Automotive Execs Beg Trump to Reconsider 2025 Fuel Economy Rules

Executives from the Big Three and numerous foreign automakers have penned a letter to the president, asking him to walk back Obama-era gas mileage requirements.

byWill Sabel Courtney|
Automotive Execs Beg Trump to Reconsider 2025 Fuel Economy Rules
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A group of CEOs and other North American executives from 18 different automakers have written a letter to President Donald Trump imploring him to reconsider the Obama-era mandate intended to push corporate average fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, Reuters reports.

The letter, which was reportedly sent to Trump on Friday, was signed by the head of Ford Motor Company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and General Motors, as well as the North American bosses of Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai, among others, according to Reuters

The rules, which were locked in by the Environmental Protection Agency in the final week of President Obama's presidency, could "threaten future production levels, putting hundreds of thousands and perhaps as many as a million jobs at risk," according to the letter. 

Reuters reports that the letter spoke highly of the president's "personal focus on steps to strengthen the economy in the United States and your commitment to jobs in our sector." 

The Obama-era 54.5-mpg goal dates back to 2011. At the time, the administration claimed the levels—which had been negotiated with automakers—could save drivers more than $1.7 trillion over the lifespan of their vehicles. Since that agreement was established, however, American consumers' preference for trucks and SUVs has dragged predicted fuel economy levels down; last July, the EPA said it now predicts overall CAFE levels to land between 50.8 and 52.6 mpg in 2025. 

In part as a result of that trend, automakers have fought with the EPA over the planned standards. Car companies have been lobbying  the Trump team to reconsider the levels since before his inauguration; the CEOs of the Big Three also reportedly discussed the matter with POTUS during a meeting last month. 

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