The US Is Ditching Its 'Too Tough' New Car Efficiency Targets

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is binning targets to decrease emissions and increase fuel economy by 2025, in a move that’s bad for urban pollution levels but good for car makers.

The Obama administration had worked hard to implement a national emissions target of 54.4 US mpg (65.3 UK mpg) by 2025. The rules meant that car makers’ model range average fuel economy would have to equal or better that – under threat of heavy fines.

Removing the targets had been threatened, and now the controversial move has been confirmed.

The move meant that a very quick shift to hybridisation and electric cars would have been necessary in the relatively diesel-shy US, and car makers argued it simply wasn’t enough time to develop and perfect new models at prices consumers could afford.

In a ruling that he then tweeted, EPA boss Scott Pruitt said that the Obama-era decision was wrong, saying that the targets will be revised but that the current bullseye will be scrapped.

Naturally, not everyone is happy about this. California is threatening to go it alone with ultra-strict emissions rules, risking a head-on collision with the federal authorities. And anyway, if the current administration is voted out at the next election, the rules might change yet again…