Featured Federal Register for 2022-2025 CAFE

Source: Federal Register :: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Model Year 2022-2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NHTSA intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for model year (MY) 2022-2025 passenger automobiles (referred to herein as “passenger cars”) and non-passenger automobiles (referred to herein as “light trucks”) that NHTSA will be proposing pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). This notice initiates the process for determining the scope of considerations to be addressed in the EIS and for identifying any significant environmental matters related to the proposed action. NHTSA invites public comments from Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, stakeholders, and the public in this scoping process to help identify and focus any matters of environmental significance and reasonable alternatives to be examined in the EIS.
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Anyone can submit comments but there is a window. Published July 26 with a 45 day window, the nominal cut-off is September 9. So I'm thinking along the lines of:

• The average age of USA cars is 11 years which is consistent with the years we keep our cars.
• Our cars will be 11 years old in 2025 and 2028 and will need replacement.
• Our cars get 113 and 133 MPGe around town and 40 and 55 MPG on the highway.
• Retired, we can not afford an increase in the cost per mile from less efficient cars.
• Indirectly, light truck fuel add to the cost of food and goods we buy on our fixed retirement income.

RECOMMENDATION

• By 2022, unloaded cars and light trucks should give at least what we have today:
  • Minimum 125 MPGe for a range 100 miles in town.
  • Minimum 55 MPG for a range of 500 miles on the highway.
• Allow use of automated driving technology that supports ad hoc platooning and collision avoidance.

Bob Wilson

 

Another source: Consumers Union Tells EPA to Strengthen, Not Lower Emissions Standards

Reducing exhaust emissions saves fuel. That benefits consumers because it saves them money. So the Consumers Union is in favour of it. That’s why they are against reopening the standards, which will likely lead to reducing the emission and economy improvements in the existing legislation. Adding another model year to the review could make that situation even worse.
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Bob Wilson

ps. Politics makes strange bedfellows.