Feb 9, 2024
Late last month, 120 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) slamming proposed changes to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks. The proposal by NHTSA would require an industry fleet-wide average for passenger cars and light trucks of roughly 58 miles per gallon by 2032.
The NHTSA proposal came soon after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced new emission standards which would effectively require 67.5% of U.S. vehicle sales to be electric by 2032. Congress has attempted legislative action to stop the EPA proposal with H.R. 4468 (Passed on 12/6/23) and S. 3094 The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Acts. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation supports both bills and urges the Senate to follow the lead of the House and pass the bill.
This letter makes it clear that many lawmakers believe NHTSA has overstepped its authority with these proposed guidelines. Lawmakers state, “Nowhere in law did Congress authorize NHTSA to set fuel economy standards that effectively mandate electric vehicles, while at the same time force the internal combustion engine out of the market.”
The letter outlines numerous concerns regarding the quick shift away from internal combustion engines, saying these proposals act as a “De facto mandate for electric vehicles that threatens to raise costs and restrict consumer choice, harm U.S. businesses, degrade our energy and national security and hand the keys of our automotive industry over to our adversaries, especially China.”
The MRF thanks the lawmakers who have pushed back against NHTSA’s attempt to eliminate the internal combustion engine. The MRF also sent a letter to NHTS on this topic back in October, so we are grateful to see legislators addressing this issue.
