Vehicle emissions standards have become a somewhat contentious subject, particularly where they should be set for the next few years. During Trump's presidency, his EPA was hell-bent on rolling back standards, making them less stringent and therefore easier and cheaper for car manufacturers to meet. Now, according to an announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency made on Monday, that pendulum is swinging the other way, and fast.
Specifically, the EPA has finalized rules for vehicle emissions targets for model years 2023-2026, and, according to the agency, they're the most stringent ever, which it claims will pay serious dividends to the American people down the proverbial road.
What kind of dividends? Well, the EPA estimates that its new targets will save US citizens $190 billion in net benefits through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, airborne pollutants (and their effect on the overall health of the population) as well as savings at the gas pump through significantly higher corporate average fuel economy requirements.
"The final rule for light-duty vehicles reflect core principles of this Administration: We followed the science, we listened to stakeholders, and we are setting robust and rigorous standards that will aggressively reduce the pollution that is harming people and our planet -- and save families money at the same time," said EPA Administrator Michael Regan, in a statement. "At EPA, our priority is to protect public health, especially in overburdened communities, while responding to the President's ambitious climate agenda. Today we take a giant step forward in delivering on those goals, while paving the way toward an all-electric, zero-emissions transportation future."
Some automakers -- BMW, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen, for example -- sided with California in its battle to keep setting its own emissions standards during the Trump administration's rollback attempts. We suspect that these manufacturers are feeling pretty vindicated at the moment and in a better place to meet the new, ever-tightening standards. In contrast, others like GM, Stellantis and Toyota aren't likely to be so thrilled, and we wouldn't be surprised to see attempts by them to push back against the new regulations.