Consumer Groups Send Letter to President Trump Supporting EPA Fuel Economy Standards

Good morning,

In case you may have missed it yesterday, I'm passing along the letter
Consumers Union and Consumer Federation of America sent to President Trump
urging him to maintain EPA's strong fuel economy standards. Automotive
trade groups have sent letters to President Trump and EPA Administrator
Scott Priutt asking them to re-evaluate the standards. We think that's a
mistake. The text of the letter is pasted below. Let me know if you'd like
a PDF copy.

February 23, 2017



President Donald J. Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington, D.C. 20500



Dear Mr. President:



On behalf of Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America, we ask
that you maintain the strong fuel economy standards established by the
Environmental Protection Agency. These standards help to lower fuel costs
for middle class families across the country, support job creation and
innovation, and improve air quality.



Rolling back fuel economy standards would hurt hard-working, middle-class
Americans and small businesses that rely on a car or truck for their
livelihood. Even at today’s lower prices, gasoline is a major expense for a
majority of American families. Fuel economy standards are a cost-effective
way to save consumers money on fuel. In fact, Consumers Union’s research
shows that consumers would enjoy net savings of $3,200 per car and $4,800
per truck, over the life of a vehicle that meet the 2025 standards, even at
today’s low gas prices. If gas prices rise, which we expect they will, the
savings would be significantly higher. And when consumers save money, they
spend it on local goods and services, helping to further boost the economy
and encourage more job growth.



Rolling back the standards will rob consumers of these savings, providing
them with less expendable income. For families struggling to cover basic
needs, this would be an added burden. Improving fuel efficiency in cars and
trucks not only saves money today, but help provide families with a bit of
insurance against future gas price increases. In fact, strong majorities of
consumers across the political spectrum value fuel economy standards—our
recent surveys and polls show that about 80% of Americans support the
standards.



Thanks to fuel economy standards, the automakers have invested in
innovative technologies to improve fuel economy, and their efforts have
paid off. Automakers have not only met today’s fuel economy standards, but
they have exceeded the standards in many cases, all while enjoying record
profits and record sales. Many cars and trucks available today outperform
standards set for 2020 and 2021. And one of the great features of the fuel
economy standards is that they are flexible and adapt to the vehicles consumers
actually buy--as consumer demand has shifted toward larger vehicles,
automakers’ targets have also lowered because larger vehicles have lower
efficiency targets. The standards help improve consumer choices across the
entire fleet regardless of the size of vehicles consumers choose to buy.
Finally, the standards will go a long way to keeping the car companies from
again needing a bailout as they did when their lots were filled with unsold
inefficient vehicles the last time gas prices peaked.



Consumers are relying on fuel economy standards to lower their fuel costs
in the future. Staying the course on fuel economy supports working families
and increases American jobs, which are top priorities for our nation.





Sincerely,






Shannon Baker-Branstetter

Consumers Union



Jack Gillis

Consumer Federation of America





Cc: Administrator G. Scott Pruitt, EPA

Secretary Elaine Chao, DOT

Kevin Green, DOT

Bill Charmley, EPA

Chris Grundler, EPA

Michael Olechiw EPA

Rebecca Yoon, NHTSA

James Tamm, NHTSA

Mike McCarthy, CARB

Annette Hebert, CARB