

You are annoying. Do you really think,those would pass the Senate?


5 posted on 06/21/2025 2:55:29 PM PDT by TexasGator (11111 -)
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To: ProgressingAmerica

Are you not able to tell the difference between President Trump and the rest of them?


6 posted on 06/21/2025 2:58:41 PM PDT by reasonisfaith (What are the personal implications if the Resurrection of Christ is a true event in history?)
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To: karpov

Wall street urinal siding with the greens. Cheap labor and the green agenda. Figures.


7 posted on 06/21/2025 2:59:03 PM PDT by central_va (The I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: karpov

The headline is off. It should read

Senate will finally kill EPA rule that required carmakers to build overpriced electric cars and vehicles with small engines that consumers have consistently rejected.


8 posted on 06/21/2025 3:04:07 PM PDT by KingofZion
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To: TexasGator

If no one ever tries to get rid of those departments, you’ll never know if it is possible.


9 posted on 06/21/2025 3:06:05 PM PDT by CapnJack ( )
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To: karpov
...and further dependence on foreign oil sources.

We don't need foreign oil sources as long as we don't allow liberals to control us.

10 posted on 06/21/2025 3:09:48 PM PDT by Fresh Wind (Kamala defines herself in just 4 words..."Nothing comes to mind.")
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To: karpov
Automakers including General Motors and Jeep-parent Stellantis support the measure,

Of note, CAFE standards effectively killed the AMC 4.0 liter I-6, which Jeep used for years in their vehicles and was one of the most robust and dependable engines ever made.

11 posted on 06/21/2025 3:10:05 PM PDT by Drew68 (I haven’t seen the Democrats this mad since yesterday. Save some tears for tomorrow.)
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To: karpov

How about gas can nozzles only an idiot would use? I personally spill more gas now than I ever did. I would fill a mini bike at age 12 and spill less gas than I can a mower these days.


12 posted on 06/21/2025 3:11:23 PM PDT by Ikeon (5,365 times,I've already told ya. YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID)
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To: CapnJack; TexasGator

If this law is passed as is stated in this article, even without abolishing the EPA, it sounds like the EPA’s CAFE standards become toothless. Especially combined with the recent SCOTUS ruling that the “Chevron standard” should be ignored.


13 posted on 06/21/2025 3:12:00 PM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: CapnJack

“If no one ever tries to get rid of those departments, you’ll never know if it is possible.”

Name seven democrats in the senate that would go along.


14 posted on 06/21/2025 3:12:22 PM PDT by TexasGator (1-1111 -)
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To: karpov

I read once that CAFE pretty much killed the station wagon. Then producers and consumers had a work around with the SUV. Not being a car, CAFE standards did not apply. Sounded reasonable to me.


15 posted on 06/21/2025 3:16:01 PM PDT by ChessExpert (The Democratic party must be destroyed.)
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To: Ikeon

How about gas can nozzles only an idiot would use? I personally spill more gas now than I ever did. I would fill a mini bike at age 12 and spill less gas than I can a mower these days.

******************************************************

I drilled out the plug - put a batch of holes in it.


16 posted on 06/21/2025 3:17:59 PM PDT by dagunk
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To: karpov

So, when exactly will I be able to purchase a single cab light pick up truck.?!🛻


17 posted on 06/21/2025 3:20:33 PM PDT by Trumpet 1 (US Constitution is my guide.)
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To: karpov

I LIKE the dated technology - I could fix problems alongside the road.

Didn’t have to worry about the car spying on me either.


18 posted on 06/21/2025 3:21:02 PM PDT by dagunk
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To: karpov

Strange new idea: Let the consumer decide. Let the market decide. Some support Musk. Some want to purposely buy the car that competes with Musk...for the same reason they bought Tesla because because it wasn’t gas.

And some buy the black car or white car or red car or bought the RV or PU or mini to impress those they want to impress.

The free market sounds crazy...until we see how crazy the government impact is when it puts its heavy thumb on the decision scale.


19 posted on 06/21/2025 3:24:33 PM PDT by spintreebob (ki .h )
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To: karpov

CAFE has been a box: Emissions on one axis and Fuel Economy on the other. Since the 80s they’ve squeezed in one side of the box or the other - sometimes both. The box cannot be made infinitely small - there’s a point of balance and we’ve probably surpassed it. Time to rationalize the box against other realities, not just continue to squeeze it knowing that leads to outcomes most people don’t want.


20 posted on 06/21/2025 3:25:09 PM PDT by bigbob (Yes. We ARE going back)
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