(Headline USA) The Biden administration proposed new fuel economy standards this week in the latest effort to phase out gas-powered cars and light trucks and force Americans to buy electric vehicles.
The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is a part of the Transportation Department, will require passenger cars and light trucks to improve fuel efficiency by 2% and 4% respectively, beginning in 2027. Pickup trucks and work vans must boost fuel efficiency by 10% every year starting in 2030.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg claimed in a statement that the new standards will help Americans save money on gas.
“Better vehicle fuel efficiency means more money in Americans’ pockets and stronger energy security for the entire nation,” he said.
NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson made a similar claim, estimating the standards will save consumers more than $50 billion on fuel by 2050.
“The new standards we’re proposing today would advance our energy security, reduce harmful emissions, and save families and business owners money at the pump,” she said. “That’s good news for everyone.”
Critics, however, have pointed out that consumers will still end up spending more since the standards will force manufacturers to increase the overall prices of vehicles. General Motors warned the Biden administration last month that the standards could cost manufacturers as much as $100 billion in 2031. The administration reportedly dismissed their concerns.
“This is an EV mandate and further evidence that the elites want normal people to hoof it or take the bus,” Dan Kish, senior fellow at the Institute for Energy Research, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Americans had better wake up, because cars will soon be so expensive that people won’t be able to afford them.”
