Auto Manufacturers Ask Regulators To Revisit 2025 Fuel Efficiency Targets — BIG Vehicles Are In + Unrealistic Goals

I recall as far back as the 1970s when US automakers cried "unrealistic goals" with respect to fuel economy. And then they blew right past them because regulations said they'd be financially penalized if they didn't. Hmmm, profit triumphs over "impossible."

Here's a reasonable solution:

1) Allow US automakers to make vehicles that get whatever fuel economy they care to get.
2) Make sure fuel economy is accurately assessed and prominently posted on the window sticker in the showroom.
3) Don't penalize foreign automakers selling their vehicles in the US.
4) Let the consumer market decide who wants to buy which car, both here and abroad!
5) Don't bail out failed US automakers if they go belly-up.

This would be a "free market" at work :-)

2018 levels are where everything should get capped.

AS I recall - the new standards were placed on vehicles based on their wheelbase - and there were all sorts of prediction of how manufacturers would take advantage of that.

So - in fact - allowing the MIX to be determined by the market makes sense rather than setting an ADDITIONAL goal per manufacturer. Since California is no going to change its laws - and since it is unlikely that the Supreme court will support not allowing California to make its own laws - the technology will have to be developed. THIS might return us to the age when California cars were different from all the rest - although there are now 11 states that follow california rules -by law.

I would change the standard to a minimum mileage to get the fleet average up. Get the models off the market that pull down the average. It would apply to all manufacturers and would not require high priced models to offset poor models.